Influence of Beta Vulgaris Supplementation on the Level of Oxidative DNA Damage/Oxidative Stress in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy

Because of the many controversies concerning the consumption of antioxidants during the treatment of cancer, herein we decided to ascertain whether the supplementation of Beta vulgaris (strong antioxidant) in irradiated head and neck cancer patients would influence parameters which describe oxidative stress/DNA damage and the clinical effects of therapy.

Forty one patients with head and neck cancer (T3-4 N1 M0) were divided into two subgroups: I/supplementation chips from beetroot (n=19) and II/control group (n=22). All the patients were eligible for radiotherapy.

Dische scale. Total survival times were assessed together with oxidative DNA damage on the level of the whole organism and whether the biomarkers of the damage such as 8-oxo-dG and its modified base (8-oxo-Gua) were present in urine and DNA.

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ATR-FTIR Assessment of the Biochemical Composition and Micro Hardness of the Hard Tissues of Oral Cavity Submitted to Gamma Irradiation

Clinical radiotherapy is one of the most important techniques for the treatment of malignant lesions in head and neck; however, exposure to ionizing radiation may lead to both systemic and local complications, immediately and after this treatment, where the main issue is the xerostomia and its consequent oral mucositis.

Regarding late complications produced by radiation, decay of radiation and osteoradionecrosis, both dosedependent lesions, showed a high level of incidence in recent decades and it would be difficult to manage, although patients referred after treatment’s completion and under the influence of local factors.

Then, this study evaluated the effect of ionizing radiation from gamma source onto samples of enamel, root dentin and jawbone samples undergone to the same absorbed dose/dose rate that those in patients with head and neck cancer.

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Small Cell Carcinoma of the Rectum, A Systematic Literature Review and Case Series

Small cell carcinomas (SmCC) are malignancies that derive from neuroendocrine cells. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2010 classified SmCC as a subgroup of neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) which accounts for approximately 0.6 percent of all colorectal cancers. NEC has two histologic subgroups, namely large cell carcinoma (LCC) and small cell carcinoma (SmCC). LCC can be difficult to distinguish from poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma.

Despite the fact that the gastrointestinal tract (GI) has the largest number of neuroendocrine cells in the body it is unusual for such malignancies to occur here. First described in 1952, nearly 650 cases of gastrointestinal SmCC have been reported in the literature until 2007. The oesophagus is the commonest site of incidence of GI SmCC (53%) followed by the colon (13%), stomach (11%), gallbladder (8.4%) and rectum (7.3%). The aggressive neoplastic nature of SmCC is characterised by rapid growth, high mitotic proliferation rate (>20 mitotic figures per 10 high-power fields [HPF] or a Ki-67 index >20%), early dissemination and poor prognosis.

SmCC of the rectum is an extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSmCC) entity, which morphologically resembles pulmonary small cell carcinoma (PSmCC). SmCC was originally thought to derive from amine-precursor uptake and decarboxylase cells (APUD). However, the pluripotent stem cell, with its potential for variable differentiation, is now the most widely accepted theory.