Clinical significance of nuclear DNA content in pancreatic carcinoma

Article Abstract:

A diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas results in a very poor prognosis; 90 percent of those affected will be dead in one year. The size of the tumor and the extent of metastases (spreading) have been correlated with the prognosis. Survival time is longer if the tumor is located in the head of the pancreas, rather than the body or tail. A study was performed to analyze the nuclear DNA content of 62 pancreatic adenocarcinomas and to use this information to predict rates of survival. Nuclear DNA was measured using DNA flow cytometry, a technique that allows the quantification of DNA in a tissue sample. Adenocarcinomas were classified as either diploid (containing the normal number of chromosomes) or as polyploid (containing more chromosomes than normal) based on their DNA content. Surgery to remove the tumor could be performed in 50 percent of the patients with diploid carcinoma, but in only 8 percent of the patients with polyploid carcinoma. Adenocarcinomas located in the head of the pancreas were mostly diploid, while those located in the body and tail were mostly polyploid. The survival time for patients with diploid carcinoma was approximately 13 months, but was reduced to 3 months for patients with polyploid carcinoma. It is concluded that adenocarcinomas of the head of the pancreas have a better prognosis than carcinomas of the body or tail of the pancreas; longer survival times are also associated with diploid pancreatic carcinomas compared with the polydiploid type. Determination of the nuclear DNA content of pancreatic adenocarcinomas may provide valuable information about the carcinoma and may be an important prognostic indicator. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Patient outcomes, Mortality, Measurement, DNA, Pancreatic cancer

---

KI-ras oncogene mutations in non-HPV-associated anal carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Cancer of the anus is a relatively rare occurrence in the United Kingdom, with approximately 300 cases being reported annually. Eighty percent of these lesions are squamous cell carcinomas, 10 percent are anal gland adenocarcinomas, and about 3 percent are melanomas. These tumors appear to be associated with sexually transmitted diseases, especially in homosexual men. Human papilloma virus 16 (HPV 16) DNA is associated with more than 50 percent of these cases; HPV 16 is also believed to be sexually transmitted. Researchers have demonstrated that HPV 16 DNA is able to cooperate, in vitro, with activated ras oncogenes in cellular transformation. This study examines the possible significance of ras-oncogene activation in a series of anal carcinomas using DNA amplified in vitro by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other oligonucleotide probes. Mutations were only seen in two cases, at Ki-ras codon 12, position 2, using the SW620 cell line. Neither of these cases was associated with HPV 16. These findings suggest that the activation of ras oncogenes is not a frequent occurrence in the development of anal carcinoma, although it is often demonstrated in other types of tumors. In addition, ras activation does not appear to occur in conjunction with HPV 16 infection. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of, Complications and side effects, Physiological aspects, Papillomaviruses, Papillomavirus, Genetic aspects, Carcinogenesis, Anal cancer, Ras genes

---

Nucleolar organizer regions and prognosis in renal cell carcinoma

Article Abstract:

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a malignant cancer of the kidneys, has a poor prognosis, with over 60 percent mortality. Many cellular features have been evaluated as potential indicators of outcome, with varying success. A series of 182 cases of RCC were examined for the number of nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) in a cell as a possible prognostic indicator. These are structures found in the nuclei of cells and are visible in the cells using electron microscopy with staining techniques. NORs are more numerous in malignant cancerous cells than in benign or normal tissues. NORs are associated with cells that are rapidly dividing. The structures were found to be a good predictor of outcome throughout the various stages of RCC. Tumors that were localized and in stage I or II had very low levels of NORs. Patients with such tumors had a 100 percent chance of survival over a five-year period. Patients who had tumors that had spread (metastasized) had a lower chance of long-term survival. However, patients with metastatic tumors having low levels of NORs had a longer interval of being free of disease and increased survival time. Therefore, analysis of NORs can be used as a prognostic indicator within the various stages of RCC. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Carcinoma, Renal cell, Renal cell carcinoma, Nucleolus organizer region

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Clinical ecology. Clinical relevance of gastrointestinal hormones: emerging interest in hypergastrinemia
• Abstracts: Later recurrence and longer survival among obese patients with renal cell carcinoma. Marijuana smoking and carcinoma of the tongue: is there an association?
• Abstracts: Functional ovarian cysts in patients cured of ovarian neoplasms. Ovarian suspension in massive ovarian edema
• Abstracts: Clinical effects of danazol on endometrial hyperplasia in menopausal and postmenopausal women. The colony stimulating factors: discovery, development, and clinical applications
• Abstracts: A prospective cohort study of nutrient intake and age at menarche

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.