Do Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinomas and ECL-Cell Neuroendocrine Tumours Have a Common Origin?

Gastric cancer is a heterogenous group of tumours, and a better understanding of the carcinogenesis and cellular origin of the various sub-types could affect prevention and future treatment. Gastric neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) and adenocarcinomas that develop in the gastric corpus and fundus of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis have atrophic gastritis, hypoacidity, and hypergastrinemia as common risk factors and a shared cellular origin has been suggested. In particular, signet ring cell carcinomas have previously been suggested to be of neuroendocrine origin.

A standardized method for measuring intercellular spaces in esophageal biopsies in patients with suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease (the intercellular space ratio).

Objective: Dilated intercellular space (DIS) in esophageal biopsies is regarded as a possible early sign of mucosal injury in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study presents a standardized approach of intercellular space measurement.

Material And Methods: Distal and proximal esophageal biopsies were taken from 19 patients with suspected GERD, and examined with TEM.

Airway symptoms and sleeping difficulties in operated and non-operated patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Introduction: Anti-reflux treatment studies have not succeeded in proving a causal relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), airway symptoms and sleeping difficulties. In a recent follow-up study we showed that patients operated for GERD have significantly less heartburn/acid regurgitation symptoms than matched non-operated patients. These two groups probably had different degrees of reflux over a long period of time.

Validation of the Reflux, Airway and Sleep Questionnaire (RASQ).

Background: Airway symptoms and sleeplessness in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may be of importance. This study validates a new questionnaire dealing with such symptoms.

Material And Methods: The Reflux, Airway and Sleep Questionnaire (RASQ) is self-administered, asks about 18 symptoms or diagnoses possibly related to GERD answered on a seven-point Likert scale and with a 1-year recall period.

What causes treatment failure - the patient, primary care, secondary care or inadequate interaction in the health services?

Background: Optimal treatment gives complete relief of symptoms of many disorders. But even if such treatment is available, some patients have persisting complaints. One disorder, from which the patients should achieve complete relief of symptoms with medical or surgical treatment, is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Long-term outcome of surgically and medically treated patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease: a matched-pair follow-up study.

Objective: A recent randomized study has shown that the long-term effects of continuous medical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with a proton-pump inhibitor are comparable to those of open fundoplication. We compared the long-term effects of anti-reflux surgery with those of medical care according to clinical practice.

Material And Methods: This is a questionnaire-based 3-10 years follow-up study of 373 patients with GERD operated on in two hospitals with either open or laparoscopic fundoplication, and pair-matched non-operated controls treated medically according to clinical practice.