Nutrition and Cancer-An International Journal最新文献

Adipose tissue radiodensity has emerged as a prognostic biomarker in oncology. This study aimed to assess its prognostic value in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients receiving adjuvant therapy. Body composition was quantified by computed tomography, with visceral (VAT_d) and subcutaneous (SAT_d) adipose tissue radiodensity measured in Hounsfield units and categorized into tertiles, where higher tertiles indicated lower fat proportion, whereas lower tertiles higher fat proportion. The primary endpoint was 5-year overall survival. Stage III disease (HR 5.54, 95% CI: 1.64-18.70), recurrence or metastasis (HR 4.16, 95% CI: 2.39-7.24), and elevated systemic inflammation response index (HR 2.42, 95% CI: 1.55-3.76) were associated with reduced survival. Conversely, the second VAT_d tertile (HR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.33-0.94), adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.22-0.84), and chemoradiotherapy (HR:0.45, 95% CI: 0.21-0.93) independently predicted improved outcomes. Higher tertiles of SAT_d and VAT_d negatively impacted the beneficial prognosis of adjuvant therapy. However, patients with intermediate SAT_d experienced better protective effects from chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy (HR 0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.49; HR 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08-0.85, respectively). These findings indicate that intermediate VAT_d confers survival advantage, while elevated SAT_d may attenuate treatment efficacy, reinforcing adipose radiodensity as a clinically relevant prognostic marker in CRC.

Obesity is a significant lifestyle factor that affects the development and outcomes of endometrial tumors. Excess body weight can disrupt hormonal balance and promote cellular mutations, increasing the risk of endometrial cancer. We developed a three-step stochastic model that incorporates clonal proliferation at each stage to investigate how obesity affects cancer progression. The model was tested on two datasets: non-obesity-related cases from the SEER registry (2010-2020) and obesity-related cases in women from the CDC (2017-2021). Our results show that obesity mainly impacts the development of endometrial tumors by causing genetic mutations in women. The stochastic model indicates that fat increases the rates of both initial and later mutations. Body weight can affect the rate at which early intermediate cells multiply, especially in women who are still premenopausal. Understanding how these cellular changes happen is important for estimating an individual's risk of developing endometrial cancer.

We read with great interest the prospective multicenter study by Teng et al., which evaluated whether ultrasound-derived skeletal muscle indices could predict severe chemotherapy-related toxicity in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We sincerely commend the authors for their innovative focus on a pragmatic, radiation-free tool that can be incorporated conveniently into routine oncology workflows. Their results-demonstrating that quadriceps cross-sectional area and muscle thickness independently predict grade 3-4 toxicities-offer clinically meaningful implications for early risk identification.

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) undergoing adjuvant endocrine therapy have increased risk of obesity. Estrogen and exercise suppress appetite in non-BCS populations, but their combined effects in BCS are unknown. This secondary analysis compared the impact of acute resistance exercise (REx) on appetite and energy intake in estrogen-suppressed BCS versus females without cancer ('non-BCS'). Premenopausal inactive BCS (stage 0-III estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, <5 years post-diagnosis, undergoing estrogen-targeted therapy) and non-BCS completed REx or sedentary (SED) conditions 35 min after a standardized breakfast. Appetite visual analog scales and hormones (ghrelin and peptide-YY [PYY]) were measured before and after breakfast and REx/SED; energy intake was assessed 3 h post-breakfast (1.5 h post-REx or SED). Fifteen BCS (age: 46 ± 7; BMI: 25.0 ± 3.8 kg/m²) and 12 non-BCS (age: 37 ± 8; BMI: 29.0 ± 5.1 kg/m²) were included. BCS showed greater PYY 90 and 120 min post-breakfast compared to non-BCS, particularly after REx (group x time x condition: p = 0.009, p = 0.005, respectively). No group effects were observed for ghrelin. BCS had lower body mass-adjusted energy intake compared to non-BCS (p = 0.036), despite similar appetite ratings. Estrogen-suppressed BCS exhibit heightened PYY and lower energy intake after REx, revealing novel effects of exercise on appetite in a state of low estrogen.

This study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between the health literacy of breast and prostate cancer survivors and their feeding, considering the planetary diet recommendation. This cross-sectional study utilized secondary data from 201 women with breast cancer and 106 men with prostate cancer. Health literacy was evaluated using the Brazilian version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire. The EAT-Lancet diet adherence was assessed using the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI). The mean PHDI score was 45.3 (9.0) points, without differences in consumption between men and women. The health literacy status and PHDI score were unassociated among cancer survivors. Adherence to a healthy and sustainable diet and health literacy were low among the studied population. Further studies should evaluate these conditions in other populations.

Creatine is a naturally occurring compound stored in muscles, obtainable through diet and supplementation, known to enhance strength, exercise capacity, and recovery. Recent research suggests it may aid in treating some chronic diseases. This review analyzed the effects of creatine supplementation (CrS) on body composition in cancer patients or survivors. Following PRISMA guidelines, five databases were searched for studies up to September 12, reviewing seven articles with 463 participants (316 men, 147 women; average age 62.95 years). Five studies assessed CrS effects on body weight: three found no changes, while two reported increases. For lean body mass, three trials noted increases in both creatine and placebo groups, but differences were not significant. Fat mass results varied, showing reductions, no changes, or mitigated increases during hormone therapy. Although CrS showed potential improvements, evidence of significant effects on body composition in cancer patients remains limited. CrS appears safe and might be more beneficial with less aggressive treatments or in non-metastatic cases. Further research is needed to clarify its role in this context.

Acupuncture has been recognized as a complementary therapy for various malignancies by modulating immune responses. However, the impact of acupuncture on the antitumor immune efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors remains unclear. This study evaluates the effectiveness of acupuncture in conjunction with PD-1 inhibitors in enhancing the antitumor immune response against breast cancer and elucidates the potential molecular mechanisms through RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis in a 4T1 xenograft BALB/c mouse model of breast cancer. The findings indicate that the combination of acupuncture and PD-1 inhibitors significantly impedes tumor development by promoting tumor cell apoptosis and inhibiting tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes following acupuncture intervention were primarily enriched in immune response pathways, T cell activation, and cytokine interactions, including immune cell-related CD genes such as CD5, CD4, and CD8. Notably, acupuncture stimulation enhanced CD5 expression, which correlated positively with overall survival in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, the combination treatment led to improved immunity characterized by an increase in CD5⁺ dendritic cells, as well as CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cell populations, alongside elevated serum levels of various cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ). Collectively, this study demonstrates that acupuncture intervention enhances the antitumor immune response associated with PD-1 inhibitors, suggesting a promising therapeutic approach for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in breast cancer.

Previous research has not clearly illustrated the impact of serum iron status on thyroid cancer. Bi-directional and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analyses were conducted to determine the causative effects of serum iron status on thyroid cancer. Genetic markers for serum iron status, including serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation (TSTA), and transferrin, were acquired from the Genetics of Iron Status. The primary analytical method employed was inverse variance weighting, supplemented by other sensitivity approaches to validate the consistency of the results. Genetically predicted serum iron, ferritin, and TSTA were found to increase the risk of thyroid cancer. However, there was no causal link between transferrin levels and the risk of thyroid cancer. The causal link remained strong in the reverse MR and MVMR. Furthermore, serum iron status had no causal effect on benign neoplasms of the thyroid gland based on the two-sample MR analysis. Our MR study provides novel evidence that serum iron, ferritin, and TSTA are associated with thyroid cancer, but not with benign neoplasms of the thyroid gland. These markers could be useful for differential diagnosis. Strategies to lower serum iron levels may reduce the burden of thyroid cancer.

The potential protective effects of soy isoflavones against breast cancer have been suggested. Equol, the end product of daidzein by intestinal bacteria, is superior to other isoflavones in its estrogenic activity. However, not all humans can produce equol. We cross-sectionally assessed the associations between equol-excretion status and endogenous sex hormone levels relevant to the etiology of breast cancer in premenopausal Japanese women. Fasting plasma concentrations of estradiol, estrone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) sulfate, sex hormone-binding globulin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) were measured in 348 premenopausal women with regular menstrual cycles. After controlling for covariates, urinary equol level was not significantly associated with the levels of any hormone. To approximate the ability to convert daidzein to equol, equol-producer status was defined among 141 women with urinary daidzein levels of 10 nmol/mg creatinine or higher. Among them, 30.5% had detectable levels of equol (equol producers). The plasma estrone level was significantly lower by 21.6% in equol producers than in non-producers. These data suggest that the ability to produce equol, but not equol itself, may be associated with the hormonal profile of premenopausal women. Further studies on factors related to equol production are needed.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients often experience skeletal muscle mass (SMM) reduction, increasing chemotherapy toxicity risk. Although CT and MRI scans are commonly used to assess SMM, their limitations exist. Ultrasound, a convenient alternative, may serve as a predictive tool for chemotherapy toxicity.

Methods: This multi-center, prospective study analyzed 163 NSCLC patients undergoing platinum-based chemotherapy. Ultrasound measured quadriceps muscle thickness (X-axis, Y-axis), cross-sectional area (CSA), fascicle length (FL), and pennation angle (PA). Chemotherapy toxicity was evaluated using CTCAE 5.0 criteria. Relationships between ultrasound parameters and toxicity were assessed via point-biserial correlation, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) curve analyses.

Results: Muscle thickness (X-axis, Y-axis), CSA, and PA were significantly correlated with overall toxicity and grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity (p < 0.05), with weaker correlations for non-hematologic toxicity. Multivariable logistic regression confirmed these parameters as independent predictors. ROC curve analysis revealed strong predictive value for CSA (AUC 0.796, cutoff 3.122 cm²) and X-axis thickness (AUC 0.768, cutoff 1.131 cm) in predicting grade 3-4 overall toxicity.

Conclusion: Ultrasound measurements of quadriceps muscle effectively predict severe chemotherapy toxicity (grade 3-4), offering a non-radiative, accessible tool to identify high-risk NSCLC patients, enabling tailored interventions and improved treatment tolerance.