Annals of Oncology 2006 17(5):729; doi:10.1093/annonc/mdl103
© 2006 European Society for Medical Oncology
in this issue
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fatigue and menopausal symptoms in breast cancer
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Hormonal treatment for women with breast cancer is frequently
proposed in the adjuvant as well as in the palliative setting.
However, compared with chemotherapy, the side effects and consequences
of hormonal treatment in women with breast cancer have been
less well reported. In this issue,
Glaus et al. report on a
study that aimed to explore the occurrence and frequency of
menopausal symptoms in women with breast cancer, undergoing
hormonal cancer treatment and to investigate their relationship
with fatigue. Using the Checklist for Patients with Endocrine
Therapy (C-PET) and the International Breast Cancer Study Group
(IBCSG) Linear Analogue Scales for patients with endocrine treatment,
these authors assessed the menopausal symptoms in some 373 women
undergoing hormonal treatment for breast cancer. These authors
report that the most frequent menopausal symptoms were hot flashes/sweats,
tiredness, weight gain, vaginal dryness and decreased sexual
interest. Moreover, these authors found that there were significant
differences between the fatigued and the non-fatigued population
regarding the intensity of menopausal symptoms.
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TP53 functional mutations in colorectal cancer
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The
TP53 tumor suppressor gene encodes a 393-amino acid transcription
factor that is activated by a variety of cellular stresses including
DNA damage. Loss of
TP53 function is likely to be a critical
event in tumorigenesis and approximately half of all human cancers
show this alteration. The most common
TP53 mutations in human
tumors show a clear loss of transactivation activity, but more
than 50% of the rarer mutations retain significant activity.
In this issue,
Iacopetta et al. report a study that aimed to
evaluate whether
TP53 mutations classified as functionally inactive
(<20% of wildtype transactivation ability) had different
prognostic and predictive values in colorectal cancer compared
with mutations that retained significant activity. These authors
found that mutations that inactivate the transactivational ability
of
TP53 are more frequent in advanced colorectal cancer and
are associated with worse prognosis in this stage of disease.
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ocular adnexa lymphomas and HCV infection
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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is present in 12% of extranodal
MALT-type lymphomas, and a pathogenic link between HCV and MALT
lymphomas has been suggested. Ocular adnexal lymphomas (OAL)
are one of the commonest forms of extranodal lymphomas, and
correlation between OAL and infection by
Chlamydia psittaci has been reported. However, the potential association between
these malignancies and other infectious agents, including HCV,
is not clear. In this issue,
Ferreri et al. report on a study
that aimed to assess the prevalence of HCV infection in OAL
of MALT-type. Analyzing HCV seropositivity in 55 patients with
OAL of MALT-type these authors found that HCV infection was
significantly associated with concomitant extra-orbital disease,
lymph node dissemination and involvement of additional extranodal
organs. HCV seropositivity was also associated with a higher
relapse rate and worse progression-free survival.
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occupational asbestos exposure and mesothelioma cases
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In Europe patients with asbestos-related diseases, such as malignant
mesothelioma, are not treated uniformly when they apply for
compensation. In this issue,
Baas et al. consider procedures
in the Netherlands, where in 10% of the cases handled by the
Institute of Asbestos Victims (IAV) no pathological confirmation
of a malignant mesothelioma could be obtained. These cases are
presented to the Mesothelioma Group of the Dutch Thoracic Society
to obtain a clinical diagnosis based on clinical reports, occupational
history, X-ray examination and other factors. Each case is reviewed
by three independent pulmonologists experienced in malignant
mesothelioma, with the majority view being binding for acceptance
or rejection of the diagnosis. Considering data from cases handled
between January 2000 and May 2005 these authors conclude that
this procedure allows the IAV to provide clarity about diagnosis
within an acceptable time frame.
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quote
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"I do not suppose that even my host, on having swindled a confiding
widow out of the whole of her property, was put to more actual
suffering than a man will readily undergo at the hands of an
English doctor."
Samuel Butler reports from Erehwon, where crime is illness and illness a crime.
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