Although obesity is associated with increased incidence of pancreatic cancer, studies have not prospectively evaluated prediagnostic body mass index (BMI) and survival.
We analyzed survival by ...prediagnostic BMI assessed in 1986 among 902 patients from two large prospective cohorts diagnosed from 1988 to 2010. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) for death using Cox proportional hazards models, with adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, diagnosis year, and stage. We evaluated the temporal association of BMI with survival by grouping reported BMI by 2-year lag-time intervals before diagnosis.
The multivariable-adjusted HR for death was 1.53 (95% CI, 1.11 to 2.09) comparing patients with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) with those with BMI < 25 kg/m(2) (P trend = .001), which was similar after adjustment for stage. The association of BMI with survival was stronger with longer lag times between reported BMI and cancer diagnosis. Among patients with BMI collected 18 to 20 years before diagnosis, HR for death was 2.31 (95% CI, 1.48 to 3.61; P trend < .001), comparing obese with healthy-weight patients. No statistically significant differences were seen by cohort, smoking status, or stage, although the association was stronger among never-smokers (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.57; P trend = .002) than ever-smokers (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.86 to 2.15; P trend = .63), comparing BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2) with BMI < 25 kg/m(2). Higher prediagnostic BMI was associated with more advanced stage at diagnosis, with 72.5% of obese patients presenting with metastatic disease versus 59.4% of healthy-weight patients (P = .02).
Higher prediagnostic BMI was associated with statistically significantly decreased survival among patients with pancreatic cancer from two large prospective cohorts.
Aspirin use reduces the risk of colorectal carcinoma. Experimental evidence implicates a role of RAF kinases in up-regulation of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2, cyclooxygenase 2), ...suggesting that BRAF-mutant colonic cells might be less sensitive to the antitumor effects of aspirin than BRAF-wild-type neoplastic cells.
To examine whether the association of aspirin intake with colorectal cancer risk differs according to status of tumor BRAF oncogene mutation.
We collected biennial questionnaire data on aspirin use and followed up participants in the Nurses' Health Study (from 1980) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (from 1986) until July 1, 2006, for cancer incidence and until January 1, 2012, for cancer mortality. Duplication-method Cox proportional cause-specific hazards regression for competing risks data was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for colorectal carcinoma incidence according to BRAF mutation status.
Incidence of colorectal cancer cases according to tumor BRAF mutation status.
Among 127,865 individuals, with 3,165,985 person-years of follow-up, we identified 1226 incident rectal and colon cancers with available molecular data. Compared with nonuse, regular aspirin use was associated with lower BRAF-wild-type cancer risk (multivariable HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.64 to 0.83; age-adjusted incidence rate difference RD, -9.7; 95% CI, -12.6 to -6.7 per 100,000 person-years). This association was observed irrespective of status of tumor PTGS2 expression or PIK3CA or KRAS mutation. In contrast, regular aspirin use was not associated with a lower risk of BRAF-mutated cancer (multivariable HR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.38; age-adjusted, incidence RD, 0.7; 95% CI, -0.3 to 1.7 per 100,000 person-years: P for heterogeneity = .037, between BRAF-wild-type vs BRAF-mutated cancer risks). Compared with no aspirin use, aspirin use of more than 14 tablets per week was associated with a lower risk of BRAF-wild-type cancer (multivariable HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.75; age-adjusted incidence RD, -19.8; 95% CI, -26.3 to -13.3 per 100,000 person-years). The relationship between the number of aspirin tablets per week and colorectal cancer risk differed significantly by BRAF mutation status (P for heterogeneity = .005).
Regular aspirin use was associated with lower risk of BRAF-wild-type colorectal cancer but not with BRAF-mutated cancer risk. These findings suggest that BRAF-mutant colon tumor cells may be less sensitive to the effect of aspirin. Given the modest absolute risk difference, further investigations are necessary to determine clinical implications of our findings.
Obesity and diabetes mellitus are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. These associations may be secondary to consequences of peripheral insulin resistance, pancreatic β-cell ...dysfunction, or hyperglycemia itself. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a measure of hyperglycemia, whereas plasma insulin and proinsulin are markers of peripheral insulin resistance, and the proinsulin to insulin ratio marks pancreatic β-cell dysfunction.
This was a prospective, nested case-control study of 449 case patients and 982 control subjects with prediagnostic blood samples and no diabetes history from five prospective US cohorts followed through 2008. Two or three control subjects were matched to each case patient by year of birth, cohort, smoking, and fasting status. Pancreatic cancer risk was assessed by prediagnostic HbA1c, insulin, proinsulin, and proinsulin to insulin ratio with multivariable-adjusted logistic regression. All P values were two-sided.
The highest vs lowest quintiles of HbA1c, insulin, and proinsulin were associated with with an increased risk for pancreatic cancer (odds ratio OR = 1.79; 95% confidence interval CI = 1.17 to 2.72, P trend = .04 for HbA1c; OR = 1.57; 95% CI = 1.08 to 2.30; Ptrend = .002 for insulin; and OR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.50 to 3.29; P trend < .001 for proinsulin). Proinsulin to insulin ratio was not associated with pancreatic cancer risk. Results were similar across studies (all P heterogeneity > .29). In cancers developing 10 or more years after blood collection, the associations with insulin and proinsulin became stronger (highest vs lowest quintile, OR = 2.77; 95% CI = 1.28 to 5.99 for insulin and OR = 3.60; 95% CI = 1.68 to 7.72 for proinsulin). In mutually adjusted models including HbA1c, insulin, and proinsulin, only proinsulin remained statistically significant ( highest vs lowest quintile, OR = 2.55; 95% CI = 1.54 to 4.21; Ptrend < .001).
Among participants from five large prospective cohorts, circulating markers of peripheral insulin resistance, rather than hyperglycemia or pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, were independently associated with pancreatic cancer risk.
Background
Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) represents a group of histopathologically and molecularly heterogeneous diseases, which may contain signet-ring cell component and/or mucinous component to a ...varying extent under pathology assessment. However, little is known about the prognostic significance of those components, independent of various tumor molecular features.
Methods
Utilizing a molecular pathological epidemiology database of 1,336 rectal and colon cancers in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we examined patient survival according to the proportion of signet-ring cell and mucinous components in CRCs. Cox proportional hazards models were used to compute hazard ratio (HR) for mortality, adjusting for potential confounders including stage, microsatellite instability, CpG island methylator phenotype, LINE-1 methylation, and
KRAS,
BRAF,
and
PIK3CA
mutations.
Results
Compared to CRC without signet-ring cell component, 1–50 % signet-ring cell component was associated with multivariate CRC-specific mortality HR of 1.40 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.93, and >50 % signet-ring cell component was associated with multivariate CRC-specific mortality HR of 4.53 (95 % CI 2.53–8.12) (
P
trend
< 0.0001). Compared to CRC without mucinous component, neither 1–50 % mucinous component (multivariate HR 1.04; 95 % CI 0.81–1.33) nor >50 % mucinous component (multivariate HR 0.82; 95 % CI 0.54–1.23) was significantly associated with CRC-specific mortality (
P
trend
< 0.57).
Conclusions
Even a minor (50 % or less) signet-ring cell component in CRC was associated with higher patient mortality, independent of various tumor molecular and other clinicopathological features. In contrast, mucinous component was not associated with mortality in CRC patients.
Dietary patterns affect systemic and local intestinal inflammation, which have been linked to colorectal carcinogenesis. Chronic inflammation can interfere with the adaptive immune response. We ...investigated whether the association of a diet that promotes intestinal inflammation with risk of colorectal carcinoma was stronger for tumors with lower lymphocytic reactions than tumors with higher lymphocytic reactions.
We collected data from the molecular pathological epidemiology databases of 2 prospective cohort studies: the Nurses’ Health Study (since 1976) and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (since 1986). We used duplication-method time-varying Cox proportional cause-specific hazards regression to assess the association of empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score (derived from food frequency questionnaire data) with colorectal carcinoma subtype. Foods that contribute to high EDIP scores include red and processed meats, refined grains, carbonated beverages, and some vegetables; foods that contribute to low EDIP scores include beer, wine, coffee, tea, yellow and leafy vegetables, and fruit juice. Colorectal tissue samples were analyzed histologically for patterns of lymphocytic reactions (Crohn’s-like lymphoid reaction, peritumoral lymphocytic reaction, intratumoral periglandular reaction, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes).
During follow-up of 124,433 participants, we documented 1311 incident colon and rectal cancer cases with available tissue data. The association between the EDIP and colorectal cancer risk was significant (Ptrend = .02), and varied with degree of peritumoral lymphocytic reaction (Pheterogeneity < .001). Higher EDIP scores were associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer with an absent or low peritumoral lymphocytic reaction (highest vs lowest EDIP score quintile hazard ratio, 2.60; 95% confidence interval, 1.60−4.23; Ptrend < .001), but not risk of tumors with intermediate or high peritumoral lymphocytic reaction (Ptrend > .80).
In 2 prospective cohort studies, we associated inflammatory diets with a higher risk of colorectal cancer subtype that contains little or no peritumoral lymphocytic reaction. These findings suggest that diet-related inflammation might contribute to development of colorectal cancer, by suppressing the adaptive anti-tumor immune response.
Abstract The recently rapid increase of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus has caused great burden to our society. A positive association between type 2 diabetes and risk of colorectal cancer has ...been reported by increasing epidemiological studies. The molecular mechanism of this connection remains elusive. However, type 2 diabetes may result in abnormal carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, high levels of circulating insulin, insulin growth factor-1, and adipocytokines, as well as chronic inflammation. All these factors could lead to the alteration of energy sensing pathways such as the AMP activated kinase (PRKA), mechanistic (mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR), SIRT1, and autophagy signaling pathways. The resulted impaired SIRT1 and autophagy signaling pathway could increase the risk of gene mutation and cancer genesis by decreasing genetic stability and DNA mismatch repair. The dysregulated mTOR and PRKA pathway could remodel cell metabolism during the growth and metastasis of cancer in order for the cancer cell to survive the unfavorable microenvironment such as hypoxia and low blood supply. Moreover, these pathways may coupling metabolic and epigenetic alterations that is central to oncogenic transformation. Further researches including molecular pathologic epidemiologic studies are warranted to better address the precise links between these two important diseases. Use of Standardized Official Symbols: We use HUGO (Human Genome Organisation)-approved official symbols for genes and gene products, including PRKA; mTOR; PIK3CA; all of which are described at www.genenames.org.
Evidence suggests a possible role of Fusobacterium nucleatum in colorectal carcinogenesis, especially in right-sided proximal colorectum. Considering a change in bowel contents and microbiome from ...proximal to distal colorectal segments, we hypothesized that the proportion of colorectal carcinoma enriched with F. nucleatum might gradually increase along the bowel subsites from rectum to cecum.
A retrospective, cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 1,102 colon and rectal carcinomas in molecular pathological epidemiology databases of the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. We measured the amount of F. nucleatum DNA in colorectal tumor tissue using a quantitative PCR assay and equally dichotomized F. nucleatum-positive cases (high vs. low). We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship of a bowel subsite variable (rectum, rectosigmoid junction, sigmoid colon, descending colon, splenic flexure, transverse colon, hepatic flexure, ascending colon, and cecum) with the amount of F. nucleatum.
The proportion of F. nucleatum-high colorectal cancers gradually increased from rectal cancers (2.5%; 4/157) to cecal cancers (11%; 19/178), with a statistically significant linear trend along all subsites (P<0.0001) and little evidence of non-linearity. The proportion of F. nucleatum-low cancers was higher in rectal, ascending colon, and cecal cancers than in cancers of middle segments.
The proportion of F. nucleatum-high colorectal cancers gradually increases from rectum to cecum. Our data support the colorectal continuum model that reflects pathogenic influences of the gut microbiota on neoplastic and immune cells and challenges the prevailing two-colon (proximal vs. distal) dichotomy paradigm.
The therapeutic efficacy of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is mainly limited by the efficiency of homing of UCMSCs toward tissue damage. ...C-X-C chemokine receptor type 7 (CXCR7), which is involved in the mobilization of UCMSCs, is only expressed on the surface of a small proportion of UCMSCs. This study examined whether overexpression of CXCR7 in UCMSCs (UCMSCsOE-CXCR7) could improve their homing efficiency, and therefore, improve their effectiveness in fibrosis repair at the site of lung injury caused by ARDS. A lentiviral vector expressing CXCR7 was built and then transfect into UCMSCs. The impacts of CXCR7 expression of the proliferationand homing of UCMSCs were examined in a lipopolysaccharide-induced ARDS mouse model. The potential role and underlying mechanism of CXCR7 were examined by performing scratch assays, transwell assays, and immunoassays. The therapeutic dose and treatment time of UCMSCsOE-CXCR7 were directly proportional to their therapeutic effect on lung injury. In addition, overexpression of CXCR7 increased SDF-1-induced proliferation and migration of lung epithelial cells (Base-2b cells), and upregulation of CXCR7 inhibited α-SMA expression, suggesting that CXCR7 may have a role in alleviating pulmonary fibrosis caused by ARDS. Overexpression of CXCR7 in UCMSCs may improve their therapeutic effect of acute lung injury mouse, The mechanism of fibrosis repair by CXCR7 is inhibition of Jag1 via suppression of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway under the chemotaxis of SDF-1.
•UCMSCs' therapeutic efficacy in ARDS is limited by homing efficiency.•CXCR7 promotes MSCs homing, but little is known beyond endothelial adhesion factors.•CXCR7 enhances UCMSC homing and protects lungs from fibrosis in ARDS.•CXCR7 may alleviate pulmonary fibrosis via Jag1 inhibition through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Few studies have simultaneously assessed the prognostic value of the multiple classification systems for lymph node (LN) metastases in resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
In 600 ...patients with resected PDAC, we examined the association of LN parameters (AJCC 7th and 8th editions, LN ratio (LNR), and log odds of metastatic LN (LODDS)) with pattern of recurrence and patient survival using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression, respectively. Regression models adjusted for age, sex, margin status, tumour grade, and perioperative therapy.
Lymph node metastases classified by AJCC 7th and 8th editions, LNR, and LODDS were associated with worse disease free-survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (all P
<0.01). American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition effectively predicted DFS and OS, while minimising model complexity. Lymph node metastases had weaker prognostic value in patients with positive margins and distal resections (both P
<0.03). Lymph node metastases by AJCC 7th and 8th editions did not predict the likelihood of local disease as the first site of recurrence.
American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition LN classification is an effective and practical tool to predict outcomes in patients with resected PDAC. However, the prognostic value of LN metastases is attenuated in patients with positive resection margins and distal pancreatectomies.
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