West Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001ERCC1 as a Biological Marker Guiding Management in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma4117412329209ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> To determine prognostic value of excision repair cross-complementation 1 (ERCC1) in patientswith malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: The study included 60 patients withMPM who were diagnosed and treated in the Radiation Oncology Department of Kayseri Teaching Hospitaland Medical Oncology Department of Erciyes University, Medicine School between 2005 and 2013. By usingimmunohistochemical methods, ERCC1 expression in biopsy specimens was evaluated. We retrospectivelyassessed whether there is a correlation between ERCC1 and response to anti-neoplastic therapy or survival.<br/><b>Results</b>: There were 50 men and 10 women with median age of 62 years (range: 39-83). Histological type wasepithelial mesothelioma in the majority of the cases (85%), most commonly presenting in stage four. Of the cases,20 (33%) received radiotherapy, 60 (%100) received first-line chemotherapy and 15 (%25) received second-linechemotherapy. In the assessment after therapy, it was found that there was partial response in 12 cases (20%),stable disease in 19 cases (31.4%) and progression in 25 cases (41.7%). ERCC1 was positive in 43% of the cases.Mean OS was 11.7 months and mean DFS was 9.5 months in ERCC1-positive cases regardless of therapy, whilethey were 19.2 months and 17.1 months in ERCC1-negative cases, respectively. The difference was found to besignificant (p<0.05). In univariate analysis, stage, comorbidity, response to treatment and ERCC1 expressionwere found to be significantly associated with OS (p=0.083; p=0.043; p=0.041; p=0.050). In multivariate analysis,response to treatment remained to be significant for OS (p=0.005). In univariate and multivariate analyses,response to treatment and ERCC1 were found to be significantly associated with DFS (p=0.049; p=0.041).<br/><b>Conclusions</b>: ERCC1 was identified as poor prognostic factor in patients with MPM.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29209_faebc41e006b42c085a690892979e436.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Changes in Median Ages at Death from Selected Cancer Types in Relation to HLA-DRB1/DQB14125412829210ENJournal Article19700101The median ages at death from cancers between 1985 and 2005 were calculated to demonstrate that inherentanticancer mechanisms may be a common pathway for different cancers. Seventy-eight patients with gastric,liver and lung cancers, were recruited in the solid cancer group. The leukemia group consisted of 31 patientswith three main types of leukemia. The controls were 100 healthy individuals. The samples were typed usingan HLA-DR/DQ PCR-SSP typing kit. The results showed that the median ages at death from all causes were64.7 years in 1985 and 70.1 years in 2005. The range of the median ages at death from all cancers was similarto the corresponding value for deaths attributed to all causes. The frequency of DRB1*03 was 9.6% in the solidcancer group and 3.0% in the control group (p<0.05). The frequency of DRB1*04 in the leukemia group weresignificantly lower than that of the control (p<0.05). DRB1*13 and DQB1*06 frequencies in the leukemia groupwere significantly higher than those of the controls (p<0.05). It is suggested that inherent anti-cancer mechanismsmay be a common pathway for different cancers and are associated with the immune system and HLA.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29210_42bfee0b113bca754b0ecb795353231f.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Immune and Anti-oxidant Functions of Ethanol Extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in Mice Bearing U14 Cervical Cancers4129413329211ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> The objective was to study the effect of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi ethanol extracts (SBGE)on immune and anti-oxidant function in U14 tumor-bearing mice. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: U14 tumor-bearingmice were randomly divided into eight groups: a control group, a cyclophosphamide (CTX) group, three dosegroups of SBGEⅠ (high, medium, low), and three dose groups of SBGEⅡ (high, medium, low). After two weeks,the thymus and spleen weight indices of mice bearing U14 cervical cancer were calculated. Enzyme linkedimmunosorbent assays (ELISA) was used to determine the levels of serum IL-2, TNF-α, IL-8, and PCNA. MDAactivity and SOD activity in plasma were measured with detection kits. <br/><b>Results</b>: In the SBGE groups, thymusweight and spleen weight indices of U14 tumor-bearing mice were significantly higher than in the control groupor CTX group (p<0.05). Compared to control group, the levels of serum IL-2 and TNF-α in U14 tumor-bearingmice increased significantly, whereas the contents of serum IL-8 and PCNA decreased (p<0.05). The activity ofSOD increased with the growing dose of SBGE, while the activity of MDA decreased significantly in the higherdosegroups of SBGE. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: These findings suggested that SBGE, especially at high dose, 1000 mg/kg,showed significant immune and anti-oxidant effects infU14 tumor-bearing mice, which might be the mechanismsof SBGE inhibition of tumor growth.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29211_358de28ba4f10eaaf71ce44b62fb1e94.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Lack of Association between High-risk Human Papillomaviruses and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Young Japanese Patients4135414129212ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Human papillomaviruses (HPV) may play an important role as one of the possible etiologiesof oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The present study aimed to investigate the association between HPVand OSCC in young Japanese patients by examining the presence of HPV DNA and surrogate markers in OSCCtissues. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Forty young patients with OSCC whose surgical specimens were available wereanalyzed and compared with 40 patients randomly recruited from a pool of patients aged >40 years. HPV DNAwas detected using the polymerase chain reaction-based AMPLICOR® HPV test, and surrogate markers ofHPV infection were analyzed using immunohistochemical techniques to detect p16INK4a and p53. <br/><b>Results</b>: Onlytwo (5%) young patients and one (2.5%) older patient were positive for HPV DNA. p16INK4a overexpressionwas identified in six (15%) young patients. p53 staining levels were not high in tissues of most young patients(27 patients, 67.5%). HPV DNA status did not significantly correlate with p16INK4a expression levels. Profiles ofincreased levels of p16INK4a expression with diminished levels of p53 staining were not associated with the presenceof HPV DNA. The combined p53 with p16INK4a profiles were significantly correlated with alcohol consumptionin younger patients (p=0.006). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Results of the present study indicate that HPV is less likely to causeOSCC in young Japanese patients, and the p16INK4a expression level is not an appropriate surrogate marker forHPV infection in OSCC.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29212_133dc388c64f474f7c7c699cb90e4160.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Optimization of Predictors of Ewing Sarcoma Cause-specific Survival: A Population Study4143414529213ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> This study used receiver operating characteristic curve to analyze Surveillance, Epidemiologyand End Results (SEER) Ewing sarcoma (ES) outcome data. The aim of this study was to identify and optimizeES-specific survival prediction models and sources of survival disparities. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: This studyanalyzed socio-economic, staging and treatment factors available in the SEER database for ES. 1844 patientsdiagnosed between 1973-2009 were used for this study. For the risk modeling, each factor was fitted by aGeneralized Linear Model to predict the outcome (bone and joint specific death, yes/no). The area under thereceiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was computed. Similar strata were combined to construct themost parsimonious models. <br/><b>Results</b>: The mean follow up time (S.D.) was 74.48 (89.66) months. 36% of thepatients were female. The mean (S.D.) age was 18.7 (12) years. The SEER staging has the highest ROC (S.D.)area of 0.616 (0.032) among the factors tested. We simplified the 4-layered risk levels (local, regional, distant,un-staged) to a simpler non-metastatic (I and II) versus metastatic (III) versus un-staged model. The ROC area(S.D.) of the 3-tiered model was 0.612 (0.008). Several other biologic factors were also predictive of ES-specificsurvival, but not the socio-economic factors tested here. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: ROC analysis measured and optimized theperformance of ES survival prediction models. Optimized models will provide a more efficient way to stratifypatients for clinical trials.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29213_3b5198cc85f6da68596735bee73f2b5c.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Role of Concomitant Chemoradiation in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancers4147415229214ENJournal Article19700101Standard therapy for advanced head and neck cancer consists of a combination of surgery and radiation.However, survival of this patient population has not improved during the past 20 years. Many differentmultimodality treatment schedules have been proposed, and chemotherapy is often used with the intent of organpreservation. The present study was intended to establish the efficacy of concomitant chemoradiation with asingle agent carboplatin in advanced head and neck cancers.The objectives were to investigate the feasibility ofconcomitant administration of carboplatin, monitor acute toxicity during radiotherapy, and determine subacuteside effects, such as wound healing following surgery after chemoradiotherapy. A prospective study was conductedwherein a total of 40 patients with stage III and IV squamous cell carcinomas of oral cavity, oropharynx,hypopharynx and larynx were enrolled. All patients were treated with external beam radiotherapy and weeklycarboplatin area under curve (AUC of 5). Radiotherapy was given in single daily fractions of 1.8-2 grays (Gy)to a total dose of 66-72 Gy. Salvage surgery was performed for any residual or recurrent locoregional disease.Neck dissection was recommended for all patients with neck disease showing less than a complete responseafter chemoradiation. A total of 40 patients were enrolled of whom 32 were males and 8 were females. Highestincidence of cancer was seen in the 5th-6th decades of life with a median age of 47.7 years. Oropharyngeal tumoursconstituted a maximum of 21 patients followed by hypopharynx in 10, larynx in 7 and oral cavity in 2. 80% ofthe patients had a neck node on presentation of which 40% had N2-N3 nodal status. TNM staging revealed that58% of patients were in stage III and 43% in stage IV. Evaluation of acute toxicity revealed that 50% had gradeII mucositis, 25% grade III mucositis, 2.5% grade IV mucositis. 50% of patients had grade I skin reactions,65% of patients had grade I thrombocytopenia, and 24% of patients had grade I anaemia. After completion oftreatment 65% of patients had complete response at the primary and regional sites, and 35% of patients hada partial response of whom 23% underwent neck dissection and 5% of them underwent salvage surgery at theprimary site. At the end of one year there were six deaths and four recurrences and 70% were free of disease.Concurrent chemoradiation with carboplatin provided good locoregional control for locally advanced head andneck cancers. This regimen, although toxic, is tolerable with appropriate supportive intervention. Primary siteconservation is possible in many patients. Chemoradiotherapy appears to have an emerging role in the primarymanagement of head and neck cancers.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29214_617cac5ae41991958440cfd76d05ce5f.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Multiplex Real-time PCR for RRM1, XRCC1, TUBB3 and TS mRNA for Prediction of Response of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer to Chemoradiotherapy4153415829215ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> This study was aimed to establish a novel method to simultaneously detect expression of fourgenes, ribonucleotide reductase subunit M1(RRM1), X-ray repair cross-complementing gene 1 (XRCC1),thymidylate synthase (TS) and class III β-tubulin (TUBB3), and to assess their application in the clinic forprediction of response of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to chemoradiotherapy. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>:We have designed four gene molecular beacon (MB) probes for multiplex quantitative real-time polymerasechain reactions to examine RRM1, XRCC1, TUBB3 and TS mRNA expression in paraffin-embedded specimensfrom 50 patients with advanced or metastatic carcinomas. Twenty one NSCLC patients receiving cisplatinbasedfirst-line treatment were analyzed. <br/><b>Results</b>: These molecular beacon probes could specially bind to theirtarget genes in homogeneous solutions. Patients with low RRM1 and XRCC1 mRNA levels were found to haveapparently higher response rates to chemoradiotherapy compared with those with high levels of RRM1 andXRCC1 expression (p<0.05). The TS gene expression level was not significantly associated with chemotherapyresponse (p>0.05). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: A method of simultaneously detecting four molecular markers was successfullyestablished and applied for evaluation of chemoradiotherapy response. It may be a useful tool in personalizedcancer therapy.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29215_aa9f3fec01f4680da3a7892802b6fb9d.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Etoposide-Cisplatin Alternating with Vinorelbine-Cisplatin Versus Etoposide-Cisplatin Alone in Patients with Extensive Disease Combined with Small Cell Lung Cancer4159416329216ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of alternating etoposide-cisplatin andvinorelbine-cisplatin (EP-NP) compared with an etoposide-cisplatin (EP) regimen for advanced combined smallcell carcinomas. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Histologically confirmed combined small cell carcinoma patients whomet the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned (1:1) into either the EP-NP setting (group A) or the EP setting(group B). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival in patients who received at least one dose oftreatment. <br/><b>Results</b>: Eighty-two patients entered into this trial, 42 in group A and 40 in group B. The objectiveresponse rates in group A and group B were 42.9% and 32.5%, respectively (p=0.334). Survival analysis showedthat median progression-free survival was 6.1 months in group A, which was significantly longer than the 4.1months in group B (p=0.041). However, as to overall survival, no significant difference was found between the twogroups (11.0 vs 10.1 months in groups A and B, respectively, p=0.545). No unexpected side effects were observedin either group. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: The EP-NP regimen for combined small cell carcinomas prolonged progressionfreesurvival compared with the EP regimen. Further clinical investigations are warranted.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29216_ccc90548dce2fa1f75a47e6b652c5958.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Lack of Sunlight Exposure Influence on Primary Glioblastoma Survival4165416829217ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> The prognosis of primary glioblastoma (GBM) is poor. Approximately 2/3 of primary braintumor diagnoses are GBM, of which 95% are primary lesions. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether moresunlight exposure has an effect on survival of patients with primary GBM. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: A total of111 patients with primary GBM were enrolled from Kayseri in inner Anatolia which has a cold climate (n: 40)and Mersin in Mediterranean region with a warm climate and more sunlight exposure (n: 71). The patients withprimary GBM were divided into two groups as Kayseri and Mersin and compared for progression free survival(PFS) and overall survival (OS).<br/><b>Results</b>: The PFS values were 7.0 and 4.7 months for Kayseri and Mersin groups,respectively (p=0.10) and the repsective OS values were 13.3 and 9.4 months (p=0.13). We did not found anysignificant difference regarding age, sex, comorbidity, smoking, surgery, resurgery, adjuvant chemoradiotherapyand palliative chemotherapy between the groups. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: We found that more sunlight exposure had noimpact on prognosis of patients with primary GBM, adding inconsistency to the literature about the relationshipbetween sunlight and GBM.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29217_fa2fe6b849d299f902c31b97f3124353.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration in the Diagnosis of Lymphoma4169417329218ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is highlyaccurate in diagnosing mediastinal lymphadenopathies of lung cancer and benign disorders. However, the utilityof EBUS-TBNA in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphomas is unclear. The aim of this study was to determinethe diagnostic value of EBUS-TBNA in patients with suspected lymphoma. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Sixty-eightpatients with isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy and suspected of lymphoma were included in the study.EBUS-TBNA was performed on outpatients under moderate sedation. The sensitivity, specificity, negativepredictive value and diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA were calculated. <br/><b>Results</b>: Sixty-four patients werediagnosed by EBUS-TBNA, but four patients with non-diagnostic EBUS-TBNA required surgical procedures.Thirty-five (51.5%) patients had sarcoidosis, six (8.8%) had reactive lymphadenopathy, nine (13.3%) hadtuberculosis, one (1.5%) had squamous cell carcinoma, two (2.9%) had sarcoma and fifteen (22%) had lymphoma(follicular center cell, large B-cell primary, and Hodgkin lymphomas in three, two, and ten, respectively). Of the15 lymphoma patients, thirteen were diagnosed by EBUS and two by thoracotomy and mediastinoscopy. Thesensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis oflymphoma were calculated as 86.7%, 100%, 96.4%, and 97%, respectively. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: EBUS-TBNA can beemployed in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphoma, instead of more invasive surgical procedures.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29218_98a27ce399305cbc11c7bf173029ed18.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Histopathologic Characterization of Prostate Diseases in Madinah, Saudi Arabia4175417929219ENJournal Article19700101Aims: To delineate the histopathological pattern of prostate diseases and to highlight age variations in prostatespecific antigen (PSA) values and histopathological features. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: A retrospective reviewwas made of all prostate biopsy reports seen between January 2006 and December 2013 at the King FahadHospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Prostate lesions were tabulated and classified into benign and malignantgroups. Histological scoring of adenocarcinomas was accomplished using the Gleason system. PSA values werecorrelated with Gleason scores. <br/><b>Results</b>: Of 417 prostate lesions reviewed, 343 (82.3%) were benign and 74(17.7%) were malignant, giving a benign to malignant ratio of 4.6:1. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (both with andwithout inflammation) was the commonest prostatic lesion and accounted for 80.3% of all cases and 97.6% of allbenign cases. The age range was 20 to 97 years with a mean of 69.2 years and a peak age group at 70-79 years.Seventy one cases of adenocarcinoma accounted for 95.9% of the total of 74 malignant tumors. It showed an agerange of 44 to 95 years, a mean age of 70.9 years and peak prevalence in the 80-89 year age group. Gleason scoreseven was the most frequent (39.4%) in occurrence. Most adenocarcinomas, 41 cases (57.7%), were moderatelydifferentiated (Gleason score of 5-7). PSA values ranged widely between 16-1,865ng/ml with a mean of 363.4ng/ml.Elevated PSA (>100ng/ml) levels were found in 53 (81.6%) patients. There was a statistically significant positivecorrelation between serum PSA level and Gleason score (p=0.0304). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Prostatic lesions constitute asignificant source of morbidity among adult males in Madinah. Benign prostatic hyperplasia was the commonestbenign prostatic lesion and adenocarcinoma was the commonest histological subtype of prostatic cancer.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29219_66c6bf17dd22d72afb40fb3d57090da8.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Quality of Life of Male Spouse Caregivers for Breast Cancer Patients in China4181418529220ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of male spouse caregivers of breastcancer patients in China, assess their quality of life (QOL), and investigate the influencing factors. Materialsand <br/><b>Methods</b>: A total of 243 breast cancer patient-spouse caregiver dyads were recruited from four hospitalsin Shanxi and Anhui province of China. A cross-sectional design was applied to collect data and the Chineseversion of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36) was used to measure caregivers’ QOL, andthe Chinese version of M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI-C) was applied to measure patient symptomseverity and interference. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine the correlations between caregiver burdenand QOL. The multiple regression analysis was used to determine the most predictive factors influencing QOL.<br/><b>Results</b>: The scores of all SF-36 scales were above 50.0, which were much lower than that of general mainlandChinese males. Mental QOL was significantly worse than physical QOL. Spouses demographic characteristics,caregiving-related variables and patient symptoms were related to spouse QOL. Caregiver burden has a negativerelationship with QOL. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: A decrease in life events and patient symptoms, as well as increase in spousesleeping time and family income, ought to improve QOL.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29220_52ca7759cf9f6fe0605e9113645e549d.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Association of Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 Expression with Extra-gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Metastasis4187419229221ENJournal Article19700101Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 are important proteases involved in invasion and metastasisof various tumors. Extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs) are rare neoplasms. This study was performedto assess MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in EGIST tissue samples for association with clinicopathological datafrom the patients. Twenty-one surgical EGIST tissue specimens were collected for analysis of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression using immunohistochemistry. MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins were expressed in all of the epithelialcell types of EGISTs, whereas they were only expressed in 75% of the spindle cell type, although there was nostatistically significant difference (p>0.05). Expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins was associated with tumorsize, mitotic rate, tumor necrosis, and distant metastasis (p<0.05). MMP-2 expression was linked with MMP-9levels (p<0.05). However, there was no correlation between MMP-9 expression and age, sex, primary site, or cellmorphology in any of these 21 EGIST patients (p>0.05). Moreover, expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteinsincreased with the degree of EGIST risk. This study provided evidence of an association of MMP-2 and MMP-9expression with advanced EGIST behavior.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29221_28606da5010a0b229321a6b8a219e4b0.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Clinical Characteristics of Gynecologic Cancer Patients who Respond to Salvage Treatment with Lingzhi4193419629222ENJournal Article19700101Lingzhi or Ganoderma lucidum is a popular medicinal mushroom used as a health promotion herb in Chinaand other Asian countries for thousands of years. There have many previous studies about the anti-cancereffects of lingzhi especially in vitro. The present study reports the clinical data of 5 gynecologic cancer patientswho achieved stability in the disease after ingestion of lingzhi in the form of fruit body water extract and sporesin a salvage setting. This report has been written to enhance the data describing the effect of lingzhi in cancerpatients.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29222_26e3ad041a7015d9bdf15628e47929f3.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Local Cervical Immunity in Women with Low-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and Immune Responses After Abrasion4197420129223ENJournal Article19700101Minor trauma to the uterine cervix is supposed to induce local immunity to prevent cervical lesions causedby human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. This study aimed to investigate the local cervical immunity in womenwith low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) and effects of abrasion after cryosurgery or Pap smear.One hundred women with LSIL and known results of HPV detection were recruited. HPV positive women wererandomly divided according to abrasion into cryotherapy and Pap smear observation groups. Cervical tissuesand cervico-vaginal lavage (CVL) were collected at 6 and 12 months after allocation. The levels of cytokines atfirst recruitment were compared with cytokine levels at 6 months after abrasions. The mRNA of IFN-γ , TNF-αand IL-10 in cervical tissues and these cytokines secreted in CVL were determined using real time PCR andELISA, respectively. Anti-HPV16 IgG and IgA antibodies in CVL were assessed by western blotting. At firstrecruitment of women with LSIL (100 cases), IL-10 mRNA and cytokine in HPV positive group (60 cases) wassignificantly higher than negative group (40 cases). IFN-γ and TNF-α mRNA level in both groups were comparablebut their secretions in CVL were significantly increased in HPV negative group. After abrasion for 6 months inHPV-positive women, all mRNA and secreted cytokines were changed, but no significant difference was observedbetween cryotherapy and observation groups. When individuals were compared between first recruitment andafter abrasion for 6 months, IFN-γ mRNA and anti-HPV16 L1 IgA antibodies were significantly increased in thecryotherapy group. The results suggest that modulation of local cervical immunities by abrasion might promotedifferent effects in clearance of HPV-related cytological abnormalities.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29223_0dcf971a5b21babda7c123f586ddc92c.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Predictive Role of the Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio for Invasion with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease4203420629224ENJournal Article19700101Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the predictive role of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR)for invasion of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: A retrospective analysis wasconducted on 127 women who were managed at our clinic for GTD. Of all patients, 8 showed invasion accordingto histological examination. The clinical parameters of patients with invasive GTD (Group 1; n=8) were comparedwith patients who showed no invasion (Group 2; n=119). All underwent a prior uterine evacuation and followed upby regular assessment of β-hCG titers. <br/><b>Results</b>: Demographic and obstetric history and pre-evacuation hCG levelsof the patients showed no statistically significantly difference between the groups (p>0.05). The mean gestationalweeks (GW), size of the GTD and NLR levels were statistically significantly higher in the invasive GTD group(p<0.05). Correlations between invasion and gestational weeks, size of GTD, post-evacuation chemotherapy andNLR were evident. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that GW, size of GTD and NLR may be discriminativeparameters in predicting invasion of GTD. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first studyevaluating the predictive role of NLR in invasion of GTD. In conclusion ,we think that pretreatment NLR canbe used as a biomarker of invasion in GTD.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29224_f6857de178d3967b661e12576d41dfa8.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Association Analysis of Common Genetic Variations in MUC5AC Gene with the Risk of Non-cardia Gastric Cancer in a Chinese Population4207421029225ENJournal Article19700101Several lines of evidence suggest that genetic variation in MUC5AC gene might contribute to the risk of gastriccancer. We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the relationship between common genetic variations inMUC5AC gene and non-cardia gastric cancer using an LD-based tagSNP approach in Baotou, north-westernChina. We genotyped 12 tagSNPs by TaqMan method among 288 cases with non-cardia gastric cancer and 281normal controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidenceintervals (CIs) for non-cardia gastric cancer risk in association with alleles, genotypes and haplotypes. Weobserved that the frequencies of rs3793964 C allele and rs11040869 A allele were significantly lower in cases thanin controls. Meanwhile, minor allele homozygotes of rs3793964 and rs11040869 were significantly associated witha decreased risk of non-cardia gastric cancer when compared with their major allele homozygotes. Furthermore,a statistically significantly protective effect of rs885454 genotypes on non-cardia gastric cancer was also observed(for CT vs. CC: OR=0.581, 95%CI=0.408-0.829; for CT/TT vs. CC: OR=0.623, 95%CI=0.451-0.884). Our resultsindicated that some common genetic variations in the MUC5AC gene might have effects on the risk of non-cardiagastric cancer in our studied population.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29225_4466bf03178e9d1608a05bf9f8f20e17.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Association of Leptin Receptor Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg Polymorphisms with Increased Risk of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma4211421529226ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Although roles of genetic polymorphisms of leptin receptor (LEPR) gene in several cancershave been documented, the association between polymorphisms of LEPR and clear cell renal cell carcinoma(CC-RCC) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore any relation. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Thestudy population consisted of 77 patients with CC-RCC and 161 healthy control subjects. Polymorphism analysesof Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg were performed by direct DNA sequencing and PCR-restriction fragment lengthpolymorphism approaches respectively. <br/><b>Results</b>: Comparisons of allelic and genotypic frequencies in Lys109Argand Gln223Arg showed no significant difference between the cases and controls. However, when evaluating thecombined genotype of Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg, risk with GG/GG was increased (OR=1.85, 95%CI=1.04-3.30)and with GA/GG or GG/GA was decreased (OR=0.07, 95%CI=0.01-0.54; OR and 95%CI of the latter could notbe calculated for a value of zero) . Furthermore, the G-G haplotype frequency of Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg inthe cases was higher (OR=1.68; 95%CI=1.02-2.76). In contrast, the A-G and G-A haplotype frequencies in thecases were lower than those in the controls (OR=0.06; 95%CI=0.01 to 0.47; OR and 95%CI of the latter couldnot be calculated for a value of zero). In addition, the Lys109Arg A allele was in LD with the Gln223Arg A allele(d’=0.9399) in the CC-RCC subjects, but not in the controls. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Our data suggest that the GG/GGcombined genotype and G-G haplotype of Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg can act as evaluating factors for CC-RCCrisk.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29226_ac972d10a602b5dfaa45920a5234fad6.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Transcriptional Profiles of Peripheral Blood Leukocytes Identify Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma and Predict Outcome4217422429227ENJournal Article19700101Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a slow growing but highly metastatic tumor, is highly prevalent in NortheastThailand. Specific tests that predict prognosis of CCA remain elusive. The present study was designed toinvestigate whether peripheral blood leukocyte (PBL) transcriptional profiles might be of use as a prognostictest in CCA patients. Gene expression profiles of PBLs from 9 CCA and 8 healthy subjects were conducted usingthe Affymetrix HG_U133 Plus 2.0 GeneChip. We indentified informative PBLs gene expression profiles thatcould reliably distinguish CCA patients from healthy subjects. Of these CCA specific genes, 117 genes were upregulated and 60 were down regulated. The molecular and cellular functions predicted for these CCA specificgenes according to the Gene Ontology database indicated differential PBL expression of host immune responseand tumor progression genes (EREG, TGF β1, CXCL2, CXCL3, IL-8, and VEGFA). The expression levels of9 differentially expressed genes were verified in 36 CCA vs 20 healthy subjects. A set of three tumor invasionrelated genes (PLAU, CTSL and SERPINB2) computed as “prognostic index” was found to be an independentand statistically significant predictor for CCA patient survival. The present study shows that CCA PBLs mayserve as disease predictive clinically accessible surrogates for indentifying expressed genes reflective of CCAdisease severity.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29227_272573aeb3ee36d9c8eff429817d9428.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Lack of Prognostic Value of Blood Parameters in Patients Receiving Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer4225423129228ENJournal Article19700101Aim: To determine prognostic value of blood parameters on overall and progression-free survival in casesreceived adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy with diagnosis of stage I-III breast cancer. Materials and<br/><b>Methods</b>: We retrospectively reviewed files of 350 patients with non-metastatic breast cancer who were treatedin the Radiation Oncology Department of Kayseri Teaching Hospital between 2005 and 2010. Pretreatmentwhite blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, monocyte, basophil and eosinophil counts, and the neutrophil/lymphocyteratio (NLR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were recorded. The relationship between clinicopathologicalfindings and blood parameters was assessed. <br/><b>Results</b>: Overall, 344 women and 6 men were recruited. Median agewas 55.3±0.3 years (range: 22-86). Of the cases, 243 (61.4%) received radiotherapy while 329 (94.3%), receivedchemotherapy and 215 (61.4%) received hormone therapy. Mean overall survival (OS) and progression-freesurvival (PFS) was 84.4 and 78.8 months, respectively. During follow-up, 48 patients died due to either diseaserelatedor non-related causes. Local recurrence was detected in 14 cases, while distant metastasis was noted in45 cases. In univariate analysis, age, pathology, perinodal invasion were significantly associated with overallsurvival, whereas gender, stage and hormone therapy were significantly associated with progression-free survival.In multivariate analysis, histopathological diagnosis (OR: 0.3; 95%: 0.1-0.7; p=0.006) and perinodal invasion(OR: 0.1; 95% CI: 0.1-1.3; p=0.026) were significantly associated with overall survival, whereas tumor stage(OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 0.0-0.7; p=0.014) and hormone therapy (OR: 2.1; 95%: 1.2-3.8; p=0.010) were significantlyassociated with progression-free survival. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: It was found that serum inflammatory markers includingWBC, neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte counts, and NLR and PLR had no effect on prognosis in patientswith breast cancer who underwent surgery and received adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29228_1fee22477dceee3a9654367a21076869.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Relationship of Body Mass Index with Prognosis in Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Adjuvant Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy4233423829229ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of body mass index with overall andprogression-free survival as well as other prognostic factors of breast cancer in patients with non-metastaticbreast cancer. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: We retrospectively reviewed 456 patients diagnosed with breast cancerin the Radiation Oncology department of Kayseri Teaching Hospital between 2005 and 2013. We investigatedrelationship of body mass index with prognosis and other prognostic factors. <br/><b>Results</b>: The study included 456patients (447 women and 9 men). Mean age at presentation was 55.6 years. Of the cases, 96.9% underwentmodified radical mastectomy and 95.0% received chemotherapy, while 82.4% received radiotherapy and 60.0%were given hormone therapy. Body mass index was >25 mg/kg2 in 343 cases. Five- and 10-years overall survivalrates were 77% and 58% whereas progression-free survival rates were 65% and 49%, respectively. In univariateanalyses, factors including stage (p=0.046), tumor diameter (p=0.001), lymph node metastasis (p=0.006) andbody mass index (p=0.030) were found to be significantly associated with overall survival, while perinodalinvolvement was found to be significantly associated with progression-free survival (p=0.018). In multivariateanalysis, stage (p=0.032; OR: 3.8; 95% CI: 1.1-13), tumor diameter (p<0.000; OR: 0.0; 95% CI: 0.0-0.3), lymphnode metastasis (p=0.005; OR: 0.0; 95% CI: 0.0-0.5) and BMI (p=0.027; OR: 0.02; 95% CI: 0.0-0.8) remainedas significantly associated with OS. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: In our study, it was seen that overall survival time was shorterin underweight and obese patients when compared to normal weight patients.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29229_bfc69f17dbc04f8d157f04faca8b7275.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Influence of Curcumin on HOTAIR-Mediated Migration of Human Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells4239424329230ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> This study investigated the influence of curcumin on HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR)-mediated migration of cultured renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Five RCC cell lines(769-P, 769-P-vector, 769-P-HOTAIR, 786-0, and Kert-3 ) were maintained in vitro. The expression of HOTAIRmRNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR and cell migration was measured by transwell migrationassay. The effects of different concentrations of curcumin (0 to 80 μmol/L) on cell proliferation was determinedby the CCK-8 assay and influence of non-toxic levels (0 to 10 μM) on the migration of RCC cells was alsodetermined. <br/><b>Results</b>: Comparison of the 5 cell lines indicated a correlation between HOTAIR mRNA expressionand cell migration. In particular, the migration of 769-P-HOTAIR cells was significantly higher than that of769-P-vector cells. Curcumin at 2.5-10 μM had no evident toxicity against RCC cells, but inhibited cell migrationin a concentration-dependent manner. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: HOTAIR expression is correlated with the migration ofRCC cells, and HOTAIR may be involved in the curcumin-induced inhibition of RCC metastasis.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29230_7810490b41034e29ca169b01986b177a.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001miR-186 Regulates Glycolysis through Glut1 During the Formation of Cancer-associated Fibroblasts4245425029253ENJournal Article19700101Emerging evidence has suggested that glycolysis is enhanced in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), andmiR-186 is downregulated during the CAF formation. However, it is not clear whether miR-186 is involved in theregulation of glycolysis and what the role of miR-186 plays during the CAF formation. In this study, quantitativePCR analysises show miR-186 is downregulated during the CAF formation. Moreover, miR-186 targets the 3’UTR of Glut1, and its overexpression results in the degradation of Glut1 mRNA, which eventually reduces thelevel of Glut1 protein. On the other hand, knockdown of miR-186 increased the expression of Glut1. Both timecourse and dose response experiments also demonstrated that the protein and mRNA levels of Glut1 increaseduring CAF formation, according to Western blot and quantitative PCR analyses, respectively. Most importantly,besides the regulation on cell cycle progression, miR-186 regulates glucose uptake and lactate production whichis mediated by Glut1. These observations suggest that miR-186 plays important roles in glycolysis regulation aswell as cell cycle checkpoint activation.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29253_3ec5cad043277aac3a644fa689341fd1.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Use of Blood Transfusion at the End of Life: Does it Have Any Effects on Survival of Cancer Patients?4251425429231ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Treatment of anemia is an important issue in the palliative care setting. Blood transfusion isgenerally used for this purpose in supportive care. However the place of blood transfusion in terminally ill cancercases is less far established. <br/><b>Objective</b>: We aimed to outline the use of transfusions and to find the impact ofblood transfusion on survival in patients with advanced cancer and very near to death. Design: Patients dyingin 2010-2011 with advanced cancer were included in the study. We retrospectively collected the data includingage, type of cancer, the duration of last hospitalisation, ECOG performance status, Hb levels, transfusionhistory of erythrocytes and platelets, cause and the amount of transfusion. The anaemic patients who hadtransfusion at admission were compared with the group who were not transfused. Survival was defined as thetime between the admission of last hospitalisation period and death. <br/><b>Results</b>: Three hundred and ninety eightpeople with solid tumours died in 2010-2011 in our clinic. Ninety percent of the patients had anemia at the timeof last hospitalisation. One hundred fifty three patients had erythrocyte transfusion at admission during thelast hospitalisation period (38.4%). In the anaemic population the duration of last hospitalisation was longerin patients who had erythrocyte transfusion (15 days vs 8 days, p<0.001). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Patients who had bloodtransfusion at the end of life lived significantly longer than the anaemic patients who were not transfused. Thisstudy remarks that blood transfusions should not be withheld from terminal cancer patients in palliative care.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29231_eb4c864f5c3fb8db1167b52d4da0a2a9.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus crispatus Culture Supernatants Downregulate Expression of Cancer-testis Genes in the MDA-MB-231 Cell Line4255425929232ENJournal Article19700101Lactobacilli are probiotics shown to have antitumor activities. In addition, they can regulate gene expressionthrough epigenetic mechanisms. In this study, we aimed to assess anti tumor activities of Lactobacillus acidophilusand Lactobacillus crispatus on the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line. The effects of culture supernatantswere determined by MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-y-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. Changes inexpression of 5 cancer-testis antigens (CTAs), namely AKAP4, ODF4, PIWIL2, RHOXF2 and TSGA10 ,wereanalyzed by quantitative real time RT-PCR. The culture supernatants of the 2 lactobacilli inhibited MDA-MB-231cell proliferation. In addition, transcriptional activity of all mentioned CTAs except AKAP4 was significantlydecreased after 24 hour treatment with culture supernatants. This study shows that Lactobacillus acidophilus andLactobacillus crispatus have antiproliferative activity against MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, these lactobacillicould decrease transcriptional activity of 4 CTAs. Previous studies have shown that expression of CTAs isepigenetically regulated, so it is possible that lactobacilli cause this expression downregulation through epigeneticmechanisms. As expression of CTAs in cancers is usually associated with higher grades and poor prognosis,downregulation of their expression by lactobacilli may have clinical implications.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29232_79a56b0eeec2e78ff21618b21797cf7a.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Comparison of Psychotropic Prescriptions between Oncology and Cardiology Inpatients: Result from a Pharmacy Database in a Teaching Hospital in Malaysia4261426429233ENJournal Article19700101<br/><b>Objective</b>: To examine the prescription rates in cancer patients of three common psychotropic drugs: anxiolytic/hypnotic, antidepressant and antipsychotic. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: In this retrospective cohort study, data wereextracted from the pharmacy database of University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) responsible for dispensingrecords of patients stored in the pharmacy’s Medication Management and Use System (Ascribe). We analyzedthe use of psychotropics in patients from the oncology ward and cardiology from 2008 to 2012. Odds ratios (ORs)were adjusted for age, gender and ethnicity. <br/><b>Results</b>: A total of 3,345 oncology patients and 8,980 cardiologypatients were included. Oncology patients were significantly more often prescribed psychotropic drugs (adjustedOR: anxiolytic/hypnotic=5.55 (CI: 4.64-6.63); antidepressants=6.08 (CI: 4.83-7.64) and antipsychotics=5.41(CI: 4.17-7.02). Non-Malay female cancer patients were at significantly higher risk of anxiolytic/hypnotic use.<br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Psychotropic drugs prescription is common in cancer patients. Anxiolytic/hypnotic prescriptionrates are significantly higher in non-Malay female patients in Malaysia.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29233_f3f98c3f9d66ad1f3dcdfa80ae35ee1f.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Association Between Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Subsequent Risk of Cancer: a Systematic Review of Epidemiological Studies4265426929234ENJournal Article19700101Purpose: This study aimed at summarizing epidemiological evidence of the association between gestationaldiabetes mellitus (GDM) and subsequent risk of cancer. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: We searched Medline, Embase,Cancer Lit and CINAHL for epidemiological studies published by February 1, 2014 examining the risk ofcancer in patients with history of GDM using highly inclusive algorithms. Information about first author, yearof publication, country of study, study design, cancer sites, sample sizes, attained age of subjects and methodsused for determining GDM status were extracted by two researchers and Stata version 11.0 was used to performthe meta-analysis and estimate the pooled effects. <br/><b>Results</b>: A total of 9 articles documented 5 cohort and 4 casecontrolstudies containing 10,630 cancer cases and 14,608 women with a history of GDM were included in thisreview. Taken together, the pooled odds ratio (OR) between GDM and breast cancer risk was 1.01 (0.87-1.17); yetthe same pooled ORs of case-control and cohort studies were 0.87 (0.71-1.06) and 1.25 (1.00-1.56) respectively.There are indications that GDM is strongly associated with higher risk of pancreatic cancer (HR=8.68) andhematologic malignancies (HR=4.53), but no relationships were detected between GDM and other types of cancer.<br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Although GDM increases the risk of certain types of cancer, these results should be interpretedwith caution becuase of some methodological flaws. The issue merits added investigation and coordinated effortsbetween researchers, antenatal clinics and cancer treatment and registration agencies to help attain betterunderstanding.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29234_c3e344df5600e3a1133b43d318fffa32.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001An Epigenetic Mechanism Underlying Doxorubicin Induced EMT in the Human BGC-823 Gastric Cancer Cell4271427429235ENJournal Article19700101The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key step during embryonic morphogenesis and playsan important role in drug resistance and metastasis in diverse solid tumors. We previously reported that 48 htreatment of anti-cancer drug doxorubicin could induce EMT in human gastric cancer BGC-823 cells. However,the long term effects of this transient drug treatment were unknown. In this study we found that after 48 htreatment with 0.1 μg/ml doxorubicin, most cells died during next week, while a minor population of cellssurvived and formed colonies. We propagated the surviving cells in drug free medium and found that theselong term cultured drug survival cells (abbreviated as ltDSCs) retained a mesenchymal-like cell morphology,and expressed high levels of EMT-related molecules such as vimentin, twist and β-catenin. The expression ofchromatin reprogramming factors, Oct4 and c-myc, were also higher in ltDSCs than parental cells. We furtherdemonstrated that the protein level of p300 was upregulated in ltDSCs, and inhibition of p300 by siRNAsuppressed the expression of vimentin. Moreover, the ltDSCs had higher colony forming ability and were moredrug resistant when compared to parental cells. Our results suggested that an epigenetic mechanism is involvedin the EMT of ltDSCs.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29235_2ccc2a53afaeae27c0504e47c233bdc2.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001No Association between BRCA1 Immunohistochemical Expression and Tumor Grade, Stage or Overall Survival in Platinum-Treated Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients4275427929236ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> The aim of this work is to assess the frequency of BRCA1 protein immunohistochemical (IHC)expression in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and to evaluate the association of BRCA1 expression with clinicaland pathological characteristics and the overall survival (OS) of patients treated with postoperative platinumbasedchemotherapeutic agents. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: This retrospective study was conducted on 35 cases ofepithelial ovarian cancer selected from the files of the Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, MansouraUniversity, Egypt. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed for BRCA1 gene protein. BRCA1 expressionwas compared to patient’s age, tumor histology, grade, stage and OS time. Statistical analysis was carried outwith the SPSS version 16.0 to assess significant associations. <br/><b>Results</b>: BRCA1 nuclear expression was detectedin 40% of EOC, in which a mild increase in the percentage of positive cases was observed with serous histology,stage IV, and grade 3 carcinomas. There was a significant statistical difference in BRCA1 expression with regardto histological subtypes of EOC (p=0.048), but not grade or stage. Mean OS and survival rate were slightly betterfor BRCA1 expressing group, but there was no statistically significant difference (p=0.528). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Noassociation between BRCA1 immunohistochemical expression and tumor grade, stage or overall survival wasnoted in platinum-treated epithelial ovarian cancer patients.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29236_0443740548fe684b8523d2c56ac60e00.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Assessment of the Prognostic Value of Methylation Status and Expression Levels of FHIT, GSTP1 and p16 in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Egyptian Patients4281428729237ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Methylation of tumor suppressor genes has been investigated in all kinds of cancer. Tumorspecific epigenetic alterations can be used as a molecular markers of malignancy, which can lead to betterdiagnosis, prognosis and therapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between genehypermethylation and expression of fragile histidine triad (FHIT), glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) andp16 genes and various clinicopathologic characteristics in primary non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC).Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: The study included 28 primary non-small cell lung carcinomas, where an additional28 tissue samples taken from apparently normal safety margin surrounding the tumors served as controls.Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was performed to analyze the methylation status ofFHIT, GSTP1 and p16 while their mRNA expression levels were measured using a real-time PCR assay withSYBR Green I. <br/><b>Results</b>: The methylation frequencies of the genes tested in NSCLC specimens were 53.6% forFHIT, 25% for GSTP1, and 0% for p16, and the risk of FHIT hypermethylation increased among patientswith NSCLC by 2.88, while the risk of GSTP1 hypermethylation increased by 2.33. Hypermethylation of FHITgene showed a highly significant correlation with pathologic stage (p<0.01) and a significant correlation withsmoking habit and FHIT mRNA expression level (p<0.05). In contrast, no correlation was observed between themethylation of GSTP1 or p16 and smoking habit or any other parameter investigated (p>0.05). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>:Results of the present study suggest that methylation of FHIT is a useful biomarker of biologically aggressivedisease in patients with NSCLC. FHIT methylation may play a role in lung cancer later metastatic stages whileGSTP1 methylation may rather play a role in the early pathogenesis.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29237_74d6fef96264bcf36fc5f175f4bde298.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Cancer Awareness among University Students in Turkey4289429429238ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> One of the most important reasons for the high mortality rates of cancer is the low level ofawareness, which can lead to a late diagnosis and treatments starting too late. Therefore, it is necessary forindividuals, especially at younger age, to gain awareness and integrate taking the necessary precautions into theirlifestyle in order to prevent cancer and ensure early diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the levels ofawareness of factors for major cancers among students studying in two different campuses of a university in theWestern Black Sea Region. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: This descriptive/cross-sectional study was performed betweenJanuary-March 2014. Students studying in the 2013-2014 academic year in a university in the Western Black SeaRegion in two separate campuses were the subjects. <br/><b>Results</b>: The mean age was 21.01±3.63. While female students(51.2%) were the majority in the health sciences campus (74.8%), male students (48.8% ) were the majority inthe social sciences campus (76.5%). Some 9.6% of the students from the health sciences campus and 12.4% ofthe students from the social sciences campus thought that cancer was communicable, while most of the studentsfrom both campuses knew that smoking caused cancer. It can also be seen that the rate of answering questionsregarding cancer correctly was higher among students studying in the health sciences campus. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Itwas determined that students who do not study at the health sciences campus have insufficient information oncancer, cancer symptoms, and the possibility of breast cancer in males and approximately half of them regardedobesity as a risk factor for cancer.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29238_065060403107bf7e5c5a27b97a7f4668.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Advantages of Laparoscopic Abdominoperineal Resection for Anastomotic Recurrence of Rectal Cancer4295429929239ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Surgery offers the only potential for cure and long-term survival of recurrence of rectal cancer.Few studies about laparoscopic recurrent lesion resection have been reported. This study was designed to evaluatethe safety and feasibility of laparoscopic abdomino-perineal resection for anastomotic recurrence of rectal cancer.Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Data for 42 patients with recurrence of rectal cancer were collected retrospectively. Of the42 patients, 22 underwent laparoscopic surgery (LR group) and 20 received open surgery (OR group). Outcomesbetween the two groups were compared. <br/><b>Results</b>: Operation time in LR group was shorter compared with theOR group (164.6±27.7min vs 203.0±45.3min); intra-operative blood loss was 119.7±44.4ml and 185.0±94.0ml inLR group and OR group, respectively (p<0.001); time to first flatus in LR group was shorter than in OR group,and the difference was statistically significant (2.6±0.8 days vs 3.1±0.8 days, p=0.013); hospital stay in the LRand OR groups was 8.6±1.3 days and 9.8±2.2 days; 3-year survival rates in the LR and OR groups were 44.4%and 42.8% (p=0.915) and the 3-year disease-free survival rates were 36.4% and 30.0%, respectively (p=0.737).<br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Laparoscopic abdomino-perineal resection is safe and feasible for anastomotic recurrence of rectalcancer.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29239_8c5bc41214fc759d318a14ea4cb514f2.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001A Potential Target of Tanshinone IIA for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Revealed by Inverse Docking and Drug Repurposing4301430529240ENJournal Article19700101Tanshinone IIA is a pharmacologically active ingredient extracted from Danshen, a Chinese traditionalmedicine. Its molecular mechanisms are still unclear. The present study utilized computational approaches touncover the potential targets of this compound. In this research, PharmMapper server was used as the inversedocking tool andnd the results were verified by Autodock vina in PyRx 0.8, and by DRAR-CPI, a server for drugrepositioning via the chemical-protein interactome. Results showed that the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα),a target protein in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), was in the top rank, with a pharmacophore modelmatching well the molecular features of Tanshinone IIA. Moreover, molecular docking and drug repurposingresults showed that the complex was also matched in terms of structure and chemical-protein interactions. Theseresults indicated that RARα may be a potential target of Tanshinone IIA for APL. The study can provide usefulinformation for further biological and biochemical research on natural compounds.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29240_84160c24f83b8eafb088d6fe2b4c1176.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Calculation of Life-Time Death Probability due Malignant Tumors Based on a Sampling Survey Area in China4307430929241ENJournal Article19700101Purpose: To calculate the probability of one person’s life-time death caused by a malignant tumor andprovide theoretical basis for cancer prevention. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: The probability of one person’s deathcaused by a tumor was calculated by a probability additive formula and based on an abridged life table. Alldata for age-specific mortality were from the third retrospective investigation of death cause in China. <br/><b>Results</b>:The probability of one person’s death caused by malignant tumor was 18.7% calculated by the probabilityadditive formula. On the same way, the life-time death probability caused by lung cancer, gastric cancer, livercancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal and anal cancer were 4.47%, 3.62%, 3.25%, 2.25%, 1.11%, respectively.<br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Malignant tumor is still the main cause of death in one’s life time and the most common causesof cancer death were lung, gastric, liver, esophageal, colorectal and anal cancers. Targeted forms of cancerprevention and treatment strategies should be worked out to improve people’s health and prolong life in China.The probability additive formula is a more scientific and objective method to calculate the probability of oneperson’s life-time death than cumulative death probability .https://journal.waocp.org/article_29241_99d56d75575d986bcfd582e374f623c6.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Cytotoxic Activity of Biosynthesized Gold Nanoparticles with an Extract of the Red Seaweed Corallina officinalis on the MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Line4311431729242ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Nano-biotechnology is recognized as offering revolutionary changes in the field of cancertherapy and biologically synthesized gold nanoparticles are known to have a wide range of medical applications.Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were biosynthesized with an aqueous extract of the red algaCorallina officinalis, used as a reducing and stabilizing agent. GNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive analysis (EDX) and Fourier transform infra-red(FT-IR) spectroscopy and tested for cytotoxic activity against human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells cultured inDulbecco’s modified Eagle medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, considering their cytotoxictyand effects on cellular DNA. <br/><b>Results</b>: The biosynthesized GNPs were 14.6±1 nm in diameter. FT-IR analysisshowed that the hydroxyl functional group from polyphenols and carbonyl group from proteins could assist information and stabilization. The GNPs showed potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cells, causing necrosisat high concentrations while lower concentrations were without effect as indicated by DNA fragmentation assay.<br/><b>Conclusions</b>: The antitumor activity of the biosynthesized GNPs from the red alga Corallina officinalis againsthuman breast cancer cells may be due to the cytotoxic effects of the gold nanoparticles and the polyphenolcontentof the algal extract.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29242_d3203abcf1ce8fb2438661769231590c.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Phospholipase C Epsilon 1 (PLCE1 rs2274223A>G, rs3765524C>T and rs7922612C>T) Polymorphisms and Esophageal Cancer Risk in the Kashmir Valley4319432329243ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) encodes a member of the phospholipase family of proteinsthat play crucial roles in carcinogenesis and progression of several cancers including esophageal cancer (EC). Intwo large scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP, rs2274223A>G,rs3765524C>T) in PLCE1 were identified as novel susceptibility loci of esophageal cancer (EC) in China. The aimof the present study was to investigate this finding in Kashmir Valley, a high risk area. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Wedetermined genotypes of three potentially functional SNPs (rs2274223A>G, rs3765524C>T and rs7922612C>T) ofPLCE1 in 135 EC patients, and 195 age and gender matched controls in Kashmiri valley by PCR RFLP method.Risk for developing EC was estimated by binary logistic regression using SPSS. <br/><b>Results</b>: The selected PLCE1polymorphisms did not show independent association with EC. However, the G2274223T3765524T7922612 haplotype wassignificantly associated with increased risk of EC (OR=2.92; 95% CI=1.30-6.54; p=0.009). Smoking and saltedtea proved to be independent risk factors for EC. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Genetic variations in PLCE1 modulate risk ofEC in the high risk Kashmiri population.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29243_28894640777c0bd8a70ed268b3eab1e7.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Prevalence of Oral Pre-malignant Lesions and its Risk Factors in an Indian Subcontinent Low Income Migrant Group in Qatar4325432929244ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> The expatriate population in Qatar largely comprises workers from the Indian subcontinentwhich has a very high rate of oral malignancy. Social and cultural habits and as well premalignant risk factorsin this population remain prevalent even after migration. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: This cross sectional studyassessed the prevalence of risk factors and occurrence of oral precancerous lesions in a low income groupexpatriate community from the Indian subcontinent residing in Qatar. <br/><b>Results</b>: Among the 3,946 participantsscreened for oral premalignant lesions 24.3% (958) were smokers and 4.3 % (169) were pan chewers while 6.3%(248) were users of both smoked and smokeless forms of tobacco. Significantly higher proportion of industriallaborers (49.9%) followed by drivers (24.1%) were found to be smokers (p=0.001). The prevalence of whitelesions was higher in smokers versus non-smokers 3.5% versus 2.3% (p=0.111), however this difference wasstatistically non-significant. Red and white lesions were highly significant (i.e. 1.2 % and 10.9% respectively) inthe subjects with pan chewing and smoking habits (p=0.001). A significant proportion (8.9%) of the subjects withpan chewing habit showed evidence of oral precancerous lesions (p=0.001). <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Even though smokingand pan chewing were two significant risk factors detected in this population, their prevalence and occurrenceof premalignant lesions are low as compared to the studies conducted in their home countries.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29244_a290eb02b9e37ac0653ac7a58047078f.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001A Novel Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Derivative, N25, Exhibiting Improved Antitumor Activity in both Human U251 and H460 Cells4331433829245ENJournal Article19700101N1- (2, 5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N8-hydroxyoctanediamide (N25) is a novel SAHA cap derivative of HDACi,with a patent (No. CN 103159646). This invention is a hydroxamic acid compound with a structural formulaof RNHCO(CH2)6CONHOH (wherein R=2, 5dimethoxyaniline), a pharmaceutically acceptable salt which issoluble. In the present study, we investigated the effects of N25 with regard to drug distribution and moleculardocking, and anti-proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycling, and LD50. First, we designed a molecular approach formodeling selected SAHA derivatives based on available structural information regarding human HDAC8 incomplex with SAHA (PDB code 1T69). N25 was found to be stabilized by direct interaction with the HDAC8.Anti-proliferative activity was observed in human glioma U251, U87, T98G cells and human lung cancer H460,A549, H1299 cells at moderate concentrations (0.5-30μM). Compared with SAHA, N25 displayed an increasedantitumor activity in U251 and H460 cells. We further analyzed cell death mechanisms activated by N25 in U251and H460 cells. N25 significantly increased acetylation of Histone 3 and inhibited HDAC4. On RT-PCR analysis,N25 increased the mRNA levels of p21, however, decreased the levels of p53. These resulted in promotion ofapoptosis, inducing G0/G1 arrest in U251 cells and G2/M arrest in H460 cells in a time-dependent and dosedependentmanner. In addition, N25 was able to distribute to brain tissue through the blood-brain barrier ofmice (LD50: 240.840mg/kg). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that N25 will provide an invaluable tool toinvestigate the molecular mechanism with potential chemotherapeutic value in several malignancies, especiallyhuman glioma.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29245_6597ffbd08f01c793c8aadab3536ce5b.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Total Delay for Treatment among Cancer Patients: a Theoryguided Survey in China4339434729246ENJournal Article19700101Purpose: This study aimed at exploring treatment delay (TD) among cancer patients in China with an attemptto develop a practical methodology facilitating frontline Chinese clinicians in promoting earlier cancer diagnosisand treatment. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: The study comprised framework development, qualitative interviewsand paired factor rating. Framework development utilized systematic literature review, soft systems thinkingand consensus groups. Qualitative interviews employed a checklist of open questions soliciting informationabout all the domains included the framework from cancer patients drawn via stratified randomized samplingof inpatients at 10 hospitals in Hefei, China. Paired factor rating used a self-developed computer aid and theinterviewed patients as referring cases to weigh the relative importance of the factors listed in the frameworkin terms of their contributions to specific components of total delay (TD). <br/><b>Results</b>: a) A conceptual frameworkwas proposed consisting of a 6-step path to TD and 36 category determinants. b) A total of 227 patients wereinterviewed; their TD was 267.3 mean or 108 median days ranging from 0 to 2475 days; average appraisal,illness, behavioral, preparation and treatment delay accounted for 52.1%, 9.4%, 0.30%, 8.8% and 29.4% ofthe TD respectively. Individual side factors were rated substantially more important than environmental sidefactors (60% vs. 40%); most influential TD factors included cancer symptoms, overall health, family relationsand knowledge about cancer and health. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: The framework proposed together with the interviewingand rating approaches used provide a potential new methodology for understanding cancer patients’ TD andpromoting earlier cancer treatment.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29246_78badada283a748fa413bb4d3eab40db.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Clinical, Laboratory Biomarkers and Imaging Findings of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma in Iran4349435229247ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> Pancreatic cancer has a high mortality rate because it is usually diagnosed late. Since little isknown about this cancer in Iran, with the aim of improving this knowledge deficiency, we evaluated clinical,laboratory biomarkers, imaging findings and treatment modalities in Iranian patients with pancreaticadenocarcinoma. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: 131 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in 2010-2013 were obtainedfrom the Taleghani Hospital Record Department. Cases confirmed by histopathology from CT-guided biopsy,EUS-FNA and surgery examination were included. We excluded those with incomplete medical records. <br/><b>Results</b>:The study included 131 subjects between 24 and 97 years of age and a mean age of 63±13.4 years. Eighty (61.1%)were male and 51 (38.9%) female. Previous history included diabetes mellitus in 36 (27.5%), alcohol drinkingin 5 (3.9%), smoker in 28 (21.4%) and opium addiction in 13 (10%) . The common presenting history includedweight loss in 79 (60.3%), abdominal pain in 77 (58.8%), fever in 11 (8.4%), nausea in 30 (22.9%), jaundice in72 (55%), pruritus in 52 (39.7) and anemia in 33 (25.2%) . CA19-9 levels with cut offs of 50, 100 and 200 U/mlwere increased in 81%, 72% and 66% of patients, respectively. Tumor staging was: stage I, 3 (2.3%); stage II,10 (7.6%); stage III, 58 (44.3%); and stage IV, 60 (45.8%). From 45 patients, 17 received ERCP inserted metallicstents and 22 plastic stents, the remaining 6 failed that PTC was done. Whipple surgery and chemotherapywere conducted for 10 and 29 patients, respectively. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: This disease affected older people and therewas a male preponderance. The commonest risk factors were diabetes mellitus, smoking and cholelithiasis. Themajority of patients presented with loss of appetite, loss of weight, jaundice, abdominal pain and discomfort.Almost all presented at late stages of the disease so that curative surgery was impossible. Also chemotherapywas only performed in a few patients as a neoadjuant treatment.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29247_6e1144e0ee73ed30cba3c09e2ff6dea3.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Molecular Target Therapy of AKT and NF-kB Signaling Pathways and Multidrug Resistance by Specific Cell Penetrating Inhibitor Peptides in HL-60 Cells4353435829248ENJournal Article19700101<b>Background:</b> PI3/AKT and NF-kB signaling pathways are constitutively active in acute myeloid leukemia andcross-talk between the two has been shown in various cancers. However, their role in acute myeloid leukemia hasnot been completely explored. We therefore used cell penetrating inhibitor peptides to define the contributions ofAKT and NF-kB to survival and multi drug resistance (MDR) in HL-60 cells. Materials and <br/><b>Methods</b>: Inhibitionof AKT and NF-kB activity by AKT inhibitor peptide and NBD inhibitor peptide, respectively, resulted indecreased expression of mRNA for the MDR1 gene as assessed by real time PCR. In addition, treatment of HL-60cells with AKT and NBD inhibitor peptides led to inhibition of cell viability and induction of apoptosis in a dosedependent manner as detected by flow cytometer. <br/><b>Results</b>: Finally, co-treatment of HL-60 cells with sub-optimaldoses of AKT and NBD inhibitor peptides led to synergistic apoptotic responses in AML cells. <br/><b>Conclusions</b>: Thesedata support a strong biological link between NF-kB and PI3-kinase/AKT pathways in the modulation of antiapoptoticand multi drug resistant effects in AML cells. Synergistic targeting of these pathways using NF-kB andPI3-kinase/AK inhibitor peptides may have a therapeutic potential for AML and possibly other malignancieswith constitutive activation of these pathways.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29248_727490dd135dc07aab1e165238e9c0e8.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Prevalence and Factors Associated with Smoking Intentions among Non-smoking and Smoking Adolescents in Kota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia4359436629249ENJournal Article19700101Intention to smoke is a valid and reliable factor for predicting future smoking habits among adolescents. Thisfactor, however, has received inadequate attention in Malaysia. The present paper elaborates the prevalenceand factors associated with intent to initiate or to cease smoking, among adolescent nonsmokers and smokers inKota Tinggi, Johor, Malaysia. A total of 2,300 secondary school students aged 13-16 years were selected througha two-stage stratified sampling method. A set of standardized questionnaires was used to assess the smokingbehavior among adolescents and the inter-personal and intra-personal factors associated with smoking intention(intention to initiate smoking or to cease smoking). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factorsrelated to smoking intention. The prevalence of intention to smoke in the future or to cease smoking among nonsmokingadolescents and current smokers were 10.7% and 61.7% respectively. Having friends who smoke, socialinfluence, and poor knowledge about the ill effects on health due to smoking showed significant relationshipswith intention to smoke in the future among non-smokers. Conversely, perceived lower prevalence of smokingamong peers, weak contributory social influence, and greater awareness of the ill effects of smoking are factorsassociated with the intention to cease smoking sometime in the future. The study found that prevalence ofintention to initiate smoking is low among non-smokers while the majority of current smokers intended to ceasesmoking in the future. Existing anti-smoking programmes that integrate the factors that have been identified inthe current study should be put in motion to reduce the prevalence of intention to initiate smoking and increasethe intention to cease smoking among adolescents.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29249_c66377250b47db13fd8a089502f63d96.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Expression and Clinical Significance of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients4367437229250ENJournal Article19700101We here document discovery of expression profile of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in chronichepatitis B (CHB) patients and changes in the course of disease. The study population was composed of 75outpatient HBV cases and 15 healthy control cases. Peripheral blood samples were collected for separationof mononuclear cells. Levels of MDSCs labeled with Lin-DR-CD11b+CD33+ obtained from peripheral bloodmononuclear cells (PBMC), were revealed to have significant differences between the CHB and other groups.They were 0.414% for health control cases and 0.226% for CHB cases (Z=-2.356, p=0.0189). It also observed thatthe group of HBeAg positive cases had significant difference in MDSCs/ PBMC median (X2=11.877, p=0.003),compared with group of HBeAg negative cases and the healthy control group. It suggested considerable MDSCsmight be involved in HBeAg immune tolerance. In addition, negative correlations between MDSCs/PBMC andparameters of ALT, AST and TBil, while positive correlation between MDSCs/ PBMC and ALB parameter werefound. Multiple comparisons between the four phases and health control phase again, there was a statisticallysifnificant difference (X2=17.198, p=0.002). Taken together, these findings may provide a new immunotherapystrategy for reduced the expression levels of MDSCs in CHB patients, through induction of an autoimmuneresponse to virus removal.https://journal.waocp.org/article_29250_95788afd92bc1acf012460d558cfd0b3.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001Is the Combination of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte and Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratios a Useful Predictor of Treatment Response and Prognosis in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer?4373437329251ENJournal Article19700101https://journal.waocp.org/article_29251_0c23a9230497bc6d589dadf7ebb42be1.pdfWest Asia Organization for Cancer Prevention (WAOCP), APOCP's West Asia Chapter.Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention1513-7368151020141001The Potential Role of Human Papillomavirus in Colorectal Carcinoma4375437529252ENJournal Article19700101https://journal.waocp.org/article_29252_c70ff92a0a865e0d637d28a6f5287d4a.pdf