Divergent paths of mammary gland involution: unveiling the cellular dynamics in abruptly and gradually involuted mouse models.

Background: Epidemiological studies associate an increase in breast cancer risk, particularly triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), with lack of breastfeeding. This is more prevalent in African American women, with significantly lower rate of breastfeeding compared to Caucasian women. Prolonged breastfeeding leads to gradual involution (GI), whereas short-term or lack of breastfeeding leads to abrupt involution (AI) of the breast.

Obesity and lack of breastfeeding: a perfect storm to augment risk of breast cancer?

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most aggressive subtypes of breast cancer with higher rates of recurrence and distant metastasis, as well as decreased 5-year survival rates. Racial disparities are evident in the incidence and mortality rates of triple negative breast cancer particularly increased in young African American women. Concurrently, young African American women have multiple risk factors for TNBC including higher rates of premenopausal abdominal obesity (higher waist-hip ratio) and lower rates of breastfeeding with higher parity, implicating these factors as potentially contributors to poor outcomes.

Induced electric fields inhibit breast cancer growth and metastasis by modulating the immune tumor microenvironment.

Despite tremendous advances in oncology, metastatic triple-negative breast cancer remains difficult to treat and manage with established therapies. Here, we show in mice with orthotopic triple-negative breast tumors that alternating (100 kHz), and low intensity (<1 mV/cm) induced electric fields (iEFs) significantly reduced primary tumor growth and distant lung metastases. Non-contact iEF treatment can be delivered safely and non-invasively via a hollow, rectangular solenoid coil.

Correction: Activation of the Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF)-Transforming Growth Factor β 1 (TGF-β 1) Axis in Hepatitis C Virus-Expressing Hepatocytes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Impact of bowel space contouring variability on radiation dose and volume assessments in treatment planning for gynaecologic cancers.

Introduction: Correlations between radiation dose/volume measures and small bowel (SB) toxicity are inconsistent in the medical literature. We assessed the impact of inter-provider variation in bowel bag contouring technique on estimates of radiation dose received by the SB during pelvic radiotherapy.

Methods: Ten radiation oncologists contoured rectum, bladder and bowel bags on treatment planning computed tomography (CT) scans of two patients receiving adjuvant radiation for endometrial cancer.