Association between standardized uptake value and survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer

Introduction and objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the association between tumor Standard Uptake Value (SUVmax) values obtained by PET/CT, and survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer. Method: The present study included 38 patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer, who were staged using PET/CT at diagnosis. PET/CT imaging findings were evaluated retrospectively. The effect of SUVmax value by PET/CT on overall survival was analyzed. Results: The most common tumor localization was laryngeal cancer among 38 patients included in the study (n = 25, 65.8%). The study group consisted of mostly male patients (n = 33, 86.8%), and the median age was 58 (range: 24–77). The median SUVmax value was 11 (range: 3–58). Median survival was 32.7 months in patients with SUVmax ≤11 compared to 16.5 months in patients with SUVmax >11 (p = 0.019)

A Rare Gestational Trophoblastic Disease: Placental Site Trophoblastic Tumor

Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) is a highly rare form of gestational trophoblastic diseases that arise from intermediate trophoblastic cells. By presenting this case, we aimed to review the treatment and diagnosis, approach to PSTT. A 31-year-old (G2P1A1L1) patient had abnormal vaginal bleeding. Serum ß-HCG was 5.82 mIU/ml and the transvaginal USG detected a polypoid mass in uterine cavity. Probe curettage was performed. Histopathologic specimens were confirmed as PSTT. No metastasis was detected. A total abdominal hysterectomy was performed. PSTT is a rare tumor. In contrast to other trophoblastic tumors, PSTT produces a small amount of ß-HCG and it is relatively insensitive to chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is suggested to follow surgical treatment in the cases with metastasis

Helicobacter pylori in primary gastric lymphoma and gastric cancer: A clinicopathologic and prognostic assessment

Objectives: Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma and primary gastric lymphoma. Weexamined whether this H. pylori infection is also a prognostic factor for gastric cancer and primary gastric lymphoma.Methods: Resected or biopsied specimens from 255 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and primary gastric lymphomawere investigated for H. pylori status. Hematoxylin and eosin stain was used to evaluate the presence or absenceof H. pylori on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded specimens.Results: H. pylori were detected in 34 of 140 patients (24.3%) with primary gastric lymphoma, while H. pylori weredetected in 62 of 115 patients (53.9%) with gastric cancer. The frequency of H. pylori positivity was higher in patientswith gastric cancer than in those with gastric lymphoma (p<0.001). The frequency of H. pylori positivity was differentbetween mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type (MALT) lymphomas (53.5%) and lymphomas other than diffuse largeb-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (18.7%) in gastric lymphoma (p<0.001). For patients with primary gastric lymphoma, H. pyloristatus did not correlate with the disease free survival and overall survival (p=0.833, p= 0.503). However for patients withgastric cancer, H. pylori status did not correlate with the disease- free survival and overall survival (p=0.392, p= 0.357).Conclusions: In our study, between gastric cancer and primary gastric lymphoma were significant differences in termsof the presence of H. pylori. However, H. pylori did not have prognostic significance on survival for both pairs. J MicrobiolInfect Dis 2013; 3(2): 61-66Key words: H. pylori, primary gastric lymphoma, gastric cance

Prognostic factors of patients who received chemotherapy after cranial irradiation for non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases: A retrospective analysis of multicenter study (Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology).

Almost half of all patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have distant metastases at presentation. One-third of patients with NSCLC will have brain metastases. Without effective treatment, the median survival is only 1 month. However, it is difficult to treat brain metastases with systemic chemotherapy since the agents have difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, it is important to estimate the patient's survival prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for survival in Turkish patients who received chemotherapy after cranial irradiation for NSCLC with brain metastases