bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Tobacco Use and Oral Malignant Precancerous Lesions Among Auto Rickshaw Drivers in Chennai City, Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Francis Delfin Lovelina , SP Saravanan 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and diseases, currently leading to five million deaths worldwide which are expected to raise over eight million deaths worldwide by 2030. India is the second largest consumer of tobacco in the world. Tobacco use is a leading cause of deaths and disabilities in India as well, killing about 1.2 lakh people in 2010. Approximately 29% of adults are daily tobacco users, with a further 5% using it occasionally. This study aims to assess the prevalence of tobacco consumption and total premalignant lesion among auto rickshaw drivers that plays a significant role in the country's workforce. METHODS A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out using Cluster random sampling on auto rickshaw drivers in Chennai City who had been working for over two years and were present for the assessment. 400 samples were chosen from 40 auto stands. Data was gathered by a Survey Proforma that included a Questionnaire designed to evaluate the frequency, age of onset, quantity of consumption, mental stress, economic influences, any previous medical history, and particularly the awareness of oral cancer. Oral examination was done by a single examiner to assess the oral malignant pre-cancerous lesions. RESULTS Prevalence among auto rickshaw drivers for consumption of tobacco products was very high (87%). They mostly used tobacco in the form of Gutkha (72%) and bidi (40%) in comparison to other products. 47% prevalence of oral malignant pre-cancerous lesions were observed, however the users were not aware. Most of the auto rickshaw drivers start using tobacco products in age less than 18 years (80%) and associated factors for tobacco use are due to friends and their influence (78%). 70% of auto rickshaw drivers have a good level of awareness of its hazards, although 66% still use tobacco products due to addiction. CONCLUSION The prevalence of tobacco use and oral malignant pre-cancerous lesions among auto rickshaw drivers was exceedingly high. Many individuals were experiencing tobacco-related ailments such as cough, mouth ulcers, and lung disorders. They are in definite need of tobacco cessation activities.
Primary Site and Race on Survival Patterns in Esophageal Cancer: A NCDB Study
Authors: Litz Hunter , Al Kurnas Mohammed , Wu XinXin , Silberstein Peter 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE Esophageal cancer (EC) can arise from the cricopharyngeal muscle to the lower esophageal sphincter. The disparity in anatomical location causes difficulty in clinical decision making and analysis of outcomes data. Previous studies show that Black patients are less likely to undergo surgical intervention and experience higher mortality in resectable disease. Studies relating EC location to outcomes are lacking. Data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were used to explore the effect that EC location and race has on survival. METHODS A retrospective cohort analysis of the NCDB included 167,189 patients diagnosed with a malignant neoplasm of the upper, middle, and lower third of the esophagus between the years 2004 and 2020. The impact of EC location on overall survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. The impact of location against race on survival was compared using Cox Regression. RESULTS Of the 167,189 patients in the study 13,381 (8.0%) were Black, 2,959 (1.8%) were Asian, 1,444 (0.9%) were other, and 147,825 (88.4%) were White. 53.9%, 45.3%, and 28.4% of EC diagnosed in Black, Asian, and patients of other race, respectively, were of an upper or middle esophageal primary in contrast to 18.4% in white patients. There was a statistically significant increase in mean survival time in lower EC (48.5 months) vs. upper EC and middle EC (37 months and 37.7 months, respectively, p<.001). Multivariate analysis of cancer location and race showed there was a lower risk of death when comparing Asian patients and those of other race to White patients across all locations (hazard ratio (HR) .848 and .865, respectively, p<.001); however, there was a statistically significant increased risk of death in Black patients when compared to White patients (HR 1.238, p<.001). CONCLUSION Black, Asian, and other non-White patients are more likely to have upper or middle EC. Upper and middle EC portend a worse survival from diagnosis in comparison to lower EC. However, risk of death is only increased in Black patients with EC when compared to other races. These data suggest that decreased survival in upper and middle EC may be influenced not only by the primary site, but also by social determinants disproportionately affecting Black patients.
Regional Patterns of Invasive Interventions for Unresectable Liver Cancer: Perspectives of Elective and Urgent Care in Brazil
Authors: da Silva de Carvalho Luiza , Krug Alana Bruna , Vitória da Silva Vieira Laynara , da Silva Meneses Beatriz , Eduarda de Aguiar Tavares Marcella , Dornelas Luana Baptistele , Pitombo Marcos Bettini 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE Assess invasive hospital procedures for palliative treatment in unresectable liver cancer, highlighting differences between elective and urgent care in Brazil. METHODS This retrospective study followed the STROBE checklist, and used DATASUS's Hospital Information System and 2010 Census. Data confidentiality and ethical approval were ensured. Based on the PICO principle: People with liver cancer (Population);percutaneous alcohol injection (Cod: 0416040179), radiofrequency ablation (Cod:0416040187), and chemoembolization (Cod: 0416040195) in elective versus urgent care (Interest);Brazilian region from 2013 to 2023 (Context). RESULTS In unresectable liver cancer treatment assessment, 79% were elective (11,136) across Brazil's regions; 21% were urgent (2,968). The Southeast region experienced 8,142 cases, covering 6,757 elective and 1,385 urgent. There are approximately 101.31 interventions per million inhabitants, furthermore, 51.61% of the total procedures at the national level take place in the aforementioned region. However, the Northern part of Brazil stands out with the lowest volume of procedures (17) - 12 elective and 5 urgent cases -, totaling only 3.59% of the procedures and about 1.07 interventions per million inhabitants. Regarding the monetary origin of the funds that covered the procedures, approximately 11,641 hospital procedures out of 14,104 had their financial nature disregarded. The average expenditure on hospitalization varies by region in Brazil, averaged R$ 2956.88. The North region spends below the average, R$ 2166.31, while the Southeast region surpasses the average significantly, with an expenditure of R$ 3,622.88 per procedure. The mortality rates of Brazilian regions revealed that the Northeast and South surpass the national average (0.71%), accounting for 0.9% and 0.82%, respectively. Despite the Northeast having the highest mortality rate, its average hospital stay was 2.4 days, lower than the national average (2.8), close to the Southeast (2.2), while the South had the highest length (4.8). CONCLUSION Regional disparities in unresectable approaches in Brazil were studied, emphasizing elective procedures over urgent interventions. Identification of financial origins is essential to adapt public health strategies, with variations in mortality rates and hospital stay, which highlights the urge for equitable health policies.
Transcriptional Profiling for Innate Immunity Receptor CD36 in the Regulation of Endothelial Cell Immunity Via Fatty Acid Metabolism
Authors: Kumar Atul , Beck Adam W. , Ren Bin 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE The immune system of living being has evolved via the action of immune defense mechanism by utilizing the cells of innate and adaptive immunity. Among these cells endothelial cell (EC) Immunity are least studied. ECs are emerging as innate immune cells and have some adaptive immunity features as well. How these EC immune cells can contribute to the brain immunity when implicated by CD36 (an innate immune receptor) is widely unknown. METHODS To understand this question, we wanted to investigate how CD36 regulates EC immunity and therefore we created EC-specific CD36 knockout (KO) TRAP mice by using several transgenic mouse lines and a translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) technique. Mouse brain tissues were subjected to isolation of ribosome-bound mRNA in the endothelia directly in vivo for next generation of RNA-seq and transcriptional profiling. RESULTS By transcriptomic and transcriptional analysis of RNA-seq data, we observed significant upregulation in the mRNA levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and IL-16, among toll-like receptors (TLRs) that initiate the innate immune response, we found that TLR-8 was downregulated in CD36-deficient brain endothelia in the EC-specific CD36 KO TRAP mice and highly enriched gene signature involved in fatty acid (FA) metabolism including ACSM 5, acyl-CoA thioesterase 12 (ACOT12) and StarD5. Moreover, MAPK/Erk1/2 signaling pathway appeared to be activated. CONCLUSION In summary, this study reveals a novel role of CD36 in the regulation of EC immunological properties, in which FA metabolic pathways might contribute to the regulation via changes in the immunometabolism in ECs.
Unveiling Diagnostic Biomarkers in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Through Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Lakhssassi Aicha , Alsamman Alsamman , Abdullah Ibrahim Manar Samir , Nourouti Naima , Barakat Amina , Mechita Mohcine , Bakkach Joaira 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE Ovarian cancer stands out among the most lethal gynecological malignancies worldwide, displaying a low survival rate, particularly alarming at stage IV, with only approximately 15% 5 years survival rate. Moreover, two-thirds of deaths attributable to ovarian cancer are specifically associated with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. The objective of the present study is to identify new biomarkers specific to the high grade serous ovarian carcinoma subtype using a bioinformatics approach. METHODS Two gene expression profiles of ovarian tissues and corresponding clinical data were downloaded from the GEO database. The second dataset was used to improve the accuracy of the analysis and find key hub genes that are solely specific for the high-grade serous carcinoma. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network was systematically conducted. The mRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of both tumor and normal ovarian tissues was analyzed using R. Statistical significance was determined based on an adjusted p-value of less than 0.05. PPI network was visualized by cytoscape using Cytohubba plugin. RESULTS Altogether, 1290 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the two datasets, with 915 genes showing significant upregulation and 375 genes displaying significant downregulation. CRABP1 and SLCO6A1 were notably highly expressed in both datasets, exhibiting a fold change greater than 7. These genes displayed intriguing interactions with CDKN2A, CCNA2, CDC6, CDK1, CDC25C and AURKB which are known to have connection to the cell cycle pathway, and thus emphasizing their potential role in regulating cell division and proliferation. CONCLUSION Collectively, our study identifies dysregulated genes that would serve as novel potential biomarkers for high grade serous ovarian cancer and ultimately help us find novel cancer therapeutic targets. Validation through experimental assays and clinical studies will be necessary to confirm the functional significance and clinical relevance of these identified biomarkers.
An Overview of the U.S. National Cancer Institute's (NCI) 2023 International Research Portfolio
Authors: Le Tosca , Garton Elise M. 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE As part of its goal to represent NCI and promote its engagement with international partners, the NCI Center for Global Health (CGH) conducts an annual analysis of NCI's international research portfolio, which includes NCI-funded extramural grants and NCI intramural projects with principal investigators (PIs) or collaborators at institutions outside of the U.S. This annual analysis gives insight to how NCI supports global oncology and informs global research opportunities. METHODS NCI CGH fielded a data call within NCI's two divisions that conduct intramural research. PIs reported intramural projects with active international collaborators in fiscal year (FY) 2023. NCI-funded extramural grants active in FY23 with any foreign collaborator were identified in NIH's internal database, Query-View-Report. Grants were categorized by common scientific outline (CSO) code and cancer site according to Dimensions for NIH and the International Cancer Research Partnership (ICRP). Analysis was conducted in Microsoft Excel and Python. RESULTS NCI funded 1,075 extramural research grants and 273 intramural research projects with international collaborators in FY23, including 248 extramural grants and 44 intramural projects initiated in the past year. These grants included collaborators at 1,633 international institutions in 117 countries. Forty-seven extramural grants were direct awards to international institutions across 16 countries, 9 of which are low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The intramural research projects included collaborators at 478 institutions across 58 countries. The analysis presents details of trends in geographic, income groups, cancer site, and CSO code distribution of the identified grants and projects. CONCLUSION The NCI supports a broad and growing portfolio of research with international collaborators. While the majority of research includes collaborators in Canada and Europe, there is increasing collaboration with institutions in LMICs. This analysis continues to aid our understanding of existing collaborations and identify gaps in research funding and training.
Assessment of Cervical and Breast Cancer Services at the Four Public Oncology Centers in Botswana
Authors: Friebel-Klingner Tara , Lebelonyana Refeletswe , Legwaila Morongwa , Gutterman Elane , Swart Carl , Ndaba Vusi , Sharma Kirthana , Gaolathe Tendani , Vuylsteke Peter , Marlink Richard 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE Cervical and breast cancer are the two most frequently reported female cancers in Botswana and account for 45% of annual female cancer deaths. This high mortality can be attributed, in part, to access barriers along the cancer care continuum. In efforts to combat the increasing cancer burden, Botswana’s government has designated four hospitals as public oncology centers (POC). We conducted a needs assessment to understand the current resources for cancer care at the four POCs. METHODS From February-April 2021, interviews with key informants (nurses working in oncology) regarding cancer services were conducted during site visits at the four POCs. These centers are strategically located throughout Botswana and include Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) in the capital city of Gaborone, Nyangabwe Referral Hospital (NRH), Sekgoma Memorial Hospital (SMH), and Letsholathebe II Memorial Hospital (LMH). RESULTS The four POCs reported 62 combined staff working in oncology-7 oncologists, 11 physicians, and 44 nurses. Regarding prevention, the only national cancer screening program was for cervical cancer. All four POCs confirmed the availability of pap smears, while only PMH and NRH offered colposcopy. For breast cancer diagnostics, all four POCs reported fine needle aspiration (FNA) services, but only PMH and NRH provided diagnostic mammography services, and ultrasound guided FNA biopsy. For treatment, PMH, NRH and LMH provided intravenous chemotherapy. Though none of the POCs provided onsite radiation therapy, it was offered in Gaborone Private Hospital with costs covered by the government. For surgical procedures, only PMH offered radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer. For breast cancer, PMH, NRH and SMH offered complete mastectomies with axillary lymph node dissection, only PMH performed breast-conserving surgery and no POC offered breast reconstruction. LMH lacked an available surgeon for any procedures. PMH offered a comprehensive palliative care program, although the other centers reported having some aspects of palliative care. CONCLUSION PMH and NRH offered the most comprehensive set of cervical and breast cancer services among the POCs, albeit with gaps. LMH and SMH provided minimal cancer services. Additional support and funding are needed to expand equitable and comprehensive cancer care across the country.
Blocking TCA Cycle Enhances T Cell Antitumor Response by Inhibiting the Thrombospondin 2 Signaling Pathway Associated With Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Teng Yong , Yang Jianqiang , Fu Fanghui , Fu Zhenzhen 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE The tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle occurs within the mitochondrial matrix plays a critical role in mitochondrial metabolism, providing energy essential for tumor cell proliferation and survival. Despite its significance, there is currently no established connection between the tumor cell TCA cycle and the immune response within the tumor microenvironment. In this study, we use head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells as a research model to investigate the role of tumor cell TCA cycle in regulating antitumor immunity. METHODS CPI-613 (devimistat), a novel systemic therapeutic that targets the TCA cycle by inhibiting pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH), was used to treat HNSCC cells. MOC2 ER-BioIDHA cells was generated by transfecting MOC2 cells with ER-BioIDHA construct. Conditioned medium (CM) from cells with or without CPI-613 treatment were collected and incubated with streptavidin beads, followed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis. Molecular alterations were examined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Immune response was assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS Our LC/MS results demonstrate that CPI-613 effectively prevents HNSCC cells from secreting thrombospondin-2 (THBS2), a glycoprotein strongly associated with poor prognosis and immune evasion in HNSCC patients. Mechanistically, CPI-613 induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and triggers the expression level of XBP1s, which transcriptionally suppresses the expression of THBS2 gene. In addition, THBS2 interacts with the membrane protein CD36 presented on the intratumoral CD8+ T cells and activates the downstream signaling pathways of AKT and AMPK. This activation, in turn, enhances the T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. CONCLUSION Our research uncovers a novel mechanism whereby CPI-613 enhances the immune response through the inhibition of THBS2 signaling associated with ER stress. These findings offer insights into the immunomodulatory effects of TCA cycle inhibition and establish a robust basis for considering CPI-613 as a promising treatment strategy for HNSCC.
Cancer Surveillance in Ekurhuleni District in Gauteng Province—A Representation of South African Population, 2021
Authors: Ndlovu Babongile , Muchengeta Mazvita 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE Cancer surveillance provides data necessary for planning interventions, evaluating programs and determining resource allocation. Population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) are the gold standard for cancer surveillance globally. This report aims to present a 2021 cancer surveillance summary in Ekurhuleni PBCR. METHODS Cancer data were actively collected from eight public healthcare facilities (regional and tertiary hospitals), private healthcare oncology groups and hospices in Ekurhuleni district in Gauteng. Cases were extracted from all possible source documents and captured onto REDCap using a standardized data collection form. International Classification of Diseases for Oncology-3 guidelines were used for coding the site and morphology of each case. Stata MP (Version 17, StataCorp) was used for data cleaning, management and analysis. RESULTS In 2021, 4,631 cases were reported. 55% (n=2,526) of the cases were females and 45% (n=2,105) were males. The majority of cases were recorded from the black population (n=2,546, 55%) followed by white population (n=1,945, 42%). Black females contributed 34% and White males 24% of the total cases. The age groups 45-50 to 70-75-years contributed most cases (more than 400 cases from each age group). 57% of the cases were diagnosed from the public sector and 43% from private sector. Private sector cases consisted of 83% White population and public sector 88% of Black population. Most common cancers were basal cell carcinoma (White males and females) reported from private sector, breast and cervical cancers (Black females) and prostate cancer (black males) reported from public sector. CONCLUSION The most represented population groups are the Black and White. More sampling of PBCRs is needed to cater for Colored and Indian populations. Cases reported from private sector are not significantly lower than cases from public sector, as would be expected as private sector only serves 20% of the population. This indicates a high proportion of missing cases from public sector.
City-Led Multi-Sectoral Stakeholder Engagement to Advance Evidence-Informed Cancer Care in Abuja, Nigeria
Authors: Njoku Chris C. , Fasawe Adedolapo , Shinkaffi-Bagudu Zainab , Nwokwu Uchechukwu E. , Ibeka Paulette , Mallafré-Larrosa Meritxell , Bussman-Kemdjo Sophie , Polo Alfredo 
Published: July 2024

PURPOSE Cancer is a growing epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): with a population of over 220 million people, Nigeria registers 127,763 new cancer cases yearly and 79,542 deaths due to cancer. Like other SSA nations, Nigeria's fragile health system is poorly equipped to tackle this crisis, facing challenges like inadequate availability of and limited access to care, huge shortfall of trained medical personnel, incomplete cancer registries, among other compounding factors to the deteriorating situation. In the federal capital of Abuja, the City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/Can) is conveying a multi-sectoral stakeholder platform to enable locally led implementation-planning and eventual evidence-informed decision making within the cancer care ecosystem. METHODS Through C/Can's City Engagement Process Framework (CEPF), a novel implementation framework, a bottom-up city-led approach is used to identify cancer care gaps, to then collectively develop and implement contextually targeted solutions that will improve access to quality cancer care. A key initial step within the CEPF is to map and engage stakeholders across city and national levels that'll lead on health systems strengthening for cancer care with the support of C/Can's technical cooperation program. RESULTS Since the launch of the C/Can Abuja initiative in October 2023, stakeholder engagement across sectors including the government offices (n=6), treatment/diagnostics centers (n=8), civil society organizations (n=15), professional medical associations (n=10), media (n=8), and private sector (n=8) have been fundamental in connecting the cancer ecosystem. Overall, more than 150 institutions have been mapped. 22 in-person meetings have been conducted with key stakeholders to identify common goals and explore areas of collaboration. Notably, showprooving the city's readiness and commitment, the Federal Ministry of Health, the Abuja Federal Capital Territory Administration, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative and Medicaid Cancer Foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with C/Can to formalize the initiative. CONCLUSION Multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement and its local ownership is fundamental to achieving C/Can's initiative. Abuja city stakeholders are collectively working together to transform the cancer care landscape, with the goal to advance access to quality cancer care for patients in Abuja, eventually informing national policymaking and practice.