Department of Otolaryngology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
Abstract In the era of personalized medicine, selecting the ideal treatment modality for head and neck cancer is becoming more complex. Also, despite the use of the newest agents, overall survival has not been improved notably over the past few decades. Currently, in accordance with the development of diagnostic tools, prevention and early detection of cancer are being emphasized more in obtaining better treatment outcomes. Among the various cancer preventative methods, the use of green tea is one of the most common approaches, and tea is known to be involved in multiple steps of carcinogenesis. Thus, in this short review, the protective roles of green tea components against the initiation, progression, and metastasis of head and neck malignancies will be discussed.
Conclusion ...green tea component, EGCG, may be the single most important agent, which has demonstrated positive effects in preventing and treating head and neck cancers. EGCC protects against diverse steps in cancer progression and invasion through multiple and complex signal transduction pathways.....
Resveratrol Reduces TNF-α-induced U373MG Human Glioma Cell Invasion through Regulating NF-κB Activation and uPA/uPAR Expression Abstract Background: High invasiveness of glioma cells is one of the reasons that patients with malignant glioma have a poor prognosis. Resveratrol, a plant compound abundant in the peel of grapes, has been suggested as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent. Therefore, we investigated the effect of resveratrol on glioma cell invasion. Materials and Methods: The effect of resveratrol on U373MG human glioma cell invasion was assessed by Matrigel assay and methylthiazoltetrazolium assay. Western blotting and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were performed to elucidate the action mechanism of resveratrol. Results: Resveratrol reduced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced U373MG human glioma cell invasion. In addition, resveratrol repressed nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation and down-regulated mRNA expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor in TNF-α-treated glioma cells. Conclusion: These findings suggest that resveratrol could prevent glioma cell invasion via inhibiting proteolysis of extracellular matrix.
Chemoprevention of Head and Neck Cancer by Green Tea Extract: EGCG—The Role of EGFR Signaling and “Lipid Raft” Muneyuki Masuda,1 Takahiro Wakasaki,2 Satoshi Toh,2 Masahito Shimizu,3 and Seiji Adachi4
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Kyushu Koseinenkin Hospital, 2-1-1, Kishinoura, Nishiku, Kitakyushu 806-8501, Japan 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashiku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan 3Department of Gastroenterology/Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan 4Deptartment of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-1194, Japan
Abstract Over the past decade dose-intensified chemo-radiotherapy or molecular targeted therapy has been introduced into the treatments of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to improve the outcomes of this dismal disease. However, these strategies have revealed only limited efficacy so far. Moreover, the frequent occurrences of second primary tumor further worsen the prognosis of patients. In this context, early detection and chemoprevention appear to be a realistic and effective method to improve the prognosis as well as quality of life in patients with HNSCC. In this short paper, we discuss the potential of green tea extract, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-galate (EGCG) in HNSCC chemoprevention, focusing on two aspects that are provided recently: (1) evidence of clinical efficacy and (2) unique biological effects on “lipid raft” that emerged as an important platform of numerous biophysical functions, for example, receptor tyrosin kinases (RTKs) signalings including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which play critical roles in HNSCC carcinogenesis.
Conclusion Considering the tantalizingly marginal improvement in the treatment outcomes of patients with HNSCC, it is urgent and critical to develop novel strategy based on early detection and chemoprevention. Among numerous putative chemopreventive agents, EGCG appears to be one of the most promising natural compounds based on accumulated data and, in particular, two novel findings provided recently: (1) clinical efficacy and (2) unique biological effects on lipid rafts that are an important platform of numerous biophysical functions including RTKs signalings. A larger-scale clinical study of EGCG is highly recommended.
Source : Journal of Oncology Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 540148, 7 pages doi:10.1155/2011/540148 Link to Full Article
Antibacterial essential oils in malodorous cancer patients: Clinical observations in 30 patients P.H. Warnkea,, E. Sherryb, P.A.J. Russoc, Y. Ac¸ ila, J. Wiltfanga, S. Sivananthand, M. Sprengele, J.C. Rolda`na, S. Schubertf, J.P. Bredeeg, I.N.G. Springera
aDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Kiel, Germany bDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bond University, Queensland, Australia cDepartment of Haematology and Oncology, The Gosford Hospital, NSW, Australia dDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, UK eDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Franziskus Hospital Flensburg, Germany fDepartment of Medical Microbiology and Virology, University of Kiel, Germany gDepartment of Radiooncology, Div. Palliative Care, University of Kiel, Germany
Abstract Malodorous necrotic ulcers in cancer patients are of major concern as it leads to social isolation and poor quality of life. Current medications and topical therapies have proven inadequate in their ability to reduce foul smell to acceptable levels. We report the positive experience we have had in using antibacterial essential oils in patients with incurable head and neck cancer and associated malodorous necrotic ulcers. All patients received a standard course of therapy with oral or systemic antibiosis. In addition, we rinsed the ulcers with an antibacterial essential oil mix (mainly based on Eucalyptusoil) twice a day. All patients experienced complete resolution of the foul smell by only the third or fourth day of therapy. As a secondary effect we saw that besides smell reduction the oils had anti-inflammatory effects on neoplastic ulcers. In some patients ulcers started to heal and achieved complete re-epithiliazation. The patients experienced great personal relief upon resolution of their malodorous conditions. Quality of life improved significantly with the resulting reintroduction of social contact with friends and relatives.