Is chronic inflammatory change in the prostate the major cause of rising serum prostate‐specific antigen in patients with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer?

AIM: To evaluate the cause of elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients with transrectal needle biopsy negative for prostate cancer. METHODS: Serum PSA concentration, prostate volume, and pathologic findings were examined in 223 patients with negative biopsy for prostate cancer. The degree of prostate inflammation was determined by the extent and degree of inflammation shown by biopsy specimens and is expressed as an inflammation score (range: 0-36). RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between PSA concentration and prostate total volume (P=0.0001). Prostate chronic inflammation showed no correlation with PSA concentration (P=0.485, F=0.488). After allocating patients to normal PSA (4 ng/mL) groups, we found that serum PSA concentrations in both groups were predominantly affected by prostate total volume. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in prostate volume appears to be the major contributor to a high serum PSA concentration in patients with negative biopsy for prostate cancer. However, in contrast to previous reports, there was no correlation between the degree of prostate chronic inflammation and serum PSA concentrations.     

EDTA-induced urothelial cell shedding for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer in the mouse

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of intravesical EDTA instillation on the development of intravesically implanted tumor cells in normal mice. METHODS: The mouse bladder tumor (MBT-2) model was used in female C3H/eb mice to evaluate the amount of normal urothelial cell shedding, and the degree of tumor growth inhibition following intravesical EDTA instillation in comparison with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) instillation. RESULTS: At 1 h after instillation, the number of urothelial cells aspirated was 500-1000 per PBS-treated mouse and 10,000-20,000 per EDTA-treated mouse (P < 0.00001). The bladder weight, which reflected the effect of the agent on the tumor, was similar in the untreated and PBS-treated mice (105.46 +/- 46 mg and 106.2 +/- 50 mg, respectively). It was significantly lower in the EDTA-treated mice (80.4 +/- 42 mg) (P = 0.0045). CONCLUSIONS: Intravesical administration of EDTA results in significant normal and neoplastic urothelial cell shedding. Intravesical irrigation with EDTA may prevent adherence of the malignant cells to the bladder wall following tumor resection.     

Immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and epidermal growth factor receptor in human breast carcinoma analysed by computer image analyser: correlation with histological grade and metastatic behaviour

 

Aims:

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between immunohistochemical localization of cathepsin D (CD), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in 65 cases of breast carcinoma in Japanese women and traditional prognostic factors such as histological grade, lymph node status, mitotic rate and clinical stage, in order to possibly identify some indicator(s) that may be specifically associated with prognosis.  

Methods and results:

Serial sections of 5-μm thick were cut from the archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, and processed for CD, PCNA and EGF-R immunostaining. The results were analysed by computer-based image analysis system. All samples showed a positive immunoreaction for cathepsin D in both the parenchyma and stroma. However, the staining area and intensity varied from cell to cell in the parenchyma and stroma as well as among samples. Subsequently, the evaluation of immunostaining for CD was separately performed in both the parenchyma and stroma (CDpar and CDstr, respectively) and the combination of both components (CDtotal). PCNA and EGF-R showed positive immunostaining almost exclusively in the parenchymal component of the carcinoma tissue specimens. CDtotal significantly correlated with the histological grade, PCNA index (PI), mitotic rate (MR), EGF-R and lymph node metastasis. Significant correlation was also demonstrated between CDpar and the histological grade, EGF-R and lymph node metastasis, or between CDstr and MR, EGF-R and lymph node metastasis. EGF-R correlated highly with the histological grade, MR score, lymph node metastases and recurrence-free survival.  

Conclusions:

Both the CD parameters and EGF-R are valuable indicators for predicting the biological behaviour of human breast carcinoma.     

Synchronous growth of triple lung cancer

The case of a 75-year-old man with three synchronous carcinomas of the lung (large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma) is reported. This is the eighth well-documented case report in the literature; however, our case is the first to be reported with the newly described histological combination.     

雷公藤内酯对人胃癌细胞株FGC_(85)杀伤作用的光镜和电镜观察

本文应用核苷掺入技术及电镜观察首次证实雷公藤内酯对人胃癌细胞株 FGC_(85)的杀伤作用。用药早期,细胞数,分裂指数及 DNA,RNA 合成无明显变化,但出现核仁脱粒及核仁破碎等变化;晚期,电镜观察发现细胞以凋落方式死亡,药物主要作用于间期细胞,其杀伤机构的始动环节可能与核酸代谢障碍无关。     

Raf-1 kinase,epidermal growth factor receptors,and mutant ras proteins in colonic carcinomas

Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) andras mutations are known to play a significant role in controlling cell growth and tumor promotion. Both of them transmit mitogenic signals to the nucleus by activation of Raf-1 kinase. In this study, the expression of EGFR and mutant Ras proteins, and, for the first time, the expression, phosphorylation and kinase activity of Raf-1 kinase have been determined in paired samples of colorectal cancer and mucosa. The tumor and mucosa samples did not differ significantly with regard to Raf-1 kinase content and activity. A major difference between tumors and mucosa was found, however, in the phosphorylation of Raf-1. Most of the mucosa samples (13/20), but only 1/20 of the cancer samples, contained hyperphosphorylated Raf-1. EGFR were significantly (p=0.0025) decreased in the tumors. The decreased phosphorylation of Raf-1 in colonic carcinomas could be the result of activation of Raf-1 phosphatases or inactivation of kinases phosphorylating Raf-1. New forms of treatment based on EGFR overexpression do not seem to be suitable for the majority of colonic cancers.This work was supported by the state of Baden-Württemberg (Verbundforschungsprojekt: Aufklärung von Mechanismen der Tumorentstehung und Tumorabwehr).     

Clusterlike Headache as a First Sign of Brain Metastases of Lung Cancer

We report on a patient with clusterlike headache and multiple brain metastases of lung cancer. Initially, cluster headache was suggested clinically by characteristic symptoms without any focal central nervous system signs. However, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated multiple brain metastases. It is possible that tumor necrosis factor may have played a role in initiating the clusterlike headache.     

Lung cancer in Israel, 1962–1982 I. Jews and Arabs

The magnitude and dynamics of lung cancer incidence in Jews and Arabs in Israel between the years 1962 and 1982 were studied. In general, age-standardized incidence rates increased consistently between the years 1962 and 1976 among Jewish (24% increase) and Arab (39%) males, and to a lesser degree among Jewish females (15%). Arab females had the highest (77%) increase. From 1977 to 1982 a general decrease in incidence rates, which was largest among Arab males (19%) and females (15%), was noted. Rates among Jewish males are currently 26% higher than among Arab males, and are 162% higher among Jewish females than in Arab females. Lung cancer rates in both males and females in Istrael (Jews and Arabs) are lower than in most developed countries in the world. Among the possible reasons are differences in the population risk factors profile, availability of health care and the level of diagnosis and ascertainment of cases.     

Preoperative Chemotherapy Alone and Combined with Preoperative Radiotherapy in Small-Size Breast Cancer

Abstract: Breast conservation surgery is an effective and safe treatment for many breast carcinomas. It may be possible to further limit the extent of resection (or expand the indication for breast conservation) by the application of preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We explored the feasibility of this in a pilot study.
Seventy-three patients (mean age 48, 63% premenopausal) with confirmed breast cancer, less than 2.5 cm, received chemotherapy (Group A) or chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (Group B) prior to limited resection (tumorectomy). Axillary dissection was always performed. Results: In 6/31 (19%) Group A and 17/42 (40%) Group B patients the tumor was not palpable after preoperative treatment, with complete pathological remission in 1 and 3 cases respectively. Histologic grading, mitosis, cellular alteration, and cellularity evaluations indicated a consistently greater therapeutic effect with chemoradiotherapy than with chemotherapy alone.
In conclusion, radiotherapy appears useful in the preoperative treatment of breast cancer and its use in association with various drug combinations should be further explored.