ABSTRACT
The paper contains a retrospective study of 12 cases of malignant small bowel tumors observed and treated in the Department of Oncological Chemotherapy of Medical University of Silesia. The authors presented the most common symptoms, typical diagnostic procedures and the difficulties in the diagnostics of small bowel neoplasms.
Subject(s)
Intestinal Neoplasms , Intestine, Small , Adenocarcinoma/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Carcinoid Tumor/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Intestinal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Intestine, Small/pathology , Lymphoma/diagnosis , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Two mutations of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene (C677T and A1298C) may lead to a decreased activity of the enzyme. These mutations may change a risk of some cancers. We evaluated these two polymorphisms of MTHFR in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NCSCL). All lung cancer patients had statistically significantly higher percentage of MTHFR 677TT genotype in comparison with non-cancer controls. There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of MTHFR 1298 genotypes. Neither of the polymorphisms presented any statistically significant differences between SCLC and NSCLC.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics , Carcinoma, Small Cell/genetics , Lung Neoplasms/genetics , Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)/genetics , Polymorphism, Genetic , Female , Genotype , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The paper presents a rare case of primary, non-Hodgkin brain lymphoma discovered in 64 years old woman. Non specific symptoms conducted to misdiagnoses of dementia and syderopenic anaemia. The proper identification has been made after 10 months by post-mortem histopathological analysis.
Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/diagnostic imaging , Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/pathology , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Middle Aged , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Wilson's disease defined also as hepatolenticular degeneration is an important clinical problem of young adults still causing diagnostic difficulties. In the course of the last decade, genetic background of the disease has been definitely established and elucidated, confirming the variety of genetic mutations, responsible for its origin. The current scheme of the disease treatment has been elaborated and established. It aims to eliminate the excess of toxic copper ions from the organism as fast as possible. In the initial phase of the treatment, traditional and recently introduced chelating agents administration usually results in prompt tissue copper deposits excretion and copper metabolism balance maintenance. In the chronic therapy, zinc compounds, inducing intestinal and hepatic metallothionein synthesis, have been gaining more common application. Life-long, constant, pharmacological Wilson's disease therapy, administered after its early diagnosis, allows for long periods of patients survival, frequently comparable to the normal population.
Subject(s)
Chelating Agents/therapeutic use , Hepatolenticular Degeneration/diagnosis , Hepatolenticular Degeneration/drug therapy , Zinc Compounds/therapeutic use , Adult , Copper/metabolism , Hepatolenticular Degeneration/metabolism , Humans , Liver/pathology , Liver/physiopathology , Quality of LifeABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The goal of this study was to evaluate serum level of EPO in 32 men with lung cancer (Squamous cell lung cancer N = 11, Adenocarcinoma N = 10, Small cell lung cancer N = 11) in relation to the degree of anemia, stage of disease and the regimen of anticancer therapy. The control group consisted of 29 men, among whom were 15 patients with posthemorrhagic anemia. Blood samples were withdrawn for assessment of blood count, serum concentration of EPO, iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC) and ferritin. The assessment of all parameters was repeated after 3 months of therapy: RESULTS: Patients suffering from lung cancer were characterized by a lower hemoglobin level and higher level of EPO as compared with the control group. A significant negative correlation was found between hemoglobin level and EPO serum concentration in all groups of patients and in the control group. The strongest correlation was observed in the control group t = -0.812. In each group of patients the serum level of EPO increased after treatment; although a significant increase was found only in surgically treated patients and patients after chemotherapy. After treatment the correlation between hemoglobin and EPO became stronger especially in the group of patients with small cell lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Patients with lung cancer are characterized by inappropriately low serum EPO levels when related to the degree of anemia, 2. The suppressive effect of lung cancer on EPO secretion depends on the histological type of the cancer (with the exception of small cell lung cancer). 3. The increase of EPO level after treatment seems to be caused not only by a decrease of hemoglobin concentration, but also by reduction of the tumor mass.