Adenoid cystic carcinoma intermingled with ductal carcinoma of the breast: a case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Adenoid cystic cancer of the breast is a rare condition, and even rarer are the cases where it is histologically mixed with other variants of cancer within a single lesion. In this report, one of the few cases of mixed adenoid cystic breast cancer intermingled with the infiltrating ductal variant is presented. A subsequent review of the relevant literature presents the existing experience in treating mixed breast cancers with adenoid cystic components with regard to diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We describe a case of mixed adenoid cystic cancer of the breast with infiltrating ductal carcinoma in a 67-year-old Caucasian woman who underwent mastectomy with sentinel node biopsy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment of these patients, and radiotherapy is administered when breast-conserving treatment is undertaken or a large tumor with affected lymph nodes is present. Hormonal treatment does not have a role, as estrogen receptors are always absent from both tumor components. Chemotherapy is nearly always administered on the basis of estrogen receptor and progesterone negativity and the more aggressive potential of the non-adenoid cystic component. The de-differentiation of an indolent type of cancer to a more aggressive one may affect the prognosis.</p

A colliding maxillary sinus cancer of adenosquamous carcinoma and small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma - a case report with EGFR copy number analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SNEC) of maxillary sinus is a rare and aggressive malignancy. A tumor with squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and SNEC co-existence is extremely rare.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a colliding tumor of squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and SNEC in maxillary sinus. The clinical features, diagnosis and EGFR flourescence in situ hybridization (FISH) study are presented. A 52-year-old female had a 1-month history of progressing left cheek swelling and purulent rhinorrhea. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a tumor involving left maxilla and orbital floor. Excision of tumor was done and the defect was reconstructed with free flap. The pathology revealed a malignant tumor composed of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and SNEC components. EGFR FISH study showed no gene amplification in 3 components of this tumor. The tumor progressed rapidly and the patient expired at 8 months after surgery.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A colliding tumor of squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma in maxillary sinus was aggressive in behavior and the treatment response was poor due to the complexity of tumor.</p

Novel standards in the measurement of rat insulin granules combining electron microscopy, high-content image analysis and in silico modelling

Knowledge of number, size and content of insulin secretory granules is pivotal for understanding the physiology of pancreatic beta cells. Here we re-evaluated key structural features of rat beta cells, including insulin granule size, number and distribution as well as cell size

(Certified) Humane Violence? Animal Production, the Ambivalence of Humanizing the Inhumane, and What International Humanitarian Law Has to Do with It

The chapter draws a comparison with the self-certifying of production methods as ‘humane’ or animal-friendly in the labelling of animal products—that is, according to companies’ own self-imposed codes of conduct. It likens the idea of humanizing animal slaughter, factory farms, and other forms of production to the notion of humanizing warfare. Like international humanitarian law (IHL), animal welfare law is marked by the tension inherent in its attempt to humanize innately inhumane practices. Given these parallels, the analysis of animal welfare law might benefit from existing insights into the potential and limits of IHL. Both areas of law endorse a principle of ‘humanity’ while arguably facilitating and legitimizing the use of violence, and might thereby ultimately perpetuate the suffering of living beings. The implicit justification of violence percolating from the IHL-like animal ‘protection’ laws could only be outweighed by complementing this body of law with a ius contra bellum for animals

Expression of p21WAF1 in Astler–Coller stage B2 colorectal cancer is associated with survival benefit from 5FU-based adjuvant chemotherapy

In several, but not all, previous studies, positive p21WAF1 expression has been suggested as an indicator of a good prognosis in patients with stage III/IV colorectal cancer. However, it is not known whether the same is true for stage B2 patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the influence of p21WAF1 expression in tumor cells on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of Astler–Coller stage B2 and C patients with colorectal cancer who underwent 5-fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy. Nuclear p21WAF1 was detected by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays from 275 colorectal cancers. The expression of p21WAF1 was associated with DFS (p = 0.025) and OS (p = 0.008) in the subgroup of stage B2 patients that was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. In multivariate analysis, it remained the only independent prognostic parameter in relation to DFS and OS (p = 0.035 and p = 0.02, respectively). In the subgroup of 72 stage B2 patients with positive p21WAF1 expression but not in the subgroup of 61 stage B2 patients with negative p21WAF1 expression, adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with better DFS (85% 5-year survival versus 65% without chemotherapy, p = 0.03) and OS (96% versus 82%, p = 0.014). In the combined stage B2 and C group of patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, positive p21WAF1 expression was also associated with better DFS and OS (p = 0.03, p = 0.002, respectively). Expression of p21WAF1 in colorectal tumor cells identifies a subgroup of Astler–Coller stage B2 patients who could benefit significantly from 5FU-based chemotherapy and may improve the selection of patients for adjuvant chemotherapy

Comparing Glioblastoma Surgery Decisions Between Teams Using Brain Maps of Tumor Locations, Biopsies, and Resections

PURPOSE: The aim of glioblastoma surgery is to maximize the extent of resection while preserving functional integrity, which depends on the location within the brain. A standard to compare these decisions is lacking. We present a volumetric voxel-wise method for direct comparison between two multidisciplinary teams of glioblastoma surgery decisions throughout the brain. METHODS: Adults undergoing first-time glioblastoma surgery from 2012 to 2013 performed by two neuro-oncologic teams were included. Patients had had a diagnostic biopsy or resection. Preoperative tumors and postoperative residues were segmented on magnetic resonance imaging in three dimensions and registered to standard brain space. Voxel-wise probability maps of tumor location, biopsy, and resection were constructed for each team to compare patient referral bias, indication variation, and treatment variation. To evaluate the quality of care, subgroups of differentially resected brain regions were analyzed for survival and functional outcome. RESULTS: One team included 101 patients, and the other included 174; 91 tumors were biopsied, and 181 were resected. Patient characteristics were largely comparable between teams. Distributions of tumor locations were dissimilar, suggesting referral bias. Distributions of biopsies were similar, suggesting absence of indication variation. Differentially resected regions were identified in the anterior limb of the right internal capsule and the right caudate nucleus, indicating treatment variation. Patients with (n = 12) and without (n = 6) surgical removal in these regions had similar overall survival and similar permanent neurologic deficits. CONCLUSION: Probability maps of tumor location, biopsy, and resection provide additional information that can inform surgical decision making across multidisciplinary teams for patients with glioblastoma

A cancer drug atlas enables synergistic targeting of independent drug vulnerabilities.

Personalized cancer treatments using combinations of drugs with a synergistic effect is attractive but proves to be highly challenging. Here we present an approach to uncover the efficacy of drug combinations based on the analysis of mono-drug effects. For this we used dose-response data from pharmacogenomic encyclopedias and represent these as a drug atlas. The drug atlas represents the relations between drug effects and allows to identify independent processes for which the tumor might be particularly vulnerable when attacked by two drugs. Our approach enables the prediction of combination-therapy which can be linked to tumor-driving mutations. By using this strategy, we can uncover potential effective drug combinations on a pan-cancer scale. Predicted synergies are provided and have been validated in glioblastoma, breast cancer, melanoma and leukemia mouse-models, resulting in therapeutic synergy in 75% of the tested models. This indicates that we can accurately predict effective drug combinations with translational value

The techno-ecological practice as the politics of ontological coalitions

The paper focuses on the art projects aimed at visualizing (grasping) the physical or biological phenomena through interfaces and / or installations designed specifically for such purpose. Such works often mirror the post-­digital condition of our time where the digital technologies constitute the common background for everyday activities, no longer having the allure of "new" and "exciting" (Berry, Dieter et al., 2015). In this process, both the networked technologies of wireless communication and the act of crossing the boundaries between the digital and the physical play the crucial role as the post-­digital networked imagery increasingly becomes directly connected to the physical environment. I would like to ponder on the questions of processuality and relationality involved in such instances where the complexity of the hybrid works of art clearly transgresses the paradigm of representationalism (Thrift, 2008;; Anderson and Harrison, 2010;; Kember and Zylinska, 2012). The particular attention is given to the fact that such artworks bond different ontological realms (discursive, physical, digital) and different agents (human and non-­human, carbon-­based and software-­based) forging “ontological coalitions” (Malafouris, 2013). Throughout the article the mutlirealist and relational perspective is offered, inspired by the propositions of Gilbert Simondon and Etienne Souriau. Based on the research project supported by National Science Centre Poland ("The aesthetics of post-­digital imagery: between new materialism and object-­oriented philosophy", 2016/21/B/HS2/00746)