Biomedical subjects

Rossana Lucera

Publications and source records attributed to Rossana Lucera.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Histopathological aspects of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder: analysis of 20 years experience.

BACKGROUND: In this study we used histopathological examinations performed over a 20-year period to describe the characteristics of newly diagnosed transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder in relation to patient age, and to verify changes in the TCC over different periods of observation or in relation to patient age. METHODS: We reviewed all histopathological examinations performed from January 1979 to December 1998 in patients undergoing surgery who were newly diagnosed with TCC of the bladder. All examinations were performed by the same pathologist and reviewed by two pathologists. In each case analyzed, we evaluated T classification of the tumor, histological grade, size, localization, growth type, multiplicity and carcinoma in situ (CIS). RESULTS: The study population included 3113 men and 620 women. The mean patient age was 66.31 +/- 10.84 years. A high percentage of Ta (52.2%) and T1 (27.7%) tumors were found. The number of cases observed and, in particular, the percentage of Ta tumors increased significantly and progressively from the first (1979-1983 = 376 cases; Ta = 37.8%) to the last (1994-1998 = 1732 cases; Ta = 56.3%) period of observation (P < 0.001). A significant difference in the distribution of histological grade and T classification in the different age decades was apparent (P < 0.001); in particular, for G1 and Ta tumors there was a trend to decrease, whereas for G3, T1 and T2 tumors there was a tendency to increase with age decades. CONCLUSION: In our analysis, age of patient and the period of examination significantly influenced different pathological characteristics of newly diagnosed TCC of the bladder.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Variation in chromogranin A serum levels during intermittent versus continuous androgen deprivation therapy for prostate adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: It has been hypothesized that continuous androgen-suppression therapy produces hyperactivation of neuroendocrine (NE) cells and an increase in chromogranin A (CgA) in prostate carcinoma (PC). The aim of this study was to verify whether the intermittent administration of androgen deprivation (IAD) reduces the risk of CgA increase in PC cases treated with complete androgen deprivation (CAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed changes in serum CgA levels in patients with PC who successfully responded to the first 24 months of IAD versus continuous CAD therapy. Two different populations were analyzed: Type 1 = pT3pN0M0 prostate cancers with biochemical (PSA) progression after RRP; Type 2 = metastatic PC directly submitted to CAD. Cases in Type 1 and Type 2 population were randomly assigned to IAD versus continuous CAD therapy. Forty cases each in Type 1 and Type 2 population were included in the analysis. At 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months of IAD versus continuous therapy, serum levels of CgA compared to PSA levels were analyzed. RESULTS: In population Type 1 and Type 2, in the group of cases continuously treated with CAD (Group 2), there was a significant trend to increase for CgA levels from baseline to 24 months of therapy. On the contrary, no significant variations were found in cases treated with IAD (Group 1). Either in population Type 1 or Type 2, at 12- and 24-month follow-up, mean and median serum levels of CgA were significantly (P < 0.005) lower in Group 1 than in Group 2. CONCLUSIONS: The present study represents the first evidence in the literature that the intermittent administration of CAD therapy significantly reduces the increase in serum CgA levels during CAD therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Is DD3 a new prostate-specific gene?

The search for new and more specific molecular markers of prostatic cancers has led, in recent years, to the identification of the DD3 gene. Using reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, we investigated DD3 gene expression in human cell lines, in blood samples from healthy men and women donors and in various neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissues from the prostate and other organs. Whereas RT-PCR analysis using primers that amplified the region spanning exons 1 and 3 yielded DD3 gene expression in all samples examined, a primer downstream to exon 4 detected the expected size DD3 band only in benign and malignant prostatic tissues. These findings indicate that the only prostate specific region of DD3 is exon 4.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗