Adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: T-stage, chromosome 17p allelic loss, and extended pancreaticoduodenectomy are relevant prognostic factors.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of different clinico-pathological and molecular factors, and to compare survival after standard and extended pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma (AVAC). There are discordant data on factors affecting prognosis, and hence therapeutic choices, in AVAC.

Patients And Methods: Clinical-pathological factors were evaluated in 59 patients, subjected to PD for AVAC; in 42 subjects information on chromosome 17p and 18q allelic losses (LOH) and microsatellite instability (MSI) was also available.

[Mediastinoscopy for diagnosis of diseases of the chest and staging of lung cancer: our experience in 253 cases].

The main indications for cervical mediastinoscopy are preoperative staging of lung cancer and diagnostic biopsy of mediastinal mass (lymphoma, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis etc.). We undertook a retrospective review of our experience of mediastinal exploration by cervical media-stinoscopy: 253 mediastinoscopies were performed on 252 patients (195 male and 57 female; mean age 53 years, range 14-88 years) between 1995 and June 2003.

Cushing's syndrome induced by bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumours: a review of 98 cases and our experience of two cases.

Bronchopulmonary carcinoids are one of the most common cause of ectopic secretion of corticotropin (ACTH) and account for approximately 1% of all the patients in whom Cushing's syndrome develops. We reviewed 98 cases described in the World Literature and we report on two new cases. A 60-year old woman affected by Cushing's syndrome underwent to surgical wedge resection of a peripheral pulmonary nodule and a 30-year old woman with similar clinical features underwent to middle lobectomy for a small hilar neoplasm.

[Surgical treatment of breast tumors in patients after mammography screening. Personal experience in the first 3 years of operation of the screening program in the province of Verona].

A mammographic screening program was started in 1999 in the Province of Verona and was offered to women aged 50-69. The purpose of this study was to analyse and compare our data, particularly the type of surgery and histotype, with the literature data where no screening program was implemented. During the first three years of the screening, 113 patients underwent surgical treatment in our Institute.

Results of pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer: extended versus standard procedure.

In Western experience, the long-term survival benefit after extended pancreaticoduodenectomy (EPD) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is still controversial. The aim of this work was to evaluate weather EPD for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma prolongs long-term survival compared to standard pancreaticoduodenectomy (SPD). From November 1992 to September 1996, we performed pancreatic resections in 30 patients affected by stage I-III pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: 13 patients underwent SPD and 17 patients underwent EPD, consecutively.