Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the ovary. Review of the literature.

Purpose: Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the ovary is rare. Most cases arise from a cystic teratoma or less frequently from Brenner tumor or endometriosis. We reviewed 36 cases of primary ovarian SCC reported in the literature including a case diagnosed and treated in our institution.

Synchronous presentation of GISTs and other primary neoplasms: a single center experience.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are common mesenchymal neoplasms of the digestive tract and may occasionally arise within the abdomen without gastrointestinal tract connection. GISTs have recently attracted widespread interest because of the development of effective targeted molecular agents against it. While synchronous occurrence of a GIST with a tumor of different histogenesis was thought to be very rare, it is now apparent that they are more common than previously believed.

Expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin and topoisomerase IIalpha in leiomyosarcomas.

Introduction: The expression of E-cadherin, beta-catenin and topoisomerase II has been associated with clinical outcome of several cancers including sarcomas. We aimed to evaluate the expression of these markers in leiomyosarcomas (LMS).

Materials And Methods: Paraffin blocks of 19 primary, nonmetastatic LMS were analysed immunohistochemically for the expression of the above-mentioned markers with a cutoff level for positivity of 20% of cell staining.

Successful en bloc resection of primary hepatocellular carcinoma directly invading the stomach and pancreas.

Multivisceral surgical resection for cure was successfully performed in a 70-year-old man suffering from a primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with direct invasion to the stomach and pancreas. The patient presented with gastric outlet obstruction, upper abdominal pain and a history of chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy revealed an infiltrating tumor protruding through the gastric wall and obliterating the lumen.

Concomitant gastric adenocarcinoma and stromal tumor in a woman with polymyalgia rheumatica.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare neoplasms (1%) of the gastrointestinal tract and to our knowledge only rare cases of synchronous presentation of gastric carcinomas and GISTs are reported in the literature. A 72-year-old female with a simultaneous presentation of gastric adenocarcinoma and GIST is presented. Moreover, due to polymyalgia rheumatica the patient received corticosteroids as treatment for the last 3 years.

Primary and metastatic ovarian cancer in patients with prior breast carcinoma. Pre-operative markers and treatment results.

Background: The pre-operative diagnosis of primary and metastatic malignant ovarian tumors in patients treated for breast cancer is difficult. The objective of this study was to analyze and compare the characteristics and outcome of women with a history of breast cancer in order to identify pre-operative markers useful in differential diagnosis and the role of surgery in their management.

Materials And Methods: The medical records of 36 patients with a history of breast cancer, who had been operated on either for primary or metastatic cancer between 1987 and 2003, were reviewed retrospectively.

Solitary parenchymal splenic recurrence of ovarian adenocarcinoma: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a rare case of solitary parenchymal splenic recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer which developed 27 months after the initial treatment. The patient, a 53-year-old woman, with a history of breast cancer, underwent total abdominal hysterectomy bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy (TAH & BSO), omentectomy and pelvic lymph node sampling for a serous carcinoma of the ovaries (stage IIIB). She subsequently received 6 cycles of cisplatinum chemotherapy.

Unusual metastatic spread of follicular thyroid carcinoma: report of a case.

Concurrent skull and liver metastases from follicular thyroid carcinoma is a very rare event. We herein present the case of a 72-year-old woman who initially presented with a swelling in the right supraorbital region that proved to be metastasis from a well-differentiated follicular thyroid carcinoma of clear-cell type. The metastatic workup disclosed a huge liver metastasis and an additional metastasis in the left iliac fossa.

Metaphase and interphase cytogenetics in fibroadenomas of the breast.

Short-term cultures of fifty-two samples of fibroadenomas were cytogenetically analyzed. Thirty-three of the successfully karyotyped fibroadenomas were further investigated for the presence of amplifications in the CCND1, c-MYC and HER/2-neu genes by means of FISH analysis. Compared to carcinomas, fibroadenomas seem to have less complex cytogenetic rearrangements and limited alterations on HER-2/neu, CCND1 and c-MYC loci.

Cytogenetic profile of unknown primary tumors: clues for their pathogenesis and clinical management.

Unknown primary tumors (UPTs) represent an entity of great clinical and biological interest, whose origin cannot be determined even after medical workup. To better understand their pathogenesis by outlining their genetic composition, 20 UPTs were investigated by G-banding, supplemented with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization and Comparative Genomic Hybridization analyses. The data obtained were sufficient to reach a diagnosis in five cases-four lymphomas and one Ewing sarcoma-demonstrating that in a subset of UPTs, cytogenetics can be an adjunct for differential diagnosis.