De novo purely prostatic large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with thyroid and adrenal metastases.

Summary: Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a rare neuroendocrine prostatic malignancy. It usually arises after androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), while de novo cases are even more infrequent, with only six cases described. The patient was a 78-year-old man with no history of ADT who presented with cervical lymphadenopathy.

Epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics of BRCA-positive and BRCA-negative breast cancer patients in Greece.

Purpose: BRCA mutation carriers can benefit from targeted clinical interventions. On the other hand, families with evident aggregation of breast cancer (BC) cases and a BRCA-negative genetic test can still be considered as of elevated risk, since the underlying genetic factor remains unidentified. In the present study, we compared clinical and demographic characteristics between BRCA1 mutation carriers (BRCA1mut) and non-carriers (non-BRCA1) in a Greek group of BC patients (n=321).

CHEK2 c.1100delC allele is rarely identified in Greek breast cancer cases.

The CHEK2 gene encodes a protein kinase that plays a crucial role in maintenance of genomic integrity and the DNA repair mechanism. CHEK2 germline mutations are associated with increased risk of breast cancer and other malignancies. From a clinical perspective, the most significant mutation identified is the c.

Risk factors, pathological and phenotypic features of male breast cancer in Greece.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) in males is a rare disease and comprises 0.5-1% of all BC cases. Due to its rarity, there are limited data regarding risk factors, biology and relevant treatment.

A collecting duct carcinoma producing carcinoembryonic antigen and Ca-125 in a 29-year-old woman.

Collecting duct carcinoma is a rare renal malignant neoplasm, arising from the medullary collecting duct and accounting for less than 1% of renal cell carcinomas. It is more common in middle-aged men and is usually presented with hematuria, abdominal mass and back or flank pain. Its immunohistochemical analysis detects the expression of various markers, such as low and high molecular weight keratins, Ulex europaeus agglutinin-1, epithelial membrane antigen and peanut lectin.

Dermatomyositis as an early manifestation and a significant clinical precursor of lung cancer: report of a rare case and review of the current literature.

Dermatomyositis represents an idiopathic inflammatory connective-tissue disease, characterized by inflammation of the muscles and the skin. There is a high incidence of malignancy in patients with dermatomyositis. The main purpose of the present paper is to describe and underline the clinical significance of dermatomyositis manifestations as a precursor and early clinical signs of small cell lung cancer.

A case of paraneoplastic autoimmune pancreatitis: mini-review of paraneoplastic syndromes in breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC), the most common type of cancer in women of the Western world, is often associated with paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS). Autoimmune pancreatitis is a recently recognized entity belonging to the spectrum of IgG4-related systemic diseases, which are characterized by target-organ plasmacytic infiltration and fibrosis. In this report we review PNS associated with BC and we present the first case of BC-associated autoimmune pancreatitis as well as its successful management with steroids and immunosuppressive BC-tailored chemotherapy.

Salvage chemotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in metastatic breast cancer. Particular activity against liver metastases.

Background: The prognosis of patients with metastatic breast cancer who have failed to respond to at least two different chemotherapy regimens is poor. Such patients with metastatic disease to the liver have even worse prognosis. Cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) can be given in patients with impaired hepatic function but their combination has not been extensively studied in this setting.

Screening of the DNA mismatch repair genes MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 in a Greek cohort of Lynch syndrome suspected families.

Background: Germline mutations in the DNA mismatch repair genes predispose to Lynch syndrome, thus conferring a high relative risk of colorectal and endometrial cancer. The MLH1, MSH2 and MSH6 mutational spectrum reported so far involves minor alterations scattered throughout their coding regions as well as large genomic rearrangements. Therefore, a combination of complete sequencing and a specialized technique for the detection of genomic rearrangements should be conducted during a proper DNA-testing procedure.

Phase I trial of weekly docetaxel with a 4-weekly cisplatin administration in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma.

The docetaxel-cisplatin combination is active against several tumors including gastric cancer but it is followed by severe myelosuppression. Recent experience with weekly taxanes has demonstrated a mild myelotoxicity with high dose intensity. We investigated in a phase I study a weekly schedule of docetaxel on days 1, 8 and 15 and cisplatin on day 1 every 4 weeks in 19 patients with advanced gastric cancer with no prior chemotherapy.

Oxaliplatin with high-dose leucovorin and infusional 5-fluorouracil in irinotecan-pretreated patients with advanced colorectal cancer (ACC).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of the bimonthly administration of oxaliplatin in combination with high-dose leucovorin and infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (FOLFOX2 regimen) in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (ACC) who did not respond or whose disease progressed within 3 months after front-line treatment with CPT-11-containing regimens. Forty-one patients with ACC who did not respond or whose disease progressed after front-line treatment with CPT-11 + 5-FU/leucovorin were enrolled. Oxaliplatin was administered at the dose of 100 mg/m2 on day 1 as a 2-hour infusion simultaneously but through different lines with leucovorin (500 mg/m2 on days 1 and 2); 5-FU was given at the dose of 1,750 mg/m2/d as a 22-hour continuous intravenous infusion on days 1 and 2.