© 2007 European Society for Medical Oncology
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Breast cancer in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors |
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 Top Breast cancer in Hodgkin's... Histological response assessment...Hepatitis C infection in...Suicide, cancer and genderQuote |
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Prolonged disease-free survival is observed in up to 90% of patients presenting with early stage Hodgkin's disease. The resulting large numbers of long-term survivors are, however, at risk for serious late effects of therapy, with second cancers currently the primary cause of mortality in these patients, among which breast cancer is the most common solid tumor in women. In recent years, the life expectancy of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has improved, thus increasing the risk of second malignancies in long-term survivors. In this population, however, information is scarce on second malignancies in general, and on breast cancer in particular. In this issue, Sanna et al. report on a study that aimed to characterize the features of breast cancer in Hodgkin's disease and NHL survivors. These authors conclude that previous history of malignant lymphoma is a negative prognostic factor for women diagnosed subsequently with breast cancer and that undertreatment of women with the latter might be the reason for the worse outcome.
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Histological response assessment for predicting outcome in patients with colorectal liver metastases |
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TopBreast cancer in Hodgkin's...Histological response assessment...Hepatitis C infection in...Suicide, cancer and genderQuote |
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Approximately 60% of patients with colorectal cancer develop lymph node or distant metastases, with the liver being the initial distant metastatic site in
30% of them. In recent years, combination chemotherapies have improved response rates and survival, and several groups apply these chemotherapies preoperatively, to render resectable patients who are initially unresectable. The efficacy of preoperative chemotherapy is generally assessed by radiological evaluation. Preoperative radiology, however, has been shown to overestimate downstaging of the tumor, and histology remains the best way of assessing residual tumor viability. In this issue, Rubbia-Brandt et al. report the results of a study that aimed to characterize histological response to chemotherapy of hepatic colorectal metastases and evaluate the efficacy of different chemotherapies on histological response. These authors established a simple five-point scoring system to quantify the response, showing that the response is related to type of chemotherapy, and established a correlation between the histological response and survival in a large series of patients who underwent neo-adjuvant chemotherapy before liver resection. |
Hepatitis C infection in nongastric marginal zone B-cell mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma |
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TopBreast cancer in Hodgkin's...Histological response assessment...Hepatitis C infection in...Suicide, cancer and genderQuote |
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The Helicobacter pylori-related pathogenesis of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and the efficacy of antibiotic eradication are well known. Other infectious agents are involved in the pathogenesis of specific MALT lymphomas. Hepatitis C (HCV) infection is frequently associated with marginal zone lymphoid neoplasms and these HCV-associated tumors may respond to antiviral therapy. The role of HCV and the features of HCV infection in MALT lymphomas are, however, not well established. In this issue, Arcaini et al. report the results of a study that aimed to investigate the prevalence of HCV infection in nongastric marginal zone MALT lymphomas in order to define the relationship between the viral infection and the presenting features, treatment and outcome. These authors report that nongastric marginal zone lymphomas are characterized by a high prevalence of HCV infection, and that patients with involvement of a single MALT site have the highest prevalence of HCV.
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Suicide, cancer and gender |
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TopBreast cancer in Hodgkin's...Histological response assessment...Hepatitis C infection in...Suicide, cancer and genderQuote |
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A number of studies have found an increased rate of suicide among cancer patients. In Finland, suicides by female and male cancer patients were, respectively, 1.9 and 1.3 times that of the general population. Swedish, Swiss, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian and Danish studies have all noted higher rates for both genders, maximal within the first months after diagnosis. In this issue, Kendal reports the results of a population-based analysis of cancer patients, comparing suicide risk between the genders, with the aim of elucidating the features specific to each gender. The analysis, of 1.3 million cancer cases in the SEER database, revealed that 19 out of every 1000 male cancer patients and four out of every 1000 female cancer patients took their own lives—a total of 1307 men and 265 women. At around 24 suicides per 100 000 among cancer patients per year, the rate was between two and two and a half times that of the general American population (10.6 per 100 000 per year). Both sexes were more likely to commit suicide if patients had distant metastases at time of diagnosis.
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TopBreast cancer in Hodgkin's...Histological response assessment...Hepatitis C infection in...Suicide, cancer and genderQuote |
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"‘The slide showed it was leukemia. And the blood count showed a terrible increase in leukocytes’‘Leukocytes?’ asked the Judge. ‘What are they?’
‘White blood cells.’
‘Never heard of them.’
‘But they're there.’
The Judge massaged the silver handle of his cane. ‘If it was your heart, or liver or even your kidneys I could understand your alarm. But an insignificant disorder like too many leukocytes does seem far-fetched to me. Why I've lived for more than eighty years without ever considering if I have any of these leukocytes or not.’"
Hematology misunderstood in Clock Without Hands by Carson McCullers
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Related articles in Ann Oncol:
- Breast cancer in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors
- G Sanna, K Lorizzo, N Rotmensz, V Bagnardi, S Cinieri, M Colleoni, F Nolè, and A Goldhirsch
Ann Oncol 2007 18: 288-292.[Abstract] [Full Text] - Importance of histological tumor response assessment in predicting the outcome in patients with colorectal liver metastases treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by liver surgery
- L Rubbia-Brandt, E Giostra, C Brezault, AD Roth, A Andres, V Audard, P Sartoretti, B Dousset, PE Majno, O Soubrane, S Chaussade, G Mentha, and B Terris
Ann Oncol 2007 18: 299-304.[Abstract] [Full Text] - Prevalence of HCV infection in nongastric marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of MALT
- L Arcaini, S Burcheri, A Rossi, M Paulli, R Bruno, F Passamonti, E Brusamolino, A Molteni, A Pulsoni, MC Cox, L Orsucci, A Fabbri, M Frezzato, MT Voso, F Zaja, F Montanari, M Merli, C Pascutto, E Morra, S Cortelazzo, and M Lazzarino
Ann Oncol 2007 18: 346-350.[Abstract] [Full Text]
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