Imaging and cancer of the cervix in low- and middle-income countries.

Cervix cancer is the fourth most common cancer globally but the second most cancer in women in resource-limited countries. It has remained a clinically-staged neoplasm as per the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging classification. As the imaging machines are becoming more available worldwide, the resource-stratified guidelines recommended the inclusion of imaging whenever possible to guide treatment planning. In this report, the utility of imaging in low- and middle-income countries for diagnosis and treatment of cancer of the cervix will be reviewed.

A phase I/II study of decitabine in combination with panitumumab in patients with wild-type (wt) KRAS metastatic colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: KRAS mutations are predictive of lack of response to monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against EGFR in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Most wild-type KRAS patients, however, are also resistant. Retrospective data suggest that EGFR silencing play a role in resistance to therapy. We conducted a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of decitabine (a hypomethylating agent) in combination with panitumumab (mAb against EGFR) in mCRC patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: 20 patients with wild-type KRAS mCRC were included in this phase I/II study. Patients were treated with decitabine at 45 mg/m(2) IV over 2 h on day 1 and 15 and panitumumab 6 mg/kg IV over 1 h on day 8 and 22 every 28 days. Blood samples were collected at baseline, day 8, 15 and 22. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure promoter-specific methylation in peripheral-blood cells (PBMCs). RESULTS: The most common adverse events were grade 1-2 (rash and hypomagnesemia); 3 (16 %) patients had grade III-IV neutropenia including one patient with neutropenic fever. Two of 20 patients (10 %) had a partial response. Both had previously received cetuximab. Ten patients had stable disease (3 of them longer than 16 weeks). Decreased methylation of the MAGE promoter was not evidenced in PBMCs. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of decitabine and panitumumab was well tolerated and showed activity in wild-type KRAS mCRC patients previously treated with cetuximab. Target modulation in surrogate tissues was not achieved and tumor biopsies were not available. Future studies evaluating hypomethylating agents in combination with EGFR mAb in patients with mCRC are warranted.

Biophysical-immunological assay for ribonucleic acid type C viruses.

A biophysical and immunological method for characterization of ribonucleic acid type C virus suspensions is described. The method provides a relationship to the total viral mass concentration of the particle titer, the gs antigen titer, and the ultraviolet absorbance (268 nm) of 2% sodium dodecyl sulfate digests. Data for murine, rat, feline, and hamster viruses are shown to be analogous within the test limitations. From these data, an assessment of the viral purity can be made, the structural integrity can be evaluated, an approximate molecular weight can be computed, and the mole ratio of gs antigen can be determined.