Early nuclear alterations and immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67, Erb-B2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor (TGF-beta1) and integrine-linked kinase (ILK) two days after tamoxifen in breast carcinoma.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate breast carcinoma samples before and two days after treatment with tamoxifen in order to analyse early histopathological alterations--particularlynuclear alterations-- as well as immunohistochemical expression of Ki-67, Erb-B2, VEGF, TGF-beta1 and ILK proteins. Twenty one cases of invasive ductal and lobular breast carcinoma were studied. Patients were submitted to biopsy of the lesion and, after confirmation of the diagnosis, they received 20 mg of tamoxifen a day, beginning two days before surgery. The samples obtained during biopsy and after surgery were stained with HE for histopathological diagnosis. Estrogen receptor was positive in 18 cases and negative in 3. The immunohistochemical method was applied for the detection of Ki-67, Erb-B2, protein, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta1) and integrin linked kinase (ILK). Two days after tamoxifen treatment, the following results were observed: 1) decrease in the cell volume, chomatine condensation, nucleoli less evident and clearly defined nuclear limits; 2) significant reduction in the expression of Erb-B2 protein and significant increase in the expression of TGF-beta1 protein; 3) expression of others proteins (Ki-67, VEGF and ILK) was not altered during the indicated time frame. Our results suggest that analyzing nuclear alterations and expression of Erb-B2 and TGF-beta1 proteins would be useful to assess the initial response to tamoxifen.

Cancer incidence in eighteen cities of the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: As in Brazil cancer registries are mostly based on large cities, there are no estimates per state or per region and information on the disease incidence in the vast in-land areas is very scarce. An incidence survey was conducted in 18 major cities of the state of São Paulo, excluding the capital, aiming to collect information about cancer incidence in the state of São Paulo. METHODS: Of the 18 cities in state of São Paulo included in the survey, all had available resources for cancer management. Data from the year of 1991 were collected by the personnel of the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute of Statistics), who were especially trained by the study coordinators at the Fundação Oncocentro de São Paulo (Cancer Center of São Paulo). The collected data were processed and analyzed at the Oncocentro. Data collection, processing, and analyses were performed according to the recommendations of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. RESULTS: Although some discrepancies were observed in cancer incidence rates between the cities, results obtained for all 18 cities combined were remarkably close to those recently found for the city of São Paulo in the year 1993. One remarkable finding was the relatively high cancer incidence rates in both sexes in the city of Santos. CONCLUSIONS: The very similar all-sites cancer incidence rates found in the year 1991, when compared to those for the city of São Paulo in the year 1993, are suggestive that all regions have common cancer-related factors. Nevertheless, other explanations, such as the inclusion in the study of prevalent cases, as well as of non-residents, may have occurred in both studies, biasing the results. There is a need of further studies to confirm the high cancer incidence in Santos.

Breast cancer with choriocarcinomatous and neuroendocrine features.

CONTEXT: Breast cancer may express the presence of b-human chorionic gonadotrophin in 12% to 18% of cases, using immunohistochemical reactions. Usually the tumors will show positivity in a few scattered cells. Breast cancer with choriocarcinomatous features, as reported by Saigo and Rosen, is a distinct variant of breast cancer. We report a case of breast cancer with choriocarcinomatous and neuroendocrine features. OBJECTIVE: This is a case report of an invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with choriocarcinomatous and neuroendocrine features. DESIGN: Case Report. CASE REPORT: A 50-year-old Brazilian woman underwent surgery for a lump in the right breast, which had been first noticed about 3 months earlier. The surgery consisted of quadrantectomy followed by right mastectomy with ipsilateral axillary lymph node dissection. The specimen from the quadrantectomy revealed a 7 x 6.5 x 4.5 cm tumor. Histology of the lesion showed the presence of an invasive ductal carcinoma with areas of giant cells and intense atypia. The immunohistochemistry was positive in the pleomorphic areas for human chorionic gonadotrophin, while the less pleomorphic areas showed positivity for synaptophysin and chromogranin.

Effects of conjugated estrogens and progestogen in surgically induced endometriosis in oophorectomized rats.

This study aimed to verify whether estrogen replacement alone or associated with progesterone promotes the recurrence of experimental endometriosis in oophorectomized rats. The procedure utilized for endometriosis induction was adapted from the one described by Jones (1984). The rats were castrated three weeks after the induction. Hormonal replacement was started 14 days after the castration and was given for 24 days. One group received estrogen alone, another received estrogen associated with medroxiprogesterone acetate, and a last one received placebo. At the end of this study, the animals who received hormonal medication showed recurrence of the disease. This fact was more evident in the group that received estrogen alone. We concluded that estrogen alone leads to recurrence of endometriosis in oophorectomized rats with surgically induced endometriosis. The association of medroxiprogesterone promotes involutional changes in the implants, and should be added upon the existence of a past history of endometriosis.

Hormonal receptors in mammary carcinoma: comparison between quantitative and qualitative methods.

Alternatives to the traditional hormone receptor dosages for prognostic evaluation and clinical approach to breast cancer have been proposed for immunohistochemical determinations. For correlation purposes, such procedures were compared in 37 patients presenting 5 to 15 years of survival. Considering 30 fm/mg as the positivity index, the disagreement between both methods reached 35.1% with estrogen and 48.5% with progesterone receptors. When the positiveness level was changed to 20 fm/mg, the discrepancies were reduced to 32% with ER and increased to 57% with PgR. This study leads us to not recommend the immunohistochemical method applied to paraffin sections as an alternative procedure to the dextran-charcoal dosage for prognosis and therapeutic management of mammary carcinoma.

Nipple discharge--study on 100 patients.

In a retrospective study the authors analyzed 100 cases of women with serous, serosanguineous, and sanguineous nipple discharges, without palpable and radiologically visible tumors, that were submitted to resection of main galactophorous ducts and biopsy of underlying breast parenchyma. The sensibility of the cytologic examination of nipple discharges for carcinomas was 16.6%. The histopathology showed incidence of 61% of mammary dysplasia, 33% of intraductal papillomas single or multiple and 6% of carcinomas. The early diagnosis of carcinoma gave good results after radical surgical treatment.

Intratumor chemotherapy in combination with a systemic antimetastatic drug in the treatment of Lewis-lung carcinoma.

The effect of an antimetastatic agent plus intratumor chemotherapy was evaluated in mice bearing Lewis-lung carcinoma by measuring survival time and by histological examination. Polymeric flavan-3,4-diol (APF) from avocado seeds, Persea gratissima, administered alone directly into the tumor did not change survival time, although it partially destroyed the primary tumor. However, the drug administered in combination with an antimetastatic, 1,2-bis(3,5-dioxopiperazin-1-yl)ethane (ICRF-154), resulted in an increase in survival time. When 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) was used in place of polymeric flavanadiol as an intralesional drug, a significant increase in survival was also achieved. The effect of each drug alone and of their combination was evaluated by "responder analyses". Animals "cured" by the combination and rechallenged with 2 X 10(6) tumor cells showed that immunization could occur.

Ateracoes estruturais pulmonares secundarias ao trombembolismo. Estudo experimental em caes. / Pulmonary structural changes secondary to thromboembolism. Experimental study in dogs

Foram estudadas, em caes, as modificacoes estruturais pulmonares secundarias a injecao de coagulos autologos produzidos in vitro. O estudo anatomopatologico dos pulmoes, fixados em expansao, foi precedido por arteriografia post-mortem. Os autores salientam a utilidade desta metodologia e descrevem as alteracoes radiologicas, macro e microscopicas, encontradas

Aspectos anatomopatologicos da pneumonia aspirativa provocada pelo acido cloridrico. Estudo experimental em caes. / Anatomopathological aspects of aspiration pneumonia caused by hydrochloric acid. Experimental study in dogs

Foram anestesiados 20 caes com pentobarbital sodico e mantidos em ventilacao mecanica. No grupo I (10 caes) instilou-se intratraquealmente 2,0 ml/kg de solucao de soro fisiologico. No grupo II (10 caes) instilou-se intratraquealmente solucao de acido cloridrico 0,01N (pH igual a 2,0). Os caes em ambos os grupos foram mantidos em ventilacao mecanica.Quatro horas apos, os caes foram sacrificados e os pulmoes expostos para o estudo anatomopatologico. Os pulmoes dos caes do grupo I apresentavam alteracoes macroscopicas discretas, representadas por areas focais vermelho-vinhosas. As alteracoes microscopicas foram representadas principalmente por edema alveolar e congestao capilar. Os pulmoes dos caes do grupo II apresentavam alteracoes macroscopicas evidentes, representadas por extensas areas vermelho-vinhosas. As alteracoes microscopicas foram representadas por edema alveolar, infiltrado intersticial com polimorfonucleares, neutrofilos, congestao capilar e degeneracao do epitelio bronquiolar. Os autores discutem os achados

Mammary carcinoma--multidisciplinary treatment with bilateral mastectomy and immediate reconstruction.

The classical concepts pertaining to the natural history of mammary carcinoma and its treatment must be reviewed if survival rate is to be improved. By the time diagnosis is established, a fair amount of cases of carcinoma of the breast present distant, clinically undetectable micrometastases, which will not be affected by local therapy (surgery or radiation). Increasing evidence shows that mammary carcinoma nowadays must be looked upon as a diffuse disease affecting both breasts. Postoperative radiation does not improve the 5- and 10-year survival rates and has a negative effect upon the immunological defense of the patient. Immunology plays an important role in the evolution and cure of the patient with carcinoma of the breast. The mutilation produced by radical or ultraradical mastectomy may throw the patient into mental depression which, as a consequence, may decrease the immunological competence of the patient. Multiple drug chemotherapy, started at the time of surgery and continued for several months thereafter, may kill micrometastases. Preventive immunotherapy seems to be beneficial to the patient in attempting control of metastases.