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Biomedical subjects

J W Pickren

Publications and source records attributed to J W Pickren.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

Characterization of a new primary human pancreatic tumor line.

A primary human pancreatic tumor line (BxPC-3) has been established from a biopsy specimen of a histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the body of the pancreas. Tumorigenicity was proven by xenograft in athymic nude mice. Upon re-establishment of tumor xenografts in tissue culture, the epithelial tumor cells retained their original morphology. Histopathologically, the tumors grown in nude mice exhibited the original characteristics of the primary adenocarcinoma in the patient, producing traceable mucin and displaying moderately well to poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas with occasional lymphocytic infiltrations at the tumor peripheries. Furthermore, the tumor xenografts differentially expressed carcinoembryonic antigen, human pancreas cancer-associated antigen, and human pancreas-specific antigen. Karyotyping and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase isoenzyme characterization revealed that this tumor line was of human origin and devoid of HeLa cell contamination. The BxPC-3 tumor line has been maintained for more than four years in our laboratory and represents a valuable model for primary human pancreatic cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1979

The histology of liver tumors in oral contraceptive users observed during a national survey by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.

As part of the national survey on the tumorigenesis of oral contraceptive drugs conducted by the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer, a histologic study was made of 94 cases of liver tumors in users and non-users of oral contraceptives. Pathologic criteria were established and then the slides were studied; the results were tabulated to determine the significance of each of the criteria as related to the use of contraceptives. These criteria included tumor size, peliosis hepatis, hemorrhage, necrosis, fibrosis, thrombosis, and vascular alterations of the intima and media. Cases of focal nodular hyperplasia in pill users exhibited greater vascular alterations, fibrosis, peliosis, and tumor size as compared to focal nodular hyperplasia observed in non-pill users. In addition, hemorrhage, necrosis, and peliosis were much more common in hepatic cell adenoma than in focal nodular hyperplasia. In the material reported in this series there were no hepatic cell adenoma cases observed in non-pill users. Focal nodular hyperplasia cases exhibited an overwhelmingly greater degree of vascular intimal and medial alterations than hepatic cell adenoma. The results suggest that the effects of oral contraceptives on the liver may be primarily upon the vasculature.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1979

Metastases from carcinoma of mammary gland: an autopsy study.

Information on metastases from carcinoma of the mammary gland in an autopsy study of 707 cases occurring in white women over a 15-year period are presented and tabulated. Multiple primary cancers occurred in 19% of the cases. Of the 137 cases that exhibit more than one neoplastic malignancy, 31 (23%) were present in the contralateral mammary gland. Seventy patients had no metastasis from the mammary cancer at the time of death, and 55 of these patients had another cancer. Additional information has been added concerning the frequency of metastasis in parathyroid and thymus. When a parathyroid contains a metastasis, extensive metastases were noted in many organs and thus represents a late stage of the cancer.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗
PubMed1978

Inflammatory fibrous histiocytoma: case report.

This report concerns a patient with inflammatory fibrous histiocytoma, who in contrast to previous reported cases, has had a long survival (20 years), without evidence of recurrent disease following treatment. An interesting but nonreproducible study was the development of leukemia in 2 of 3 Swiss strain mice following the intraperitoneal injection of a saline extract of the patient's tumor.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Squamous-cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth.

This study was based on the analysis of 100 cases of squamous-cell carcinoma of the floor of the mouth. The male/female ratio was 4.25:1. The peak incidence in women was in the 50 to 59 year age group; in men there was equal frequency in each age group above 50. The five-year survival rate decreased from 86 per cent to 0 as the stage of disease progressed from I to IV. The five-year survival for all stages of disease was 52.7 per cent. Thirty-three per cent developed new primary malignancies; 22 per cent were of the upper alimentary and respiratory tracts. Distant metastases were present in 21 per cent. Fifty per cent were heavy smokers, 33 per cent were heavy drinkers, 28 per cent were both heavy smokers and heavy drinkers, and 21 per cent were nonsmokers and nondrinkers.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Coccidioidomycosis in a patient with lymphoma. Spherulation in human pleural fluid medium.

In a Caucasian woman who had had a giant follicular lymphoma for 21 months a small lesion developed in the upper lobe of the left lung. Excision, histologic study, and culture of the lesion were performed. Of the many stained sections, only one revealed endospore-containing spherules within the caseous necrosis of a granuloma, and only four spherules were identified. On agar medium the same tissue yielded a fast-growing fungus that produced arthrospores alternating with empty cells, typical of Coccidioides immitis. The arthrospore suspension was inoculated intraperitoneally into a mouse and into a medium of human pleural fluid at 40 C. Spherules containing endospores developed in the internal organs of the mouse and in the pleural fluid medium. The phylogeny of C. immitis is briefly discussed.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1978

An autopsy study of the metastatic patterns of human leukemias.

This paper analyses the distribution of metastases at every site of the human body in acute lymphoblastic, chronic lymphocytic, acute myeblastic and chronic myelocytic leukemias in patients that come to autopsy. It appeared that the 4 types of leukemia had a similar seeding frequency of the skin, breast, trachea, diaphragm and all other muscles. The highest incidence of metastases was found in the lymphatic system (i.e. all lymph-nodes and spleen). Acute lymphoblastic leukemia showed an excess of metastases in the major blood vessels, pleura, large intestines, extrahepatic biliary tract, ureters, prostate, cervix uteri, central nervous system, thymus, ovaries and pituitary. The excess of metastases at specific sites did not cluster either in topographical areas or in anatomical systems, with the exception of metastases in the central nervous and endocrine systems (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). Chronic lymphocytic leukemia showed an excess of metastases in all lymph nodes, kidney, adrenals and heart. A lymphatic route of dissemination, as opposed to a blood-borne spread of malignant cells, was hypothesised to account for the excess of metastases in the above mentioned organs in patients affected with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Soil specificity with the degree of anaplasia of leukemic cells may account for the higher than expected occurrence of metastases in a given organ, for a specific leukemia. This remark holds true particularly for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1977

Prevention of hyaline membrane disease with plasminogen. A cooperative study.

In a double-blind, randomized study, 500 premature infants were treated with plasminogen or placebo intravenously within 60 minutes of birth. There was a substantial decrease in severe clinical respiratory distress, death caused by hyaline membrane disease, and total mortality in the plasminogen-treated infants as compared to the controls.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1977

The changing histopathology of lung cancer: a review of 1682 cases.

We have reviewed the histopathology of lung cancer patients seen over the past 13 years at RPMI. Assessment of this data indicates that adenocarcinoma is becoming progressively more prevalent as related to the other forms of lung cancer. Factors which in part may account for this increased prevalence are: 1) changes in criteria for reading histopathology of lung cancer, particularly since 1967; 2) the increased incidence of lung cancer among the female population who have a propensity for adenocarcinoma; and 3) occupational and environmental factors. In 1974 adenocarcinoma for the first time became the most prevalent type of lung cancer at RPMI. Whatever the reason, if our data are truly representative of a national trend, adenocarcinoma will soon become the most prevalent type of lung cancer in the United States. This fact may result in an increasing death rate since the present 18-month survival rate for adenocarcinoma is substantially less than for squamous cell carcinoma, which has in the past been the prevalent form of the disease. As the smoking habits of women more closely approximate those of men, we expect that the incidence and mortality of lung cancer will prove to be quite similar in both sexes.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1977

Ths significance of metastases to the adrenal glands in adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum.

A study to determine the frequency of metastases to the adrenal glands following carcinoma of the colon and rectum was undertaken. Patients with, or without, adrenal spread were compared regarding age, sex, race and survival time. The over-all metastatic pattern was analyzed to determine its usefulness for predicting the presence of metastases to the adrenal glands. Autopsy reports and clinical records of patients with adrenal spread were reviewed regarding the extent of tumor involvement in the glands and possible adrenal insufficiency. Of 457 patients with adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum who underwent autopsy, 63 or 14% had metastasis to the adrenal glands. Of these, 29 had bilateral involvement. Patients with bilateral metastases had a lower median age than did those without adrenal spread. No correlation was found between adrenal metastatic status and sex or race. Although survival time was found to be shorter for patients with bilateral metastases of the adrenal glands, adrenal insufficiency did not seem to be the reason for this shorter survival time. In retrospect, however, the presence of adrenal insufficiency could not be ruled out in several of these patients. Eight sites were studied with regard to whether or not metastatic involvement in a specific site might indicate a higher risk for simultaneous metastases to the adrenal glands. It was found for all sites that, when involved, there was a higher frequency of metastases to the adrenals than if free of tumor. Metastases especially above the diaphragm indicated a considerable risk for adrenal involvement. Different sites were combined in groups and studied in the same way. It was found that the more sites involved, the higher the relative chance of metastases to the adrenals. It was suggested that the results presented may be useful in predicting the relative chance of adrenal metastases in patients with advanced carcinoma of the colon and rectum.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1976

The spread of blood-borne metastases in malignant lymphomas of man.

An autopsy study was performed on 190 cases with Hodgkin's disease and on 134 cases with reticulum cell sarcomas. It was found that a cascade spread of metastases, as opposed to a random spread, was detectable in patients with Hodgkin's disease, but not in patients with reticulum cell sarcoma. Metastatic key-sites for both lymphomas are defined as those organs whose chance of being seeded by the primary tumor is the highest; these sites are the spleen, liver, bone marrow and lungs. This study could not demonstrate in Hodgkin's cases that metastases in the liver and bone marrow were spleen dependent, but rather it showed that the spleen, liver and bone marrow acted as three independent sources of generalized metastases. Explanations proposed to account for the different metastatic spread in Hodgkin's disease and reticulum cell sarcomas, included different intrinsic cellular characteristics of the two lymphomas. the different location of the primary tumor either because of nodal, or of extra nodal origin, or because the primary tumor was located either in the upper or in the lower torso or in both areas. Malignant cells in the kidney, central nervous system and endocrine system were either released by the spleen via the lungs, or released by the liver and the lungs, or they were bone marrow dependent. The cascade spread of metastases hold true only for Hodgkin's disease. In cases with reticulum cell sarcomas, metastases appeared to spread at random from the primary tumor throughout the body, with rare exceptions such as metastases in the central nervous system, which originated either in the liver or in the spleen, lungs, kidney and bones.

Bone Marrow Diseases↗
PubMed1976

Surgical therapy of lung cancer.

A total of 1,615 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of lung cancer were treated at Roswell Park Memorial Institute between 1963 and 1974. Particular emphasis was given in this review to the 295 patients that underwent surgical resection of their primary lung lesion. Factors such as histology, type of resection, sex, age, staging, and degree of dissemination were considered possible influences on survival. The risks and benefits of intentional reductive or palliative surgery are considered along with the risk related to thoracotomies performed for diagnostic purposes.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1976

The metastatic spread of kidney and prostate cancers in man.

This research was performed on 66 autopsy reports of kidney cancers and 58 autopsy reports of prostate cancers. Two alternative hypotheses were tested, i.e. whether metastases spread at random from the primary tumor throughout the body or whether the metastatic spread occurs in steps, referred to as a cascade spread, requiring one or more disseminating sites. It was found that in cancer of the prostate two disseminating sites exist, i.e. bones and lungs. Metastases from the primary tumor appear first in the skeleton and then in the lungs, not vice versa. In cancer of the kidney, the lungs are the major disseminating site. The lymphatic areas did not seem to play a major role in the dissemination of both cancers; on the contrary, the presence of metastases in the lymph nodes seem to depend on the presence of carcinomatous cells in key sites, i.e. the skeleton and the lungs. These results, however, should be interpreted with caution, as explained in the text. Considerations were proposed for future research.

Bone Neoplasms↗
PubMed1975

Evaluation of methotrexate in the treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma.

One hundred ninety-five patients with disseminated bronchogenic carcinoma were treated with 10 different dosage schedules of methotrexate. Patient response to methotrexate therapy varied with the type of treatment, but overall, 18% of the patients treated responded to a measurable degree. Survival was not increased in any of the treatment categories when compared to a placebo group; however, the survival of patients that responded to therapy was greater than the survival of patients that did not respond to therapy. Methotrexate will find its greatest potential use in combination with other drugs proven to be effective in treating bronchogenic carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗