Small Tumours (small + tumour)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Tubular carcinoma of the breast: Prognosis and response to adjuvant systemic therapy

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 1 2001
P. R. B. Kitchen
Background: Tubular carcinoma of the breast is an uncommon and usually small tumour, and is thought to have a favourable prognosis. The present study examined the long-term prognosis of patients with tubular breast carcinoma and the roles of axillary dissection and adjuvant therapy. Methods: Eighty-six tubular cases were identified from a large worldwide database of 9520 breast carcinoma patients entered into randomized adjuvant therapy trials run by the International Breast Cancer Study Group from 1978 to 1999. These patients were followed for a median of 12 years. Results: Forty-two (49%) cases were node-positive, of which 33 (79%) had 1,3 nodes involved. Ten (32%) of the 31 smaller tumours (, 1 cm in size) were node-positive. Patients with node-positive tubular carcinoma had a significantly better 10-year relapse-free survival (P = 0.006) and survival (P < 0.0001) compared with non-tubular node-positive cases. Overall survival was similar for node-positive and node-negative tubular carcinoma. Overall, 71 patients (83%) received some form of adjuvant systemic therapy. Of the 86 cases, 43 (50%) received more than one course of chemotherapy. There was an 85% decrease in the risk of death for patients who received more than one course of chemotherapy compared to those who did not (hazard ratio 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03,0.82; P = 0.03). Conclusions: Compared to other histological types of breast cancer, tubular carcinoma has a better long-term prognosis. Adjuvant chemotherapy may further improve prognosis and involvement of axillary nodes may not be an indicator for early death due to breast carcinoma. [source]


TUMOUR SIZE AS A PREDICTOR OF AXILLARY NODE METASTASES IN PATIENTS WITH BREAST CANCER

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 11 2006
Sharon Laura
Background: The ability to predict the behaviour of breast cancer from its dimensions allows the clinician to inform a woman about the absolute benefits of adjuvant therapies or further surgery to control her disease. Tumour size and grade are independent predictors of nodal disease. This study aims to generate a tool, using Australian data, allowing surgeons to calculate the probability of axillary lymph node involvement in a preoperative setting. Methods: The histological reports of patients with breast cancer treated in 1995 in New South Wales were examined and tumour size, grade and nodal status recorded. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified predictors of node positivity and, using linear regression analysis, a simple formula to predict nodal involvement was derived. Results: In a 6-month period, 754 women had non-metastatic, unifocal breast cancer treated with surgery and complete axillary dissection and 283 (37.5%) had positive nodes. Tumour size remained an independent predictor of node positivity and the probability (%), y, of nodal involvement may be predicted by the formula y = 1.5 × tumour size (mm) + 7, r = 0.939 and P = 0.001. Conclusions: This paper shows the need to assess the axilla in every patient because even patients with small tumours (0,5 mm) have the possibility of axillary involvement (7,14.5%). Use of this simple formula allows clinicians and patients to make informed decisions about the possible need for a full axillary dissection to reduce the chance of understaging and potentially undertreating a woman's breast cancer. [source]


Relation of microvessel density with microvascular invasion, metastasis and prognosis in renal cell carcinoma

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2008
Esin Yildiz
OBJECTIVE To clarify the significance of microvessel density (MVD) in a retrospective investigation the relationship between the pattern of MVD (reflecting angiogenesis), and tumour stage, grade, size, and occurrence of microvessel invasion (MVI), metastasis, and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients who had surgery for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Vessels were labelled in sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from 54 RCCs by CD34 immunohistochemistry. The mean MVD, expressed as the number of vessels per 10 high-power fields (HPF, ×400) were measured for each case. In addition, all pathological slides were reviewed for the presence and absence of MVI. The prognostic value of MVD and MVI was then evaluated, and correlated with the usual prognostic variables, tumour metastasis and CSS. RESULTS In a univariate analysis of CSS, the MDV tended to be lower as stage increased from pT1 to pT3, and as grade increased from G1 to G4, although it was statistically significant only for stage (P < 0.001 and 0.050, respectively). The mean MVD was higher in 42 nonmetastatic than in 12 metastatic tumours, and in 33 tumours associated with MVI than in 21 with no MVI (P < 0.001). The mean MVD was also lower and significantly different for 28 large than 26 small tumours (P = 0.005). The survival rate of patients with tumours that were small, low-stage, of higher MVD, with no MVI and metastasis was significantly higher than that of patients with large, high-stage, low MVD, with MVI and metastatic tumours (all P < 0.001). MVI was significantly more common with a decreasing trend in MVD and the presence of metastasis (Spearman rank correlation rs = ,0.68, P = 0.01, and rs = 0.39, P = 0.01, respectively). Independent prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis were: in all patients with RCC, tumour stage (P = 0.013) and metastasis (P = 0.028); in those with low MVD, MVI (P = 0.004) and metastases (P = 0.016); in those with no MVI, stage (P = 0.020); in those with MVI, MVD (P = 0.001); in those with no metastases, stage (P = 0.045); and in those with metastases, MVD (P < 0.001). No independent predictor was identified in patients with high MVD. In patients with no metastases there was a significantly shorter median CSS time in RCCs with low MVD and with MVI (P = 0.004 for both). Similarly, patients who had grade 3,4 tumours, vs those with lower MVD and with MVI, had a significantly shorter median CSS (P = 0.020 for MVD, and 0.01 for MVI). CONCLUSIONS This study suggested that MVD in RCC was inversely associated with MVI, tumour metastasis, patient survival and tumour diameter and stage, from the usual prognostic variables, but MVD was not an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis for all patients with RCC. Low MVD and the presence of MVI appears to be a marker for identifying patients with an adverse prognosis. [source]


Renal oncocytoma: a clinicopathological analysis of 45 consecutive cases

BJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2005
Tomas Gudbjartsson
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical behaviour and pathology of renal oncocytoma in a well-defined population over a 30-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a retrospective population-based study we assessed relevant clinical and pathological factors in 45 patients (31 men and 14 women) diagnosed with renal oncocytoma in Iceland between 1971 and 2000. Clinical presentation, pathology, survival and causes of death were evaluated. RESULTS The age-standardized incidence was 0.3 per 100 000 per year for both men and women, the incidence of oncocytomas being 5.5% of renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) diagnosed during the same period in Iceland. Fourteen patients were diagnosed at autopsy for an unrelated disease. Of 31 living patients (mean age 70.5 years), seven were diagnosed incidentally (23%), and the others had presented with haematuria (32%), abdominal pain (29%), and weight loss (10%). All the patients had a radical nephrectomy, except for one with bilateral oncocytoma who had a partial nephrectomy. The mean (range) tumour size was 5.7 (0.9,12) cm. Eighteen patients (58%) were diagnosed at Tumour-Node-Metastasis stage I, 10 at stage II (32%) and three at stage III (10%), all of those at stage III having renal capsular penetration or tumour invasion into perirenal fat tissue (T3aN0M0). No patients were diagnosed with lymph node or distant metastasis. Two cases of coexisting RCC were detected. After a median follow-up of 8.3 years there were no recurrences or deaths from oncocytoma (100% disease-specific survival). The overall 5-year survival was 63%, with most patients dying from cardiovascular diseases or nonrenal cancers. CONCLUSIONS In most cases renal oncocytoma behaves like a benign tumour; the long-term prognosis is excellent. Thus, in the present patients, radical nephrectomy could be regarded as an over-treatment and nephron-sparing surgery as more appropriate, especially in patients with small tumours. However, both coexisting RCC and perirenal fat invasion, a hallmark of malignant behaviour, might indicate that more radical surgery is warranted in some of these patients. [source]


Endoscopic ultrasonography for evaluation of pancreatic tumours in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 12 2005
P. Hellman
Background: Pancreatic tumours are common in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), and close surveillance is needed to detect pancreatic lesions at an early stage. Conventional radiology is inefficient in verifying the small tumours indicated by biochemical screening. During the past decade, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has evolved as a sensitive method for the detection of small pancreatic lesions. Methods: EUS was evaluated in 25 patients with MEN1, two of whom had symptoms due to hormonal secretion. Twenty-two patients had biochemical signs of pancreatic tumours, and in five patients lesions were located by either computed tomography (two) or transabdominal ultrasonography (three). Results: EUS visualized pancreatic tumours in the five patients in whom lesions were detected by the other methods and in a further nine patients. Eight of these 14 patients had surgery, and tumours were confirmed histopathologically. No lesion was detected in any of the 11 patients with no tumour detected by EUS. Conclusion: EUS is a more sensitive technique for the detection and localization of potentially malignant lesions in patients with MEN1 than computed tomography or transabdominal ultrasonography. Copyright © 2005 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Does delayed treatment shorten the life of patients with fatal choroidal melanoma?

ACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2009
B DAMATO
Purpose Metastatic death from uveal melanoma occurs in about 50% of patients many of whom experience a delay in treatment, either intentionally or accidentally. The aim of this study was to determine whether treatment delay shortens survival in patients with choroidal melanoma whose disease apparently proved fatal. Methods Patients with choroidal melanoma were included in the study if resident in mainland Britain and if deceased. Survival was analysed according to basal tumour diameter by Kaplan-Meier and Log rank analysis. Results A total of 696 patients with choroidal melanoma died. The patients had a median age of 65 years and a median basal tumour diameter of 15.0 mm. The basal tumour diameter was <10mm in 41 patients; 10-11mm in 88; 12-13mm in 108; 14-15mm in 165; 16-17mm in 123; and >17mm in 171 patients. Log-rank analysis showed no correlation between survival and basal tumour diameter in these patients (Log rank analysis, p = 0.5537). There was perhaps a trend towards longer survival in patients with a basal tumour diameter less than 10mm. Conclusion In patients with fatal uveal melanoma, there is no significant correlation between basal tumour diameter and survival time. Delay in treatment does not seem to worsen prognosis for survival significantly, except perhaps in patients with small tumours. This finding adds further support to the concept that the main objective of ocular treatment is to conserve the eye with as much useful vision as possible. Since ocular treatment can itself cause significant visual loss, the benefit of treating asymptomatic uveal melanomas is uncertain. There is scope for randomized, prospective studies of treatment versus non-treatment of patients with asymptomatic choroidal melanoma. [source]