ERCC1 Can Be a Prognostic Factor in Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma and Extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer, But Not in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: There are three types of bile duct cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC), and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHC). Despite different clinical presentation, the same protocol has been used in treatment of patients with these cancers. We analyzed clinicopathologic findings and protein expression in order to investigate the difference and the specific prognostic factors among these three types of cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 104 patients diagnosed with bile duct cancer at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital between January 1994 and May 2004. We performed immunohistochemical staining for p53, cyclin D1, thymidine phosphorylase, survivin, and excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1). RESULTS: Of the 104 patients, EHC was most common (44.2%). In pathologic findings, perineural invasion was significantly less common in ICC. Overall survival was similar among the three types of cancer. Lymph node invasion, lymphatic, and venous invasion showed a significant association with survival outcome in ICC, however, the differentiation of histologic grade had prognostic significance in HC and EHC. No difference in protein expression was observed among these types of cancer, however, ERCC1 showed a significant association with survival outcome in HC and EHC, not in ICC. CONCLUSION: Based on our data, ICC showed different characteristics and prognostic factors, separate from the other two types of bile duct cancer. Conduct of further studies with a large sample size is required in order to confirm these data.

A Case of Hyperamylasemia Associated with Lung Adenocarcinoma / 대한내과학회지

Hyperamylasemia in patients with lung cancer is relatively rare, occurring in 1-3% of all cases of the disease. The pathogenesis of hyperamylasemia in solid cancers is not clear. In Korea, no cases of hyperamylasemia have been reported in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. Instead, the lung cancers in patients with hyperamylasemia have in most cases been adenocarcinomas. We report a case of a 64-year-old woman with hyperamylasemia that was suspected to have been induced by mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung. The patient's amylase isoenzyme pattern was of the salivary type. Systemic chemotherapy normalized her serum amylase levels and produced a partial response in her lung cancer.

A Case of Hyperamylasemia Associated with Lung Adenocarcinoma / 대한내과학회지

Hyperamylasemia in patients with lung cancer is relatively rare, occurring in 1-3% of all cases of the disease. The pathogenesis of hyperamylasemia in solid cancers is not clear. In Korea, no cases of hyperamylasemia have been reported in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. Instead, the lung cancers in patients with hyperamylasemia have in most cases been adenocarcinomas. We report a case of a 64-year-old woman with hyperamylasemia that was suspected to have been induced by mucinous adenocarcinoma of the lung. The patient's amylase isoenzyme pattern was of the salivary type. Systemic chemotherapy normalized her serum amylase levels and produced a partial response in her lung cancer.

A Case of Early Gastric Cancer Coincidentally Developed in a Patient with Acromegaly / 대한내분비학회지

Acromegaly is associated with an increased risk for a variety of cancers such as colon cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer. However, there have been few reports of gastric cancer developing in an acromegaly patient. A 66-year-old man suffered with diabetes mellitus and hypertension for 15 years, and he visited the endocrinology department due to dizziness. On physical examination, the biochemical studies and the sella MRI, he showed the typical features of acromegaly with pituitary microadenoma. During the cancer screening studies to find the cause of anemia, early gastric cancer was diagnosed by pathologic examination of the tissue biopsies. We described the summary of characteristics of the patient and reviewed literature.