CA125 reference values change in male and postmenopausal female subjects.

Background: In cancer patients, including women with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is used to evaluate the presence of peritoneal involvement. The aims of the present study were to assess CA125 reference intervals and reference change values (RCV) in postmenopausal reference women, postmenopausal women breast cancer free, reference men and cancer free men.

Methods: The series consisted of 433 subjects: 105 postmenopausal breast cancer free women and 56 cancer free men in addition to a total of 272 reference subjects (145 postmenopausal women and 127 men).

Chronic anemia due to mitomycin C is drug dose-dependent, normocytic, progressive, related to erythropoietin levels and quantitatively predictable: implications for radiochemotherapy.

Mitomycin C (MC) is used as therapy against solid tumors, also combined with other chemotherapeutic agents or radiotherapy. It may cause acute, subacute, or chronic anemia capable of modifying the results of chemo- and radiotherapy. Erythropoietin may be lowered by cancer itself or because of chemoradiotherapy.

Differential diagnosis of lung nodules: breast cancer metastases and lung tuberculosis.

In a follow-up a 74-year-old woman with breast cancer (clinical stage T4N1M0 at onset, treatment by surgical resection and tamoxifen) presented a combination of two distinct diseases in the lung: breast cancer metastasis and tuberculosis. A CT scan showed multiple pulmonary nodular lesions and in only one lesion fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) diagnosed tuberculosis. After specific antibiotic therapy, isoniazide and rifampin, a CT scan highlighted disappearance of tubercular lesion.

Thymidylate synthetase allelic imbalance in clear cell renal carcinoma.

Purpose: To investigate the allelic status of the thymidylate synthetase (TYMS) gene, located at chromosome band 18p11.32, in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). TYMS is a key target of the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based class of drugs, frequently considered in combination therapies in advanced RCC.