Progression-free interval in ovarian cancer and predictive value of an ex vivo chemoresponse assay.

The study objective was to determine the effectiveness of a phenotypic chemoresponse assay in predicting response to chemotherapy measured by progression-free interval (PFI) in a retrospective series of ovarian cancer patients whose tumor specimens had been tested with the ChemoFx assay. A statistically significant correlation between assay prediction of response and PFI was observed in 256 cases with an exact or partial match between drug(s) assayed and received. In 135 cases with an exact match, the hazard ratio for progression of the resistant group was 2.

Laser surgery in gynecologic oncology.

In the treatment of premalignant epithelial cancers of the female lower genital tract, the CO2 laser beam is used with precision through a surgical microscope for tissue ablation and excision. Intra-abdominal vaporization of abnormal tissues can be performed endoscopically through fiberoptics. Surgical lasers provide thermal scalpels for hemostatic excision of malignant lesions.

Prognostic factors and the significance of cytologic grading in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: a clinicopathologic study.

Clinical staging, tumor size, histologic differentiation, cytologic grading, depth of stromal invasion, and vascular channel involvement by tumor cells were studied in 42 patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva who were treated with radical vulvectomy and inguinal-femoral lymphadenectomy. All parameters were found to correlate well in predicting groin node metastasis. Cytological grading was found to be more significant compared to histologic grading in regard to nodal metastasis (P less than 0.

Significance of lymphoplasmocytic infiltration around tumor cell in the prediction of regional lymph node metastases in patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: a clinicopathologic study.

Histologic material from 42 patients treated for invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva was studied to determine the prognostic significance of lymphoplasmocytic infiltration around tumor cells in the prediction of regional lymph node metastases. No correlation was found between lymphoplasmocytic infiltration and nodal metastasis with respect to degree of tumor differentiation, stage of disease, and vascular channel involvement. The presence or absence of lymphoplasmocytic infiltration around tumor cells appears to have no prognostic value in predicting nodal metastases.

Comparison of wound healing between chopped mode-superpulse mode CO2 laser and steel knife incision.

The healing of surgical incisions made with the steel knife and CO2 laser chopped wave mode (ChW) or rapid superpulse (RSP) mode were compared using histologic parameters and breaking strength of the scars on postoperative day 14. Using a miniature pig model the Sharplan 1100 laser incisions were made with an average power of 15 W and power density of 7.68 kW/cm2.