Design and testing of a humanized porcine donor for xenotransplantation.

Recent human decedent model studies and compassionate xenograft use have explored the promise of porcine organs for human transplantation. To proceed to human studies, a clinically ready porcine donor must be engineered and its xenograft successfully tested in nonhuman primates. Here we describe the design, creation and long-term life-supporting function of kidney grafts from a genetically engineered porcine donor transplanted into a cynomolgus monkey model.

The Identification of Large Rearrangements Involving Intron 2 of the Gene in Negative and Breast Cancer Susceptibility.

E-cadherin, a gene product, is a calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule playing a critical role in the establishment of epithelial architecture, maintenance of cell polarity, and differentiation. Germline pathogenic variants in the gene are associated with hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC), and large rearrangements in the gene are now being reported as well. Because pathogenic variants could be associated with breast cancer (BC) susceptibility, rearrangements could also impact it.

Medico-economic impact of MSKCC non-sentinel node prediction nomogram for ER-positive HER2-negative breast cancers.

Background: Avoiding axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for invasive breast cancers with isolated tumor cells or micrometastatic sentinel node biopsy (SNB) could decrease morbidity with minimal clinical significance.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to simulate the medico-economic impact of the routine use of the MSKCC non-sentinel node (NSN) prediction nomogram for ER+ HER2- breast cancer patients.

Methods: We studied 1036 ER+ HER2- breast cancer patients with a metastatic SNB.

Mutational analysis of anal cancers demonstrates frequent PIK3CA mutations associated with poor outcome after salvage abdominoperineal resection.

Background: A better understanding of the molecular profile of anal squamous cell carcinomas (ASCCs) is necessary to consider new therapeutic approaches, and the identification of prognostic and predictive factors for response to treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed tumours from ASCC patients for mutational analysis of KRAS, NRAS, HRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, MET, TP53 and FBXW7 genes by HRM and Sanger sequencing analysis.

Results: Specimens from 148 patients were analysed: 96 treatment-naive tumours and 52 recurrences after initial radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Pathological Characteristics of Both Tumors in Bifocal and Bicentric Breast Cancer.

Aim: The objective of the present study was to describe the biological characteristics of each lesion in patients with bifocal/bicentric (BF/BC) breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 205 patients diagnosed with BF/BC cancer. The degree of concordance between the two lesions was assessed using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients.

Impact of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Breast Cancer Survival: A Real-World Population.

Background: The impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on breast cancer prognosis has been demonstrated in randomized trials, but its impact is unknown in real-world populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on the survival of breast cancer patients in an unselected population.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 32,502 women treated at the Institut Curie between 1981 and 2008 for a first invasive breast cancer without metastasis.

Successful up-scaled population interventions to reduce risk factors for non-communicable disease in adults: results from the International Community Interventions for Health (CIH) Project in China, India and Mexico.

Background: Non-communicable disease (NCD) is increasing rapidly in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), and is associated with tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. There is little evidence for up-scaled interventions at the population level to reduce risk in LMIC.

Methods: The Community Interventions for Health (CIH) program was a population-scale community intervention study with comparator population group undertaken in communities in China, India, and Mexico, each with populations between 150,000-250,000.

Corporate America and community health: exploring the business case for investment.

Objectives: The principal aim of this project was to learn from corporate executives about the most important components of a business case for employer leadership in improving community health.

Methods: We used dialogue sessions to gain insight into this issue.

Results: The strongest elements included metrics and measurement, return on investment, communications, shared values, shared vision, shared definitions, and leadership.

High rates of child hypertension associated with obesity: a community survey in China, India and Mexico.

Background: Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and epidemiological evidence suggests that it is increasing in parallel with obesity in children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries.

Aim: To identify and determine the relationship between overweight, obesity and hypertension in a community sample of school children.

Methods: Anthropometric data were collected from 12,730 school children aged 12-18 years in China, India and Mexico as part of the Community Interventions for Health programme, an international study evaluating community interventions to reduce non-communicable disease by addressing the three main risk factors of tobacco use, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.

Prognostic value of molecular subtypes, ki67 expression and impact of postmastectomy radiation therapy in breast cancer patients with negative lymph nodes after mastectomy.

Purpose: To determine whether Ki67 expression and breast cancer subtypes could predict locoregional recurrence (LRR) and influence the postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) decision in breast cancer (BC) patients with pathologic negative lymph nodes (pN0) after modified radical mastectomy (MRM).

Methods And Materials: A total of 699 BC patients with pN0 status after MRM, treated between 2001 and 2008, were identified from a prospective database in a single institution. Tumors were classified by intrinsic molecular subtype as luminal A or B, HER2+, and triple-negative (TN) using estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors.

Needs assessment of cancer survivors in Connecticut.

Introduction: There are knowledge gaps regarding the needs of cancer survivors in Connecticut and their utilization of supportive services.

Methods: A convenience sample of cancer survivors residing in Connecticut were invited to complete a self-administered (print or online) needs assessment (English or Spanish). Participants identified commonly occurring problems and completed a modified version of the Supportive Care Needs Survey Short Form (SNCS-SF34) assessing needs across five domains (psychosocial, health systems/information, physical/daily living, patient care /support, and sexuality).

Locoregional treatment for breast carcinoma after Hodgkin's lymphoma: the breast conservation option.

Purpose: To report clinical and pathologic characteristics and outcome of breast cancer (BC) after irradiation for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in women treated at the Institut Curie, with a special focus on the breast-conserving option.

Methods And Materials: Medical records of 72 women who developed either ductal carcinoma in situ or Stage I-III invasive carcinoma of the breast after HL between 1978 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Median age at HL diagnosis was 23 years (range, 14-53 years).

Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS): a novel tool that captures the impact of the built environment on lifestyle factors.

Background: Novel efforts and accompanying tools are needed to tackle the global burden of chronic disease. This paper presents an approach to describe the environments in which people live, work, and play. Community Health Environment Scan Survey (CHESS) is an empirical assessment tool that measures the availability and accessibility, of healthy lifestyle options lifestyle options.

Radiotherapy for stage II and stage III breast cancer patients with negative lymph nodes after preoperative chemotherapy and mastectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in Stage II-III breast cancer patients with negative lymph nodes (pN0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

Patients And Materials: Of 1,054 breast cancer patients treated with NAC at our institution between 1990 and 2004, 134 had pN0 status after NAC and mastectomy. The demographic data, tumor characteristics, metastatic sites, and treatments were prospectively recorded.

Exclusive and adjuvant radiotherapy in breast cancer patients with synchronous metastases.

Background: Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program and the European Concerted Action on survival and Care of Cancer Patients (EUROCARE) project indicate that about 6% of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer have stage IV disease, representing about 12 600 new cases per year in the United States in 2005. Historically, local therapy of the primary tumor in this setting has been aimed solely at symptom palliation. However, several studies suggest that surgical excision of the primary tumor can prolong these patients' survival.

Is regional lymph node irradiation necessary in stage II to III breast cancer patients with negative pathologic node status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) generally induces significant changes in the pathologic extent of disease. This potential down-staging challenges the standard indications of adjuvant radiation therapy. We assessed the utility of lymph node irradiation (LNI) in breast cancer (BC) patients with pathologic N0 status (pN0) after NAC and breast-conserving surgery (BCS).

Breast cancer with synchronous metastases: survival impact of exclusive locoregional radiotherapy.

Purpose: Several studies suggest that surgical excision of the primary tumor improves survival among patients with stage IV breast cancer at diagnosis. Exclusive locoregional radiotherapy (LRR) is an alternative form of locoregional treatment (LRT) in this setting. We retrospectively studied the impact of LRT on the survival of breast cancer patients with synchronous metastases.

[Cost of treatment and follow up of breast cancer: a retrospective assessment in a comprehensive cancer centre].

Context: Breast cancer is one of the major causes of premature death for women. Its cost management is important for both the national health insurance and the individual health care providers.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the global medical cost of breast cancer from diagnosis to follow up in one French medical centre: centre René-Huguenin, Saint-Cloud (92).

Comorbidity of Alcoholism and Anxiety Disorders: The Role of Family Studies.

People with alcoholism frequently also suffer from an anxiety disorder. The mechanisms underlying this comorbidity remain unclear. Clinical findings indicate that anxiety disorders may lead to the development of alcoholism.