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Biomedical subjects

K Griffiths

Publications and source records attributed to K Griffiths.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Immunocytochemical localization of estrogen receptor in human breast tissue.

An immunocytochemical assay for the measurement of estrogen receptor (ER-ICA; Abbott Diagnostics) has been evaluated in 163 human breast carcinomas. Specific binding was observed in the nuclei of 111 of 163 (68%) tumors. An excellent correlation was observed between the ER-ICA and the estrogen receptor enzyme immunoassay. A significant relationship was observed between ER-ICA status and percentage of ER-ICA negative cells, histological grade of malignancy, and mitotic activity of the tumors. A significant correlation was also observed between ER-ICA status and age at mastectomy with 50% of patients with ER-ICA positive breast tumors presenting with their disease over 60 years of age. No association was observed with either tumor size or patient nodal status. Examination of the proportion of negative cells within tumors revealed a trend for the acquisition of poor prognostic features to be associated with an increase in the negative cell population. Data on the recurrence free interval of these patients showed a significant recurrence free advantage in ER-ICA positive patients, particularly those whose tumors contained low numbers of negative cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Genesis of breast cancer is in the premenopause.

In Britain and other high-risk countries, about a third of patients with breast cancer are premenopausal at diagnosis. In the remainder, tumour initiation might have occurred in the premenopause, even though the clinical presentation was late in life. This possibility has important implications for breast cancer prevention and screening. The relations between the patient's age and tumour kinetics, prognosis, oestrogen receptors, and environmental X-ray carcinogenesis were studied, together with the age-related protection afforded by pregnancy. The findings support the hypothesis that breast cancer is initiated in the premenopause.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Comparison of prostate-specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase in the management of prostatic cancer.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) have been evaluated in patients with prostatic cancer. All patients, who participated in a phase III trial (n = 110), had disseminated disease and received first line endocrine treatment of either orchidectomy or a monthly injection of a depot luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (Zoladex). Serum samples were analyzed for PSA and PAP at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months and patients were clinically assessed at 6 and 12 months. At diagnosis, 72 and 97% of all patients had elevated PAP and PSA concentrations (greater than 4 ng/ml), respectively. Patients with progressive disease had significantly higher PSA and PAP levels at both assessments. A small number of patients in the "complete remission" group had both PSA and PAP levels within the normal range after 3 months of treatment. Similarly, both PSA and PAP levels steadily declined in the group of patients who had partial regression of the disease. The patients with stable disease, however, had a significant rise only in their PSA levels at the 12-month assessment. This data suggest that PSA is more sensitive than PAP in those patients who have a "slow progression" of the disease.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1988

The use of serum carcinoembryonic antigen to assess therapeutic response in locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer: a prospective study with external review.

Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) has been measured throughout initial systemic endocrine treatment in 87 patients with stage III and 179 patients with stage IV breast cancer. Clinical response has been assessed after six months according to UICC criteria with external review of clinical and radiological data. Pretreatment CEA concentrations have been compared with those found in 55 'disease free' women attending a diagnostic breast clinic. A strong correlation exists between therapeutic response and alterations in CEA concentration (above 6 ng/ml) in patients presenting with stage IV disease. More than 50% of such patients either present with or develop CEA concentration greater than 6 ng/ml during the first six months of treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

The early results from a randomised study of radiotherapy versus Nolvadex (tamoxifen) as initial treatment for stage III breast cancer.

Eighty-seven postmenopausal patients have been randomised to receive either radiotherapy or Nolvadex (tamoxifen) as first line treatment for locally advanced (stage III) breast cancer. After a median follow-up of two years no significant differences have been found in the rate of progression of local disease, the time to development of overt metastases or survival.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1987

Predictive power of progesterone receptor status in early breast carcinoma.

Progesterone receptor status (PgR) and oestrogen receptor status (ER) were examined in 332 women with stage I-II breast carcinoma treated at a single centre either by simple mastectomy with (n = 283) or without (n = 6) axillary clearance, or by segmental mastectomy with (n = 18) or without (n = 25) axillary clearance and radiotherapy; median follow-up time was 40 (range 10-60) months. Neither the concentration nor the presence of PgR related to either disease-free interval or survival. However both the presence and the concentration of ER were found to be associated with a longer disease-free interval amongst patients with stage II tumours (P less than 0.01). From this study it appears that progesterone receptor status does not predict outcome in early breast carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Internal quality control in clinical chemistry: a teaching review.

This survey introduces the subject of internal quality assessment from a historical point of view, presents a unified approach to notation, concepts and definitions, and describes briefly those quality control procedures that are used most commonly in clinical chemistry. It is not the aim of this report to comment on all the individual contributions made in this field, but rather to concentrate on the principles. Particular emphasis is centered around assessment criteria to compare the efficiencies of selected control procedures for monitoring analyte concentrations in biological fluids. The question of whether to compare control schemes by means of average run lengths, run length distribution functions or average cost functions is considered. A rationalized approach based on the comparison of optimal procedures, using average run length, is adopted.

Chemistry, Clinical↗
PubMed1987

Steroid hormone concentrations in relation to patient prognosis and prostate tumour grade.

Survival of patients who received endocrine therapy as first-line treatment for their prostatic cancer was statistically analysed in relation to several parameters, primary tumour stage, metastatic status, age, pretreatment plasma hormone concentrations and Gleason grade. Prognostic indices were derived for both M0 and M1 patients in which Gleason grade and plasma testosterone concentrations were significant prognostic factors. In the M1 patients growth hormone values were also significant and to a lesser degree age. The relationship of Gleason grade to testosterone, growth hormone, prolactin, the gonadotrophins and age was also analysed. No significant differences in any of these hormones was noted with increasing Gleason grade but the age of patients with Grade 5 tumours was significantly lower.

Carcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Treatment of patients with advanced cancer of the prostate: phase III trial, zoladex against castration; a study of the British Prostate Group.

The interim results of the randomised, Phase III trial of Zoladex against castration in the management of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the prostate is discussed. Trials commenced in October 1984 and incorporated 359 patients when recruitment ceased in January 1986. The preliminary report concerns the first 240 patients who had a minimum of 3 months follow-up. Entry criteria included patients who had no previous treatment with the exception of first-line localised radiotherapy and those who had distant bone or soft tissue metastases. Fourteen patients were excluded on the basis of protocol violations. The objective assessment of response was based on the British Prostate Group Criteria and was performed monthly for the first 3 months and 3-monthly thereafter. Pre-treatment disease characteristics of patients in both groups were similar at entry and there were no significant differences in the subjective response data of patients between the orchidectomy (n = 106) and the Zoladex group (n = 120). Objective response rates at 12 and 24 weeks of treatment were also identical for both treatment groups. Serum testosterone concentrations were below the 'castrate' level (less than 2 nmol/L) for Zoladex group as well as the orchidectomy group up to 48 weeks. The drug was well-tolerated with minimal side effects, those resulting from testosterone withdrawal were similar in both groups. The report therefore indicates clearly that this partical formulation of LH-RH analogue provides a valuable alternative to the surgical procedure in the treatment of carcinoma of the prostate.

Buserelin↗
PubMed1987

Oestrogen receptors in primary and advanced breast cancer: an eight year review of 704 cases.

ER content of primary tumour tissue has been examined in 704 patients presenting with operable breast cancer. The median follow-up is now 84 months and no patient has received adjuvant therapy of any kind. ER status is related to histological grade, menopausal status, initial site of metastases and subsequent response to endocrine therapy. A significant advantage in terms of survival is found in ER positive patients which is confined to those lymph node positive at mastectomy. DFI is also significantly related to ER status in lymph node positive patients. Survival after the symptomatic presentation of metastases and the institution of endocrine therapy is prolonged in patients with ER positive tumours. The overall response rate to endocrine therapy in assessable patients with ER positive tumours is 32%. By combining the ER status and histological grade of tumour tissue, a group of patients comprising 28% of those assessable to endocrine therapy can be identified (ER positive, grade I and II) with a response rate of 46%.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

The treatment of metastatic prostatic cancer with the slow release LH-RH analogue Zoladex ICI 118630.

The clinical and endocrine response to a depot preparation of the LH-RH analogue ICI 118630 (Zoladex) was assessed in 55 untreated patients with advanced prostatic cancer. Whereas gonadal androgen suppression was achieved in all patients, subjective and objective clinical response occurred in only 69%, indicated by a relief of bone pain, a decrease in the size of the primary tumour and lymph node metastases and improvement in bone scan appearances. A third of these patients, however, subsequently showed progression of their disease. Serious side effects were not encountered in this study. The depot formulation is a simple, safe and convenient method of administering Zoladex and offers an alternative treatment for metastatic prostatic cancer.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1987

Determination of ovarian steroid hormone levels in saliva. An overview.

Assessment of ovarian activity based on saliva samples has proven particularly useful in studies of women in well-developed countries and is potentially of even greater value in women of lower socioeconomic status in Third World countries. Assay techniques suitable for measuring low concentrations of steroids in saliva have become available only recently, so data derived from salivary sampling regimens are far less extensive than those based on plasma or urinary sampling procedures. Collecting saliva is an attractive alternative to the more conventional procedures because of the ease of frequent collection and freedom from religious and social constraints. Simple, direct assays for salivary progesterone have been established, but those for estradiol require considerably more research before becoming useful in routine practice. Predicting ovulation with data derived from saliva sampling awaits the development of more suitable assays for salivary estradiol.

Estradiol↗
PubMed1986

Daily salivary progesterone levels in cyclical mastalgia patients and their controls.

Progesterone levels were measured in samples of saliva collected daily throughout the menstrual cycle in patients with pronounced cyclical mastalgia and breast nodularity. A control group matched for age, length of menstrual cycle and parity was also studied. No significant differences in progesterone levels were detected between the two groups for the luteal phase of the cycle. These data indicate that cyclical mastalgia is not associated with significant luteal phase progesterone insufficiency, as demonstrated by salivary levels and, by implication, serum levels of progesterone.

Adult↗