Treatment of recurrent thyroid cancers--is there a light in the horizon?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Thyroid cancer is a rare tumour. In spite of this, its incidence is increasing faster than any other tumour. The reported response rates of recurrent thyroid cancer to chemotherapy are generally poor. Molecular studies have provided some information on their biology and have identified new targets with therapeutic potential. RECENT FINDINGS: Ever since the seventies, no major breakthrough has been achieved in terms of chemotherapy in advanced/recurrent thyroid cancer. Anaplastic thyroid cancer, for instance, has not shown any improvement in overall survival during the past 40 years. Several agents are currently being tested that target molecular signalling and cancer cell biology, and will be reviewed in this paper. SUMMARY: Some of these new targeted approaches hold promise for our future ability to treat patients with advanced thyroid cancer unresponsive to traditional therapy. The success of these molecular-targeted agents is dependent on the molecular abnormalities involved in carcinogenesis as well as on well designed clinical trials to study these new agents.Journal ArticleReviewinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Sigmoid adenocarcinoma with renal metastasis

We report a case of a 75-year-old man submitted to a rectosigmoidectomy and partial cystectomy because of a sigmoid cancer and colovesical fistula. Seven months later and after four cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, a lesion was detected in the kidney. Histology revealed tubular adenocarcinoma, which meant sigmoid cancer metastasis. Kidney metastases are very rare in colorectal cancer (CRC), but may be generally associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Thus, patients with metastatic CRC and kidney tumors are a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge

Adenocarcinoma de colo uterino com disseminação linfática apresentando-se como carcinoma en cuirasse da vulva: relato de caso

We report the case of a patient with carcinoma “en cuirasse” of the vulva.Case report:  A female patient presented complaining of inguinal lymphadenopathy. Lymph node excision, immunohistochemistry analyses, and further exams showed the presence of cervical adenocarcinoma. The cancer was surgically removed and the patient was treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy with a good initial response. Some months later she presented with intense edema of the lower limbs, hardening and thickening of the labia majora, and pelvic and genital ulceration. A cutaneous biopsy with subsequent immunohistochemical staining showed lymphatic dissemination of adenocarcinoma to the vulva.Discussion:  Carcinoma “en cuirasse” is a rare presentation of cutaneous metastasis in which the affected skin shows hardening and induration, acquiring a sclerodermoid appearance.  This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report in Brazil of  carcinoma “en cuirasse” of the vulva associated with cervical adenocarcinoma

Adenocarcinoma de colo uterino com disseminação linfática apresentando-se como carcinoma en cuirasse da vulva: relato de caso

We report the case of a patient with carcinoma “en cuirasse” of the vulva.Case report:  A female patient presented complaining of inguinal lymphadenopathy. Lymph node excision, immunohistochemistry analyses, and further exams showed the presence of cervical adenocarcinoma. The cancer was surgically removed and the patient was treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy with a good initial response. Some months later she presented with intense edema of the lower limbs, hardening and thickening of the labia majora, and pelvic and genital ulceration. A cutaneous biopsy with subsequent immunohistochemical staining showed lymphatic dissemination of adenocarcinoma to the vulva.Discussion:  Carcinoma “en cuirasse” is a rare presentation of cutaneous metastasis in which the affected skin shows hardening and induration, acquiring a sclerodermoid appearance.  This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report in Brazil of  carcinoma “en cuirasse” of the vulva associated with cervical adenocarcinoma

A case of small-cell prostate cancer with a metastasis to the scalp

SCOPUS: no.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Aortic aneurysm in a patient with syphilis-related spinal pain and paraplegia

The tertiary stage of syphilis is nowadays extremely rare, showing predilection for the cardiovascular and nervous systems. A 57-year-old Caucasian man sought medical assistance due to back pain that evolved to paraplegia of the lower limbs. A thoracic CT scan demonstrated an important aneurysmatic lesion of the descending thoracic aorta causing erosion of the vertebral bodies and VDRL and FTA-abs positivity. Although rare, syphilitic aortitis, the hallmark of cardiovascular syphilis, should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with thoracic aneurysm when in the absence of classic risk factors for atherosclerosis, especially in cases that progress with erosion of vertebral bodies

investigAtion Melanoma patterns of distant relapse: a study of 108 cases from a South Brazilian center

Abstract: Background: The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has increased over the last decades. Recurrences occur most frequently within the first 2-3 years after diagnosis but patients carry a lifelong risk of relapse. Nevertheless, there is no consensus in the literature on what screening tests patients should undergo. oBJectIves: To evaluate the most common melanoma metastasis sites among a South Brazilian population from a city with one of the highest melanoma rates, and establish the best screening method for these patients. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study of 108 consecutive melanoma patients followed up at a center from 2009 to 2013. Data were collected on demographic and tumoral characteristics, as well as the site of the first diagnosed metastasis. results: Patients were divided into 3 groups for analytical purposes: Non-visceral metastases (48% of patients), visceral metastasis (39%) and brain metastasis (13%). We tried to correlate age, gender, mean Breslow thickness, mitosis and death rates with the aforementioned groups but none showed any statistically significant association. conclusIon: Melanoma patients must be monitored to detect early relapse and subsequent effective treatment but the best follow-up strategy remains to be established