Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Value of Current Therapies.

To evaluate, from a US payer perspective, the cost-effectiveness of treatment strategies for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), we performed a systematic review of published cost-effectiveness analyses. We identified 14 papers that fulfilled our search criteria and revealed varying levels of value among current treatment strategies. Older agents such as 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin provide high-value treatments.

MRE11 deficiency increases sensitivity to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibition in microsatellite unstable colorectal cancers.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is displayed by approximately 15% of colorectal cancers (CRC). Defective DNA mismatch repair generates mutations at repetitive DNA sequences such as those located in the double strand break (DSB) repair gene MRE11. We assessed the mutational status of MRE11 in a panel of 17 CRC cell lines and 46 primary tumors and found a strong correlation with MSI status in both cell lines and tumors.

Role of copper transporters in resistance to platinating agents.

Copper transporters have been proposed to be involved in cellular import and export of platinating agents. Expression of the human copper transporter 1 (hCtr1) is thought to result in increased sensitivity to cisplatin, whereas expression of ATP7A and ATP7B are thought to be involved in resistance to cisplatin either by sequestering drug away from its targets (ATP7A) or by exporting the drug from the cell (ATP7B). In this study, we evaluated the sensitivity of cells expressing copper transporters to cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin.

Cardiovascular risk, obesity, and myocardial blood flow in postmenopausal women.

Background: This study was designed to determine whether overweight or obese status is independently associated with myocardial flow reserve (MFR), an established predictor of cardiovascular mortality, in a group of postmenopausal women with no previous cardiovascular disease. Postmenopausal women are the largest group of overweight and physically inactive individuals in the United States. Increased body mass index (BMI) is consistently associated with increased cardiovascular mortality in this population.