Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and it is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. GC is a multifactorial disease, where both environmental and genetic factors can have an impact on its occurrence and development. The incidence rate of GC rises progressively with age; the median age at diagnosis is 70 years. However, approximately 10% of gastric carcinomas are detected at the age of 45 or younger. Early-onset gastric cancer is a good model to study genetic alterations related to the carcinogenesis process, as young patients are less exposed to environmental carcinogens. Carcinogenesis is a multistage disease process specified by the progressive development of mutations and epigenetic alterations in the expression of various genes, which are responsible for the occurrence of the disease.

Gastric cancer constitutes one of the most prevalent malignancies in both sexes; it is currently the fourth major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The pathogenesis of gastric cancer is associated with the interaction between genetic and environmental factors, among which infection by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is of major importance. The invasion, survival, colonization, and stimulation of further inflammation within the gastric mucosa are possible due to several evasive mechanisms induced by the virulence factors that are expressed by the bacterium. The knowledge concerning the mechanisms of H. pylori pathogenicity is crucial to ameliorate eradication strategies preventing the possible induction of carcinogenesis. This review highlights the current state of knowledge and the most recent findings regarding H. pylori virulence factors and their relationship with gastric premalignant lesions and further carcinogenesis.

Oral cavity and lip cancers are the 16th most common cancer in the world. It is widely known that a lack of public knowledge about precancerous lesions, oral cancer symptoms, and risk factors leads to diagnostic delay and therefore a lower survival rate. Risk factors, which include drinking alcohol, smoking, HPV infection, a pro-inflammatory factor-rich diet, and poor oral hygiene, must be known and avoided by the general population. Regular clinical oral examinations should be enriched in an oral cancer search protocol for the most common symptoms, which are summarized in this review. Moreover, new diagnostic methods, some of which are already available (vital tissue staining, optical imaging, oral cytology, salivary biomarkers, artificial intelligence, colposcopy, and spectroscopy), and newly researched techniques increase the likelihood of stopping the pathological process at a precancerous stage. Well-established oral cancer treatments (surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy) are continuously being developed using novel technologies, increasing their success rate. Additionally, new techniques are being researched. This review presents a novel glance at oral cancer—its current classification and epidemiology—and will provide new insights into the development of new diagnostic methods and therapies.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) constitutes one of the hallmarks of carcinogenesis consisting in the re-differentiation of the epithelial cells into mesenchymal ones changing the cellular phenotype into a malignant one. EMT has been shown to play a role in the malignant transformation and while occurring in the tumor microenvironment, it significantly affects the aggressiveness of gastric cancer, among others. Importantly, after EMT occurs, gastric cancer patients are more susceptible to the induction of resistance to various therapeutic agents, worsening the clinical outcome of patients. Therefore, there is an urgent need to search for the newest pharmacological agents targeting EMT to prevent further progression of gastric carcinogenesis and potential metastases. Therapies targeted at EMT might be combined with other currently available treatment modalities, which seems to be an effective strategy to treat gastric cancer patients. In this review, we have summarized recent advances in gastric cancer treatment in terms of targeting EMT specifically, such as the administration of polyphenols, resveratrol, tangeretin, luteolin, genistein, proton pump inhibitors, terpenes, other plant extracts, or inorganic compounds.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the world. Regarding the age at which the diagnosis was made, GC is divided into early-onset gastric cancer (EOGC—up to 45 years of age) and conventional GC (older than 45). EOGC constitutes approximately 10% of all GCs. Numerous reports indicate that EOGC is more aggressive than conventional GC and is often discovered at an advanced tumor stage, which has an impact on the five-year survival rate. The median survival rate for advanced-stage GC is very poor, amounting to less than 12 months. Risk factors for GC include family history, alcohol consumption, smoking, Helicobacter pylori, and Epstein–Barr virus infection. It has been shown that a proper diet and lifestyle can play a preventive role in GC. However, research indicates that risk factors for conventional GC are less correlated with EOGC. In addition, the unclear etiology of EOGC and the late diagnosis of this disease limit the possibilities of effective treatment. Genetic factors are considered a likely cause of EOGC, as young patients are less exposed to environmental carcinogens. Research characterizing GC in young patients is scarce. This comprehensive study presents all aspects: epidemiology, risk factors, new treatment strategies, and future directions.

The alterations in serum trace element levels are common phenomena observed in patients with different psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, or major depressive disorder. The fluctuations in the trace element concentrations might act as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of many psychiatric and neurological disorders. This paper aimed to assess the alterations in serum trace element concentrations in patients with a diagnosed schizophrenia. The authors made a systematic review, extracting papers from the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Among 5009 articles identified through database searching, 59 of them were assessed for eligibility. Ultimately, 33 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. This review includes the analysis of serum levels of the following trace elements: iron, nickel, molybdenum, phosphorus, lead, chromium, antimony, uranium, magnesium, aluminum, zinc, copper, selenium, calcium, and manganese. Currently, there is no consistency regarding serum trace element levels in schizophrenic patients. Thus, it cannot be considered as a reliable prognostic or diagnostic marker of schizophrenia. However, it can be assumed that altered concentrations of those elements are crucial regarding the onset and exaggeration of either psychotic or negative symptoms or cognitive dysfunctions.