Core Palliative Care Research Competencies Framework for Palliative Care Clinicians.

Understanding the principles and practice of research by health care professionals helps to improve the evidence base for palliative care practice and service delivery. Research is a core competency in palliative care that enables the identification and addressing of problems for patients and their families, establishes best practice and improves ways to manage pain, other symptoms, and concerns. This work was undertaken in the research for all palliative care clinicians (RESPACC) Erasmus+ project.

Translation and cultural adaptation of the Greek integrated palliative care outcome scale (IPOS): challenges in a six-phase process.

Aim: To translate and culturally adapt IPOS to the Greek population.

Methods: A four phases- sequential study, which included verification of conceptual equivalence, double forward- backward translations and conceptual cognitive debriefing. Focus group interviews used 'think aloud' and 'verbal probing' techniques.

Undertaking Research Using Online Nominal Group Technique: Lessons from an International Study (RESPACC).

Nominal group technique (NGT) is a well-established research method for establishing consensus. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, research methods need to be adapted to engage with participants online. To determine the feasibility and acceptability of adapting NGT to an online format.

Proliferative Brenner tumor of the ovary. clinicopathological study of two cases and review of the literature.

Background: Ovarian Brenner tumors are rare epithelial tumors that account for 1%-2% of all ovarian neoplasms. They can be subdivided into benign, borderline or proliferative, and malignant neoplasms. In the vast majority of cases, these lesions are benign.

Isomorph expression of BAG-1 gene, ER and PR in endometrial cancer.

Background: BAG-1 isomorphs are regulating proteins with antiapoptotic action in endometrium. ERa and PRA isomorphs seem to have an important role in endometrial cancer.

Patients And Methods: We investigated the expression of BAG-1, ERa and PRA isomorphs in endometrioid adenocarcinoma and we correlated them with clinicopathological findings of the tumor.

BCL-2, BAX and P53 expression profiles in endometrial carcinoma as studied by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry.

Background: Apoptotic genes regulate apoptosis by the action of their pro- and antiapoptotic products. Among the most important proteins are p53 and Bcl-x family proteins.

Patients And Methods: The differential expression of these apoptotic genes were analyzed in relation to clinicopathological criteria in women with endometrial carcinoma.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, and 33 in a cohort of Greek women.

To study HPV prevalence and HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, and 33 distribution in cervical smears in a cohort of Greek women. One thousand six hundred thirty-six samples were cytologically evaluated and molecularly analyzed, by PCR based assay. Abnormal cytology was identified in 997 women and 75.

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.

Preoperative work-up of early cervical cancer (stages Ib-IIa).

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of preoperative investigations in early cervical cancer.

Materials: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 309 patients with previously untreated early cervical carcinoma who completed pretreatment evaluation at "St. Savas" Cancer Hospital of Athens and "Metaxas" Memorial Hospital of Peireas between January 1986 and September 1, 2000.

Tamoxifen associated uterine pathology in breast cancer patients with abnormal bleeding.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the underlying pathology in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen who present with abnormal bleeding. A total of 56 cases were studied and the histopathologic features of 50 curettage and 18 laparotomy specimens were reviewed. All patients were under tamoxifen treatment (10-40 mg daily) for a period ranging from 5 months to 15 years.

Malignant ovarian neoplasms. The place of conservative surgery.

Even though radical surgery is the treatment of choice in malignant neoplasms, a conservative approach may be considered in young patients who wish to preserve fertility, provided well-defined criteria are met and survival is not jeopardized. Unilateral, stage I, borderline (BT), germ cell (OGCT), sex cord stromal tumors, and grade I epithelial cancer can be treated with unilateral salpingoophorectomy (USO). If bilateral ovarian involvement is present, bilateral salpingoophorectomy (BSO) and preservation of the uterus can be considered.

Human papillomaviruses in cervical cancer: II. Application of PCR and in situ hybridization and HPV significance.

Human papillomaviruses especially type 16 and 18 are associated with cervical cancer. These viruses encode transforming proteins which are capable of binding and form complexes with p53 protein. Tumour-tissue samples from women with cervical cancer as well as normal controls were analysed for the presence of HPV and the expression of p53 by in situ hybridization and PCR analysis.

Human papillomaviruses in cervical cancer I. HPV-16 and 18 predominate in the Greek population.

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) and their role in carcinogenesis have been the subject of extensive investigation Specific types of HPV have been associated with cervical carcinoma HPV 16 and 18 are mainly associated with malignant progression and considered "high risk" viruses Using Southern blot analysis and in situ hybridization we investigated the presence of papilloma viruses in cervical carcinoma patients as well as appropriate controls. The results presented here support the aetiological role of HPV 16 and 18 in cervical carcinoma and demonstrate the prevalence of these viruses in Greek women. The role of viruses in carcinogenesis in well established in almost all species from fishes, to birds, to mammals.

"Butterfly" operation vs triple incision technique in vulvar cancer. a comparison of morbidity and clinical outcome.

Two groups (group A = 25 cases and group B = 34 cases) of vulvar cancer patients, treated with a modified "butterfly" operation (MBO = group A) and a triple incision (TI = group B) technique, were evaluated retrospectively. The aim was to compare the two operative methods, regarding perioperative morbidity and clinical outcome. The histopathologic and clinical characteristics of the patients were comparable, in the two groups.

Chromosome analysis of uterine adenomyosis. Detection of the leiomyoma-associated del(7q) in three cases.

Adenomyosis is a uterine disease whose defining characteristic is the presence deep in the myometrium of endometrial glands and stroma. The condition is believed to arise from inordinate downward growth by contiguity from the endometrium rather than from in situ metaplasia or neoplasia. No acquired chromosome abnormalities have been associated with adenomyosis before.

Cytogenetic findings in uterine epithelioid leiomyomas.

Epithelioid leiomyomas of the uterus, unlike ordinary leiomyomas, show substantial epithelial differentiation. No chromosome abnormalities have been reported in uterine epithelioid leiomyomas before. We analyzed short-term cultures from five such tumors and detected abnormal karyotypes in four.

Pelvic lymphocysts after radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy.

Five cases (5.5%) of lymphocysts were diagnosed and treated, among 80 type III modified radical hysterectomies performed for cervical cancer St. Ia2-IIa, in the last 6 years.

Chromosome aberrations and expression of ras and myc oncogenes in leiomyomas and a leiomyosarcoma of the uterus.

Twenty eight leiomyomas and one leiomyosarcoma were cytogenetically analysed and also examined for ras and myc oncoprotein expression. Chromosome alterations were found in seven leiomyoma cases. In four of them 12q14-15 was involved.

Evaluation of lactate dehydrogenase activity as an index of cervical malignancy.

The diagnostic accuracy of an investigational test for cervix cancer screening is studied. The method involves a vaginal tampon that changes colour in relation to LDH activity and can detect preinvasive and invasive cervical lesions. The test was applied in 50 women with CIN, 50 women with histologically proved cervical cancer and in 500 women with no history of malignancy.

Complex chromosome rearrangements involving 12q14 in two uterine leiomyomas.

Cytogenetic analysis of short-term cultures from 10 uterine leiomyomas revealed normal karyotypes in 8 and clonal complex chromosome rearrangements in 2 tumors. In both leiomyomas with clonal abnormalities, 12q14, but not 14q22-24, was involved in translocations with 1q43 in one tumor and with 12q24 in the other. Additional chromosome abnormalities were found in both cases: 1-5 rings and monosomy of chromosome 9 in case 1, and complex numerical and structural abnormalities of chromosomes 1, 6-8, 11, 13, 16, 17, and 22 in case 2.

Monoclonal antibodies in ovarian tumor imaging.

Immunoscintigraphy of ovarian tumors by intraperitoneal administration of I131 HMFG2 monoclonal antibodies (mabs) was used in this study. The purpose was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of this non-operative imaging technique in detecting ovarian tumor nature and spread. Sixteen patients that received 500-1000 microCi of I131 labelled HMFG2 mabs were evaluated.

Therapeutic effect of bovine albumin in the experimental fat embolism syndrome.

The toxic effects of the free fatty acids (FFA) are responsible for the initiation and the clinical manifestations of the fat embolism syndrome (FES). Serum albumin binds to the FFA and by producing atoxic compounds it has a therapeutic effect on the syndrome. In this study we applied bovine albumin to 48 Sprague-Dawley rats which were previously submitted to intravenous infusions of FFA solutions (oleic, palmitic, stearic).