[Diagnosis of micrometastases of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma].

Alveolar rhabgomyosarcoma is a highly malignant, small blue cell pediatric soft tissue tumor. Identification of micrometastases in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is important because the poor prognosis associated with this subgroup necessitates a modified therapeutic regimen. Since the obtained lymph node specimen can be very small; rhabdomyosarcoma cells are not easily detected using conventional histological methods.

Epidemiological, clinical and viral determinants of the increased prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in elderly women.

Background: Population-based studies have reported a second peak of human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence among women > 55 years, but reasons for this U-shaped HPV prevalence curve are poorly understood.

Objectives: To analyse determinants of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infections among postmenopausal women.

Study Design And Methods: A cohort of 3,187 women was stratified into three age categories: i) youngest age group < 25 years (n = 1.

Age at menarche is not an independent risk factor for high-risk human papillomavirus infections and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Data are controversial as to the role of menarche age as a risk factor of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections. The objective of this study was to analyse the risk estimates for age at menarche as determinant of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and HR-HPV infections. A cohort of 3187 women were stratified into three groups according to their age at menarche: (i) women <13 years of age; (ii) those between 13 and 14 years and (iii) women >15 years of age.

Smoking is an independent risk factor for oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infections but not for high-grade CIN.

Background: Recent evidence implicates smoking as a risk factor for cervical cancer (CC), but the confounding from high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections is not clear.

Objectives: To analyse the role of smoking as an independent predictor of CIN2+ and HR-HPV infections in a population-based prospective (NIS, New Independent States of former Soviet Union) cohort study.

Study Design And Methods: A cohort of 3,187 women was stratified into three groups according to their smoking status: (i) women who never smoked; (ii) those smoking in the past; and (iii) women who are current smokers.

Immunophenotypic profile of biomarkers related to anti-apoptotic and neural development pathways in the Ewing's family of tumors (EFT) and their therapeutic implications.

Background: Ewing's family of tumors (EFT) comprises a broad spectrum of tumors composed of primitive committed cells with neuroectodermal capacity. The degree of neural differentiation within EFT, as measured with morphological features and expression of neural markers, delimits two members: Ewing's sarcoma (ES) and peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (pPNET). Molecules such as c-kit and its ligand (Stem cell factor, SCF), CD95 (FAS), CD95L (FASL), IGF-IR, protect EFT cells from apoptosis, whereas c-erb-B2, erythropoietin (EPO) and its receptor (EPO-R) participate in the maturation of primitive committed neuroectodermal cells and in the normal embryonal brain development.

Oral contraceptives are not an independent risk factor for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or high-risk human papillomavirus infections.

Background: Oral contraception (OC) has been proclaimed by the IARC as a risk factor of cervical cancer (CC), on prolonged use by high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) positive women. However, the available data are far from complete, and more evidence is necessary on the potential confounding effects of sexual behavior and HPV infection. The aim of the present was study to analyse the risk estimates for OC users in order to develop several intermediate end-point markers in cervical carcinogenesis.

[Gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the esophagus].

The paper describes a rare case of a stromal tumor of the esophagus in a 68-year-old male who was initially diagnosed as having esophageal leiomyoma after biopsy and study of a surgical material. Stromal tumour could be diagnosed by immunohistochemical (positive expression of oncomarkers; CD117, CD34, vimentin, CD99, and GFAP) and molecular genetic (real-time PCR) studies. This case confirms that it is necessary to use an immunohistochemical study in patients with spindle-cell tumors of the gastrointestinal tract.

Human papillomavirus testing and conventional pap smear cytology as optional screening tools of women at different risks for cervical cancer in the countries of the former soviet union.

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the single most important etiological agent of cervical cancer. In parallel with the increase of STDs and because of the lack of any organized cancer screening in the new independent states of the former Soviet Union, the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are rapidly rising. This is the first report from an ongoing European Commission-funded (INCO-Copernicus Program) cross-sectional and cohort study (focused on the key issues of this major health problem in the new independent states) analyzing the performance of the HPV DNA (Hybrid Capture II) test as a potential screening tool for cervical cancer in these countries.

[Immunohistochemical diagnosis of metastases of small round cell carcinomas with undetected primary focus].

17 small round cell tumors of unkown primary site were studied. The main location was lymph nodes and brain. Immunohistochemical study was performed.

Early integration of high copy HPV16 detectable in women with normal and low grade cervical cytology and histology.

Background: Integration of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA has been considered a late event in cervical carcinogenesis. However, integrated forms of HPV were recently detected in cancer precursor lesions using a new real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the deletions at the 3362-3443 region of HPV16 E2 OBJECTIVE: To study the frequency of HPV16 DNA integration in cervical lesions and compare the sensitivity of an additional upstream region of the E2 ORF (2962-3138) in detecting HPV integration.

Methods: Using the TaqMan based PCR, HPV16 positive DNA samples were analysed in 164 cervical scrapings from women participating in a multicentre screening trial.

Factors predicting persistence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections in women prospectively followed-up in three New Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union.

Background: We completed an analysis of the factors predicting the persistence of high risk (HR) HPV infections in women participating in a multicenter screening trial in three NIS countries.

Methods: The 543 baseline HR HPV-positive women included in this analysis are derived from a sub-cohort of 887 women who were prospectively followed-up for a mean of 21.6 months (range: 0.

[Thermoradiochemotherapy of inoperable soft-tissue sarcoma].

Three groups of patients with inoperable soft-tissue sarcoma received preoperative radiotherapy (57), thermoradiotherapy (102) and thermoradiochemotherapy (16) (n=175). Five year recurrence-free survival in group 1 was 37+/-7%, group 2 48+/-6%, and group 3 - 56+/-1,7%. Patients survived 5 years and more in group 3 (60+/-2%), group 2 - 50+/-7%, and group I 44+/-8% (p>0.

[Monophasic synovial sarcoma: comparison of immunohistochemical and ultrastructural phenotypes and problems of differential diagnosis].

Diagnostics of monophasic synovial sarcoma is highly complicated mostly due to a wide range of cellular and histologic variation. This calls for use of additional examination techniques such as immunohistochemical and electron microscopic.

[Thymidylate synthase, thymidine phosphorylase and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase expression in soft-tissue sarcoma versus capecitabine potential].

Expression of thymidylate synthase (TS), thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) can predict for clinical outcome of fluoropyrimidine-based therapy and there is every likelihood that relevant tumors will respond. High TP expression was observed in 35 (42%) patients with soft-tissue sarcoma. Seven out of 26 (27%) such patients revealed molecular phenotype prognostically favorable for capecitabine therapy.

[Immunohistochemical characterization of biphasic synovial sarcomas].

An immunohistochemical investigation of 12 primary biphasic synovial sarcomas was carried out. Highly frequent expression of vimentin, EMA and pan-cytokeratin (cytokeratin AE1/AE3) and low frequency of collagen type II and VI expression in the extracellular matrix of tumors were estallished.

Age-specific incidence and clearance of high-risk human papillomavirus infections in women in the former Soviet Union.

Recently, conflicting results on human papillomavirus (HPV) clearance have been reported and the data on the accumulation of incident HPV infections are still fragmentary. Thus, we completed an analysis of the age-specific incidence and clearance rates of high-risk (HR) HPV infections in 448 women participating in a multi-centre screening study in three New Independent States countries. At baseline, 239 of the 448 women were negative for HR HPV DNA, whereas 209 were HR HPV-positive and cleared HR HPV during the prospective follow-up.

Clearance of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and PAP smear abnormalities in a cohort of women subjected to HPV screening in the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union (the NIS cohort study).

Background: We analysed the temporal relationships of the clearance of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and cytological abnormalities in women participating in a screening study in three NIS countries.

Methods: The 274 patients included in this analysis were prospectively followed-up for 21.6 months (range: 0.

Human papillomavirus testing with the hybrid capture 2 assay and PCR as screening tools.

The recognition of high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) as etiological agents of cervical cancer has increased the demands to use testing for HPV for the detection of abnormal cervical smears and for cervical cancer screening. The present study compared the performance of the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) assay with that of PCR for the detection of significant cervical lesions in 1,511 women with different risks for HPV infections in three New Independent States of the former Soviet Union. The results showed that the level of agreement between the HC2 assay and PCR was substantial, with a kappa (Cohen) value of 0.

[Expert system for the diagnosis of thyroid neoplasms].

An original computer program designed to help in histological diagnosis of thyroid tumours is presented. The literature is given on the use of computer technologies in current morphology.

[Formalized macroscopic description and computer analyser of macroscopic image (as illustrated by gastric pathology)].

A computer analyzer is regularly used in the department of pathology in formalized macrodescription of the stomach. Advantages of this method are described.

Acquisition of high-risk human papillomavirus infections and pap smear abnormalities among women in the New Independent States of the Former Soviet Union.

The rates of acquisition and the times of incident high-risk (HR) human papillomavirus (HPV) infections and Pap smear abnormalities and their predictive factors were analyzed in women participating in a multicenter screening study in three countries of the New Independent States of the former Soviet Union. The 423 patients were prospectively monitored for a mean of 21.6 months.

[Molecular-biological markers as prognostic factors in breast cancer of I-IIA stage].

The study of molecular-biological markers for prediction of recurrence-free survival in breast cancer stage I-IIA demonstrates that high expression of thymidilate synthetase and high maximal density of microvessels are prognostically effective and that the prognosis is influenced by expression of both Bcl-2 and Bax. Low recurrence-free survival was observed in Bcl-2-/Bax patients (31%, median 44 months) while such survival was high in Bcl-2+/Bax patients (86%, median was not reached). The findings can be used for prognostication of a breast cancer clinical course.