Papanicolaou Test in an Urban STD Clinic: The Good and Bad News

The objective of the study was to review Pap test results and follow-ups in an urban sexually transmitted disease clinic in Miami, Florida. We reviewed the results of all Pap tests conducted in the clinic during 2005. All the samples were processed by a single commercial laboratory. We attempted to contact clients with abnormal results other than inflammation to return to the clinic. Results: of the 849 samples, 622 (73.3%) were normal, 211 (24.8%) were abnormal (inflammation 76 (9.0%), ASCUS 68 (8%), and LGSIL or higher 64 (7.5%), and 16 (1.9%) were considered unsatisfactory for cytological interpretation. We were able to contact only 57% of the clients that needed to return to the clinic. The rate of abnormal cervical cytology reported in this clinic in 2005 was well above the national average. A significant fraction, 43%, of clients who had abnormal results were unable to be contacted for follow-up

ИНДУЦИРОВАННЫЙ РАК МОЛОЧНОЙ ЖЕЛЕЗЫ У МУЖЧИНЫ С ПЕРВИЧНО-МНОЖЕСТВЕННЫМИ ЗЛОКАЧЕСТВЕННЫМИ НОВООБРАЗОВАНИЯМИ (КЛИНИЧЕСКИЙ ПРИМЕР)

A case report of polyneoplasia in a male patient with induced breast cancer demonstrates current trends in drug therapy for multiple primary cancers.Представленное клиническое наблюдение полинеоплазии у мужчины с индуцированным раком молочной железы демонстрирует современные возможности лекарственной терапии первично-множественных злокачественных новообразований

Bronchogenic Garcinoma in Babylon of 50 Patients

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A mathematical model of Doxorubicin treatment efficacy on non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: Investigation of current protocol through theoretical modelling results

Doxorubicin treatment outcomes for non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL) are mathematically modelled and computationally analyzed. The NHL model includes a tumor structure incorporating mature and immature vessels, vascular structural adaptation and NHL cell-cycle kinetics in addition to Doxorubicin pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD). Simulations provide qualitative estimations of the effect of Doxorubicin on high-grade (HG), intermediate-grade (IG) and low-grade (LG) NHL. Simulation results imply that if the interval between successive drug applications is prolonged beyond a certain point, treatment will be inefficient due to effects caused by heterogeneous blood flow in the system

Weight gain in females with a diagnosis of breast cancer

A study was done on 213 female subjects with a diagnosis of breast cancer and weight changes. The study tested the hypotheses: (a) Women with Stage I or II breast cancer gain weight. (b) Women with stage I breast cancer gain more weight than those with stage II. (c) Women with stage II breast cancer on adjuvant chemotherapy gain more weight than women with stage I or II on Tamoxifen alone. (d) Women with breast cancer who gain weight do not lose it after treatment ends; Findings failed to support null hypotheses a and d, but did b and c. A weight gain was noted in both stage I and II disease. At the 24 month mark women with stage I disease gained more than those with stage II but not significantly. Women with stage II disease on adjuvant therapy gained more weight than the Tamoxifen group but not significantly. At the 24 month mark women with stage II disease had leveled off in their weight but stage I women appeared to be on an upward curve of weight gain; The findings suggest further investigation of the cause of as well as actual weight gain in this population

Molecular Detection of Bladder Cancer by Fluorescence Microsatellite Analysis and an Automated Genetic Analyzing System

To investigate the ability of an automated fluorescent analyzing system to detect microsatellite alterations, in patients with bladder cancer. We investigated 11 with pathology proven bladder Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) for microsatellite alterations in blood, urine, and tumor biopsies. DNA was prepared by standard methods from blood, urine and resected tumor specimens, and was used for microsatellite analysis. After the primers were fluorescent labeled, amplification of the DNA was performed with PCR. The PCR products were placed into the automated genetic analyser (ABI Prism 310, Perkin Elmer, USA) and were subjected to fluorescent scanning with argon ion laser beams. The fluorescent signal intensity measured by the genetic analyzer measured the product size in terms of base pairs. We found loss of heterozygocity (LOH) or microsatellite alterations (a loss or gain of nucleotides, which alter the original normal locus size) in all the patients by using fluorescent microsatellite analysis and an automated analyzing system. In each case the genetic changes found in urine samples were identical to those found in the resected tumor sample. The studies demonstrated the ability to detect bladder tumor non-invasively by fluorescent microsatellite analysis of urine samples. Our study supports the worldwide trend for the search of non-invasive methods to detect bladder cancer. We have overcome major obstacles that prevented the clinical use of an experimental system. With our new tested system microsatellite analysis can be done cheaper, faster, easier and with higher scientific accuracy

«КОНТИНЕНТНАЯ» РАДИКАЛЬНАЯ ПРОСТАТЭКТОМИЯ

Objective: to evaluate the impact of dissection of the dorsal venous complex without pre-ligation, suturing, or coagulation during radical prostatectomy (RPE) in patients with localized prostate cancer (PC) on the quality of surgery and the function of urinary retention.Subjects and methods. The data of 42 patients who had undergone posterior and anterior anatomical repair and vesicourethral anastomosis using a V-lock suture after prostatectomy were analyzed. All the patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 22 patients in whom the dorsal venous complex was closed using a 3-0 vicryl suture before urethral dissection. Group 2 included 20 patients in whom the urethra was dissected without suturing the venous complex.Results. In group 1, complete urinary retention after catheter removal was noted in 9 (40.9 %) and 15 (68 %) patients within 24 hours and after 3 months, respectively. Following 12 months, two (9 %) patients were observed to have partial mild urinary incontinence (as many as 2 pads per day). Group 2 patients showed complete urinary retention in 17 (85 %) cases on the first day after catheter removal; all the patients retained urine 3 months later.Conclusion. In patients with localized PC, dissection of the dorsal venous complex without presuturing during laparoscopic RPE exerts a considerable impact on the preservation of urinary retention, namely 45% more of the patients reported complete urinary retention in early periods and 10 % more did this in later periods. At the same time, there was no statistically significant increase in intraoperative blood loss (p > 0.05), the number of positive edges, or biochemical recurrences.Цель исследования – оценка влияния пересечения венозно-дорсального комплекса без предварительной перевязки, прошивания либо коагуляции при выполнении радикальной простатэктомии (РПЭ) у больных с локализованными формами рака предстательной железы (РПЖ) на качество выполнения операции и функцию удержания мочи.Материалы и методы. Проведен анализ данных 42 больных после удаления предстательной железы, которым выполнили заднюю и переднюю анатомическую реконструкцию и формирование везикоуретрального анастомоза с использованием нити V-lock. Все пациенты были разделены на 2 группы: в 1-й (n = 22) пациентам перед пересечением уретры проводили прошивание венозно-дорсального комплекса викриловой нитью 3-0; во 2-й (n = 20) пересечение уретры проводили без предварительного прошивания венозного комплекса.Результаты. В 1-й группе полное удержание мочи на 1-е сутки после удаления катетера отмечено у 9 (40,9 %) больных, через 3 мес – у 15 (68 %). Через 12 мес у 2 (9 %) пациентов отмечается частичное недержание мочи легкой степени тяжести (до 2 прокладок в день). У пациентов 2-й группы полное удержание мочи в 1-й день после удаления катетера отмечено в 17 (85 %) случаях, через 3 мес все больные удерживали мочу.Выводы. Пересечение венозно-дорсального комплекса без предварительного прошивания при выполнении лапароскопической РПЭ у больных локализованными формами РПЖ оказывает существенное влияние на сохранение функции удержания мочи, а именно: на 45 % больше пациентов отмечают полное удержание мочи в ранние сроки, а в поздние сроки на 10 % больше полностью удерживающих мочу. При этом нами не отмечено статистически достоверного увеличения интраоперационной кровопотери (p > 0,05), количества позитивных краев и биохимических рецидивов

Enhancement of microcalcifications in digitized mammograms: Multifractal and mathematical morphology approach

Prikazana su dva metoda isticanja mikrokalcifikacija u digitalnim mamogramima. Prvi metod zasnovan je na multifraktalnoj analizi digitalne slike, a drugi na primeni moderne matematičke morfologije. U multifraktalnom pristupu kreiraju se multifraktalne 'slike' izvornog mamograma, na osnovu kojih se dalje interaktivno bira nivo segmentacije detalja. Drugi metod, pogodnom kombinacijom morfoloških operacija, povećava lokalni kontrast uz snažno potiskivanje pozadinske teksture, nezavisno od radiološke gustine tkiva dojke. Iterativnim postupkom morfološki metod visoko ističe samo male detalje sjajnije od okolnog tkiva, potencijalne mikrokalcifikacije. Interaktivni pristup kod oba metoda omogućava radiologu da kontroliše nivo izdvajanja detalja. Predloženi metodi su testirani na referentnim mamogramima iz miniMIAS baze i iz kliničke prakse.Two methods for enhancing the microcalcifications in digitized mammograms are under consideration. First method is based on multifractal approach, and second on modern mathematical morphology. In multifractal approach, from initial mammogram image, a corresponding multifractal 'images' are created, from which a radiologist has a freedom to change the level of segmentation in an interactive manner. The second method, using an appropriate combination of some morphological operations, enables high local contrast enhancement, followed by significant suppression of background tissue, irrespective of the radiology density of the tissue. By iterative procedure this method highly emphasizes only small bright details, possible microcalcifications. The interactive approach enables the physician to control the level of segmentation. Suggested methods were tested through referent mammograms from MiniMIAS database and from clinical praxis mammograms