Cervical Cancer Research Articles

Delayed and immediate cutaneous adverse events during pembrolizumab combination chemotherapy against cervical cancer: Case series.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as pembrolizumab (PEM), are widely recognized for their antitumor efficacy, but they can also lead to various cutaneous adverse events (CAEs). While most CAEs can be managed with topical corticosteroids, severe cases may necessitate halting immunotherapy. The incidence of severe CAEs is notably higher in combination therapies involving ICIs than in monotherapies, emphasizing the need for stringent, long-term management strategies. This includes potential modifications or discontinuations of the combination therapy. PEM, when added to the conventional paclitaxel + cisplatin (or carboplatin) ± bevacizumab regimen, has shown significant improvements in overall and progression-free survival for patients with Stage IVB metastatic or locally uncontrolled recurrent cervical cancer. This case series retrospectively examined the incidence and management of CAEs in 19 female patients treated with this combination therapy between October 2022 and May 2023. Four patients exhibiting CTCAE grade 3 were identified. The four cases of severe CAEs involved erythema multiforme after the initial course of PEM combination chemotherapy. Notably, three patients experienced immediate hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, during subsequent treatments. This observation underscores the necessity for rigorous dermatological monitoring of patients undergoing PEM combination chemotherapy. Such vigilance is crucial for early detection of adverse reactions and timely adjustment of treatment regimens, thereby enhancing patient safety.

Prediction of high-grade cervical precancerous abnormalities: The role of personal factors, vaginal microflora, sexually transmitted infections, and high-risk human papillomavirus.

High-risk human papillomavirus infection (HR-HPV) is necessary but not the only factor needed to develop cervical cancer. It is essential to estimate cervical cancer development risk in the population of high-risk HPV-positive women and to avoid unnecessary examinations and treatment in low-risk individuals. The study aimed to identify associations between different personal factors, vaginal microflora, sexually transmitted, high-risk HPV infection, and various degrees of cervical precancerous lesions. A study was performed in 2016-2020. The study group consisted of 112 patients with abnormal cervical cytology results referred for colposcopic examination. 120 women who came for a routine gynecological check-up were included in the control group. Material from the cervix and upper vaginal fornix was taken for pH measurement, wet mount microscopy, testing the six most common high-risk HPV DNA types (16/18, 31, 33, 45, 58), HPV E6/E7 mRNA, and 7 genital infections-C. trachomatis, N. gonorrhea, T. vaginalis, M. hominis, M. genitalium, U. urealyticum, U. parvum. Results showed that women with all grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) more often were smokers, had increased vaginal pH levels, and had positive HR-HPV DNA and HR HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression. Abnormal vaginal microflora, especially types associated with aerobic vaginitis, and M. hominis were significantly more often found in women with CIN2+. The presence of C.trachomatis, U. parvum, and U.urealyticum did not differ between the groups. The most important factors independently associated with CIN2+ were positive high-risk HPV E6/E7 mRNA expression (OR 59.4, 95% CI 14.84-237.51), and positive high-risk HPV DNA (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.16-13.23). Higher education level was associated with reduced risk of CIN2+ (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.07-0.71). In conclusion, this study reports HR-HPV DNA of the most common six types and E6/E7 mRNA positivity as the most significant factors associated with CIN2+ lesions and higher education related to lower risk of high-grade cervical lesions.

Simplifying acquisition of essential diagnostics: A comprehensive costing tool for anatomic pathology.

Histopathology is the core diagnostic tool for cancer in pathology laboratories around the world, but there are disparities in access to diagnostics globally. As recognition of the need for cancer care and treatment grows, especially in the wake of World Health Organization programs for cervical, breast, and pediatric cancers, policymakers and health care funders are seeking tools and processes that allow for the largest number of patients to receive a diagnosis at the lowest cost. As histopathology represents the most cost-effective diagnostic method by sheer number of tumor types and volume, understanding the detailed logistics and costs for histology as well as the impactful benefits of economies of scale (ie, larger volumes are less expensive per patient) and scope (ie, the multiple stains available after basic histology sectioning) is paramount to planning an effective publicly funded or government laboratory. Understanding the economic structure of a country's population along with the financial model of a histology laboratory also leads to a market understanding of private laboratories, which can provide services at a profit as well as pro bono services more cost-effectively than purely public laboratories. We have developed a comprehensive, scalable costing tool of a functioning histology laboratory that accounts for all feasible costs and variations in models of service. The tool allows for a standardized approach to selecting goods needed to provide histology services and serves as a guide for implementation of pathology services. Using the tool, laboratories can achieve self-sustainment and long-term financial health while incorporating a proportion of impoverished patients who cannot afford out-of-pocket expenses.

Cervical cancer screening: efficacy of PAX1 and JAM3 methylation assay in the triage of atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASC-US).

Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) often present diagnostic challenges with cytology-based results, leading to potential underdiagnosis or overdiagnosis. An effective triage method is essential for managing these cases to reduce unnecessary referrals and treatment. A total of 322 women diagnosed with ASC-US were tested for HPV-DNA and the PAX1 and JAM3 methylation (PAX1m/JAM3m) test in the study. Methylation levels of PAX1 and JAM3 were significantly elevated in cervical lesions classified as CIN2 or more severe lesions (CIN2+). The methylation assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 83.8% and a specificity of 95.8%, outperforming HPV-DNA testing in differentiating high-grade cervical lesions among women with ASC-US. Moreover, PAX1m/JAM3m testing significantly reduced the colposcopy referral rate for further diagnostic procedures in high-risk HPV-positive women by 79.5%. PAX1m/JAM3m testing shows promise as a reliable supplemental method to HPV-DNA testing for the triage of women with cytologic ASC-US. In addition, the molecular triage based on the CISCER assay or single PAX1 or JAM3 methylation, had better effects in the women with non-HPV16/18 group. This approach could potentially minimize overtreatment and unnecessary referrals in clinical practice, enhancing patient management and resource utilization.

Personal Networks and Cervical Cancer Screening among Black Immigrant Women.

Prior research has linked personal network characteristics with cancer screening uptake including Papanicolaou (Pap) screening, but less is known about the experiences of Black immigrant women (BIW) in the USA. We examined the relationship between network characteristics and Pap screening among BIW and explored how their network members influence their cancer related knowledge and prevention behaviors. A mixed methods study of BIW, aged 21-65years, in southeastern US included a cross-sectional survey (N = 204) and in-depth individual interviews (N = 13). We examined whether high-social connectedness, contact frequency, and social support were associated with Pap screening, using multivariable logistic regression models. Thematic analysis further assessed the roles of personal network factors on BIW's cancer preventive behaviors. Pap screening was more likely among BIW with high- versus low-social connectedness (OR: 2.68, CI: 1.12, 6.46). However, the impact of high-social connectedness was attenuated, after adjusting for demographic factors and health insurance. Our qualitative findings revealed that both BIW and their personal networks had limited knowledge on cancer and related prevention measures. Close network members, particularly mother-figures, provided support for BIW's care seeking efforts, including cancer screening, although some participants mentioned a lack of screening support. These findings suggest that Black immigrant communities may benefit from tailored cancer prevention interventions among close network members, to improve knowledge and support for cancer control behaviors.

Modulatory Role of Pantropic Cell Signaling Pathways in the Antimigratory and Antiproliferative Action of Triazole Chelated Iridium(III) Complexes in Cervical Cancer Cells.

In the current study, the antimigratory and antiproliferative effect of three substituted triazole-chelated iridium(III) complexes Ir-TRN, Ir-TRH, and Ir-TRF were studied with special emphasis on modulation of P53 activity, a cell cycle regulator. ERK2/MAPK, another crucial cell signaling pathway protein, was also shown to play a crucial role in cell migration and proliferation. The complexes increase the ROS generation within the cell, further supporting apoptotic induction by exerting cellular oxidative stress. These metal complexes also affect ER stress by altering ERp29, an ER-resident chaperone, further inducing the process of apoptosis. The iridium(III) complexes restrict cervical cancer cell migration and proliferation by exerting pronounced effects as P53 activators and downregulation of ERK2/MAPK activity in cervical cancer cells. The underpinning mechanism of P53 and ERK2/MAPK activity in cervical cancer cells in the presence of iridium(III) complexes was studied in detail in this study, which paves the way for developing promising avenues for cancer therapeutics.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of a Coumarin Derivative and Its Corresponding Palladium Complex as Potential Therapeutic Agents in the Treatment of Gynecological Cancers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity

Background: The aim of this research is the synthesis and characterization of coumarin-palladium complex and the investigation of the cytotoxicity of both the ligand and the complex. Methods: The palladium( II) complex (CC) was obtained in the reaction between (E)-3-(1-((4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)amino)ethylidene)-2,4-dioxochroman-7-yl-acetate (CL) and potassium-tetrachloropalladate(II) and characterized using IR and NMR spectra, experimentally and theoretically. Cytotoxicity of CL and CC were determined for human cervical carcinoma HeLa, ovarian cancer A2780, hormone dependent breast cancer MCF7, and colorectal cancer HCT116 lines. The interaction of investigated compounds with HSA was followed by spectrofluorimetric method. The binding mechanism in the active pocket was assessed via molecular docking simulations. Results: A low mean absolute error between experimental and theoretical data proved that the optimized structure corresponded to the experimental one. Both compounds showed a satisfactory selectivity index towards neoplastic cells. The binding affinity of tested compounds to the HSA were confirmed. The molecular docking showed a much lower change in the Gibbs free energy of binding for CC compared to CL. Conclusions: The obtained results revealed that CL and CC exhibit significant effects on several cancer cell lines and good binding properties to HSA, while molecular docking discovered that CC has the most pronounced activity against alpha-fetoprotein.

Novelty Classification Model Use in Reinforcement Learning for Cervical Cancer

Purpose: Cervical cancer significantly impacts global health, where early detection is piv- otal for improving patient outcomes. This study aims to enhance the accuracy of cervical cancer diagnosis by addressing class imbalance through a novel hybrid deep learning model. Methods: The proposed model, RL-CancerNet, integrates EfficientNetV2 and Vision Transformers (ViTs) within a Reinforcement Learning (RL) framework. EfficientNetV2 extracts local features from cervical cytology images to capture fine-grained details, while ViTs analyze these features to recognize global dependencies across image patches. To address class imbalance, an RL agent dynamically adjusts the focus towards minority classes, thus reducing the common bias towards majority classes in medical image classification. Additionally, a Supporter Module incorporating Conv3D and BiLSTM layers with an attention mechanism enhances contextual learning. Results: RL-CancerNet was evaluated on the benchmark cervical cytology datasets Herlev and SipaKMeD, achieving an exceptional accuracy of 99.7%. This performance surpasses several state-of-the-art models, demonstrating the model’s effectiveness in identifying subtle diagnostic features in complex backgrounds. Conclusions: The integration of CNNs, ViTs, and RL into RL-CancerNet significantly improves the diagnostic accuracy of cervical cancer screenings. This model not only advances the field of automated medical screening but also provides a scalable framework adaptable to other medical imaging tasks, potentially enhancing diagnostic processes across various medical domains.

Cancer in the Grand Libreville, Gabon (2013–2017)

BackgroundThe burden of cancer is expected to nearly double in sub-Saharan Africa over the next 20 years. In Gabon, the primary population-based cancer registry to be established is located in the Grand Libreville. This study presents cancer incidence rates covering the first 5-year period of registration in this region. Patients and methods1,549 cancer cases were recorded among residents of the Grand Libreville between 2013 and 2017, 955 (61.6 %) women and 594 (38.3 %) males. ResultsThe age standardized incidence rates (ASR) for all sites were 73.3 per 105 in females and 47.7 per 105 in males, rather similar from those observed in neighbouring countries of central Africa. Breast (ASR 19.0 per 105) and cervical cancers (ASR 16.3 per 105) accounted for half of female cancers. Prostate (ASR 12.0 per 105), liver (ASR 5.1 per 105) and colorectal cancers (ASR of 5.0 per 105) accounted for 41.1 % of male cancers. ConclusionBreast and prostate cancers ranked first in females and males, respectively, even if the incidences appear much lower in comparison with other regional cancer registries rates, implying they may be underestimated. Cancers of the digestive organs were markedly more frequent in men than women, especially for liver, colorectal (and anus) and the mouth and pharynx. The incidence rates of these latter cancers are relatively similar to those of other registries of the central African region. These results may be of importance for implementing more adapted strategies in the battle against cancer.

Red‐Light Photocatalytic Activation Of Pt(IV) Anticancer Prodrugs Using Methylene Blue

Catalysis‐based approaches offer versatile strategies for activating anticancer prodrugs, potentially allowing precise control over drug release and localization within tumor tissues, while reducing systemic toxicity. In this study, we explore the role of the phenothiazine dye methylene blue (MB+) as a photocatalyst in conjunction with biologically relevant electron donors to facilitate the red‐light conversion of two Pt(IV) complexes, denoted as cis,cis,trans‐[PtCl2(NH3)2(O2CCH2CH2COOH)2] (1) and trans‐[Pt(O2CCH2CH2COOH)21R,2R‐(DACH)(ox)] (2), into cisplatin and oxaliplatin, respectively. Combining spectroscopic techniques (NMR, UV‐Vis, flash photolysis) with computational methods, we reveal that the doubly reduced MB+ (leucomethylene blue, LMB) triggers the reductive elimination of axial ligands in the two Pt(IV) precursors, generating the corresponding Pt(II) anticancer drugs. In vitro experiments conducted on the human cervical cancer cell line CaSki, which harbors multiple copies of the integrated HPV‐16 genome, and on non‐tumoral cells (HaCat) demonstrate that co‐administration with Pt(IV) prodrugs improves MB+'s antiproliferative efficacy in cancer cells, particularly under red light exposure. This enhancement could be attributed to the catalytic production of Pt(II) species within the cellular environment.

Socioeconomic Factors' Impact on Survivorship in Patients with Cervical Cancer: A Study from the Tertiary Cancer Center in Muzaffarpur, North Bihar, India

ObjectiveTo ascertain the survivorship among cervical cancer patients and the factors responsible for early death. In India, cervical cancer ranks second among cancer-related deaths among women. Estimating the survivability rate of patients with cervical cancer who come to our tertiary cancer care center was imperative, as was figuring out.What was causing the greater death rate.MethodThe present study is a retrospective audit of cervical cancer registered at our hospital-based cancer registry from 2021 till date.ResultThe three-year survival rate among women with late-stage cervical cancer was 45%, while 100% of women with early-stage care were alive at the end of three years. The survival rate was also poor among women belonging to middle and low socioeconomic status and illiterate women.ConclusionAmong women who have cervical cancer, those with early-stage cancer, who are literate and those who belong to above middle socioeconomic status have higher survivorship than their counterparts.

Rural-Urban Disparities and Trends in Cancer Screening: An Analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data (2018-2022).

Despite evidence of the benefit of routine cancer screenings, data show a concerning decline in cancer screening uptake for multiple cancer screenings. This analysis aimed to examine rural-urban differences in recent trends for being up to date with screenings for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers. We used 2018, 2020, and 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data to assess up-to-date cancer screening status among eligible U.S. adults. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates overall and stratified by county-level rural-urban classification. We used survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression models to examine rural-urban disparities in cancer screening up-to-date status by year. Prevalence of being up to date with each cancer screening was lower in 2022 than it was in 2018. The largest decline in screening overall was for cervical cancer that dropped from 81.89% in 2018 to 47.71% in 2022. Rural-urban disparities were observed for breast cancer screening from 2018 to 2022 with the odds of up-to-date screening being 14% to 27% lower for rural populations than urban populations. For colorectal and cervical cancer, the odds of being up to date with screenings were lower for rural populations in 2018 and 2020, but there was no significant difference observed in 2022 (colorectal screening OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.02) (cervical screening OR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.03). There is a concerning trend of decreasing uptake of cancer screenings, which will challenge future efforts in cancer prevention and control efforts. Efforts are needed to better understand factors contributing to the declining uptake of cancer screenings.

Bladder Adenocarcinoma in a Constellation of Multiple Site Malignancies: An Unusual Case and Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Multiple primary malignant tumors represent a small percentage of the total number of oncological cases and can involve either metachronous or synchronous development and represent challenges in diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning. Our purpose is to present a rare case of bladder adenocarcinoma in a female patient with multiple primary malignant tumors and to provide systematic review of the available literature. Materials and Methods: A 67-year-old female patient was admitted with altered general condition and anuria. The past medical history of the patient included malignant melanoma (2014), cervical cancer (2017), colon cancer (2021), obstructive anuria (2023), and liver metastasectomy (2023). Transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed for bladder tumors. Results: Contrast CT highlighted multiple pulmonary metastases, a poly nodular liver conglomerate, retroperitoneal lymph node, II/III grade left ureterohydronephrosis, and no digestive tract tumor masses. The pathological result of the bladder resection showed an infiltrative adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: The difference between primary bladder adenocarcinoma tumor and metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma is the key for the future therapeutic strategy. Identification and assessment of risk factors such as viral infection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, smoking, and genetics are pivotal in understanding and managing multiple primary malignant tumors. Personalized prevention strategies and screening programs may facilitate the early detection of these tumors, whether synchronous or metachronous. The use of multicancer early detection (MCED) blood tests for early diagnosis appears promising. However, additional research is needed to standardize these techniques for cancer detection.

Roles of probiotics against HPV through the gut-vaginal axis.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus, whose persistent infection is the main reason for invasive cervical cancer (ICC), which is the fourth most common type of cancer in women, with more than 500 000 new cases every year. After infection, various alterations occur in the host, facilitating the virus's evasion of immune system clearance and promoting its proliferation. Oral probiotic consumption can influence the whole body's immunity, inflammatory reflection, neural, endocrine humoral, metabolic pathways and other organs by adjusting the components of gut microbiota (GM). Some evidence shows there is a tight connection between GM and vaginal microbiota (VM), which is referred to as the gut-vaginal axis. This review investigates the potential role of probiotics in clearing HPV via the gut-vagina axis, emphasizing the effectiveness of Lactobacillus in preventing vaginal diseases and suggesting its potential for HPV clearance. Understanding the role of probiotics in the gut-vagina axis could pave the way for new strategies to reduce and eliminate HPV and related diseases.

MiR-29a Downregulates PIK3CA Expression and Inhibits Cervical Cancer Cell Dynamics: A Comparative Clinical Analysis

HPV/pap tests are widely used for cervical cancer screening, playing a crucial role in early diagnosis and guiding future treatment options. However, approximately 50% of cervical cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which is associated with higher recurrence rates and poorer survival outcomes than early-stage diagnoses. This underscores the need for effective treatments for advanced-stage cervical cancer. Among the various oncogenes implicated in cancer, PIK3CA expression is known to cause cervical cancer, suggesting that inhibiting PIK3CA may impede cervical cancer progression. In this study, we transfected PIK3CA-overexpressing tumor cells (SiHa, C33A, and HeLa) with miR-29a, a microRNA extensively studied as a therapeutic candidate for oncogene suppression in various tumor types. We conducted RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses to assess changes in PIK3CA expression at the RNA and protein levels. Wound healing and cell migration assays were used to evaluate the effects of miR-29a on cell division and migration in HeLa cells. We confirmed a reduction in PIK3CA expression at both RNA and protein levels following miR-29a transfection. After transfecting miR-29a into HeLa cells, we observed a reduction in cell division and migration, as demonstrated by wound healing and cell migration assays. Additionally, we found that miR-29a binds to the 3′-UTR region of PIK3CA, leading to a reduction in its gene expression. Furthermore, we correlated the concentration of miR-29a in clinical histologic biopsy samples from cervical cancer patients with disease progression. These findings indicate that miR-29a can slow the progression of cervical cancer by targeting PIK3CA and potentially aid in its treatment. miR-29a shows promise as a therapeutic agent for inhibiting oncogene expression and controlling cervical cancer progression, especially in advanced-stage cases.

Circulating tumor HPV DNA as a specific biomarker for cervical cancer.

The aim of this study was to determine whether circulating tumor human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is a potential specific biomarker for cervical cancer (CC). This retrospective matched study included 87 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), 29 CC patients (FIGO IA1-IVA) and 29 HPV-negative controls at Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University (from July 2022 to September 2023). The digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) was used to detect and quantify ctHPV DNA in the plasma of patients with HPV16, 18, 33, 52, or 58-associated CC. The ctHPV DNA was exclusively detectable in HPV-positive samples, with no detection in patients across various CIN stages (n = 87) or HPV-negative controls (n = 29). Additionally, ctHPV DNA was identified in nine out of 10 late-stage patients (90%) and six out of 19 early-stage patients (31.6%). The ctHPV DNA serves as a specific biomarker for the diagnosis CC. Additionally, this discovery addresses the knowledge gap in ctHPV DNA research in the early stages of CC and promotes clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Estimation of the girls cost vaccination against human papillomavirus in the Siberian Federal District

Background. The non-declining cervical cancer incidence in the Siberian Federal District 16.30/0000 (in Russia - 13.80 /0000) necessitate preventive vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV).Aim. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination in girls aged 9-14 years in the Siberian Federal District as a whole and in the context of subjects with a 60, 80, 90 percent target cohort.Materials and methods. We studied the size of the female population aged 9-14 years in the constituent entities of the Siberian Federal District for 2022, the average total cost of the vaccine, information on the gross regional product per capita, form C51 “Distribution of deaths by gender, age groups and causes of death” of Tomsk region, 2022. Age-standardized rate per 100,000 population of morbidity and detection (in percentages) of pre-invasive cervix cancer (carcinoma in situ) in the Siberian Federal District were calculated per 100 newly diagnosed malignant cervix neoplasms in 2022.Results. In the Irkutsk, Tomsk regions, Altai and Krasnoyarsk territories age-standardized rate (16.6; 17.8; 16.3; 18.90 /0000, respectively), the detection rate of pre-invasive cancer was 48.0-82.4 %, which indicates on the effectiveness of measures for early cervical cancer diagnosis. In the Republics of Tyva, Altai, Khakassia, age-standardized rate (26.4; 20.1; 19.30 /0000, respectively), cancer in situ was diagnosed in 8.2-23.6 % of cases, which indicates an insufficient level and defects in the organization preventive examinations in medical institutions. In the first year of vaccination against HPV with 60 % coverage of a girls cohort 9-14 years old (n = 404,943), 9.3 billion rubles will be required, with 80 % coverage (539,924 girls) - more than 12.4 billion rubles, with 90 % coverage (607,415 girls) - more than 13.9 billion rubles for primary vaccination against HPV. In subsequent years, more than 2.5-2.8 billion rubles will be required annually. Over 5 years, with 90 % coverage of the population, the financial costs of vaccination will be (817.8 million rubles), and the subsequent 4 annual investments (163.6 million rubles per year). The economic damage caused by mortality from cervical cancer in the Tomsk region over five years (2018-2022) amounted to 3,166.4 million rubles.Conclusion. Using the example of the Tomsk region, it was noted that when comparing financial resources, the costs of vaccinating girls against HPV are 2.2 times less than the economic damage from cervical cancer mortality. Regional budget funding for girls vaccination in administrative territories is relevant before its integration into the national calendar of preventive vaccinations.

Pregnancy-Related Precancerous Cervical Lesions: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Evolution, and Impact upon Gestation and Fertility

More common than cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) represents a precursor lesion of cervical carcinoma, being associated with HPV infection. Due to the bidirectional relationship between HPV and estrogen and progesterone in pregnancy, most of the published data claim that precancerous lesions remain stable or even regress during pregnancy, although several studies have indicated the tendency of HSILs to persist. It is considered that pregnancy-related cervical precancerous lesions undergo a postpartum regression, due to stimulatory effects of the immune microenvironment. Due to the rarity of publications on this subject, we aimed to offer a concise overview of and new insights into the current knowledge regarding the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and evolution of pregnancy-associated precancerous lesions, as well as their impact upon gestation and fertility.

Facile fabrication of dasatinib laden multifunctional polymeric micelles: Evaluation of anti‐proliferative and apoptotic activities in human cancer cells

AbstractDasatinib (DAS) has recently gained significant interest for its anticancer potential. Yet, the lipophilicity inherent in DAS limited its potential use as a chemotherapeutic drug. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of polyethylene glycol‐polycaprolactone (PEG‐PCL) as a nanocarrier for DAS to increase its anticancer capabilities. The DAS‐loaded PEG‐PCL nanoparticles (termed as DAS@PEG‐PCL NPs) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Morphological staining and MTT tests were employed to investigate drug‐loaded nanoparticles' apoptotic and anti‐proliferative effects. The MTT assay demonstrated that incorporating DAS onto PEG‐PCL NPs resulted in a dose‐dependent increase in cytotoxicity in A549 (lung cancer) and HeLa (cervical cancer) cells. The A549 cancer cells were analyzed for their morphology using the acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) and DAPI staining techniques. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the polymeric PEG‐PCL nanoparticle systems hold great potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.

Evaluation of a real-time optoelectronic method for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer in patients with different transformation zone types

We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of TruScreen, a real-time diagnostic technology, for cervical lesions in patients with different transformation zone (TZ) types. A total of 1908 women aged 34.0 ± 7.3 years who have received cytology, human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, TruScreen, and colposcopy were recruited. The clinical performances of these tests were evaluated for their detection of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), or more severe lesions in patients with different TZ types. For the detection of HSIL, AIS, or more severe lesions, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of TruScreen were 65.08%, 64.76%,11.55%, and 96.33%, respectively, which were similar to cytology (all P values > 0.05). For the detection of HSIL + in patients with type 3 TZ, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of TruScreen were 72.29%, 67.59%, 13.86%, and 97.13%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the sensitivity (51.16%, P = 0.029), specificity (59.59%, P = 0.001), PPV (7.94%, P = 0.016), and NPV (94.71%, P = 0.049) in type 1 and type 2 TZs. TruScreen has detection accuracy comparable to cytology and performs even better in patients with type 3 TZ.