Evaluation of multimodal MR imaging for differentiating infiltrative versus reactive edema in brain gliomas.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the border of glial tumors by diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), apparent diffusion co-efficient (ADC), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and perfusion brain MRI. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten patients with brain gliomas were enrolled [mean age: 35.3 ± 13.2, range: 20-62]. Conventional MRI was performed for all patients. Besides, tumor mapping based on Choline (Cho)/Creatine (Cr) color map in MRS, perfusion and diffusion color maps, were gathered. Different tumoral and peritumoral regions [normal tissue, reactive edema, infiltrative edema, and tumor core] were defined. MRI criteria were evaluated in areas targeted for biopsy and histopathologic evaluation was determined. RESULTS: Tumor cell positive samples [one necrosis, 26 infiltrative and nine tumor cores] composed 36 (75%) of the 48 samples. Seven (19.4%) of the positive samples were interpreted as not tumor on MRI. Five were identified as reactive edema and two as normal tissue] [kappa: .67, p-value < .001]. Mean of ADC, median of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and NAA/Cho were statistically different between positive and negative samples (p = .02 and p < .001, respectively). Mean ADC and median Cho/NAA were statistically different in missed tumor containing tissue presented as reactive edema compared to normal and correctly diagnosed reactive edema samples together (p-values < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal MRI could define infiltrated borders of brain gliomas.

Evaluating the Prevalence of the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Transitional Cell Carcinoma of Bladder and its Relationship With Other Prognostic Factors.

BACKGROUND: The most common malignancy in the urinary system has been bladder cancer and the most predominant histologic subtype has been transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). There were many molecular risk factors, related with poor prognosis. One of these factors was expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the epidermal growth factor receptor in transitional cell carcinoma of bladder and its relationship with other prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This analytic descriptive study has performed with 61 patients with TCC of bladder after radical cystectomy whom have been hospitalized in Labbafinejad hospital in Tehran, Iran between 2007 and 2010. We have used Chi-square and t-test to analyze our data samples. RESULTS: Records of 61 patients have studied. Fifty three of the total samples were positive for EGFR expression (86.9%). Fifty samples of these fifty-three belonged to men and three others were women's samples (P = 0.46). Among the group with EGFR expression the results were as follows: 25 patients (47.2%) were 60 years old or less and 28 patients (52.8%) were older than 60 (P = 0.023), 16 patients (30.2%) had invasion to lamina properia, and the rest of them had invasion to deeper layers (P = 0.56). For most patients we could not determine the invasion of tumoral cells into the lymph nodes (Nx) (P = 0.067). Thirty four patients (64.2%) had not lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.44) and in forty three of patients (81.1%), perineural invasion have not seen (P = 0.23). Finally, 36 patients (67.9%) were grade 3 (P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: In this study we have concluded that most patients had EGFR positive expression. Also, except for the age, there was not any significant relation between expression of EGFR and the other prognostic factors such as, gender, invasion of the tumor into the layers, involving the lymph nodes, lymphovascular or perineural invasion, and grading.

Dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel as adjuvant chemotherapy in node-positive breast cancer.

Background. Adding taxanes to anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy has shown significant improvement particularly in node-positive patients, but optimal dose and schedule remain undetermined. Objectives. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel in node-positive breast cancer. Methods. All Patients first received 4 cycles of epirubicin (100 mg/m(2)) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m(2)) at 2-week interval then followed by docetaxel (100 mg/m(2)) at 2-week interval for 4 cycles, with daily Pegfilgrastim (G-CSF) that was administered in all patients on days 3-10 after each cycle of epirubicin and cyclophosphamide infusion. Results. Fifty-eight patients with axillary lymph node-positive breast cancer were enrolled in the study, of whom 42 (72.4%) completed the regimen. There were two toxicity-related deaths, one patient due to grade 4 febrile neutropenia and the other due to congestive heart failure. Grade 3/4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia were 13.8% and 5.1%. The most common grade 3/4 nonhematological complications were as follows: skin-nail disorders (48.3%), hand-foot syndrome (34.4%), paresthesia (38%), arthralgia (27.5%), and paresis (24.1%). Conclusions. Dose-dense epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel with G-CSF support are not feasible, and it is not recommended for further investigation.