The Significance of Mismatch Repair Deficiency in Young Patients With Endometrial Cancer.

The objective of this study was to identify the tumor characteristics associated with mismatch repair deficiency in young patients with endometrial carcinoma. Young patients (45 yr old or younger) with endometrial carcinoma treated by hysterectomy in our institution between July 2001 and June 2009 were identified. The clinical and pathologic data were obtained by review of clinical records.

Overexpression of forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) in ovarian cancer correlates with poor patient survival and contributes to paclitaxel resistance.

Aim: Deregulation of FOXM1 has been documented in various cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of FOXM1 in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis and paclitaxel resistance.

Experimental Design: Expression of FOXM1 was examined in 119 clinical samples by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters.

BRCA1 deficiency induces protective autophagy to mitigate stress and provides a mechanism for BRCA1 haploinsufficiency in tumorigenesis.

Stress adaptation has profound impacts on malignant progression and response to treatment. BRCA1 is an important modulator of cellular stress, but our understanding of its mechanisms of action remains incomplete. Here we identify autophagy as an essential mechanism protecting BRCA1 deficient cancer cells from metabolic stress and allow their survival, which may underlie its significant cancer-promoting properties.

Overexpression of dedicator of cytokinesis I (Dock180) in ovarian cancer correlated with aggressive phenotype and poor patient survival.

Aims: Dedicator of cytokinesis I (Dock180) is a novel guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Rho guanosine triphosphates (GTPases) important for cell migration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Dock180 in ovarian carcinogenesis.

Methods And Results: Using immunohistochemistry, real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting, overexpression of Dock180 RNA and protein was demonstrated in the nucleus and cytoplasm of ovarian cancer cell lines (n = 5) and clinical samples of ovarian borderline tumours (n = 21) and invasive cancers (n = 108) when compared with ovarian epithelial cell lines (n = 3) and benign cystadenomas (n = 10) (P < 0.

Assessment of knowledge and stigmatizing attitudes related to human papillomavirus among Hong Kong Chinese healthcare providers.

Objective: To assess knowledge and stigmatizing attitudes related to human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV testing among Chinese healthcare providers in Hong Kong.

Methods: Between May and September 2010, an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was sent to 247 doctors, nurses, and smear-taking trainees providing cervical screening in Hong Kong.

Results: In total, 137 questionnaires were returned.

Human papillomavirus vaccine: what are women most concerned about?

Aim: This study aims to investigate the areas of concerns that women have regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination.

Material And Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a convenience sample of 1450 women attending outpatient family planning clinics in Hong Kong to assess women's concerns regarding HPV vaccination. The associations between each demographic characteristics and the importance of various issues concerning the vaccine, such as short and long-term side-effects, side-effect affecting appearance, number of women who have had it, effectiveness, effect duration and cost were explored using χ(2) tests for comparison of proportions.

Prevalence and risk factors of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in southern Chinese women - a population-based study.

Background: Persistent high-risk type Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is recognized as a necessary cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to compare the HPV prevalence and risk factors between women residing in Hong Kong (HK) and Guangzhou (GZ) region of China.

Methodology/principal Findings: A total of 1,570 and 1,369 women were recruited from HK and GZ, respectively.

Psychological burden of testing positive for high-risk human papillomavirus on women with atypical cervical cytology: a prospective study.

Objective: To assess the psychological burden of testing positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) on Chinese women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS).

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Five community women's health clinics in Hong Kong.

Overexpression of proto-oncogene FBI-1 activates membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase in association with adverse outcome in ovarian cancers.

Background: FBI-1 (factor that binds to the inducer of short transcripts of human immunodeficiency virus-1) is a member of the POK (POZ and Kruppel) family of transcription factors and play important roles in cellular differentiation and oncogenesis. Recent evidence suggests that FBI-1 is expressed at high levels in a subset of human lymphomas and some epithelial solid tumors. However, the function of FBI-1 in human ovarian cancers remains elusive.

p21-activated kinase 4 regulates ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and contributes to poor prognosis in patients.

Ovarian cancer is a lethal gynecological malignancy, and to improve survival, it is important to identify novel prognostic and therapeutic targets. In this study, we present a role for p21-activated kinase 4 (Pak4) in ovarian cancer progression. We show a significant association between increased expression of Pak4 and its activated form, phosphorylated (p)-Pak4 Ser(474), with metastasis of ovarian cancers, shorter overall and disease-free survival, advanced stage and high-grade cancers, serous/clear cell histological subtypes, and reduced chemosensitivity.

Ovarian clear cell carcinoma with choriocarcinomatous differentiation: report of a rare and aggressive tumor.

Ovarian epithelial tumors of nongerm cell origin with true choriocarcinomatous differentiation are rare. To date, there are only 5 documented cases in the literature. In the reported cases, the epithelial component was of mixed cell types or of mucinous differentiation.

The effect of school-based cervical cancer education on perceptions towards human papillomavirus vaccination among Hong Kong Chinese adolescent girls.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of school-based cervical cancer education on Hong Kong Chinese adolescent girls.

Methods: Adolescent girls (n=953) in local secondary schools attended a tailored educational program on cervical cancer prevention. Self-administered questionnaires were used before and after the program to measure its effects on participants' knowledge, attitude and perceived social norms towards human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and their intention to be HPV vaccinated.

De-stigmatising human papillomavirus in the context of cervical cancer: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To identify the components of a human papillomavirus (HPV) message contributing to reducing the stigma of HPV in cervical cancer.

Methods: 294 ethnic Chinese women attending a community-based clinic in Hong Kong were randomly allocated to read one of three written HPV messages: Group 'lr+hrHPV': low-risk and high-risk HPVs facts, Group 'hrHPV': high-risk HPV facts only and Group 'ds+hrHPV': high-risk HPV facts and de-stigmatising components, namely being anti-stereotypical, motivational and low in complexity. Main outcome measures were high-risk HPV-related sexual stigma, knowledge, attitude towards message, and intention to be HPV-tested measured by self-administered questionnaires immediately before and after reading.

Uterine smooth muscle tumors other than the ordinary leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas: a review of selected variants with emphasis on recent advances and unusual morphology that may cause concern for malignancy.

Uterine smooth muscle tumors are classified according to their morphologic features that include architecture, growth pattern, cellular characteristics and constituents of the intercellular stroma. While terminologies used for the pathologic diagnosis of various subtypes may be eloquent and histologically accurate, some of these are confusing for the clinician and may also be open to interpretation by different pathologists: the labeling of atypical leiomyomas epitomizes this intricate system. Clinically, it is probably more useful to classify them as either tumors with or tumors without recurrent and/or metastatic potential.

Differential expression and phosphorylation of Pak1 and Pak2 in ovarian cancer: effects on prognosis and cell invasion.

Ovarian cancer is a gynecological malignancy with high mortality. Therefore, the identification of novel prognostic and therapeutic targets is important. p21-activated kinases (Paks) are involved in cytoskeleton reorganization.

Epigenetic alteration of the metallothionein 1E gene in human endometrial carcinomas.

Aberrant expression of metallothioneins (MTs) has been observed in several human tumors. In our microarray analysis, MT-1E was found to have much lower expression in endometrial cancer cells as compared with other types of cancer cells generated from the cervix, ovary or prostate. The result was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR analysis of the MT-1E levels in individual cancer cells.

Tyrosine kinase B receptor and BDNF expression in ovarian cancers - Effect on cell migration, angiogenesis and clinical outcome.

In this report, we demonstrated that overexpression of tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) was associated with shorter survival in ovarian cancer patients. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the TrkB ligand, induced activation (phosphorylation) of TrkB in a dose dependent manner. Besides demonstrating the effect of BDNF/TrkB pathway in enhancing cancer cell migration and invasion but inhibiting apoptosis, we also report for the first time that exogenous hepatocyte growth factor induced TrkB expression at both mRNA and protein levels as well as phosphorylation.

Coexistence of struma ovarii with marked ascites and elevated CA-125 levels: case report and literature review.

Introduction: Struma ovarii is a rare form of ovarian neoplasm and consists mainly of thyroid tissue. Ascites has been reported in approximately one-third of all the cases. However, the combination of struma ovarii and elevated CA-125 has rarely been reported.

Promoter methylation of death-associated protein kinase and its role in irradiation response in cervical cancer.

This study was aimed at investigating the death-associated protein kinase (DAPK) promoter methylation and its clinical relevance in cervical cancer. The DAPK promoter methylation was detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and correlated with DAPK mRNA and protein expression. The effect of DAPK expression on the radiosensitivity of the cervical cancer cell line was assessed by overexpressing DAPK in the radioresistant cell line SiHa.

Beliefs about cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) and acceptability of HPV vaccination among Chinese women in Hong Kong.

Objective: To assess the knowledge and beliefs on cervical cancer and HPV infection and to evaluate the acceptability of HPV vaccination among Chinese women.

Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted with ethnic Chinese women aged 18-25 (n=20), 26-35 (n=13), and 36 and above (n=16) in a community women's health clinic in Hong Kong in 2006. The discussions were audio taped, transcribed and analyzed.

20-year experience of managing profuse bleeding in gestational trophoblastic disease.

Objective: To review the outcomes of different methods in the treatment of severe bleeding or acute abdomen in gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD).

Study Design: In a tertiary referral center, the records of patients diagnosed with GTD and presenting with heavy vaginal bleeding or acute abdomen between January 1986 and December 2005 were retrieved.

Results: Seventeen patients presenting with heavy bleeding or acute abdomen and requiring emergency management were identified.

Relapsed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: A 20-year experience.

Objective: To review relapsed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).

Study Design: Patients who had relapsed GTN between 1978 and 2001 at Queen Mary Hospital were included in the study. Records were reviewed and data analyzed regarding treatment, follow-up and survival.

Potential use of the adenosine triphosphate cell viability assay in endometrial cancer.

Objective: Adenosine triphosphate cell viability assay (ATP-CVA) was used previously to evaluate chemotherapy in uterine cancer cell lines. In this study, we have performed the ATP-CVA on endometrial cancer patients to study the feasibility of using ATP-CVA in endometrial cancer to determine the intrinsic chemosensitivity of the cytotoxic drugs.

Methods: Thirty-three patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma who presented for a staging operation were recruited.

Single-dose methotrexate regimen in the treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of single-dose methotrexate in women with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Study Design: In this prospective observational cohort study, 105 women with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia were treated with an intravenous bolus of 100 mg/m2 of methotrexate followed by a 12-hour infusion of 200 mg/m2. If the human chorionic gonadotropin level fell 10-fold after 2 weeks, no further chemotherapy was given.

Methotrexate, bleomycin, and Etoposide in the treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia.

Objective: The combination of methotrexate (1 g/m(2) day 1), bleomycin (10 mg day 3), and etoposide (100 mg/m(2) days 1-5) (MBE) has been used for disease relapse or as a second-line chemotherapy in the treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) resistant to multiple-agent chemotherapy. With the identification of ultra-high-risk GTN, MBE has also been used as first-line chemotherapy. The current study is to review the use of MBE in the treatment of GTN.