B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells have reduced capacity to upregulate expression of MHC class I in response to interferon-gamma.

Aims: An important consideration in the design of a tumour vaccine is the ability of tumour-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to recognise unmanipulated tumour cells in vivo. To determine whether B-CLL might use an escape strategy, the current studies compared B-CLL and normal B cell MHC class I expression.

Methods: Flow cytometry, TAP allele PCR and MHC class I PCR were used.

Cognitive function, fatigue, and menopausal symptoms in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Purpose: There is evidence that cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, and menopausal symptoms may occur in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Here, we determine their incidence and severity, and interrelationships between them and quality of life.

Patients And Methods: In this study, 110 women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy each nominated a female relative, friend, or neighbor (matched by age) as a control; 100 eligible matched pairs were evaluated.

A single-centre experience of post-renal transplant lymphoproliferative disorder.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) complicates 1 to 10% of all transplantations. Previous clinicopathological studies of PTLD have been limited by small numbers, short follow-up times, outdated data, heterogeneity of pooled solid-organ transplant results, and selective inclusion of early-onset disease. We therefore undertake here a retrospective analysis and identify all cases of PTLD that complicated renal transplantation at the Princess Alexandra Hospital between 30 June 1969 and 31 May 2001.

The role of systemic chemotherapy in the management of muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Patients with localised but muscle-invasive transitional-cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder are at high risk of relapse and death from metastatic disease after local treatment by cystectomy, radiation, or both. Despite improvements in treatment, patients with metastatic TCC have a median survival of about a year. TCC is quite sensitive to chemotherapy, and patients are able to tolerate newer regimens such as gemcitabine plus cisplatin better than older regimens such as methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin.

"PSA-itis": knowledge of serum prostate specific antigen and other causes of anxiety in men with metaststic prostate cancer.

Purpose: High or increasing prostatic specific antigen (PSA) levels may be a source of anxiety in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Patients with metastatic prostate cancer completed questionnaires, including the Prostate Cancer Specific Quality of Life Instrument, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a questionnaire to assess the impact of the knowledge of PSA levels on anxiety. These were completed at home more than 3 days before or after a clinic appointment and returned by mail.