ISRN Oncology

A potential complication of sarcoma excision surgery is a sensory neurological dysfunction around the surgical scar. This study utilised both objective and subjective sensation assessment modalities, to evaluate 22 patients after sarcoma surgery, for a sensory deficit. 93% had an objective sensory deficit. Light touch is less likely to be damaged than pinprick sensation, and two-point discrimination is significantly reduced around the scar. Results also show that an increased scar size leads to an increased light touch and pinprick deficit and that two-point discriminatory ability around the scar improves as time after surgery elapses...

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common leukemia in the United States. It is a slowly progressive disease, with an 82% five-year survival rate. The treatment strategies are highly individualized with patients in the early and stable stages typically not requiring treatment. However, those with progressive or clinically advanced disease will require treatment. Cytotoxic drugs, such as the alkylating agents, purine nucleoside antagonists, and immunotherapeutic agents, have been the mainstay of chemotherapeutic treatment in CLL...

Purpose. Validation of a Canadian three-tiered prognostic model (survival prediction score, SPS) in Norwegian cancer patients referred for palliative radiotherapy (PRT), and evaluation of age-dependent performance of the model. Patients and Methods. We analyzed all 579 PRT courses administered at a dedicated PRT facility between 20.06.07 and 31.12.2009. SPS was assigned as originally described, That is, by taking into consideration three variables: primary cancer type, site of metastases, and performance status...

Purpose. To analyze pattern of care and survival after palliative radiotherapy (RT) in patients managed exclusively by regular oncology staff or a multidisciplinary palliative care team (MPCT) in addition. Methods. Retrospective analysis of 522 RT courses. Comparison of Two Groups: MPCT versus none. Results. We analyzed 140 RT courses (27%) with MPCT care and 382 without it. The following statistically significant differences were observed: 33% of female patients had MPCT care versus only 23% of male patients and 37% of patients <65 years had MPCT care versus only 22% of older patients...

Despite a high clinical success, relapse in Hodgkin lymphoma occurs in 10-30% of cases and 5-10% patients are nonresponsive to initial chemotherapy. The standard management of these patients includes high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant. However, 50% of patients ultimately relapse after autotransplant which poses a big challenge. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation offers the only chance of cure in these patients. For patients who are not candidates for allogeneic stem cell transplantation, achieving cure with other possible options is highly unlikely, and thus the treatment plan becomes noncurative...

Background. Early onset colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is rare and has been hypothesized to be a biologically and clinically distinct entity personifying aggressive disease and worse survival. Methods. Data for 131 patients was collected by retrospective chart review. Cox proportional hazard model was used to compute prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results. Early onset sporadic CRC accounted for 32% of all CRC treated in the specified time period. The mean age was 33.3 ± 7.9 years and the male to female ratio was 2 : 1...

Background. We report our experience with vinorelbine, a widely used chemotherapeutic, in unselected metastatic breast cancer patients treated in clinical routine. Patients and Methods. The data of all patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving vinorelbine with or without trastuzumab during a six year period were reviewed. Patients received vinorelbine intravenous 25-30 mg/m(2) or 60-80 mg/m(2) orally in days 1 and 8 of a 21 day cycle. Results. Eighty-seven women were included. Sixty-two patients received vinorelbine alone and 25 patients received vinorelbine in combination with trastuzumab...

Background. Fine-needle aspiration cytology plays a major role in the primary diagnosis of breast carcinoma. Cytological grading of the smears can provide valuable prognostic information and aid in planning the management options. Aim. To evaluate various 3-tier cytological grading systems and to determine the best possible system which is reliable and objective for use in routine practice. Materials & Methods. 72 fine-needle aspiration smears of breast carcinomas were graded by two pathologists and compared with the histologic grading by Nottingham modification of Scarff-Bloom-Richardson method...

To achieve tumor control for radiotherapy, a dose distribution is planned which has a good chance of sterilizing all cancer cells without causing unacceptable normal tissue complications. The aim of the present study was to achieve an accurate calculation of dose for small field dimensions and perform this by evaluating the accuracy of planning system calculation. This will be compared with real measurement of dose for the same small field dimensions using different detectors. Practical work was performed in two steps: (i) determination of the physical factors required for dose estimation measured by three ionization chambers and calculated by treatment planning system (TPS) based on the latest technical report series (IAEATRS-398) and (ii) comparison of the calculated and measured data...

Aims. The differences between the 2007 and the 2013 ASCO/CAP HER2 guidelines have been compared. We also discussed the potential consequences in our pathological practice. Material and Methodology. 189 HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) tests were performed from 1016 preliminary HER2 immunohistochemical tests (IHC). All cases were reviewed and reclassed following the 2007 and 2013 ASCO/CAP recommendations. Results. The 2013 version decreased false-negative IHC (3/118 versus 1/54, P = ns) and created more 2+ IHC (40/186 versus 89/186, P = 0...

Sclerosing RMS (SRMS) is a recently described subtype of RMS that has not yet been included in any of the classification systems for RMSs. We did pubmed search using keywords "sclerosing, and rhabdomyosarcomas" and included all pediatric cases (age ≤ 18 years) of SRMSs in this review. We also included our case of an eleven-year-old male child with skull base SRMS and discuss the clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical, and genetic characteristics of these patients. Till now, only 20 pediatric cases of SRMSs have been described in the literature...

Our study describes the incidence and risk factors for undiagnosed diabetes in elderly cancer patients. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data, we followed patients with breast, colorectal, lung, or prostate cancer from 24 months before to 3 months after cancer diagnosis. Medicare claims were used to exclude patients with diabetes 24 to 4 months before cancer (look-back period), identify those with diabetes undiagnosed until cancer, and construct indicators of preventive services, physician contact, and comorbidity during the look-back period...

Colorectal cancer ranks as one of the most incidental and death malignancies worldwide. Colorectal cancer screening has proven its benefit in terms of incidence and mortality reduction in randomized controlled trials. In fact, it has been recommended by medical organizations either in average-risk or family-risk populations. Success of a screening campaign highly depends on how compliant the target population is. Several factors influence colorectal cancer screening uptake including sociodemographics, provider and healthcare system factors, and psychosocial factors...

Background. In lung adenocarcinoma, the frequency of KRAS mutations is ethnicity dependent with a higher proportion in African Americans and white Caucasians than in Asians. The prevalence of these mutations among North Africans patients is unknown. The objective of this study was to report the frequency and spectrum of KRAS mutations in a group of Moroccan lung adenocarcinoma patients. Methods. Tumor specimens from 117 Moroccan patients with lung adenocarcinoma were selected to determine frequency and spectrum of KRAS mutations...

Background. Mammographic density is a risk factor, for breast cancer and its association with various factors is under investigation; we carried out a study to assess its relationship with daily dairy intake, sun exposure, and physical activities. Patients and Methods. Women ≥40 years of age were interviewed about habits of dairy product consumption, daily sun exposure and physical activity. Exclusion criteria consisted of history of breast cancer, consumption of calcium and vitamin D supplements, hormone replacement therapy, or renal disease...

Breast cancer survival has significantly improved over the past two decades. However, the diagnosis of breast cancer is lower and the mortality rate remains higher, in African American women (AA) compared to Caucasian-American women. The purpose of this investigation is to analyze postoperative events that may affect breast cancer survival. This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from The Brooklyn Hospital Center cancer registry from 1997 to 2010. Of the 1538 patients in the registry, 1226 are AA and 269 are Caucasian...

Background. Quantifying the interfraction dose variations in the organs at risk (OAR) in HDR intracavitary brachytherapy (HDR ICBT). Methods. Rectum and bladder were contoured in 44 patients of cervical carcinoma on CT after each fraction of HDR ICBT (9 Gy/2 fractions). Interfraction dose variations (VARact) were calculated. Rigid image registration of consecutive fraction images allowed quantification of the hypothetical variation in dose (VARhypo) arising exclusively due to changes in applicator placement and geometry...

In healthy humans, 60-70% of the B lymphocytes produce kappa light chains, while the remaining cells produce lambda light chains. Malignant transformation and clonal expansion of B lymphocytes lead to an altered kappa : lambda expression ratio, which is an important diagnostic criteria of lymphomas. Here, we compared three methods for clonality determination of suspected B cell lymphomas. Tumor biopsies from 55 patients with B cell malignancies, 5 B-lymphoid tumor cell lines, and 20 biopsies from patients with lymphadenitis were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, and reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR...

Rationale and Objectives. To compare the sensitivities of ultrasound guided core biopsy and fine needle aspiration (FNA) for detection of axillary lymph node metastases in patients with a current diagnosis of ipsilateral breast cancer. Materials and Methods. From December 2008 to December 2010, 105 patients with breast cancer and abnormal appearing lymph nodes in the ipsilateral axilla consented to undergo FNA of an axillary node immediately followed by core biopsy of the same node, both with ultrasound guidance...

We investigated the sensitivity and specificity of [(11)C]-methionine positron emission tomography ([(11)C]-MET PET) in the management of glioma patients. We retrospectively analysed data from 53 patients with primary gliomas (16 low grade astrocytomas, 15 anaplastic astrocytomas and 22 glioblastomas) and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) > 70. Patients underwent [(11)C]-MET PET scans (N = 249) and parallel contrast-enhanced MRI (N = 193) and/or CT (N = 113) controls. In low grade glioma patients, MRI or CT findings associated with [(11)C]-MET PET additional data allowed discrimination residual disease from postsurgical changes in 96...