Human papillomavirus type 16 DNA detected in pulmonary metastases from a penile squamous cell carcinoma: a case study.

This report describe the case of a patient presenting with pulmonary metastases from a penile cancer, where the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 DNA both in the primary tumor and in the distant metastases confirmed the spreading of the disease, ruling out a possible primary lung squamous cell carcinoma. Indeed, according to the findings, the HPV genotyping test might help in the identification of metastatic disease from anogenital malignancies or other HPV-related cancers.

Colorectal cancer after breast cancer: a case-control study.

Introduction: The risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) after BC and the additional risk factor of tamoxifen exposure were investigated by several studies with conflicting results. We performed a case-control study aimed at investigating if a past history of breast cancer is a risk factor of developing adenomas or CRC and establishing whether tamoxifen exposure is an additional risk factor.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 175 asymptomatic women with a past history of BC and invited them to undergo a screening colonoscopy.

A divergent role for estrogen receptor-beta in node-positive and node-negative breast cancer classified according to molecular subtypes: an observational prospective study.

Introduction: Estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-alpha) and progesterone receptor (PgR) are consolidated predictors of response to hormonal therapy (HT). In contrast, little information regarding the role of estrogen receptor-beta (ER-beta) in various breast cancer risk groups treated with different therapeutic regimens is available. In particular, there are no data concerning ER-beta distribution within the novel molecular breast cancer subtypes luminal A (LA) and luminal B (LB), HER2 (HS), and triple-negative (TN).

Bio-pathologic characteristics related to chromosome 11 aneusomy and cyclin D1 gene status in surgically resected stage I and II breast cancer: Identification of an adverse prognostic profile.

We aimed at developing a more detailed understanding of cyclin D1 in early stage human breast cancer and defining the biologic profiles with different prognostic value correlating cyclin D1 gene amplification and chromosome 11 aneusomy with bio-pathologic variables of known clinical importance. Cyclin D1 gene amplification and chromosome 11 aneusomy were investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization whereas cyclin D1, PgR, HER-2, Bcl2, p53, and Ki-67 expressions were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 121 stage I or II breast cancer patients uniformly treated with cyclophosphamide/metotrexate/5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. Cyclin D1 was amplified in 6.

The cytoskeleton regulatory protein hMena (ENAH) is overexpressed in human benign breast lesions with high risk of transformation and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive/hormonal receptor-negative tumors.

Purpose: hMena (ENAH), a cytoskeleton regulatory protein involved in the regulation of cell motility and adhesion, is overexpressed in breast cancer. The aim of this study was to define at what stage of breast carcinogenesis hMena is overexpressed and to correlate hMena overexpression with established prognostic factors in breast cancer, focusing on human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2).

Experimental Design: hMena expression was assessed immunohistochemically in a prospective cohort of cases (n = 360) encompassing a highly representative spectrum of benign breast diseases associated with different risk of transformation, in situ, invasive, and metastatic tumors.

Phenotypic changes of p53, HER2, and FAS system in multiple normal tissues surrounding breast cancer.

To determine whether phenotypic field changes occur in tissues adjacent to carcinoma, we assayed, by immunohistochemistry, the expression of HER-2, p53, Fas, and FasL in 72 breast cancers (BC) and multiple autologous peritumoral tissues (PTTs) sampled up to 5 cm distance and in 44 benign breast tumors (BBTs). About 5% and 3% of the PTTs and 4.5% and 6.

Human Mena protein, a serex-defined antigen overexpressed in breast cancer eliciting both humoral and CD8+ T-cell immune response.

Screening of a cDNA expression library from a primary breast tumor with the autologous patient serum led to the isolation of 6 cDNA clones corresponding to 3 different genes, including a novel gene that maps to chromosome 1 and encodes the human homologue of mouse Mena (hMena, cDNA clone RMNY-BR-55), a protein of the Ena/VASP family involved in the regulation of cell motility and adhesion. A cancer-restricted antibody response against hMena was demonstrated, since 18/93 cancer patient sera, the majority (10/52) from breast cancer, showed anti-hMena-specific IgG, while no antibodies were present in healthy donors. When hMena protein expression was analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry, the antigen was overexpressed in the majority of breast cancer cell lines and in 75% of primary breast tumor lesions evaluated.

The antigen processing machinery of class I human leukocyte antigens: linked patterns of gene expression in neoplastic cells.

The ultimate outcome of an immune response (escape or surveillance) depends on a delicate balance of opposing signals delivered by activating and inhibitory immune receptors expressed by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cells. In this light, loss and down-regulation of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I molecules, while important for keeping tumors below the T-cell detection levels, may incite recognition of missing self. Conversely, the maintenance of normal levels of expression (or even up-regulation) may be favorable to tumors, at least in certain cases.