The levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system in human immunodeficiency virus-infected women: a 5-year follow-up study.

Objective: We sought to assess the effects of long-term use and safety of the levonorgestrel-releasing (LNG)-intrauterine system (IUS) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women in comparison with HIV-infected women not using the device.

Study Design: Fifteen women using the LNG-IUS and their 25 age- and CD4(+) lymphocyte count-matched control subjects with annual follow-up data were followed up for 5 years.

Results: No unplanned pregnancies or pelvic infections occurred among the LNG-IUS users.

Surgically staged high-risk endometrial cancer: randomized study of adjuvant radiotherapy alone vs. sequential chemo-radiotherapy.

Objective: Our purpose was to establish whether platinum-based chemotherapy combined with standard surgery and radiotherapy will improve overall and disease-free survival and lower the recurrence rate in patients with high-risk endometrial cancer.

Study Design: A total of 156 patients with Stage IA-B Grade 3 (n=28), or Stage IC-IIIA Grade 1-3 (n=128) were postoperatively randomized to receive radiotherapy (56 Gy) only (Group A, n=72) or radiotherapy combined with three courses of cisplatin (50 mg/m(2)), epirubicin (60 mg/m(2)) and cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m(2)) (Group B, n=84).

Results: The disease-specific overall five-year survival was in Group A 84.

Risk factors, diagnosis and prognosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among HIV-infected women.

The prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is high among HIV-infected women. Decreased CD4 lymphocytes, high human immunodeficiency viral load (HIVL) and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection are risk factors for CIN. We characterized the prevalence, risk factors and prognosis of histologically-verified CIN among systematically followed HIV-infected women enrolled from a low HIV-prevalence population.

Combination of serum hCG beta and p53 tissue expression defines distinct subgroups of serous ovarian carcinoma.

Serous ovarian carcinoma comprises a clinically heterogenous group of tumors, and molecular markers stratifying patients into clinically meaningful subgroups are needed. Numerous markers have been evaluated, but none of them has yet been routinely incorporated into clinical practice. Previously we have found that elevated serum levels of the free beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG beta) and aberrant p53 expression confer poor prognosis in ovarian carcinoma.

Prevalence and risk factors of squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix among HIV-infected women - a long-term follow-up study in a low-prevalence population.

HIV-infected women have high risk for precancerous lesions of the uterine cervix. We studied the prevalence and risk factors of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) among systematically followed HIV-infected women enrolled from a population with low HIV prevalence. The study population consisted of 108 HIV-infected women enrolled between 1989 and 2003 with a mean follow-up 4.