Current Cancer Therapy Reviews - Volume 20, Issue 1, 2024

Introduction: This study aimed to review the role of the pharmacist in cases of polypharmacy in the care of elderly patients with cancer.Methods: An narrative literature review was carried out using the descriptors "Polypharmacy", "Pharmacological interactions", "Geriatrics" and "Antineoplastic agents", in the ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, and CAPLUS databases.Results: One hundred and ten articles were identified, of which 82 were included in this review. The articles showed the importance of evaluating drug interactions in the treatment of cancer in oncogeriatric patients due to the high amount of drugs that these patients use, which can exceed 6 drugs per day, and that these interactions can compromise the treatment of the patient, as well as induce serious toxic effects, causing the patient to be hospitalized or even die.Conclusion: The inclusion of the pharmacist in the care of oncogeriatric patients reduces the risk of interaction through pharmacotherapeutic monitoring.

Brain cancers or intracranial cancers are among the deadliest cancers in the world. The presence of tumorigenic cancer cells in the brain and induction of poor prognosis may impact the survival/death balance. Glioma is a type of brain tumor that begins in the glial tissue. Recently, it has been reported that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with at least 200 nucleotides in length by targeting DNAs, RNAs, and proteins play essential roles in several biological processes, including growth, differentiation, and development. Recently, lncRNAs was reported to contribute to the tumorigenesis of glioma by targeting miRNAs, other ncRNAs, and mRNAs. In this review, we focused on the functional roles of lnRNAs in glioma.

Cancer refers to the progressive abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Many cancer therapies continue to be based on systemic chemotherapy along with radiation therapy. Numerous nanomedicine strategies have been developed to address the untargeted nature of these therapies and the serious side effects they can cause. As targeted therapeutic delivery is still difficult, engineered robots and microrobots are getting more and more attention and applicability. Microrobots can more effectively reach malignancies because of their unique features and functions, like their motility, which allows them to penetrate malignant tissues. Modern cancer treatment techniques built on information technology can boost patient compliance and improve patient survival. The delicate tissue can be overly damaged by radiation and surgery, and most chemotherapy medications are unable to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reach the tumor. Cancer prevention, its early detection, quick diagnosis, and prompt treatment are very crucial. Robotic technology is employed in a variety of medical settings, and its applications in surgery have evolved that have an impact on the field of cancer treatment as well. A key improvement in cancer therapy with the aid of robotics would be the ability to target and deliver medications directly to the tumor.

Telomere is the repetitive sequence of non-coding DNA that protects chromosomes from damage. However, with cell division, the length of the telomere gets shortened ultimately leading to cell senescence. Telomere shortening is compensated by the addition of telomeric sequence by telomerase enzyme and thus preventing senescence which may lead to abnormal cell growth and ultimately result in cancer. There might not be a direct effect of telomerase on carcinogenesis, however, the role of telomerase in maintaining the length of telomere and thus tumor growth progression is quite evident. Various studies have reported the significance of telomerase activity in tumor cells. Therefore, targeting the telomerase enzyme can be an effective approach for the management of cancer, and drugs targeting telomerase inhibition are possible therapeutic candidates to be used clinically for the treatment of cancer in the future. Thus, in the current paper, we aim to review various telomerase inhibitors against cancer, challenges in proposing telomerase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer, and future perspectives on developing telomerase inhibitors for the management of cancer.

Most existing cancer therapies negatively affect normal tissue as well as cancerous tissue. A potentially effective strategy for treating cancer that precludes off-target damage and could be an option for most patients would involve targeting one or more mutations that are ubiquitous in the given patient's tumor(s). To effect this strategy, one would employ multi-region sequencing of a patient's primary tumor and metastases to seek out mutations that are shared between all or at least most regions. Once the target or targets are known, one would ideally rapidly generate a molecular switch for at least one of said ubiquitous mutations that can distinguish the mutated DNA, RNA, or protein from the wild-type version and subsequently trigger a therapeutic response. I propose that the therapeutic response involve the replication of an oncolytic virus or intracellular bacterium, as any mutation can theoretically be detected by a vector that enters the cell - and automatic propagation could be very helpful. Moreover, the mutation 128;œsignal128; can be easily enhanced through transcriptional and translational (if the target is an intracellular protein) enhancement. Importantly, RNA may make the best target for the molecular switches in terms of amplification of the signal and ease of targeting.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) occurs in the lymphatic system because of lymphocytes tumor. This type of tumor has a high death rate among patients. In recent years, a lot of progress has been made based on understanding its exact biology; several treatment methods have been developed. Many patients are cured by a combination of different chemotherapies, despite their toxic effects. In recent years, despite various studies on monoclonal antibodies for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, there have been no narrative articles in this field. Therefore, combining monoclonal antibodies with chemotherapy is successful as they reduce the toxic side effects of chemotherapies. These antibodies can target specific cellular pathways of the immune system leading to limitation of cancer progression. In this article, various types of monoclonal antibodies, their underlying mechanisms of action, as well as their effects on patients with different phases and types of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma have been reviewed for a better understanding.

Introduction: Cancer is associated with a higher risk of venous thromboembolic events compared to the general population. About one-fifth of patients diagnosed with venous thromboembolic events have underlying cancer. The guidelines recommend both low molecular weight heparin and direct oral anticoagulants for the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic events. Further evidence is required to adequately characterize the exact role of direct oral anticoagulants.Methods: A systematic review of the literature was done by searching the databases of Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.gov. The analysis included only randomized controlled trials enrolling adult patients with cancer and venous thromboembolic events comparing low molecular weight heparin versus direct oral anticoagulants. Duration of follow-up of at least 6 months was considered as a minimum. The studies had to assess the risk of thromboembolic recurrence rate, all-cause mortality, and risk of bleeding.Results: The final search results led to the inclusion of five randomized controlled trials. The analysis showed a similar risk of recurrence of venous thrombotic events (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.44-1.17; p = 0.18), mortality risk (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.88-1.17; p = 0.8), and major bleeding (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.69-1.62; p = 0.81) between the two treatment groups.Conclusion: The use of direct oral anticoagulants is a feasible and practical option in ambulatory cancer patients with venous thromboembolic events. The efficacy and safety are similar to that of low molecular weight heparin.