Obesity is characterized by a disruption in energy balance regulation that results in an excess accumulation of body fat. Its increasing prevalence poses a major public health concern because it is a risk factor for a host of additional chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity is increasingly recognized as a growing cause of cancer risk. In particular excessive adipose expansion during obesity causes adipose dysfunction and inflammation that can regulate tumor growth. In obesity, dysregulated systemic metabolism and inflammation induce hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and enhance sex hormone production with increased secretion of proinflammatory adipokine that impact breast cancer development and progression. This review describes how adipose inflammation that characterizes obesity is responsible of microenvironment to promote cancer, and discuss how steroid hormones, that are essential for the maintenance of the normal development, growth and differentiation of the cells, influence the induction and progression of breast cancer.

Gastric cancer represents a diffuse and aggressive neoplasm, whose mortality index is among the highest in the world. Predisposing factors are E-cadherin mutations, Helicobacter pylori infection, and a diet rich in salted and smoked food, with a low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Here, we analyzed the effect of total lipophilic extracts of two Southern Italy tomato varieties, San Marzano and Corbarino, on an in vitro model of gastric cancer, YCC-1, YCC-2 and YCC-3 cell lines, characterized by different aggressiveness. Our results showed a possible role of these two varieties of tomatoes against typical neoplastic features. The treatment with tomato extracts affected cancer cell ability to grow both in adherence and in semisolid medium, reducing also cell migration ability. No toxic effects were observed on non-tumoral cells. We found, on gastric cancer cell lines, effects on both cell cycle progression and apoptosis modulation. The extent of antineoplastic effects, however, did not seem to correlate with the carotenoid content and antioxidant activity of the two tomato varieties. Our data indicate that San Marzano and Corbarino intake might be further considered as nutritional support not only in cancer prevention, but also for cancer patient diet.

Abstract. Background

pRb2/p130 is a key tumor suppressor, whose oncosuppressive activity has mainly been attributed to its ability to negatively regulate cell cycle by interacting with the E2F4 and E2F5 transcription factors. Indeed, pRb2/p130 has been found altered in various cancer types in which it functions as a valuable prognostic marker. Here, we analyzed pRb2/p130 expression in gastric cancer tissue samples of diffuse histotype, in comparison with their normal counterparts. We found a cytoplasmic localization of pRb2/p130 in cancer tissue samples, whereas, in normal counterparts, we observed the expected nuclear localization. pRb2/p130 cytoplasmic delocalization can lead to cell cycle deregulation, but considering the emerging involvement of pRb2/p130 in other key cellular processes, it could contribute to gastric tumorigenesis also through other mechanisms. Our data support the necessity of further investigations to verify the possibility of using pRb2/p130 as a biomarker or potential therapeutic target for diffuse gastric cancer.

The role of milk and dairy products in cancer prevention was debated for a long time. In some cases they seem to promote some hormones related neoplastic pathologies. Yet, as we here describe, milk and dairy products may be helpful in colorectal cancer prevention, because of their calcium content, showing the capability of inactivating bile acids. Fats seem not to be relevant. In fact, although animal fats generally exert a pro-neoplastic effects, recent findings demonstrated that milk and dairy foods preventive role of colorectal cancer is not affected by their fat content. IGF-1, which was similarly considered a pro-carcinogenic factor, was "exonerated" more than ten years ago, because different authors showed that its effects are not influential in people. Previous investigations led to consider IGF-1 as the principal cause of colorectal cancer, and it was just around the year 2000 that epidemiological studies refuted the pre-existing hypothesis about IGF-1. Hence, milk and dairy products may be advisable, not only because of their nutritional value, but also because of their preventive effect of colorectal cancer. Moreover, their consumption should be encouraged also in cancer patients, because their energy content, together with their micro-and macronutrients, may represent a good eating habit against cachexia. Yet, a special care should be taken with patients developing lactose intolerance and hypolactasia, a possible side effect of 5'FU chemotherapy. Finally, we have to stress that a further care should be taken about cheeses consumption. Their energy density and their saturated fatty acids content is not relevant in predisposing to colorectal cancer, but an excessive intake should be avoided not to develop either overweight/obesity, or hypercholesterolemia.