Expression of the tumor antigens NY-ESO-1, tyrosinase, MAGE-A3, and TPTE in pediatric and adult melanoma: a retrospective case control study.

Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are potential targets for T cell-based immunotherapy approaches in cutaneous melanoma. BNT111, an investigational lipoplex-formulated mRNA-based therapeutic cancer vaccine encoding melanoma TAAs NY-ESO-1, tyrosinase, MAGE-A3, and TPTE, is undergoing clinical testing in adults. Expression of these TAAs in pediatric melanoma is unclear but is a prerequisite for feasibility of this treatment approach in children with melanoma.

Systemic azithromycin as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in patients with stage III/IV periodontitis: 12-month results of a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Objectives: To determine whether azithromycin (AZI) as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP), when compared to placebo, decreases the number of sites demonstrating pocket depth (PD) ≥ 5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) 12 months post-treatment in stage III/IV periodontitis patients.

Materials And Methods: In a double-blind randomized parallel-arm placebo-controlled trial, 40 stage III/IV periodontitis patients received steps 1 and 2 of periodontal treatment in two sessions within 7 days. Patients then received systemic antibiotic therapy (n = 20; AZI 500 mg/day, 3 days) or placebo (n = 20).

Trans-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of prostate cancer identifies new susceptibility loci and informs genetic risk prediction.

Prostate cancer is a highly heritable disease with large disparities in incidence rates across ancestry populations. We conducted a multiancestry meta-analysis of prostate cancer genome-wide association studies (107,247 cases and 127,006 controls) and identified 86 new genetic risk variants independently associated with prostate cancer risk, bringing the total to 269 known risk variants. The top genetic risk score (GRS) decile was associated with odds ratios that ranged from 5.

Influence of adjunctive azithromycin on microbiological and clinical outcomes in periodontitis patients: 6-month results of randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: Our aim was to determine if azithromycin therapy, as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP), decreases the number of pathobiontic subgingival plaque species and sites demonstrating pocket depth (PD) ≥ 5 mm and bleeding on probing (BOP) 6 months post-treatment.

Methods: In a double-blind randomized parallel-arm placebo-controlled trial, 40 patients received nonsurgical periodontal treatment in two sessions within 7 days. Patients then received systemic antibiotic therapy (n = 20, azithromycin 500 mg/day for 3 days) or placebo (n = 20).

An RNA vaccine drives immunity in checkpoint-inhibitor-treated melanoma.

Treating patients who have cancer with vaccines that stimulate a targeted immune response is conceptually appealing, but cancer vaccine trials have not been successful in late-stage patients with treatment-refractory tumours. We are testing melanoma FixVac (BNT111)-an intravenously administered liposomal RNA (RNA-LPX) vaccine, which targets four non-mutated, tumour-associated antigens that are prevalent in melanoma-in an ongoing, first-in-human, dose-escalation phase I trial in patients with advanced melanoma (Lipo-MERIT trial, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02410733).

Probiotic strains of Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum as adjunct to non-surgical periodontal therapy: 3-month results of a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Objectives: To determine if periodontitis patients benefit from treatment with Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus plantarum strains, applied into periodontal pockets as gel and thereafter taken as lozenges, as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP).

Materials And Methods: In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 40 patients received scaling and root planing (SRP) in two sessions within 7 days. Patients then received either probiotic gel and lozenges (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20).

Investigation on potential associations of oxidatively generated DNA/RNA damage with lung, colorectal, breast, prostate and total cancer incidence.

Oxidative stress has been linked to cancer development in previous studies. However, the association between pre-diagnostic oxidatively generated DNA/RNA damage levels and incident cancer has rarely been investigated. Urinary oxidized guanine/guanosine (OxGua) concentrations, including 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, were assessed in 8,793 older adults in a population-based German cohort.

Circulating MicroRNA Biomarkers for Lung Cancer Detection in East Asian Populations.

Background: Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death in Eastern Asia. The prognosis of LC highly depends on tumor stages and early detection could substantially reduce LC mortality. Accumulating evidence suggested that circulating miRNAs in plasma or serum may have applications in early LC detection.

Germline BRCA2 K3326X and CHEK2 I157T mutations increase risk for sporadic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Rare truncating BRCA2 K3326X (rs11571833) and pathogenic CHEK2 I157T (rs17879961) variants have previously been implicated in familial pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but not in sporadic cases. The effect of both mutations in important DNA repair genes on sporadic PDAC risk may shed light on the genetic architecture of this disease. Both mutations were genotyped in germline DNA from 2,935 sporadic PDAC cases and 5,626 control subjects within the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium.

Combination of Different Fecal Immunochemical Tests in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Any Gain in Diagnostic Performance?

A variety of fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) are used for colorectal cancer screening. FIT performance could be improved further. It is unclear, whether the combination of different FITs with different analytical characteristics (such as, different antibodies for the detection of fecal hemoglobin) can yield a better diagnostic performance.

Author Correction: Association analyses of more than 140,000 men identify 63 new prostate cancer susceptibility loci.

In the version of this article initially published, the name of author Manuela Gago-Dominguez was misspelled as Manuela Gago Dominguez. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF version of the article.

Whole-Blood DNA Methylation Markers in Early Detection of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review.

Whole-blood DNA methylation markers have been suggested as potential biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on whole-blood DNA methylation markers for breast cancer detection. PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched up to May 29, 2018.

Factors associated with false-positive fecal immunochemical tests in a large German colorectal cancer screening study.

In recent years fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) have been offered as a primary screening test for colorectal cancer (CRC) in a growing number of countries. Our study aims to identify factors associated with apparently false-positive results of FITs. In this cross-sectional study within the German population-based screening colonoscopy program, participants were invited to provide a stool sample for FIT prior to colonoscopy.

Genetic determinants of telomere length and risk of pancreatic cancer: A PANDoRA study.

Telomere deregulation is a hallmark of cancer. Telomere length measured in lymphocytes (LTL) has been shown to be a risk marker for several cancers. For pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) consensus is lacking whether risk is associated with long or short telomeres.

Fecal immunochemical test for hemoglobin in combination with fecal transferrin in colorectal cancer screening.

Objective: Fecal transferrin has been suggested as a complementary or even superior marker for early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) besides fecal hemoglobin. We aimed to evaluate both markers individually and in combination in a large cohort of participants of screening colonoscopy.

Methods: Precolonoscopy stool samples were obtained from participants of screening colonoscopy and frozen at -80℃ until blinded analysis, using a dual-quantitative fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for hemoglobin and transferrin.

Circulating microRNA biomarkers for lung cancer detection in Western populations.

Lung cancer (LC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. Patients with LC usually have poor prognosis due to the difficulties in detecting tumors at early stages. Multiple studies have shown that circulating miRNAs might be promising biomarkers for early detection of LC.

Direct comparison of ten quantitative fecal immunochemical tests for hemoglobin stability in colorectal cancer screening.

Objectives: To systematically investigate and directly compare, for the first time, the sample stability of a large number of quantitative fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) at different storage conditions.

Methods: Stool samples were obtained from participants of the German screening colonoscopy program between 2005 and 2010. After an initial FIT-based hemoglobin (Hb) measurement, stool samples were kept frozen at -80 °C until analysis.

Fine-mapping of prostate cancer susceptibility loci in a large meta-analysis identifies candidate causal variants.

Prostate cancer is a polygenic disease with a large heritable component. A number of common, low-penetrance prostate cancer risk loci have been identified through GWAS. Here we apply the Bayesian multivariate variable selection algorithm JAM to fine-map 84 prostate cancer susceptibility loci, using summary data from a large European ancestry meta-analysis.

Association analyses of more than 140,000 men identify 63 new prostate cancer susceptibility loci.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and fine-mapping efforts to date have identified more than 100 prostate cancer (PrCa)-susceptibility loci. We meta-analyzed genotype data from a custom high-density array of 46,939 PrCa cases and 27,910 controls of European ancestry with previously genotyped data of 32,255 PrCa cases and 33,202 controls of European ancestry. Our analysis identified 62 novel loci associated (P < 5.

Urinary 8-isoprostane levels and occurrence of lung, colorectal, prostate, breast and overall cancer: Results from a large, population-based cohort study with 14 years of follow-up.

Background: Urinary 8-isoprostane is an established biomarker for lipid peroxidation. However, the association between its pre-diagnostic levels and cancer incidence has rarely been evaluated.

Methods: 8793 older adults from the German ESTHER cohort were followed up for cancer incidence by cancer registry data.

E-cadherin breast tumor expression, risk factors and survival: Pooled analysis of 5,933 cases from 12 studies in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium.

E-cadherin (CDH1) is a putative tumor suppressor gene implicated in breast carcinogenesis. Yet, whether risk factors or survival differ by E-cadherin tumor expression is unclear. We evaluated E-cadherin tumor immunohistochemistry expression using tissue microarrays of 5,933 female invasive breast cancers from 12 studies from the Breast Cancer Consortium.

Evaluation of Promoter Methylation of RASSF1A and ATM in Peripheral Blood of Breast Cancer Patients and Healthy Control Individuals.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women and has high mortality rates. Early detection is supposed to be critical for the patient's prognosis. In recent years, several studies have investigated global DNA methylation profiles and gene-specific DNA methylation in blood-based DNA to develop putative screening markers for cancer.

Circulating free DNA integrity and concentration as independent prognostic markers in metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: Non-invasive blood-based molecular markers have been investigated for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Circulating free or cell-free DNA (cfDNA) variables have been shown to be putative markers in breast cancer prognosis.

Methods: Here, we investigated the potential prognostic ability of cfDNA concentration and cfDNA integrity (cfDI) in a study cohort of 268 patients by quantitative PCR.