28 research outputs found

    Cervical cytology biobanks as a resource for molecular epidemiology

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    &lt;p&gt;A cervical cytology biobank (CCB) is an extension of current cytopathology laboratory practice consisting in the systematic storage of Pap smears or liquid-based cytology samples from women participating in cervical cancer screening with the explicit purpose of facilitating future scientific research and quality audit of preventive services. A CCB should use an internationally agreed uniform cytology terminology, be integrated in a national or regional screening registry, and linked to other registries (histology, cancer, and vaccination). Legal and ethical principles concerning personal integrity and data safety must be respected strictly. Biobank-based studies require approval from ethical review boards. A CCB constitutes a nearly inexhaustible resource to perform fundamental and applied biologic research. In particular, it can contribute in answering questions on the natural history of HPV infection and HPV-induced lesions and cancers, screening effectiveness, exploration of new biomarkers, and surveillance of short- and long-term effects of the introduction of HPV vaccination. To understand the limitations of CCB, more studies are needed on quality of samples in relation to sample type, storage procedures, and duration of storage.&lt;/p&gt;</p

    Japanese multicenter database of healthy controls for [123I]FP-CIT SPECT

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    Purpose: The aim of this multicenter trial was to generate a [¹²³I]FP-CIT SPECT database of healthy controls from the common SPECT systems available in Japan. Methods: This study included 510 sets of SPECT data from 256 healthy controls (116 men and 140 women; age range, 30–83 years) acquired from eight different centers. Images were reconstructed without attenuation or scatter correction (NOACNOSC), with only attenuation correction using the Chang method (ChangACNOSC) or X-ray CT (CTACNOSC), and with both scatter and attenuation correction using the Chang method (ChangACSC) or X-ray CT (CTACSC). These SPECT images were analyzed using the Southampton method. The outcome measure was the specific binding ratio (SBR) in the striatum. These striatal SBRs were calibrated from prior experiments using a striatal phantom. Results: The original SBRs gradually decreased in the order of ChangACSC, CTACSC, ChangACNOSC, CTACNOSC, and NOACNOSC. The SBRs for NOACNOSC were 46% lower than those for ChangACSC. In contrast, the calibrated SBRs were almost equal under no scatter correction (NOSC) conditions. A significant effect of age was found, with an SBR decline rate of 6.3% per decade. In the 30–39 age group, SBRs were 12.2% higher in women than in men, but this increase declined with age and was absent in the 70–79 age group. Conclusions: This study provided a large-scale quantitative database of [¹²³I]FP-CIT SPECT scans from different scanners in healthy controls across a wide age range and with balanced sex representation. The phantom calibration effectively harmonizes SPECT data from different SPECT systems under NOSC conditions. The data collected in this study may serve as a reference database

    Large bowel cancer in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease: Features and management with a focus on rectal cancer

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    Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a&nbsp;well-known risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). This risk relates to different aspects of the disease, such as the duration, activity, and extension, and tends to increase in the presence of associated conditions, such as family history of CRC or some extra-intestinal manifestations. Rectal cancer (RC) in IBD has been poorly investigated. Methods: We reviewed the scientific literature for data on the features and management of RC in the setting of IBD. Here, we provide a&nbsp;practical insight into the diagnosis and management of the condition. Results: Several genetic and environmental factors promote the development of CRC, including alterations of intestinal microflora and mutations in the genes responsible for the cell cycle and for DNA mismatch repair. Dysplasia is the main evidence of a&nbsp;clear conversion of normal epithelium to cancer. Dysplasia is often multifocal, in contrast to sporadic CRC, which explains the tendency toward the development of synchronous and metachronous CRC in patients with IBD. Other conditions that need attention are strictures, for which the threshold for surgery must be low. Treatment of RC in patients with IBD follows the same oncologic criteria as non-IBD-related RC, but patients are often diagnosed at more advanced stages, suggesting that this is frequently overlooked. This is ultimately associated with poorer outcomes in IBD patients. Conclusion: There is a&nbsp;pressing need for more data on IBD-related RC. Implementing knowledge will result in optimization of survival for these patients
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