ABSTRACT
Mixed gonadal dysgenesis is a disorder of sexual differentiation, characterized by mosaicism, ambiguous external genitalia, and both Wolffian and Müllerian internal genitalia. These patients are at a known increased risk of germ cell cancer, specifically gonadoblastoma; however, in this report we describe a case of adenocarcinoma of a remnant Müllerian structure.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/epidemiology , Adenosarcoma/epidemiology , Gonadal Dysgenesis, Mixed/epidemiology , Uterine Neoplasms/epidemiology , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Adenosarcoma/pathology , Adult , Comorbidity , Female , Gonadal Dysgenesis, Mixed/diagnosis , Gonadal Dysgenesis, Mixed/pathology , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Uterine Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Despite advances in surgical technologies and the development of more effective chemotherapeutics, epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the leading cause of death in women with gynecologic malignancies. The high mortality and morbidity associated with EOC is mostly attributed to the inability to detect the disease before it is widely disseminated throughout the abdominal cavity. In the past decade, tremendous efforts have been taken to search for novel biomarkers that will detect EOC at an early stage, which may also serve as new targets for the prevention and control of metastasis. Here, we review recent developments in EOC early detection and targeted therapy, as well as new technologies for the discovery of novel biomarkers.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Ovarian Neoplasms/metabolism , Female , Humans , Ovarian Neoplasms/diagnosis , Ovarian Neoplasms/drug therapy , PrognosisABSTRACT
Sexual development is inhibited in Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) in short days (SD), and a small uterus is an obvious indicator of photo-inhibition. The small uterus in SD is presumably due to the delayed onset of estrous cycles. However, in an earlier study, the investigators reported that serum estradiol (E2) concentration was significantly higher in young females raised in SD than in long days (LD), with the highest concentrations measured in SD at 4 weeks of age. These seemingly contradictory findings were investigated in the present study. First, uterine mass and body mass were measured in SD- and LD-reared hamsters from 1 to 12 weeks of age. Uterine mass was significantly greater in LD than in SD by 3 weeks of age and onward. Thereafter, our investigation focused on 4-week-old hamsters. Serum E2 concentrations in LD and in SD were not significantly different and there were no significant LD-SD differences in uterine estrogen receptors (ER), as measured by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Therefore, alternative explanations for the photoperiodic difference in uterine size in young Siberian hamsters are considered.
