Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Sabahattin Aslan.
Hydatid disease is a parasitic infestation caused by the larval form of the cestode worm Echinococcus. The most commonly encountered form of the disease is visceral hydatid cyst caused by Echinococcus granulosus or dog tapeworm. We hereby represent an unusual case of hydatid disease located in the neck region in a 22-year-old female patient.
Changes in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), nitrate and nitrite (as an index of nitric oxide production), lipid hydroperoxide (LOH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides) and lipoproteins (HDL- and LDL-cholesterol) were estimated in breast cancer patients (n = 15) and benign breast disease (n = 15). Serum and tissue MDA levels were found to be decreased in breast cancer patients compared to the benign group (p < 0.05). In contrast, nitrate and nitrite levels were increased in serum and tissue of the cancer group compared to benign breast disease patients (p < 0.05). Compared to the benign group, tissue TAC levels were elevated in the breast cancer patient group (p < 0.05). Total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol were elevated in the benign group compared with cancer patients (p < 0.05). These findings support the hypothesis that lipid peroxidation in serum and tissue of benign breast disease is greater than in breast cancer. However, the enhanced levels of nitric oxide may be in response to inflammation in patients with breast cancer. Total antioxidant status is lower in benign tissue than in cancerous tissue, probably to compensate for this elevated free radical production.
OBJECTIVE: To compare 5mm slice computerized tomography (CT) and conventional x-ray (XR) in the detection of bone metastases in breast carcinoma patients. METHODS: Ninety-eight female breast cancer patients treated in Ankara Oncology Hospital, Ankara, Turkey between September 1997 and March 2002 were assigned into 3 groups with respect to their Tc bone scan (Sc) results. Group 1 included patients with overt bone metastases, group 2 included patients with suspicious of metastases and group 3 were those patients with normal Sc results with back pain complaint. All patients underwent XR, and 5mm contiguous slice CT imaging for the related metastatic sites. For the third group, lumbosacral region was examined. RESULTS: A total 33 bone metastases have been diagnosed out of 98 patients. The Sc result showed 26/33 metastatic cases, XR 19/33 and CT 22/33 cases. There were no false positive results for CT and XR. Results of CT have 11 and XR has 14 false negatives out of 33 metastases. For XR the calculated sensitivity was 65.6, specificity was 100, diagnostic accuracy was 88.7, whereas for CT, sensitivity was 71.8, specificity was 100 and diagnostic accuracy was 90.8. When CT and XR were compared to detect bone metastases, results were not statistically significant (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that 5mm slice CT is not superior than XR to detect metastatic bone lesions. Larger series comparing different slice thickness of CT are needed to clarify the issue.
PURPOSE: Peritoneal recurrence is not an uncommon cause of death after surgery for gastric cancer, even after surgery with curative intent. This indicates that there is undetected residual disease in the peritoneal cavity. We conducted this study to determine the value of peritoneal and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and peritoneal washing cytology in predicting the locoregional and distant spread of gastric cancer. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 70 consecutive patients with gastric cancer by measuring peritoneal CEA (pCEA) and serum CEA (sCEA) levels and peritoneal washing cytology results, and studying their effect on the histopathologic properties. The effect of the pCEA level on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was also evaluated in patients treated with curative intent. RESULTS: Twenty-one (30%) patients had sCEA levels >10 ng/ml, whereas 25 patients (35.7%) had pCEA levels >10 ng/g protein and 26 patients (37.1%) had positive cytology. The pCEA levels were significantly higher in patients with hepatic metastases (P = 0.034), or serosal (P = 0.028), and peritoneal (P = 0.026) involvement, whereas the sCEA levels were significantly higher only in patients with hepatic metastases (P = 0.04). Similarly, positive cytology was mainly detected in patients with hepatic metastases (P = 0.004). The pCEA levels significantly affected DFS (P = 0.002) and OS (P = 0.01) in 34 patients treated with curative intent. CONCLUSION: Since pCEA levels are more useful for predicting locoregional recurrence, their measurement during surgery may help plan the most appropriate surgical strategy and adjuvant therapy.
Meigs syndrome is defined as the triad of benign ovarian tumor with ascites and pleural effusion that resolve after resection of the tumor. Pseudomeigs' syndrome is a serious disease characterized by malignant ovarian tumor, but ascites and hydrothorax usually reveal no malignant cells. Here, we report a 47-year-old pre-menapausal female patient with cardia cancer. Nearly 14 months after D3 dissection, she developed Krukenberg tumors on both ovaries causing a Pseudomeigs' syndrome with benign ascites and right hydrothorax, which resolved dramatically after resection of the tumors and rectouterine pouch peritonectomy. She survived nearly 3 years after metastasectomy with a total survival of 46 months. The patient died because of massive liver metastases. The present case suggests that Pseudomeigs' syndrome should be considered in patients with Krukenberg tumors, ascites and hydrothorax and that resection of the tumors may bring long-term palliation.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient-related parameters that determine ovarian cyst formation in women using tamoxifen for breast cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review of tamoxifen-treated women with breast cancer who were followed up in the outpatient clinic at Ankara Oncology Hospital between January 2002 and December 2004 was performed. Tamoxifen doses and duration, post-treatment menstrual function, adjuvant therapy, ultrasonographic and hormonal [follicle-stimulating hormone and serum estradiol (E(2))] data, details of gynecologic surgical procedure and histopathology were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 150 tamoxifen-treated patients (19.3%) had ovarian cysts. Cysts were detected in 28 of 57 pre-menopausal women (49.1%) and 1 of 93 post-menopausal women (1.1%). Patients with ovarian cysts had higher serum E(2) levels compared with patients without cysts (24 versus 345 pg/ml; P < 0.001). Patients with ovarian cysts had <1 year amenorrhoea duration (P < 0.001) compared with the patients without cysts. Adjuvant standard chemotherapy did not have relationship between the development of ovarian cysts. Multivariant analysis showed that cyst development is related to high E(2) levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients still having a menstrual cycle during tamoxifen had high risk (58.33%) of developing ovarian cysts. We have described an association between pre-menopausal patients using tamoxifen with high E(2) level and ovarian cyst enlargement.
INTRODUCTION: Many surgeons use intraoperative frozen-section (FS) biopsy of thyroid nodules to predict malignant disease, but the findings are often not in agreement with those of fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. Our objective in this study was to assess the value of intraoperative FS biopsy in patients with nodular disease of the thyroid gland. METHODS: In this study, 203 patients underwent thyroid surgery at the Ankara Oncology Hospital. Nodules were assessed by FNA biopsy preoperatively, by FS intraoperatively and by histologic examination of the excised specimen. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were determined for FS and FNA with respect to the histologic findings. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rates for FNA, excluding occult cancers, were 74.1%, 100% and 95.2%, respectively, and for FS were 87.1%, 100% and 97.8%, respectively. FS influenced operative decisions in 0.6% of nodules found to be benign by FNA and in 20% of nodules found to be suspicious by FNA. FS contributed nothing for FNA-malignant disease since all the results in this group were true positive. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative FS was most helpful when the FNA findings were suspicious for malignant disease. FS does not seem to be necessary when FNA indicates malignant or benign disease. Both FNA and FS failed to detect occult thyroid carcinomas.