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Ex Vivo Culture of Circulating Tumor Cells in the Cerebral Spinal Fluid from Melanoma Patients to Study Melanoma-Associated Leptomeningeal Disease
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Serum levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs), -1, -2, -3, in oral cancer
Introduction:
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) possesses mitogenic properties promoting cellular proliferation and inhibiting cellular apoptosis. Reported evidence suggests that cancer (non-oral) is associated with high circulating levels of IGF-1 and low levels of IGFBP-3.
Aims:
This study measured circulating levels of IFG-1 and IGFBPs -1, -2 and -3 in oral cancer patients.
Methodology:
Blood was collected from surgical patients and controls. Samples were assayed for IGF-1 and IGFBPs -1, -2, -3, using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays (ELISA; R&D Systems Europe, Oxon, UK).
Results:
Twenty-seven oral cancer and 31 age- and sex-matched patients were recruited. Mean IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were significantly lower in cancer patients than controls (85.3 ng/ml and 2008 ng/ml versus 191 ng/ml and 2935 ng/ml, P<0.001). In contrast, levels of IGFBPs 1 and 2 were significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls. No significant association was demonstrated with tumour size or nodal metastases.
Discussion:
This study has shown that in contrast to other cancers, circulating levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 may both be lowered in patients with head and neck cancer.
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