Assessment of surgical treatment in elderly patients with breast cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The incidence of breast cancer increases with advancing age and in clinical practice approximately 50% of new cases occur in women over the age of 65 years. Although breast cancer in elderly patients presents more favorable biological characteristics than similar-stage cancer in younger women, disease control still remains uncertain and is becoming a major health problem. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1984 and 2006, 133 patients aged over 65 with operable breast cancer underwent surgical treatment. Patients with ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ, bilateral breast cancer or a previous malignancy were excluded. The mean age was 72.8 years (range, 66-89). Breast-conserving surgery was performed in patients with early breast cancer (T1, T2 < 2.5 cm), while most patients with advanced tumors (T2 >2.5 cm, T3, T4) were treated by modified radical mastectomy. RESULTS: The pathological stage was I in 44, IIA in 54, IIB in 18, IIIA in 10 and IIIB in 7 patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 13 patients (9%); there were no postoperative deaths. Eighty-nine patients underwent adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, hormonal therapy). After a median follow-up of 96 months (range, 5-266), disease progression was observed in 21 patients (15.8%). The overall mortality from breast cancer was 11%, whereas the cancer-unrelated mortality was 9%. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence that breast cancer has a more favorable prognosis in the elderly and surgical procedures should be carried out as has been established in younger women. At present, elderly patients are much less likely to be entered into randomized clinical trials and are often undertreated. However, in the absence of serious comorbid disease, they are able to withstand standard multimodal treatment options as well as do younger patients.

Early gallbladder carcinoma: a single-center experience.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Controversy continues regarding the best surgical treatment for early gallbladder carcinoma defined as a tumor confined to the mucosa (pT1a) or to the muscularis propria (pT1b) according to the TNM classification. This study evaluates the effectiveness of different surgical approaches in patients with early gallbladder carcinoma in terms of long-term survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1980 to 2001, 175 patients with gallbladder carcinoma were admitted to our department. Fifteen of them underwent resections for early gallbladder carcinoma: 4 patients for pT1a tumors and 11 patients for pT1b tumors. All patients with pT1a tumors and 8 patients with pT1b tumors underwent simple cholecystectomy. The remaining 3 patients with pT1b tumors underwent extended cholecystectomy. RESULTS: The 5-10 year cumulative survival rate was 100% for patients with pT1a tumors, 37.5% for patients with pT1b tumors who underwent simple cholecystectomy, and 100% for patients with pT1b tumors who underwent extended cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Simple cholecystectomy is the appropriate treatment for patients with pT1a tumors, whereas patients with pT1b tumors require an extended cholecystectomy.

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the breast. Report of two cases and review of the literature.

Sarcomas of the breast are uncommon, accounting for less than 1% of all primary malignancies. Among these tumors, malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is very rare. Two cases of this neoplasm are reported, with histological findings and surgical treatment. The issue of radiation-induced lesions after surgery for carcinoma and the necessity for a correct preoperative diagnosis is examined. A review of the available literature evaluates the histopathological and biological features of MFH of the breast, for which there are no prospective trials, owing to the rarity of this kind of neoplasm. The extent of surgery or role of axillary lymph nodes dissection and multimodality therapy are discussed.

Lymph node dissection in papillary or follicular thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Prospective randomized studies aimed at evaluating the different therapeutic protocols for the treatment of papillary or follicular carcinoma are lacking at the moment. Although total thyroidectomy is widely accepted, indication to locoregional lymphadenectomy is strongly debated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-four patients with papillary or follicular thyroid carcinoma (45 papillary and 9 follicular) underwent functional evaluation of the gland before intervention, FNAB included Surgical management was carried out as follows: 41 total thyroidectomy, 6 lobectomy with further totalization in 5, 6 total thyroidectomy plus central compartment lymphadenectomy and 1 left laterocervical lymphadenectomy (papillary carcinoma, treated elsewhere through total thyroidectomy plus central and right laterocervical lymphadenectomy). All operated patients were submitted to whole body scintigraphy and treated thereafter by radiometabolic therapy and chronic hormone suppressive therapy. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients are currently alive, 3 died from non-related causes; surgical complications included 1 permanent impairment of inferior laryngeal nerve function and 1 case of hypoparathyroidism. The follow-up was from 1 to 139 months. DISCUSSION: The optimal treatment of lymph node metastases, especially for papillary carcinomas, has not yet been defined. Two trends are evident concerning lymphadenectomy: the first one suggests routine lymphadenectomy, the second supports lymphadenectomy by necessity. In follicular carcinoma lymphadenectomy is recommended only in the presence of clinical evidence of lymph node involvement. Occult differentiated carcinoma does not require any further treatment of lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Considering the high efficacy of radiometabolic treatment after total thyroidectomy combined with chronic TSH inhibition through L-tyrosine administration, lymphadenectomy is suggested only by necessity.

Nuclear methylation levels in normal and cancerous thyroid cells.

BACKGROUND: Most cancers show abnormal DNA methylation and a positive correlation between hypomethylation and tumour progression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our laboratory the extent of DNA methylation in individual nuclei in normal, cancer and non-cancer thyroid tissue samples was quantified according to a previously described method of computer-assisted semi-quantitative analysis. Cancer and non-cancer samples were obtained from nine patients with different thyroid pathologies (one multinodular goitre and eight carcinomas). Quantitative analysis was performed in two sets of samples, i.e. individual nuclei from touch preparations and from tissue sections. RESULTS: In all cancer specimens a statistically significant decrease of heterochromatin methylation was consistently observed. In both sets of samples a direct correlation was consistently observed between the extent of chromatin demethylation and the degree of malignancy. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results suggest that our method of cell-by-cell detection of intranuclear methylation abnormalities may be a useful tool in early identification of thyroid cancer lesions.

Palliative management of malignant antro-pyloric strictures. Gastroenterostomy vs. endoscopic stenting. A randomized prospective trial.

BACKGROUND: Gastroenterostomy was the palliative treatment of choice in patients with malignant unresectable gastric outlet obstruction. Palliative endoscopic treatment of malignant gastric outlet obstruction with endoluminal self-expanding metallic stents is nowadays a well-established procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients referred for treatment with diagnosis of malignant strictures of the antro-pyloric tract presenting at an advanced unresectable stage. The patients were randomly assigned into two treatment groups (endoscopic vs. surgery) according to random-number tables. The length of procedure, morbidity and mortality rate, restoration of oral intake and gastric emptying at 8, 15 days and 3 months from treatment and hospital stay were assessed. RESULTS: Endoscopic group: The median length of procedure was 40 minutes. No death and one minor complication (11.1%) was reported. Mean time for oral intake was 2.1 days. Gastric emptying was satisfactory in 88.9% after 8 days and in 100% of patients after 15 days and 3 months. The median hospital stay was 3.1 days. Surgery group: The median length of the operation was 93 minutes. No mortality was reported. One patient (11.1%) developed anastomotic bleeding which required relaparotomy. Mean time for oral intake was 6.3 days. Gastric emptying was satisfactory in 66.7% of patients after 8 days, in 88.9% after 15 days and in 100% after 3 months. The median hospital stay was 10 days. CONCLUSION: There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups even with respect to morbidity, mortality, delayed gastric emptying and clinical outcomes at 3-month follow-up. Endoscopic stenting was significantly more effective with respect to operative time, restoration of oral intake and median hospitalization. Our results would suggest that endoscopically placed metal stents offer an effective alternative to surgical palliation in patients with unresectable malignant strictures.

Palliative management of malignant rectosigmoidal obstruction. Colostomy vs. endoscopic stenting. A randomized prospective trial.

BACKGROUND: Colostomy was the palliative treatment of choice in patients with malignant unresectable rectosigmoid obstruction. Palliative endoscopic treatment of malignant rectosigmoid obstruction by endoluminal self-expanding metallic stents is nowadays a well-established procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients, referred for treatment with diagnosis of malignant obstruction of the rectosigmoid region presenting an advanced unresectable stage, were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned into two treatment groups (endoscopic stenting vs colostomy) according to random-number tables. The length of procedure, morbidity and mortality rate, canalization of the gastrointestinal tract, restoration of oral intake and hospital stay were assessed. RESULTS: Endoscopic group: The median length of procedure was 36 minutes. No death was observed. None of the patients reported complications. All patients resumed bowel function within 24 hours. The restoration of oral intake was achieved one day after stent placement. The median hospital stay was 2.6 days. Colostomy group: The median length of the operation was 75.4 minutes. No mortality was reported. In 1 patient (9.1%) stoma prolapse was observed 3 days after the operation. Canalization of the gastrointestinal tract was restored when colostomy was opened (on postoperative day 3). All patients were able to resume oral feedings on postoperative day 3. The median hospital stay was 8.1 days. CONCLUSION: There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups concerning morbidity and mortality. Endoscopic stenting was significantly more effective concerning operative time, restoration of bowel function and oral intake and median hospitalization. Our results would suggest that endoscopically placed metal stents offer an effective alternative to surgical palliation in patients suffering from unresectable malignant rectosigmoid obstruction.

Mediastinal lymph node involvement in non-small cell lung cancer: evaluation with 99mTc-tetrofosmin SPECT and comparison with CT.

UNLABELLED: In patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgical resection offers the best chance of cure. The preoperative assessment of mediastinal lymph node involvement is crucial to selecting those patients for whom surgery is indicated. METHODS: To evaluate the possible clinical role of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy in the presurgical detection of mediastinal node metastases from NSCLC, we performed a prospective comparative study with CT on 83 patients (48 men, 35 women; age range, 38-81 y) with primary NSCLC (36 adenocarcinomas, 39 epidermoid squamous cell carcinomas, and 8 large cell anaplastic carcinomas). They underwent chest SPECT 20 min after (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin injection (740 MBq intravenously). The metastatic involvement of mediastinal nodes was assessed by histologic examination after mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy. Both chest CT and (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin scintigraphy were performed within 2 wk before the surgical staging. RESULTS: Metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes were found in 35 patients. (99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin imaging in assessing the mediastinal involvement yielded a sensitivity of 85.7%, a specificity of 89.6%, and an accuracy of 88.0%; CT results were 68.6%, 75.0%, and 72.3%, respectively. SPECT accuracy was significantly higher than CT accuracy (P < 0.05). However, precise anatomic localization of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin uptake in the mediastinum was not always present on SPECT images. (99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin SPECT precisely detected the presence or absence of lymph node metastases in 33 of the 36 patients with positive CT findings (enlarged mediastinal nodes with a short axis > or =1 cm), with an accuracy (91.7%) significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of CT (66.7%). CONCLUSION: (99m)Tc-Tetrofosmin SPECT is a useful presurgical noninvasive method to assess mediastinal lymph node involvement in NSCLC. In particular, it could play a clinical role in reducing the number of invasive staging surgical procedures in selected patients, especially in those with enlarged lymph nodes at CT. Fusing SPECT with CT images could further improve the interpretation of the scintigraphic data.

Comparative analysis of clinical features and prognostic factors in resected bronchioloalveolar carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung.

BACKGROUND: Over the past few years, clinical, radiological and pathological classification of lung adenocarcinoma and its subtypes, particularly bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC), has radically changed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Out of a series of 384 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, submitted to surgical resection and followed-up in our Department from 1981 to 1999, the data of 151 adenocarcinomas (35 BAC and 116 non-BAC) were reviewed and analyzed for prognosis. RESULTS: BAC and non-BAC series were similar in clinical and radiographic findings, type of resection and stage. Stage I was a dominant favorable prognostic factor (10-year survival: 58% of BAC, 41.2% of non-BAC), albeit associated with a significant risk of second primary metachronous lung tumor (10-year risk: 25% of BAC, 32% of non-BAC). Other independent prognostic factors were: absence of lymph node involvement for BAC and stage III-IV for non-BAC. In term of prognosis, advantages of BAC over non-BAC were fewer cases with lymph node involvement, increased presence of "well-differentiated" cells (p = 0.016) and lower incidence of a second primary metachronous tumor. Moreover BAC patients with a single nodule or mass also had a higher survival expectancy (mean survival: 77 months versus 56 for non-BAC). An unfavorable feature was the higher incidence of diffuse or multicentric radiological forms (p = 0.012). For both groups the presence of multiple or satellite nodules remain a diagnostic and surgical challenge: in BAC cases the evaluation of clonality is recommended.