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Intro -- Contents -- Preface -- References -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1 -- Considerations of Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches to Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Correlations of Germline BRCA Mutations with TNBC - Taking Advantage of "Vulnerable" Tumors -- Mutations in BRCA Genes and PD-L1-expression on the Immune Cells - As Independent Biomarkers in Patients with TNBC -- Androgen Signaling Pathway in TNBC -- Patient-Centered Education about Selected Diagnostic and Therapeutic Strategies for TNBC -- Germline BRCA1/2 Mutation and BC risk - Testing Criteria and Treatment Decision-Making -- Genetic Counseling about BRCA1/2 Mutations from the Patient's Perspective -- Directions for Further Research on Selected Diagnostic and Therapeutic Issues in TNBC -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 2 -- Morphological Decomposition to Detect and Classify Lesions in Mammograms -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Related Works -- Background -- Breast and Mass Classification -- Database -- Image Analyses Domain -- Balancing Databases -- Morphological Operations -- Morphological Spectrum -- Image Representation Using Wavelets -- Zernike Moments -- Extreme Learning Machines (ELM) -- Support Vector Machines (SVM) -- Proposed Method -- Morphological Decomposition -- Feature Extraction Vector -- Concatenation of Vectors -- Classification -- Multi-Kernel Configurations -- Results -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 3 -- Breast Lesions Classification in Frontal Thermographic Images Using Intelligent Systems -- and Moments of Haralick -- and Zernike -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Materials and Methods -- Database -- Features Extraction -- Classification -- Results and Discussion -- Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) -- ELM versus Other Methods -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women in Puerto Rico (PR). The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with never screened status among a sample of women nonadherent to the 2013 American Cancer Society guidelines. The inclusion criteria for this study were being a woman (1) aged ≥40 years old and (2) nonadherent to breast cancer screening guidelines. We used baseline data from participants (N = 300; aged ≥40 years old) enrolled in the intervention trial Cultivando la Salud, implemented in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico, from 2012 to 2014. We used multivariate logistic regression models to identify factors associated with never screening status, adjusting by sociodemographical variables and psychosocial constructs about mammography (self-efficacy, beliefs about mammography pros [benefits] and cons [disadvantages], and subjective norms) as well as by health care insurance, usual source of care, and Pap test adherence. Among nonadherent women, 18.0% reported never having a mammography. Never screened women were significantly younger than previously screened women (adjusted prevalence odds ratio [aPOR] = 7.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): [2.38, 22.50]) and almost four times as likely to have the governmental health plan (GHP; aPOR = 3.78, 95% CI: [1.15, 12.46]). In addition, never screened women perceived more cons (disadvantages) to mammography than previously screened women (aPOR = 1.81, 95% CI: [1.18, 2.78]). We found that women who were younger, had GHP insurance, and had higher levels of beliefs against mammography were more likely to have never been screened. Results from this study can be used to target never screened women with health education messages addressing perceived cons of mammography. Additionally, women with GHP insurance may experience disparities in health care access and should be targeted with policies that facilitate access to mammography screening.

This article examines the relationship between gender and cancer survivorship. I argue that gender is as critical as a category of analysis for understanding cancer survivorship as it is missing from survivorship studies, particularly as concerns the identificatory basis of survivor culture and clinical studies regarding survivors' quality of life (QOL). This under-studied question of the gendering of survivorship is critical because the consequences of the social production of disease is far-reaching, from the nature of medical research to social awareness, to funding to the well-being of cancer survivors themselves.

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper was to understand the lived experiences of women who have been diagnosed, treated and are cancer free as survivors.


Design/methodology/approach
– Using purposive sampling approach, participants were recruited from two Missouri cancer centers. A total of 15 breast cancer free women (ten white and five black) were interviewed. The participants ranged in age from 34 to 62 years, and all had at least a bachelor degree.


Findings
– Eight unique themes were identified from the interviews. The women noted that maintaining positive attitude, and support from family and friends were the greatest resources that helped them through their cancer journey. They were generally positive about their experiences but uncertain what "survivor" meant individually and personally.


Research limitations/implications
– All the women in this study had at least a college degree, stable family economic resources and health insurance.


Originality/value
– The women interviewed in this study did not want to be called breast cancer "survivors" which is a common name for anyone who has been diagnosed, treated and cancer free. For those who are breast cancer educators, nurses, medical practitioners and counselors it is important to consider how they use the word "survivor." Referring to women who have successfully completed a treatment program for breast cancer as "survivors" attaches an identity that may not be accepted by all.

Among American women, the rate of breast cancer is only second to lung cancer. An estimated 12.4% women will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. The widespread use of social media across the socio-economic spectrum offers unparalleled ways to facilitate information sharing, in particular as it pertains to health. Social media is also used by many healthcare stakeholders, ranging from government agencies to healthcare industry, to disseminate health information and to engage patients. The purpose of this study is to investigate people's perceptions and attitudes relate to breast cancer, especially those that are related to physical activities, on Twitter. To achieve this, we first identified and collected tweets related to breast cancer; and then used topic modeling and sentiment analysis techniques to understand discussion themes and quantify Twitter users' perceptions and emotions w.r.t. breast cancer to answer 5 research questions.

Offers insight into the understanding of the management of pancreatic cancer and examines findings in cancer research. This book provides answers to questions of how to know when cancer is resectable, how to proceed when the diagnosis comes too late for a curative approach, and how to assess different study results.

Evolutionary game theory mathematically conceptualizes and analyzes biological interactions where one's fitness not only depends on one's own traits, but also on the traits of others. Typically, the individuals are not overtly rational and do not select, but rather, inherit their traits. Cancer can be framed as such an evolutionary game, as it is composed of cells of heterogeneous types undergoing frequency-dependent selection. In this article, we first summarize existing works where evolutionary game theory has been employed in modeling cancer and improving its treatment. Some of these game-theoretic models suggest how one could anticipate and steer cancer's eco-evolutionary dynamics into states more desirable for the patient via evolutionary therapies. Such therapies offer great promise for increasing patient survival and decreasing drug toxicity, as demonstrated by some recent studies and clinical trials. We discuss clinical relevance of the existing game-theoretic models of cancer and its treatment, and opportunities for future applications. We discuss the developments in cancer biology that are needed to better utilize the full potential of game-theoretic models. Ultimately, we demonstrate that viewing tumors with an evolutionary game theory approach has medically useful implications that can inform and create a lockstep between empirical findings, and mathematical modeling. We suggest that cancer progression is an evolutionary game and needs to be viewed as such.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.Funding StatementThis research was supported by two European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programs under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No's 690817 and 955708, the Dutch National Foundation (NWO) Grant number OCENW.KLEIN.277, the James S. McDonnell Foundation grant, Cancer therapy: Perturbing a complex adaptive system, a V Foundation grant, NIH/National Cancer Institute (NCI) R01CA170595, Application of Evolutionary Principles to Maintain Cancer Control (PQ21), NIH/NCI U54CA143970-05 Physical Science Oncology Network (PSON) Cancer as a complex adaptive system and Austrian Science Fund (FWF): DK W1225-B20. The last author wants to thank to her daughter Julia for keeping her awake during nights, which allowed her to work on this paper.Author DeclarationsI confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.YesThe details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:For this paper we have not conducted any clinical trials.All necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived.YesI understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).YesI have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable.YesThere was no original data created for this manuscript.

Under-representation of minority and female participants prompted the U.S. legislature to mandate the inclusion of women and minorities in federally funded research. Recruitment of minorities to participate in clinical trials continues to be challenging. Although Asian Americans constitute one of the major minority groups in the U.S., published literature contains sparse data concerning the participation of Asian Americans in cancer clinical trials. The authors completed qualitative, semistructured interviews with 34 participants: Chinese-American female cancer patients ages 20–85 years or their family members. Interviews were conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English and were audiotaped. Chinese interviews were translated into English, and all interviews were transcribed subsequently into English. A team of five coders individually reviewed then met to discuss the English transcripts. The authors used the constant comparative technique throughout the entire coding process as part of the analysis. Among participants, 62% lacked any knowledge of clinical trials, and many expressed negative attitudes toward clinical trials. Barriers to participation included inadequate resources, language issues, and a lack of financial and social support. Facilitating factors included recommendations by a trusted oncologist or another trusted individual and information in the appropriate language. It is noteworthy that family members played an important role in the cancer experience of these participants. To promote participation, there is a need to increase knowledge of clinical trials among Chinese cancer patients. It also is necessary to examine the applicability of current patient-physician communication and interaction models. In addition, decision-making based on Asian philosophies within the context of Euro-American bio-ethics requires further study.

AbstractEvolutionary game theory mathematically conceptualizes and analyzes biological interactions where one's fitness not only depends on one's own traits, but also on the traits of others. Typically, the individuals are not overtly rational and do not select, but rather inherit their traits. Cancer can be framed as such an evolutionary game, as it is composed of cells of heterogeneous types undergoing frequency-dependent selection. In this article, we first summarize existing works where evolutionary game theory has been employed in modeling cancer and improving its treatment. Some of these game-theoretic models suggest how one could anticipate and steer cancer's eco-evolutionary dynamics into states more desirable for the patient via evolutionary therapies. Such therapies offer great promise for increasing patient survival and decreasing drug toxicity, as demonstrated by some recent studies and clinical trials. We discuss clinical relevance of the existing game-theoretic models of cancer and its treatment, and opportunities for future applications. Moreover, we discuss the developments in cancer biology that are needed to better utilize the full potential of game-theoretic models. Ultimately, we demonstrate that viewing tumors with evolutionary game theory has medically useful implications that can inform and create a lockstep between empirical findings and mathematical modeling. We suggest that cancer progression is an evolutionary competition between different cell types and therefore needs to be viewed as an evolutionary game.

The retinoblastoma protein (Rb1) is a prototypical tumor suppressor protein whose role was described more than 40 years ago. Together with p107 (also known as RBL1) and p130 (also known as RBL2), the Rb1 belongs to a family of structurally and functionally similar proteins that inhibits cell cycle progression. Given the central role of Rb1 in regulating proliferation, its expression or function is altered in most types of cancer. One of the mechanisms underlying Rb-mediated cell cycle inhibition is the binding and repression of E2F transcription factors, and these processes are dependent on Rb1 phosphorylation status. However, recent work shows that Rb1 is a convergent point of many pathways and thus the regulation of its function through post-translational modifications is more complex than initially expected. Moreover, depending on the context, downstream signaling can be both E2F-dependent and -independent. This review seeks to summarize the most recent research on Rb1 function and regulation and discuss potential avenues for the design of novel cancer therapies. ; This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie PROBIST grant agreement No. 754510 (postdoctoral fellowship to R.J.) and from BIST Living Allowance Fellowship to A.T.-S. This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [BFU2017-85152-P and FEDER to E.d.N. and PGC2018-094136-B-I00 and FEDER to F.P.], the AECC Foundation [PROYE18010POSA to F.P.] and the Government of Catalonia [2017 SGR 799 to E.d.N. and F.P.]. E.d.N. and F.P. are recipients of ICREA Acadèmia awards (Government of Catalonia). We gratefully acknowledge institutional funding from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the Centres of Excellence Severo Ochoa Award, and from the CERCA Programme of the Government of Catalonia and the Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu, funded by the AEI (CEX2018-000792-M).

Este artigo resulta de uma análise antropológica centrada na experiência do diagnóstico e tratamento de um adenocarcinoma do endométrio vivida por uma mulher portuguesa. A dimensão incorporada do seu conhecimento e narrativa permite-nos compreender um conjunto específico de problemas enfrentados por mulheres com câncer ginecológico, mostrando como concepções de doença, tratamento, corporeidade, sexualidade, maternidade e resistência se interligam. A doença e o seu filho de três anos emergem como dois elementos opostos da história, veiculando a noção de uma resistência construída pela parentalidade, ou pela condição de mãe, usando-se esse vínculo contra as violências e sofrimentos produzidos pelo câncer e seu tratamento. Metodologicamente, esta análise combina narrativa oral, antropologia e ilustração científica criativa, ou seja, pintura e desenho etnográfico potenciados pelo uso da metáfora e da imaginação. Este exercício híbrido e colaborativo implicou uma mistura nivelada de fala, texto e imagem, partindo das palavras da mulher entrevistada. Conceptualmente, estas práticas visuais criativas são entendidas como recursos ontológicos, epistemológicos e performativos, ampliando a forma como a ciência social pode produzir conhecimento e ação em questões de saúde e doença. Lua aceitou contar a sua história preservando a sua identidade sob um pseudónimo, não encontrando abertura social para relatos sobre úteros cancerosos e sessões de braquiterapia vaginal. Respondendo ao seu desconforto, esta análise ilustrada também pretende desmantelar estereótipos enraizados na forma como vemos e entendemos as mulheres, as doenças ginecológicas e os órgãos sexuais, trazendo para a discussão um tipo de câncer que, apesar de frequente, permanece ausente da discussão pública e da imagética coletiva, sendo igualmente descurado pela ciência social.