Long-term influence of adjuvant breast radiotherapy on cognitive function in breast cancer patients treated with conservation therapy.

Background: The mechanisms underlying cognitive decline after radiotherapy not directed at brain areas remains unclear. We previously suggested that adjuvant breast radiotherapy in breast conservation therapy could lower memory function soon after therapy, and that the process might be partially mediated by plasma interleukin (IL)-6 levels. The present study investigated how that relationship changes longitudinally.

Association between adjuvant regional radiotherapy and cognitive function in breast cancer patients treated with conservation therapy.

Although protracted cognitive impairment has been reported to occur after radiotherapy even when such therapy is not directed to brain areas, the mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated whether breast cancer patients exposed to local radiotherapy showed lower cognitive function mediated by higher plasma interleukin (IL)-6 levels than those unexposed. We performed the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) and measured plasma IL-6 levels for 105 breast cancer surgical patients within 1 year after the initial therapy.

Associations of interleukin-6 with vegetative but not affective depressive symptoms in terminally ill cancer patients.

Purpose: Previous studies have reported associations of depressive symptoms with pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially with interleukin-6 (IL-6) in noncancer subjects and cancer patients. Meanwhile, symptoms such as tiredness and appetite loss may be vegetative symptoms of depression when associated with other diagnostic criteria of depression. Such vegetative-type symptoms worsen during the last 6 months of life in cancer patients and may not be associated with affective depressive symptoms such as sadness and nervousness.

R-spondin1 plays an essential role in ovarian development through positively regulating Wnt-4 signaling.

In mammals, female development has traditionally been considered a default process in the absence of the testis-determining gene, Sry. Recently, it has been documented that the gene for R-spondin1 (RSPO1), a novel class of soluble activator for Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, is mutated in two Italian families with female-to-male (XX) sex reversal. To elucidate the role of Rspo1 as a candidate female-determining gene in a mouse model, we generated Rspo1-null (Rspo1(-/-)) mice and found that Rspo1(-/-) XX mice displayed masculinized features including pseudohermaphroditism in genital ducts, depletion of fetal oocytes, male-specific coelomic vessel formation and ectopic testosterone production in the ovaries.

Plasma interleukin-6 and fatigue in terminally ill cancer patients.

Fatigue is one of the most distressing symptoms among terminally ill cancer patients. However, no effective intervention has been established. Several studies have suggested the role of cytokines in fatigue in cancer patients receiving anti-cancer treatment, patients with metastatic cancer, and cancer survivors, but not in terminally ill cancer patients.

AMSH, an ESCRT-III associated enzyme, deubiquitinates cargo on MVB/late endosomes.

The appropriate sorting of vesicular cargo, including cell-surface proteins, is critical for many cellular functions. Ubiquitinated cargo is targeted to endosomes and digested by lysosomal enzymes. We previously identified AMSH, a deubiquitination enzyme (DUB), to be involved in vesicular transport.

Smaller regional volumes of brain gray and white matter demonstrated in breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Previous studies have shown cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors who were exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy. Neural damage by chemotherapy might have played some part in these findings. The current study explored the regional brain volume difference between breast cancer survivors exposed to adjuvant chemotherapy (C+) and those unexposed (C-).

Regional cerebral glucose metabolism in patients with secondary depressive episodes after fatal pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Background: Secondary depression is common in the clinical oncology setting after pancreatic cancer diagnosis, following which the patients have to face the fact that they have a cancer with an extremely poor prognosis. However, the specific pathophysiology remains unclear. The present study examined the regional cerebral glucose metabolism using F18-fluorodeoxyglucose (F18-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in antidepressant-naïve pancreatic cancer patients with a depressive episode after their cancer diagnosis and before their cancer treatment.

Burnout and psychiatric morbidity among physicians engaged in end-of-life care for cancer patients: a cross-sectional nationwide survey in Japan.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of burnout and psychiatric morbidity among physicians engaged in end-of-life care for cancer patients in Japan and to explore associated factors related to end-of-life care.

Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to 1436 Japanese clinical oncologists and palliative care physicians with a request to complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and to report on individual factors, including confidence in patient care. High levels of burnout and psychiatric morbidity were identified using cut-off scores of the MBI and GHQ-12.

Screening for depression in terminally ill cancer patients in Japan.

This study attempted to assess the performance of several screening instruments for adjustment disorders (ADs) and major depression (MD) among terminally ill Japanese cancer patients. Two hundred and nine consecutive patients were assessed for ADs and MD using a structured clinical interview at the time of their registration with a palliative care unit, and two single-item interviews ("Are you depressed?" and "Have you lost interest?") and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered. Screening performance was investigated by calculating sensitivity, specificity, the positive predictive value, negative predictive value, likelihood ratio, and stratum-specific likelihood ratios.

Biomedical and psychosocial determinants of intrusive recollections in breast cancer survivors.

The authors' aim was to identify the determinants of intrusive recollections related to receiving a cancer diagnosis in women after cancer treatment. A consecutive series of breast cancer patients at 3-15 months after surgery, consisting of subjects with (N=63) and without (N=92) intrusive recollections was examined. Logistic regression analysis revealed that neuroticism, precancer intrusive recollections, and the number of cancer patients in relatives by marriage were final significant determinants, and receiving radiotherapy was an associated factor.

Occurrence of fatigue and associated factors in disease-free breast cancer patients without depression.

Goals Of Work: Studies on fatigue in disease-free breast cancer patients have consistently found a significant association between fatigue and depression; and some characteristics of this fatigue may be confused with and/or concealed by those of depression. To clarify the characteristics of fatigue in disease-free breast cancer patients, we examined the frequency of fatigue and associated factors in disease-free breast cancer patients without major depression.

Patients And Methods: Seventy-nine ambulatory breast cancer patients without major depression who had been disease-free for more than 3 years since their surgery completed the Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), a multidimensional scale assessing cancer-related fatigue.

Major depression, adjustment disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder in terminally ill cancer patients: associated and predictive factors.

Purpose: Few studies have been conducted to elucidate the psychological distress of terminally ill cancer patients. This study attempted to determine the prevalence of adjustment disorders (AD), major depression (MD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among terminally ill cancer patients, to identify factors that contribute to them, and to determine how they change longitudinally.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive terminally ill cancer patients were recruited.

Cancer-related intrusive thoughts as an indicator of poor psychological adjustment at 3 or more years after breast surgery: a preliminary study.

Intrusive thoughts are one of the re-experiencing symptoms in posttraumatic stress disorder, and have been suggested as a predictor for the continuous presence of psychological distress in cancer survivors. The aim of this preliminary study was to examine the possibility of using cancer-related intrusive thoughts (CITs) as an indicator of psychological distress and adjustment after breast surgery. A consecutive series of ambulatory breast cancer survivors at 3 or more years after surgery were given the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) and self-report questionnaires, including Profile Of Mood States (POMS), Impact of Event Scale (IES) and Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale, to measure psychological distress and/or adjustment.

Practices and attitudes of Japanese oncologists and palliative care physicians concerning terminal sedation: a nationwide survey.

Purpose: To clarify the frequency of practice of sedation therapy for terminally ill cancer patients and to identify physicians' attitudes toward sedation.

Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to 1,436 Japanese oncologists and palliative care physicians with a request to report their practice of and attitudes toward palliative sedation therapy.

Results: A total of 697 physicians returned questionnaires (response rate, 49.