ABSTRACT
In this retrospective study, the authors compared the sensitivity and specificity, in terms of the diagnosis of malignancy, of two techniques of ultrasound-guided biopsy of liver tumours. The first technique involving fine needle biopsy with cytological and histological analysis of the specimen was carried out in 39 patients. A technique using a wide calibre needle with frozen section examination of the fragment obtained was performed in 27 patients. All patients had one or more malignant liver tumours. Sensitivity and specificity of the technique with frozen section histology were both 100 per cent, while figures for the technique with delayed histological study were 84.6 and 87.4 per cent. This study suggests that frozen section histology might be associated with greater sensitivity than delayed histology.
Subject(s)
Biopsy, Needle , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Adenoma, Bile Duct/pathology , Biopsy, Needle/instrumentation , Biopsy, Needle/methods , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Cytodiagnosis , Humans , Laparotomy , Liver/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis , Liver Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Retrospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
The total amount of cathepsin-D (mature forms and pro-enzyme especially) in the cytosol of 88 breast cancers including 85 primary cancers and 11 axillary lymph node metastasis was measured by way of immuno-radiometric assay. Maximum follow-up is 58 months. Cathepsin-D was found to be independent of clinical and biological parameters including axillary lymph node involvement and oestradiol receptors (RE). Univariate analysis has pointed out a significant linkage between overall survival and cathepsin-D, using a cut-off level of 30 pmol/mg protein which is the most discriminating value. Cathepsin-D appeared to be particularly useful in lymph-node-positive and RE-negative patients but it was not significant in the node-negative population. Multivariate analysis of the overall survival (Cox model) revealed that it was strongly related to oestradiol receptor, lymph node involvement and cathepsin-D.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/analysis , Cathepsin D/analysis , Adult , Axilla , Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Lymphatic Metastasis , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Neoplasm Staging , Prognosis , Receptors, Estradiol/analysis , Receptors, Progesterone/analysisABSTRACT
We have measured by a radioenzymatic assay the thymidine kinase in the cytosol of 182 primary infiltrating breast cancers. Maximal follow-up is 95 months. Thymidine kinase was found to be related to SBR grade, tumour size and absence of oestradiol receptors (RE). Univariate analysis has pointed out a significant linkage between overall or metastase free survival and thymidine kinase, using a cut-off level of 80 mU/mg protein which is the most discriminating value. Thymidine kinase appeared to be particularly useful in lymph-node-positive, RE-negative and grade 3 patients. Multivariate analysis of the overall survival and of the metastase free survival (Cox model) revealed that they were strongly related to thymidine kinase status.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/enzymology , Thymidine Kinase/metabolism , Axilla , Breast Neoplasms/mortality , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cytosol/enzymology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Lymphatic Metastasis , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Staging , Prognosis , Receptors, Estradiol/analysis , Receptors, Progesterone/analysis , Survival Analysis , Thymidine Kinase/analysisABSTRACT
Previous experiments on compensatory hypertrophy of the splenic parenchyma after partial splenectomy, permitted us to observe lesions of the part of the pancreas in contact with the spleen. This part of the gland is supplied only by the splenic artery and suffers from some degree of ischemia during splenectomy. The object of this research was to seek, as a routine, pancreatic disease after splenectomy. 32 adult rabbits were used. Partial splenectomy carried out in 15 cases, removed about 2/3rds of the spleen and involved ligature of 4 or 5 splenic and mesenteric arterio-venous pedicles. Total splenectomy, carried out in 17 cases, included ligature of the splenic arteriovenous trunk and 3 or 4 spleno-gastric and spleno-mesenteric arterio-venous pedicles. These operations were followed by more or less intense stasis extending to the splenic part of the pancreas. The animals were examined one week and 8 months afterwards. All the rabbits, except one, had pancreatic lesions. The most severe and extensive lesions, including large areas of cytosteato-necrosis with, in 11 cases, pseudo-cysts, with caseation, followed total splenectomy. Partial splenectomy gave rise to 6 pseudocysts including 2 containing blood and 9 cases with milder lesions including involution, rarefaction and sometimes disappearance of the gland which had suffered from ischemia. In these splenectomies, ligature of the splenic arterio-venous pedicles supplying the pancreas were responsible for pancreatic disease.
