Inflammatory signatures across four photon radiotherapy and proton radiotherapy: mechanisms, mitigation, and quality of life impact.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and in the United States, second only to cardiovascular disease. Unlike many cardiovascular conditions, cancer is often less preventable, manageable, and curable-even with ongoing technological advancements in medicine. The adverse effects of cancer treatments on cancer patients remain profound due to shared cellular characteristics between cancerous and normal cells; one of the primary adverse effects is treatment-induced inflammation.

From Spice to Survival: The Emerging Role of Curcumin in Cancer Immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatments but still faces challenges, particularly with response rates plateauing around 20-40%. This is primarily due to the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the lack of required antigen availability. This emphasizes finding agents that can improve these response rates, and curcumin has emerged as a promising natural compound with the potential to reengineer the TME by establishing its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, pro-apoptotic, and anti-angiogenic effects.

Causes and Effects of Postoperative Sleep Disorders and Treatment Strategies for Preoperative, Intraoperative, and Postoperative Settings-A Narrative Review.

Sleep is an essential part of everyday life and disturbed sleep can produce numerous deleterious effects on the body. An especially prevalent and detrimental subset of sleep disturbances are sleep disturbances that occur in patients during the postoperative period. To better understand these disorders and how to treat them, a literature search was conducted to identify and consolidate recent advancements in this field.

Cytokine Therapy in Bladder Cancer: Mechanisms, Efficacy, and Future Prospects.

Cytokine therapy is a rapidly evolving field in bladder cancer research, with treatments designed to enhance immune responses, improve targeting, and promote tumor cell recognition and elimination. This review explores pro-inflammatory cytokines, anti-inflammatory cytokines, engineered cytokines and fusion proteins, and combination therapies. Challenges include risks of toxicity, immune suppression, and the potential for promoting metastasis.

Therapeutic frontiers in adrenocortical carcinoma: from standards to innovation.

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in America despite cancer-related mortality declining. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis that imposes an immense burden on those ill-fated to be touched by this cancer. The 5-year survival rate is below 50% for locally advanced cases, and nearly 75% of patients experience recurrence.

Colorectal polyps: pathophysiology, malignant potential, and advancements in therapeutic strategies.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common causes of cancer-associated death. The American Cancer Society predicts a significant increase in both the incidence and mortality of CRC over the next decade for individuals 54 years or younger. This prediction underscores the urgent need for effective screening and management strategies.

A Consolidated Review of Contemporary Targeted and Immunotherapeutic Options for Melanoma.

The incidence of melanoma is increasing globally, even in the wake of increased risk factor awareness and a growing body of advanced therapeutic options. It is apparent that the treatment of melanoma will remain a topic of worry in areas of the world under high ultraviolet exposure and areas that harbor individuals with fair skin phenotypes. In the wake of such concern, the potential of immunotherapy and various targeted therapeutics to treat late-stage melanoma is increasing.

Osteosarcoma: current insights and advances.

Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumor affecting adolescents and young adults. Despite advancements in cancer therapies, its prognosis remains poor due to its aggressive nature and early propensity for metastasis-often present at the time of diagnosis. The etiology of osteosarcoma is multifactorial, involving genetic predispositions, environmental exposures, and familial syndromes.

The Era of Precision Medicine: Advancing Treatment Paradigms for Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains a challenge prognostically. A clinically silent early stage and predilection for early metastasis leads to over half of patients presenting with metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Akin to many other cancers, once SCLC metastasizes, current therapies begin to lose their effectiveness.

Promising immunotherapeutic treatments for colon cancer.

Colon cancer continues to predominate as one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide due to its subtle symptomology and multifactorial etiology. Currently, the standard treatment approach involves surgical resection for localized tumors and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for cancers that have spread or invaded locally. Unfortunately, this treatment strategy may not be effective for advanced, metastatic stages of the disease or in instances of recurrence.

From Bench to Bladder: The Rise in Immune Checkpoint Inhibition in the Treatment of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) represents a significant clinical challenge due to its high recurrence rate and need for frequent monitoring. The current treatment modality is bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy combined with chemotherapy after transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT), which is highly effective in most patients. Yet, the cancer becomes resistant to these treatments in 30-40% of patients, necessitating the need for new treatment modalities.

The Past, Present, and Future of Cervical Cancer Vaccines.

Since the introduction of prophylactic HPV vaccines, both HPV infection rates and cervical cancer rates have subsequently dropped. Yet, cervical cancer remains the fourth most common cancer diagnosis in women globally. As HPV and its role in the development of cervical cancer become better understood, vaccines have emerged as a front runner for improved therapeutic cervical cancer treatment.

Leveraging Microorganisms to Combat Skin Cancer.

Skin cancer, including melanoma and non-melanoma types, presents a significant and growing global health challenge due to its increasing incidence and mortality rates. While conventional treatments such as surgical excision, immunotherapy, and targeted therapies are well-established, microorganism-based approaches represent an innovative and promising alternative. These therapies employ live, genetically engineered, or commensal bacteria, viral vectors, or bacterial components to achieve various therapeutic mechanisms, including tumor targeting, immune system modulation, vascular disruption, competitive exclusion, drug delivery, and direct oncolysis.

From conventional to cutting edge: an exploration of osteosarcoma treatments.

Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive cancer in children and young adults that has a remarkably high mortality rate upon metastasis. Current standard treatments have remained largely unchanged for nearly five decades, focusing on a combination of chemotherapy with high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin, complemented by aggressive surgical resections. Despite this lack of change, recent advancements in medical research have spurred hope for more effective and less invasive approaches to managing osteosarcoma.

Squamous Cell Bladder Cancer: A Rare Histological Variant with a Demand for Modern Cancer Therapeutics.

Bladder cancer is among the most common form of cancer worldwide and is predicted to increase in incidence and mortality over the next decade. Squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder is a rare histological variant typically associated with schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, a parasitic infection caused by flatworms called schistosomes or blood flukes, and is generally seen in underdeveloped nations. However, squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder still represents nearly 5% of bladder cancer diagnoses in the western world.

The Current State of the Diagnoses and Treatments for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is the most common form of kidney cancer, accounting for 75% of malignant kidney tumors, and is generally associated with poor patient outcomes. With risk factors including smoking, obesity, and hypertension, all of which have a high prevalence in the United States and Europe, as well as genetic factors including tuberous sclerosis complex and Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, there is an increasing need to expand our present understanding. The current clear cell renal cell carcinoma knowledge is outdated, with obsolete diagnostic criteria and moderately invasive surgical treatments still prevailing, partially ascribed to its resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Into the Future: Fighting Melanoma with Immunity.

Immunotherapy offers a novel and promising option in the treatment of late-stage melanoma. By utilizing the immune system to assist in tumor destruction, patients have additional options after tumor progression. Immune checkpoint inhibitors reduce the ability for tumors to evade the immune system by inhibiting key surface proteins used to inactivate T-cells.

Exploring the role of antigen-presenting cancer-associated fibroblasts and CD74 on the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor microenvironment.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has proven to be a formidable cancer primarily due to its tumor microenvironment (TME). This highly desmoplastic, hypoxic, and pro-inflammatory environment has not only been shown to facilitate the growth and metastasis of PDAC but has also displayed powerful immunosuppressive capabilities. A critical cell involved in the development of the PDAC TME is the fibroblast, specifically the antigen-presenting cancer-associated fibroblast (apCAF).

Emerging molecular therapies in the treatment of bladder cancer.

Bladder cancer is a leading cancer type in men. The complexity of treatment in late-stage bladder cancer after systemic spread through the lymphatic system highlights the importance of modulating disease-free progression as early as possible in cancer staging. With current therapies relying on previous standards, such as platinum-based chemotherapeutics and immunomodulation with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin, researchers, and clinicians are looking for targeted therapies to stop bladder cancer at its source early in progression.

The role of IL-22 in cancer.

Interleukin-22, discovered in the year of 2000, is a pleiotropic Th17 cytokine from the IL-10 family of cytokines. IL-22 signals through the type 2 cytokine receptor complex IL-22R and predominantly activates STAT3. This pathway leads to the transcription of several different types of genes, giving IL-22 context-specific functions ranging from inducing antimicrobial peptide expression to target cell proliferation.

From bench to bedside: the past, present and future of IL-21 immunotherapy.

As immunotherapy gains momentum as a promising approach for treating several types of cancer, IL-21 has emerged as the latest discovery within the γ chain cytokine family, known for its decisive effects on innate and adaptive immunity and immunopathology. Through the modulation of immune cells, IL-21 has demonstrated significant anti-tumor effects in preclinical studies. The potential of IL-21 in cancer treatment has been explored in phase I and II clinical trials, where it has been utilized both as monotherapy and in combination with other drug agents.

The Role of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in the Growth of Cervical Cancer Cells.

Background/aim: Recently developed vaccines for the SARS-CoV-2 virus utilize endogenous production of the virus' spike protein (SP), allowing the host to develop an immune response. As a result of the novelty of this virus and its vaccines, little is known overall about the potential effects of the SP on the pathogenesis of neoplasia, either from vaccination or from infection. This study was designed to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 SP has any direct effect on SiHa cervical cancer cells.

Unlocking the 'ova'-coming power: immunotherapy's role in shaping the future of ovarian cancer treatment.

Ovarian cancer is a prominent cancer worldwide with a relatively low survival rate for women diagnosed. Many individuals are diagnosed in the late stage of the disease and are prescribed a wide variety of treatment options. Current treatment options are primarily a combination of surgery and chemotherapy as well as a new but promising treatment involving immunotherapy.

Up and away with cervical cancer: IL-29 is a promising cytokine for immunotherapy of cervical cancer due to its powerful upregulation of p18, p27, and TRAILR1.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common types of female cancers worldwide. IL-29 is an interesting cytokine in the IFNλ family. Its role in the pathogenesis of neoplasia is complicated and has been studied in other cancers, such as lung cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer.