Amplification of 9q34 in childhood adrenocortical tumors: a specific feature unrelated to ethnic origin or living conditions

Adrenocortical tumors (ACT) in children under 15 years of age exhibit some clinical and biological features distinct from ACT in adults. Cell proliferation, hypertrophy and cell death in adrenal cortex during the last months of gestation and the immediate postnatal period seem to be critical for the origin of ACT in children. Studies with large numbers of patients with childhood ACT have indicated a median age at diagnosis of about 4 years. In our institution, the median age was 3 years and 5 months, while the median age for first signs and symptoms was 2 years and 5 months (N = 72). Using the comparative genomic hybridization technique, we have reported a high frequency of 9q34 amplification in adenomas and carcinomas. This finding has been confirmed more recently by investigators in England. The lower socioeconomic status, the distinctive ethnic groups and all the regional differences in Southern Brazil in relation to patients in England indicate that these differences are not important to determine 9q34 amplification. Candidate amplified genes mapped to this locus are currently being investigated and Southern blot results obtained so far have discarded amplification of the abl oncogene. Amplification of 9q34 has not been found to be related to tumor size, staging, or malignant histopathological features, nor does it seem to be responsible for the higher incidence of ACT observed in Southern Brazil, but could be related to an ACT from embryonic origin.

Incidencia de epiteliomas en enfermos de lepra en el Sanatorio de Fontilles (España) de 1985 a 1995

Se hace un estudio sobre la incidencia de los epiteliomas entre los 290 enfermos de lepra controlados en Fontilles. Se estudian los parámetros edad, sexo, tipo de lepra y zona de aparición, todo ello en relación a su asociación con los epiteliomas. Se llega a la conclusión de que es una patología frecuente en estos enfermos, de aparición similar a los no enfermos de lepra; destacando que las recidivas son algo superiores, quizá por las lesiones residuales propias de la enfermedad de Hansen.

Genital tract malignancies in Trinidad

In Trinidad, genital tract malignancy is the leading cause of death and the commonest of all female cancers, constituting 38.9 per cent of all malignant neoplasms. This clinico-pathological study comprised 82 patients who were diagnosed as having a genital organ malignancy at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital, during a five year period between November, 1981 and October, 1986. The malignancies were categorized by site and broad-type, based on the Sixth International Classification of Diseases. Carcinoma of the cervix was the commonest malignancy (62.2) percent after the age of 25. It was 3.2 times more frequent than corpus uteri cancer, and the mean age at presentation was 54.4 years. Endometrial carcinoma was found only in post-menopausal patients presenting with bleeding at a higher mean age of 63.2 years (0.05>p>.02). Diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypertension were more commonly associated with endometrial carcinoma than with carcinoma of the cervix, but only hypertension significantly so(.01>p>.001). There was no significant difference in the incidence in both major ethnic groups in endometrial and cervical carcinoma. However, only one Muslim patient had a genital tract cancer (p<.05). Forty-four per cent of our patients with Stage I cervical carcinoma were in the reproductive age group (AU)

Genital tract malignancies in Trinidad

In Trinidad, genital tract malignancy is the leading cause of death and the commonest of all female cancers, constituting 38.9 per cent of all malignant neoplasms. This clinico-pathological study comprised 82 patients who were diagnosed as having a genital organ malignancy at the Mount Hope Womens Hospital, during a five-year period between November, 1981 and Octuber, 1986. The malignancies were categorized by site and broad-type, baed on the SixthInternational Classification of Disseases. Carcinoma of the cervix was the commonest malignancy (62.2) after the age of 25. It was 3.2 times more frequemt than corpus uteri cancer, and the mean age at presentation was 54.4 years. Endometrial carcinoma was found only in postmenopausal patients presenting with bleeding at a higher mean age of 63.2 years (0.05>p>.02). Diabetes mellitus, obesity and hypertension were more commonly associated with endometrial carcinoma than with carcinoma of the cervix, but only hypertension significantly so (.01>p>.001. There was no significant difference in the incidence in both major ethinic groups in endometrial and cervical carcinma. However, only one Muslim patient had a genital tract cancer (p < .05). Forty-four per cent of our patients with Stage I cervical carcinoma were in the reproductive age group

Cirrhosis and liver cancer in Jamaica (abstract only)

The overall incidence of liver cirrhosis in 1560 autopsies (still-births excluded) at University College Hospital is 4.9 percent. Morphological study reveals approximately one-third each of portal, post-necrotic and post-V.O.D. types. Various aetiological factors are presented and the morphogenesis, particularly of post-V.O.D. cirrhosis, is discussed. Primary carcinoma of the liver in Jamaica occurs more frequently than is reported in Europeans, but much less than in Africans. Hepatocellular carcinoma is more common than cholangiocarcinoma and there is predilection for the young adult male (AU)