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Pathological Specimens (pathological + specimen)
Selected AbstractsTREATMENT FOR DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU IN AN ASIAN POPULATION: OUTCOME AND PROGNOSTIC FACTORSANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 1-2 2008Esther W. L. Chuwa Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Singapore women and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is believed to be the precursor of most invasive breast cancers. The incidence of DCIS has increased dramatically with mammographic screening, but its treatment remains controversial. Further, results of treatment for DCIS in Asians, and in particular Singapore women, are lacking. We review our institution's results treating a predominantly Chinese population with DCIS of the breast before the introduction of mammographic screening and aim to determine treatment outcomes and identify prognostic factors for disease recurrence. Methods: Between January 1994 and December 2000, 170 consecutive patients with DCIS were treated at our institution. One hundred and three (60.5%) were managed with breast conservation (17 with local wide excision alone and 86 with adjuvant irradiation following wide excision) whereas 67 (39.4%) underwent mastectomy. Of those who underwent wide local excision, 56 (54.3%) underwent re-excision for margin clearance. Overall, the axilla was surgically staged in 47 (27.6%) and no nodal involvement was found in all cases. Pathological specimens were reviewed by one of the authors. Median follow up was 86 months (range 4,151 months). Results: Sixty-two patients (36%) were asymptomatic at presentation whereas most (64%) presented with clinical symptoms; out of these more than half (54%) presented with a palpable lump. The median size of tumours was 13 mm (range 1.5,90 mm). Patients who underwent breast conservation surgery had oncologically more favourable lesions , with a significantly higher incidence of smaller and non-palpable lesions and lesions of lower nuclear grade. However, there was also a significantly higher incidence of local recurrence in this group. At the end of follow up, there were 12 patients (7.1%) who developed local recurrence and 8 patients (4.7%) developed contralateral disease. The crude incidence of all breast events (including both local failure and contralateral events) at 5 years was 5.6%. Median time to the development of any breast event (local recurrence or contralateral disease) was 60 months (range 12,120 months). The cumulative 5-year recurrence-free survival for patients who underwent breast conservation surgery was 94%. Factors influencing local recurrence rate were close or involved margins (,1 mm) and lack of adjuvant radiotherapy. There were no cancer-specific deaths during the period of follow up. Conclusion: Our results indicate that rates of cancer-specific survival were similar after mastectomy and breast conserving surgery. However, a close or involved margin (,1mm) and lack of adjuvant radiotherapy were associated with local recurrence, with margin status being the independent predictor for local recurrence. Our results reinforce that optimizing local therapy is crucial to improve local control rates in women treated with DCIS in our population. [source] Oncological control after radical prostatectomy in men with clinical T3 prostate cancer: a single-centre experienceBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2009Evanguelos Xylinas OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of cancer control afforded by radical prostatectomy (RP) in patients with clinical stage T3 prostate cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data for patients treated by RP for clinical stage T3 prostate cancer between 1995 and 2005. The following case characteristics were analysed: patient age, clinical presentation, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, Gleason score, tumour stage (2002 Tumour-Node-Metastasis), surgical procedure, pathological data, margin and lymph node status, and recurrence. Biochemical recurrence was defined as an increase in PSA level of >0.2 ng/mL after surgery. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated, and prognostic factors were evaluated. RESULTS Overall, 100 patients were included; only 79% of them had pT3 disease based on the pathological specimen. The median follow-up after RP was 69 months. The RP was open in 77 and laparoscopic in 23, with no significant difference between these approaches (P = 0.38). The 5-year PSA-free survival after surgery was 45%, and 5-year cancer-specific survival was 90%. On univariable analysis, Gleason score >7 (P = 0.01), pathological stage (pT2-T3a vs T3b) (P < 0.001), positive lymph node (P < 0.001), and positive margin (P < 0.001) were associated with recurrence. On multivariable analysis, lymph node, margin status and Gleason score were also significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS RP can be recommended as an alternative primary treatment that results in acceptable cancer control for clinical stage T3 prostate cancer in selected cases. However, the patient should be warned that surgery alone might not be sufficient to control the cancer, and that adjuvant therapy might be needed during the course of the disease. [source] Local recurrence after abdomino-perineal resectionCOLORECTAL DISEASE, Issue 1 2009M. Davies Abstract Objective, Local recurrence of rectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality following curative resection. The published rates vary after abdomino-perineal resection (APR) from 5% to 47%. The aim of this study was to evaluate local recurrence following curative APR for low rectal cancer in our unit. Method, The medical notes of patients treated between 1st January 1996 and 31st December 2000 were retrieved. Local recurrence was defined as the presence of tumour within the pelvis confirmed by clinical findings, pathological specimen or radiological reports. A curative resection was defined as excision of tumour in the absence of macroscopic metastatic disease and whose resection margins were greater than 1 mm circumferentially and 10 mm distally. Outcomes and survival were compared using Fisher's exact test and Kaplan,Meier method. Results, Two hundred consecutive cases with a diagnosis of rectal cancer were identified of which 139 underwent a curative resection (69.5%). Of these 40 patients (28%) underwent APR with curative intent. Two patients (5%) developed local recurrence at 18 and 24 months respectively. The overall local recurrence rate for all curative rectal cancer surgery, in the same period was 2.6%. Eleven patients have died in the follow-up period of which nine were cancer-related deaths. Conclusion, The local recurrence rates achieved with APR were not significantly different from those achieved with restorative operations. Tumours at the ano-rectal junction should not be dissected off the pelvic floor, but radically excised en bloc with the surrounding levator ani, as a cylinder, as originally described by Miles. [source] High serum hepatocyte growth factor level in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomaEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 5 2003Liang-Tsai Hsiao Abstract: Higher pretreatment serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels were observed in patients with multiple myeloma and Hodgkin's disease, but not in those with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We examined patients' serum levels at diagnosis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and histological expression of HGF in pathological specimens of lymphoma, in relation to clinical features. The subjects were 77 NHL patients and 40 healthy controls. The serum levels of HGF in NHL patients at diagnosis were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (median 1019 vs. 689 pg/mL, P < 0.001). At diagnosis, patients with more than two sites of extranodal involvement (P = 0.001), higher scores of international prognostic index (P = 0.015), and advanced Ann Arbor stage (P = 0.023) had a higher level of serum HGF. Although the association of pretreatment serum HGF level and survival was not significant, a correlation of serial change of serum HGF levels with treatment response was found in limited cases. Furthermore, HGF expression of lymphoma tissues was shown in 18 of 24 (75%) different NHL subtypes, including most of the diffuse large B cell lymphoma (12 of 15, 80%). In conclusion, our study showed higher pretreatment serum HGF levels in NHL patients, which was related to clinical features; and the serial change of HGF seemed to parallel the treatment response. The pathogenic role of HGF in NHL patients was further highlighted by a modest expression of HGF in most of the diffuse large B cell lymphoma. [source] Paleopathology and health of native and introduced animals on Southern Peruvian and Bolivian Spanish Colonial sitesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 5 2010S. D. Defrance Abstract Spanish colonial sites in southern Peru and Bolivia contain remains of native camelids and introduced bovids with examples of degenerative paleopathologies that are interpreted as reflecting changes in herd management, animal use and animal health following the Spanish conquest. The archaeological contexts include three Spanish colonial wineries from Moquegua in southern Peru and the nearby colonial village of Torata Alta where indigenous people were forced to resettle under Spanish control. Also from Peru is faunal material from the 14th to 16th century rural agropastoral village of Pillistay located near Camana. Animal remains with bone abnormalities are also present in residential, commercial and industrial sites associated with Spanish silver mining near Potosí, Bolivia at Tarapaya and Cruz Pampa. Eighteen pathological specimens are described including examples of degenerative changes to phalanges, vertebrae, tarsals, limb elements and ribs. Paleopathologies present include exostoses, osteophytes, porosity, grooving and eburnation. Examples of phalangeal exostoses on bovid phalanges indicate the use of these introduced animals as draught cattle. Exostoses on camelid first phalanges suggests their use as cargo animals as do thoracic vertebrae with severe cases of degenerative pathology. Introduced caprines contain few pathologies indicating their primary use as food animals. The bone abnormalities from colonial sites are more severe than those reported for prehispanic faunal assemblages. These data provide insights into the health and work behaviour of indigenous Andean camelids and introduced Eurasian animals following the Spanish conquest. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Congenital lobar emphysema: Differential diagnosis and therapeutic approachPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 5 2008Refik Ulku Abstract Background: Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is a rare anomaly of lung development that usually presents in the neonatal period with respirator distress and pulmonary lobar hyperinflation. It is commonly confused with pneumothorax. The aim of the present paper was to review the authors' experience in order to emphasize the importance of differential diagnosis with pneumothorax. Methods: Children with CLE treatment at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Dicle University School of Medicine, Turkey, between January 1993 and June 2004, were reviewed. Results: Ten children consisting of six boys and four girls (age range, 6 h,12 months) had CLE. Major presenting symptoms were tachypnea(n = 100%) and respiratory distress in (n = 80%). On chest radiograph, emphysema was seen in all patients, and shift-herniation to the opposite lung, atelectasis were observed. Computed tomography was performed in all patients, which indicated emphysema in the affected lobes in all cases. Pulmonary perfusion scan was performed in two patients, showing loss of perfusion in the affected lobe. The most common affected lobe was the left upper lobe (50%). In the present series, three patients were mistakenly diagnosed as pneumothorax and intercostal drains were inserted in the emergency department. Eight patients underwent lobectomy, and postoperative course was uneventful. Two patients were followed conservatively. Emphysema was detected in all pathological specimens. One patient was lost to follow up. Mean follow-up duration of all patients was 26.8 ± 29.24 months (range, 1,89 months). Conclusions: CLE is established on combined clinical, radiological and scintigraphic imaging. Surgical excision of the affected lobe is the appropriate treatment. Particularly, differential diagnosis should be made between CLE and pneumothorax. [source] Tracheal Agenesis in NewbornsTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 9 2004Timothy A. Lander MD Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis: A series of three newborns with tracheal agenesis is described. The preferred methods of diagnosis, description of the clinical course, and a review of the pertinent embryology, associated anomalies, and clinical management are presented. Study Design: A retrospective study of a clinical series of referred patients from 2002 to 2003 who were seen at a single institution. Methods: Chart review for clinical course and pathological specimens was performed in all cases. Three patients were identified with tracheal agenesis. Results: All three newborns died within 48 hours of birth. All of the children underwent emergency laryngoscopy and neck exploration. Gross and microscopic pathological examination was accomplished on all patients. Conclusion: Although tracheal agenesis is rare, it may be more common than previously thought. The diagnosis is not straightforward, and the prognosis is grim. The embryology of the trachea and other foregut derivatives is closely related, and associated birth defects are common. [source] MALIGNANT PROGRESSION OF ANAL INTRA-EPITHELIAL NEOPLASIAANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 8 2006Angus J. M. Watson Background: Anal intra-epithelial neoplasia (AIN) is believed to be a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. The risk of developing anal cancer in patients with AIN, although known to occur, has been thought to be relatively low. This study reviews our experience with AIN, reviewing the incidence and risk factors for development of invasive malignancy and the outcome of present management strategies. Methods: This study examined a cohort of 72 patients identified from a prospective database with AIN from a single institution between January 1996 and December 2004. A single pathologist examined all pathological specimens. Results: There were 72 patients (52 women) and the median age was 49 years (range, 18,81 years). We identified progression of AIN to invasive malignancy in eight patients despite undergoing surveillance. Regression following treatment or biopsy was seen in 25 patients. Four patients required stomas for incontinence following treatment. Conclusion: This study has shown a high rate of progression to invasive malignancy (11%) with AIN despite surveillance. The patients at risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma were the immunocompromised and those with genital intra-epithelial field change. Treatment of AIN has significant complications and despite treatment, invasive cancers do occur. Decisions made for treatment of AIN can affect treatment choices if invasive malignancy develops. [source] |