Human papillomavirus is not associated to non-small cell lung cancer: data from a prospective cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of lung cancer is triggered by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, being the tobacco smoke the most important risk factor. Nevertheless, the incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers is gradually increasing, which demands the search for different other etiological factors such as occupational exposure, previous lung disease, diet among others. In the early 80's a theory linked specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) to lung cancer due to morphological similarities of a subset of bronchial squamous cell carcinomas with other HPV-induced cancers. Since then, several studies revealed variable rates of HPV DNA detection. The current study aimed to provide accurate information on the prevalence of HPV DNA in lung cancer. METHODS: Biopsies were collected from 77 newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated at the Thoracic Oncology Department at Barretos Cancer Hospital. The samples were formalin fixed and paraffin embedded (FFPE), histologic analysis was performed by an experienced pathologist. DNA was extracted from FFPE material using a commercial extraction kit and HPV DNA detection was evaluated by multiplex PCR and HPV16 specific real-time PCR. RESULTS: HPV was not identified in any of the samples analysed (69). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated a lack of HPV DNA in a series of NSCL cancers.

High systemic IL-6 is associated with worse prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Characteristic cytokine patterns have been described in different cancer patients and they are related to their diagnosis, prognosis, prediction of treatment responses and survival. A panel of cytokines was evaluated in the plasma of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and healthy controls to investigate their profile and relationship with clinical characteristics and overall survival. The case-controlled cross-sectional study design recruited 77 patients with confirmed diagnosis of NSCLC (cases) and 91 healthy subjects (controls) aimed to examine peripheral pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNF and IFN-γ) by Cytometry Beads Arrays (CBA Flex) in. The cytokine IL-6 showed a statistically significant difference among groups with increased expression in the case group (p < 0.001). The correlation between the cytokines expression with patient's clinical characteristics variables revealed the cytokine IL-6 was found to be associated with gender, showing higher levels in male (p = 0.036), whereas IL-17A levels were associated with TNM stage, being higher in III-IV stages (p = 0.044). We observed worse overall survival for individuals with high levels of IL-6 when compared to those with low levels of this cytokine in 6, 12 and 24 months. Further studies of IL-6 levels in independent cohort could clarify the real role of IL-6 as an independent marker of prognostic of NSCLC.

Ressecção completa da parede torácica associada à linfadenectomia da mamária interna em recidiva local isolada por câncer de mama / Full-thickness chest wall resection with internal mammary lymph node lymphadenectomy for isolated breast cancer recurrence

RESUMO Aproximadamente 30% dos doentes com câncer de mama apresentam recorrência local, à qual pode se associar doença locorregional ou sistêmica. A recorrência local isolada esternal e mediastinal é rara, sendo a toracectomia o único tratamento cirúrgico curativo a ser oferecido a esses pacientes. Apresenta-se relato de paciente portadora de carcinoma ductal invasivo da mama submetida a tratamento curativo, que aos 35 meses apresentou recidiva esternal única. Submetida à toracectomia esquerda com ressecção parcial esternal, ressecção de segmentos de arcos costais, com reconstrução com tela sintética, retalho miocutâneo de músculo grande dorsal e linfadenectomia da cadeia mamária interna. Discute-se os aspectos relacionados à recidiva local, às indicações da ressecção da parede torácica, ao tratamento cirúrgico, seus resultados e ao prognóstico nessa condição.

Approximately 30% of patients with breast cancer have local recurrence, which may be associated with locoregional or systemic disease. The sternal isolated local recurrence is rare, and thoracoplasty is the only intent curative surgical treatment to be offered to these patients. This article presents a patient with breast cancer submitted to a curative treatment, but with a single chest wall recurrence at 35 months. She was submitted to a left sternal thoracoplasty with partial resection, resection of segments of ribs, with reconstruction with synthetic mesh, major flap of latissimus dorsi muscle and internal mammary lymphadenectomy. We discuss the aspects related to local recurrence, the indications related to surgical treatment, the modalities of treatment, its results and the prognosis for this condition.