Cancer

To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first validation of the 2004 International Union Against Cancer TNM classification for adrenocortical carcinoma using detailed clinical data from 416 patients who were registered with the German Adrenocortical Carcinoma Registry. The analysis demonstrated limitations of the 2004 staging system, and a new TNM classification (the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors classification) is proposed.

Of 197 patients, 49 underwent total thyroidectomy alone, and 148 underwent total thyroidectomy plus central neck dissection. The latter were randomized to oral calcium, calcium plus vitamin D, or no supplements. Central neck dissection significantly increased postoperative hypocalcemia rate, which was prevented by calcium and vitamin D supplements without adverse effects.

Genetic variation among different ethnic groups plays role in colorectal cancer (CRC) in Asians, in both carcinogenesis and in response to therapy. Although the authors found survival after CRC diagnosis to be improved for Asians in general, significant survival differences were observed only in specific Asian subsets. Survival among Asians appears to be affected less by socioeconomic status or treatment disparities than by biologic factors.

Microsatellite instable colorectal cancers (CRCs) were less likely to develop distant metastasis and to have an increased risk for new or recurrent CRC within the first 3 years after resection. If the current results are validated, then they may help stratify patients to a more target-oriented surveillance after surgery.

The study showed that gene expression profiling is useful in predicting recurrence in stage III colorectal cancer. The authors identified CABIN1 among discriminating genes that may play a key role in the development of recurrence.

Major complications that occurred within 30 days after radiotherapy (RT) were investigated in a large population-based cohort of men and were compared to complication rates in a population-based sample of men who underwent radical prostatectomy (RP) during the same period. The results indicated that short-term complications requiring hospital-based management were relatively uncommon after RT, commonly increased with patient age and comorbidity, and generally declined over time and that, compared with RP, RT was associated with lower complication rates.

Models are available to accurately predict biochemical disease recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy. Because not all patients who experience BCR will progress to metastatic disease, it is appealing to determine postoperatively which patients are likely to manifest systemic disease. The authors compared the ability of postoperative models to predict metastatic disease following radical prostatectomy.

Compared with normal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), hyperthermia-treated MSCs showed higher antitumor effects on tumor cells. The secreted molecules from hyperthermia-treated MSCs induced tumor cells to undergo death by mediating growth inhibition, DNA condensation, abnormal cell cycle, and intracellular molecular changes.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer should be considered when evaluating patients with suspected hereditary ovarian cancer who have had negative BRCA gene mutation testing.

Although it is frequently difficult to determine histologically whether a parathyroid tumor is a parathyroid carcinoma, parathyromatosis, or an atypical parathyroid adenoma, loss of parafibromin and Rb expression and overexpression of galectin-3 generally distinguish parathyroid carcinoma from other parathyroid tumors. Parathyromatosis does not appear to be a low-grade parathyroid carcinoma.

Multiple myeloma often harbors many chromosomal aberrations, and fresh frozen tissues currently are considered the most reliable for molecular genetic analysis; however archived, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues are easily retrievable. In this study, bacterial artificial chromosome array-based comparative genomic hybridization was used to analyze paired archived and fresh samples to determine its efficacy in analyzing archived materials.

In neutropenic patients with seropositive invasive aspergillosis, serum galactomannan index outcome strongly correlates with survival, autopsy findings, and response outcome.

A prognostic index based on widely available clinical and laboratory features was recently developed to predict survival among patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The authors used the Mayo Clinic CLL database to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of the new prognostic index. They confirmed the ability of a newly developed prognostic index risk category to predict survival among patients with previously untreated CLL and also extended the utility of the index by demonstrating that it is useful at diagnosis, retains prognostic value when applied exclusively to Rai stage 0 patients (P = .03), is effective in nonreferred patients (P < .0001), and predicts time to treatment (P < .0001).

An 11q22 deletion is considered an adverse prognostic factor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The authors reviewed clinical outcomes of 69 patients with untreated CLL bearing an 11q22 deletion, detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of bone marrow, and found that chemoimmunotherapy for CLL with an 11q22 deletion was associated with high rates of response, survival, and relapse-free survival.

The objective of this study was to identify prognostic markers related to survival in patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis to better select patients who are eligible for intensive treatment. Radiation Therapy Oncology Group score, glucose in cerebrospinal fluid, and the presence of infratentorial neurologic symptoms were associated independently with survival and predicted response to treatment in such patients.

Gamma knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 provided 5-year tumor control in approximately two-thirds of patients and preserved serviceable hearing in approximately one-third. Radiosurgery should be included in the treatment options, considering its potential for hearing preservation and the low risk of other cranial nerve complications.

A The objective of this study was to examine quantitatively the differences in end-of-life outcomes based on advanced cancer patients' dependent child status. The results indicated that advanced cancer patients with dependent children were more anxious, less likely to engage in advance care planning, and more likely to have a worse quality of life in their last week of life compared with similar patients who did not have dependent children. Such patients and their spousal caregivers with dependent children represent a particularly distressed group that warrants further clinical attention, research, and support.

The National Oncologic Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Registry (NOPR) report their results on the impact of PET on intended management when it is used for treatment monitoring for all cancer types excluding breast cancer. The results indicated that changes in management were more frequent if the referring physician judged that the post-PET prognosis was worse rather than improved or unchanged (78% vs 40%), and physicians indicated that PET enabled 91% of their patients to avoid future tests.

This report focuses on cancer patterns within the Seneca Nation of Indians from 1955 through 2004. The study builds on earlier work with Seneca elucidating cancer patterns and cause-specific mortality from 1955 through 1984 and to the authors' knowledge represents the most extensive review conducted to date of a single tribe's cancer burden.

Single-agent sorafenib demonstrates good efficacy and acceptable tolerability in treating an advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patient population in a hepatitis B–endemic area. The presence of lung metastasis predicts poor response to sorafenib in advanced HCC patients.

The authors characterized distress symptoms, interventions, and outcomes of patients with cancer who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and referred to a palliative care team (PCT) in a cancer center. Significant numbers of ICU patients had severe physical and emotional distress, multiple interventions were recommended by the PCT, and significant improvements were observed. The findings suggested that the integration of palliative care services may improve the quality of life of these critically ill patients.

Phase 1 oncology trial participants often are excluded from hospice, although, it is not known whether they might benefit from hospice services. The objectives of this study were to define the palliative care needs of these patients and to determine whether their needs are greater than those of other cancer patients.

A specific cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, meloxicam, significantly reduced a series of inflammatory changes caused by duodenal reflux and inhibited the development of basal cell dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma. A selective COX-2 inhibitor is a possible chemopreventive agent against squamous cell carcinogenesis.