The Functional Erythropoetin rs1617640 Gene Polymorphism does not Affect Life Expectancy of Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Background: A common functional variant (c.-1306A C, rs1617640) in the gene encoding erythropoietin () has been linked to expression of erythropoietin and markers of erythropoiesis. Aim of the current study was the analysis of the role of this polymorphism for long term survival of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Comprehensive geriatric assessment predicts radiation-induced acute toxicity in prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: The purpose of the present prospective study was to evaluate the significance of geriatric conditions measured by a comprehensive geriatric assessment (GA) for the prediction of the risk of high-grade acute radiation-induced toxicity.

Methods: A total of 314 prostate cancer patients (age ≥ 65 years) undergoing definitive radiotherapy at a tertiary academic center were included. Prior to treatment, patients underwent a GA.

BCL2 genotypes and prostate cancer survival.

Purpose: The antiapoptotic B‑cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) gene is a key player in cancer development and progression. A functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (c.-938C>A, rs2279115) in the inhibitory P2 BCL2 gene promoter has been associated with clinical outcomes in various types of cancer.

An elevated preoperative plasma fibrinogen level is associated with poor disease-specific and overall survival in breast cancer patients.

Introduction: Plasma fibrinogen plays an important role in the pathophysiology of tumor cell invasion and metastases. High plasma fibrinogen levels have been associated with poor prognosis in different types of cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of the preoperative plasma fibrinogen level in a large cohort of breast cancer patients.

The elevated preoperative derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts poor clinical outcome in breast cancer patients.

Existing preclinical and clinical data suggest that the presence of a systemic inflammatory response plays a critical role in the progression of several solid tumors. The derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) represents an easily determinable marker of systemic inflammation and has been proposed as a potential prognostic marker. The present study was performed to validate and further clarify the prognostic relevance of an elevated pre-treatment dNLR in a large cohort of European breast cancer patients.

Vitamin D and prostate cancer prognosis: a Mendelian randomization study.

Purpose: Decreased vitamin D levels have been associated with prostate cancer, but it is unclear whether this association is causal. A functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the group-specific component (GC) gene (T > G, rs2282679) has been associated with 25-hydroxy (25-OH) vitamin D and 1.25 dihydroxy (1.

Evaluation of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic indicator in a European cohort of patients with prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy.

Objectives: Recent evidence suggests that the presence of a systemic inflammatory response plays an important role in the progression of several solid tumors. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been proposed as an easily assessable marker of systemic inflammation and has been shown to represent a prognostic marker in different cancer entities. To evaluate the prognostic value of the PLR in prostate cancer, we performed the present study.

The elevated C-reactive protein level is associated with poor prognosis in prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a sensitive marker of inflammation that has been linked with prognosis in various solid tumours. In the present study, we analysed the prognostic relevance of elevated plasma CRP levels in prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

Methods: A total of 261 prostate cancer patients treated with 3D-conformal radiotherapy were evaluated retrospectively.

Validation of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic factor in a cohort of European prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: Recent studies have expanded the concept that the systemic inflammatory response has an important role in the progression of several solid tumors. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an easily determinable marker of systemic inflammation, has been associated with clinical outcome in various cancer entities. In the present study, we validated the prognostic relevance of an elevated NLR in a cohort of European prostate cancer patients.

The association of an elevated plasma fibrinogen level with cancer-specific and overall survival in prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: Fibrinogen plays an important role in the pathophysiology of tumour cell invasion and metastases. In recent studies, an elevated plasma fibrinogen level has been associated with poor prognosis in different types of cancer. The present study was performed to analyse the prognostic impact of an elevated fibrinogen level in prostate cancer patients.

Association of vascular endothelial growth factor--a gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with breast cancer metastases.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) is a key regulator of tumor-induced angiogenesis and essential for tumor growth and distant tumor spread. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of VEGF-A polymorphisms and haplotypes for metastatic progression in breast cancer patients.

Material And Methods: We performed a prospective study including 801 breast cancer patients.

A common and functional gene variant in the vascular endothelial growth factor a predicts clinical outcome in early-stage breast cancer.

Angiogenesis and cell cycle control play critical roles in breast cancer susceptibility and clinical outcome and are mainly controlled by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cyclin-dependent kinases, respectively. Functional germline polymorphisms in these genes alter the function, thereby causing inter-individual differences in breast cancer risk and clinical outcome. In this study, we investigated the influence of the functional polymorphisms VEGF-A rs3025039 C > T and CCND1 rs9344 G > A on risk and clinical outcome in early-stage breast cancer.

Impact of VEGF gene polymorphisms and haplotypes on radiation-induced late toxicity in prostate cancer patients.

Background And Purpose: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important determinant of microvascular permeability and angiogenesis and has been shown to be up-regulated during the late phase of radiation injury. The present prospective study was performed to evaluate the role of VEGF gene polymorphisms and haplotypes in the development of radiation-induced late side effects in prostate cancer patients.

Patients And Methods: The association of VEGF gene polymorphisms and haplotypes with high-grade late rectal or urinary toxicity (defined as late toxicity EORTC/RTOG ≥ 2) was analyzed using 493 prostate cancer patients from the Austrian PROCAGENE study treated with definitive radiotherapy.

Impact of UGT2B7 His268Tyr polymorphism on the outcome of adjuvant epirubicin treatment in breast cancer.

Introduction: Epirubicin is a common adjuvant treatment for breast cancer. It is mainly eliminated after glucuronidation through uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 2B7 (UGT2B7). The present study aimed to describe the impact of the UGT2B7(His268Tyr) polymorphism on invasive disease-free survival in breast cancer patients after epirubicin treatment.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of integrin alpha-2 and beta-3 genes are not associated with relapse-free and overall survival in colorectal cancer patients.

Background: Integrins influence tumourigenesis, tumor progression and development of metastases. The impact of polymorphisms in integrin genes on relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) for 433 Caucasian patients with colorectal cancer was analysed in this retrospective study.

Patients And Methods: A Cox regression model including integrin genotype, age, grading, tumour size, number of lymph nodes examined, number of metastatic lymph nodes, stage and application of fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy was used to estimate their effect.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene for XRCC1 and radiation-induced late toxicity in prostate cancer patients.

Background And Purpose: Polymorphisms in genes responsible for DNA damage signaling and repair might modulate DNA repair capacity and, therefore, affect cell and tissue response to radiation and influence individual radiosensitivity. The purpose of the present prospective investigation was to evaluate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in XRCC1 with radiation-induced late side effects in prostate cancer patients treated with radiotherapy.

Material And Methods: To analyze the role of XRCC1 polymorphisms for late toxicity 603 participants from the Austrian PROCAGENE study treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy were included in the present investigation.

Impact of CYP2D6*4 genotype on progression free survival in tamoxifen breast cancer treatment.

Objective: The cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) polymorphism was reported to have a significant impact on outcome of tamoxifen treatment in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer patients. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of the CYP2D6*4 polymorphism on tamoxifen treatment outcome in a cohort of patients from a single clinical trial which included women with a history of previous chemotherapy.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 493 patients of the Austrian TIGER study receiving adjuvant tamoxifen therapy were studied for this pharmacogenetic interaction.

Association of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha gene polymorphisms and colorectal cancer prognosis.

Background: Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is the key regulator of cellular responses to hypoxia and plays a central role in tumour growth. Recently, two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HIF-1 alpha gene, C1772T and G1790A, were shown to cause significantly higher transcriptional activity than did the wild-type. This study aimed to investigate the effect of these SNPs on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 gene and colorectal cancer risk.

With an incidence of about 300 000 new cases colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Europe and the United States. Environmental and genetic factors influence CRC risk. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), a heterodimeric protein composed of two subunits, HIF-1 alpha and HIF-1 beta, plays a critical role in oxygen homeostasis and is involved in angiogenesis and cell proliferation.

Treatment results of radiation therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: To assess local control and survival rates in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with external-beam radiotherapy and to investigate prognostic factors.

Patients And Methods: Between 1997 and 2007, 75 patients (male, n = 58; female, n = 17, median age, 74.2 years) with localized transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (T2, n = 34; T3, n = 32; T4, n = 9) not suitable for radical surgery due to advanced age, comorbidity or inoperability underwent external-beam radiotherapy without simultaneous chemotherapy at the University Clinic of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Medical University of Graz, Austria.

Analysis of common germline polymorphisms as prognostic factors in patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer.

Purpose: Women with breast cancer that initially involves local lymph nodes have a higher risk for local recurrence or developing metastases. Recent data suggest that germline polymorphism is a significant, previously unrecognized factor in breast cancer progression and metastasis. We assessed the influence of 16 selected common germline polymorphisms in disease-free survival and overall survival among 216 women diagnosed with lymph node-positive breast cancer.

The functional promoter polymorphism of the coagulation factor XII gene is not associated with peripheral arterial disease.

Coagulation factor XII (FXII) plays a key role in both coagulation and fibrinolysis and has been associated with cardiovascular disease in some studies. Plasma FXIIa levels are strongly determined by a common functional polymorphism in the promoter of the FXII gene (F12-4C>T). To investigate the potential association of this polymorphism with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), we performed a case-control study including 668 patients with PAD and 762 controls participants without cardiovascular disease.

Association of interleukin-10 gene variation with breast cancer prognosis.

Genetic polymorphisms are responsible for inter-individual variation and diversity and have been recently considered as the main genetic elements involved in the development and progression of cancer. We examined associations between common germline genetic variants in 7 genes involved in folate metabolism, cell proliferation and apoptosis, prostaglandin synthesis, detoxification of compounds and inflammation, and disease-free survival among women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. DNA from up to 432 women was genotyped for 8 polymorphisms.

A common hereditary single-nucleotide polymorphism in the gene of FAS and colorectal cancer survival.

Apoptosis plays an important role in embryogenesis, autoimmunity and tumourigenesis. Cell surface death receptors such as TNFRSF6 (FAS) confer a major apoptotic effect. A single-nucleotide polymorphism in the FAS promoter gene, -670A/G, modulates apoptotic signalling and has been related to susceptibility and progression of a variety of cancers.