Mahmoud S Al-Ahwal | PubMed Health

PubMed2006

HER-2 positivity and correlations with other histopathologic features in breast cancer patients--hospital based study.

OBJECTIVE: To review HER-2 status and its correlation with all other prognostic histopathological features of all Breast Cancer (BC) patients diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2004 at King Abdul Aziz University Hospital (KAUH) in the western region of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: Histopathology specimens were examined by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and labeled as HER-2/neu positive when Hercep Test score was three plus (3+). RESULTS: HER-2/neu was reported only in 145 patients out of 260. Out of 145 patients, it was positive in 41 patients (28.3%), negative in 104 patients (71.7%). Correlations between HER-2/neu status and age, race and other prognostic histopathologic features revealed: No correlation with age (or < or = 40 Y vs >40 Y with a p-value of 0.552), race (Saudis vs Non-Saudis with a p-value of 0.133), histopathology subtype (p=0.980), tumor size (p=0.455), number of positive lymph nodes (p=0.660), tumor grade (p=0.062), lymphovascular invasion (p=0.055) and progesterone receptor (PR) status (p=0.069) but positive correlation only with estrogen receptor status (ER) (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: HER-2/neu over expression was positive in 28.3% of the tested specimens of BC which is consistent with what was reported in literature. It was found to correlate inversely with ER status. Routine testing is mandatory because of its prognostic value and impact on further management.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Malignant eccrine poroma.

Benign eccrine poroma arises from the intraepidermal portion of the eccrine gland duct. Malignant transformation is rare and should be suspected when these lesions present with pain, bleeding or itching. We report a 44-year-old male patient who presented primarily with a lesion diagnostic of benign eccrine poroma of the right foot sole with no clear evidence of malignancy, which was incompletely excised, followed 5 months later by local recurrence, ulceration, occasional bleeding and right inguinal lymphadenopathy. Incomplete excision of the primary tumor as well as excision of a skin lesion on the right knee joint revealed malignant eccrine poroma with aggressive histology, lymphovascular and perineural invasion. Investigations revealed no evidence of distant metastasis. This tumor might be malignant at the first presentation, which was not confirmed histopathologically considering the short duration of only 5 months for malignant transformation. The patient received 3 cycles of Docetaxel Taxotere, Cisplatin combination chemotherapy with partial response. The management of metastatic malignant eccrine poroma is difficult. It has proven resistant to many chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy.

Adult↗