Clinical parameters that predict histology of postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node mass in testicular cancer

BACKGROUND: Since the advent of cisplatin-based chemotherapy, the majority of metastatic testicular cancers can be cured by chemotherapy followed by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND). However, postchemotherapy RPLND confers no therapeutic benefit if the residual mass contains no viable cells. Therefore, to determine which parameters predict a patient's likelihood of having only necrosis in the residual mass, we retrospectively analyzed clinical parameters of patients who underwent postchemotherapy RPLND. METHODS: Data from 27 patients with metastatic testicular cancer were analyzed. The histology of the primary tumor was seminoma in 11 cases and non-seminoma in 16 cases. All of the patients with non-seminoma showed a normalization of tumor markers after chemotherapy. Analysis of clinical parameters included data for the initial histology, pretreatment tumor marker levels, postchemotherapy retroperitoneal mass size, and the histology of the dissected RPLNs. RESULTS: Histological examination of dissected RPLNs showed residual tumor in 27% of seminoma patients and 38% of non-seminoma patients. In seminoma patients, no viable cells were found in all six patients with pretreatment lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels below 7.5 times the upper limit of normal, or in all five of the patients with postchemotherapy RPLNs less than 2.5 cm. In non-seminoma patients, no viable cells were found in nine of 10 patients with pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels less than 2700 ng/mL, or in eight of nine patients with residual mass less than 2.5 cm. CONCLUSIONS: Both postchemotherapy RPLN mass size and pretreatment tumor marker levels are possible predictors for necrosis of the residual mass in testicular cancer patients.     

头颈部肿瘤CT灌注成像表现与微血管生成因子表达水平的相关性研究

目的研究头颈部肿瘤CT灌注与肿瘤血管生成因子（VEGF）的相关性。方法对85例共88个（恶性77个，良性11个）头颈部肿瘤术前行CT灌注检查。采用螺旋CT机自带软件绘制感兴趣区（ROI）的时间-密度曲线（TDC）并计算ROI强化峰值（PH）、达峰时间（PT）、平均通过时间（MTT），病灶相对强化峰值（RPH）和灌注量（PF）。其中35例切取与CT灌注靶层面相同的组织切片，行CD34、VEGF抗体免疫组织化学染色，分析肿瘤CT灌注成像表现与微血管密度（MVD）和VEGF表达的相关性。结果（1）头颈部肿瘤CT灌注成像TDC主要有3种类型，77个恶性肿瘤中53个（68．9％）表现为速升速降型；9个淋巴瘤中6个TDC表现为低平型曲线，与68个其他肿瘤中仅有9个为低平型曲线相比差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。（2）甲状腺癌呈高灌注，其PF（中位数为82．2ml·min^-1·100g^-1）与淋巴瘤PF（中位数为24．5ml·min^-1·100g^-1）、头颈鳞癌PF（中位数为23．8ml·min^-1·100g^-1）相比差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。（3）11个良性肿瘤的MVD均数为（44．7±3．4）条／高倍视野，24个恶性肿瘤的MVD为（49．6±14．8）条／高倍视野，良恶性肿瘤间差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）；VEGF在恶性肿瘤呈强阳性者15个，弱阳性9个；在良性肿瘤呈强阳性1个，弱阳性10个，VEGF的表达强阳性率在良、恶性肿瘤差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。（4）MVD（中位数40．0）与PH（中位数26．9）、RPH（中位数14．5）和PF（中位数46．8）有明显相关性（r值分别为0．35、45．49和0．41），VEGF（中位数4．0）表达与MTT（中位数16．7）呈负相关（r=-0．41）。结论CT灌注成像TDC形态对头颈部肿瘤诊断及鉴别诊断有一定的帮助。MVD、VEGF与CT灌注相关，CT灌注成像可以反映肿瘤微循环情况。     

胃癌累及胰腺的外科治疗与预后(附120例报告)

目的探讨胃癌累及胰腺的外科治疗方法与预后的关系。方法回顾性分析我院1984年6月～2003年10月手术治疗累及胰腺的胃癌120例。结果本组120例中,根治切除组41例,姑息切除组23例,未切除组56例。根治组41例中经病理证实胰腺有癌细胞浸润者30例,占73.2%,淋巴结转移率为85.4%。其中No10、11淋巴结转移率为73.1%。术后102例得到随访,随访率为85%,1、3、5年的生存率分别为:根治切除组为73%、37%、17%,姑息切除组为22%、9%、4%,未切除组为9%、2%、0%。根治切除组1,3年生存率明显高于姑息性切除组和未切除组(P<0.05),5年生存率明显高于未切除组(P<0.01),但与姑息性切除组无显著性差异。姑息性切除组和未切除组1、3年生存率无显著性差异,但5年生存率明显高于未切除组(P<0.01)。结论胃癌累及胰腺的根治切除可提高1,3年生存率,选择合适的适应征是关键。姑息切除有助于改善生存质量,对改善预后意义不大。     

Growth fraction in human brain tumors defined by the monoclonal antibody Ki-67

Summary The monoclonal antibody Ki-67, which reacts with cells in the active part of the cell cycle, was used to evaluate immunocytochemically the growth fraction in 22 primary brain neoplasms. The percentage of labelled cells reflected the histological grade of malignancy of each neoplasms. High percentage of Ki-67-positive cells were observed in one choroid plexus carcinoma (60%), one primary melanoma of meninges (40%), three medulloblastomas (40%–50%), one anaplastic astrocytoma and six glioblastomas (10%–40%). One ependymoma had 7% positive cells. Rare positive cells (1%) were present in one pilocytic astrocytoma and one ganglioglioma. Except one negative case, the meningiomas (five cases) had values of positivity ranging from 1% to 6%. Two acoustic schwannomas were negative. These results suggest that immunocytochemical staining with the Ki-67 may be a useful method for measuring the growth fraction in brain neoplasms.Supported in part by Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro and Ministero Italiano della Pubblica Istruzione     

Intravesical instillation therapy with bacillus Calmette-Guérin for superficial bladder cancer: Study of the mechanism of bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy

AIM: In order to clarify the initial step of the mechanism by which bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) exhibits antitumor activity via the immune response induced in the bladder submucosa after intravesical BCG therapy for human bladder cancer, various cytokines secreted in the urine after BCG instillation were measured. METHODS: After transurethral resection of bladder cancer, a 6-week course of BCG instillation was performed. At the first and sixth weeks' dosings, spontaneously excreted urine was collected before and 4, 8, and 24 h after BCG instillation. The urinary cytokines were determined by Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using monoclonal antibodies against granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and IL-12. RESULTS: After the BCG therapy, various cytokines, such as GM-CSF, TNF-alpha, G-CSF, IL-1beta, IL-8, IFN-gamma, and IL-12 were secreted, comprising the immune response cascade. The mean urinary excretions of GM-CSF and TNF-alpha 4 h after the sixth week's instillation were significantly higher than the pre-instillation levels. There were no significant increases in the urinary IFN-gamma or IL-12 levels between 4 and 24 h after the sixth week's instillation. The TNF-alpha level 4 h after the sixth week's instillation had a strong tendency towards the absence of recurrence, with a mean follow-up of 54.1 months. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed the 2, 5, and 10-year recurrence-free survival rates were 72.4%, 65.8%, and 56.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We suggested that the urinary levels of TNF-alpha might be essential in antitumor activity after BCG therapy and might play an important role in the prevention of bladder tumor recurrence.     

Liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis

Aim: To examine the survival benefit of liver and lung resection for colorectal metastasis and the potential prognostic factors that affect patient survival. Methods: All patients who had resection of lung or liver metastasis for colorectal metastasis in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong from 1995 to 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. The overall and disease‐free survival was analysed, in particularly between liver and lung metastasis. All factors that may have affected the survival were entered into Cox's proportional hazards regression model to identify significant variables associated with survival. Results: At 5 years, the overall survival of patients who had resection of lung and liver metastasis was 44% and 38%, respectively; the disease‐free survival was 26% and 24%, respectively. Overall and disease‐free survival of patients with resection of lung metastasis was comparable to those with resection of liver metastasis. The differentiations of primary tumour and time to metastasis were shown to be significant prognostic factors influencing overall survival. Those patients with systemic chemotherapy after resection of colorectal metastasis demonstrated a significantly higher probability of overall survival. Conclusion: Resection of lung and liver metastases from colorectal origin was safe and both procedures improved survival. The use of chemotherapy after resection of metastasis significantly improved the overall survival.     

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.     

Regression of Pulmonary and Multiple Skeletal Metastases from Renal Cell Carcinoma by Nephrectomy and Alpha-interferon Therapy: A Case Report

We report a rare case of advanced renal cell carcinoma in apatient who showed complete resolution of metastases to thelung and bones after nephrectomy, partial jejunectomy and subsequentalpha-interferon therapy. The patient was a 54-year-old manwhose right lung and left femur metastases were detected beforenephrectomy. In the seventh week after nephrectomy, a partialjejunectomy was carried out because of the obstructive ileuscaused by intraluminal multiple metastases of the jejunum. Apathological fracture of the metastasized right humerus occurredsubsequently. After four months of intramuscular alpha-interferonadministration (3x106 units/day), however, x-rays revealed thecomplete disappearance of the metastatic lung shadow and a solidunion of the humerus, and there were no tumor cells in the femurspecimen resected at the subsequent reconstruction surgery ofthe left leg. Seven years have passed from onset, and the patientis still alive and disease free.     

胃平滑肌肿瘤的诊断与治疗（附21例临床分析）

目的:研究旨在评价胃平滑肌肿瘤的生物学行为及其诊治。方法:收集1986～1995年间本科治疗患者,检出平滑肌起源胃肿瘤21例,复习病史、实验室检查、手术及病理报告,以比较良、恶性平滑肌肿瘤的临床特点、生物学活性及处置。结果:病理证实11例胃平滑肌瘤,9例肉瘤及1例子滑肌母细胞瘤。临床特点以腹痛(16/21)、呕血及血便(12/21),以及腹部包块(5/12),腹块主要见于恶性肿瘤中。肿瘤好发于胃体及胃底;肿瘤直径范围自0.5～15cm,肌瘤平均3.9cm,肉瘤平均7.8cm(P<0.05)。外科治疗的原则是局部切除肿瘤及周边2—3cm胃壁组织。在4例有转移的恶性肿瘤采用了姑息治疗措施。结论:区分平滑肌瘤及肉瘤主要标准是临床上局部浸润及转移以及组织学上的有丝分裂指数。肿瘤大于8cm恶性可能大,手术切除范围宜扩大。     

肺癌患者红细胞免疫功能和T淋巴细胞亚群的检测及临床意义

作者对62例肺癌患者进行红细胞免疫功能及T淋巴细胞亚群测定，并与20例正常人对照。结果显示：肺癌组红细胞膜C3b受体活性（RBC－C3bRR）、CD3 、CD4 、CD4 ／CD8 比值均低于正常人（P＜0．05～0．01），红细胞膜的吸附免疫复合物（RBC－ICR）、CD8 均高于正常人（P＜0．05～0．01），因此认为红细胞免疫及T淋巴细胞亚群测定对肺癌的诊断、治疗及病情预后估计有一定价值。