AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the potential of F3 from S. crispus to prevent metastasis in breast cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antimetastatic effects of F3 were first investigated on murine 4T1 and human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell (BCC) lines using cell proliferation, wound healing and invasion assays. A 4T1-induced mouse mammary carcinoma model was then used to determine the expression of metastasis tumor markers, epithelial (E)-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, mucin (MUC)-1, nonepithelial (N)-cadherin, Twist, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vimentin, using immunohistochemistry, following oral treatment with F3 for 30 days.
RESULTS: Significant growth arrest was observed with F3 IC50 values of 84.27 µg/ml (24 h) and 74.41 µg/ml (48 h) for MDA-MB-231, and 87.35 µg/ml (24 h) and 78.75 µg/ml (48 h) for 4T1 cells. F3 significantly inhibited migration of both BCC lines at 50 μg/ml for 24 h (p = 0.018 and p = 0.015, respectively). Similarly, significant inhibition of invasion was demonstrated in 4T1 (75 µg/ml, p = 0.016) and MDA-MB-231 (50 µg/ml, p = 0.040) cells compared to the untreated cultures. F3 treatment resulted in reduced tumor growth compared to untreated mice (p breast cancer.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 196 parents who attended primary health care facilities in suburban Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was given to assess decision-making styles and factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practices. Systematic random sampling was used for the non-exclusive breastfeeding group, and convenience sampling was used for the exclusive breastfeeding group. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the associated factors for exclusive breastfeeding practices.
Results: We found an association between the mutual decision of parents on exclusive breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding practices. Previous exclusive breastfeeding experience, fathers' ages, mothers' occupations and mutual decisions had significant impact on exclusive breastfeeding practices.
Conclusion: The important determinant for practising exclusive breastfeeding is parents' mutual decisions. Therefore, practitioners need to continuously educate and emphasize the fathers' role in the breastfeeding process.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted exclusively among women in the public with total sample of three hundred and forty six (346), questionnaires were distributed using a simple random technique. Data was collected and analyzed by student T test in SPPS version 20.
RESULTS: Our study reveals insufficient awareness on BC. Overall, awareness on risk factors is inadequate, but good knowledge on the importance of family history and diet as risk factors are discovered. Awareness on the cause and clinical manifestations of BC is required for improvement. As for treatment, alternatives especially surgery and chemotherapy are unclear to public, public is remotely unwitting on cessation of smoking to prevent BC at the early stage.
CONCLUSION: Malaysian has spaces for improvement on awareness of BC in terms of risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Early detection can be achieved with good awareness because it leads to better prognosis and lower mortality.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The synthesized benzimidazole compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity using the tube dilution method and were found to exhibit good antimicrobial potential against selected Gram negative and positive bacterial and fungal species. The compounds were also assessed for their anticancer activity exhibited using the SRB assay and were found to elicit antiproliferative activity against MCF7 breast cancer cell line, which was comparable to the standard drug.
CONCLUSION: Antimicrobial screening results indicated that compounds 1, 2 and 19 to be promising antimicrobial agents against selected microbial species and comparable to standard drugs which included norfloxacin and fluconazole. The anticancer screening results revealed that compounds, 12, 21, 22 and 29 to show the highest activity against MCF7 and their IC50 values were more potent than 5-fluorouracil.
METHODS: We analysed the expression of AR in 97 TNBC cases from Penang General Hospital for a period of 3 years (2014 to 2017). Androgen receptor immunoreactivity was considered positive if ≥ 1% of tumour cells nuclei were stained irrespective of staining intensity.
RESULTS: The prevalence of AR expression in TNBC was 31% (30/97), with the proportion of AR-positive tumour cells ranged from 1% to 90%. These include 23 invasive carcinomas, no special type (NST) and 7 other invasive carcinoma subtypes (papillary, lobular, clear cell and medullary carcinomas). Sixty-seven cases (69%) that showed AR immunonegativity were invasive carcinomas, NST (n=60), clear cell carcinoma (n=1) and metaplastic carcinoma (n=6). Androgen receptor immunoexpression was inversely correlated with tumour grade (p=0.016), but not the tumour stage, tumour size and nodal status.
CONCLUSION: AR is expressed in about one-third of TNBC and loss of AR immunoexpression does not predict adverse clinical outcomes. Larger cohorts for better characterisation of the role of AR immunoexpression in TNBC are warranted.
OBJECTIVE: The study aims to determine the concordance between HER2 protein IHC score and its gene status by dual-colour dual-hapten in-situ-hybridization (DDISH) study.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study was performed on 767 referred breast cancer cases over a period of five years. The HER2 IHC score (the initial and repeat test score) and the results of HER2 gene status by DDISH were retrieved from the histopathological reports. The agreement between initial IHC score with repeat test score was measured using Cohen Kappa. Chi square test analyzed the association between HER2 IHC score with its gene status by DDISH.
RESULTS: The concordance of HER2 IHC score between the initial and repeat test were 52.7% and 89.4% for IHC score 2+ and 3+ respectively. There was moderate agreement of HER2 IHC score between the initial and repeat test score (ϰ = 0.526, p<0.001). A significant association noted between HER2 IHC score with its gene status by DDISH (p<0.001). Only 56 out of 207 cases (27.1%) with 2+ IHC score showed HER2 gene amplification while the majority of cases with 3+ IHC score were gene-amplified (446 out of 451, 98.9%).
CONCLUSION: ISH study should be done in all IHC-equivocal cases (2+) to select patient for targeted therapy. Gene amplification must also be confirmed in IHC-positive cases (3+) to prevent from giving non-effective treatment with possible adverse effects to patient with non-amplified HER2 gene.
Methods: Seventy-two postmenopausal women with stage I, II, or III breast cancer from the Oncology Clinic, Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital were treated with anastrozole (1 mg/day). Patients were randomly assigned to one of the two groups (n = 36/group): a control group (no honey) and a honey group (20 g/day of honey for 12 weeks). Fasting blood samples were obtained pre- and post-intervention to investigate differences in the haematological, renal, and liver profiles of patients in both the groups.
Results: Post-intervention, alanine aminotransferase levels were significantly higher in the control group than in the honey group. In the honey group, white blood cell counts, platelet counts, and creatinine levels were significantly higher following honey supplementation for 12 weeks. Nevertheless, the values were still within normal ranges.
Conclusions: The present study suggests that honey supplementation of 20 g/day for 12 weeks is safe and beneficial for postmenopausal breast cancer patients.