Disease progression and recurrence in women treated for vulvovaginal intraepithelial neoplasia

OBJECTIVE The malignant potential of intraepithelial neoplasia of the vulva and vagina after treatment is not well defined. Our objective was to examine risk factors for recurrence and invasive disease. METHODS Four hundred sixty-four women with biopsy proven high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia of the vulva and vagina were identified in the electronic databases of four colposcopy clinics. Inclusion criteria were a follow-up of more than one year, no history of invasive cancer and no invasive cancer within the first year after initial treatment. We investigated the potential factors associated with recurrence and progression using a logistic regression analysis to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS Of the 411 eligible patients, 123 patients (29.9%) recurred later than one year after initial treatment and 24 patients (5.8%) progressed to invasive disease. According to multivariate analyses, the risk factors associated with recurrence were multifocality (OR, 3.33; 95% CI, 2.02 to 5.51), immunosuppression (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.09 to 5.81), excision as initial treatment (vs. laser evaporation; OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.91) and smoking (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.55). Risk factors for progression to invasive disease were immunosuppression (OR, 4.00; 95% CI, 1.30 to 12.25), multifocality (OR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.25 to 7.43) and smoking (OR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.16 to 7.60), but not treatment modality. CONCLUSION Laser evaporation combined with extensive biopsy is at least as efficacious as initial treatment of intraepithelial neoplasia with excision. Smoking is a risk factor for both recurrence and progression to invasive disease. Hence, smoking cessation should be advised and maintaining a long follow-up period due to late relapses is necessary.

A patient-reported outcome measure to identify occurrence and distress of post-surgery symptoms of WOMen with vulvAr Neoplasia (WOMAN-PRO) - a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to describe the (a) symptom experience of women with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and vulvar cancer (vulvar neoplasia) during the first week after hospital discharge, and (b) associations between age, type of disease, stage of disease, the extent of surgical treatment and symptom experience. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in eight hospitals in Germany and Switzerland (Clinical Trial ID: NCT01300663). Symptom experience after surgical treatment in women with vulvar neoplasia was measured with our newly developed WOMAN-PRO instrument. Outpatients (n=65) rated 31 items. We used descriptive statistics and regression analysis. RESULTS The average number of symptoms reported per patient was 20.2 (SD 5.77) with a range of 5 to 31 symptoms. The three most prevalent wound-related symptoms were 'swelling' (n=56), 'drainage' (n=54) and 'pain' (n=52). The three most prevalent difficulties in daily life were 'sitting' (n=63), 'wearing clothes' (n=56) and 'carrying out my daily activities' (n=51). 'Tiredness' (n=62), 'insecurity' (n=54) and 'feeling that my body has changed' (n=50) were the three most prevalent psychosocial symptoms/issues. The most distressing symptoms were 'sitting' (Mean 2.03, SD 0.88), 'open spot (e.g. opening of skin or suture)' (Mean 1.91, SD 0.93), and 'carrying out my daily activities' (Mean 1.86, SD 0.87), which were on average reported as 'quite a bit' distressing. Negative associations were found between psychosocial symptom experience and age. CONCLUSIONS WOMAN-PRO data showed a high symptom prevalence and distress, call for a comprehensive symptom assessment, and may allow identification of relevant areas in symptom management.

Hyperplasia to neoplasia sequence of duodenal and pancreatic neuroendocrine diseases and pseudohyperplasia of the PP-cells in the pancreas.

Hyperplastic changes of the neuroendocrine cell system may have the potential to evolve into neoplastic diseases. This is particularly the case in the setting of genetically determined and hereditary neuroendocrine tumor syndromes such as MEN1. The review discusses the MEN1-associated hyperplasia-neoplasia sequence in the development of gastrinomas in the duodenum and glucagon-producing tumors in the pancreas. It also presents other newly described diseases (e.g., glucagon cell adenomatosis and insulinomatosis) in which the tumors are (or most likely) also preceded by islet cell hyperplasia. Finally, the pseudohyperplasia of PP-rich islets in the pancreatic head is defined as a physiologic condition clearly differing from other hyperplastic-neoplastic neuroendocrine diseases.

Immunodeficiency and the risk of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia 2/3 and cervical cancer: A nested case-control study in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

HIV-infected women are at increased risk of cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cervical cancer (ICC), but it has been difficult to disentangle the influences of heavy exposure to HPV infection, inadequate screening, and immunodeficiency. A case-control study including 364 CIN2/3 and 20 ICC cases matched to 1,147 controls was nested in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (1985-2013). CIN2/3 risk was significantly associated with low CD4+ cell counts, whether measured as nadir (odds ratio (OR) per 100-cell/μL decrease=1.15, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.22), or at CIN2/3 diagnosis (1.10, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.16). An association was evident even for nadir CD4+ 200-349 versus ≥350 cells/μL (OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.25). After adjustment for nadir CD4+, a protective effect of >2-year cART use was seen against CIN2/3 (OR versus never cART use=0.64, 95% CI: 0.42, 0.98). Despite low study power, similar associations were seen for ICC, notably with nadir CD4+ (OR for 50 versus >350 cells/μL= 11.10, 95% CI: 1.24, 100). HPV16-L1 antibodies were significantly associated with CIN2/3, but HPV16-E6 antibodies were nearly exclusively detected in ICC. In conclusion, worsening immunodeficiency, even at only moderately decreased CD4+ cell counts (200-349 CD4+ cells/μL), is a significant risk factor for CIN2/3 and cervical cancer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Cigarette smoking and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among colposcopy patients

Epidemiologic and biochemical evidence suggest that smoking is an independent risk factor for cervical neoplasia; however, only two studies have adjusted by the potential confounding effect of human papillomavirus (HPV). To determine the association between self-reported current cigarette smoking and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), we conducted a case-control study that controlled for HPV infection and other reported risk factors. The medical records of all new patients referred to the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) Colposcopy Clinic were reviewed. The study population (n = 564) consisted of all white, black, and Hispanic non-pregnant women who were residents of Texas, and had no history of treatment for cervical neoplasia. Cases (n = 313) included women diagnosed at the UTMDACC with CIN; while controls (n = 251) included those patients diagnosed at the colposcopy clinic as non-CIN (negative 47%, inflammation or atypia 25%, and koilocytosis 27%). Diagnosis was based on a colposcopically directed biopsy in 95% of the subjects, and all subjects were tested for HPV by dot blot hybridization. The crude odds ratio for cigarette smoking and CIN was 1.37 (95% CI 0.97-1.95); however, after adjusting for HPV, age, education, race, number of sexual partners, and age at first sexual intercourse, the odds ratio decreased to 0.91 (95% CI 0.61-1.41). A higher crude odds ratio was observed with CIN 3 (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.08-2.83), but this effect also disappeared after adjustment (OR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.57-1.96). Similar results were observed when controlling only for HPV: OR = 1.11 (95% CI 0.77-1.59) for CIN combined and 1.25 (95% CI 0.76-2.08) for CIN 3. These findings suggest that cigarette smoking is not an independent risk factor for CIN in this population, and that HPV may be an important confounding factor for this association. ^

Perfil de metilación tumoral como biomarcador para cáncer de mama

Fil: Roqué, María. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Laboratorio de Biología Celular y Molecular IHEM-CONICET CCT.

Metastasis coroidea de cáncer de mama

Fil: Ceballos, M.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Medicina Interna

Estudio de alteraciones epigenéticas en genes relacionados con el desarrollo del cáncer de mama humano

A nivel mundial, el cáncer mamario representa el 23% de las enfermedades oncológicas que afectan a las mujeres. En el año 2008 fue responsable de 458.400 muertes. Las probabilidades de curar a una paciente dependen del avance de la enfermedad en el momento del diagnóstico. La estimación del pronóstico y predicción del tratamiento de las pacientes es fundamental para el manejo clínico de la enfermedad. La metástasis en ganglios linfáticos, el tamaño y el grado tumoral son los factores pronóstico más importantes, mientras que la expresión de los receptores de estrógeno, progesterona y del factor de crecimiento epidérmico 2 son marcadores para la predicción de la respuesta a distintos tratamientos. Las células tumorales presentan un genoma y un epigenoma distinto a las células normales. La alteración epigenética mejor entendida y más estudiada es la metilación aberrante de genes reguladores del ciclo celular. Esta tesis doctoral tiene como objetivo identificar las alteraciones epigenéticas relacionadas con el cáncer de mama humano. Para ello el trabajo ha sido dividido en tres bloques. El primero, centrado en el estudio de las alteraciones epigenéticas de la carcinogénesis mamaria. El segundo, enfocado en establecer relaciones entre las alteraciones epigenéticas y los aspectos clínicos de la enfermedad. El tercero, enfocado en la detección no invasiva de procesos oncológicos en las pacientes. Esta tesis muestra los resultados del análisis de la metilación aberrante de 49 regiones del genoma involucradas en el desarrollo de enfermedades oncológicas. El estudio ha permitido determinar el perfil de metilación tumoral de 92 tumores mamarios invasores, 17 melanomas, 8 hepatoblastomas y 6 tumores de próstata. Las alteraciones en la metilación de estos genes es específica para cada paciente y la información epigenética permite diferenciar el proceso tumoral mamario del resto de los tumores. La cantidad y el tipo de genes afectados correlacionan con factores de mal pronóstico y factores que predicen respuesta a tratamientos. Las células que escapan a los ganglios mantienen la metilación aberrante del tumor primario, rasgo que ha servido para detectar ADN tumoral circulando en la sangre de las pacientes con la enfermedad. Los resultados aportan a un mejor entendimiento del proceso tumoral mamario y al futuro diseño de estudios para la detección temprana y no invasiva de la enfermedad.

Prevención de cáncer de mama

General Alvear se encuentra ubicado a 390 kilómetros de la capital de Mendoza con una población de 46.000 mil habitantes, los cuales se distribuyen en distritos, parajes y en la ciudad. Las distancias para acceder a los servicios de salud son muy grandes y es necesario mejorar e incrementar los conocimientos a mujeres que concurren al consultorio externo de ginecología del Hospital Enfermeros Argentinos. Se realizó una encuesta abierta que reveló la poca información que reciben dichas pacientes en la consulta de parte del personal de enfermería sobre la prevención del cáncer de mama. Este trabajo se realizó en el primer trimestre del año 2011, con una encuesta formal con preguntas abiertas para obtener datos sobre antecedentes personales, conocimientos y estilo de vida de las pacientes y se obtuvo una gran cantidad de información que lleva a replantear el rol de la enfermera como educadora en una sociedad donde la exclusión no se permite, sino que se trata en forma conjunta con diferentes instituciones y profesionales que llevan adelante la prevención mediante información oportuna y tratamiento precoz. Se cree que el desconocimiento de dicha población se debe a varios factores, como son: el miedo que genera la palabra "cáncer", por lo cual muchas mujeres no acuden a consultas, controles, ni se realizan el autoexamen mamario. Otro de los factores influyentes son la situación económica y social en la que viven estas mujeres, ya que en muchas oportunidades por costos y distancias, no pueden acudir al hospital. Otro problema detectado es que el personal de enfermería de consultorios externos no proporciona la información necesaria sobre la prevención de esta enfermedad a dicha población, ya que un alto porcentaje de este tipo de cáncer es curable si se detecta tempranamente, muchas veces con un método tan sencillo como es el autoexamen. Se realizó un estudio en terreno con el que se pretende aumentar las consultas y controles a tiempo, lo que se vería reflejado a largo plazo en una reducción de la mortalidad y una mejor calidad de vida para las pacientes rehabilitadas. Para lograr esto se considera fundamental el rol docente de la enfermera para promover la salud, fomentar actitudes preventivas y convertirse en un nexo entre la institución de salud, el individuo, la familia y la comunidad.