Middle East Journal of Cancer
Volume:7 Issue: 4, Oct 2016

MicroRNAs are tiny, 18-25 nucleotides in length, non-coding RNA molecules preserved throughout evolution. These molecules primarily control gene expression at the post-transcriptional and transcriptional levels. MicroRNAs control target gene expression by a phenomenon known as RNA interference. RNA interference based therapeutics that utilize target gene silencing/degradation by specific microRNAs have potentially enormous advantages over traditional methodologies to treat diseases such as cancers with wide-ranging applicability, precision, and therapeutic selectivity, with decreased adverse side effects. If microRNA profiles can accurately predict malignancies, this technology may be exploited as a tool to surmount diagnostic challenges. This review highlights the successful use of RNA interference inducers against different type of cancers, thereby paving the way for specific therapeutic medicines. Studies have shown the association of microRNA dysregulation with diseases such as cancer. MicroRNAs can function as oncogenes as well as tumor suppressors. Thus, microRNA expression profiles can be used to determine prognosis, predict treatment efficiency and response to drug therapy, as well as patient susceptibility to cancer and metastasis. In addition, they may offer new candidate targets to be exploited for both prognostic and therapeutic strategies in patients with cervical cancer.

Because of its effect on speech and swallowing, laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is a devastating disease which has been shown to have a poor survival rate. Abundant research is being carried out in search of novel biomarkers that can aid the process of diagnosis and treatment of this disease. FXYD3, a modulator of Na/K-ATPase, is presented as a biomarker in some cancers. FXYD3 expression has been shown to be effected reversely by tumor necrosis factor alpha. Tumor necrosis factor alpha is a pro-inflammatory cytokine proposed to play an important role in tumor promotion and progression. In our study we examined FXYD3 and tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA expressions, their correlation with each other and with clinicopathologic parameters in tumor tissues and lymph nodes.
We assessed 75 tissue samples and 30 lymph node samples of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients and compared them to 9 adjacent normal tissue samples by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
FXYD3 mRNA expression showed no significant difference among different tissues. We observed significantly lower tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA expression in laryngeal tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. FXYD3 showed significant correlations with node metastasis (N factor), differentiation grade, and regional metastasis in lymph nodes. FXYD3 and tumor necrosis factor alpha mRNA levels significantly correlated in tumor and normal tissues.
FXYD3 might be involved in the dedifferentiation and metastasis process of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. This biomarker has contributed to the aggressiveness and progression of the tumor. Verification of the observed results will need evaluation in a larger group of patients.

A Head and Neck (H&N) cancer severely affect the voice and compromises the patient’s vocal independence. The present study proposed to investigate the difference in the three vital components of voice the pitch, jitter and shimmer in H&N cancer patients and compared it with age matched healthy volunteers.
The voice parameters were ascertained in the freshly diagnosed H&N cancer patients and controls using the voice analysis software PRAAT and Dynamic Unidirectional AUD-59 XLR microphone in a sound proof voice recording laboratory
The result indicates that a considerable change in the three voice indices, the pitch, jitter and shimmer were observed. On a gender perspective it was observed that the changes in all the three indices were significant for men (p The results suggest that all individuals with any form of head and neck cancer will have some amount of voice problems even before the initiation of the cancer treatments and that the voice assessment is a vital aspect to be considered before initiation of the treatment.

Malignant melanoma, one of the most deadly skin cancers, is a skin tumor that arises from the epidermal melanocytes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographic and clinical data of malignant melanoma patients in a referral dermatology center in the south of Iran.
In this retrospective study, we have reviewed files of 116 patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma at hospitals affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran from March 1981 to March 2013.
There was a total 116 malignant melanoma patients (79 male and 37 female) with the mean age of 54.7 (SD=13.9) years old for men and 51.7 (SD=12.4) years old for women. The male to female ratio of malignant melanoma was approximetly two, as was the male to female mortality ratio. The most common clinical form was acral lentiginous melanoma. We have identified the most common site to be the sole of the foot. Malignant melanoma mostly presented as a mass and it was most common in farmers.
The national health system should improve the quality and quantity of cancer registry offices so that better and more complete data can be collected for further research and possible implementation of preventive measures with respect to this cancer.

Colorectal cancer, the third most common type of cancer is a major cause of mortality worldwide. If colorectal cancer is detected at the early stages, the 5-year survival rate is 90%. MEIS1 homeobox gene is implicated in numerous solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the methylation status of the MEIS1 gene in colorectal cancer.
We used real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR to detect MEIS1 promoter methylation in 42 colorectal cancer tissues and 42 normal colorectal tissues.
Methylation was observed only in the positive control samples - CG Genome Universal Unmethylated DNA and CG Genome Universal Methylated DNA. There was no change observed in MEIS1 promoter methylation status in 42 patients.
The results of the current study indicated that the MEIS1 gene promoter was not methylated in the cases. Gene expression study confirmed the unmethylated status of the MEIS1 gene in the colorectal cancer process among the studied population.

Worldwide, thyroid cancers are the most common type of endocrine-related cancers. Papillary carcinoma accounts for the most frequent type of thyroid malignancy. A rare variant of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid is the cribriform-morular variant. We report a case of solitary, cribriform-morularvariant of papillary carcinoma in a 55-year-old lady. It is important to identify this variant because of a better prognosis compared to the other aggressive variants and poorly differentiated thyroid cancers. Multifocal cribriform-morular variant of papillary carcinoma may be the first manifestation of familial adenomatous polyposis.

Bilateral synchronous male breast cancer is very rare. A 63-year-old male presented with rapidly progressive enlarging bilateral breast masses without ulceration and bloody nipple discharge. Synchronous bilateral breast cancer was diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology. Pathology study revealed grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma in both breasts. He underwent a bilateral modified radical mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and hormone therapy. The importance of this case report is to create increased attention to the fact that, although rare, breast cancer can occur in males. Early presentation and compliance with treatment modality provide a better outcome.

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes have only been described with pleural mesothelioma in five cases. We have described a 72-year-old man who developed anterograde amnesia 27 months after diagnosis of epithelioid pleural mesothelioma. Investigations revealed a limbic encephalitis with no alternative causes identified. Limbic encephalitis is a classical paraneoplastic syndrome and presentation within five years of a cancer with no other causes identified is sufficient to diagnose a paraneoplastic etiology. This is the first case of isolated paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis driven by a pleural mesothelioma.

Cutaneous Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a rare disease (0.5% to 3.4%) which tends to be in the setting of an advanced disease and has a poor prognosis. Treatment of patients with cutaneous involvement of Hodgkin’s lymphoma is according to dissemination of disease (systemic or localized therapy). The majority of data in this context are based on individual case reports or literature reviews. We have reported a case of Hodgkin’s lymphoma that relapsed with isolated cutaneous involvement two years after completion of his first treatment. Our case had no response to systemic chemotherapy but obtained a complete remission to radiation therapy and had longterm disease-free survival. Radiotherapy might be considered a good salvage treatment in patients with cutaneous Hodgkin’s lymphoma with long-term disease-free survival.

Teratomas that occur in the uterus are exceedingly rare. To the best of our knowledge there are only 22 cases of mature and immature teratomas of the uterus and cervix thus far reported in the literature. We report an unusual case of mature cystic teratoma of the uterine surface with well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and uterine leiomyoma along with a mature cystic teratoma of the right ovary.