A review and an update on the screening of epithelial ovarian cancer

Dietary intake variability in the cycle of cytotoxic chemotherapy

PURPOSE

This study was conducted to evaluate the dietary intake at different time points of the chemotherapeutic cycle.

METHODS

Fifty-five ovarian cancer patients receiving at least 2 cycles of chemotherapy were deemed eligible for this study, of which 41 participants completed the study. Anthropometrical measurements and Subjective Global Assessment were used to estimate nutritional status. The dietary intake was evaluated by 3-day food records: 3 days prior to, the day of, and the following day after chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Mean energy intake was the lowest on the day of chemotherapy and the highest 3 days before treatment (mean difference, 413.8 kcal; p < 0.001). Similarly, some vitamins and macro- and micronutrients (K, Ca, vit D, folate, vit C) failed to reach 50 % of the recommended dietary allowances. When dividing patients into BMI categories, the energy intake per kilogram of body weight, in the normal-weight patients, was statistically higher than that in overweight and obese subjects (23.6 vs. 20.9 vs. 12.3 kcal, respectively; p = 0.0015). Similarly, the statistically significant differences were observed by the intake of fats (0.80 vs. 0.69 vs. 0.39 g, p = 0.0283) and carbohydrates (3.52 vs. 3.05 vs. 1.71 g, p = 0.0004).

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary intake varies in the cycle of chemotherapy, with the lowest intake at the day of cytotoxic treatment and the highest before the next chemotherapy. Further studies evaluating dietary intake in patients undergoing chemotherapy should include in the protocol the exact time point of dietary assessment. The intake of energy, fats, and carbohydrates differs significantly across BMI categories.

Dietary habits changes and quality of life in patients undergoing chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary habit changes in patients undergoing chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Sixty one patients undergoing chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer were enrolled to the study and 44 completed. The dietary intake was evaluated by 7-day food records, and the changes in dietary intake and food-preparing methods were estimated based on a 101-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Nutritional status was checked with the use of body weight and height, waist and hip circumferences, skinfolds and subjective global assessment tool. Quality of life was measured with the use of EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-OV28.

RESULTS

Despite high average body mass index (BMI) (26.7-28.0 kg/m(2)), malnutrition risk was observed in 43.7 and 10.7 % of patients receiving first-line and subsequent-line chemotherapy, respectively (p < 0.001). Dietary intake and quality of life did not differ between the studied groups. A lot of dietary habits changes were observed. Women undergoing subsequent-line chemotherapy consumed more frequently rye bread, pasta, buttermilk, vegetable, fruit, oils, nuts, and juices. Women undergoing first-line chemotherapy consumed more milk, cottage cheese, cream, eggs, fish and seafood, meat offal, salty snacks, and jam. Additionally, women undergoing subsequent-line chemotherapy more often applied cooking in water (p < 0.0001) and baking (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Women undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer change their dietary habits in a pro healthy direction, and these changes are more expressed in patients undergoing subsequent-line chemotherapy.

The expression of BRCA1, P53, KAI1, and Nm23 in ovaries of BRCA1 mutation carriers after prophylactic adnexectomy

Introduction

High mortality rate, absence of reliable methods for early diagnosis and poor prognosis of advanced ovarian cancer prompted to investigate the role of prophylactic oophorectomy in BRCA1 mutation carriers as well as evaluate the expression of BRCA1, p53, Nm23, and KAI1 proteins in ovarian tissue from these patients.

Materials and methods

Ovaries from BRCA1 mutation carriers underwent prophylactic adnexectomy and control group of patients were operated from other than cancer reasons. The expression of selected proteins was studied using immunohistochemical staining. The intensity of immunostaining and the number of tumor cells showing the reaction for selected proteins were analyzed.

Results

We have analyzed ovarian tissues from 18 BRCA1 mutation carriers and 11 women included in control group. Positive expression of BRCA1 protein was presented in 83.3 % cases in BRCA1 mutation carriers and in 72.7 % in the control group (p > 0.05). Positive expression of p53 protein was observed, respectively, in 27.8 vs. 36.4 % (p > 0.05), Nm23 protein 77.7 vs. 90.9 % (p > 0.05), and KAI1 in 72.2 vs. 72.7 % (p > 0.05). Mean percent of tumor cells that showed the reaction for selected proteins as well as the intensity of immunostaining for all analyzed proteins seems to be lower in BRCA1 mutation carriers.

Conclusions

However, any significant differences between study group and control group have not been found; there were similar trends showing reduced expression of studied proteins in BRCA1 mutation carriers.

Study of the molecular recognition of aptamers selected through ovarian cancer cell-SELEX

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, and the ovarian clear cell carcinoma subtype (OCCA) demonstrates a particularly poor response to standard treatment. Improvements in ovarian cancer outcomes, especially for OCCA, could be expected from a clearer understanding of the molecular pathology that might guide strategies for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Cell-SELEX technology was employed to develop new molecular probes for ovarian cancer cell surface markers. A total of thirteen aptamers with K(d)'s to ovarian cancer cells in the pico- to nanomolar range were obtained. Preliminary investigation of the targets of these aptamers and their binding characteristics was also performed.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

We have selected a series of aptamers that bind to different types of ovarian cancer, but not cervical cancer. Though binding to other cancer cell lines was observed, these aptamers could lead to identification of biomarkers that are related to cancer.

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against the extracellular domain of CA 125

Carcinoma antigen 125 (CA 125) is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and antibodies against it are widely employed for diagnostic purposes. The rarity of CA 125 antigenic domains and its highly glycosylated structure, however, is a problem that may prevent immunized mice from developing a diversified population of anti-CA 125 antibodies. In this study a prime-boost strategy, which potentially could augment the humoral immune responses against rare and poorly immunogenic determinants, was used for immunization of mice and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were produced by hybridoma technology. Reactivity of mAbs was then assessed by ELISA, western blotting, immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining of OVCAR-3 cell line. Altogether, 10 clones were produced, 3 of which had IgG isotype and the rest were IgM. Two-third of clones recognized cognate antigen in fixed and living cells and had strong immunoreactivity in IHC staining. In Western blotting, our antibodies recognized CA 125 as high molecular weight antigen mostly migrated in the 3% stacking gel. Immunoprecipitation of OVCAR-3 cell lysate by mAbs resulted in a very similar migration pattern that reconfirmed their specificities. The mAbs produced in this study are invaluable tools in diagnosis and research fields for assessment of CA 125 expression in cancerous ovarian tissues.