Head and neck cancer PEG site metastases: Association with PEG placement method.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) will require feeding tube placement for nutritional support using percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. Rarely, HNC metastases have been reported at the PEG site, a morbidity associated with a poor outcome. METHODS: Along with a case report, an evaluation of PEG placement methods with metastases from the literature was completed along with a statistical analysis of the literature to determine PEG site metastases and method of placement correlations. RESULTS: The incidence of PEG metastases in patients with HNC with the "pull" method is statistically identical to that of patients receiving any other method for PEG placement. CONCLUSIONS: When considering options for the placement of PEG tubes in patients with HNC, the "pull" method should not be considered as a technique which will put patients at risk for PEG site metastases more than any other method of placement.

Tea polyphenols for the prevention of UVB-induced skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer with increasing incidence rate and public health burden. Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes an array of damaging cellular and molecular events that eventually lead to the development of skin cancer. Despite increased awareness about sun protection, the exposure rate remains high with less than 15% of men and 30% of women using sunscreen on a regular basis. Therefore, there is an imperative need for the development of novel preventive approaches. Skin cancer chemoprevention using phytochemicals either as dietary supplements or by topical applications has gained considerable attention due to their low toxicity, availability, and anticarcinogenic properties. Tea, the second most commonly consumed beverage in the world, is a rich source of promising phytochemicals known as polyphenols. In this review, we discuss the findings of various in vitro, in vivo and human studies signifying the chemopreventive effects of tea polyphenols against UVB-induced skin cancer. This is accomplished by exploring the role of tea polyphenols in DNA repair, inflammation, oxidative stress, signaling pathways, and epigenetics. Finally, this review discusses a variety of innovative delivery methods that enhance the photochemopreventive effects of tea polyphenols against skin cancer.

Phytochemicals for the Prevention of Photocarcinogenesis.

Ultraviolet (UV) exposure has an array of damaging effects and is the main cause of skin cancer in humans. Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, is the most common type of cancer. Incidence of NMSC has increased due to greater UV radiation, increased life expectancy and other changes in lifestyle; the annual cost of skin cancer treatment in the United States has increased concurrently to around eight billion dollars. Because of these trends, novel approaches to skin cancer prevention have become an important area of research to decrease skin cancer morbidity and defray the costs associated with treatment. Chemoprevention aims to prevent or delay the development of skin cancer through the use of phytochemicals. Use of phytochemicals as chemopreventive agents has gained attention due to their low toxicity and anticarcinogenic properties. Phytochemicals also exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects which support their use as chemopreventive agents, particularly for skin cancer. Preclinical and human studies have shown that phytochemicals decrease UV-induced skin damage and photocarcinogenesis. In this review article, we discuss the selected phytochemicals that may prevent or delay UV-induced carcinogenesis and highlight their potential use for skin protection.