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Preoperative staging of carcinoma of the bronchus: can computed tomographic scanning reliably identify stage III tumours?

BACKGROUND: The aim of preoperative computed tomographic (CT) assessment of patients with carcinoma of the bronchus is to stage the tumour accurately, and forewarn the surgeon of any possible local extrapulmonary extension of tumour in patients considered to have potentially resectable disease. The ability of CT scanning to differentiate between conventionally resectable lung cancer (TNM stages I and II), locally advanced but resectable lung cancer (TNM stage IIIa), and locally advanced but unresectable lung cancer (TNM stage IIIb) was determined in a group of patients accepted for surgery. METHODS: Computed tomographic scans of 110 patients who underwent thoracotomy for intended resection of carcinoma of the bronchus, including 52 cases with stage III and 58 cases with stage I or II disease, were reviewed and the CT features and radiological interpretations correlated with the surgical and pathological findings. RESULTS: Thirteen CT scans were judged not to have been of diagnostic quality: of the remaining 97 cases 45 had stage III lung cancer, of whom 30 had successful resections, and 52 had stage I or stage II tumours. There was no difference in the frequencies of CT observations--including contiguity of tumour and mediastinum or chest wall, apparent mediastinal or chest wall invasion, proximity of tumour to the carina, mediastinal nodal enlargement, pulmonary collapse or consolidation and pleural effusion--in patients with stage I/II disease and patients with stage III disease. Similar results were found when the same observations were compared in all patients with resected disease and those with unresectable tumour. Sensitivity and specificity of CT was 27% and 96% respectively for tumour unresectability, 50% and 89% for mediastinal invasion, 14% and 99% for chest wall invasion, and 61% and 76% for mediastinal nodal metastases. Only 19 of 45 stage III tumours were correctly identified as being stage III and resectable or unresectable. CONCLUSIONS: In patients being considered for thoracotomy for resection of lung cancer, CT scanning used as the sole method of staging is of limited value for differentiating between stage I/II and stage III tumours. Patients should not be denied the opportunity for curative surgery on the basis of equivocal CT signs.

Carcinoma, Bronchogenic↗

MRI for preoperative staging of renal cell carcinoma using the 1997 TNM classification: comparison with surgical and pathologic staging.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to determine the accuracy of MRI for preoperative staging of renal cell carcinoma using the 1997 TNM classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of MRI performed in 40 consecutive patients with 42 renal cell carcinomas before radical (n = 35) or partial (n = 4) nephrectomy or exploratory laparotomy (n = 3). The interval between imaging and surgery ranged from 1 to 59 days (mean, 17.9 days). Imaging was performed with T1- and T2-weighted, dynamic gadolinium-enhanced, and time-of-flight sequences. MRI and surgical-pathologic staging was performed using the 1997 TNM staging system. MRI staging was compared with surgical-pathologic staging as the gold standard. Agreement between the two staging methods was assessed using the kappa statistic. RESULTS: Agreement between MRI and surgical-pathologic staging was good for T staging (kappa = 0.72 and 0.78 for reviewers 1 and 2 respectively), poor for N staging (kappa = 0.13, both reviewers), good for M staging (kappa = 0.66, both reviewers), and excellent for the assessment of venous involvement (kappa = 0.93, both reviewers). MRI overestimated the T stage in five patients and the N stage in five and underestimated the T stage in three, the N stage in four, the M stage in one, and the extent of venous thrombosis in two patients. CONCLUSION: MRI is a reliable method for preoperative staging of renal cell carcinoma using the 1997 TNM classification, in particular for assessing venous involvement.

Adolescent↗

Relevance of the diagnosis 'stage 1 pressure ulcer': an empirical study of the clinical course of stage 1 ulcers in acute care and long-term care hospital populations.

Stage 1 pressure ulcers are difficult to diagnose. Several prevalence studies have shown that almost half of the pressure ulcers identified are stage 1. The present study investigated the importance of stage 1. The following research questions were formulated: Is there a difference between the prevalence of stage 1 pressure ulcers identified in the institutions participating in the present study and that found in the other institutions participating in the Dutch National Prevalence Survey? What percentage of stage 1 pressure ulcers are reversible within a few hours? What is the clinical course of stage 1 pressure ulcers? Which patient characteristics and preventive interventions are related to the clinical course of stage 1? The study used a prospective, descriptive and comparative design. All patients of six long-term care hospitals and six acute care hospitals in whom stage 1 pressure ulcers were identified during the 1999 National Prevalence Survey in the Netherlands were followed for 1 week (acute care hospitals; n = 68 patients) or 2 weeks (long-term care hospitals; n = 115 patients). The patients were reassessed using the questionnaire developed for the National Prevalence Survey (patient characteristics, assessment of risk of pressure ulcers, characteristics of the pressure ulcers and use of preventive methods) on the same day as the national survey itself, and again after 3 days, after 7 days and after 14 days (only long-term care hospitals). The results showed fewer stage 1 pressure ulcers in the institutions participating in the present study than in the National Prevalence Survey, the difference being almost 50%. The first reassessment found the prevalence of stage 1 to be further reduced by an average of almost 50%, a reduction which was greater for the long-term care hospitals than for the acute care hospitals. However, some of the ulcers that had disappeared reappeared in subsequent reassessments. In the long-term care hospitals, 8.7% of the stage 1 pressure ulcers deteriorated to a higher stage, vs. 22.1% in acute care hospitals. No significant patient characteristics were found to affect the course of stage 1, except that women in acute care hospitals more often had a stage 1 pressure ulcer at the first reassessment than men. In general, patients whose stage 1 ulcer deteriorated were undergoing more preventive interventions; not all differences were significant. We conclude that, although stage 1 is reversible in most cases, it can be interpreted as an important warning sign for nurses and patients to act. If no adequate interventions are applied, the pressure ulcer may deteriorate.

Acute Disease↗

Electrocardiographic findings in experimental myocarditis in DBA/2 mice: complete atrioventricular block in the acute stage, low voltage of the QRS complex in the subacute stage and arrhythmias in the chronic stage.

To determine whether arrhythmias persist in the chronic stage of myocarditis, serial electrocardiograms were studied in DBA/2 mice with experimentally induced myocarditis. After baseline electrocardiograms with standard limb and two precordial leads were recorded, 52 mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.1 ml of the myocardiotropic variant of encephalomyocarditis in a viral suspension containing 10(2) TCD50 (50% tissue culture infective dose). Electrocardiograms were recorded every day on days 3 to 18 and, thereafter, once every 10 to 20 days until day 220. The cumulative incidence rate of myocarditis was 90.4% (47 of 52). No arrhythmias were found on baseline electrocardiograms. Serial electrocardiograms showed atrial and ventricular premature complexes and complete atrioventricular (AV) block, respectively, in 6 (12.8%), 8 (17.0%) and 25 (53.2%) of 47 mice with myocarditis. Myocardial lesions were found in the heart of mice with these ectopic complexes. Mononuclear cell infiltrations into the His bundle were noted in the conduction system of mice with complete AV block. Heart rate began to increase after day 11 (638 +/- 105 beats/min, n = 16 versus control rate 557 +/- 57 beats/min, n = 47, mean +/- standard deviation, p less than 0.01) and reached a maximum on day 15 (40 +/- 22 beats/min, n = 8, p less than 0.01). The sum of QRS voltage in eight leads began to decrease after day 6 (62.1 +/- 18.8 mm, n = 24 versus control value 80.0 +/- 14.7 mm, n = 47, p less than 0.01) and reached a minimum on day 13 (32.5 +/- 7.5 mm, n = 8, p less than 0.01) when myocardial necrosis and congestion of the lungs and liver were most prominent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

The outcome of stage I-II clinically and surgically staged papillary serous and clear cell endometrial cancers when compared with endometrioid carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare survival and recurrence in clinical and surgical stage I-II papillary serous (PS), clear cell (CC), and endometrioid (EM) cancers of the endometrium and examine the prognostic utility of myometrial invasion. METHODS: Clinical, surgicopathologic, and survival data were retrospectively collected on 574 clinical stage I-II endometrial cancer patients, including 53 PS and 18 CC (based on postoperative histology), undergoing hysterectomy at Duke University Medical Center between 1967 and 1990. All staging material was available and reexamined prior to this analysis, and FIGO surgical staging was retrospectively assigned. Prognostic variables examined included age, stage, grade, myometrial invasion, lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI), and histology. PS and CC histologic subtypes were compared as both common category and discrete categories versus EM, EM grade 1 (EM1), EM grade 2 (EM2), and EM grade 3 (EM3). Statistical analyses were performed using chi(2), Fisher's exact, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests, Cox regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: PS tumors accounted for 9%, CC for 3%, and EM for 88% of cases. Recurrences were more frequent among PS (38%) and CC (22%) compared with EM (9%) (P < 0.001 and 0.08, respectively), and PS recurred more frequently than EM3 alone (20%) (P = 0.06). Among PS, CC, and EM3 patients with recurrences there were no statistical differences in the proportion that received preoperative or postoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Prognostic factors for shorter survival included age >=60, surgical stage III+IV, presence of LVSI, histology (PS, CC, or EM3), and >=50% myometrial invasion. The estimated 5-year survival of PS+CC patients with <2 mm myometrial invasion is 0.56 compared to 0.93 for EM patients (P < 0. 001). PS + CC tumors confined to the endometrium had a 5-year survival of 0.60 compared to 0.98 and 1.00 for EM and EM3, respectively. The 5-year survival for surgically staged IA patients (0.57) was not different from stages IB and IC combined (0.53) (P = 0.72). The 5-year survival for surgical stage I + II PS + CC patients (0.56) was comparable to that for clinical stage I + II PS + CC patients (0.46) and remained significantly smaller than that for EM patients (0.86) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Recurrences are more frequent among PS and CC tumors compared with EM and among PS compared with EM3. When controlled for surgical stage I-II tumors, 5-year survival for PS + CC patients remains comparable to that of clinical stage I-II patients and below that of EM. Prognostic factors for survival in PS and CC patients include age, stage, and LVSI. PS, CC, and EM3 subtypes together are predictors of poor survival. Thorough extended surgical staging is indicated in PS and CC tumors, and prospective trials of aggressive adjuvant therapies for surgical stage I-II tumors are needed to improve outcome in PS and CC patients.

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell↗

Relationship of ultrasound staging and bilateral biopsy positivity to outcome in stage T1c prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: The strict definition of Stage T1c prostate cancer is that the tumor is not palpable on digital rectal examination (DRE) or seen on imaging studies such as ultrasound. The inclusion of ultrasound imaging was brought about without an understanding of the relationship between ultrasound upstaging and prognosis. We have also noticed that in clinical practice, treatment decisions are made on the basis of the finding of bilateral versus unilateral biopsy positivity. The objectives in this study were to determine the prognostic significance of upstaging by transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) to uT2 or uT3, and unilateral versus bilateral biopsy positivity in patients with Stage T1c cancer as determined by DRE (DRE-Stage T1c patients). METHODS: Between 1987 and 1995 there were 643 patients with DRE-Stage T1-T2 prostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy; 24 had T1a, 76 had T1b, 183 had T1c, 133 had T2a, 168 had T2b, and 59 had T2c. Of these, 135 DRE-Stage T1c patients underwent ultrasound staging and 122 underwent bilateral prostate biopsies. All had pretreatment prostate-specific antigen values (PSAs) available and no patient received adjuvant androgen ablation. The median pretreatment PSA was 9.1 ng/mL, median radiotherapy dose was 66.0 Gy, and median follow-up was 41 months. Post-treatment failure was defined as disease recurrence and/or two elevations in PSA on consecutive follow-up visits. RESULTS: The 5-year freedom from failure rate for DRE-Stage T1c patients (71%) was not significantly different from that of DRE-Stage T1b (65%) or DRE-Stage T2a (71%) patients. There was a trend (P = 0.1) toward a worse outcome for DRE-Stage T2b/T2c patients compared with DRE-Stage T1b/T1c/T2a patients. The distribution of DRE-Stage T1c patients by ultrasound staging was 29 with uT1c, 88 with uT2, and 18 with uT3 findings. Twenty percent of patients had bilateral positive biopsy specimens. In univariate and multivariate analyses, the only correlates of patient outcome were pretreatment PSA (P < or = 0.002) and isocenter dose (P = 0.03). TRUS upstaging had no effect on freedom from failure; uT1c patients had about the same risk of relapse or a rising PSA as uT2 or uT3 patients. Patients with bilateral positive prostate biopsy specimens had about the same prognosis as those with unilateral positive biopsy specimens. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with DRE-Stage T1c prostate cancer, the data indicate that ultrasound staging and bilateral biopsy positivity are not predictive of outcome for patients treated with external beam radiotherapy and treatment decisions should not be based on these parameters.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Changes in the 2003 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging for breast cancer dramatically affect stage-specific survival.

PURPOSE: To evaluate how implementation of the 2003 American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system will affect stage-specific survival of breast cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of 1,350 patients treated on sequential institutional protocols with mastectomy and adjuvant doxorubicin-based chemotherapy were reviewed. Pathologic stage was assigned retrospectively according to the 1988 and the 2003 AJCC staging criteria. Overall stage-specific survival (OS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and hypothetical differences were compared by the log-rank test. RESULTS: Six hundred five of 1,087 patients with stage II disease according to the 1988 classification system had stage II disease according to the 2003 system. The 10-year OS for patients with stage II disease was significantly improved using the 2003 system (76% [2003] v 65% [1988]; P <.0001). Two hundred eighty-nine of 633 patients with stage IIb disease using the 1988 system were stage IIb with the 2003 system, and 10-year OS was 58% (1988) versus 70% (2003; P =.003). The number of patients with stage III disease increased from 207 (1988) to 443 (2003), and the 10-year OS changed from 45% (1988) to 50% (2003; P =.077). Most of this difference resulted from changes within stage IIIa: OS, 45% (1988) versus 59% (2003; P <.0001). CONCLUSION: Stage reclassification using the new AJCC staging system for breast cancer will result in significant changes in reported outcome by stage. It is imperative that careful attention is devoted to this effect so that accurate conclusions regarding the efficacy of new treatment strategies can be drawn.

Breast Neoplasms↗

One-stage versus two-stage Soave pull-through for Hirschsprung's disease in the first year of life.

Several investigators have reported good results after a one-stage Soave procedure without a stoma for infants with Hirschsprung's disease. The authors reviewed their concurrent experience with the one- and two-stage approaches, comparing the two groups with respect to rate of complications and clinical outcome. Over a 3-year period, 36 infants with colonic Hirschsprung's disease presenting in the first year of life were treated with a Soave pull-through. Thirteen had a one-stage pull-through, and 23 had a two-stage procedure using an initial stoma. There was no difference with respect to median age at time of diagnosis, median follow-up period, length of aganglionosis, or male:female ratio between the groups. The incidences of major complications such as small bowel obstruction, segmental or acquired aganglionosis, anastomotic leak, and malabsorption were equal between the two groups. However, 13% of the two-stage patients required revision of the stoma. All major complications in the one-stage group were in those who weighed less than 4 kg at the time of surgery. Minor complications such as wound infection, perianal excoriation, and need for repeated dilatation were similar between the groups, but minor stoma-related complications (prolapse or retraction) occurred in 26% of the two-stage infants. When complications were stratified using a more sophisticated scale of severity, no significant difference was found between the groups. The overall complication rate was 1.5 events per patient in the one-stage group and 2.0 events per patient in the two-stage group. This small difference was related to the presence of a stoma in the two-stage group. Overall, 10 of 12 survivors in the one-stage group and 22 of 23 in the two-stage group were doing well, with normal bowel function noted on long-term follow-up (mean period, of 14 and 19 months, respectively). Both one- and two-stage approaches were associated with a significant complication rate, although long-term outcome was excellent in both groups. The higher complication rate in the two-stage group was attributable to the presence of a stoma. For small infants, it may be beneficial to delay the one-stage pull-through until weight exceeds 4 kg.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

Stages of increased cerebral blood flow accompany stages of rapid brain growth.

Stages of increased cerebral blood flow accompany stages of rapid brain growth The existence of stages of rapid brain growth implies the existence of associated stages of increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) to supply the substances and energy needed for the added brain weight. Studies in the literature give developmental data for CBF in humans which show stages of increased cerebral blood flow at ages starting just preceding and/or coincident with the ages of the rapid brain growth stages. Confirmation of the implication for one of the earliest stages is also found in PET data. Additionally, data for rodents show a similar association of stages of increasing CBF and their brain growth stages. Thus, to the accuracy of the data, the implication is confirmed. Finding stages in cerebral blood flow predicts the existence of stages of brain growth. In addition; finding correlated blood flow stages also supports the age spans of the stages of rapid brain growth in both species. Such correlations also suggest that measurements of blood flow anywhere in the body might serve to reveal rapid growth stages in particular localities or organs if the blood flow shows significant stages. The ratio of energy consumed in brain to that in total body decreases from close to 100% at birth to the adult value of about 20% by age 18 years.

Adolescent↗

Long-term outcome of staged versus one-stage bilateral thoracoscopic reduction pneumoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: In a prospective non-randomized study, we tested the hypothesis that unilateral reduction pneumoplasty followed by completion of bilateral treatment at the reappearance of symptoms might result in more sustained improvements and better survival than one-stage bilateral treatment. METHOD: Fifty-nine patients undergoing bilateral thoracoscopic reduction pneumoplasty as a one-stage (n=33) or staged (n=26) procedure were evaluated on. The main indication for staged reduction pneumoplasty was symptom deterioration after unilateral treatment for asymmetric emphysema. Complete clinical assessment was carried out preoperatively and every 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean length of follow-up was 34+/-15 months. Interval time between operations in the staged group averaged 15.2 months. There was no inter-group difference in baseline data. Peak improvements in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)), forced vital capacity (FVC) and residual volume (RV) was significantly greater following one-stage bilateral reduction pneumoplasty. In particular, Delta FEV(1) was 0.33+/-0.2 l in the staged group and 0.43+/-0.2 l in the one-stage group (P=0.007). At 48 months, FEV(1), RV and 6-min-walking-test (6MWT) were still significantly improved only in the staged group. Four-year survival was 70% in the staged group and 81% in the one-stage group (Cox-Mantel test, P=not significant). CONCLUSION: Durable physiological improvements and satisfactory survival were achieved in this study for up to 4 years following either staged or one-stage bilateral reduction pneumoplasty using thoracoscopic technique. However, while peak improvements in FEV(1), FVC and RV were significantly greater following one-stage bilateral reduction, long-term improvements in FVC and 6MWT were more stable following a staged procedure. We speculate that sequential unilateral reduction pneumoplasty may reduce the mechanical stress in the lung leading to less steep postoperative deterioration of respiratory function.

Aged↗

Prognostic significance of immunohistochemically localized biomarkers in stage II and stage III breast cancer: a multivariate analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate the expression of a panel of biomarkers such as prolactin (PRL), p53, Bcl-2, c-erb B2, Ki-67, CD44, and factor VIII-related antigen (FVIII-RA) in primary tumors of stage II and stage III breast cancer and its correlation with disease prognostication. METHODS: The streptavidin-biotin peroxidase complex technique was used for the detection of these antigens. Cytoplasmic staining pattern was observed for PRL, Bcl-2, and Ki-67. Staining pattern for p53 was nuclear. Membranous and/or cytoplasmic staining was noted for c-erb B2 and CD44. Microvessel staining was noted for FVIII-RA. RESULTS: Of the 93 primary breast tumors analyzed, positivity for PRL was noted in 82%, for p53 in 56%, for Bcl-2 in 73%, for c-erb B2 in 68%, and for Ki-67 and CD44 in 78% each. The microvessel count (MVC) for FVIII-RA ranged from 0.0 to 29.0, with a median of 6.0, which was used as a cutoff. MVC > or = 6.0 was noted in 51% of breast tumors. With increasing tumor size, the higher frequency of positivity of MVC > or = 6.0 (P = .0001), CD44 (P = .001), PRL (P = .002), and c-erb B2 (P = .008), and higher frequency of Bcl-2 negativity (P = .033), was noted. In stage III patients, a higher positivity of the following biomarkers was noted, compared with stage II patients: MVC > or = 6.0 (P = .0004), PRL (P = .0002), c-erb B2 (P = .001), and CD44 (P = .005). Further, Bcl-2 positivity was significantly lower in patients with stage III disease compared with those with stage II disease (P = .024). In patients with nodal involvement, the frequency of c-erb B2 (P = .006), MVC > or = 6.0 (P = .011), and PRL (P = .032) was higher than in those without nodal involvement. Moreover, in these patients, with the increase in the number of involved lymph nodes, there was a significant increase in frequency of CD44+ (P = .0004) and PRL+ (P = .013) tumors. Abnormal expression of one biomarker was seen in 7% of tumors, of two biomarkers in 4%, of three in 15%, of four in 19%, of five in 28%, of six in 20%, and of all seven biomarkers in 7% of tumors. The frequency of an increasing number of biomarkers coexpressed was higher in stage III patients compared with stage II patients (P = .00003). In the total number of patients (n = 93), tumors with Bcl-2 negativity (P = .00001), MVC > or = 6.0 (P = .001), PRL positivity (P = .02), and CD44 positivity (P = .034) had a significantly poorer overall survival (OS) compared with their respective counterparts. In stage II patients (n = 40), only p53 expression was significantly associated with reduced relapse-free survival (P = .009) and OS (P = .040). In multivariate analysis, p53 expression was an independent prognostic factor that influenced relapse-free survival (P = .034) of stage II breast cancer patients. However, it failed to attain statistical significance for OS. In stage III patients (n = 53), tumors with Bcl-2 negativity (P = .0005) and MVC > or = 6.0 (P = .039) had a significantly poorer OS compared with their respective counterparts. In multivariate analysis of stage III patients, Bcl-2 was the only independent prognostic factor (P = .001) for predicting OS. There was a significant association between coexpression of the biomarkers and OS (P = .001). The OS rates decreased with the increase in number of abnormally expressed biomarkers. CONCLUSIONS: p53 expression in primary tumors was an independent prognostic factor that influenced relapse-free survival in patients with stage II disease. In stage III patients, lack of Bcl-2 expression was independently associated with a poor prognosis and, thus, may be an indicator of aggressive phenotype.

Adult↗

The accuracy of staging: an important prognostic determinator in stage I ovarian carcinoma. A multivariate analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several prognostic factors for stage I ovarian carcinoma have been analyzed. Some of them are biological and clinical in nature, but others such as the thoroughness of the staging procedure, the extent of the surgery and the philosophy of treatment, are defined by the human element. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 351 patients with Stage I ovarian cancer who had been treated from 1981 to 1991. For all patients the following information was available: age, size of the tumor, FIGO sub-stage, tumor grade, histologic type, rupture of the tumor, cytology, extent of the staging and of the surgery (hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy vs. fertility-conserving surgery) and use of adjuvant treatments. The thoroughness of the staging was defined as: optimal staging: total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy or fertility-conserving surgery, peritoneal cytology or washing, omentectomy, multiple peritoneal biopsies, sampling of the retroperitoneal nodes or formal lymphadenectomy, peritoneal staging: all the criteria described above were met with the exception of retroperitoneal sampling, incomplete staging: lack of any of the previously-cited criteria. RESULTS: An optimal staging was performed in 100 patients, a peritoneal staging in 107 and an incomplete staging in 144. Radical surgery was performed in 295 women and fertility-conserving surgery in 56. With a median follow-up of 108 months (range 14-184) 64 patients had recurrence of the tumor. Fifty-three died of the disease, two are currently alive with disease and nine were salvaged by surgery and/or chemotherapy. In a multivariate analysis only the tumor grade and the type of staging were significant independent prognostic factors for both disease-free and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: As described by other authors, we confirm that tumor grade is the single most important biological prognostic factor in early ovarian carcinoma. The thoroughness of the staging impacts significantly on survival, particularly in poorly differentiated carcinomas. Fertility-sparing surgery is not associated with a worse outcome than standard radical surgery.

Adolescent↗

[F-18]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography can predict pathological tumor stage and proliferative activity determined by Ki-67 in clinical stage IA lung adenocarcinomas.

OBJECTIVE: To predict a malignant grade of lung cancer by fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scanning, we investigated the correlation between FDG uptake and pathological tumor stage, proliferative activities determined by Ki-67 and cyclin D1, and an alteration of p53, in clinical stage (c-stage) IA lung adenocarcinomas. METHODS: FDG-PET was performed for 71 patients with c-stage IA lung adenocarcinomas. FDG uptake was measured by a contrast ratio (CR) between the tumor and contralateral lung. Ki-67, cyclin D1 and p53 staining scores were examined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The lesions with ground-glass opacity were found in 26 patients, and solid lesions in 45 by computed tomography. The pathological tumor stages (p-stage) were stage IA in 59 and more advanced stages in 12. The latter had significantly higher CR value than the former (P < 0.001). Patients with CR > or = 0.55 could be predicted to be at advanced tumor stages, with a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.82. The CR and staining scores of Ki-67 were significantly correlated with each other (P < 0.0001), and both the values were significantly higher in advanced tumor stages than in p-stage IA, and were also significantly higher in tumors with intratumoral lymphatic, vascular and pleural involvements than in those without such features (P < 0.05-0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In c-stage IA lung adenocarcinomas, the FDG uptake can predict p-stage and tumor proliferative activity determined by Ki-67. For c-stage IA lung adenocarcinomas showing CR > or = 0.55, mediastinoscopy or neoadjuvant chemotherapy is indicated.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Evidence-based gallbladder cancer staging: changing cancer staging by analysis of data from the National Cancer Database.

BACKGROUND: A recent revision of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging for gallbladder cancer (6th Edition) involved some major changes. Most notably, T2N0M0 tumors were moved from stage II to stage IB; T3N1M0 disease was moved from stage III to stage IIB; and T4NxM0 (x = any) tumors were moved from stage IVA to stage III. METHODS: In order to determine if these changes were justified by data, an analysis of the 10,705 cases of gallbladder cancer collected between 1989 and 1996 in the NCDB was performed. All patients had >5 year follow-up. RESULTS: The staging according to the 6th Edition provided no discrimination between stage III and IV. Five-year survivals for stage IIA, IIB, III, and IV (6th Edition) were 7%, 9%, 3%, 2% respectively. The data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were used to derive a proposed new staging system that builds upon Edition 5 and had improved discrimination of stage groups over previous editions. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in staging systems should be justified by data. Multicenter databases, including the NCDB, represent important resources for verification of evidence-based staging systems.

Databases as Topic↗

Carcinoma of the uterine cervix stage IB and early stage II. Prognostic value of the histological tumor regression after initial brachytherapy.

In our center limited centro pelvic invasive carcinomas of the uterine cervix (less than 4 cm) are treated with brachytherapy and surgery. With these therapeutic modalities no residual carcinoma was observed for 80% of the patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our results with this treatment, and to evaluate the prognostic value of the pathological status of the cervix. From 1976 to 1987 we have treated 115 patients with these modalities. Staging system used was the FIGO classification modified for Stage II (divided in early Stage II and late Stage II). Patients were Stage IB (70 cases) and early Stage II (45 cases); 60 Gy were delivered with utero vaginal brachytherapy before any treatment. Six weeks later a radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed. Twenty-one patients with positive nodes received a pelvic radiotherapy (45 to 55 Gy). Local control rate was 97% (100% for Stage IB and 93% for early Stage II). Uncorrected 10-year actuarial survival rate was 96% for Stage IB and 80% for early Stage II patients. No treatment failure was observed for Stage IB patients. Ninety-two patients (80%) had no residual carcinoma in the cervix (group 1) and 23 patients (20%) had a residual tumor (group 2). The sterilization rate of the cervix was 87% for Stage IB tumors versus 69% for early Stage II, and was 82% for N- patients versus 68% for N+ patients. Ten year actuarial survival rate was 92% for group 1 and 78% for group 2 (p = 0, 1). Grade 3 complications rate was 6%. We conclude that brachytherapy + surgery is a safe treatment for limited centro pelvic carcinomas of the uterine cervix (especially Stage IB) and that pathological status of the cervix after brachytherapy is not a prognostic factor.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Airway function in stage I and stage II pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Airway function was studied in 39 patients with stage I sarcoidosis and in 20 patients with stage II sarcoidosis. All of our patients were nonsmokers. Characteristic functional changes of restrictive lung disease was observed in 4 patients with stage II sarcoidosis. Specific airway conductance and % FEV1 were abnormal in 3 patients with stage II sarcoidosis. Abnormal small airway function was demonstrated in several patients with stage I and stage II sarcoidosis, always by multiple tests. Frequency dependence of dynamic compliance was demonstrated in 40% of stage I and 50% of stage II sarcoidosis. Maximal flow (Vmax50, Vmax25) was decreased respectively in 36 and 30% of patients of stage I sarcoidosis and in 56 and 62% of patients with stage II sarcoidosis. The ratio of closing volume to vital capacity was increased above corrected predictions in 30% of stage I and 44% of stage II sarcoidosis. delta Vmax25 decreased and Visov/VC (%) increased in more than 50% of patients. Upstream airway resistance was abnormally increased in 50% of patients with stage I and in 73% with stage II sarcoidosis. These results suggest that small airway dysfunction is common in early sarcoidosis without restrictive defect.

Adult↗

[Treatment options in early-stage testicular seminoma. Review of the literature with initial results of a prospective multicenter study on radiotherapy of clinical-stage I, IIA and IIB seminomas].

BACKGROUND: Testicular seminoma in the early stages is treated with orchiectomy and radiotherapy to the retroperitoneal nodes. Despite the high cure rates of this treatment, there is an ongoing controversy concerning the extent of the radiation fields and the radiation doses to be given in the clinical stages I, IIA and IIB. In the following literature review, these controversial issues are discussed. Recent reports emphasize, that the irradiation of the paraaortic nodes seems to be adequate in stage I disease. The "wait and see" strategy avoids an overtreatment in 80% of the patients in stage I. The application of 1 or 2 cycles of carboplatinum chemotherapy induced comparable results to adjuvant radiotherapy. In the stages IIA and IIB radiotherapy to the paraaortal and ipsilateral iliacal nodes, with a prescribed dose of 30 Gy and 36 Gy respectively, has been the standard treatment. The treatment of the upper contralateral iliacal nodes has been a matter of controversy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four hundred and ninety-one patients in stage I testicular seminoma received adjuvant paraaortic irradiation with a total dose of 26 Gy. Forty-one patients in stage IIA, and 19 patients in stage IIB received 30 Gy or 36 Gy respectively to the paraaortic and ipsilateral iliacal nodes. RESULTS: Paraaortic radiotherapy in stage I disease was associated with low acute side effects and a disease-free survival in 97.1% of the patients after a median observation of 13 months. In stage IIA the disease-free survival was 100%, in stage IIB 94.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The literature review and preliminary results of the reported ongoing trial are indicating that paraaortic irradiation in stage I and paraaortic with ipsilateral iliacal irradiation in stages IIA and IIB seem to be a sufficient treatment in early stage testicular seminoma with low treatment associated morbidity.

Carboplatin↗

Pathologic staging of renal cell carcinoma: significance of tumor classification with the 1997 TNM staging system.

BACKGROUND: The TNM staging system for renal cell carcinoma was revised by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) in 1997. The 1997 TNM staging system for renal cell carcinoma reclassifies tumors using criteria for size and for extent of renal vein/vena cava involvement that are different from the criteria used in the 1987 staging system. The current study investigated the prognostic significance of tumor classification and other factors using the new staging system. METHODS: Records from 1547 renal cell carcinoma patients (1039 males and 508 females; mean age, 63.4 years; mean follow-up, 7.1 years) who underwent surgical resection between 1970 and 1998 were analyzed retrospectively. Tumors were staged using the 1987 and 1997 TNM criteria, and Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival and disease recurrence were compared for both staging systems. The Peto-Peto log rank test and the generalized Wilcoxon test were used to assess univariate significance of prognostic factors on survival. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was then completed to assess the significance of the revised staging system. RESULTS: Tumor classification using the 1987 TNM staging system (P = 0.0001) and the 1997 TNM staging system (P = 0.0001) was a significant predictor of cause specific survival. Using 1997 TNM staging criteria, 641 patients were reclassified from the T2 classification to the T1 classification, 114 patients were reclassified from the T3c classification to the T3b classification, 11 patients were reclassified from the T4b classification to the T3c classification, and 3 patients were reclassified from the T4b classification to the T3b classification. Patients with reclassified tumors had outcomes similar to patients with tumors that remained in the same tumor classification. Patient stratification was improved using the new staging system. Prognostic discrimination for cause specific survival at 10 years was noted for the 1987 and 1997 TNM classifications (T1, 97% vs. 91%; T2, 84% vs. 70%; T3a, 53% vs. 53%; T3b, 48% vs. 42%; and T3c, 29% vs. 43%). CONCLUSIONS: The revised classification of renal cell carcinoma was a significant predictor of cause specific survival for the cohort of patients described in this report. Using the new system, the stratification of patients was improved. Patients who had their tumors reclassified as a result of the new staging system had outcomes similar to those of patients who had tumors that remained in the same classification. Based on an analysis of this cohort, tumor classification is valid, and the T1 subclassification is warranted. However, additional revision may be required to optimize staging.

Adolescent↗