Comparative study of various grading systems in oral squamous cell carcinoma and their value in predicting lymph node metastasis.

Background: Regional lymph node (LN) metastasis is the single most prognostic factor for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). An analysis of the prognostic factors is important for predicting prognosis and reducing the mortality in these patients. Objectives: (1) To compare the value of various grading systems in predicting LN metastasis. (2) To evaluate histopathological parameters, which could help in predicting LN metastasis. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 excisional biopsies of OSCCs, were graded according to the four grading systems that is, Broder’s, Jakobsson's, Anneroth and Hansen’s, and Brynes. We also evaluated various histopathological parameters, which could help in predicting LN metastasis. Results: Grading at the invasive front was most prognostic of LN metastasis. Tumors with total malignancy score ≥8 showed higher incidence of metastases. Conclusion: The histopathological parameters that could help in predicting lymph node metastases (LNM) are keratinization, nuclear pleomorphism (NP), and the pattern of invasion (POI) when assessed at the invasive front. When the whole tumor was considered, histopathological parameters like NP and POI were significant in predicting LNM.

Hepatocyte growth factor profile with breast cancer.

Background: The multifunctional hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is the ligand of c-Met receptor; it plays important role in mammary differentiation. HGF-Met signaling is a critical downstream function of c-Src-Stat3 pathway in mammalian tumorigenesis. Aim: Evaluation of tissue c-Met receptor hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR) and serum level of HGF in female breast ductal carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Sixty-eight premenopausal females were divided as 30 control females subdivided into: [Group 1] 15 healthy volunteer females and [Group 2] five with fibrocystic disease and 10 having fibroadenoma of the breast and patients group [Group 3] consisted of 38 female patients with breast ductal carcinoma. Thorough clinical examination, preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology, estimation of fasting serum glucose, urea, creatinine, and uric acid levels, alanine aminotransferase activities, C-reactive protein, HGF level, before surgery and histopathological examination of the breast masses, and immunohistochemical detection of HGFR were done. Results and Conclusions: Significant increase in serum HGF levels were found in patients with breast cancer as compared with controls. Significant increase was also seen in patients with breast cancer with and without lymph node metastasis when each subgroup was compared with controls. Serum level of HGF is an independent prognostic indicator of breast cancer. Fibrocystic disease of the breast showed weak HGFR expression, while in normal tissue, HGFR was scanty; meanwhile, breast invasive ductal carcinoma showed homogenous strong reaction to HGFR. HGF is only one of a number of key factors involved in breast cancer and preoperative high serum HGF levels and malignancy occur usually together.

Linfoma primário do sistema nervoso central: [revisão] / Primary central nervous system lymphoma: [review]

O linfoma primário do sistema nervoso central (LPSNC) é um linfoma extralinfonodal que, ao diagnóstico, encontra-se restrito ao parênquima cerebral, às meninges e/ou cordão espinhal e/ou olhos. Sua incidência triplicou nas últimas três décadas para 0,4 casos por 100.000 habitantes, representando 4 por cento dos tumores do sistema nervoso central (SNC). Embora pacientes infectados pelo HIV tenham 3.600 vezes maior risco para o desenvolvimento do LPSNC, a incidência não aumentou apenas neste grupo de pessoas. Dados sugerem reduções da incidência de LPSNC em pacientes infectados após a introdução de drogas anti-retrovirais. Cerca de 90 por cento dos casos de LPSNC são classificados como linfoma difuso de grandes células B, 10 por cento têm envolvimento ocular e 10 por cento são HIV positivos. A apresentação clínica depende da localização tumoral, prevalecendo os sintomas neurológicos em detrimento aos sistêmicos. Os exames de tomografia computadorizada (TC) e ressonância nuclear magnética (RNM) são essenciais para o diagnóstico, porém o exame confirmatório deve ser o anatomopatológico. O estadiamento deve ser feito com exames de imagem e biópsia de medula óssea (BMO) bilateral. Os principais fatores de mau prognóstico são: performance status do paciente acima de 1, idade superior a 60 anos, DHL elevada, hiperproteinorraquia e acometimento de área cerebral não hemisférica. Alguns fatores de prognóstico biológicos também podem influenciar na sobrevida, a exemplo da expressão de Bcl-6, que confere melhor prognóstico. O tratamento de escolha é a combinação de quimioterapia contendo altas doses de metotrexate e radioterapia (RDT). Devido às altas taxas de neurotoxicidade associada à RDT, seu uso tem ficado mais restrito aos pacientes idosos, e os recidivados ou refratários.

Primary Central Nervous System lymphoma (PCNSL) is an extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the brain, leptomeninges, spinal cord or eyes. The incidence of PCNSL increased approximately three-fold in the last decades. Nowadays, it represents 0.4 case per 100,000 people and accounts for 4 percent of all primary brain tumors. Although individuals infected with HIV have a 3,600-fold increased risk of developing PCNSL compared with the general population, the incidence has not increased only in AIDS group. Recent data suggest that the incidence of PCNSL declined in the AIDS group after the introduction of anti-retroviral drugs. Around 90 percent of PCNSL cases are classified as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 10 percent involve the eyes and 10 percent of patients are HIV positive. The clinical presentation depends on the location of the tumor with neurological rather than systemic symptoms. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (RMI) are essential in diagnosis, however the gold standard is tumor biopsy. Staging should be made with imaging and bilateral biopsy of bone marrow. The main poor prognosic parameters are performance status greater than 1, age older than 60 years, elevated DHL, high liquor protein concentration and tumor located within the deep regions of the brain. BCL-6 expression identified in the tumor confers a better prognosis. Currently, a combined therapy with high doses of methotrexate and whole-brain radiotherapy is the therapy of choice. Nowever, whole-brain radiotherapy should be carefully analyzed because neurotoxity is a frequent problem in the elderly and in relapsed and refractory patients.

Prognostic Parameters in Moderate or Severe Diffuse Axonal Injury

A retrospective study 40 patients with moderate or severe diffuse axonal injury which is defined as posttraumatic coma for over 24 hours without mass lesions or ischemic insults was conducted in order to identify prognostic parameters. The sign of hypothalamic damage and motor reactivities of 40 patients were reviewed and compared to the outcome. The results were as follows ; 1) The ratio of male to female was about 3 to 1 and the peak incidence was at the first decade. 2) Of abnormal brain stem signs, fever of central origin was observed at the early posttraumatic phase and correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.05). 3) Of abnormal brain stem signs, abnormal ADH secretion was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 4) Abnormal motor reactivity to pain was significantly correlated with nonrecovery of consciousness(P<0.005). 5) In the group of recovery of consciousness, initial Glasgow coma scale in 40 patients with moderate or severe DAI was significantly correlated with their outcome(P<0.005).

A Pathological Study of Renal Cell Carcinoma

The most common malignant renal neoplasm is renal cell carcinoma. It is estimated that renal cell carcinoma accounts for 1% of all primary malignancies in Korea. Rell cell carcinoma presents diverse clinical courses with gross, histopathologic features. It has been known to be very difficult tumor to predict its clinical prognosis. In Korea, many studies have been reported concerning the clinical aspects of renal cell carcinoma. However, pathological studies of renal cell carcinoma are very few even though studies of nuclear grade have been attempted recently. We reviewed 93 cases of renal cell carcinoma examined in the period from 1978 to 1987 in the department of pathology, Yonsei university college of medicine, Yongdong Severance hospital, Wonju college of medicine and analyzed the histopathologic classification, including nuclear grade according to the Fuhrman's method. We abtained the following results by studying the relationship of the factors which had been known as correlated with the prognosis. 1) The ages of patients ranged from 9 to 74 years with a peak in the 6th decade. 2) The most common symptoms of the patients were hematuria, mass and pain, in that oder, and 7 patients complained to specific symptoms. The incidentally found cases characterized stage I, nuclear grade 2 small tumor size (not more than 4 cm) and clear cell type. 3) The renal cell carcinoma was more frequently located in the left kidney than the right by a ratio of 1.25 : 1. The incidence of intrarenal location was divided to the upper pole, 40% : mid portion, 29% : lower pole, 23% : diffuse involvement, 8%. The tumor shoing diffuse growth pattern had a large size, high nuclear grade and mixed cells. 4) The tumor size averaged 8 cm and there was no significant relationship between the size and stage. Seven cases of neoplasms not more than 3 cm were seen, of which 2 cases revealed an outcome of distant metastasis. 5) The histological pattern showed major solid, 53% : tubular, 11% : mixed, 18% : papillary, 9% and sarcomatoid type 9%. The sarcomatoid type was characterized by grade 4, a larger size(more than 10 cm), advanced stage. 6) There was no special relationship between the stage and grade but mostly grade 2 occupied the stage I. 7) The clear cell type was predominantly noted at grade 2 (65%), at the stage I (63%), granular or mixed cell type at grade 3 (87%), 4 (70%). According to these results, the tumors showing a sarcomatoid histologic pattern, diffuse growth pattern had unfavorable prognostic factors, and are thus estimated to have a poor prognosis. But the case which were incidentally found have favorable prognostic factors and probably a better prognosis. The tumor size alone can not exactly predict the metastasis and is not correlated with the stage. Small renal cell neoplasm (not more than 3 cm) generally has unfavorable prognostic factors and should be considered potentially malignant. The high grade frequently has granular cytoplasm. This represents the relationship between grade and cytoplasm, poor prognosis in the granular cell than the clear. The renal cell carcinoma shows variable prognosis and thus the prognosis should be estimated by all the factors. Nuclear grade can be used as one of the useful prognostic factors.