Estrogen Receptor Expression in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Time to Reconsider Evidence.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains a chemotherapy-resistant and refractory malignancy with high mortality, unaffected by recent progress in anticancer treatment. Expression of estrogen receptors was detected almost 50 years ago, in both benign and malignant pancreatic cells. However, early preclinical studies in pancreatic cancer led to contradictory findings, and most clinical studies failed to demonstrate an effect with tamoxifen treatment.

Receptor-Binding Cancer Antigen Expression in Thyroid Neoplasms: A Retrospective Study.

Receptor-binding cancer antigen (RCAS1) is a membrane protein, regarded as a tumor-associated antigen. Cancer cells evade immune response with RCAS1 up-regulation, inducing apoptosis to tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Thyroid cancer incidence is rising and its accurate diagnosis in early stage is targeted.

Total Laparoscopic Excision of an Altman Type IV Sacrococcygeal Teratoma with the Assistance of Intraoperative Transrectal Sonography.

Objective: To present the case of a young patient with an Altman type IV sacrococcygeal teratoma (Fig 1) managed exclusively with laparoscopy.

Design: A step-by-step demonstration of the technique.

Setting: A 24-year-old patient complaining of dysmenorrhea, deep dyspareunia, chronic constipation, dyschezia, and bladder atony was diagnosed with a 5-cm cystic tumor compressing the low rectum and overlying the left levator ani muscle.

Survivin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival.

Purpose: Survivin expression is a potential prognostic indicator in various carcinomas. The prognostic value of Survivin for survival in hepatocellular carcinoma, (HCC) however, remains controversial. The aim of the study is to examine the expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis Survivin in HCC and investigate the correlation with the clinic-pathologic characteristics and overall survival (OS) following surgical resection.

Survivin expression as an independent predictor of overall survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Context: Survivin is an antiapoptotic protein with a role in tumorigenesis and suggested prognostic value in several proliferative diseases.

Aims: This study aimed to examine the role of survivin as a prognostic marker in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Settings And Design: Fifty-one specimens of PDAC were assessed for survivin expression by immunohistochemistry.

Contrast-Enhanced Color Doppler Ultrasonography for Preoperative Evaluation of Sentinel Lymph Node in Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is the standard of care for breast cancer patients with non-palpable axillary lymph nodes. We evaluated the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative detection of malignant SLNs.

Methods: 50 patients with breast cancer (median age: 60 years) underwent a color power Doppler ultrasonography with intravenous contrast (Sonovue®) preoperatively, and findings suggestive of metastatic disease to the SLN were documented.

Association of FokI and PvuII polymorphisms with breast cancer staging and survival among Caucasian women: a prospective study.

Purpose: Both vitamin D and estrogens play an important role in breast cell growth and differentiation. Therefore, we hypothesized that FokI polymorphism in the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) gene, as well as PvuII polymorphism in the Estrogen Receptor (ESR) gene might be associated with progression of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to prospectively examine the association of these polymorphisms with histopathological features and prognosis among women with histologically proven breast cancer.

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Four Cases of Adrenal Myelolipomas: A Rare Surgical Entity.

Myelolipomas are unusual benign tumors or tumor-like lesions, composed of hematopoietic cells and mature adipose tissue. They usually are asymptomatic and behave as non-functioning, unilateral, small adrenal tumors often found incidentally on imaging studies. We report the clinicopathological characteristics of four cases of adrenal myelolipomas treated in our hospital, worth to mention because of their rarity and their significant size.

Managing injuries of hepatic duct confluence variants after major hepatobiliary surgery: an algorithmic approach.

Aim: To investigate injuries of anatomy variants of hepatic duct confluence during hepatobiliary surgery and their impact on morbidity and mortality of these procedures. An algorithmic approach for the management of these injuries is proposed.

Methods: During a 6-year period 234 patients who had undergone major hepatobiliary surgery were retrospectively reviewed in order to study postoperative bile leakage.

Sharp liver transection versus clamp crushing technique in liver resections: a prospective study.

Background: Parenchymal liver transection constitutes an important phase of liver resection. Serious intraoperative bleeding, together with injuries to vital structures of the liver remnant, can occur during this stage. A method of sharp liver parenchymal transection with scalpel is compared in a prospective randomized manner with the widely used clamp crushing technique.

A rare case of complex vascular reconstruction in liver transplantation.

Abnormalities of recipient or donor vascular structures are associated with reconstructive difficulties in liver transplantation. A patient with thrombosis of the right hepatic vein and associated stricture of the inferior vena cava (IVC), portal vein thrombosis and multiple aberrant arteries underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. The donor's suprahepatic IVC was anastomosed to the recipient's intrathoracic IVC.

The role of central venous pressure and type of vascular control in blood loss during major liver resections.

Background: Blood loss during liver resection constitutes the primary determinant of the postoperative outcome. Various techniques of vascular control and maintenance of a low central vein pressure (CVP) have been used in order to prevent intraoperative blood loss and postoperative complications. Our study aims at assessing the effects of different levels of CVP in relation to type of vascular control on perioperative blood loss and patient outcome.

Effects of hepatovenous back flow on ischemic- reperfusion injuries in liver resections with the pringle maneuver.

Background: Experimental findings have demonstrated a beneficial role of retrograde blood flow from hepatic veins that takes place during the Pringle maneuver in liver resections. The cytoprotective effect of hepatovenous back-perfusion has not been evaluated in humans. A randomized prospective study was designed to compare the response of liver cells to ischemic-reperfusion injury during the application of two different ischemic procedures: inflow versus inflow plus outflow vascular occlusion of the liver.

Anaesthetic and perioperative management of paediatric organ recipients in nontransplant surgery.

The number and success rate of paediatric organ transplantation continue to improve yearly, and the number of transplanted children presenting for either elective or emergency nontransplant surgery is expected to increase accordingly. The general considerations related to any transplant recipient are the physiological and pharmacological problems of allograft denervation, the side effects of immunosuppression, the risk of infection, and the potential for rejection. Preoperative assessment of transplant recipients undergoing non-transplant surgery should focus on graft function, the risk of infection, and function of other organs.

Selective hepatic vascular exclusion versus Pringle maneuver in major liver resections: prospective study.

Selective hepatic vascular exclusion (SHVE) and the Pringle maneuver are two methods used to control bleeding during hepatectomy. They are compared in a prospective randomized study, where 110 patients undergoing major liver resection were randomly allocated to the SHVE group or the Pringle group. Data regarding the intraoperative and postoperative courses of the patients are analyzed.

Hemodynamic interaction between portal vein and hepatic artery flow in small-for-size split liver transplantation.

In split-liver transplantation, the entire portal flow is redirected through relatively small-for-size grafts. It has been postulated that excessive portal blood flow leads to graft injury. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of this injury, we studied the hemodynamic interactions between portal vein- and hepatic artery flow in an experimental model in pigs.

Total versus selective hepatic vascular exclusion in major liver resections.

Background: Total hepatic vascular exclusion (THVE) and selective hepatic vascular exclusion (SHVE) are two effective techniques for bleeding control in major hepatic resections. Outcomes of the two procedures were compared.

Methods: Patients undergoing major liver resection were randomly allocated to the THVE and SHVE groups.