Utilidad de la biopsia de médula ósea en estadificación de pacientes con cáncer de mama / Usefulness of bone marrows biopsy in the breast cancer patients staging

El objetivo del presente estudio es determinar la utilidad de la biopsia de médula ósea en la estadificación de pacientes con cáncer de mama. Estudio prospectivo, descriptivo y con diseño transversal. La población estuvo representada por los nuevos casos diagnosticados como cáncer de mama en la consulta de cirugía oncológica y patología mamaria, la muestra quedó conformada por 18 casos. Los datos obtenidos se clasificaron y procesaron en una matriz de datos, se analizaron mediante técnica de estadística simple descriptiva o “tabulación simple porcentual” apoyadas en medias de dispersión (frecuencias relativas). La mayoría de los casos se estadificaron en etapas clínicas IIA y IIB. La totalidad de los casos incluidos en esta investigación resultaron negativos para micrometástasis en médula ósea, lo cual podría predecir que se tratan de pacientes con buen pronóstico. Ante la falla como factor pronóstico del estado ganglionar se especula que la detección de células tumorales tempranas puede predecir el curso de la enfermedad mejor que el estado de los ganglios axilares. Actualmente la determinación genética ha tenido un impacto mayor como factor pronóstico que los estudios de estadificación convencionales. Ahora bien la determinación de células tumorales en la médula podría establecerse como parte del protocolo de estadificación en los diversos centros de referencia oncológico, y convertirse al igual que la determinación del perfil genético, como un factor pronóstico y predictivo importante en las pacientes con cáncer de mama y etapa clínicas tempranas.

The objective of the present study is to determine the usefulness and importance of bone marrows biopsy in the breast cancer patients staging. To such end, a cross sectional, prospective, and descriptive study was performed. The population was represented by new diagnosed cases of breast cancer view and evaluated in the consult of surgery oncology y mammalian pathology of our institution, formed the sample by 18 cases. The data obtained were processed and classified in an adequate data matrix; the results once separated were analyzed by the simple descriptive statistic technique or percentile simple tabulation, supported by the dispersion measures (the relative frequencies). Most of the cases were classified in IIA and IIB clinical stages. All included cases in this research were negative to bone marrow´s micro metastases, and which can predict good prognosis in these patients. At lymph node staging failure as a prognostic factor we can be speculate that the early tumor cell detection can predict the course of the disease better than the staging of axillaries lymph nodes. Actually the genetic determination has a better impact as a prognostic factor that the conventional staging studies. The determination of bone marrow´s tumor cell can be establish as a very important part of the staging protocol in the different especial oncologic reference centers, and became as same as genetic profile determination in an important prognostic and predictive factor in breast cancer patients at early stages.

Thyroglossal duct cyst with papillary carcinoma: what must be done?

OBJECTIVE: To present a report series of five cases, compare their clinical evolution, and establish the appropriate treatment. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed with the clinical records from three health institutions in Mexico City, Mexico, in order to search for patients with histologic diagnosis of thyroglossal duct carcinoma and were classified by different risk stratifications to compare their outcome. RESULTS: We found five patients, three females and two males, mean age 49 years. Four were treated by Sistrunk's procedure, total thyroidectomy, radioiodine ablation, and thyroxine suppression; one patient underwent Sistrunk's procedure only. Four patients were classified in the low- and median-risk group and had good outcome; one patient was in the high-risk group and had poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The thyroglossal duct cyst must be studied in the adult population through fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and a frozen section in cases in which FNAB is inconclusive or unavailable. When a diagnosis of a thyroglossal cyst carcinoma is made, an evaluation of the thyroid gland during surgery must be done as well as a careful examination to identify suspicious lymph nodes and neck dissection should be reserved for confirmed adenopathies. When an thyroglossal duct cyst has been excised using Sistrunk's procedure and the definitive histologic analysis reports malignancy, the thyroid gland must be studied. The extension of the surgery must be handled according to the criteria established for differentiated thyroid cancer.

[Evaluation of hepatic resections in patients with benign and malignant lesions]. / Evaluación de las resecciones hepáticas en pacientes con lesiones benignas y malignas.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate hepatic resections in patient with benign and malignant lesions during the years 1997 to 2002 at the Autonomous University Hospital Service of Maracaibo, Venezuela. MATERIALS: We carried out 18 hepatic resections for benign and/or malignant lesions; traumatic and infectious lesions were excluded. RESULTS: The female sex prevailed with 77.7% and age ranged between third and fourth decade. Three asymptomatic patients (16.6%) and 83.3% symptomatic; pain in upper hemiabdomen 80%. Ultrasonography was employed in 94.4% of cases, CT 83.3%, FNAB 27.7%, arteriography 22.2%, Echo-Doppler 16.6%, laparoscopy 11.1%, hepatic scintigraphy and ERCP, 5.5%. Minor resections represented 61.1%. Major hepatic resections represented 38.8%, with prevalence of left hepatectomy (33.3%). Blood loss was greatest in major hepatic resections with average of 1,242.9 +/- 827.8 ml. Pringles maneuver was carried out in 90% with duration average of 8.5 min; morbidity was 16.6%. Benign tumours prevailed with 66.6%. CONCLUSION: The technique of resection with intraparenchymatous identification of pedicles makes it the most successful technique for hepatic resections.