Potential impact of nonavalent HPV vaccine in the prevention of high-grade cervical lesions and cervical cancer in Portugal.

Objective: To estimate the potential impact of the nonavalent HPV vaccine for high-grade cervical lesions and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in Portugal.

Methods: The present secondary analysis used data collected in the CLEOPATRE II study on the prevalence of HPV 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58 among female patients aged 20-88 years. The prevalence of HPV types in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2/3 and ICC was examined.

Hematogenic Dissemination of Triple-negative Versus Hormonal Receptor-positive Breast Cancer Cells.

The aim of this study was to characterize the hematogeneous spread, in vivo, of breast cancer (BC) cell lines that express hormonal receptors (HR) comparing with triple-negative (TN) BC, particularly considering the lung and liver. Female Balb/c nu nu mice (n=30) were injected with two breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and HCC1806). Nuclear medicine imaging with Technetium ((99m)Tc)-hydroxymethylene diphosphonate ((99m)Tc-HMDP) and (99m)Tc-Hexakis 2-methoxy-2-methylpropylisonitrile (MIBI) were performed between the 7th and 8th weeks after injection.

Epstein-Barr virus infection and clinical outcome in breast cancer patients correlate with immune cell TNF-α/IFN-γ response.

Background: For nearly two decades now, various studies have reported detecting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in breast cancer (BC) cases. Yet the results are unconvincing, and their interpretation has remained a matter of debate. We have now presented prospective data on the effect of EBV infection combined with survival in patients enrolled in a prospective study.

Human papillomavirus type distribution in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 and cervical cancer in Portugal: a CLEOPATRE II Study.

Objective: Cervical cancer is the third most frequent cancer in women, worldwide and etiologically associated with infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). Following the results of the first epidemiologic population-based CLEOPATRE study in Portugal, it was important to understand the HPV type-specific distribution in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2 and 3 and invasive cervical cancer (ICC).

Methods: This was an observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection.

Microdialysis: improving local chemotherapy in cancer using a mathematical model.

Although intratumoral chemotherapy administration has been evaluated in the past, its results have not been frequently comparable to those from systemic administration. We recently described microdialysis as a method for local chemotherapy administration with increasing effectiveness while reducing systemic toxicity. We present a mathematical model which supports the successful application of this procedure in optimizing the administered drug in different cases, using informatics tools and considering several parameters.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection in women in Portugal: the CLEOPATRE Portugal study.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for a range of diseases, including cervical cancer. The primary objectives of the CLEOPATRE Portugal study were to estimate the overall and age-stratified prevalence of cervical HPV infection and to assess HPV prevalence and type-specific distribution by cytological results among women aged 18 to 64 years, who reside in mainland Portugal.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional population-based study recruited women aged 18 to 64 years, according to an age-stratified sampling strategy, who attended gynecology/obstetrics or sexually transmitted disease clinics across the 5 regional health administrations in mainland Portugal between 2008 and 2009.

Influence of normal mammary epithelium on breast cancer progression: the protective role of early pregnancy.

Aims And Background: The microenvironment has a well recognized role in breast cancer progression. Despite different theories, the mechanism of early pregnancy protection in mammary carcinogenesis is unknown. Since pregnancy is responsible for mammary gland differentiation, we tested the hypothesis that differentiated mammary epithelial cells may inhibit breast cancer progression.

Epoetin alfa improves anemia and anemia-related, patient-reported outcomes in patients with breast cancer receiving myelotoxic chemotherapy: results of a European, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of epoetin alfa on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with breast cancer receiving myelotoxic chemotherapy.

Materials And Methods: Women with hemoglobin concentrations ≤ 12.0 g/dl and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) score of 0-3 were randomized 1:1 to receive epoetin alfa (10,000 IU 3 times weekly) or best standard care (BSC) during chemotherapy.

Sequential adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in endometrial cancer--results from two randomised studies.

Introduction: Endometrial cancer patients with high grade tumours, deep myometrial invasion or advanced stage disease have a poor prognosis. Randomised studies have demonstrated the prevention of loco-regional relapses with radiotherapy (RT) with no effect on overall survival (OS). The possible additive effect of chemotherapy (CT) remains unclear.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced vulvar cancer.

Introduction: Locally advanced tumors of the vulva represent approximately one third of all vulvar cancers. Therapeutic options include chemoradiation, radiotherapy, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Materials And Methods: Analysis of 3 NACT schemes, bleomicine, paclitaxel, and 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin, used in patients with locally advanced vulvar tumors in a 12-year period.

Endometrial polyps in postmenopausal women.

The malignancy risk of endometrial polyps in postmenopausal women was correlated with the presence or absence of abnormal uterine bleeding. Of 481 postmenopausal women who presented with endometrial polyps at diagnostic hysteroscopy between 2004 and 2007, 48.9% were asymptomatic and 51.