IMAGE CYTOMETRY FOR DNA ANALYSIS IN ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMA CORRELATED WITH OTHER PROGNOSTIC PARAMETERS

We evaluated by static cytometry DNA ploidy parameters in 30 stage I-IV endometrial carcinomas and correlated these data with standard clinical-pathological features and disease-free period. We observed a direct correlation between either non-diploid DNA content and deeper myometrial invasion (p<0.02) or D.I.greater than or equal to 1.2 and M2-M3 tumors (p<0.009). The Kaplan Meier survival curves illustrate a more rapid relapse of disease associated with non-diploidy, high 5cExR, high level of proliferation and D.I.greater than or equal to 1.2. while Cox regression model gave relative hazards for disease recurrence of 4, 6, 3.7 and 2.1 for non-diploidy, D.I.greater than or equal to 1.2, high 5cExR and high level of proliferation respectively. This prospective study confirmed the prognostic value of DNA Index, and its usefulness in clinical practice especially in stage I cases, otherwise characterised by favourable standard prognostic factors, is discussed

PET scanning evaluation of response to imatinib mesylate therapy in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients

Background: Unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) exhibit a dynamic clinical course, with no evidence of benefit from any standard cytotoxic chemotherapy and an inevitably fatal outcome. With the introduction of Imatinib, an oral drug able to inhibit the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase, new questions arise regarding our ability to monitor treatment response with conventional methods and optimally manage such patients on treatment with new agents. Materials and methods: Herein we report two cases of patients with a history of GIST in treatment with Imatinib. Results: After 4 weeks from treatment start, CT scan evaluation demonstrated a massive increase in the size of metastatic lesions, but a confirmatory PET excluded, in both patients, the presence of any metabolic activity in the previously known metastatic sites. Imatinib therapy was continued with subjective clinical benefit for 12 further months before a PET scan-confirmed disease progression had occurred in one patient and is still ongoing after 15 months in the other. Conclusion: These cases open the obvious question of whether conventional imaging techniques are adequate to assess the response to Imatinib treatment in GIST patients

Old, Nonagenarians, and Centenarians in Cilento, Italy and the Association of Lifespan with the Level of Some Physicochemical Elements in Tap Drinking Water.

Longevity, as a complex life-history trait, shares an ontogenetic relationship with other quantitative traits, such as epigenetic and environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to identify environmental factors that may modify the epigenome to establish healthy aging. This study explored the association between tap drinking water and longevity in Cilento, Italy, to understand whether trace elements in local drinking water may have an influence on old, nonagenarian, and centenarian people and promote their health and longevity. Data on population and water sources were collected through the National Demographic Statistics, the Cilento Municipal Archives, and the Cilento Integrated Water Service. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a geographically weight regression (GWR) model were used to study the spatial relationship between the explanatory and outcome variables of longevity. The results of the study showed that the prevalence of longevity is concentrated in the central, northern and southeastern areas of the territory and that some trace elements present in tap water may contribute to local longevity in Cilento. Specifically, all Cilento municipalities had alkaline tap water, and the municipalities with the highest longevity concentrations had higher alkalinity levels than the other municipalities, soft to medium-hard water hardness, an amount of total dissolved solids equivalent to the level of excellent water, lower amounts of sodium, adequate iron concentration, and adequate dietary intake of manganese per day