Classic and desmoplastic medulloblastoma: complete case reports and characterizations of two new cell lines.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common type of brain tumor affecting children. These tumors are a significant cause of childhood mortality and morbidity, and more effective and less invasive treatment options are urgently required. To achieve these aims, it will be critical to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of MB. At present, there are relatively few well-characterized MB cell lines available to the research community for the study of MB molecular and cellular biology. Here we present the case reports of two children diagnosed with classic and desmoplastic MB, and describe the characteristics of two new MB cell lines derived from these individuals. A number of genes encoding components of the sonic hedgehog (SHH) and WNT pathways were up-regulated in the desmoplastic relative to the classic MB cell line consistent with aberrant activation of these pathways in desmoplastic MB. These cell lines represent an additional resource for the analysis of diverse aspects of MB biology.

Evaluation of a pilot nurse-led, community-based treatment programme for lymphoedema.

AIM: to evaluate the effect of this treatment programme on lymphoedema specific fluid volume, pain, discomfort, limb function and quality of life outcomes. DESIGN: prospective, descriptive study. SAMPLE AND SETTING: a convenience sample of four women with breast cancer related lymphoedema referred to a community-based specialist oncology nurse consultant programme in Canada that involved manual lymph drainage combined with compression bandaging. MEASURES: circumferential arm measurements to assess fluid volume, visual analogue scales to assess the impact of lymphoedema on specific practical, physical and psychosocial problems known to be affected by lymphoedema and field notes. RESULTS: although a reduction in arm volume was observed, quality of life outcomes worsened for most of the women as they realized that this symptom would require lifelong management, serving as a reminder of their breast cancer experience. CONCLUSIONS: lymphoedema treatment programmes must ensure that the multidimensional impact of this symptom on women's lives is recognized and addressed as part of the treatment process.

Gene expression profiles in a panel of childhood leukemia cell lines mirror critical features of the disease.

The development of new drugs against cancer requires established cell lines. They are needed for in vitro studies to identify candidate drugs and in xenograft models to measure drug efficacy in vivo. Specific criteria need to be fulfilled by cell lines used in the evaluation of potential novel therapeutic agents. It is imperative that they display the features of the particular cancer under investigation. Given the documented heterogeneity of cancers, relevant subtypes need to be represented. In this study, we have examined these aspects for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A panel of 13 leukemia cell lines recently established in our laboratory was analyzed. We used cDNA microarrays to define the gene expression profiles and compared the data with immunophenotyping and cytogenetic analyses. The expression profiles obtained showed excellent concordance with corresponding protein levels. Importantly, the panel of lines displayed the critical genetic features identified in clinically important acute lymphoblastic leukemia subtypes in childhood leukemia patients.