Implementation of Risk-Stratified Breast Cancer Prevention With a Polygenic Risk Score Test in Clinical Practice.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) screening with mammography reduces mortality but considers currently only age as a risk factor. Personalized risk-based screening has been proposed as a more efficient alternative. For that, risk prediction tools are necessary.

A Breast Cancer Polygenic Risk Score Is Feasible for Risk Stratification in the Norwegian Population.

Background: Statistical associations of numerous single nucleotide polymorphisms with breast cancer (BC) have been identified in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Recent evidence suggests that a Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) can be a useful risk stratification instrument for a BC screening strategy, and a PRS test has been developed for clinical use. The performance of the PRS is yet unknown in the Norwegian population.

Identification of Bull Semen Microbiome by 16S Sequencing and Possible Relationships with Fertility.

Reports on the use of 16S sequencing for the identification of bacteria in healthy animals are lacking. Bacterial contamination of bull semen can have a negative effect on the sperm quality. The aims of this study were threefold: to identify bacteria in the semen of healthy bulls using 16S sequencing; to investigate the differences in the bacterial community between individual bulls; and to establish if there was a relationship between the bacteria isolated and bull fertility.

Stable bull fertility protein markers in seminal plasma.

Bull fertility is an important trait in breeding as the semen of one bull can, potentially, be used to perform thousands of inseminations. The high number of inseminations needed to obtain reliable measures from Non-Return Rates to oestrus creates difficulties in assessing fertility accurately. Improving molecular knowledge of seminal properties may provide ways to facilitate selection of bulls with good semen quality.

Changes in therapy and survival of metastatic renal cell carcinoma in Estonia.

Background: Before the era of targeted therapies, cytokines were the main therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Our aim was to analyze the changes in treatments and overall survival (OS) of all mRCC patients in Estonia in relation to the introduction of new medications.

Methods: All patients with mRCC who started medical therapy in Estonia during the years 2004-2012 were identified using the database of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund.

Polygenic prediction of breast cancer: comparison of genetic predictors and implications for risk stratification.

Background: Published genetic risk scores for breast cancer (BC) so far have been based on a relatively small number of markers and are not necessarily using the full potential of large-scale Genome-Wide Association Studies. This study aimed to identify an efficient polygenic predictor for BC based on best available evidence and to assess its potential for personalized risk prediction and screening strategies.

Methods: Four different genetic risk scores (two already published and two newly developed) and their combinations (metaGRS) were compared in the subsets of two population-based biobank cohorts: the UK Biobank (UKBB, 3157 BC cases, 43,827 controls) and Estonian Biobank (EstBB, 317 prevalent and 308 incident BC cases in 32,557 women).

A case report and follow-up of the first live birth after heterotopic transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue in Eastern Europe.

Background: Ovarian insufficiency is a major concern for long-term cancer survivors. Although semen freezing is well established to preserve male fertility, the possibilities to secure post-cancer female fertility are mostly limited to oocyte or embryo freezing. These methods require time-consuming ovarian stimulation with or without in vitro fertilization (IVF) that evidently delays cancer therapy.

A dual colour FISH method for routine validation of sexed Bos taurus semen.

Background: Usage of sexed semen that allows to choose the gender of the calves, is commonly practiced in livestock industry as a profitable breeding alternative, especially in dairy farming. The flow cytometric cell sorting is the only commercially available method for bovine sperm sexing. For validation of the sexing procedure several methods have been developed including sperm fluorescence in situ hybridisation techniques.

Increasing kidney cancer incidence and survival in Estonia: role of age and stage.

Background: Kidney cancer rates in Estonia are high. The study aimed to examine long-term trends in kidney cancer incidence, mortality and survival in Estonia, with special focus on age, birth cohorts, morphology and TNM stage.

Material And Methods: Estonian Cancer Registry provided data on all incident cases of kidney cancer (ICD-10 C64), diagnosed in adults (age ≥15 years) in Estonia during 1995 - 2014.

An anaplastic lymphoma kinase () fusion oncogene positive metastatic sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung with good response to crizotinib.

Primary sarcomatoid carcinoma (SC) of the lung is a rare tumor that accounts for less than 1% of all lung cancers and compared to other non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) they appear more aggressive with poorer prognosis and response to treatment. Carcinosarcoma is one of the subtypes of SC. We report a case of carcinosarcoma with fusion gene in a 50-year-old male patient with a good response to therapy with crizotinib.

Trends in incidence and survival of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Estonia: a population-based study.

Background: Previous studies have shown an increase in the incidence of cutaneous melanoma (CM) in Estonia, but also poor survival in international comparisons, with a significant survival gap between the sexes. The aim of this study was to analyze the time trends in CM incidence and relative survival by age, TNM stage and anatomical subsite among men and women in Estonia.

Materials And Methods: Data from the Estonian Cancer Registry were used to calculate age-standardized (World) and age-specific incidence of CM in 1995-2013, and five-year relative survival ratios (RSR) for cases diagnosed in 1995-2012 and followed through in 2014.

Phase I Clinical Trial of Marizomib (NPI-0052) in Patients with Advanced Malignancies Including Multiple Myeloma: Study NPI-0052-102 Final Results.

Purpose: Marizomib (NPI-0052) is an irreversible proteasome inhibitor, derived from a marine actinomycete, with activity and specificity that is distinct from other proteasome inhibitors.

Experimental Design: Phase I study (NPI-0052-102) evaluated the MTD, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of marizomib intravenously on two dosing schedules.

Results: Forty-two patients with advanced malignancies received Schedule A (0.

Mammography use and mode of detection among breast cancer patients in Estonia.

The aim of this study was to examine past mammography use and mode of detection among breast cancer (BC) patients in Estonia, a country that has low screening coverage and high BC mortality. Women newly diagnosed with primary BC in Estonia in 2008-2010 were interviewed. Determinants of past mammography use and the detection of BC by mammography were studied using multivariate logistic regression.

Sex differences in cancer survival in Estonia: a population-based study.

Background: In Estonia, women have much longer life expectancy than men. The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in cancer survival in Estonia and to explore the role of age at diagnosis, stage at diagnosis and tumour subsite.

Methods: Using data from the population-based Estonian Cancer Registry, we examined the relative survival of adult patients diagnosed with nine common cancers in Estonia in 1995-2006 and followed up through 2011.

Bovine sperm plasma membrane proteomics through biotinylation and subcellular enrichment.

A significant proportion of mammalian fertilization is mediated through the proteomic composition of the sperm surface. These protein constituents can present as biomarkers to control and regulate breeding of agricultural animals. Previous studies have addressed the bovine sperm cell apical plasma membrane (PM) proteome with nitrogen cavitation enrichment.

Identifying women at risk for delayed presentation of breast cancer: a cross-sectional study in Estonia.

Background: Survival from breast cancer remains lower in Estonia than in most other European countries. More advanced stage and larger tumors that have impact on survival may be a result of delay in seeking help for breast cancer symptoms. The aim of this study was to identify determinants of delayed presentation among breast cancer patients in Estonia.

Time trends in population-based breast cancer survival in Estonia: analysis by age and stage.

Background: Survival from breast cancer (BC) in Estonia has been consistently among the lowest in Europe. The aim of this study was to examine most recent trends in BC survival in Estonia by age and stage. The trends in overall BC incidence and mortality are also shown in the paper.

Time-gated luminescence assay using nonmetal probes for determination of protein kinase activity-based disease markers.

A novel nonmetal optical probe ARC-1063 whose long-lifetime luminescence is induced by association with the target protein kinase is used for the measurement of the concentration of catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKAc) in complicated biological solutions. High affinity (K(D) = 10 pM toward PKAc) and unique optical properties of the probe enable its application for the measurement of picomolar concentrations of PKAc in the presence of high concentrations of other proteins. The described assay is applicable in the high-throughput format with the instrument setups designed for lanthanide-based time-gated (time-resolved) luminescence methods.

Optimizing treatment for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the Central and Eastern European region.

Introduction: Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine represent a collection of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries in which the epidemiology and treatment of cancer varies greatly between and within countries. Current challenges include non-adherence to current treatment guidelines, restrictions in access and reimbursement for new therapies, and a lack of basic oncology programs. Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is a malignancy with historically poor prognosis.

Current standards in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer with focus on Lapatinib: a review by a Central European Consensus Panel.

In breast cancer, early detection as well as new developments in therapeutic options has resulted in less patients presenting with metastatic disease. However, about one-third of women with early stage breast cancer will eventually develop metastatic disease. Furthermore, approximately 20-30% of patients with breast cancer have tumors that overexpress human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2), which is associated with an aggressive tumor phenotype and poor prognosis.

BRCA1 mutations in women with familial or early-onset breast cancer and BRCA2 mutations in familial cancer in Estonia.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the Estonian population. We analyzed genetic data and questionnaire from 64 early-onset (< 45 y) breast cancer patients, 47 familial cases (patients with breast or ovarian cancer and a case of these cancers in the family), and 33 predictive cases (patients without breast or ovarian cancer, with a family history of such diseases) from Estonia for mutations in the BRCA1 gene. A sub-set of familial cases and predictive cases were also analyzed for mutations in the BRCA2 gene.

Thymidine phosphorylase as a prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma.

The purpose of the current study was to clarify further the clinicopathologic significance of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) expression in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). TP expression was evaluated with immunohistochemistry assays using monoclonal anti-TP antibody in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archived specimens of 70 patients with radically operated nonmetastatic RCC (M0 by TNM classification). Semiquantitative analysis, using a scoring system for staining pattern and staining intensity was used.

Changes in the natural history of renal cancer: comparison of Estonian data from the periods 1986-1988 and 1996-1998.

To explain considerable increase in survival of renal cancer patients in Estonia during last decades, we compared the stage distribution, diagnostic and treatment methods for the patient groups diagnosed in the periods 1986-1988 and 1996-1998. A significant difference in stage distribution was detected with an increase for stages I-II and a decrease for stages III-IV in 1996-1998. There was a shift in primary diagnostic methods from intravenous urography and angiography to ultrasonography and computed tomography.