Human papillomavirus in patients with colorectal cancer

Human papillomavirus [HPV] has been considered to be an etiological agent for anogenital cancers, such as cervical cancer and possibly a subset of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of the study was to evaluate the presence of human papillomavirus DNA in colorectal carcinoma. The present study was carried out on 40 patients with hisopathologically confirmed primary colorectal cancer. These samples were obtained after surgical resection. Two samples were collected from each patient: one sample from the tumor site and the other one from normally appearing colorectal tissue. Detection of HPV- 16 and 18 was done using real- time PCR. HPV 16 was detected in only 1/40 [2.5%] tumor sample while all adjacent normal tissues were negative for it. HPV 18 was detected in 5/40 [2.5%] of tumor samples and in 10/40 [25%] of adjacent normal tissue. Total HPV [16/18] detection results were 6/40 [15%] in tumor tissue samples while they were detected in [10/40] 25% of normal tissue samples. None of the studied cases was infected by both HPV 16 and 18 simultaneously

Self expanding metal stent for palliation of advanced esophageal carcinoma

Intubation using self-expanding stents was performed in sixty patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma at the NCI, Cairo University between January1998 and June 2001. The ages ranged from 51 to 72 years including 36 males and 24 females. Most patients had narrowing of the lumen with an average diameter less 10 mm, 38 patients had stricture with diameter 5 mm or less. Stent placement was successful in all patients. The entire procedure was done with minimal discomfort in all patients with immediate improvement of dysphagia. The early complications [within 30 days] were serious haematemesis [3.3%], migration of the stent [3.3%], transient neck pain [6.6%] and retrosternal pain [78%]. Of these, only 12 patients had persistent pain that required potent analgesics. The delayed complications were mainly esophago-gastric reflux in 44 patients [73.3%], tumor overgrowth in 33% and food impact in 6.6%. Procedure related mortality occurred in one patient [1.6%]. The patients who were referred for radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy showed improvement in the general condition before treatment. For patients treated with radiotherapy, 73% were able to continue the radical dose as prescribed. Self-expanding stents for inoperable esophageal cancer is an easy procedure with minor complications and is important in improving the general condition of the patients before radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy