A Possible Association between Melanoma and Prostate Cancer. Results from a Case-Control-Study

Novel phenoxyacetylthiosemicarbazide derivatives as novel ligands in cancer diseases

Numerous epidemiological studies report an increased risk of developing prostate cancer in patients with melanoma and an increased risk of developing melanoma in patients with prostate cancer. Based on our previous studies demonstrating the high anticancer activity of thiosemicarbazides with a phenoxy moiety, we designed nineteen phenoxyacetylthiosemicarbazide derivatives and four of them acting as potential dual-ligands for both cancers. All of the compounds were characterized by their melting points and 1H, 13C NMR and IR spectra. For selected compounds, X-ray investigations were carried out to confirm the synthesis pathway, identify the tautomeric form and intra- and intermolecular interaction in the crystalline state. The conformational preferences and electronic structure of molecules were investigated by theoretical calculation method. Lipophilicity of compounds (log kw) was determined using isocratic reversed phase/high pressure liquid chromatography RP-18. For the obtained compounds, in vitro tests were carried out on four melanoma cell lines (A375, G-361, SK-MEL2, SK-MEL28), four prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3, DU-145, LNCaP, VcaP) and a normal human fibroblast cell line (BJ). The most active compounds turned out to be F6. Cell cycle analysis, apoptosis detection, CellROX staining and mitochondrial membrane potential analysis were performed for the most sensitive cancer cells treated with most active compounds. DSC analysis was additionally performed for selected compounds to determine their purity, compatibility, and thermal stability. The process of prooxidation was proposed as a potential mechanism of anticancer activity.

Simultaneous Thoracic Spine Metastatic Melanoma and Pre-existing Prostate Adenocarcinoma: A Unique Case Presentation and Literature Review

In melanoma patients, distant metastases frequently manifest in the skin, lung, brain, liver, bone, and intestine. Notably, bone metastasis predominantly occurs within the axial skeleton, with the lumbar and thoracic spines being the most affected regions. Conversely, prostate cancer often disseminates to the bone, lung, liver, pleura, and adrenal glands. The spinal column, particularly the lumbar region, frequently harbors metastases in prostate cancer cases. Given the proximity of axial lesions to the spinal cord, patients commonly experience pain, weakness, and urinary dysfunction. This article presents a compelling case report of a patient initially diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, who later exhibited a metastatic lesion in the thoracic spine, subsequently identified as originating from acral melanoma on the plantar surface of the right foot. Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of acral melanoma in both the spine and the right foot. The patient received comprehensive treatment for advanced melanoma from a multidisciplinary team comprising medical and radiation oncologists. Considering the overlapping pathophysiology of prostate cancer and melanoma, simultaneous screening for both diseases in cases where one is detected could yield significant benefits, including enhanced morbidity and mortality outcomes and the facilitation of early detection for secondary malignancies.

Immunogenetic clustering of 30 cancers

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes have been implicated in cancer risk and shared heritability of different types of cancer. In this immunogenetic epidemiological study we first computed a Cancer-HLA profile for 30 cancer types characterized by the correlation between the prevalence of each cancer and the population frequency of 127 HLA alleles, and then used multidimensional scaling to evaluate the possible clustering of those Cancer-HLA associations. The results indicated the presence of three clusters, broadly reflecting digestive-skin-cervical cancers, reproductive and endocrine systems cancers, and brain and androgen-associated cancers. The clustering of cancer types documented here is discussed in terms of mechanisms underlying shared Cancer-HLA associations.

Association between melanoma and exposure to sex hormones in puberty: A possible window of susceptibility (Review)

The risk factors for melanoma in adolescents are similar to those in adults; however, it remains unclear whether these risk factors are also associated with melanoma in children. Epidemiological studies in the literature have reported a logarithmic increase in melanoma incidence after the age of 10 years. This may, in part, reflect the acute and chronic exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation during childhood. However, it appears unlikely that the cumulative exposure to UV radiation alone could explain such a sharp increase in melanoma incidence at the beginning of adolescence. It has been suggested that circulating sex hormones, the levels of which increase during puberty, may play a role in melanoma initiation and progression in predisposed individuals through binding to specific sex steroid receptors. The association between a longer cumulative exposure to sex hormones and the risk of melanoma may be supported by the reported epidemiological association between melanoma and several other sex hormone-related types of cancer, such as breast and prostate cancer, in which the enhanced exposure to androgens and estrogens was found to be directly associated with pubertal onset. Therefore, determining the association between pubertal onset and melanoma development may improve the current understanding of melanoma pathophysiology.

MicroRNA-21-Enriched Exosomes as Epigenetic Regulators in Melanomagenesis and Melanoma Progression: The Impact of Western Lifestyle Factors

DNA mutation-induced activation of RAS-BRAF-MEK-ERK signaling associated with intermittent or chronic ultraviolet (UV) irradiation cannot exclusively explain the excessive increase of malignant melanoma (MM) incidence since the 1950s. Malignant conversion of a melanocyte to an MM cell and metastatic MM is associated with a steady increase in microRNA-21 (miR-21). At the epigenetic level, miR-21 inhibits key tumor suppressors of the RAS-BRAF signaling pathway enhancing proliferation and MM progression. Increased MM cell levels of miR-21 either result from endogenous upregulation of melanocytic miR-21 expression or by uptake of miR-21-enriched exogenous exosomes. Based on epidemiological data and translational evidence, this review provides deeper insights into environmentally and metabolically induced exosomal miR-21 trafficking beyond UV-irradiation in melanomagenesis and MM progression. Sources of miR-21-enriched exosomes include UV-irradiated keratinocytes, adipocyte-derived exosomes in obesity, airway epithelium-derived exosomes generated by smoking and pollution, diet-related exosomes and inflammation-induced exosomes, which may synergistically increase the exosomal miR-21 burden of the melanocyte, the transformed MM cell and its tumor environment. Several therapeutic agents that suppress MM cell growth and proliferation attenuate miR-21 expression. These include miR-21 antagonists, metformin, kinase inhibitors, beta-blockers, vitamin D, and plant-derived bioactive compounds, which may represent new options for the prevention and treatment of MM.

An initial melanoma diagnosis may increase the subsequent risk of prostate cancer: Results from the New South Wales Cancer Registry

Emerging evidence suggests that a diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma (CM) may be associated with prostate cancer (PC) incidence. We examined if the incidence of CM was associated with an increased subsequent risk of PC. We used data from the New South Wales Cancer Registry for all CM and PC cases diagnosed between January 1972 and December 2008. We calculated the age standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for PC incidence following a CM diagnosis, applying age- and calendar- specific rates to the appropriate person years at risk. We determined rate ratio (RR) and 95% CI of PC incidence according to specified socio-demographic categories and disease related characteristics, using a negative binomial model. There were 143,594 men diagnosed with PC or CM in the study period and of these 101,198 and 42,396 were diagnosed with PC and CM, respectively, as first primary cancers. Risk of PC incidence increased following CM diagnosis (n = 2,114; SIR = 1.25; 95% CI:1.20.8-1.31: p < 0.0001), with the increased risk apparent in men diagnosed with localised CM (n = 1,862;SIR = 1.26; 95% CI:1.20-1.32). CM diagnosis increased the subsequent risk of PC incidence. This raises the potential for future PC risk to be discussed with newly diagnosed males with CM.