Blood viscosity in patients with diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

The aim of the study was to evaluate blood viscosity as possible marker of disease progression in patients with newly diagnosed non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Methods: The viscosity of blood samples from 20 patients with newly diagnosed aggressive NHL (stage I, n = 7; stage II, n = 4; stage III, n = 7; stage IV, n = 2) was analyzed using Brookfield DV-II + (USA) machine. Results: Blood viscosity in NHL patients (median: 5.5 ± 1.46 miliPascal) inversely correlated with lactatdehydrogenase (LDH) level, international prognostic index (IPI) score, and stage (p = 0.02, r= –0.51; p = 0.03, r= –0.63; and p = 0.04, r= –0.45, respectively) and positively correlated with hemoglobin level (p = 0.02, r = 0.65)). Conclusion: According to our data, blood viscosity may be considered as a follow up marker in NHL patients along with LDH level or sedimentation rate.Цель: анализ вязкости крови в качестве маркера возможного маркера прогрессии заболевания у больных неходжкинской лимфомой (НХЛ). Методы: вязкость крови 20 пациентов НХЛ (стадия I, = 7; стадия II, = 4; стадия III, = 7; стадия  IV, n = 4) измеряли на приборе Brookfield DV-II + (США). Результаты: вязкость крови больных НХЛ (средняя величина: 5.5 ± 1.46 миллиПаскаль) находилась в обратной корреляции с уровнем лактатдегидрогеназы (ЛДГ), величиной международного прогностического индекса (IPI) и стадией заболевания (p = 0,02, r = –0,51; p = 0,03, r = –0,63; p = 0,04, r = –0,45 соответственно) и в прямой зависимости от уровня гемоглобина (p = 0,02, = 0,65)). Выводы: согласно полученным данным, вязкость крови можно рассматривать в качестве маркера течения заболевания у больных НХЛ наряду с уровнем ЛДГ и показателем скорости оседания эритроцитов

Breast Cancer Subtypes and Outcomes of Central Nervous System Metastases

Scopu

Outcome of 561 non-metastatic triple negative breast cancer patients: Multi-center experience from Turkey

Purpose: Triple-negative breast cancers account for 15% of breast carcinomas and, when present as early-stage disease, they are associated with higher rates of recurrence and early distant metastasis risk when compared to hormone receptor positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2) positive breast cancers. In this study we aimed to explore the basic clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic factors and recurrence patterns of non-metastatic triple negative breast cancer patients. Methods: In this study 561 non-metastatic triple-negative breast cancer female patients admitted to 8 different cancer centers in Turkey between 2000 and 2010 were retrospectively evaluated through their medical records, to identify the basic clinico-pathological characteristics, prognostic factors and recurrence patterns. Results: The ratio of triple-negative breast cancer was 12%. The median age of patients was 48 years, of whom 311 (55.4%) were premenopausal. The majority had early-stage breast cancer at the time of diagnosis (16.8% stage I, 48.1% stage II, 35.1 % stage III) and the most commonly identified variant was invasive ductal carcinoma (84.1%). Grade II and III tumors were 27.1 and 48.5%, respectively. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 90.5% of women and adjuvant radiotherapy to 41.2%. Median patient follow up was 28 months (range 3-290). During the follow up period 134 (23.8%) patients developed metastatic disease. In most of these cases, metastatic sites were bone, soft tissue, and lung. Factors affecting disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were age (both p<0.001), lymph node involvement (both p<0.001), lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (p<0.001 and p=0.004, respectively), tumor stage (both p<0.001), adjuvant administration of anthracycline-based chemotherapy (both <0.001) and type of surgery (not significant for DFS but p=0.05 for OS). Three-year DFS and OS were 72.0 and 93.0%, respectively. Conclusion: Age, lymph node involvement, LVI, stage, and adjuvant chemotherapy were determined as prognostic factors for DFS and OS. The most common recurrence sites were bone, soft tissue and the lung. Further prospective randomised trials are needed to confirm the prognostic and predictive factors identified in this study