One of the most common types of cancer among women is breast cancer. It represents one of the diseases leading to a high number of mortalities among women. On the other hand, prostate cancer is the second most frequent malignancy in men worldwide. The early detection of prostate cancer is fundamental to reduce mortality and increase the survival rate. A comparison between six types of machine learning models as Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, k Nearest Neighbors, and Naïve Bayes has been performed. This research aims to identify the most efficient machine learning algorithms for identifying the most significant risk factors of prostate and breast cancers. For this reason, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) datasets are used. A comprehensive comparison of risk factors leading to these two crucial cancers can significantly impact early detection and progressive improvement in survival. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (P.S.M.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Cancer är en sjukdom som idag är en av största dödsorsakerna. I mikromiljön finns det bland annat immunförsvarets celler, endotelceller och fibroblaster. Det är en komplex miljö där signalvägar kan stimulera tillväxten hos cancercellen. Syftet med denna studie är att analysera hur cancercellernas mikromiljö ser ut och hur cancercellerna och de ”normala cellerna” kommunicerar med varandra som gynnar cancercellen. Finns det några idéer om framtida behandlingar som påverkar kommunikationen mellan de ”normala cellerna” och cancercellerna. Metoden som tillämpades var en systematisk litteraturöversikt som använde data från originalartiklar för att kunna besvara syftet. PubMed användes som databas och sökorden som användes var bland annat micro environment.   Resultatet visade att signalvägar är en process för cancercellen att växa. Det fanns olika behandlingar för att inhibera kommunikationen, och några av dessa var interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) och interleukin-6 neutraliserad antikropp (IL-6 neutraliserad antikropp). Behandlingen av IL-6 neutraliserad antikropp bidrog till att interleukin-6 (IL-6) som utsöndrades från cancerassocierade fibroblaster (CAF) inte kunde binda till sin receptor som ledde till att cancercellens tillväxt inhiberades.    Det som var gemensamt för hela studien var att cancercellens mikromiljö kunde vara en måltavla för att behandla cancer. Detta genom att inhibera olika signalmolekyler som utsöndras från både cancercellen och de ”normala cellerna”.

Introduction Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States (US). Tobacco smoking is a well-recognized cause of lung cancer. About 2% of the United States (US) population lives in Tennessee (TN). Nearly 21 % of TN adults are current smokers as per 2019 data, compared to 14% across the US. The percentage of smokers has historically been high in TN and its surroundings. This can be attributed to the area's socio-economic and cultural characteristics, along with large areas of tobacco farming in the region. This increases the risk of lung cancer in the TN population. Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) is a collection of cancer registries across the US, covering about 35% of the US population (TN cancer registry is not a part of SEER). Our study compares lung cancer incidence and characteristics in the TN cancer registry with the SEER 18 registry. Materials and Methods Data were collected from the TN cancer registry and SEER separately for lung and bronchial cancer. Data was analyzed for different histological subtypes, age groups, gender, stage at diagnosis, and rural/urban residence. Stata and Microsoft Excel were used in data analysis. A Chi-square test was used to calculate the statistical significance. Results From 2008 to 2017, 58644 cases of lung cancer were reported in the Tennessee cancer registry. During the same period, 519112 cases were reported in the SEER registry. The most frequent histological subtype of lung cancer in TN and SEER was adenocarcinoma (frequency of 17,503 Vs. 182346), followed by squamous cell carcinoma and small cell carcinoma. Most cancers in TN and SEER were diagnosed at stage of distant metastasis (46% vs. 52% ), followed by regional metastasis, localized, and in situ (Image1). The frequency of lung cancer diagnosis was high among those older than 65 in TN and SEER (64% vs. 69%). Males had a higher incidence of lung cancer in both registries. Most lung cancers were reported in the urban area in both registries. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was the most commonly reported secondary diagnosis (3,099), followed by pleural effusion in the TN database; the comparable data were not available in SEER. Relative survival at 12 months and five years for lung cancer in TN were 46.6 % and 19.5 % (Vs. 46.4% and 19.9% in SEER) Discussion and Conclusion If both registries were perfect, then lung and bronchial cancer incidence will be 9241 and 6048 per million in ten years in TN and SEER, respectively. But after careful analysis, we conclude that such analysis will be erroneous. The proportion of different histological types, stage at diagnosis, age groups, and gender were in the same order in both groups. Although chi-square test values are significant for all the variables, we infer no conclusion considering the data's inherent bias. Further in-depth analysis of the data is required.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is highly heterogeneous haematological malignancy, which represents a challenge in the understanding of the disease. Relapse in AML is common, andmany relapsed patients respond poorly to conventional treatment, leading to a low survivalrate. Investigating the mutational landscape connected to relapse AML is therefore of highinterest in order to improve clinical outcome. Recurrent in-frame internal tandem duplications(ITDs) in exon 13 of the UBTF gene have previously been discovered in paediatric relapseAML, correlating to one of the DNA binding domains of the transcription factor UBTF.UBTF is involved in recruitment of RNA polymerase I and activation of the transcription ofribosomal RNA. As a result, it is an important factor in ribosome biogenesis. In this study, wehave investigated the effect of UBTF-ITDs on RNA synthesis and UBTF localization. I haveshown that ITDs lead to disturbed localization of UBTF to the nucleus, which coupled withthe previous finding that patients are heterozygous for the ITDs, indicates haploinsufficiency.This could have potential implications in AML drug resistance. We have further generated anin vitro model for investigating the effect of UBTF haploinsufficiency, which could lead toidentification of vulnerabilities to be targeted in future drug treatments.

Bakgrund: Varje år drabbas flera kvinnor i Sverige av gynekologisk cancer. Behandlingarna leder till många biverkningar och kvinnorna tvingas leva med dessa följder i resten av sitt liv. Detta problem är viktigt att belysa för att kunna hjälpa kvinnor i framtiden att bli mer förberedda på förändringarna och för att sjuksköterskorna ska kunna ge de bästa stödet.  Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva kvinnors erfarenheter av hur livet förändrats efter att ha behandlats för gynekologisk cancer.  Metod: En litteraturstudie med kvalitativ design, med en induktivansats.  Analysen av de 10 vetenskapliga artiklarna är gjord utifrån Graneheim & Lundmans manifesta innehållsanalys.   Resultat: Resultatet visade att kvinnor upplever en förändring på flera olika sätt. Kategorier som togs fram var upplevelsen av att vara kvinna, upplevelser av sexualitetens förändringar och att inte känna igen sig själv och sin kropp. Kvinnor pratade exempelvis om informationsbrist, inkontinensbesvär, temperaturförändringar och smärta och oro i samband med sexuella relationer.  Slutsats: Cancer kan påverka en människa på många olika sätt både fysiskt och emotionellt. Kvinnor som går igenom och överlevt gynekologisk cancer är i stort behov av stöd. Information är en av de viktigaste delarna för att kunna förstå den förändrade kroppen.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Half of those who are diagnosed with cancer in any given year are over age 65. Approximately 3.1 million males and 2.3 million females over age 65 became ill with cancer in 2000. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychosocial experience of the older adult with cancer to enable social workers to better serve this population. It is not clear from previous research whether their lived experience in adapting to cancer is different from that of younger persons. Thirteen older adults with cancer were interviewed in-depth along with a focus group of three oncology social workers.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Research has shown that adolescents with cancer (AWC) face treatment that is complex, invasive, and onerous. Coming during a time with major developmental changes, it brings the potential of making high demands on the coping capacity of these adolescents. Using the theoretical frameworks of stress and coping, life-span development and Haase's (1996) Adolescent Resilience Model (ARM), this study explored the influences of social support and family environment on coping for AWC.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Biochemistry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Cancer remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide with an estimated 9.9 million deaths in 2020. Cancer treatment regimens such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have over the years fallen short due to drug resistance, toxicity, damage to normal healthy cells and tissues surrounding the treatment area. Moreover, they have shown very limited survival benefits for most advanced staged cancers such as colorectal cancer, which in 2020 was responsible for 3 728 deaths with a 6.8% incidence rate. Despite the many efforts in developing alternative chemotherapeutic strategies, cancer of the colon and cancer, in general, remains a burden. For centuries, plants and plant derivatives have been exploited for their nutritional and medicinal properties and now serve as chemical scaffolds or templates for designing and synthesising products with pharmacological importance. Herbal medicines are claimed to enhance therapeutic effects and are often used in combination with chronic medication. However, the concurrent use of herbal medicines and synthetic drugs may affect the pharmacokinetic profile of therapeutic drugs or trigger unexpected and undesirable effects. This study aimed to characterise the leaf extracts (crude water and crude methanol) of Momordica balsamina and investigate their potential anticancer activity on HT-29 colon cancer cells. The study also aimed to asses the effect of the extracts on drug metabolising enzymes (CYP450), specifically those which metabolise 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) prodrugs or are inhibited by 5-FU since it is one of the first-line treatments for colon cancer. Dried powdered leaves were extracted using water and absolute methanol to obtain crude water and crude methanol extracts, respectively. For characterisation, the extracts were spotted on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates and further screened using chemical tests. The ferric ion reducing power assay and Liquid chromatographymass spectrometry were used to determine the antioxidant activity of the extracts and to identify prominent or abundant compounds in each extract, respectively. To assess the cytotoxic effect of the extracts and 5-FU, HT-29 colon cancer cells and C2C12 muscle cells, which were used as a model for normal cells, were exposed to concentrations that ranged from 0 to 2000 µg/ml for the water (H2O) extract, 0 to 300 µg/ml for the methanol (MeOH) extract or 0 to 100 µg/ml of 5-FU for 24 and 72 hours, and subjected to the MTT assay. The effect of the extracts on the efficacy of 5-FU was xxi assessed using the MTT assay by combined treatments of the extract and 5-FU. Genotoxicity of the extracts was assessed on the C2C12 cells using the Muse™ MultiColour DNA Damage kit. The generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed by flow cytometry using the DCFH-DA assay. The JC-1 and acridine orange (AO)/propidium iodide (PI) staining assays were used to assess the effect of the extracts on the mitochondrial potential as well as cell and nuclear morphology, respectively. Apoptosis was quantified by flow cytometry using annexin V/PI and caspase activation assessed using the Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 colourimetric assay kits. The pro-apoptotic mechanism(s) was determined by assessing the expression profiles of selected apoptosis regulatory proteins using the human apoptosis antibody array kit. Cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry was conducted to determine the effect of the extract on the cell division cycle. Moreover, to determine the potential of herb-drug interactions, the Vivid® CYP450 Screening kits and P-gp-GloTM Assay Systems with P-glycoprotein were used to assess the effect on the activity of drug metabolising enzymes and drug transportation, respectively. The results showed that the MeOH extract possessed fewer polar compounds, higher ferric iron-reducing power, and a relative abundance of flavonol glycosides, cucurbitane-type triterpenoid aglycones, and cucurbitane-type glycosides than the H2O extract. The MeOH extract was further selectively cytotoxic to the HT-29 colon cancer cells at 24 hours of treatment and selectively induced genotoxicity in HT-29 cells. The H2O extract, however, was not cytotoxic to the HT-29 cells at all the tested concentrations at 24 and 72 hours of treatment. Analysis of nuclear and cell morphology suggested that the decrease in the percentage viability of MeOH extracttreated cells was associated with apoptotic cell death. Apoptosis was further confirmed by the loss of mitochondrial potential, increase in ROS production, caspase-8 and -9 activities as well as Annexin-V/PI-stained cells. Cell cycle analysis revealed cell cycle arrest at the S phase in MeOH extract-treated cells. Analysis of protein expression profiles revealed that the extract modulated various proteins that play a role in the promotion or inhibition of apoptosis. Moreover, the MeOH extract was shown to inhibit the activity of CYPs 1A2, 2A6, 2C8, and 2C9, while the H2O extract showed no significant inhibitory effects on the activity of all tested CYPs and 5-FU only significantly inhibited the activity of CYP2C9. However, combinatory treatments with 5-FU and the MeOH extract were shown to have no additive or diminishing effects on the efficacy of 5-FU on the activity of all the tested CYP enzymes. Treatment with 5FU (0.008 – 32 μg/ml) and the H2O extract (0.02 – 200 μg/ml) was shown to stimulate the ATPase activity of P-gp, while the MeOH extract significantly inhibited its activity with concentrations of 0.2, 2, and 20 μg/ml. In conclusion, the MeOH extract selectively induced cancer cell toxicity, genotoxicity as well as S phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. The anticancer activity of the MeOH leaf extract of M. balsamina as well as its antioxidant potential may be attributed to the presence and relative abundance of flavonol glycosides, cucurbitane-type triterpenoid aglycones, and cucurbitane-type glycosides. Although the MeOH extract may potentially reverse the effects of P-gp multidrug resistance by decreasing its activity, its inhibition of the activity of CYPs 1A2, 2A6, 2C8 and, 2C9, which are involved in the metabolism of more than 80% of the drugs in clinical use may suggest that co-administration of the MeOH extract may still result in increased plasma levels of drugs, thereby resulting in toxicity. The H2O extract, although not pro-apoptotic as the MeOH extract may still have the potential to be developed as a nutraceutical as it was shown to exhibit no adverse drug interactions and because this species is known to possess a wide variety of nutritional and medicinal values. / South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Research Capacity Development Initiative.

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SAMMANFATTNING  Bakgrund: Hälso- och sjukvården belastas av många akuta återinläggningar. Omvårdnaden av patienter med cancer sker kontinuerligt under hela deras sjukdomstid.  Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka orsakerna bakom de akuta inläggningarna av patienter med cancer på två onkologiska slutenvårdsavdelningar för att se om det finns några skillnader mellan patienter med olika cancerdiagnoser och olika behandlingsmål. Syftet med studien är även för att se hur länge den akuta inläggningen varade samt undersöka faktorer som kan vara av betydelse för vårdlängden.  Metod: Metoden som används är en kvantitativ undersökning med en retrospektiv och deskriptiv design. I studien ingår 100 patienter med en cancerdiagnos. Data inhämtades med hjälp av journalgranskning.  Resultat: I både Uppsala och Stockholm var 78 % av de akuta inläggningarna patienter med ett palliativt behandlingsmål. De vanligaste orsakerna bakom de akuta inläggningarna i Uppsala var illamående och kräkningar samt behandlingsbiverkningar för patienter med ett kurativt behandlingsmål medan de patienter med ett palliativt behandlingsmål lades in akut på grund av ileus/förstoppningsproblematik och smärta. I Stockholm var det behandlingsbiverkningar, där infektioner stod för den vanligaste orsaken till akut inläggning följt av nedsatt allmäntillstånd. De vanligaste diagnosgrupperna var gastrointestinal cancer, urogenital cancer och bröstcancer.  Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar på att patienter med ett palliativt behandlingsmål upptar en stor del av den akuta verksamheten inom den onkologiska slutenvården. Sjuksköterskan har en viktig ansvarsroll i planeringen och identifieringen av en cancerpatients vårdbehov och har möjlighet att förebygga många akuta återinläggningar. / ABSTRACT Background: Health care is burdened by many unnecessary emergency readmissions. Nursing care of patients with cancer occurs continuously throughout the patients illness. Aim: The aim of the study is to examine the reasons behind the emergency admissions of patients with cancer in inpatient care to see if there are any differences between patients with different cancer diagnoses and different treatment goals. The aim of the study is also to see how long the admission lasted and examine factors that may be important for length of the admission.  Method: The method used is a quantitative survey with a retrospective and descriptive design. The study included 100 patients with a diagnosis of cancer in Uppsala and Stockholm. Data were collected by reviewing medical records.  Results: In both Uppsala and Stockholm, 78% of emergency admissions were of patients with palliative treatment goals. The most common causes of acute admissions in Uppsala were nausea and vomiting and treatment of side effects for patients with a curative treatment goal, while patients with a palliative treatment goal were admitted acutely because of ileus/constipation or pain. In Stockholm, the treatment side effects such as infection accounted for the most common cause of acute admission followed by poor general condition. The most common diagnostic groups were gastrointestinal cancer, genitourinary cancer and breast cancer.  Conclusion: The study results show that patients with a palliative treatment goal occupy a large part of the emergency admissions of the oncology inpatient care. The nurse has an important role in the planning and identification of a cancer patient's care needs and are able to prevent many acute readmissions.