Annals of Oncology 2006 17(12):1725; doi:10.1093/annonc/mdl441
© 2006 European Society for Medical Oncology
in this issue
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DCC in ovarian cancer
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The
Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) gene is a putative tumor
suppressor gene located on chromosome 18q. The prognostic significance
of 18q loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and loss of expression of
DCC mRNA have been studied in solid tumors, predominantly in
colorectal cancer, where LOH or low protein expression seems
to be an adverse prognostic factor. Data in ovarian cancer are
limited, but genetic alterations and altered mRNA and DCC protein
expression have been reported in 30%–60% of cases, while
an association with serous subtype has been suggested. In this
issue,
Bamias et al. report the results of a study that aimed
to use tissue microrarrays to determine the association of DCC
with ß-catenin protein levels, clinicopathological
parameters and patient outcome in ovarian cancer. These authors
conclude that low nuclear DCC levels predict poor patient outcome
in epithelial ovarian cancer.
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Lymph node evaluation among patients with colon cancer
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Resection of the tumor with adequate margins and associated
mesentery, including draining lymph nodes, remains the primary
modality of treatment of colorectal cancer. Patients with positive
lymph nodes may also benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Therefore,
lymph node analysis is one of the critical factors for therapeutic
decision making. Several studies have described a positive association
between the number of lymph nodes evaluated and prognosis for
colorectal cancer patients and also a large variation in the
number of lymph nodes examined between patients, departments
of pathology, hospitals, regions, and countries. In this issue,
Lemmens et al. report the results of a study that aimed to consider
the determinants of this variation and its relation to survival
in the south of The Netherlands. Considering 2168 patients assessed
by six pathology departments, these authors found that a median
number of six lymph nodes per specimen had been examined. The
median number for each department of pathology ranged from three
to eight (
P < 0.0001) and the number of nodes examined was
positively associated with survival.
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18F-FDG-PET in plasmacytic MALT lymphoma
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Positron emission tomography (PET) with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose
(
18F-FDG) is a widely accepted imaging tool for staging and
follow-up of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas irrespective of indolent
or aggressive behavior. The usefulness of
18F-FDG-PET in extranodal
marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid
tissue (MALT lymphoma) is, however, still a matter of debate,
and conflicting results have been reported. In this issue,
Hoffmann et al.
report the results of a study that aimed to evaluate whether
the histological feature of plasmacytic differentiation might
explain the heterogeneous behavior of MALT lymphoma regarding
18F-FDG uptake. These authors report that
18F-FDG-PET visualized
MALT lymphoma with plasmacytic differentiation in a high proportion
of patients (16/19), whereas FDG-PET results were significantly
less reliable in typical MALT (13 of 16 patients with normal
MALT lymphoma showed a false-negative
18F-FDG-PET result;
P = 0.001).
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Occupational diesel exposure and lung cancer
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Several scientific organizations and government agencies, including
the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the US
Environmental Protection Agency classify diesel exhausts as
a probable human carcinogen. These judgments are based mainly
on the studies on experimental animals with the epidemiological
evidence on humans considered to be limited or strong but not
sufficient in itself. Several epidemiological studies have been
conducted on selected groups of workers likely to be exposed
to high levels of diesel exhausts, with an increased risk of
lung cancer being found in a number of these studies, but these
studies are limited due to confounding by smoking and difficulties
in the exposure assessment. In this issue,
Richiardi et al.
report the results of a population-based case–control
study that aimed to assess lung cancer risk associated with
occupational exposure to diesel exhausts, using both lists of
jobs and job-specific additional information collected at the
individual level. These authors did not observe any clear association
between exposure to diesel exhausts and lung cancer risk, and
they found no evidence of a dose-response effect.
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Quote
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"What about if he reported sick? But that would be extremely
strained and suspicious as in fifteen years of service Gregor
had never once yet been ill. His boss would certainly come round
with the doctor from the medical insurance company, accuse his
parents of having a lazy son, and accept the doctor's recommendation
not to make any claim as the doctor believed that no-one was
ever ill but that many were workshy."
Gregor Samsa considers how to deal with his boss in Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis.
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DCC in ovarian cancer
Lymph node evaluation among...