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A cohort of 889 men and 1077 women employed for at least 1 month between 1946 and 1984 by a former Italian leading asbestos (mainly textile) company, characterised by extremely heavy exposures often for short durations, was followed up to 1996, for a total of 53 024 person-years of observation. Employment data were obtained from factory personnel records, while vital status and causes of death were ascertained through municipality registers and local health units. We observed 222 cancer deaths compared with 116.4 expected (standardized mortality ratio, SMR ¼ 191). The highest ratios were found for pleural (SMR ¼ 4105), peritoneal (SMR ¼ 1817) and lung (SMR ¼ 282) cancers. We observed direct relationships with duration of employment for lung and peritoneal cancer, and with time since first employment for lung cancer and mesothelioma. Pleural cancer risk was independent from duration (SMR ¼ 3428 for employment o1 year, 7659 for 1 -4 years, 2979 for 5 -9 years and 2130 for X10 years). Corresponding SMRs for lung cancer were 139, 251, 233 and 531. Nonsignificantly increased ratios were found for ovarian (SMR ¼ 261), laryngeal (SMR ¼ 238) and oro-pharyngeal (SMR ¼ 226) cancers. This study confirms and further quantifies the central role of latency in pleural mesothelioma and of cumulative exposure in lung cancer.

BackgroundInterleukin-7 (IL-7) is a potent regulator of lymphocyte development, which has also significant effects on bone; in fact it is a potent osteoclastogenic factor. Some human solid tumors produce high IL-7 levels, suggesting a potential IL-7 role on tumor development and progression.MethodologyWe studied 50 male patients affected by solid tumors, and their blood samples were collected at tumor diagnosis. PBMCs were isolated and cultured with/without IL-7 to study its influence on osteoclastogenesis. Serum and cell culture supernatant IL-7 levels were measured by ELISA. The quantitative analysis of IL-7 expression on T and B cells was performed by Real-Time PCR.Principal FindingsSerum IL-7 levels were highest in osteolytic cancer patients, followed by cancer patients without bone lesions, and then healthy controls. We showed the IL-7 production in PBMC cultures and particularly in monocyte and B cell co-cultures. A quantitative analysis of IL-7 expression in T and B cells confirmed that B cells had a high IL-7 expression. In all cell culture conditions, IL-7 significantly increased osteoclastogenesis and an anti-IL-7 antibody inhibited it. We demonstrated that IL-7 supports OC formation by inducing the TNF-α production and low RANKL levels, which synergize in promoting osteoclastogenesis.ConclusionsWe demonstrated the presence of high serum IL-7 levels in patients with bone metastasis, suggesting the use of serum IL-7 level as a clinical marker of disease progression and of bone involvement. Moreover, we showed the capability of IL-7 to stimulate spontaneous osteoclastogenesis of bone metastatic patients and to induce osteoclastogenesis in cancer patients without bone involvement. These findings add further details to the disclosure of the mechanisms controlling bone metastasis in solid tumors.

a b s t r a c tIntroduction: Treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) yields tumour responses in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harbouring activating EGFR mutations. However, even in long-lasting responses, resistance to EGFR TKIs invariably occurs. Areas covered: This review examines resistance mechanisms to EGFR TKI treatment, which mainly arise from secondary EGFR mutations. Other resistance-inducing processes include mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) amplification, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, phenotypic change from NSCLC to small-cell lung carcinoma, and modifications in parallel signalling pathways. Current therapeutic strategies to overcome these EGFR TKI resistance mechanisms focus on the inhibition or blocking of multiple members of the ErbB family. Several molecules which target multiple ErbB receptors are being investigated in NSCLC and other indications including afatinib, an ErbB Family Blocker, as well as dacomitinib and lapatinib. Novel, non-quinazoline, EGFR inhibitors, that also target EGFR activating and resistance (T790M) mutations, are currently under clinical development. Other therapeutic strategies include inhibition of parallel and downstream pathways, using agents which target heat shock protein (HSP)90 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctrv.2014.05.009 0305-7372/Ó 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Abbreviations: AEG-1, astrocyte elevated gene-1; ALK, anaplastic lymphoma kinase; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; BARD1, BRCA1-associated protein 1; BIM, B-cell lymphoma 2 interacting mediator of cell death; BRAF, v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1; BRCA1, breast cancer 1, early onset; CNS, central nervous system; CRKL, crk-like protein; DCR, disease control rate; EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; EMT, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation; EphB4, ephrin type-B receptor 4; ER, oestrogen receptor; ERK, extracellular-signal-regulated kinases; HER, human epidermal growth factor receptor; HGF, hepatocyte growth factor; HSP90, heat shock protein 90; IGF-1R, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor; KRAS, Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homologue; MBP-QP, mutation-biased PCR quenching probe; MEK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; MET, mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor; mRNA, messenger RNA; mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin; NF-jB, nuclear factor kappa-light-chainenhancer of activated B cells; NSCLC, non-small-cell lung cancer; ORR, overall response rate; OS, overall survival; PARP, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PFS, progression free survival; PI3K, phosphoinositide-3-kinase; PIK3CA, phosphoinositide-3-kinase, catalytic, alpha polypeptide; PTEN, phosphatase and tensin homologue; RECIST, Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours; RR, response rate; SCLC, small-cell lung cancer; TGF, transforming growth factor; TKI, tyrosine kinase inhibitors; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; VEGFR, VEGF receptor. E-mail address: christian.rolfo@uza.be (C. Rolfo).Can...

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