c-Met overexpression in inflammatory breast carcinomas: automated quantification on tissue microarrays.

Inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) is a rare but aggressive tumour associated with poor outcome owing to early metastases. Increased expression of c-Met protein correlates with reduced survival and high metastatic risk in human cancers including breast carcinomas and is targetable by specific drugs, that could potentially improve the prognosis. In the present study, we compared c-Met expression in IBC (n=41) and non-IBC (n=480) immunohistochemically (Ventana Benchmark autostainer) in two tissue microarrays (TMA) along with PI3K and E-cadherin. The results were quantified through an automated image analysis device (SAMBA Technologies). We observed that (i) c-Met was significantly overexpressed in IBC as compared with non-IBC (P<0.001), (ii) PI3K was overexpressed (P<0.001) in IBC, suggesting that the overexpressed c-Met is functionally active at least through the PI3K signal transduction pathway; and (iii) E-cadherin was paradoxically also overexpressed in IBC. We concluded that overexpressed c-Met in IBC constitutes a potential target for specific therapy for the management of patients with poor-outcome tumours such as IBC. Automated image analysis of TMA proved to be a valuable tool for high-throughput immunohistochemical quantification of the expression of intratumorous protein markers.

[Hodgkin's disease and pregnancy]. / Maladie de Hodgkin et grossesse

The onset of pregnancy raises special problems during Hodgkin's disease and renders difficult full assessment of the extent of the disease. Furthermore acute exacerbations are fairly common, except in patients with a complete remission for more than two years. The critical period seems to be labour and the following weeks. In fact when pregnancy occurs during Hodgkin's disease, one may decide to interrupt it. However, if the patient has been in remission for more than two years, one may allow the pregnancy to continue. The decision will be taken in the light of each case. After pregnancy contraception should be advised in all women with Hodgkin's disease.