Histopathological pattern of Orbito-Ocular Lesions, a retrospective hospital-based study spanning 15 years

Background: Many previous studies on orbito-ocular lesions are skewed in favour of the neoplastic lesions in general and the malignant lesions in particular. This, therefore, creates a vacuum on the spectrum of these lesions, thus may result in problematic diagnostic bias by the ophthalmologist and pathologist. Objective: To give the spectrum and relative frequencies of orbito-ocular biopsies and by extension orbito-ocular lesions/diseases at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study of all cases of orbito-ocular biopsies with histopathologic diagnosis. Results: There were 236 orbito-ocular biopsies. The male to female ratio was slightly in favour of the females. Orbito-ocular biopsies had a wide age range that spanned from the 1st to 10th decade, mean age in the 3rd decade (20-29years) and a peak age in the 1st decade (0-9 years). The neoplastic lesions were the prevalent indication for orbito-ocular biopsies (63.72%) while the conjunctiva (58.10%) was the most common site for orbito-ocular biopsies. Conclusion: This study noted a wide array of orbito-ocular lesions for which biopsies were done for histopathological diagnosis. This we hope will in no small measure increase the diagnostic precision of the ophthalmologist and the pathologists in our own environment

Leucemia mieloide aguda en adulto mayor comórbido. A propósito de un caso / Acute myeloid leukemia in a comorbid adult. About a case

Caso clínico: paciente masculino de 81 años de edad, con cuadro de 24 horas de evolución secundario a caída, caracterizado por somnolencia, desorientación en persona, tiempo y espacio, incontinencia urinaria y dificultad para la deambulación, motivo por el cual se le efectúa una tomografía simple de cráneo encontrándose hematomas subdurales bilaterales, presenta episodios de sangrado recurrente y leucocitosis sostenida , en frotis de sangre periférica se observó 28% de blastos por lo que se realiza una biopsia de medula ósea descubriéndose un cariotipo medular compatible con leucemia mieloide aguda, debido a sus características clínicas y a su mala evolución fue catalogado como paciente paliativo. Conclusiones: la leucemia mieloide aguda es una patología hematológica cuya evolución al no ser detectada genera un alto grado de mortalidad, sobre todo en el adulto mayor comórbido.

It was presented a clinical case of a male patient of 81 years of age, with a 24-hour of secondary evolution to a fall. It was characterized by drowsiness, disorientation in person, time and space, urinary incontinence and difficulty in walking, that was why a simple skull tomography was performed, in which bilateral subdural hematomas were found. The patient presented episodes of recurrent bleeding and sustained leukocytosis. Peripheral blood smear showed 28% of blasts, so a bone marrow biopsy was performed, revealing a medullary karyotype compatible with acute myeloid leukemia. The patient was classified as palliative due to its clinical characteristics and evolution. The hematological pathology above was potentially fatal. If this one was not detected early, it would generate an accelerated unfavorable evolution, especially in the elderly comorbid, as occurred in the case presented.

Tumor miofibroblástico: una entidad rara, a una edad de presentación neonatal aún más rara. Presentación de caso / Myofibroblastic tumor: a rare entity and even more rare age of presentation. A case report

Se expone el caso de un neonato, a quien durante el examen físico se le palpa una masa en el hipocondrio izquierdo. Le realizan ecografía abdominal con hallazgo de una masa de probable origen suprarrenal; la resonancia magnética (RM) muestra una masa dependiente del mesenterio. En cirugía se observa importante adhesión a los órganos vecinos, se le realiza biopsia con resultado de tumor miofibroblástico. Este tumor hace parte del grupo heterogéneo de lesiones formadoras de masa llamado pseudotumor inflamatorio, el cual se define como una neoplasia fibroblástica/ miofibroblástica, con potencial biológico intermedio, de mayor ocurrencia en niños. Dada la baja frecuencia de aparición en edad neonatal, se realiza una revisión de la literatura acerca de su etiología, diagnóstico y tratamiento.

We present the case of a neonate, who upon physical examination a mass is palpated in the left hypochondrium, Abdominal ultrasound is performed with finding of a mass of probable adrenal origin; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows a mass dependent on the mesentery. In surgery, important adhesion to neighboring organs is observed; biopsy is performed with the result of myofibroblastic tumor. This tumor is part of the heterogeneous group of mass-forming lesions called inflammatory pseudotumor, which is defined as a fibroblastic/myofibroblastic neoplasm, with intermediate biological potential, of greater occurrence in children. Given the low frequency of appearance in neonatal age, a review of the literature about its aetiology, diagnosis and treatment is carried out.

Mortalidad por cáncer en la CABA según Comunas. Comparación 2006-2010/2011-2015 / Cancer mortality in CABA according to Communes: Comparison 2006-2010/2011-2015

En la actualidad, las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles (ECNT) constituyen la principal causa de mortalidad mundial. Las enfermedades crónicas se caracterizan por su larga duración, progresividad y curación no previsible, pudiendo requerir tratamiento y control durante una extensa e indeterminada cantidad de años. El cáncer forma parte del grupo de las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles (ECNT), junto con las enfermedades cardiovasculares, respiratorias crónicas y diabetes. Estas enfermedades, se encuentran entre los problemas más comunes y más costosos para la salud pública de la población. El presente documento describe el comportamiento de la mortalidad global por cáncer y por los principales sitios tumorales, en residentes de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, según sexo y comunas, en dos quinquenios: 2006-2010 y 2011-2015. En primer lugar se describe la variación de la mortalidad entre los periodos mencionados para las principales causas, en el total de la CABA, según sexo. En segundo lugar, se calcula y se compara la variación de la mortalidad entre los periodos mencionados, en el total y tres principales causas, según sexo y comunas de la Ciudad. Para el análisis de la mortalidad en la CABA se utilizaron las bases provistas por la Dirección de Estadísticas e información en Salud (DEIS) y del Sistema de Vigilancia Epidemiológica y reporte del Cáncer (SIVER/INC). Además, se utilizó como fuente de datos, el "Atlas de mortalidad por cáncer en Argentina 2011-2015", en el capítulo correspondiente a la Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Situación epidemiológica del cáncer / Epidemiological situation of cancer

El cáncer forma parte del grupo de las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles (ECNT), junto con las enfermedades cardiovasculares, respiratorias crónicas y diabetes. Estas enfermedades, se encuentran entre los problemas más comunes y más costosos para la salud pública. Esta patología comprende un conjunto de entidades nosológicas caracterizadas por crecimiento descontrolado de células anormales que presentan morfología, manifestaciones clínicas, pronóstico y determinantes diferentes.El siguiente documento se estructura en tres segmentos; en el primero se describe la situación internacional y regional de la morbilidad y mortalidad por cáncer, en comparación con la Argentina y la incidencia de morbilidad por localización tumoral estimada para el país, por fuentes internacionales. En el segundo, se calcula la mortalidad nacional y provincial según sexo con fuentes locales y; finalmente la descripción de la evolución de la mortalidad por cáncer según sexo para la ciudad de Buenos Aires, en la cual se comparan dos quinquenios 2007-2011 y 2011-2015, a través de fuentes locales. (AU)

Manejo del dolor neuropático inducido por quimioterapia y radioterapia en un Servicio de Cuidados Paliativos / Management of neuropathic pain induced by chemotherapy and radiotherapy in a Palliative Care Service

Introduction: The prevalence of pain in patients with cancer ranges between 40 and 60 % and the third part is produced by neuropathy induced by chemotherapy. The aim of the present investigation was to describe the treatment of a group of patients with neuropathy secondary to chemo and radiotherapy at a cancer center in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Methods: The present descriptive study includes records of patients who presented neuropathic pain after antineoplastic treatment (chemotherapy - radiotherapy) who were treated in the palliative care area of the Solca-Guayaquil hospital. The type of treatment is described, analgesic control at 3 and 6 months. Results: 150 patients attended for pain in the service were registered, of which 70 patients were admitted to the study for neuropathic pain, 80 patients were excluded because they presented nociceptive pain. In the study group of 70 cases with neuropathic pain, 50 cases (71.4 %) were due to the administration of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 20 cases (28.6 %) were without treatment. The 50 oncological patients with neuropathic pain caused as a side effect of the oncological treatment all received 5 types of pharmacological treatments. The treatment drop-out rate was 6 cases (12 %). The remaining cases presented improvement after 6 months of treatment, 44 cases (88 %). No patient required blocking for pain control. Conclusions: The therapeutic intervention for the management of neuropathic pain secondary to chemo or radiotherapy was effective in 88% of the cases at a period greater than 6 months. In the control of pain, 5 additive therapeutic levels were used in each level with opioids, tricyclic antidepressants and strong opioids.

Diagnostic-to-treatment interval and disease progression among head and neck cancer patients undergoing surgery

@#<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To determine whether the interval from pathological diagnosis to treatment is significantly delayed, and the presence or absence of disease progression occurring in those with, and without treatment delay, among head and neck cancer patients in our institution.<br /><strong>METHODS:</strong><br /><strong>Design:</strong> Retrospective Chart Review<br /><strong>Setting:</strong> Tertiary Government Hospital<br /><strong>Participants:</strong> Medical records of 70 patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer who underwent primary surgery from January 2011 to December 2015 were retrieved and available data were extracted.<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> A total of 28 patients were included in this study. Majority of the cancers were in the larynx (42.9%) and oral cavity (42.9%). The mean diagnostic-to-treatment interval (DTI) was 54 days but 5 (17.8%) out of the 28 had a DTI of more than 60 days. Four (80%) with a DTI more than 60 days had an upstage during surgery while 4 (17.4%) patients with DTI less than or equal to 60 days also had an upstage. 2 (60%) patients with treatment delay had tumor progression compared to 5 (21.7%) of those without treatment delay. Only 1 (20%) out of the 5 patients with treatment delay had increased nodal metastasis in contrast to 8 (34.8%) of those who did not have treatment delay.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> A number of patients undergoing surgery in our institution experienced delay to initiate treatment of more than 60 days and majority of these patients were noted to have disease progression. However, even patients with treatment prior to 60 days had increases in tumor stage, which may suggest that the interval aimed for should be shorter than 60 days.</p>

Fármacos Antiangiogenicos en enfermedades neovasculares de la retina / Antiangiogenic drugs in neovascular retinal diseases

El incremento del factor de crecimiento vascular endotelial (VEGF) en procesos degenerativos, obstructivos e incluso neoplásicos promueve la formación de nuevos vasos sanguíneos aberrantes y perjudiciales para la agudeza visual. En los últimos años, la creación de fármacos antiangiogénicos (anti-VEGF) y su uso intravítreo han revolucionado la terapéutica de las enfermedades neovasculares de la retina incrementando la calidad de vida de las personas que la padecen. El siguiente artículo de revisión narrativa busca analizar la seguridad, eficacia, posología, vía de administración y esquemas internacionales de tratamiento anti-VEGF en la Degeneración Macular Asociada a la Edad (DMAE) Exudativa, Edema Macular Diabético (EMA), Oclusión de la Vena Central de la Retina (OVCR), Oclusión de Rama Venosa de la Retina (ORVR) y en el Retinoblastoma. En la actualidad, el uso de fármacos anti-VEGF representa una elección segura y eficaz en el tratamiento de patologías neovasculares de retina.

An Increased vascular endothelial growth factor in degenerative, obstructive and even neoplastic processes is the main pathophysiological mechanism for the formation of aberrant blood vessels, which are detrimental and put at risk the visual acuity of the individual. In recent years, the creation of antiangiogenic (anti-VEGF) drugs and their intravitreal use have revolutionized the therapy of retinal neovascular diseases and have provided an increase in the quality of life of people suffering from it. The following narrative review article seeks to analyze the safety, efficacy, posology, route of administration and international regimens of anti-VEGF treatment in Exudative Age-Associated Macular Degeneration (AMD), Diabetic Macular Oedema (DME), Occlusion of the Central Retina Vein (CRVO), Retinal Venous Branch Occlusion (BRVO) and Retinoblastoma. The anti-VEGF intraocular therapy represents a safe and effective choice in the treatment of retinal neovascular pathologies.

Diagnostic-to-treatment interval and disease progression among head and neck cancer patients undergoing surgery

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the interval from pathological diagnosis to treatment is significantly delayed, and the presence or absence of disease progression occurring in those with, and without treatment delay, among head and neck cancer patients in our institution.METHODS:Design: Retrospective Chart ReviewSetting: Tertiary Government HospitalParticipants: Medical records of 70 patients with newly diagnosed head and neck cancer who underwent primary surgery from January 2011 to December 2015 were retrieved and available data were extracted.RESULTS: A total of 28 patients were included in this study. Majority of the cancers were in the larynx (42.9%) and oral cavity (42.9%). The mean diagnostic-to-treatment interval (DTI) was 54 days but 5 (17.8%) out of the 28 had a DTI of more than 60 days. Four (80%) with a DTI more than 60 days had an upstage during surgery while 4 (17.4%) patients with DTI less than or equal to 60 days also had an upstage. 2 (60%) patients with treatment delay had tumor progression compared to 5 (21.7%) of those without treatment delay. Only 1 (20%) out of the 5 patients with treatment delay had increased nodal metastasis in contrast to 8 (34.8%) of those who did not have treatment delay.CONCLUSION: A number of patients undergoing surgery in our institution experienced delay to initiate treatment of more than 60 days and majority of these patients were noted to have disease progression. However, even patients with treatment prior to 60 days had increases in tumor stage, which may suggest that the interval aimed for should be shorter than 60 days.

Conocimientos sobre cáncer cérvico uterino en población de riesgo. Ciego Montero. Cienfuegos, Cuba 2015 / Knowledge about cervical cancer in the at-risk population. Ciego Montero. Cienfuegos, Cuba 2015

Cervical carcinoma is a disease that has had a major impact in all social spheres contributing to high rates of morbidity and mortality worldwide, including malignant neoplasms that develop in the lower fibromuscular portion of the uterus. Objective : to identify the knowledge about cervical cancer in women included in the Early Cervical Cancer Detection Program, belonging to the Office No. 4 of the Popular Council Arriete - Ciego Montero. Methodology : a sample of 93 participants was selected from a universe of 233 patients included in the program, which represents 40%. The data were obtained mainly through the application of a survey to the population under study. Results : the 36-40 age group prevailed. 33.3% of the patients surveyed had a High school diploma. 81% of respondents reported having received information about this disease. Having multiple sexual partners was identified as the most common risk factor for 93.5% of patients. Conclusions : There is no information about the age of some patients included in the Early Cervical Cancer Detection Program, nor about the periodicity of the Pap test, the main symptoms, risk factors and methods of prevention of cervical cancer pathology.

El cáncer cervico-uterino, o carcinoma del cuello uterino, es una enfermedad que ha provocado gran impacto en todas las esferas sociales contribuyendo a las altas tasas de morbilidad y mortalidad en el mundo entero, incluye las neoplasias malignas que se desarrollan en la porción fibromuscular inferior del útero. Objetivo Identificar los conocimientos sobre cáncer cérvico-uterino en las mujeres comprendidas dentro del programa de detección precoz del mismo, pertenecientes al Consultorio N° 4 del Consejo Popular Arriete - Ciego Montero Metodología De un universo de 233 pacientes incluidas dentro del programa se seleccionó una muestra de 93 participantes, la cual representa el 40 %. Los datos fueron obtenidos fundamentalmente mediante la aplicación de una encuesta a la población objeto de estudio. Resultados Predominó el grupo de edad de 36 a 40 años, el 33.3 % de las pacientes encuestadas presentan un nivel de escolaridad de duodécimo grado, el 81 % de las participantes encuestadas refirió haber recibido información sobre esta enfermedad, el tener múltiples compañeros sexuales fue identificado como el factor de riesgo más frecuente por el 93.5 % de las pacientes. Conclusiones Existe desconocimiento en algunas pacientes sobre el grupo de edades de las pacientes comprendidas dentro del Programa de Detección Precoz de Cáncer Cérvico-uterino, la periodicidad de la realización de la prueba de Papanicolaou, los principales síntomas, factores de riesgo y métodos de prevención de esta patología.

Expression of miR-let-7e-3p in cervical intraepithelial neoplasm and cervix carcinoma and its clinical significance / 浙江大学学报·医学版

To investigate the expression of microRNA (miRNA, miR) let-7e-3p in different cervical lesions and its clinical significance.The expression of miR-let-7e-3p in the tissues of normal cervix (=26), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (=37), and cervix carcinoma (=101) were detected by reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The correlation of miR-let-7e-3p expression with the clinicopathological parameters of patients with cervical cancer was analyzed. miR-let-7e-3p mimic was transfected into cervical carcinoma Siha cells. The cell cycle and apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry; cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 kit; and the migration and invasion of cells were determined by Transwell assay.The relative expression levels of miR-let-7e-3p in normal cervix, HSIL, and cervical carcinoma were 1.45±0.24, 0.79±0.05 and 0.46±0.04, respectively (all<0.05). After transfection with miR-let-7e-3p mimic, the S-phase fraction and apoptosis rate of Siha cells were increased significantly compared with control group[(29.76±6.6)% vs (13.38±1.3)%,<0.05; (5.98±1.38)% vs (3.53±0.79)%,<0.05, respectively]. OD of transfected Siha cells at 48, 72 and 96 h were 0.57±0.11,0.65±0.04 and 0.84±0.14, which were significantly lower than those of untransfected Siha cells (0.74±0.05, 0.93±0.10 and 1.47±0.14, all<0.05). The migration and invasion abilities of transfected Siha cells were not significantly changed (all>0.05).The expression of miR-let-7e-3p is down-regulated in cervical neoplasms, which is associated with cell cycle arrest and proliferation inhibition of cervical cancer cells.

Carcinogenic effects of circadian disruption: an epigenetic viewpoint / 癌症

Circadian rhythms refer to the endogenous rhythms that are generated to synchronize physiology and behavior with 24-h environmental cues. These rhythms are regulated by both external cues and molecular clock mechanisms in almost all cells. Disruption of circadian rhythms, which is called circadian disruption, affects many biological processes within the body and results in different long-term diseases, including cancer. Circadian regulatory pathways result in rhythmic epigenetic modifications and the formation of circadian epigenomes. Aberrant epigenetic modifications, such as hypermethylation, due to circadian disruption may be involved in the transformation of normal cells into cancer cells. Several studies have indicated an epigenetic basis for the carcinogenic effects of circadian disruption. In this review, I first discuss some of the circadian genes and regulatory proteins. Then, I summarize the current evidence related to the epigenetic modifications that result in circadian disruption. In addition, I explain the carcinogenic effects of circadian disruption and highlight its potential role in different human cancers using an epigenetic viewpoint. Finally, the importance of chronotherapy in cancer treatment is highlighted.

A multilevel pan-cancer map links gene mutations to cancer hallmarks / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>A central challenge in cancer research is to create models that bridge the gap between the molecular level on which interventions can be designed and the cellular and tissue levels on which the disease phenotypes are manifested. This study was undertaken to construct such a model from functional annotations and explore its use when integrated with large-scale cancer genomics data.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We created a map that connects genes to cancer hallmarks via signaling pathways. We projected gene mutation and focal copy number data from various cancer types onto this map. We performed statistical analyses to uncover mutually exclusive and co-occurring oncogenic aberrations within this topology.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Our analysis showed that although the genetic fingerprint of tumor types could be very different, there were less variations at the level of hallmarks, consistent with the idea that different genetic alterations have similar functional outcomes. Additionally, we showed how the multilevel map could help to clarify the role of infrequently mutated genes, and we demonstrated that mutually exclusive gene mutations were more prevalent in pathways, whereas many co-occurring gene mutations were associated with hallmark characteristics.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Overlaying this map with gene mutation and focal copy number data from various cancer types makes it possible to investigate the similarities and differences between tumor samples systematically at the levels of not only genes but also pathways and hallmarks.</p>

Extragastroesophageal Malignancy-Associated Secondary Achalasia: A Rare Association of Pancreatic Cancer Rendering Alarm Manifestation

Secondary achalasia or pseudoachalasia is a rare esophageal motor abnormality, which mimics primary achalasia; it is not easily distinguishable from idiopathic achalasia by manometry, radiological examination, or endoscopy. Although the majority of reported pseudoachalasia cases are associated with neoplasms at or near the esophagogastric (EG) junction, other neoplastic processes or even chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis can lead to the development of pseudoachalasia, for example, mediastinal masses, gastrointestinal (GI) tumors of the liver and biliary tract, and non-GI malignancies. Therefore, even if a patient presents with the typical findings of achalasia, we should be alert to the possibility of other GI malignancies besides EG tumors. For instance, pancreatic cancer was found in the case reported here; only four such cases have been reported in the literature. A 47-year-old man was admitted to our center with a 3-month history of dysphagia. His endoscopic and esophageal manometric findings were compatible with primary achalasia. However, unresponsiveness to diverse conventional achalasia treatments led us to suspect secondary achalasia. An active search led to a diagnosis of pancreatic mucinous cystadenocarcinoma invading the gastric fundus and EG junction. This rare case of pseudoachalasia caused by pancreatic carcinoma emphasizes the need for suspecting GI malignancies other than EG tumors in patients refractory to conventional achalasia treatment.

Sarcoma eppitelioide / Epithelioid sarcoma

El sarcoma epitelioide es una neoplasia maligna de partes blandas, infrecuente.Suele ser diagnosticada en forma tardía, debido a que su presentación clínica ymorfológica es similar a la de otras afecciones. Presenta un alto índice de recurrencia local y de metástasis, principalmente en ganglios y pulmón.Se comunican dos pacientes jóvenes de sexo femenino con sarcoma epitelioide,una con la variante distal, con afectación de mano izquierda y la otra, embarazada,con la variante proximal en región inguinovulvar...

Two Cases of Infantile Intra-abdominal Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is rare mesenchymal solid tumor that consists of proliferating myofibroblasts with an inflammatory infiltrate background. It has a very low prevalence in infants and occurs mainly in children and young adults. IMT are mainly located in the thoracic cavity, but intra-abdominal lesions are rare. IMT can exhibit locally aggressive neoplastic processes and metastases similar to malignancies, so, have clinical importance. Herein, we describe two infantile intra-abdominal IMT cases presenting with incidentally found palpable abdominal mass. A 4-month-old male infant had IMT at the ileal mesentery and a 5-month-old male infant had IMT at liver. Both cases were successfully treated by complete surgical resection without complication or recurrence. Considering the biological behavior of the intermediate type of neoplasm in IMT, we expect good survivals when achieving appropriate surgical resection without adjuvant therapy in infantile intra-abdominal IMT.

Effect of aconiti lateralis radix praeparata and taraxaci herba on Chinese medicine signs and symptoms of urethane-induced lung cancer in mice / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study Chinese medicine (CM) signs and symptoms of urethane-induced lung cancer in mice, and observe the effect of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and Taraxaci Herba on symptoms in mice and tumor progress.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The mice were intraperitoneally injected with urethane twice a week for consecutively five weeks to establish a lung cancer model. The changes in their appearance, body temperature and auricle microcirculation were observed in carcinogenic process. CM signs and symptoms of urethane-induced lung cancer in mice were evaluated with energy metabolism, erythrocytic ATP emzymatic activity and hemorrheological index. During the tumor model was induced, Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata and Taraxaci Herba were used to treat the mice and observe their effect on symptoms in mice and tumor progress.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>During urethane was used to induce lung cancer, the mice had gradually become chill, lazy, hunched, with reduction in temperature, cyanosis in auricle and tail. Meanwhile, their energy metabolism and erythrocytic ATP enzymatic activity reduced, whereas their whole blood viscosity and erythrocytic aggregate index increased. Taraxaci Herba showed an effect on enhancing above symptoms and signs but had no effect on tumor progress. Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata showed an effect on reducing above symptoms and signs and preventing tumor progress.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Mice with urethane-induced lung cancer show CM signs and symptoms of congealing cold with blood stasis. The treatment with Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata can alleviate symptoms and signs in mice and prevent tumor progress.</p>

Roles of microvesicles in tumor progress and its clinical application / 浙江大学学报·医学版

Microvesicles transport special proteins, micro RNA and DNA segments, which provides new access to intercellular communication. Tumor-derived membrane microvesicles (TMV) are involved in the tumor progress by transporting tumor-derived proteins, delivering microRNA to surrounding normal cells to alter their phenotype and promoting reverse transcription to interfere gene stability and to create tumor microenvironment. TMV also play crucial roles in tumor angiogenesis and matrix degradation, which facilitates malignant cell metastasis. TMVs are also involved in escaping immunological surveillance by intensifying the function of suppressor T cell and inducing apoptosis of cytotoxic T cells. On the other hand, microvesicles carry tumor antigens and can be used for development of tumor vaccines; some new vaccines such as AEX and DEX are under early clinical trials. Circulating microRNA and DNA segments in body fluid can be a new potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Purification of microvesicles needs to be further improved, which is important for identification of microvesicles and their subtypes.

Contribution of cancer stem cells to tumor vasculogenic mimicry

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), a newly-defined pattern of tumor blood supply, provides a special passage without endothelial cells and is conspicuously different from angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. The biological features of the tumor cells that form VM remain unknown. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to be tumor-initiating cells, capable of self-renewal and multipotent differentiation, which resemble normal stem cells in phenotype and function. Recently CSCs have been shown to contribute to VM formation as well as angiogenesis. These findings challenge the previous understanding of the cellular basis of VM formation. In this review, we present evidence for participation of CSCs in VM formation. We also discuss the potential mechanisms and possible interaction of CSCs with various elements in tumor microenvironment niche. Based on the importance of VM in tumor progression, it constitutes a novel therapeutic target for cancer.

Osteo-nevus of Nanta / 대한피부과학회지

Cutaneous ossification is an unusual event, and it may be primary or secondary to either inflammatory or neoplastic processes. It is classified as primary when it occurs in the absence of a demonstrable preexisting lesion. Secondary ossifications have most commonly been reported to occur with pilomatricoma, basal cell carcinoma, acne vulgaris and melanocytic nevi (nevus of Nanta). Nevus of Nanta is a pigmented nevus associated with secondary ossification. The histopathological features of an osteo-nevus of Nanta are nests of nevus cells, and bony spicules are observed beneath a melanocytic nevus. We report here two cases of osteo-nevus of Nanta.