Stage I cancer ovary: Diagnostic modality in our locality

The main objective was to evaluate the diagnostic tools used for diagnosis of stage 1 ovarian cancer. This is a descriptive study was conducted during the period from 1999 to 2003 at Sohag University Hospital. 53 patients out of 212 had stage I ovarian cancer was included in the study. They subjected to thorough history taking, proper examination and routine investigations. Ultrasonography with Doppler flowmetry, CT, IVP and CA-125 were done for all patients. Surgical staging and histopathologidal examination of all specimens was carried out. Ovarian cancer represented the most common type of genital tract malignancy 124[64.92%] 53[25%], 11[5.18%], 114 [53.77%] and 34[16.03%] cases were diagnosed as stage I, II. III and IV respectively, 27 patients [50%] with stage I ovarian cancer were symptoms at time of diagnosis. The most common symptoms in stage 1 ovarian cancer was abdominal swelling or fullness. Both of CT scan and Ultrasonography examination were found to be better than the clinical impression based on symptoms and signs in predicting the malignant nature of ovarian masses

Primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [PGI NHL]: management and outcome

Sixty-four patients with PGI NHL were included in this study. The study outlined the clinicopathological features, modalities of diagnosis and treatment, outcome and variables affecting the overall survival. The stomach was involved in 36 cases and intestinal lymphoma was implicated in 28 cases. Stage IIE was the commonest stage. The predominant histological type was high-grade. The overall survival in all cases was 63% at 30 months according to the Kaplan Meier method. The stage of the disease, extension of resection, site of the lesion whether gastric or intestinal and achievement of complete remission [CR] were found to affect the overall survival

Value of MRI in grading of supratentorial diffuse astrocytomas

The present study included 15 patients [8 males and 7 females] with their age ranged from 25 years to 68 years. The MR images in the studied patients with biopsy-proven diffuse ostrocytomas were analyzed in order to demonstrate which MRI features of gliomas that correlate with the histopathologically determined tumor grade. According to the histopathological diagnosis, 3 patients had grade II astrocytomas, 5 patients had grade III astrocytomas and 7 patients had glioblastoma multiformes [GBMs]. The MRI features studied included tumor heterogeneity, edema, mass effect, border sharpness, contrast enhancement, hemorrhage and the presence of flow voids. Contrast enhancement was found to be the best predictor of histological grade followed by necrosis, signal heterogeneity and border sharpness. Hemorrhage, flow void and necrosis were common in the GBM group and were absent in grade II astrocytoma group. In particular, flow void was found only in GBM [n=3 patients], hemorrhage was present in GBM [n= 3 patients] and in grade III astrocytoma [one patient]. Necrosis was found in all 7 GBM cases and in 5 patients with histological diagnosis of anaplastic astrocytoma [grade III astrocytoma]. No areas of necrosis detected in grade II astrocytoma [3 patients]. All GBM cases [n = 7] showed grade 3 edema [larger than the tumor volume], marked and heterogeneous enhancement, midline shift and heterogeneous signal intensity on both Tl-W and T2-W images. In grade III astrocytomas [n = 5 patients], there is edema of grade 2 [less than the tumor volume], moderate contrast enhancement, midline shift and heterogeneous signal intensity on T2-W images. In grade II astrocytomas [n = 3 patients], there is edema of grade 1 [none-to mild], subarachnoid space effacement, none- to mild contrast enhancement and homogeneous signal intensity. The frontal lobe was the most commonly affected lobe, frontal gliomas were present in 9 patients, fronto-parietal gliomas in 4 patients and fronto-temporal gliomas in 2 patients. In conclusion, all MRI features can help to distinguish the pathological grade of diffuse astrocytic tumours and help in planning treatment strategies

Two-site immunoassays for the measurement of serum laminin: correlation with breast cancer staging and presence of auto-antibodies

Binding to and destruction of basement membrane (BM) are necessary steps for cancer cells to extravasate and metastasize. Serum levels of released BM components may correlate with the staging of human cancers or with inflammatory disorders. Furthermore, released material may also induce autoantibodies. Since Iaminin, an 800-kDa glycoprotein, is present in the extracellular matrix, serum laminin levels may be markers of BM injury. A two-site enzyme immunoassay and a radioimmunoassay were developed to test sera from patients with breast cancer or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A significant difference in laminin concentrations was demonstrated between early (T0-T2) and advanced (T3-T4) tumors (P = 0.001). However, specimens from SLE patients did not differ in laminin concentration from normal individuals and no correlation was observed between laminin levels and anti-laminin auto-antibody titers. These results suggest that serum laminin levels are useful markers of BM damage and could be of prognostic value in cancer

problem of mandibular resection in intraoral tumours

A total of 50 patients with intra-oral carcinomas were examined and treated at the N.C.I. during the period 1979 - 1980. All these cases were treated surgically by traditional Commando's operation. The mandibular bone, its covering periosteum and neurovascular bundle were examined separatly. The study showed that 56% of the cases, under went bone resection without actual malignant invasion i.e the bone could be spared. This work stresses the fact that conservative mandibular resection can be done safely so long as there is normal tissue clearance even a few milimeters between tumour, bone and a negative X-ray results preopratively. This gives the patients a good functional and cosmetic results