Cholestatic syndrome as initial manifestation of pancreatic metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma: case report and review.

Most papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) harbor excellent prognosis. Although rare, distant metastases normally occur in lungs and/or bones. Here we describe a rare case of pancreatic metastasis presenting with rapid onset cholestatic syndrome.

Correlates With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Markers and in Adrenocortical Tumors.

Background/aim: Although the knowledge regarding adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) tumorigenesis has significantly improved during the last decade, it still remains to be completely determined. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a well described transcription factor induced process, postulated as an essential step toward cancer progression and metastasis development. In this context, Twist1 has been described as the EMT master-regulator.

Is there a role for epithelial-mesenchymal transition in adrenocortical tumors?

Purpose: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a biological dynamic process by which epithelial cells lose their epithelial phenotype and acquire mesenchymal invasive and migratory characteristics. This has been postulated as an essential step during cancer progression and metastasis. Although this is well described in other tumors, the role of EMT in adrenocortical tumors (ACT) has yet to be addressed.

A Novel TP53 Mutation Associated with TWIST1 and SIP1 Expression in an Aggressive Adrenocortical Carcinoma.

Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) are very rare tumors related to TP53 mutations mostly in childhood onset cases. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factors TWIST1 and Smad interacting protein 1 (SIP1) are related to poorer outcomes in other malignancies, but their role in ACC is unknown. We describe a case of an advanced metastatic ACC (Weiss-score of 9) in a patient at age 76.

A proteomic approach to compare saliva from individuals with and without oral leukoplakia.

Background: Oral leukoplakia is the most common potentially malignant disorder in the oral cavity and can precede carcinoma. This study aimed to identify possible oral leukoplakia salivary biomarkers.

Methods: Unstimulated saliva was collected from participants and protein concentration was determined.

Recurrence and mortality prognostic factors in childhood adrenocortical tumors: Analysis from the Brazilian National Institute of Cancer experience.

Prognostic markers that can help identifying precocious risk of unfavorable outcomes in patients with childhood adrenocortical tumors (ACTs) are still unclear. This observational and retrospective study aimed to identify clinical and pathology prognostic factors of recurrence and death in a tertiary cancer center population. Clinical, pathology, demographic, staging, and therapy data from patients with childhood ACT (median age: 3.

Array CGH Analysis of Paired Blood and Tumor Samples from Patients with Sporadic Wilms Tumor.

Wilms tumor (WT), the most common cancer of the kidney in infants and children, has a complex etiology that is still poorly understood. Identification of genomic copy number variants (CNV) in tumor genomes provides a better understanding of cancer development which may be useful for diagnosis and therapeutic targets. In paired blood and tumor DNA samples from 14 patients with sporadic WT, analyzed by aCGH, 22% of chromosome abnormalities were novel.

The significance of p53 immunoexpression with different clones (DO-7 and PAb-240) in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background/aim: The TP53 gene is a tumor suppressor gene. Its product is a nuclear protein that regulates cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and DNA repair. Anti-p53 clones DO-7 and PAb-240 recognize the amino acid sequences 21-25 and 213-217, respectively.

Contribution of multiparameter flow cytometry immunophenotyping to the diagnostic screening and classification of pediatric cancer.

Pediatric cancer is a relatively rare and heterogeneous group of hematological and non-hematological malignancies which require multiple procedures for its diagnostic screening and classification. Until now, flow cytometry (FC) has not been systematically applied to the diagnostic work-up of such malignancies, particularly for solid tumors. Here we evaluated a FC panel of markers for the diagnostic screening of pediatric cancer and further classification of pediatric solid tumors.

Alterations in epidermal growth factor receptors 1 and 2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) shows a 5-year survival rate below 10%, demonstrating the urgency in improving its treatment. Alterations in epidermal growth factor receptors are closely related to malignancy transformation in a number of tumors and recent successful targeted therapies have been directed to these molecules. Therefore, in this study, we analyzed the expression of EGFR and HER2 and evaluated EGFR mutation profile as well as the presence of mutations in hotspots of KRAS and BRAF in ESCC patients.

HPV infection in Brazilian patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: interpopulational differences, lack of correlation with surrogate markers and clinicopathological parameters.

The role of HPV in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCCs) is controversial. Therefore, we determined, through different methodologies, the prevalence of HPV in 264 ESCC samples from Brazil, and correlated it with the presence of surrogate markers and clinicopathological characteristics. HPV is present in 13% of ESCC, and with a 3-fold variation between high and medium incidence areas.

Odontogenic tumors: a retrospective study of four Brazilian diagnostic pathology centers.

Objective: This article presents the results of a retrospective study of the frequency and classification of odontogenic tumors recorded at four centers of diagnostic pathology in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Study Design: All medical records and microscopic slides of odontogenic tumor specimens for the years 1997 to 2007 were retrieved from the files of four services of diagnostic pathology in Rio de Janeiro City. Diagnoses were re-evaluated and the tumors classified according to the latest (2005) World Health Organization Classification of Tumors.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma: clinicopathological features in patients with and without recurrence.

Aim: To compare the clinicopathological profile of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in groups with and without recurrence.

Methods: Records of all patients who underwent surgery for primary OSCC at a single institution during 1999 were identified. Patient demographics, lesion site, clinical and pathologic stage, pathologic grading, pattern of invasion, lymphocytic infiltrate, perineural invasion, and treatment and survival data were collected.

Vascular endothelial growth factor and thymidine phosphorylase expression in salivary gland tumors with distinct metastatic behavior.

Background: Metastasis of salivary gland tumors has a negative impact on survival. Angiogenesis and its factors are potential markers for predicting metastasis in different malignant tumors, but this is not the case for salivary gland tumors.

Methods: Salivary gland tumors of distinct biologic behavior were analyzed according to the semiquantitative immunoexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP).

Prognostic significance of p53 protein expression in early gastric cancer.

Mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been associated with abnormalities in cell cycle regulation, DNA repair and synthesis, apoptosis, and it has been implicated in the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of p53 gene mutation and its possible prognostic implications in early gastric cancer. In a retrospective study, we studied 80 patients with early gastric cancer treated surgically between 1982 and 2001.

Can the lymph node reactivity pattern in the pN0 neck analysis provide any additional prognostic information in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma?

Objective: To evaluate the influence of lymph node reactivity on recurrence and survival rates in a population of pT3 or pT4 pN0 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: Between 2002 and 2005, 105 patients with LSSC underwent total laryngectomy with bilateral selective neck dissection including levels II, III and IV. Most (69) received PO radiotherapy.

Expression of Bcl-2 family proteins and associated clinicopathologic factors predict survival outcome in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The aims of this study were to assess the expression levels of three proteins involved in apoptosis--Bcl-2, Bcl-X, and Bax--and evaluate their relationship with clinicopathologic features and survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate protein expression in 53 primary OSCCs treated by radical surgery with free margins at a single institution in 1999. Histologic specimens were graded and analyzed for perineural invasion, lymphocytic infiltrate, and pattern of invasion.