Adjuvant therapy for non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer in Brazil: epidemiology and treatment challenges

Lung cancer persists throughout the world as a major cause of death. In 2014, data from the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA) estimated 16.400 new cases of lung cancer among men (second most common) and 10.930 new cases among women (fourth most common). These data are consistent for all Brazilian regions and reflect the trends of cancer in the country over the last decade. Brazil is a continental country, the largest in Latin America and fifth in the world, with an estimated population of >200 million. Although the discrepancy in the national income between rich and poor has diminished in the last 2 decades, it is still huge. More than 75% of the Brazilian population do not have private health insurance and rely on the national health care system, where differences in standard of cancer care are evident. It is possible to point out differences from the recommendations of international guidelines in every step of the lung cancer care, from the diagnosis to the treatment of advanced disease. This review aims to describe and recognize these differences as a way to offer a real discussion for future modifications and action points toward delivery of better oncology care in our country.

[Survival of lung cancer patients treated at a referral hospital in Zaragoza (Spain)]

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this work is to study the survival of lung cancer patients treated at a referral hospital in Zaragoza (Spain).

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The Kaplan-Meier test was used to calculate observed survival. The automatic calculation of the Catalan Institute of Oncology was used to analyse relative survival.

RESULTS

Mean survival time was 25.74 months. There was no difference when comparing age groups (P=.151), gender (P=.369), and histological type of tumour (P=.086). Survival by stage of the disease at diagnosis revealed statistically significant differences (P<.001). Relative survival 5 years after diagnosis for the group analysed was 14%. Survival was higher for men (15.5%), in patients under 60 (16.7%) and squamous tumours (18.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

Survival by tumour stage was in line with the TNM Staging System for Lung Cancer. These results suggest that overall survival rate for lung cancer in Zaragoza remains very low in the long term, and this depends on the stage of the disease at diagnosis.

Hsa-miR-132 regulates apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer independent of acetylcholinesterase

MiR-132 is enriched in the central nerve system and is thought to be involved in neuronal development, maturation and function, and to be associated with several neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease. In addition to its documented neuronal functions, an emerging role for miR-132 in tumorigenesis has been suggested. Recently, hsa-miR-132 was shown to be modulated in different tumor types. However, its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Here, we show that hsa-miR-132 can initiate apoptosis in NSCLC cells to dramatically attenuate tumor formation in nude mice independent of its effect on the proliferation/apoptosis-associated gene, acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Interestingly, hsa-miR-132 has no pro-apoptotic effect in normal pulmonary trachea epithelium. Taken together, these results suggest that hsa-miR-132 represses NSCLC growth by inducing apoptosis independent of AChE.