Editorial - (2017) Volume 5, Issue 4
Vihar R Bidwai*
Department of Shalya Tantra, Ayurvedic Mahavidyalaya, Pusad, India
*Corresponding Author:
Vihar R. Bidwai
Department of Shalya Tantra, Ayurvedic Mahavidyalaya, Pusad, India
Tel: (07233) 48627
E-mail: vihar4u@gmail.com
Received Date: December 01, 2017; Accepted Date: December 15, 2017; Published Date: December 27, 2017
Citation: Bidwai VR (2017) Editorial Note: Archives in Cancer Research - Volume 5, Issue 3. Arch Can Res Vol. 5: No.4:166. DOI: 10.21767/2254-6081.100166
Editorial Note
Cancer research implies the methodically planned research studies that intend to elucidate any/all aspects of pathogenic, biochemical, molecular as well as pathological basis of carcinogenesis as well as metastasis of cancer cells. Considering the growing medical burden of cancer on a global scale, it becomes imperative that such studies are conducted, and their findings implemented for the development of newer and better anti-cancer therapeutic regimens. The Archives in Cancer Research journal is specifically intended for the global dissemination of such studies and their findings so that they can help in accentuation of the above described process. The current issue of the journal published many research articles and case reports that serve to enhance the persisting levels of clinical knowledge and skills required for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
The complexity that impedes determination of an optimal approach for the treatment of cancer is its diversity. Furthermore, the modes of diagnosis as well as treatment of such cancer forms vary greatly and do not show great uniformity. It is therefore recommended that each and every type of cancer is given individual importance. In addition, it is also recommended that population genetics and cancer incidence should also be given due importance, especially by conducting region specific studies. The article published by Anchang et al. presented such a study that was specifically intended to study and elucidate the pathophysiological and incidence patterns of prostate cancer disease in Cameroon. The cross-sectional study conducted by the authors included 231 male volunteers from the North- West region of Cameroon. The serum free Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) levels as well as results obtained from digital rectal examination (DRE) were used as a basis of screening for prostate cancer. The results obtained showed significant correlation between the above two methods, but other factors viz. family history, the type of underwear used by them, regular bicycle riding and physical exercising were not found to have significant correlations with the same. The authors used these results to propose that though biopsy is one of the most ideal methods for diagnosis of prostate cancer, the importance of implementing PSA levels and DRE should not be understated. Furthermore, they also proposed that the same information can be implemented for large scale prostate cancer screening programs in Cameroon and elsewhere [1].
The article published by Iqbal made a valid effort towards assessing the relative rates of re-excision of breasts after the administration of breast conserving surgery in breast cancer patients. The authors most specifically highlighted the importance of Specimen orientation kits in determining the reexcision rates in specific regions. They also tried to test such roles of a new specimen orientation kit, namely 'Klin tray'. The results thus obtained are quite interesting and need to be considered while assessing the most optimal method of saving the patient [2].
It has already been established that genetic variations play a crucial role in the occurrence of obesity as well as cancer viz. prostate cancer. It is therefore recommended that such factors are identified, and their contributions estimated at the earliest, so that the same can be implemented for the formulation of preventive and therapeutic strategies. The article published by Salgado-Montilla et al. presented such a study that was specifically aimed to assess the correlations between prostate cancer (PCa) mortality and rs9930506 and rs9939609 SNPs of the FTO gene. The study was conducted on 513 Puerto Rican men who received radical prostatectomy (RP) as a treatment for PCa. The specified SNPs were studied with the help of Real-Time PCR and their relationships with demographic features, clinical features, PCa severity were established. It was found that heterozygous forms (A/G; T/A) of the SNPs were prevalent and that there existed inverse relation between the occurrence of mutated rs9939609 and the probability of developing PCa. In addition, a clear positive association between being overweight and development of PCa was also established. The information presented in the article is considered highly crucial for finding out molecular and physiological markers that can indicate the possibility of occurrence of PCa. Most importantly, the same can be implemented in clinical settings to identify people at risk for the development of PCa [3].
It has been proposed that Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Afghanistan have comparatively higher rates of incidence of childhood leukemia. However, not many studies have actually validated the frequency of the disease in the said region. The article presented by Khan et al. made an effort to do so by analyzing the children presenting initial symptoms of childhood leukemia to the Hayat Abad Medical Complex Hospital, Peshawar. Out of the 605 children (below 15 years of age), who were suspected of having leukemia and who later underwent bone marrow examination, only 281 were found to actually have it. Furthermore, out of these 281 children who were diagnosed with childhood leukemia, 231 (82.2%) were from Pakistan, while 50 (17.8%) were from Afghanistan. In addition, it was also observed that 210 (74.73%) of them had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 62 (22.06%) acute myeloid leukemia, 7 (2.44%) chronic myeloid leukemia, 2 (0.71%) had Juvenile Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) and 1 (0.35%) Chronic Myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). No specific pattern of occurrence of childhood leukemia in Afghani children could be established form this study [4]. It is recommended that further studies on the same must and should be conducted to get further insights into the matter.
Out of the various factors that influence the prognosis of cancer types, especially in differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients is the accumulation of 2-[F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy- D-glucose (18F-FDG). It is known to play a pivotal role in lung metastasis (LM) before the administration of 131I therapy. as well as refractoriness toward 131I therapy. in order to further assess it, the authors conducted a detailed study that measured standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in LM patients (initially treated with 131I therapy) and known to have highest 18F-FDG accumulation. A retrospective comparative analysis of the recorded SUVmax was done between patients treated with and without 131I therapy. The results thus obtained indicated that SUVmax of LM significantly increased in patients without 131I and that this increasing trend was even more severe in case of patients with increased levels of thyroglobulin induced after the administration of 131I. The authors standardized the optimal cutoff value of SUVmax to be 1.6, which can be further implicated for the effective prediction of refractoriness of such patients to the 131I therapy [5].
Another most important aspect of cancer studies is the elucidation of the pathological and molecular factors that help in distinguishing a cancer type from another. The importance of such studies can be further understood when we consider the fact that several related cancer types can have entirely different pathophysiological representation and hence treatment options. The article published by Wu et al. presented one such study wherein they tried to identify and elucidate the factors that differentiates hepatitis B (HBV) induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from that of the HCV induced ones. The authors presented retrospective chart review that correlated disease and treatment characteristics of HBV HCC and HCV HCC. Further analysis indicated that HBV HCC patients presented with larger tumors that were relatively easy to diagnose. This was also correlated to the fact that the time elapsed between diagnoses and treatment of HCC was comparatively less when compared with those diagnosed with HCV HCC. The article rightfully and tactfully points out the disparity in the clinical diagnosis and treatment procedure of two related forms of HCC [6].
The article published by Tomas presented a comprehensive analysis of the various aspects of the pilonidal sinus disease, with special reference to umbilical pilonidal sinus. It is a rare form of the disease whose physiological basis and clinical course of treatment remain obscure. The data presented in the article is based on the analysis of 25 published papers that described 385 umbilical pilonidal sinus patients. The information presented in the article will help in further elucidation of the disease as well as its therapeutic aspects [7].
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