Search

Natural remedies have been indispensable to traditional medicine practices for generations, offering therapeutic solutions for various ailments. In modern times, these natural products continue to play a pivotal role in the discovery of new drugs, especially for cancer treatment. The marine ecosystem offers a wide range of plants with potential anticancer activities due to their distinct biochemical diversity and adaptation to extreme situations. The seagrass Halodule uninervis is rich in diverse bioactive metabolites that bestow the plant with various pharmacological properties. However, its anticancer activity against invasive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is still poorly investigated. In the present study, the phytochemical composition of an ethanolic extract of H. uninervis (HUE) was screened, and its antioxidant potential was evaluated. Moreover, the anticancer potential of HUE against MDA-MB-231 cells was investigated along with the possible underlying mechanisms of action. Our results showed that HUE is rich in diverse phytochemicals that are known for their antioxidant and anticancer effects. In MDA-MB-231 cells, HUE targeted the hallmarks of cancer, including cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. The HUE-mediated anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects were associated with the downregulation of the proto-oncogenic STAT3 signaling pathway. Taken together, H. uninervis could serve as a valuable source for developing novel drugs targeting TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine key performance metrics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided breast biopsies (MRGB) to help identify reference benchmarks. Materials and Methods: We identified studies reporting MRGB results up to 04.01.2021 in the Embase database, Ovid Medline (R) Process, Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid Medline (R) and completed a PRISMA checklist and sources of bias (QUADAS-2). The inclusion criteria were English language, available histopathological outcomes, or at least one imaging follow-up after biopsy. A random intercept logistic regression model was used to pool rates. Between-study heterogeneity was quantified by the I2 statistic. Results: A total of 11,215 lesions in 50 articles were analyzed. The technical success rate was 99.10% [95% confidence interval (CI): 97.89–99.62%]. The MRI indications were staging in 1,496 (28.05%, 95% CI: 26.85–29.28%), screening in 1,427 (26.76%, 95% CI: 25.57–27.97%), surveillance in 1,027 (19.26%, 95% CI: 18.21–20.34%), diagnostic in 1,038 (19.46%, 95% CI: 18.41–20.55%), unknown primary in 74 (1.39%, 95% CI: 1.09–1.74%), and other in 271 (5.08%, 95% CI: 4.51–5.71%). Histopathology was benign in 65.06% (95% CI: 59.15–70.54%), malignant in 29.64% (95% CI: 23.58–36.52%) and high risk in 16.69% (95% CI: 9.96–26.64%). Detection of malignancy was significantly lower in those patients who underwent MRI for screening purposes (odds ratio 0.47, 95% CI: 0.25–0.87; p = 0.02), while mass lesions were more likely to yield malignancy compared to non-mass and foci [27.39% vs 11.36% (non-mass),18.03% (foci); p<0.001]. Surgical upgrade to invasive cancer occurred in 12.24% of ductal carcinoma in situ (95% CI: 7.76–18.77%) and malignancy in 15.14% of high-risk lesions (95% CI: 10.69–21.17%). MRI follow-up was performed in 1,651 (20.92%) patients after benign results [median=25 months (range: 0.4–117)]. Radiology-pathology discordance (2.48%, 95% CI: 1.62–3.77%), false negative after a benignconcordant biopsy (0.75%, 95% CI: 0.34–1.62%) and biopsy complications (2.36%, 95% CI: 2.03–2.72%) were rare. Conclusion: MRGB is a highly accurate minimally-invasive diagnostic technique with low false-negative and complication rates. MRI indication and lesion type should be considered when evaluating the performance of institutional MRGB programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether there is added benefit for 3D mammography in the context of screening and diagnostic imaging, particularly relating to known prognostic characteristics, including histopathology, receptor status, and axillary lymph node involvement. Methods: An institutional review board–approved retrospective review was performed of our mammography and pathology databases from October 2012 to May 2015 to identify biopsy-proven invasive breast carcinoma detected on screening and diagnostic mammograms by 2D plus 3D (2D + 3D) imaging. Percentages of cancer detection by 2D and 3D were compared. Correlation with histopathology and lymph node status was analyzed. Results: Of 53 cancers diagnosed on 12 543 screening mammograms, 36 (67.9%) were better visualized on 3D (not visualized, equivocal, or only seen in retrospect on 2D). Of the 62 cancers diagnosed on 4090 diagnostic mammograms, 24 (38.7%) cancers were better detected on 3D. A statistically significant greater number of cancers were better detected on 3D in the screening compared to the diagnostic mammograms (67.9% vs 38.7%, P <.05). A significantly higher frequency of less aggressive tumors (grade I and grade II, positive estrogen/progesterone receptor, Her2 negative) was detected by 3D, with higher significance in the screening population. Additionally, there was a higher frequency of positive axillary lymph nodes in cancers detected by 3D in the screening group. Conclusion: Three-dimension increases invasive breast cancer detection, particularly pathologically less aggressive tumors, in both screening and diagnostic mammograms with more benefit for the screening population. Three-dimensional mammography detected more breast cancer associated with metastatic axillary lymph nodes in the screening population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]