The Efficiency of Sclerotherapy in the Treatment of Vascular Malformations: A Retrospective Study of 63 Patients

Background and Aims. Vascular malformations are a vast group of congenital malformations that are present at birth. These malformations can cause pain, pressure, and cosmetic annoyance as well as downturn growth and development in a child in the case of high flow. Sclerotherapy has become an important tool in the treatment of vascular malformations. However, little is known about the success rate of sclerotherapy. Material and Methods. In this study, the efficiency of sclerotherapy in the treatment of vascular anomalies was investigated retrospectively in 63 patients treated in Turku University Hospital between 2003 and 2013. Results. Out of the 63 patients investigated, 83% (53) had venous malformations (VMs) and 9% (5) were defined as having arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Patients with a VM were operated on, in 14% (8) out of all VM cases. Hence 86% (45) of patients with a VM received adequate help to their symptoms solely from sclerotherapy. The duration of treatment for the 14% of the VM patients that needed a surgical procedure was prolonged by 7–9 months, that is, by 41%. Conclusions. Sclerotherapy is an effective method in the treatment of VMs with a satisfactory clinical response in patients symptoms in 84% of cases.<br /

EphB2 Promotes Progression of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Keratinocyte-derived skin cancer, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), is the most common metastatic skin cancer. We have examined the role of Eph/ephrin signaling in the progression of cSCC. Analysis of the expression of EPH and EFN families in cSCC cells and normal epidermal keratinocytes revealed overexpression of EPHB2 mRNA in cSCC cells and cSCC tumors in vivo. Tumor cell–specific overexpression of EphB2 was detected in human cSCCs and in chemically induced mouse cSCCs with immunohistochemistry, whereas the expression of EphB2 was low in premalignant lesions and normal skin. Knockdown of EphB2 expression in cSCC cells suppressed growth and vascularization of cSCC xenografts in vivo and inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of cSCC cells in culture. EphB2 knockdown downregulated expression of genes associated with biofunctions cell viability, migration of tumor cells, and invasion of tumor cells. Among the genes most downregulated by EphB2 knockdown were MMP1 and MMP13. Moreover, activation of EphB2 signaling by ephrin-B2-Fc enhanced production of invasion proteinases matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP13) and MMP1, and invasion of cSCC cells. These findings provide mechanistic evidence for the role of EphB2 in the early progression of cSCC to the invasive stage and identify EphB2 as a putative therapeutic target in this invasive skin cancer

Ei-melanoottisten ihosyöpien nykyhoito

Tyvi- ja okasolusyöpä ovat yleisimmät ei-melanoottiset ihosyöpätyypit Suomessa ja maailmanlaajuisesti. Merkelinsolusyöpä on harvinainen ja aggressiivinen neuroendokriininen ihosyöpä. Tyvisolusyövän etäpesäkkeet ovat hyvin harvinaisia, mutta okasolusyöpä ja merkelinsolusyöpä voivat lähettää etäpesäkkeitä paikallisiin imusolmukkeisiin tai muualle elimistöön. Etenkin iäkkäiden tai monisairaiden potilaiden paikallisesti invasoivat ja uusiutuvat ihosyövät tai useat samanaikaiset kasvaimet voivat olla hankalasti hoidettavia. Edennyttä ihosyöpää sairastavien potilaiden hoito suunnitellaan moniammatillisessa kokouksessa, jossa voidaan leikkaushoidon lisäksi arvioida sädehoidon ja lääkehoitojen tarve sekä potilaan seuranta. Hedgehog-kasvutekijäreitin estäjät ja immuuniaktivaation vapauttajat ovat uusia lääkehoitovaihtoehtoja leikkaukseen tai sädehoitoon soveltumattomien edenneiden ihosyöpien hoidoksi.Peer reviewe