Is perineural invasion (PN) a determinant of disease free survival in early stage colorectal cancer?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prognostic importance of perineural invasion (PN) in colorectal cancer (CRC) is unclear. The aim of this study to find out whether the PN was an independent stratification factor of postoperative relapse in curatively resected high-risk stage II & III CRC patients who were treated with adjuvant therapy. METHODOLOGY: Data of patients with high risk stage II & all stage III CRCs treated with adjuvant chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Pathological features of final surgical specimen were noted. Disease-free survival was determined by Kaplan-Meier estimator, with differences determined by multivariate analysis using the Cox multiple hazards model. Results were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: PN was found to be positive in 26% in the files of 593 eligible patients. In 21% of the reports PN status was not reported. Presence of PN in the resected primary tumors did not have independent effect on DFS. Further analyses for importance of PN on DFS of colon or rectal cancers did not show any effect. CONCLUSIONS: This study had failed to demonstrate any prognostic effect of PN for DFS in surgically resected stage II and III CRC patients who received adjuvant treatments.

Severe liver dysfunction and safe use of 5-fluorouracil leucovorin and oxaliplatin in one patient with metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

The liver is the most frequent site of metastases in colorectal cancer. Commonly used anticancer drugs in colorectal cancer are 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and irinotecan 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin have very few numbers of studies that support their safety in hepatic dysfunction, but pharmacokinetic studies of anticancer drugs focused on the single-agents; however, there is lack of data about drug combinations such as 5-fluorouracil leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) and 5-fluorourocil, leucovorin and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) regimens. We demonstrated one patient with colorectal cancer and severe liver dysfunction secondary to hepatic metastases. Laboratory investigation on admission showed total bilirubin 22.5 mg/dl, alkaline phosphatase 1137 IU/l, aspartate amino transferase 254 IU/l, alanine aminotransferase 164 IU/l and carcinoembryonic antigen levels 863 ng/ml. We initiated a 5-FU/oxaliplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Our data supports the safety and feasibility of FOLFOX regimen in patients with severe liver dysfunction secondary to liver metastases of colorectal cancer.

What is the optimal treatment in clinical stage T3N0M0 rectal cancer?

PURPOSE: Some previous studies suggested that certain rectal cancer patients with stage T3N0 and favorable features may be adequately treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. However, the optimal management of clinical (c) T3N0 rectal adenocarcinoma based on preoperative imaging is unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of lymph node metastases in patients clinically staged as T3N0 rectal adenocarcinoma following preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CTR). METHODS: The medical records of 105 patients with clinico- imaging stage T3N0M0 rectal cancer who received preoperative CRT between 2004-2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Chemotherapy used concurrently with preoperative radiotherapy (RT) was protracted 5-fluorouracil (5FU) infusion. RESULTS: Twenty-seven percent of the patients clinically staged as T3N0 before preoperative CRT had pathological (p) lymph node involvement on surgical material. The rate of pathological lymph node involvement was 0% in pT1, 20% in pT2 , 35% in pT3 and 34% in pT4 patients. A significant association was demonstrated between pT stages and pN status (p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that the accuracy of preoperative imaging for staging rectal cancer is limited because at least 27% of the patients may have undetected lymph node involvement after preoperative CRT in surgical material.

Analysis of PTEN, BRAF and PI3K status for determination of benefit from cetuximab therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients refractory to chemotherapy with wild-type KRAS.

We investigated predictive values of BRAF, PI3K and PTEN in cetuximab responses in KRAS wild-type (+) chemotherapy refractory, metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Primary tumour tissues of 41 KRAS wild-type mCRC patients receiving cetuximab-based chemotherapy were investigated for PI3K, PTEN, KRAS and BRAF mutations. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) periods were calculated with Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model was used. PTEN and PI3K expressions were 63 and 42 %, respectively. BRAF mutation was observed as 9.8 % among patients. Tumours with BRAF mutation had statistically lower response rates (RR) for cetuximab-based treatment than tumours with BRAF wild type (0 vs. 58 %, p = 0.02). PTEN expressing tumours had statistically higher RR for cetuximab-based treatment than tumours with PTEN loss (42 vs. 12 %, p = 0.04). PI3K expression had worse significant effect on cetuximab RR than PI3K non-expressed tumours (15 vs. 44 %, p = 0.023). Median PFS was significantly longer in patients with PTEN expression (14 months) than in patients with PTEN loss (5 months) (HR, 0.4; p = 0.028). Median PFS was significantly longer in patients with PI3K non-expression (15.2 months) than in patients with PI3K expression (4.1 months) (HR, 0.31; p = 0.001). Significant difference in PFS and OS between patients with BRAF mutated and BRAF wild-type tumours was not detected. However, patients with PTEN expression had significantly longer OS (15.1 months) than patients with PTEN loss tumour (9.9 months) (HR, 0.34; p = 0.008). Patients without PI3K expression had significantly longer OS (18.2 months) than patients with PI3K expression (10.1 months) (HR, 0.27; p = 0.001). Multivariate analyses revealed that PTEN expression (HR, 0.48; p = 0.02) and absence of PI3K expression (HR, 0.2; p = 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for increased PFS. Similarly, PTEN overexpression (HR, 0.62; p = 0.03) and absence of PI3K expression (HR, 0.27; p = 0.005) were independent prognostic factors for increased OS. In PTEN loss, PI3K expression may be used as biomarkers to further select KRAS wild-type patients undergoing anti-epidermal growth factor receptor treatment.

Preoperative versus postoperative chemoradiotherapy in stage T3, N0 rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The study populations of previous preoperative chemoradiotherapy (pre-CRT) studies have consisted of mixed clinical stages, such as cT3-cT4 and/or cN positive. For this reason, it has not been possible to demonstrate whether pre-CRT is of benefit for individual subgroups. METHODS: The medical records of 137 rectal cancer patients with clinical stage T3, N0 disease who received either pre-CRT or postoperative chemoradiotherapy (post-CRT) between 2002 and 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. The regimen of pre-CRT consisted of slow fluorouracil (5FU) infusion and that of post-CRT consisted of bolus 5FU and leucovorin concurrent with radiation. RESULTS: Following pre-CRT, significant downstaging was achieved. However, administration of pre-CRT did not influence the type of surgical resection in tumours ≤5 cm distant from the anal verge (p = 0.14). Pathological complete response was achieved in 16 % of the patients in the pre-CRT group. The local recurrence rate (LRR) at 5 years was 5.7 % in the pre-CRT and 11.1 % in the post-CRT groups (p = 0.04). The distant recurrence rate (DRR) at 5 years was 76 % and 77 % in the pre-CRT and post-CRT groups, respectively (p = 0.1). Overall survival was similar in two groups (74.8 % vs. 75.3 %, p = 0.3). CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of stage T3, N0 rectal cancer patients with pre-CRT followed by surgery decreased LRR, but did not improve DRR or OS as compared with surgery followed by post-CRT in our patient cohort.

Increase in the rate of HPV positive oropharyngeal cancers during 1996-2011 in a case study in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Primary aim of this study is to assess whether or not there is an increase at rate of HPV positive oropharyngeal cancers during 1996-2011 in Turkey, for comparison with prior reports from Western countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 138 newly diagnosed patients with oropharyngeal cancer were identified, 39 of which had no primary tumor specimen available and 18 patients with invalid HPV status, therefore HPV status for remaining 81 patients was evaluated. The presence and type of HPV DNA were determined with formalin- fixed paraffin embedded specimens, using an HPV DNA-based multiplex PCR assay. Associations between HPV status and clinicopathological characteristics were evaluated using a two-sample t-test for the continuous variables and the categorical variables were compared by chi-square test. Overall survival (OS) periods were calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The proportion of HPV-positive cancer has continued to increase during 2004-2011 as compared with 1996-2003. Notably, 33% (6/18) of the cases were HPV-positive in 1996-1999, 43% (9/21) in 2000-2003, 55% (11/20) in 2004-2007 and 70% (16/23) in 2008-2011. Thus, when we compared the results obtained during the 2004-2011with results of 1996-2003 period, we found that increase at HPV-positivity ratio was statistically significant (38% vs 64% p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that HPV positive oropharyngeal cancers are increasing in Turkish patients as in the Western world.

The relation between pathological complete response and clinical outcome in patients with rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard treatment modality in locally advanced rectal cancer. The primary aim was to correlate pathological complete response (pCR) with patient outcome, and the secondary objective was to identify predictive factors of pCR. METHODOLOGY: Patients with clinical stage II/III rectal cancer who received preoperative CRT between 2002 and 2010 were retrospectively studied.The median radiotherapy dose was 54 Gy (range, 45 to 64 Gy), and all patients received concurrent infusional 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy. RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 48.3 months (range, 24 to 96 months) and 51 months (range, 44 to 110 months) for no-pCR and pCR groups, respectively. Eighteen patients (18.6%) had pCR. The 5-year overall survival was 95% for patients with pCR and 74.8% in patients without pCR (p=0.009). The 5-year local relapse free survival was 87.5% and 95% for the no-pCR and pCR groups, respectively (p=0.09). The 5-year distant relapse free survival was 93% in pCR group and 79.8% in no-pCR group (p=0.02). The 5-year distant free survival was 94% and 66% in patients with and without pCR, respectively (p=0.017). The clinical T4 (p=0.043) and pretreatment carcinoembryonic antigen level (CEA) >5ng/mL (p=0.012) were significantly associated with a lower pCR rate. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, pretreatment CEA level >5ng/mL (p=0.008) was the only independent factor associated with a lower pCR rate. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with pCR after preoperative CRT had a significantly improved outcome. Furthermore, the pretreatment CEA level was independently associated with pCR.

Human papillomavirus is independent prognostic factor on outcome of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

The primary aim of this study is to assess differences in patients' clinicopathological characteristics based on human papillomavirus (HPV) status and the effect of HPV status on outcome in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The medical registry of 81 patients who were treated for OSCC was retrospectively analyzed. Factors that are found to be predictive of poor overall survival and event risk by univariate Cox's regression analysis included age greater than 60 years (hazard ratio (HR), 1.2, p = 0.02, and HR, 1.12, p = 0.05), poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance (HR,1.6, p = 0.01, and HR,1.32, p = 0.001), advanced T stage (HR,1.38, p = 0.01, and HR,1.4, p = 0.02), advanced N stage(HR, 1.6, p = 0.03, and HR,1.5, p = 0.03), smoking history (HR,1.4, p = 0.04, and HR, 1.6, p = 0.03), and HPV-negative patients (HR, 2.4, p = 0.012, and HR, 1.8, p = 0.01). HPV-positive tumors were estimated to have a 36 % reduction in risk of death and 32% reduction in event risk. HPV status had independent prognostic effects on survival and event-free survival.

Is Helicobacter pylori a poor prognostic factor for HER-2 SISH positive gastric cancer?

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the risk factors for gastric cancer (GC). Any prognostic effect of HER-2 status in gastric lymph node metastasis in H. pylori positive cases is unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 74 patients, 47 (64%) male, and 27 (34%) female, who had subtotal or total gastrectomy and also positive lymph nodes, were included in the study. Age range was 29-87 years, and median age was 58 years. HER-2 expression was assessed in both gastric resection samples and lymph node material with carcinoma metastasis of the same patient by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and silver in situ hybridization (SISH) methods. H. pylori status was examined in gastric materials of all patients. Relationships between HER-2 status in gastric cancers and lymph nodes and H. pylori status were investigated. RESULTS: H. pylori was positive in 40 cases (54%), and negative in 34 (46%). While in the primary tissues of H. pylori positive cases, SISH positivity for HER-2 was observed in 13 cases (86%), SISH negativity was observed in 2 (14%), in metastatic lymph nodes 21 cases (72%) were SISH positive and 8 cases (28%) were SISH negative (P=0.005 and P=0.019, respectively). Initial CEA values were high in 18 cases (78%) with positive H. pylori and in 5 cases (22%) with negative H. pylori (P=0.009). While SISH data of patients were negative in 59 cases (80%) and positive in 15 cases (20%) in primary tissues, they were negative in 56 cases (75%) and positive in 18 cases (25%) in lymph nodes. Discrepancy between primary tissue and lymph node results was detected in 3 cases, in which SISH was negative in the primary tissue and HER-2 expression was positive in the lymph nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical progression was poor in H. pylori positive cases with HER-2 negativity in primary gastric tissue, but HER-2 positivity in the lymph nodes. SISH positivity can be expected in H. pylori positive cases, and it may be predicted that these cases can benefit from trastuzumab treatment.

Are high initial CEA and CA 19-9 levels associated with the presence of K-ras mutation in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer?

In certain cell culture studies, significant CEA expression was observed in K-ras mutant cells. However, the relationship between high CEA levels and K-ras status has not been sufficiently investigated. In the present study, we aimed to determine the prognostic role of initial CEA and CA 19-9 values in metastatic colorectal cancer patients according to the status of K-ras. Between 2000 and 2010, a total of 215 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were treated and followed up in our oncology center were analyzed. Smokers were excluded from the study. The clinicopathological findings and initial CEA and CA19-9 values were determined. K-ras mutation analysis was performed using quantitative PCR evaluation of the DNA from the tumor tissues. Eighty-two patients (38.1 %) were female and 133 (61.9 %) were male, with a median age of 59 years (range 27-83). Based on tumor localization, 127 patients (59 %) were classified as colon cancer patients and 88 patients (41 %) were classified as rectal cancer patients. The majority of patients (83.3 %) had pure adenocarcinoma histology, while 36 cases (16.7 %) had mucinous adenocarcinoma. The initial CEA levels were detected to be high (>5 ng/mL) in 108 of the patients (50.2 %), while high levels of initial CA 19-9 (>37 ng/mL) were found in 90 patients (41.8 %). K-ras mutations were detected in 99 of the patients (46 %). K-ras was found to be wild type in 116 patients (54 %). Significant differences were detected between the K-ras wild-type and mutant groups with respect to age and the initial serum CEA levels. Patients with K-ras mutations were younger (p = 0.04) and had higher initial CEA levels (p = 0.02) compared to patients with K-ras wild type. The median overall survival (OS) time and 3-year OS rate for patients with a high initial CEA level (>5 ng/mL) were significantly shorter than those of patients with a low initial CEA level (<5 ng/mL) (50.5 months and 61.8 % vs. 78.6 months and 79.1 %, p = 0.014). Furthermore, the patients with low initial CA 19-9 levels (<37 ng/mL) had a significant better median OS interval and 3-year OS rate (76.1 months and 80.1 %) compared to patients with high initial CA 19-9 levels (>37 ng/mL) (37.6 months and 55.7 %, p = 0.04). Multivariate analysis indicated that stage at the time of diagnosis (p < 0.001) and low initial serum CEA level (p = 0.037) were independent prognostic factors of OS. For K-ras mutant patients, the stage at diagnosis (p = 0.017), low initial serum CEA level (p = 0.001), and low initial serum CA 19-9 level were found to be independent prognostic indicators of OS. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that the presence of a K-ras mutation correlated with high initial CEA and CA 19-9 levels in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients with high initial CEA and CA 19-9 levels may potentially predict the presence of a K-ras mutation, and this prediction may guide targeted therapies in these patients.

Male breast cancer: 37-year data study at a single experience center in Turkey.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of prognostic factors on the overall survival (OS) and locoregional control (LC) among male breast cancer (MBC) patients treated at Cerrahpasa Medical School Hospital, along with a review of the related literature. METHODS: The data of 86 patients treated for MBC from 1973 to 2010 are retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics and clinical information, including the date of diagnosis, treatment, clinical course, and the date and causes of death are routinely recorded. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 66 months. Isolated local-regional recurrence and distant metastases were observed in 15 (17.4%) and 24 (34.1%) of the cases, respectively. The 5-year OS rate was 65.8%; the disease-free survival rate was 72.4%, and the LC rate was 89.7%. The prognostic factors influencing local relapse were the T stage (p=0.002) and the chest wall muscular invasion (p=0.027) in the univariate analysis. The prognostic factors influencing OS were the presence of a positive axillary lymph node (p=0.001) and the T stage (p=0.001) in the univariate analysis. The T stage (p=0.008) and node (N) stage (p=0.038) were significant prognostic factors for OS in the multivariate analyses. Also, the T stage (p=0.034) was found to be significant for LC. CONCLUSION: We found that only the tumor size and lymph node status were independent prognostic factors for survival. In addition, only the tumor size was an independent prognostic factor for locoregional relapse. Modified radical mastectomy and conservative surgical procedures had similar outcomes for LC.

Clinicopathological features and outcomes of patients with gastric cancer: a single-center experience.

AIM: To evaluate the location, histopathology, stages, and treatment of gastric cancer and to conduct survival analysis on prognostic factors. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with of stomach cancer in our clinic between 2000 and 2011, with follow-up or a treatment decision, were evaluated retrospectively. They were followed up by no treatment, adjuvant therapy, or metastatic therapy. We excluded from the study any patients whose laboratory records lacked the operating parameters. The type of surgery in patients diagnosed with gastric cancer was total gastrectomy, subtotal gastrectomy or palliative surgery. Patients with indications for adjuvant treatment were treated with adjuvant and/or radio-chemotherapy. Prognostic evaluation was made based on the parameters of the patient, tumor and treatment. RESULTS: In this study, outpatient clinic records of patients with gastric cancer diagnosis were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 796 patients were evaluated (552 male, 244 female). The median age was 58 years (22-90 years). The median follow-up period was 12 mo (1-276 mo), and median survival time was 12 mo (11.5-12.4 mo). Increased T stage and N stage resulted in a decrease in survival. Other prognostic factors related to the disease were positive surgical margins, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, cardio-esophageal settlement, and the levels of tumor markers in metastatic disease. No prognostic significance of the patient's age, sex or tumor histopathology was detected. CONCLUSION: The prognostic factors identified in all groups and the proposed treatments according to stage should be applied, and innovations in the new targeted therapies should be followed.

Facial localization of malignant chondroid syringoma: a rare case report.

First described by Hirsch and Helwig in 1961, chondroid syringomas (CSs) are rare, benign tumors of the skin arising from the eccrine sweat glands with tumor differentiation in the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. They most commonly occur in the head and neck, although they may be also found in the axilla, trunk, limbs, and genitalia. The incidence of CS is <0.01% of all primary skin tumors. Malingnant chondroid syringomas (MCS), which are also called malignant mixed tumors of the skin, are extremely uncommon. MCSs commonly involve the limbs and rarely head and neck. In this article, we present a case of malignant chondroid syringoma localized in the face at the left nasolabial region in the light of literature review.

Association KRAS G13D tumor mutated outcome in patients with chemotherapy refractory metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Cetuximab is currently approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCR) with KRAS wild-type. Prior few studies demonstrated that G13D mutated tumors could benefit from cetuximab. This study aims to investigate whether KRAS G13D mutated tumors benefit from cetuximab in the chemotherapy refractory patients. METHODOLOGY: We retrospectively compared progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and response rate (RR) according to KRAS mutation status in 105 patients with mRC treated at the Cerrahpasa Medical School Hospital, between October 2008 and October 2011, with cetuximab alone or in combination with chemotherapy. RESULTS: PFS was significantly longer in patients G13D mutated tumors (6.81 months) than in patients with other KRAS mutated tumors (5 months) (p=0.027). No significant difference in PFS between patients G13D mutated and KRAS wild-type tumors was detected. No significant difference in OS was detected in patients between G13D mutated tumors and other KRAS mutated tumors. However, patients with KRAS wild-type tumors had significantly longer OS (16.1 months) than patients with mutated tumors (8.9 months) (p=0.025). RR in patients with other KRAS mutated tumors, was significantly worse than those with G13D mutated tumors (p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated an association between the presence KRAS G13D mutanted and survival chemotherapy in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab.

Clinicopathological features and localization of gastric cancers and their effects on survival in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to examine changing trends in localization of gastric cancer in Turkey in recent years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 796 adult patients with newly diagnosed, histologically proven adenocarcinomas, treated and followed up at our oncology center between 2000-2011, were examined retrospectively. In all cases tumor localization were identified and recorded with clinicopathological features. RESULTS: The median age was 58 with a range between 22-90 for the 552 men and 244 women. Median follow up was 12 months (1-276) and median overall survival was also 12 months (11.5-12.4). There was a trend for a change in tumor localization from distal to proximal. Survival of patients was low with advanced T and N stage tumours. Positive surgical margins, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, cardioesophageal localization were predisposition factors for metastatic disease in gastric cancer. There was no relation between age or sex and histopathological type of gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: There is a trend in our country for a change in gastric tumour localization from distal to proximal, with clear significance for treatment choices.

Male breast cancers behave differently in elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate tumor characteristics, management and survival in elderly male breast cancer patients in comparison with younger men. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of 99 male breast cancer patients between 1972 and 2011. The median age of the patients was 64.5 years. Patient characteristics including clinicopathologic factors, treatment modalities, survival and prognostic factors were evaluated. Patients were subdivided into two groups according to their age (young, <65 years; old, ≥ 65 years) and compared based on these factors. RESULTS: Elderly male breast cancer patients had larger tumors in more advanced stages at the time of diagnosis compared with younger patients. In spite of the larger tumors at presentation, older patients had tumors with more favorable biological characteristics, such as higher ratio of estrogen and progesterone receptor expression. Ten-year cancer-specific survival for older patients was 49.2% compared with 55.8% in younger men (P = 0.8). Prognostic factors influencing overall survival in univariate analysis were: the presence of metastatic axillary lymph nodes (P = 0.0001), T stage (P = 0.001) and age ≥ 65 years. Multivariate analysis indicated T stage (P = 0.008) and N stage (P = 0.038) as the significant negative prognostic factors for overall survival. Although surgery, radiotherapy and hormone therapy were equally utilized in old and young patients, old patients were less likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated the differences in the clinical and biological characteristics of male breast cancer according to the age of the patients.

Gastric cancer: a case study in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine age-specific incidence ratios, gastric cancer localization trend, histologic subtype and cancer related survival that whether have changed during the period from 1999 to 2010. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 866 gastric cancer patients treated at the hospital were retrospectively evaluated. Categorical and continuous variables were summarized using descriptive statistics and were compared using the Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U-tests, respectively. Cancer related survival rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 58 years. Trends concerning the median ages of the patients were increased (from 57 years to 59 years). The proportion of diffuse histological subtype gastric adenocarcinoma increased during the period from 1999 to 2010, and it was 27% between 1999 and 2002 and 32% between 2007 and 2010 (P = 0.04). The proportion of gastric adenocarcinoma localized in cardia increased during the period from 1999 to 2010, and was 7.2% between 1999 and 2002; and 22.5% in 2007 and 2010 (P = 0.004). For stage I that was diagnosed between 1999 and 2002, the relative survival was 67% and in patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2010 the rate was 85%. For stage II that was diagnosed between 1999 and 2002, the relative survival was 35% and in patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2010, the rate was 65%. Cox regression analysis was conducted based on age subgroup, diagnosis time, and gastric localization (proximal/distal) and for adenocarcinoma subtypes. Hazard ratio was 31.6 for stage IV (confidence interval [CI] = 10-42), 1.3 for cardia localization (CI = 1.04-1.6) and 1.37 for patients who had been diagnosed between 1999 and 2002 (1.14-1.78). CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of median age at diagnosis and proximal gastric adenocarcinoma, diffuse histologic subtype increased between 1999 and 2010. Cancer related survival significantly improved for stage I and stage II. Cardia localization and time of diagnosis between 1999 and 2002 had significantly poor outcome on relative survival.

Malignant clinical presentation of a benign granular cell tumor of breast in a patient with previously treated contralateral invasive ductal carcinoma.

GCT is a rare neoplasm and usually shows the benign character. GCT can occur in any body site and may be multifocal. The most common involved site is tongue which accounts for nearly 30% of all cases but skin and subcutaneous tissue are also affected frequently. Breast is an unusually involved site and accounts for 6% of all GCTs. The histiogenesis of GCT is still controversial but further investigations and immunohistochemical examinations were exposed to neural origin and the tumor is thought to be derived from Schwann cells of peripheral nerves. Generally used technique to diagnose GCT is the positivity of S-100 immunohistochemical staining. Despite its benign nature, GCT may mimic breast carsinoma clinically and radiologically and easily be misdiagnosed for breast cancer. We herein report a case of granular cell tumor that arose in a 56 year-old female patient who previously had been treated from an invasive ductal carcinoma in contralateral breast.

Bilateral Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Developed under Interferon Therapy.

Introduction. Interferon is a glycoprotein produced by assigned cells of immune system. It has been used in many different diseases. Although flu-like syndrome, myalgia, rash, hypotension, thrombocytopenia and peripheral neuropathy due to interferon use are encountered frequently, ocular side effects are rare, generally mild and transient. Case Report. 47-year-old female patient, presented with a mass lesion in right renal pelvis. Right radical nephrectomy was applied and the histopathological examination was consistent with papillary renal cell carcinoma. Interferon alpha treatment was started subcutaneously at the dose of 5 MIU/3 times in a week. Four weeks after the interferon therapy, suddenly bilateral visual loss developed. We discussed the diagnosis, followup, and treatment of the patient who developed irreversible ischemic optic neuropathy and had no previous known primary systemic disease to cause this condition. Conclusion. We suggest that patients should be screened for risk factors causing optic ischemic neuropathy, before interferon therapy. Although there was no adequate information in the literature for the followup, patients should be monitorized before, 1 month after, and 2 months after the treatment. And if there is no complication, we suggest that they should be followed up at 3-month intervals.

A comparison of patient characteristics, prognosis, treatment modalities, and survival according to age group in gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate age-specific incidence rates and to compare disease stage, treatment, and survival according to age group in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Gastric cancer patients treated at our hospital between 1999 and 2010 were retrospectively evaluated. We divided the cases into two subgroups: group 1 consisted of patients older than 70 years at the time of treatment, and group 2 included patients aged 70 years or younger. In all, 151 patients over 70 years of age and 715 patients age 70 years or younger were analyzed. Categorical and continuous variables were summarized using descriptive statistics and compared using statistical software. Overall survival rates were estimated via the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis was 58 years (range: 22 to 90 years). Between 1999 and 2002 the annual median age for patients aged older than70 years was 9.8%, which increased to 20% between 2007 and 2010. The one-year survival rate for patients with metastatic disease (stage IV) was 10.9% (95% CI: 8.9% to 12.9%) and 27.8% (95% CI: 17.3% to 38.2%) in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.015). The five-year survival rate for patients with non-metastatic disease (in whom curative surgery was performed) was 15.5% (95% CI = 12% to 19%) and 26.9% (95% CI = 25.9% to 27.9%) in groups 1 and 2, respectively (P = 0.03). There were no significant differences in gender, tumor localization in the stomach, tumor histology, perineural invasion (PNI), lymphovascular invasion (LVI), tumor stage, or type of surgery between the two groups. However, fewer of the patients in group 1 underwent adjuvant treatment (P = 0.02) and palliative chemotherapy (P = 0.007) than group 2 patients that were non-metastatic and metastatic at presentation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Groups 1 and 2 were similar in terms of histopathological features and surgical modality; however, the survival rate was lower in group 1 than in group 2. The incidence of gastric cancer was higher in the patients older than 70 years of age. Additional randomized studies are needed to further assess the safety and clinical benefit of chemotherapy in gastric cancer patients older than70 years of age.