Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus

A case of adenosarcoma of the endometrium is reported in a 65-year-old multiparous, post-menopausal, negro woman. The tumour demonstrated the typical gross and microscopic changes as described in the literature. This is a rare variant of Mullerian tumours of the endometrium which, to the best of our knowledge, is reported for the first time from the West Indies. (AU)

Aspects of primary ovarian cancer in Jamaica

Analysis of 280 cases of primary ovarian cancer occurring in the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew during the 18-year period, 1958-1975, showed that the crude average annual incidence was 6.0 per 100,000. It is the second most common female genital cancer, next to that of the uterine cervix. The age range of the patients was 4 months to 86 years with a peak age at occurrence of 45-64 years. The maximum age-specific incidence was 70-74 years. Age-adjusted and age-specific comparisons have been made with other countries. Serous cystadenocarcinoma was the commonest type (41 percent). There was a remarkably low proportion of cases of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (6 percent) and a relatively higher percentage of germ cell tumours (8 percent) than other series. A more detailed clinical investigation on 77 cases showed that they were of low parity. The chief presenting symptom was abdominal swelling. The overall 5-year survival was 19.1 percent. A review of the literature revealed a similarly poor prognosis in other series. The significant prognostic markers were the age of the patient, the histological type and the clinical stage at presentation. (AU)

Report on 151 childhood malignancies observed in Jamaica

During a 10-year period 1958-67, 151 tumors were noted in children under 15 years of age in Jamaica. This comprised 2.9 percent of all malignant tumors observed. Leukemia was the most common form of cancer. The incidence of retinoblastomas was high and surpassed incidences of neuroblastomas and of Wilms' tumors. Kaposi's sarcoma was not observed, and hepatocellular carcinoma was extremely rare. The tumor incidence pattern in Jamaica therefore largely resembles that in the United States and in Western Europe. It contrasts significantly with that in Uganda and in Western Nigeria. This merits attention, since over 90 percent of the Jamaican population is either pure Negro or of predominantly Negro descent as a result of importation from West Africa in former days. (Summary)

Malignant mesenchymal tumours of the corpus uteri

Fourteen cases of malignant mesenchymal tumours of the uterine bidy, observed over a 13 year period (1953-1966), have been reviewed. There were 9 examples of leiomyosarcoma, 1 endometrial stromal sarcoma and 4 malignant mixed mesodermal tumours. These tumours are uncommon in that they accounted for only 3 percent of uterine malignancies, and 0.6 percent of all female cancers in Jamaica. Seven of the 9 cases of leiomyosarcoma arose in previously benign fibroids, making the incidence of malignant transformation in benign fibroids 0.42 percent. Mixed mesodermal tumours constituted 0.72 percent of all uterine malignancies and 8 percent of the corporeal cancers. The prognosis was uniformly poor (AU)