Theses and Dissertations from UMD

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Ovarian cancer

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    PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPIES AND ETHANOL ABLATION FOR UNRESECTABLE TUMORS AND ASSAY DEVELOPMENT
    (2024) Ma, Chen-Hua; Huang, Huang-Chiao; Bioengineering; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Many cancers pose significant challenges due to their low survival rates, especially when tumors are deemed unresectable. These tumors are either spread diffusely or located in areas that make surgical intervention risky or impossible. This dissertation addresses innovative approaches to treating unresectable cancers, including solid and peritoneal metastasis, by using photodynamic therapy (PDT)-based combination therapy. The initial section of the dissertation reviews the atypical administration routes of photosensitizers, particularly through intratumoral, intraperitoneal, and intra-arterial injections. Next, the study evaluates the Light-Activatable Sustained-Exposure Ethanol Injection Technology (LASEIT)’s performance in xenograft models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The photochemical properties of LASEIT in tissue-mimicking agarose, ex vivo swine liver, and xenograft animal models were confirmed, demonstrating its ability to maintain fluorescence and extend light propagation. Tumor-killing efficacy was shown in both single- and multi-cycle treatments, positioning LASEIT as a promising alternative for solid tumor therapy. The dissertation also investigates the potential of NanoVP, a carrier-free photosensitizer, for the treatment of peritoneal cancers. We confirmed that NanoVP was detectable in swine peritoneal organs using the ML7710 medical laser system, indicating its potential for personalized PDT in the future. However, we also discovered challenges in detecting photobleaching in pigmented organs like the spleen and liver. Finally, the dissertation employs quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to quantify peritoneal cancer cell metastasis in a xenograft ovarian cancer model, confirming the technique’s reliability in detecting low numbers of human cells in mouse tissues.
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    Evaluating the Moderating Effects of Social Constraints and Emotional Approach Coping in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Expressive Writing with Ovarian Cancer Patients
    (2016) Popovska, Ana Vladimirova; Hoffman, Mary Ann; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    A randomized controlled experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of expressive writing and fact-control writing about experiences with ovarian cancer on emotional well-being and quality of life one month after writing in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Moderation effects of emotional approach coping and social constraints were predicted based on a matching hypothesis for the fit between the demands of writing and individual differences (Niles et al, 2014) and the role of social constraints on disclosure (Lepore & Revenson, 2007). Cancer-related avoidance and cancer-related intrusive thoughts were examined as mediators on the relationships between social constraints and emotional well-being at follow up and social constraints and quality of life at follow up. Results showed that participants in the expressive writing condition reported increased emotional well-being at follow up, controlling for baseline levels of emotional well-being, but there were no differences in quality of life at follow up between the two writing conditions, controlling for baseline quality of life. There were no differences in reported average negative affect post writing sessions between the two writing conditions. In a model predicting emotional well-being at follow up, expressive writing had a positive effect, social constraints had a negative effect, and emotional approach coping had no effect. The hypothesized moderation effects between emotional approach coping, social constraints and writing condition in predicting emotional well-being at follow up were not detected and support for the matching hypothesis proposed by Niles et al (2014) was not found. In a marginally significant model, social constraints had a significant effect and interacted with writing condition to predict quality of life at follow up, such that participants with high baseline levels of social constraints benefitted more from the fact control condition, whereas participants with low baseline levels of social constraints benefitted more from the expressive writing condition. Finally, cancer-related intrusive thoughts mediated the effect of social constraints on emotional well-being at follow up but not on quality of life at follow up. Cancer-related avoidance was not found to mediate the effect of social constraints on either emotional well-being at follow up or quality of life at follow up.