Role of stress, age and adjuvant therapy in the cognitive function of patients with breast cancer.

According to data largely obtained from retrospective studies, it has been postulated that chemotherapy exerts an aggravating effect on the cognitive function of patients with breast cancer. Potential individual factors related to the effects of chemotherapy on cognitive function have been indicated, such as age-related cognitive dysfunction and stress. Elderly patients differ from non-elderly patients as regards higher cognitive related comorbidities, such as dementia, as well as regarding lower stress levels, indicating that 'chemobrain' may differentially affect these two age groups.

Depressive symptoms during adverse economic and political circumstances: A comparative study on Greek female breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy treatment.

The aim of this study was to search for an effect of the adverse economic and political events that took place in 2015 in Greece (threat of bankruptcy, referendum, capital controls) on depressive symptoms of breast cancer patients on chemotherapy. The clinician-rated version of the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-C30) and a form documenting sociodemographic, medical and social network characteristics were administrated in two groups of patients: one in 2010 and one in the aftermath of the July 2015 events. No differences were found between medical, demographic and social characteristics.

Durable Clinical Benefit of Pertuzumab in a Young Patient with BRCA2 Mutation and HER2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Involving the Brain.

Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and brain metastases have limited treatment options, and, as a result of their poor performance status and worse prognosis, they are underrepresented in clinical trials. Not surprisingly, these patients may not be fit enough to receive any active treatment and are offered supportive therapy. BRCA2 mutations are reported to be rarely associated with HER2-overexpressing advanced breast cancer and even more rarely with brain metastases at diagnosis.

Development of a novel PTT assay for mutation detection in PALB2 large exons and PALB2 screening in medullary breast cancer.

Beyond BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, PALB2 (Partner and localizer of BRCA2) emerges as the third breast cancer susceptibility gene due to its role in the same DNA repair pathway: homologous recombination. In most populations studied so far, PALB2 mutations are detected in 1-2% of BRCA negative female patients. PALB2 gene contains 13 exons; exons 4 and 5 consist 65% of the coding area.

High prevalence of BRCA1 founder mutations in Greek breast/ovarian families.

We have screened 473 breast/ovarian cancer patients with family history, aiming to define the prevalence and enrich the spectrum of BRCA1/2 pathogenic mutations occurring in the Greek population. An overall mutation prevalence of 32% was observed. Six BRCA1 recurrent/founder mutations dominate the observed spectrum (58.

Germ line BRCA1 & BRCA2 mutations in Greek breast/ovarian cancer families: 5382insC is the most frequent mutation observed.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes were screened for loss-of-function mutations in a series of 85 patients having at least one first- or second-degree relative affected by breast and/or ovarian cancer. All BRCA1 exons and BRCA2 exons 10 and 11 were screened with a combination of methods including SSCP, PTT and direct sequencing. We have found disease-associated mutations in 14 families (16.

BRCA1 mutation analysis in breast/ovarian cancer families from Greece.

Germline mutations in BRCA1 gene account for varying proportions of breast/ovarian cancer families, and demonstrate considerable variation in mutational spectra coincident with ethnic and geographical diversity. We have screened for mutations the entire coding sequence of BRCA1 in 30 breast/ovarian cancer women with family history of two or more cases of breast cancer under age 50 and/or ovarian cancer at any age. Genomic DNA from patient was initially analyzed for truncating mutations in exon 11 with PTT followed by DNA sequencing.

Mammary fibroblasts may influence breast tumor angiogenesis via hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial growth factor up-regulation and protein expression.

Recent studies demonstrate the relationship of microvessel density to malignant progression in breast cancer (N. Weidner, J. P.

Ovarian tumors: prediction of the probability of malignancy by using patient's age and tumor morphologic features with a logistic model.

An attempt was made to predict the probability of malignancy of a given ovarian tumor in a certain patient by using the age and simple morphologic features of the tumor. A cohort of 959 patients with ovarian tumors was analysed retrospectively according to the patient's age and tumor characteristics such as greatest diameter, consistency, bilaterality and diagnosis as malignant (271 patients) or benign (688 patients). All variables were entered unconditionally in a logistic regression.

Arm morbidity following treatment of breast cancer with total axillary dissection: a multivariated approach.

In order to clarify the factors that mainly influence arm morbidity following treatment of breast cancer with the full axillary dissection protocol, we evaluated, in a model of multiple regression analysis, parameters such as the type of breast surgery, adjuvant radiotherapy, time of irradiation, age, number of dissected nodes and axillary nodal status. A total of 104 women were studied. Late arm edema was observed in 17% of the patients and was more frequent when (1) irradiation was given immediately after the operation than if it was given 6 months later (p = 0.

Pelvic surgery, reproductive factors and risk of ectopic pregnancy: a case controlled study.

A case controlled study among 361 women with surgically treated ectopic pregnancy and 420 women delivered at term was designed, aiming at characterization of the association among previous pelvic operations, selected reproductive factors and ectopic pregnancy. All types of previous pelvic operations increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy from a 2-fold increase for appendectomy to a 9-fold increase for ectopic pregnancy, if maternal age, parity, history of spontaneous and induced abortions and history of infertility is controlled. This study suggests that a previous pelvic operation may increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Labor characteristics of uncomplicated prolonged pregnancies after induction with intracervical prostaglandin E2 gel versus intravenous oxytocin.

Labor characteristics after intracervical application of 0.5 mg prostaglandin (PG) E2 gel (n = 83) versus intravenous administration of oxytocin (n = 82) for labor induction were investigated in uncomplicated prolonged pregnancies with unripe cervix. The induction to delivery time as well as the total oxytocin dose were significantly reduced in the PGE2 group (p < 0.

Expression of carcinoembryonic antigen and ferritin in normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic endometrium.

The distribution of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and ferritin was demonstrated by immunohistochemical method in 95 patients with normal, hyperplastic, and neoplastic endometrium in order to distinguish among these conditions. Fifteen patients with normal endometrium (NE), 28 with hyperplasia (AH), 12 with atypical hyperplasia (AAH), and 40 with endometrial carcinoma (CA) were studied. Paraffin section tissues were subjected to immunostaining according to the avidin-biotin complex method.

Late midtrimester medical pregnancy terminations: three different procedures with prostaglandin F2 alpha and laminaria tents.

One hundred twenty eight women underwent midtrimester induced abortion with: 1) combined regimen of intramniotic prostaglandin (PG) F2a injection and intracervical laminaria tents (group A, 50 women), 2) intramniotic PGF2a injection only (group B, 51 women) and 3) laminaria tents followed by intracervical PGF2a tablets insertion (group C, 27 women). The mean induction-abortion time (+/- SE) was 24.9 +/- 1.

Clinical evaluation of a sensitive urine pregnancy test in the gynecological emergencies.

A rapid sensitive urine pregnancy test (SPT) using monoclonal antibody against human chorionic gonadotropin and a conventional urine pregnancy test (GPT) were performed in 364 women attending 'Gynecological Emergencies' for lower abdominal pain and/or vaginal bleeding, aiming at early detection of ectopic and intra-uterine pregnancy-related disorders. The overall incidence of a positive test was 24%. In 42 patients, with histopathological evidence of ectopic pregnancy, SPT was positive in 41 (98%), while GPT only in 19 (45%).

Value of immunohistochemical demonstration of several epithelial markers in hyperplastic and neoplastic endometrium.

The distribution of prekeratin, vimentin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and secretory component (SC) was demonstrated immunohistochemically in 31 patients with adenomatous hyperplasia (AH), 12 patients with atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), and 39 patients with endometrial carcinoma. Prekeratin was presented in 94% of AHs, 92% of AAHs, and 87% of adenocarcinomas. Vimentin was detected in 68% of AHs, 50% of AAHs, and 37% of adenocarcinomas, showing decreased expression as the lesion progressed to malignancy (P less than 0.