Idade como fator prognóstico no câncer de mama em estádio inicial

OBJETIVO: Analisar a idade como fator prognóstico no câncer de mama em estádio clínico inicial. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo que analisou as características clínicas e a sobrevida livre de doença de 280 pacientes entre 25 e 81 anos com câncer de mama estágio clínico I e II com acompanhamento em hospital de Porto Alegre (RS), de 1995 a 2000. Dados clínicos, patológicos, tratamento e desfechos foram extraídos dos prontuários das pacientes. As pacientes foram divididas em dois grupos conforme a idade ao diagnóstico (<40 anos e >40 anos). Os dois grupos foram comparados quanto ao estágio clínico, histologia, expressão de receptores hormonais, terapia e radioterapia utilizando o teste qui-quadrado e/ou exato de Fisher e para análise de sobrevida, o teste de long-rank e método de Kaplan-Meier. RESULTADOS: Do total de 280 mulheres estudadas, 54 (19,3%) tinham até 40 anos de idade. Ambos os grupos de pacientes eram similares em estágio clínico, histologia e expressão de receptores hormonais. A proporção de pacientes com sobrevida livre de doença em seguimento de 56 meses foi significativamente maior nas pacientes acima de 40 anos (84% versus 70%). Proporcionalmente, as pacientes mais jovens receberam mais terapia adjuvante (88,8% versus 77,8%). Houve diferença significativa na probabilidade das mulheres acima de 40 anos de permanecerem livre de doença (84%), sendo mais evidente quando comparadas às pacientes com < 40 anos em estágio clínico I. CONCLUSÕES: Os achados confirmam que mulheres de até 40 anos com câncer de mama inicial apresentam um pior prognóstico. Entretanto, tal prognóstico parece não estar relacionado a maior número de casos com receptores hormonais negativos. Pacientes jovens que permaneceram livre de doença receberam mais terapia adjuvante, sugerindo efeito positivo da quimioterapia e hormonioterapia.

Factors related to inadequate cervical cancer screening in two Brazilian state capitals

OBJECTIVE:To analyze factors associated with cervical cancer screening failure. METHODS:Population-based cross-sectional study with self-weighted two-stage cluster sampling conducted in the cities of Fortaleza (Northeastern Brazil) and Rio de Janeiro (Southeastern Brazil) in 2002. Subjects were women aged 25-59 years in the last three years prior to the study. Data were analyzed through Poisson regression using a hierarchical model. RESULTS: The proportion of women who did not undergo the Pap smear test in Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro was 19.1% (95% CI: 16.1;22.1) and 16.5% (95% CI: 14.1;18.9), respectively. Higher prevalence ratios of cervical cancer screening failure in both cities were seen among women with low education and low per capita income, old age, unmarried, who never underwent mammography, clinical breast examination, and blood glucose and cholesterol level testing. Smokers also had lower screening rates compared to non-smoker women and this difference was only statistically significant in Rio de Janeiro. CONCLUSIONS:The study findings point to the need of intervention focusing particularly women in worse socioeconomic conditions and access to healthcare, old-aged and unmarried. Education activities must prioritize screening of asymptomatic women and early diagnosis for symptomatic women and access to adequate diagnostic methods and treatment should be provided.

Survival of a cohort of women with cervical cancer diagnosed in a Brazilian cancer center

OBJECTIVE: To assess overall survival of women with cervical cancer and describe prognostic factors associated. METHODS: A total of 3,341 cases of invasive cervical cancer diagnosed at the Brazilian Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, between 1999 and 2004 were selected. Clinical and pathological characteristics and follow-up data were collected. There were performed a survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves and a multivariate analysis through Cox model. RESULTS: Of all cases analyzed, 68.3% had locally advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. The 5-year overall survival was 48%. After multivariate analysis, tumor staging at diagnosis was the single variable significantly associated with prognosis (p<0.001). There was seen a dose-response relationship between mortality and clinical staging, ranging from 27.8 to 749.6 per 1,000 cases-year in women stage I and IV, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that early detection through prevention programs is crucial to increase cervical cancer survival.

Efeito idade-periodo-coorte na mortalidade por cancer do colo uterino

OBJETIVO: Estimar o efeito da idade, período e coorte de nascimento na mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados dados de mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero em mulheres ≥ 30 anos nos municípios do Rio de Janeiro, RJ, e São Paulo, SP, de 1980 a 2009. Os dados foram extraídos do Sistema de Informação Sobre Mortalidade. A variação percentual anual estimada foi calculada para os períodos de 1980-1994 e 1995-2009. O efeito da idade, período e coorte de nascimento foi calculado pelo modelo de regressão de Poisson, utilizando funções estimáveis: desvios, curvaturas e drift , por meio da biblioteca Epi do programa estatístico R versão 2.7.2. RESULTADOS: A taxa de mortalidade média do período por 100.000 mulheres foi 15,90 no Rio de Janeiro e 15,87 em São Paulo. Houve redução significativa na mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero nos dois períodos: no Rio de Janeiro, -1,20% (IC95% -2,20;-0,09) e -1,46% (IC95% -2,30;-0,61), e em São Paulo, -2,58% (IC95% -3,41;-1,76) e -3,30% (IC95% -4,30;-2,29). A análise da curvatura dos efeitos indicou tendência de redução do risco de morte nas sucessivas coortes (RR < 1 nas mulheres nascidas após a década de 1960). Observou-se redução acentuada no risco relativo (RR) a partir dos anos 2000. CONCLUSÕES: O estudo evidenciou efeito de período na redução das taxas de mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero no período analisado, tendo em vista que houve efeito de proteção (RR < 1) a partir dos anos 2000 e nas mulheres nascidas após a década de 1960.

Assistencia ao cancer entre criancas e adolescentes: mapeamento dos fluxos origem-destino no Brasil

OBJETIVO: Analisar os fluxos de viagens de crianças e adolescentes com câncer, entre os locais de residência e serviço de saúde. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados os fluxos de viagens de crianças e adolescentes com câncer entre os locais de residência e de serviço de saúde atendidos no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), de 2000 a 2007. A unidade de análise foi a regional de saúde. Utilizou-se o sistema de informações geográficas e metodologia de redes por tipo de tratamento recebido (quimioterapia e radioterapia) e internações hospitalares. RESULTADOS: Foram emitidas 465.289 autorizações de quimioterapia, 29.151 de radioterapia e 383.568 de internações hospitalares de crianças e adolescentes com diagnóstico de câncer para tratamento no SUS. O fluxo dominante formou 48 redes para quimioterapia, 53 para radioterapia e 112 para internações hospitalares. A maior parte do volume de atendimento ocorreu nas regionais de saúde das 12 maiores metrópoles do País com grande relacionamento entre elas e extensa área de influência direta acompanhando a estrutura da rede urbana brasileira. CONCLUSÕES: A identificação das redes estabelecidas no âmbito do SUS para o atendimento de crianças e adolescentes com câncer mostra que a maioria dos pacientes está contemplada pelas redes estruturadas. Cerca de 10% das viagens ocorrem fora do fluxo dominante, indicando a necessidade de regionalização alternativa. Os resultados evidenciam a importância do planejamento da distribuição dos serviços de acordo com as necessidades da população usuária.

Gender and racial inequalities in trends of oral cancer mortality in Sao Paulo, Brazil

OBJECTIVE:To analyse recent trends in oral cancer mortality, focusing specifically on differences concerning gender and race.METHODS:Official information on deaths and population in the city of Sao Paulo, 2003 to 2009, were used to estimate mortality rates from oral cancer (C00 to C10, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision), adjusted for age and stratified by gender (females and males) and race (blacks and whites). The Prais-Winsten auto-regression procedure was used to analyse the time series.RESULTS:During the study period, 8,505 individuals living in the city of Sao Paulo died of oral cancer. Rates increased for females (rate of yearly increase = 4.4%, 95%CI 1.4;7.5), and levelled off for men, which represents an inversion of previous trends among genders in the city. Increases were identified for blacks, with a high rate of yearly increase of 9.1% (95%CI 5.5;12.9), and levelled off for whites. Oral cancer mortality in blacks almost doubled during the study period, and surpassed mortality in whites for almost all categories.CONCLUSIONS:Mortality presented a higher increase among women than in men, and it doubled among backs. The surveillance of trends of oral cancer mortality across gender and racial groups may contribute to implementing socially appropriate health policies, which concurrently reduce the burden of disease and the attenuation of unfair, avoidable and unnecessary inequalities in health.

Disparities in cervical and breast cancer mortality in Brazil

OBJECTIVE To analyze cervical and breast cancer mortality in Brazil according to socioeconomic and welfare indicators. METHODS Data on breast and cervical cancer mortality covering a 30-year period (1980-2010) were analyzed. The data were obtained from the National Mortality Database, population data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics database, and socioeconomic and welfare information from the Institute of Applied Economic Research. Moving averages were calculated, disaggregated by capital city and municipality. The annual percent change in mortality rates was estimated by segmented linear regression using the joinpoint method. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were conducted between average mortality rate at the end of the three-year period and selected indicators in the state capital and each Brazilian state. RESULTS There was a decline in cervical cancer mortality rates throughout the period studied, except in municipalities outside of the capitals in the North and Northeast. There was a decrease in breast cancer mortality in the capitals from the end of the 1990s onwards. Favorable socioeconomic indicators were inversely correlated with cervical cancer mortality. A strong direct correlation was found with favorable indicators and an inverse correlation with fertility rate and breast cancer mortality in inner cities. CONCLUSIONS There is an ongoing dynamic process of increased risk of cervical and breast cancer and attenuation of mortality because of increased, albeit unequal, access to and provision of screening, diagnosis and treatment. 

Cervical cancer screening coverage in a high-incidence region

OBJECTIVE To analyze the coverage of a cervical cancer screening program in a city with a high incidence of the disease in addition to the factors associated with non-adherence to the current preventive program.METHODS A cross-sectional study based on household surveys was conducted. The sample was composed of women between 25 and 59 years of age of the city of Boa Vista, RR, Northern Brazil who were covered by the cervical cancer screening program. The cluster sampling method was used. The dependent variable was participation in a women’s health program, defined as undergoing at least one Pap smear in the 36 months prior to the interview; the explanatory variables were extracted from individual data. A generalized linear model was used.RESULTS 603 women were analyzed, with an mean age of 38.2 years (SD = 10.2). Five hundred and seventeen women underwent the screening test, and the prevalence of adherence in the last three years was up to 85.7% (95%CI 82.5;88.5). A high per capita household income and recent medical consultation were associated with the lower rate of not being tested in multivariate analysis. Disease ignorance, causes, and prevention methods were correlated with chances of non-adherence to the screening system; 20.0% of the women were reported to have undergone opportunistic and non-routine screening.CONCLUSIONS The informed level of coverage is high, exceeding the level recommended for the control of cervical cancer. The preventive program appears to be opportunistic in nature, particularly for the most vulnerable women (with low income and little information on the disease). Studies on the diagnostic quality of cervicovaginal cytology and therapeutic schedules for positive cases are necessary for understanding the barriers to the control of cervical cancer.

Waiting time for radiotherapy in women with cervical cancer

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the waiting time for radiotherapy for patients with cervical cancer. METHODS This descriptive study was conducted with 342 cervical cancer cases that were referred to primary radiotherapy, in the Baixada Fluminense region, RJ, Southeastern Brazil, from October 1995 to August 2010. The waiting time was calculated using the recommended 60-day deadline as a parameter to obtaining the first cancer treatment and considering the date at which the diagnosis was confirmed, the date of first oncological consultation and date when the radiotherapy began. Median and proportional comparisons were made using the Kruskal Wallis and Chi-square tests. RESULTS Most of the women (72.2%) began their radiotherapy within 60 days from the diagnostic confirmation date. The median of this total waiting time was 41 days. This median worsened over the time period, going from 11 days (1995-1996) to 64 days (2009-2010). The median interval between the diagnostic confirmation and the first oncological consultation was 33 days, and between the first oncological consultation and the first radiotherapy session was four days. The median waiting time differed significantly (p = 0.003) according to different stages of the tumor, reaching 56 days, 35 days and 30 days for women whose cancers were classified up to IIA; from IIB to IIIB, and IVA-IVB, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Despite most of the women having had access to radiotherapy within the recommended 60 days, the implementation of procedures to define the stage of the tumor and to reestablish clinical conditions took a large part of this time, showing that at least one of these intervals needs to be improved. Even though the waiting times were ideal for all patients, the most advanced cases were quickly treated, which suggests that access to radiotherapy by women with cervical cancer has been reached with equity.

Reações de hipersensibilidade imediatas após uso intravenoso de soros antivenenos: valor prognóstico dos testes de sensibilidade intradérmicos

Foram admitidos no Hospital das Clínicas da FMRPUSP, durante os anos de 1983 a 1988, 494 pacientes vítimas de acidentes ofídicos e escorpiônicos que receberam soro antiveneno (SAV) e nos quais foi avaliada a freqüência e tipo das manifestações imediatas, bem como o valor prognóstico do teste de sensibilidade. Do total de pacientes vítimas de ofidismo, 82 (25,6%) apresentaram reações imediatas, das quais as mais comuns foram as cutâneas, isoladas (40%) ou associadas com sintomas respiratórios (19%), seguidas de manifestações gastrintestinais (17%). Choque anafilático foi detectado em 10 pacientes (12%). Em relação aos acidentes escorpiônicos, reações imediatas foram observadas em 13 pacientes (7,5%), também com predomínio de lesões cutâneas. Sintomatologia cardiocirculatória foi detectada em apenas 1 paciente. Devido ao baixo valor preditivo positivo (31,8%) e à baixa sensibilidade (54,6%), propomos que o teste de sensibilidade intradérmico seja abolido da rotina de atendimento de urgência aos pacientes vítimas de acidentes por animais peçonhentos. Anti-histamínicos (bloqueadores dos receptores H1 e H2) e corticosteróides devem ser administrados por via parenteral anteriormente à soroterapia, no sentido de prevenir ou minimizar as reações de hipersensibilidade imediatas que podem ocorrer. O soro antiveneno deve ser sempre administrado por via intravenosa, de preferência sem diluição, gota a gota, durante 15 a 30 minutos, sob contínua supervisão da equipe médica.

A retrospective study of histopathological findings in 894 cases of megacolon: what is the relationship between megacolon and colonic cancer?

Patients with megaesophagus (ME) have increased prevalence of cancer of the esophagus. In contrast, a higher incidence of colorectal cancer is not observed in patients with megacolon (MC). MC is very common in some regions of Brazil, where it is mainly associated with Chagas disease. We reviewed the pathology records of surgical specimens of all patients submitted for surgical resection of MC in the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto (HC-FMRP), from the University of São Paulo. We found that 894 patients were operated from 1952 until 2001 for MC resection. Mucosal ulcers, hyperplasia and chronic inflammation were frequently found, while polyps were uncommon. No patients with MC presented any type of colonic neoplasm. This observation reinforces the hypothesis that MC has a negative association with cancer of the colon. This seems to contradict the traditional concept of carcinogenesis in the colon, since patients with MC presents important chronic constipation that is thought to cause an increase in risk for colon cancer. MC is also associated with other risk factors for cancer of colon, such as hyperplasia, mucosal ulcers and chronic inflammation. In ME these factors lead to a remarkable increase in cancer risk. The study of mucosal cell proliferation in MC may provide new insights and useful information about the role of constipation in colonic carcinogenesis.

Human papillomavirus genotypes in women with cervical cytological abnormalities from an area with high incidence of cervical cancer

It has been well demonstrated the relationship between the infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPVs) genotypes and cervical cancer. In Northeastern Argentina a high incidence of this pathology has been described and therefore a high prevalence of HPV infection is expected. In order to identify HPV genotypes associated with malignant and pre-malignant cervical lesions present in the area, 53 ecto-endo cervical cell specimens obtained from women with cytohistological alterations were studied by a PCR-RFLP technique. Out of 53 patients, 34 (64.2%) were positive for HPV infection, being HPV-16 (32.3%) the most frequently found genotype, followed by HPV-58 (14.7%), -6, -18 and -45 (5.9%), -33, -52, -53, -54, -56, -66, -MM4 and -LVX100 (2.9%). Also 5 cases of infection caused by multiple genotypes were found, which corresponded to 14.7% of the positive cases. Results indicate that besides HPV-16 and -18, the most prevalent high-risk HPV genotypes worldwide, others like -45 and -58 as well as co-infection cases are frequent between women of Northeastern Argentina, and a particular attention should be paid to this circumstance because it could be an epidemiological feature of regional importance and a useful information for a future vaccination program.

Pulmonary thromboembolism in AIDS patient with chronic venous insufficiency, pulmonary tuberculosis and breast cancer: a case report and pathophysiology review

Recent literature reports thrombotic episodes occurring in patients with HIV infection associated with other abnormalities including neoplasms and infections predisposing to a hypercoagulable state. We report a 47-year-old woman who developed pulmonary thromboembolism in association with HIV infection, pulmonary tuberculosis and breast cancer. She was treated with rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide; heparin, phenprocoumon, zidovudine, lamivudine and efavirenz. Acid fast bacilli were visualized in a sputum smear and three months after, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from lymph node biopsy during a episode of immune reconstitution. The isolated mycobacteria showed sensitivity to all first-line drugs. HIV infection, breast cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis have several mechanisms that induce hypercoagulable state and can lead to thromboembolic complications. Pulmonary thromboembolism in this patient was a diagnostic challenge because of all the other severe diseases that she experienced at the same time.

Cytomegalovirus in colorectal cancer and idiopathic ulcerative colitis

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a genus in the family Herpesviridae that has been associated with gastrointestinal syndromes. In this work we looked for a possible association of CMV infection with colorectal cancer and ulcerative colitis (UC). Blood and enteric tissue samples of 14 patients with colorectal cancer and of 21 with UC were subjected to a nested-PCR that amplifies part of the gB gene of CMV and also to immunohistochemistry using a specific monoclonal antibody to IE 76kDa protein of CMV. CMV was detected by nested-PCR in the blood and/or the enteric tissue of nine (64.3%) colorectal cancer and 16 (76.2%) ulcerative colitis patients. In the immunohistochemistry it was observed that 12 (12/21, 57.1%) positive enteric tissue samples of patients with UC and none from patients with colorectal cancer (0/14) were positive to CMV. The positivity of CMV infections in the UC patient group (12/21, 57.1%) showed by both techniques, was significantly higher (p = 0.015) than that observed for colorectal cancer patients (2/14, 14.3%). These results suggest an association of ulcerative colitis with CMV infection of the enteric tissue.

Anal squamous carcinoma: a new AIDS-defining cancer? Case report and literature review

Squamous anal cell carcinoma is a rare malignancy that represents the 1.5% to 2% of all the lower digestive tract cancers. However, an increased incidence of invasive anal carcinoma is observed in HIV-seropositive population since the widespread of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Human papillomavirus is strongly associated with the pathogenesis of anal cancer. Anal intercourse and a high number of sexual partners appear to be risk factors to develop anal cancer in both sexes. Anal pain, bleeding and a palpable lesion in the anal canal are the most common clinical features. Endo-anal ultrasound is the best diagnosis method to evaluate the tumor size, the tumor extension and the infiltration of the sphincter muscle complex. Chemoradiotherapy plus antiretroviral therapy are the recommended treatments for all stages of localized squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal in HIV-seropositive patients because of its high rate of cure. Here we present an HIV patient who developed a carcinoma of the anal canal after a long time of HIV infection under highly active antiretroviral therapy with a good virological and immunological response.