Senescence is a major response to cancer chemotherapy and has been linked to unfavorable therapy outcomes. Lamin B1 is a component of the nuclear lamina that plays a pivotal role in chromatin stability. Downregulation of lamin B1 represents an established biomarker for cellular senescence. However, the protein expression level of lamin B1 in malignant tissue, particularly of the breast, has not been previously described. In this work, we investigated lamin B1 protein expression in normal breast epithelium, malignant breast tissue (including adjacent non-malignant tissue) and in malignant tissue exposed to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in three patient groups (n = 15, n = 87, and n = 43, respectively). Our results indicate that lamin B1 mean positive expression was 93% in normal breast epithelium and 88% in malignant breast cells, but significantly decreased (mean: 55%, p < 0.001) in malignant breast tissue after exposure to NAC, suggestive of senescence induction. No significant association between lamin B1 expression and other clinicopathological characteristics or survival of breast cancer patients was recorded. To our knowledge, this is the first report that established the baseline protein expression level of lamin B1 in normal and malignant breast tissue, and its reduction following exposure to chemotherapy. In conclusion, lamin B1 downregulation can be used reliably as a component of multiple biomarker batteries to identify therapy-induced senescence (TIS) in clinical cancer.

The rising trend in papillary thyroid carcinoma: True increase or over diagnosis? A descriptive, two-institutional retrospective histopathologic study from Jordan

Epidemiologic characteristics of gastric malignancies among Jordan University Hospital patients

J Indian Prosthodont Soc, Official publication of Indian Prosthodontic Society

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. In the West, the incidence has stabilized or decreased. There are only occasional published studies that describe the epidemiology of CRC and its changing trends in Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries. OBJECTIVES: Describe the epidemiological features of CRC, predict future trends and compare the results with those from other Arab and Middle Eastern countries and the West. DESIGN: Retrospective epidemiologic study. SETTING: Tertiary center, teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study covering 14 years (2003 to 2016). All cases of CRC were retrieved from the computerized system. Demographic data were recorded and analyzed using Mathematica 11.2 and IBM SPSS version 23 software. Mathematical grey forecasting models were used to predict future trends. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of cases and accumulated average over time, percentages of demographic variables and results of mathematical forecasting models. SAMPLE SIZE: 970. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio was 1.5: 1 and 97.4% were adenocarcinomas. The accumulated mean number of diagnosed cases doubled from 44.8 between 2003 and 2007 to 82.9 from 2008 to 2016. The accumulated annual average increased beginning in 2008. The forecasting models predicted a further increase in CRC. The mean age was 60.5 years and the median 62.0. Half of the cases presented at an advanced stage (TNM stage III or IV). CONCLUSION: CRC is increasing and is expected to increase further. Better health care planning that includes education and screening is needed to reverse these rising trends and to improve early detection.