Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Lymph Node Involvement (lymph + node_involvement)
Kinds of Lymph Node Involvement Selected AbstractsParatracheal Lymph Node Involvement in Advanced Cancer of the Larynx, Hypopharynx, and Cervical EsophagusTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 9 2003Conrad V. Timon MD, FRCSI Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis The presence of nodal metastatic disease in head and neck cancer is the foremost prognostic factor. Although neck dissection is the surgical gold standard for the treatment of cervical lymphatic spread, the paratracheal nodal group is not routinely included in the dissection. The study determined the nodal yield, presence of metastases, and prognostic importance of paratracheal nodes in patients with advanced carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. Study Design Prospective histological and survival analysis. Methods Over a 4-year period (October 1994,June 1998), consecutive patients undergoing laryngectomy with or without pharyngectomy or cervical esophagectomy underwent paratracheal node dissection on a prospective basis. Nodal tissue was examined for the presence of metastases. Statistical comparison of survival probability was determined by use of log-rank/,2 test. Results Fifty patients have been included in the study to date, with a minimal follow-up of 3 years. The average number of paratracheal nodes dissected was three per side (range, 1,5). Thirteen (26%) patients demonstrated histological evidence of paratracheal nodal metastases (larynx, 20%; postcricoid/cervical esophageal region, 43%). Five patients (10%) had positive paratracheal nodes alone in a histologically negative cervical neck dissection. The majority of positive paratracheal nodes were less than 1 cm in diameter and appeared negative preoperatively. The absence of positive paratracheal nodes may have a survival benefit. Conclusion The study highlighted the propensity of advanced carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract to involve the paratracheal nodes. This area should be routinely dissected in the surgical management of these tumors. [source] Nodal sampling in pancreaticoduodenectomy: does it change our management?HPB, Issue 6 2007ROOZBEH RASSADI Abstract Background. Lymph node involvement in periampullary malignancy is the single most important factor in predicting survival in pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The role of nodal sampling in PD has not been well evaluated. This study evaluates the utility of nodal sampling of nodal stations 8 and 12, which are easily dissected early in PD, in overall final nodal status. Patients and methods. Fifty patients underwent PD at a single institution by a one surgeon over a 15 month period. Nodal stations 8 and 12 were sent separately for pathologic evaluation. Twenty-eight patients had a final diagnosis of periampullary malignancy. Demographic and pathologic data were collected retrospectively from patient charts. Positive and negative predictive values of nodes 8 and 12 were evaluated. Results. Eighteen of 28 patients with a diagnosis of periampullary malignancy had pathologically negative nodes 8 and 12, and a final nodal status (all peripancreatic lymph nodes) negative for nodal involvement. Nine of 28 patients had a negative nodal sampling result, but a positive final nodal status for metastatic tumor. The remaining four patients had both positive nodal sampling and final nodal status for metastatic tumor. The negative predictive value of negative nodes 8 and 12 was 0.625. Conclusion. The negative predictive of a negative node 8 and 12 of 0.625 suggests that the decision to proceed with or abort PD should not be based on intraoperative evaluation of these nodes. Performance of PD should be undertaken if technically feasible, and not based on intraoperative nodal assessment. [source] Dry type leishmanial lymphadenitis presented as two large parotid and cervical massesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 7 2007I. Esfandiarpour MD Background, Cutaneous leishmanisis (CL) is a common disease in Iran, particularly in Kerman and Bam and Kerman province. Lymphadenitis resulting from leishmania tropica (dry type) with, or without, cutaneous lesion is rare. Localized leishmanial lymphadenitis (LLA) is a specific clinico-pathologic presentation of inflammatory changes caused by leishmanial parasites or antigen within an isolated lymph node without any systemic manifestation. Case report, A 55-year-old Iranian woman presented with two slow growing large nodules (masses) on the left preauricular and the left cervical areas. The nodules were large, painless, mobile, multilobulated, and associated with a small skin papule on the left-side of the cheek distal to the masses. Results, Histopathologic examination of both the skin lesion and the lymph nodes suggested the leishmanial etiology of skin papule and lymphadenitis. The Leishman-bodies (amastigotes) were demonstrated in two lymph nodes and a skin lesion. The clinical picture plus pathological finding and the response to meglumine-antimoniate confirmed LLA. Conclusion, Lymph node involvement is another rare manifestation of dissemination of infection with dermotropic leishmania. This presentation of CL should not be treated with the ordinary local treatments such as curettage, cryotherapy or surgical excision. [source] Lymph node involvement in ampullary cancer: The importance of the number, ratio, and location of metastatic nodesJOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Marek Sierzega MD Abstract Background and Objectives Lymph node involvement significantly affects survival of cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of the number, ratio, and location of metastatic lymph nodes in ampullary cancers. Methods Medical records of 111 patients who underwent curative pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampullary carcinomas were reviewed. Results Metastatic lymph nodes were found in 52 (47%) patients and the median number of involved nodes was 3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3,4; range 1,17). In the univariate analysis, gender, type of pancreaticoduodenectomy, depth of tumor invasion, perineural invasion, presence of metastatic nodes, their number, and ratio of metastatic nodes significantly correlated with patient survival. However, the location of metastatic nodes did not influence survival among patients with nodal involvement. Only four or more metastatic nodes (relative risk 7.35, 95% CI 3.34,16.17) and tumor invasion of peripancreatic soft tissues (relative risk 5.00, 95% CI 1.20,20.92) were the independent prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions The number of metastatic nodes significantly affected patient survival. Although the location and ratio of metastatic nodes were not independent prognostic factors, these variables should be further evaluated with large-scale population data sets. J. Surg. Oncol. 2009;100:19,24. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Clear cell sarcoma in the era of sentinel lymph node mappingJOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Waddah B. Al-Refaie MD Abstract Clear cell sarcoma of the tendons and aponeuroses (CCSTA) are rare aggressive soft tissue tumors with tendency for lymph nodes dissemination. Lymph node involvement is a correlate for prognosis. We present three patients with CCSTA in whom simultaneous sentinel lymph biopsy (SLNB) and resection was performed. Sentinel lymph node mapping may have a role in clear cell sarcoma from a prognostic standpoint. Further investigations are needed for validation. J. Surg. Oncol. 2004;87:126,129. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Local excision and endoscopic posterior mesorectal resection versus low anterior resection in T1 rectal cancer,BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 3 2008I. Tarantino Background: Rectum-preserving endoscopic posterior mesorectal resection (EPMR) removes the local lymph nodes in a minimally invasive manner and completes tumour staging after transanal local excision (TE). The aim of this study was to compare the morbidity and mortality of TE and EPMR with those of low anterior resection (LAR) in patients with T1 rectal cancer. Methods: Between 1996 and 2006 EPMR was performed 6 weeks after TE in 18 consecutive patients with a T1 rectal cancer. Morbidity and mortality were recorded prospectively and compared with those in a group of 17 patients treated by LAR. Lymph node involvement and local recurrence rate were analysed in both groups. Results: Two major and three minor complications were noted after EPMR, and four major and four minor complications after LAR (P = 0·402 for major and P = 0·691 for minor complications). Median number of lymph nodes removed was 7 (range 1,22) for EPMR and 11 (range 2,36) for LAR (P = 0·132). Two of 25 patients with a low-risk rectal cancer were node positive. No patient developed locoregional recurrence. Conclusion: EPMR after TE is a safe option for T1 rectal cancer. This two-stage procedure has a lower morbidity than LAR and may reduce locoregional recurrence compared with TE alone. Copyright © 2008 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in 13 patients with Fanconi anemia after hematopoietic stem cell transplantationCANCER, Issue 12 2008Caroline Masserot MD Abstract BACKGROUND. Fanconi anemia (FA) is a chromosomal instability disorder with a very high risk of developing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), most notably after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS. In the current study, the authors reported 13 cases of HNSCC in FA patients who underwent HSCT at the Saint Louis Hospital between 1976 and 2007. RESULTS. The median age of the patients at time of HSCT was 9.7 years. All patients received irradiation-based conditioning before HSCT and all developed extensive chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD). HNSCC was diagnosed at a median interval of 10 years after HSCT, mainly in numerous sites within the oral cavity (11 patients). Lymph node involvement was diagnosed in 4 patients. The TNM classification was: T1 in 6 patients, T2 in 2 patients, T3 in 2 patients, and T4 in 3 patients. Treatment was comprised of surgery in 10 patients, with clear surgical margins reported in 7 (including cervical lymph node dissection in 6 patients). Surgery was performed in addition to other treatments in only 2 patients (radiotherapy or cryotherapy). For the remaining 3 patients, treatment consisted in radiotherapy (2 patients) or chemotherapy (1 patient). Disease progression while receiving therapy was observed in 5 patients and 5 other patients developed disease recurrence between 3.5 and 23.7 months after treatment. Death occurred in 11 patients. At the time of last follow-up, only 2 patients were alive without any disease between 9 and 23 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS. HNSCC developing in FA patients after HSCT is associated with a very poor prognosis. A systematic surveillance of the oral cavity is essential to permit early surgery, which to the authors' knowledge remains the only curative treatment for a minority of patients. It is very important to attempt to prevent this cancer by reducing chronic GVHD and using conditioning without irradiation. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source] NON-GYNAECOLOGICAL CYTOLOGY: THE CLINICIAN'S VIEWCYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 2006I. Penman There is increased recognition of the importance of accurate staging of malignancies of the GI tract and lung, greater use of neoadjuvant therapies and more protocol-driven management. This is particularly important where regional lymph node involvement significantly impacts on curability. Multidetector CT and PET scanning have resulted in greater detection of potential abnormalities which, if positive for malignancy, would change management. There is also a greater recognition that many enlarged nodes may be inflammatory and that size criteria alone are unreliable in determining involvement. In other situations, especially pancreatic masses, not all represent carcinoma as focal chronic pancreatitis, autoimmune pancreatitis etc can catch out the unwary. A preoperative tissue diagnosis is essential and even if unresectable, oncologists are increasingly reluctant to initiate chemotherapy or enroll patients into trials without this. The approach to obtaining tissue is often hampered by the small size or relative inaccessibility of lesions by percutaneous approaches. As such novel techniques such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided FNA have been developed. A 120cm needle is passed through the instrument and, under real-time visualisation, through the gastrointestinal wall to sample adjacent lymph nodes or masses. Multiple studies have demonstrated the safety and performance of this technique. In oesophageal cancer, confirmation of node positivity by has a major negative influence on curative resection rates and will often lead to a decision to use neoadjuvant chemotherapy or a non-operative approach. Sampling of lymph nodes at the true coeliac axis upstages the patient to M1a status (stage IV) disease and makes the patient incurable. In NSCLC, subcarinal lymph nodes are frequently present but may be inflammatory. If positive these represent N2 (stage IIIA) disease and in most centres again makes the patient inoperable. Access to these lymph nodes would otherwise require mediastinosocopy whereas this can be done simply, safely and quickly by EUS. Overall the sensitivity for EUS , FNA of mediastinal or upper abdominal lymph nodes is 83,90% with an accuracy of 80,90%. In pancreatic cancer performance is less good but pooled analysis of published studies indicates a sensitivity of 85% and accuracy of 88%. In a recent spin-off from EUS, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) instruments have been developed and the ability to sample anterior mediastinal nodes has been demonstrated. It is likely that this EBUS , FNA technique will become increasingly utilised and may replace mediastinoscopy. The development of techniques such as EUS and EBUS to allow FNA sampling of lesions has increased the role of non-gynaecological cytology significantly in recent years. Cytology therefore remains important for a broad range of specialties and there is ongoing need for careful and close co-operation between cytologists and clinicians in these specialties. References:, 1. Williams DB, Sahai AV, Aabakken L, Penman ID, van Velse A, Webb J et al. Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy: a large single centre experience. Gut. 1999; 44: 720,6. 2. Silvestri GA, Hoffman BJ, Bhutani MS et al. Endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Ann Thorac Surg 1996; 61: 1441,6. 3. Rintoul RC, Skwarski KM, Murchison JT, Wallace WA, Walker WS, Penman ID. Endobronchial and endoscopic ultrasound real-time fine-needle aspiration staging of the mediastinum ). Eur Resp J 2005; 25: 1,6. [source] Langerhans cell histiocytosis in lymph nodes , cytomorphological diagnosis and pitfallsCYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2000S. Kakkar Background Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disorder of unknown aetiology that may present as a multisystem or unisystem disease. The Lymph nodes can be involved as part of disseminated disease, as a metastatic site draining a focus of LCH or may be a unisystem involvement. Paucity of literature on the cytomorphology of LCH in lymph nodes led us to undertake this study. Materials and methods Nine cases with a confirmed histological diagnosis of LCH and a prior lymph node aspirate were retrieved over a 12 year period (1988,1999). Five more cases were reviewed where the cytological diagnosis of LCH was rendered on a background of clinical and radiological findings. Papanicolaou and May Grunwald,Giemsa-stained smears were examined. S-100 protein staining was available in four cases. Results and conclusions Nine cases had multisystem involvement, while in five cases only lymph nodes were involved. There were eleven males and three females; age ranged from five months to 27 years. The cytological diagnosis of LCH had been rendered in six, suspected in four and missed in four. Of the latter, two were reclassified as LCH on review, one as reactive lymphadenitis and in one a necrotising lesion was suspected. The pathognomonic ,LCH cell' was identified in 12 of 14 cases along with varying numbers of eosinophils, polymorphs and lymphocytes. Giant cells were seen in only six cases. In conclusion lymph node involvement by LCH can be identified on aspirates. However, LCH must be differentiated from dermatopathic lymphadenitis, sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy and Hodgkin's disease. [source] Barrett's esophagus: current and future role of endosonography and optical coherence tomographyDISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 2 2004S. A. Faruqi SUMMARY., This paper reviews the role of endosonography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for imaging of Barrett's esophagus (BE). The routine use of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to screen patients with BE is neither justified nor cost effective. EUS does appear to have a role in patients who have BE and high-grade dysplasia or intramucosal carcinoma, in whom a non-operative therapy is being contemplated. For patients with a diagnosis of esophageal cancer with or without BE, EUS is superior to computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging for assessing esophageal wall penetration and for detecting regional lymph node involvement. In its current state, OCT is not yet ready for application in clinical practice. However, given its superior resolution compared with other modalities such as EUS, OCT has great potential as a powerful adjunct to standard endoscopy in surveillance of BE and may enhance the ability of endoscopists to detect high-grade dysplasia at an early stage. With further technical refinement, this technique may become a mainstay in the surveillance of BE and other premalignant conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. [source] Prognostic factors for classifying extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type, as lymphoid neoplasiaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Im I. Na Abstract This study evaluated the applicability of prognostic factors commonly used for diagnosis of classical lymphoma outcomes to extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, nasal type (NTCL). Clinical features and their associations with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were evaluated in 70 patients. RLDH was defined as the ratio of LDH to the upper normal limit. RLDH was associated with stage (I,II vs. III,IV), lymph node involvement (LNI), and International Prognostic Index score (<2 vs. ,2). Poor performance status and advanced stage were common in patients with local tumor invasiveness (LTI). LDH level, classified into three levels (low, high, and very high) was associated with survival (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the predictive values of LDH level, B symptom, performance status, and stage remained significant whereas those of LTI and LNI did not. Scoring was performed by weighting each factor with 0.5 or 1.0 according to its hazard ratio. Scores were classified into four groups. Groups with high scores were associated with unfavorable outcomes (P < 0.001). Current study suggests that prognostic factors for NHL may be useful to predict the outcome of NTCL but the model should take LDH level and the prognostic weight of each factor into account. [source] E-cadherin abnormalities resulting from CPG methylation promoter in metastatic and nonmetastatic oral cancerHEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 1 2008Renato Vieira de Moraes MSc Abstract Background. This study aims to compare the alterations in the methylation profiles of E-cadherin in oral cancer, especially in tumors with lowest metatastic potential. Methods. Nine oral verrucous carcinomas (VCs), 20 oral well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas without lymph node involvement (SCC-pN0), and 17 with lymph node involvement (SCC-pN+) were analyzed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin gene. Results. The immunohistochemical expression of E-cadherin in VC was significantly higher (p = .016) when compared with SCC-pN0 and SCC-pN+ groups. The E-cadherin gene methylation was not correlated with its abnormal immunohistochemical expression in VC and SCC-pN0. All tumors of the SCC-pN+ group with unmethylated E-cadherin gene showed significant loss of E-cadherin immunoexpression (p = .044). Conclusions. The E-cadherin gene methylation presence in tumors with lowest invasive and metastatic potential, such as VC, suggests the early involvement of this epigenetic event in the multistep progression of the oral carcinogenesis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008 [source] Transcervical superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy in the management of papillary thyroid carcinomaHEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 1 2003Mark L. C. Khoo FRCS Abstract Aim. Surgery is the treatment of choice for lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma. When adequately treated by surgical extirpation, the presence of lymph node involvement does not seem to have a negative impact on cure rates or survival. Surgical lymphadenectomy for metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma has been well described for both the central and the lateral compartments of the neck. Superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy, however, has only sporadically been mentioned. We describe our experience with transcervical superior mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TSML) that avoids the morbidity of the traditional sternal split. Materials and Methods. This retrospective analysis included 30 patients (24 women and 6 men; age range, 17,72 years) who underwent TSML by the senior author (JLF) for papillary carcinoma metastatic to the superior mediastinum between 1985 and 1999. Histopathologic examination confirmed positive nodes in all the mediastinal dissections. All patients received postoperative I131. Results. All the patients are alive after a median follow-up of 5 years (range, 1,14 years). Twenty-nine of 30 patients remain free of disease, whereas one patient is alive with lung and bone metastases. No patient has had local or regional relapse. The only significant complication was a high incidence of temporary (70%) and later permanent (50%) hypoparathyroidism. Conclusions. TSML is a safe and effective treatment for superior mediastinal metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 24: 000,000, 2002 [source] Genome-wide analysis of gene expression in human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2005Kazutaka Obama Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a neoplasm arising in the liver, and its incidence is increasing in Japan as well as in Western countries. Prognosis of patients with this type of tumor remains unsatisfactory because no effective chemotherapeutic drugs are available, we have no sensitive tumor markers to detect this tumor in its early stage, and it is difficult to identify a high-risk group for the disease. To clarify the molecular mechanism of tumorigenesis and identify molecular targets for diagnosis and treatment, we analyzed global gene-expression profiles of 25 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas using tumor cell populations purified by laser microbeam microdissection and a cDNA microarray containing 27,648 genes. We identified 52 genes that were commonly upregulated and 421 that were downregulated in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas compared with noncancerous biliary epithelial cells. From the 52 upregulated genes, we selected P-cadherin and survivin for further investigation and corroborated enhanced expression of their products in cancer tissues by immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, comparison between tumors with lymph node metastasis and those without metastasis identified 30 genes that were associated with lymph node involvement. In conclusion, these data should be helpful for a better understanding of the tumorigenesis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and should contribute to the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this type of tumor. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the HEPATOLOGY website (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0270-9139/suppmat/index.html). (HEPATOLOGY 2005.) [source] Prognostic value of p27kip1 expression in adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head regionHPB, Issue 3 2006Jerzy Mielko Abstract Background. p27kip1 is a tumour suppressor gene, functioning as a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, and an independent prognostic factor in breast, colon, and prostate adenocarcinomas. Conflicting data are reported for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The aim of this study was to establish the prognostic value of p27kip1 expression in adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head region. Patients and methods. The study included 45 patients (male/female ratio 2:1; mean age 59, range 38,82 years) with adenocarcinomas of the pancreatic head region: 24 , pancreatic head, 18 , periampullary and 3 , uncinate process. The patients underwent the Kausch-Whipple pancreatoduodenectomy (n=39), pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (n=5), or nearly total pancreatectomy (n=1). Eight patients received adjuvant chemotherapy postoperatively. Follow-up time ranged from 3 to 60 months. Tumours were staged according to the pTNM classification (UICC 1997). Immunohistochemistry was done on paraffin-embedded blocks from tumour sections. Quantitative determination of p27kip1 expression was based on the proportion of p27kip1 -positive cells (< 5%= negative). Survival analysis was carried out using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. Results. Positive p27kip1 expression was detected in 22 tumours (49%), whereas 23 tumours (51%) were p27kip1 -negative. There were no significant correlations between p27kip1 index and stage or lymph node involvement. Median survival time in patients with p27kip1 -positive tumours was 19 months, whereas in patients with p27kip1 -negative tumours it was 18 months (p=0.53). A significant relationship was found between p27kip1 -negative tumours and radical resection (p=0.04). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that the localization of the tumour (pancreatic head/uncinate process vs periampullary) was the only significant and independent prognosticator (p=0.01, Cox regression model). Resection margins involvement and grade remained nearly significant prognostic factors (p=0.07 and p=0.09, respectively). Conclusion. We conclude that p27kip1 has limited overall prognostic utility in resected carcinoma of the pancreatic head region, but its potential role as a marker of residual disease needs to be further assessed. [source] Somatic mutations of adenomatous polyposis coli gene and nuclear b-catenin accumulation have prognostic significance in invasive urothelial carcinomas: Evidence for Wnt pathway implicationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 1 2009Efstathios Kastritis Abstract Wnt pathway signaling is crucial in many cancers and data indicate crosstalk with other key cancer pathways, however in urothelial carcinogenesis it has not been extensively studied. We searched for mutations in adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a key regulator of the pathway, and studied b-catenin expression and interactions with the expression of other markers of apoptosis, angiogenesis, and proliferation in patients with invasive urothelial cancer. The mutation cluster region of APC was directly sequenced in 70 patients with muscle invasive disease who were treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. COX-2, p53, Ki67, and b-catenin were studied immunohistochemically and micro vessel density was quantified by CD105 expression. Single somatic amino-acid substitutions (missense) were found in 9 (13%) and frameshift deletions in 2 (3%) tumors, all located in regions adjacent to b-catenin binding sites. Patients having either APC missense mutations or b-catenin nuclear accumulation had less frequent COX-2 overexpression (24% vs. 76%, p = 0.043) and more frequent lymph node involvement (75% vs. 38%, p = 0.023). Patients with either APC mutations or b-catenin accumulation had shorter disease-free interval (13.4 vs. 28 months, p = 0.07), whereas in multivariate analysis they had shorter disease-specific survival (60.5 vs. 20.6 months, p = 0.048). Somatic APC missense mutations are not rare in advanced urothelial neoplasms. Either APC mutations and/or aberrant expression of b-catenin are associated with worse outcome. Further study of the role of the Wnt pathway, potential crosstalk with other pathways and potential candidate therapeutic targets in urothelial cancer is needed. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Social class is an important and independent prognostic factor of breast cancer mortalityINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 5 2006Christine Bouchardy Abstract Reasons of the important impact of socioeconomic status on breast cancer prognosis are far from established. This study aims to evaluate and explain the social disparities in breast cancer survival in the Swiss canton of Geneva, where healthcare costs and life expectancy are among the highest in the world. This population-based study included all 3,920 female residents of Geneva, who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer before the age of 70 years between 1980 and 2000. Patients were divided into 4 socioeconomic groups, according to the woman's last occupation. We used Cox multivariate regression analysis to identify reasons for the socioeconomic inequalities in breast cancer survival. Compared to patients of high social class, those of low social class had an increased risk (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR] 2.4, 95% CI: 1.6,3.5) of dying as a result of breast cancer. These women were more often foreigners, less frequently had screen-detected cancer and were at more advanced stage at diagnosis. They less frequently underwent breast-conserving surgery, hormonal therapy, and chemotherapy, in particular, in case of axillary lymph node involvement. When adjusting for all these factors, patients of low social class still had a significantly increased risk of dying of breast cancer (HR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2,2.6). Overmortality linked to low SES is only partly explained by delayed diagnosis, unfavorable tumor characteristics and suboptimal treatments. Other factors, not measured in this study, also could play a role. While waiting for the outcome of other researches, we should consider socioeconomic status as an independent prognostic factor and provide intensified support and surveillance to women of low social class. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Stromelysin-3 expression is an early event in human oral tumorigenesisINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2003Shilpi Soni Abstract Stromelysin-3 (ST3/MMP11) is associated with human tumour progression. To determine the clinical significance of ST3 in oral tumorigenesis, its expression was analysed in different stages of tobacco-associated oral cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis of ST3 expression in 79 oral precancerous lesions, 177 SCCs and 35 histologically normal oral tissues was carried out and corroborated by immunoblotting and RT-PCR. ST3/MMP11 protein expression was observed in 45/79 (57%) precancerous lesions [28/48 (58%) with hyperplasia and 17/31 (55%) with dysplasia] and in 123/177 (70%) oral SCCs. In precancerous lesions, ST3 expression was higher compared to normal oral tissues (p = 0.000) and associated with MVD (p = 0.05), a marker for angiogenesis. ST3 was also expressed in cells cultured from precancerous and cancerous lesions that had undergone epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In oral cancer patients, ST3 positivity was associated with lymph node involvement (p = 0.025) and increased intratumoral MVD (p = 0.009). Ninety-eight oral SCC patients were followed up for a period of 94 months (median 22.5 months). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that ST3 expression was not a significant prognostic indicator. ST3 expression in oral hyperplastic and dysplastic lesions suggests its association with progression of phenotypic alterations acquired early during the malignant transformation pathway of oral epithelium and implicates it not only in angiogenesis and invasion but also in tumorigenesis. Thus, ST3 may serve as a potential target for developing molecular therapeutics for early intervention in oral tumorigenesis. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Detection of bone marrow-disseminated breast cancer cells using an RT-PCR assay of MUC5B mRNAINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 4 2003Nora Berois Abstract The evaluation of disseminated epithelial tumor cells in breast cancer patients has generated considerable interest due to its potential association with disease recurrence. Our work was performed to analyze the usefulness of 5 mucin genes expression (MUC2, MUC3, MUC5B, MUC6 and MUC7), using RT-PCR assays, to detect disseminated cancer cells in patients with operable breast cancer. The highest frequencies of positive RT-PCR tests in breast tumor extracts were observed for MUC5B (7/15) and MUC7 (5/12). The best specificity, negative results on all peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMN) cell samples from healthy donors, were shown for MUC2, MUC5B and MUC6 RT-PCR assays. Thus, we selected MUC5B as a target gene for further evaluation. Using a nested RT-PCR, MUC5B mRNA transcripts were detected in 16/31 primary breast tumors (but not in 36 samples of normal PBMN cells) and in the human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line but not in BT20, MDA, T47D and ZR-75 breast cancer cell lines, indicating that MUC5B mRNA is expressed in a population of breast cancer cells. Using this method, 9/46 patients (19.5%) who underwent curative surgery showed positive MUC5B mRNA in bone marrow aspirates obtained prior to surgery, including 5/24 patients (20.8%) with stage I or II breast cancer, without histopathologic lymph node involvement. These results indicate that MUC5B mRNA could be a specific marker applicable to the molecular diagnosis of breast cancer cell dissemination. A comparative evaluation between MUC5B mRNA, cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA in all bone marrow aspirates suggests a putative complementation for molecular detection of disseminated carcinoma cells. Considering that breast cancer is characterized by a great phenotypic heterogeneity, the use of multimarker approach could contribute to tumor cell detection in bone marrow and blood. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in renal cell carcinoma is correlated with cancer advancementJOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2003Ching-Chiang Yang Abstract Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) functions as a regulator of neovascularization in malignant cells. VEGF as a mitogen is thought to alter renal cell carcinoma formation and tumor progression. We investigated the expression of the VEGF gene in order to evaluate its clinical significance in renal cell carcinoma. Tissue samples from 198 patients with renal cell carcinoma were examined with an immunohistochemical stain for the expression of the VEGF gene. The expression rate was compared to 34 normal renal cortical samples obtained from renal surgery from noncancer patients. There were significant differences between normal renal cortex (0%) and cancer tissue (54.5%) in positive staining of VEGF protein (P<0.001). With the progression of tumor grade, the positive rate of VEGF gene expression significantly increased. The expression rate of the VEGF gene in the advanced group, such as with lymph node involvement or vein invasion, was greater than that in the locally confined group (P<0.001). The results revealed that expression of the VEGF gene is proportional to the formation and progression of renal cell carcinoma, which may allow VEGF to be used as a prognostic marker for renal cell carcinoma. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 17:85,89, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Value of sonography for follow-up of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in children with tuberculosisJOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND, Issue 3 2007Joaquim Bosch-Marcet Abstract Purpose. To assess the clinical value of sonography for the follow-up of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in children diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Methods. We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 21 children (9 boys, 12 girls) with a mean age of 6 years (range, 7.4 months to 18 years) who had a positive intradermal tuberculin skin test. All patients underwent thorough history-taking, physical examination, frontal and lateral chest radiographs, and sonographic study of the mediastinum. The mediastinum was accessed through the suprasternal and left parasternal approaches. The presence of 1 or more masses with an ovoid or round shape and hypoechoic appearance in the anterior or middle mediastinum was recorded. A comparison was made between the results of the sonographic examination of the mediastinum before administration of anti-TB agents and after 3 months of treatment. Results. Pulmonary radiographic findings were suggestive of TB in 17 patients and were uncertain in 4 patients. Sonographic examination, however, detected mediastinal lymphadenopathy in all patients. A comparison of pretreatment mediastinal sonograms with those obtained after 3 months of anti-TB treatment showed a marked reduction of lymph node involvement in 17 patients (80.9%). In the remaining 4 patients, mediastinal lymphadenopathy was still present. Conclusion. Mediastinal sonography appears to be a valuable tool for the diagnosis of TB and in the monitoring of response to treatment in children. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2007 [source] Cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman DiseaseJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005L. Lin Rosai-Dorfman disease, or sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy (SHML), is a rare benign disease of unknown etiology that involves the cervical lymph nodes. Histologic findings include emperiopolesis of lymphocytes and S-100 protein positivity. Extranodal involvement occurs in 30,40% of cases, often involving skin. However, cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease without lymph node involvement is uncommon. We describe a case of cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease and discuss its clinical and histopathologic findings. A 69-year-old Caucasian male presented with a two-year history of a slowly enlarging violaceous mass on the mid-upper abdomen. He had a history of renal cell carcinoma two-year ago and was asymptomatic without any systemic symptoms. Physical examination revealed a large, violaceous mass of mid-upper abdomen with several violaceous nodules surrounding the periphery. There was no palpable lymphadenopathy. Punch biopsy showed diffuse dermal infiltrates composed of central xanthomatous cells surrounded by lymphoplasmacytic cells. Focal germinal center was noted. Immunostaining revealed strong S-100 and CD68 reactivity of central xanthomatous cells and kappa and lambda polyclonal lymphoplasmacytic cells. Special stains for infectious disorder were negative. Cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease is a benign reactive process, often under-recognized due to lack of systemic symptoms and lymphadenopathy. A high index of diagnostic awareness is required for its recognition. [source] Kikuchi-Fujimoto's Disease with Skin ManifestationsJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005I.T. Yu A fourteen-year-old female presented with persistent fever, abdominal pain, splenomegaly and multiple intra-abdominal lymphadenopathies. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy. Biopsies of the mesenteric lymph nodes revealed necrotizing histiocytic lymphadenitis, characterized by para-cortical fibrinous necrosis with karyorrhectic debris and histiocytic palisading, and paucity of the polymorphic neutrophils. She also developed concurrent skin lesions with scattered small non-itching vesicles and blisters over her back and lower legs. A punch biopsy revealed vacuolar interface changes, sub-epidermal blister formation, mild superficial perivascular infiltration, and follicle necrosis. Karyorrhectic debris and CD68-positive cells are noted around the follicle. A direct immunofluorescent study was negative for complement or immunoglobulin depositions. The patient was diagnosed as Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease, or necrotizing histiocytic lymphadenitis, a benign self-limited lymph node disorder most commonly occurred in young females. Patients with Kikuchi's disease are typically presented with isolated cervical lymphadenopathy with or without accompanying fever. Multiple lymph node involvement, splenomegaly and/or cutaneous lesions are rare occurrences. The present patient experienced a severe inflammatory response syndrome manifested by respiratory failure, pancytopenia, and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. She recovered completely after two weeks of intensive medical treatment. She has had no respiratory symptoms, residual lymphadenopathies or documented skin lesions in her follow-up three months after discharge. [source] Differential, stage-dependent expression of Hsp70, Hsp110 and Bcl-2 in colorectal cancerJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2003TAE SOOK HWANG Abstract Background: The presence of hypoxic cells in solid tumors has been suggested to contribute to the malignant progression of various tumors. Recently, we reported an activation of heat shock transcription factor (HSF) and expression of heat shock proteins (Hsp) in murine tumor cells by hypoxia. Methods: To search for a possible role of Hsp in the malignant progression of human tumors, we analyzed the expression profiles of Hsp family proteins in weakly and highly metastatic human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. We also analyzed the expression profiles of Bcl-2 family proteins because the altered expression of these proteins has been demonstrated in various solid tumors. Results: In the present paper we showed among various Hsp and Bcl-2 family proteins that the expression of Hsp70 and Hsp110 was elevated in highly metastatic CX-1 and HT-29 cells, while the expression of Bcl-2 was elevated in weakly metastatic MIP-101 and Clone A cells. Subsequent immunohistochemical analysis of 81 primary human CRC tissues demonstrated that the expression of Hsp70 and Hsp110 was highly correlated with the advanced clinical stages and positive lymph node involvement. The expression of Bcl-2, in contrast, was correlated to the early clinical stage and negative lymphovascular invasion. Conclusion: Taken together, our study demonstrated for the first time a differential, stage-dependent expression of Hsp70, Hsp110 and Bcl-2 in CRC. We suggest that the molecular mechanisms underlying the differential expression of Hsp and Bcl-2 family members deserves a more rigorous future study, the results of which might offer novel modes of rationale and strategy to predict and manipulate the malignant progression of colorectal cancers. [source] Cyclic guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase activity in human gingival carcinomaJOURNAL OF ORAL PATHOLOGY & MEDICINE, Issue 4 2003Giuseppe Spoto Abstract Background:, Cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) is an essential second messenger metabolized by phosphodiesterases (PDEs). Objectives:, We looked for a possible correlation of PDE activities in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with and without lymph node metastases. Materials and methods:, The analysis of phosphodiesterase activity and the cGMP assay were done by reverse-phase HPLC on samples of fresh or frozen gingival tissues. Analysis of cGMP was confirmed with the enzyme-linked immunoabsorption assay. Results and conclusions:, cGMP PDE activity was 34.92 ± 7.17 SD, 12.89 ± 4.43 SD, and 35.88 ± 8.76 SD (nmols/mg of protein), respectively, in controls, samples without lymph node involvement (N,), and specimens with lymph node metastases (N+). cGMP values were 1.97 ± 0.63 SD, 3.30 ± 1.47 SD, and 3.49 ± 1.47 SD (nmols/mg of protein). Our data support the hypothesis of a role for cGMP and PDE in the progression of OSCC. [source] Invasive front grading: reliability and usefulness in the management of oral squamous cell carcinomaJOURNAL OF ORAL PATHOLOGY & MEDICINE, Issue 1 2003Faleh A. Sawair Abstract Background:, The value of histological grading was examined with emphasis on reliability of assessment in 102 cases of intraoral squamous cell carcinoma from Northern Ireland with known outcome. Methods:, Two pathologists independently graded the invasive tumour front blinded to the stage and outcome. Results:, Intraobserver agreement was acceptable but interobserver agreement was not satisfactory. The degree of keratinisation was assessed most consistently while nuclear polymorphism was the least reliable feature. Multivariate survival analysis showed that the total grading score was associated with overall survival while the pattern of tumour invasion was the most valuable feature in estimating regional lymph node involvement. The number of positive lymph nodes was strongly associated with regional relapse, while the treatment modality and status of the surgical margins correlated with local relapse. Conclusions:, Grading of selected features in OSCC is reliable and can facilitate treatment planning. [source] Loss of E-cadherin and ,-catenin is correlated with poor prognosis of ampullary neoplasmsJOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Hui-Ping Hsu MD Abstract Background and Objectives Distant metastasis resulting from carcinoma cell detachment from the primary tumor involves modification of adhesion molecules. This study was conducted to examine the correlation of E-cadherin/,-catenin expression with survival and recurrence in ampullary neoplasms. Methods Patients with diagnoses of ampullary neoplasms were enrolled in the study. Demographics, operative findings, and histopathological data were collected by retrospective chart review. Expression of E-cadherin and ,-catenin were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results A total of 110 patients were enrolled in the study. Preservation of membranous staining of E-cadherin was noted in 41 (37%) patients, aberrant cytoplasmic staining in 48 (44%) patients, and complete loss in 21 (19%) patients. Loss of E-cadherin was associated with pancreatic invasion, recurrence, and poor prognosis. Membranous staining of ,-catenin was noted in 65 (59%) patients, cytoplasmic or nuclear accumulation in 16 (15%) patients, and complete loss in 29 (26%) patients. Loss of ,-catenin expression was associated with tumor markers, ulcerative type, liver metastases, and poor prognosis. Pancreatic invasion, lymph node involvement, and loss of ,-catenin expression were predictors of disease recurrence. Conclusions Loss of the E-cadherin/,-catenin complex is related to poor prognosis in ampullary cancer. Loss of ,-catenin is predictor of recurrence in multivariate analysis. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 101:356,362. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Relationship of clinical and pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and outcome of locally advanced breast cancer,JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 1 2002Csaba Gajdos MD Abstract Background and Objectives Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancers produces histologically evaluable changes and frequently reduces the size of the primary tumor. Local clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy may correlate with response of distant metastases. Therefore, clinical or pathological factors, which predict or assess response to treatment, may predict outcome after consideration for initial extent of disease. Methods To identify pretreatment characteristics of locally advanced breast cancers which predict clinical and pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy as well as survival and to assess the utility of postoperative histologic changes, we retrospectively studied one hundred forty-four patients with locally advanced breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy between January 1975 and July 1996. Patients were identified through pathology records of the Mount Sinai Medical Center and via one of the author's clinical databases. Pathologic and clinical responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were correlated with survival. Stepwise logistic regression was used to identify variables most significantly related to clinical response and pathologic axillary lymph node involvement. Results Complete clinical response with no palpable tumor was noted in 7/86 patients (8%) and complete pathologic response was achieved in 18/138 patients (13%). Both clinical (P,=,0.038) and pathologic response (P,=,0.011) were related to tumor size at the time of diagnosis: smaller tumors were more likely to respond to chemotherapy than larger tumors. Histologic evidence of chemotherapeutic effect, i.e., cytoplasmic vacuolization, change in the number of mitoses and localized fibrosis in lymph nodes did not correlate with clinical or pathologically measured response. Clinical and pathologic response was not associated with age, histology, differentiation, or type of chemotherapy. No residual tumor was found in the axillary nodes of 27% (37) of the patients. Age and complete pathologic response were the only variables significantly related to pathologic nodal status. Eighty-four percent of the 61 patients under 50 years of age had nodal involvement compared to 65% of older patients (P,=,0.014). Fifty percent of complete pathologic responders had positive axillary lymph nodes compared to 76% of patients who did not have a complete pathologic response (P,=,0.020). Distant disease-free (P,=,0.039) and overall survival (P,=,0.035) were related to the number of involved axillary lymph nodes. After consideration for pathologic lymph node status, no other variable was significantly related to distant disease-free or overall survival in multivariate analysis. No variable was significantly related to local disease-free survival. Age, clinical tumor size, clinical lymph node status, clinical response, type of chemotherapy, histology, differentiation, chemotherapy effects on primary tumor and lymph nodes, decline in the number of mitoses, and degree of fibrosis in nodes were not predictive of distant recurrence or overall survival. Conclusions This study of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced breast cancers found little evidence that measurable clinical or pathologic changes attributable to chemotherapy predicted survival. Axillary lymph node status, associated with young age, was the most important prognostic indicator in these patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2002;80:4,11. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] CNS lymphomatoid granulomatosis with lymph node and bone marrow involvementsNEUROPATHOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Akihiro Takiyama Lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LYG) in the CNS is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disease with characteristic angiocentric lymphoreticular proliferative and granulomatous lesions exhibiting low-grade malignant potential. Here we report a rare case of CNS-LYG, which disseminated to the lymph node and bone marrow. A 50-year-old man was diagnosed with CNS-LYG based on brain biopsy showing perivascular infiltration of CD3-positive small T-lymphocytes without overt nuclear atypism. Eight months after the initial neurological symptoms, inguinal lymph node swelling was found and histopathologically diagnosed as peripheral T-cell lymphoma. TCR,-gene rearrangement study using both paraffin-embedded specimens of brain and inguinal lymph node demonstrated an identical clonal band. Considering the clinical course, we concluded lymph node involvement of CNS-LYG, suggesting the malignant potential of CNS-LYG. [source] UICC-2002 TNM classification is not suitable for differentiated thyroid cancer in children and adolescentsPEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 6 2008Prasad T. Oommen MD Abstract Background Recently the UICC-TNM classification for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) was changed neglecting the special circumstances for children affected by the disease. While the 1997 TNM classification grouped tumours ,1 cm as T1, the 2002 system changed this to a margin of ,2 cm. The consequences of this change were evaluated by analysing patients enrolled in the multicentre interdisciplinary therapy study of the German Society of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology (GPOH) on malignant endocrine tumours in children and adolescents, GPOH-MET 97. Procedure Between 1998 and 2005, 82 patients with histologically proven DTC entered the study. Patients classified according to UICC-TNM classification 1997 were reclassified according to the new classification (2002/2003) and vice versa by cross checking with original pathologist's reports. Results Twenty males and 62 females at a mean age of 12.5 years were evaluated. We observed a definite shift from patients formerly classified as T2 (1,4 cm) to category T1 (,2 cm) according to the 2002 TNM classification. Among these patients a threefold increase of lymph node involvement and/or distant metastases could be demonstrated. Conclusions The 2002 UICC-classification may have a disadvantage for children with tumours measuring between 1 and 2 cm, as those are now classified as T1. A high rate of lymph node involvement in this group reflects the risk of under-diagnosis and -treatment of this group. The current TNM classification for DTC in children should be changed taking the physiological and anatomical differences between children and adults into consideration. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:1159,1162. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||