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The aim of this study was to determine the importance of serum neopterin level in female patients with breast cancer of various clinical stages. The study consisted of 75 female patients with breast cancer who were diagnosed and treated at the Gazi University Department of Medical Oncology. The patients were classified into three representative groups and a control group: group A (n = 26), patients with newly diagnosed primary breast cancer and without metastasis; group B (n = 33), patients with metastatic breast cancer who had undergone treatment for their diseases and on whom metastasis was detected during their follow-up; group C (n = 16), off-therapy patient whose cancer had been in remission for at least 5 years; group D (n = 20) healthy controls. The median serum neopterin levels of the 75 patients with breast cancer 11.0 (range, 0-23.6) nmol/L were significantly higher than those of controls (8.3 (range, 1.2-12.0) nmol/L). In group B patients, neopterin levels (12.6 (range, 0-23.6) nmol/L) were statistically significantly higher than those of controls, primary breast cancer patients, and off-therapy patients (P < .05). In group B, patients with visceral metastases had higher neopterin levels than did those with bone or local metastases; however, that difference was not statistically significant. The median serum neopterin levels of the primary breast cancer patients in group A (8.8 (range, 0-20) nmol/l) were not statistically significantly different from those in controls and off-therapy patients. Serum neopterin levels were significantly elevated in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Neopterin seems to be an indicator of metastatic cancer rather than a marker for local cancer. In patients with metastatic breast cancer, determining the serum neopterin levels may be useful in estimating survival; however, additional long-term follow-up will be needed.

The oxidation of protein plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of an important number of degenerative and cancer diseases, which is now widely recognized. The aim is to examine advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), lipid peroxidation products malondialdehyde (MDA), and ferrous oxidation in xylenol orange (FOX) in blood samples of papillary thyroid cancer patients compared with healthy controls to determine the oxidation status and the change after thyroidectomy.Thirty-five female thyroid cancer patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and 39 female control subjects were included into this study. Prethyroidectomy and postthyroidectomy, AOPP, FOX, and MDA levels were studied.Prethyroidectomy AOPP, FOX, and MDA levels were significantly higher compared to control (P.05). In postthyroidectomy AOPP, FOX, and MDA levels were significantly decreased compared with prethyroidectomy levels (P.05). However, postthyroidectomy levels on the 20th day were still significantly higher, compared to control subjects (P.05).In conclusion, all of AOPP, FOX, and MDA levels that are markers of protein oxidation and lipid hyperoxidation may induce thyroid cancer development and begin to decrease after thyroidectomy.

Hydatid disease is a parasitic infestation caused by the larval form of the cestode worm Echinococcus. The most commonly encountered form of the disease is visceral hydatid cyst caused by Echinococcus granulosus or dog tapeworm. We hereby represent an unusual case of hydatid disease located in the neck region in a 22-year-old female patient.

Peritoneal recurrence is not an uncommon cause of death after surgery for gastric cancer, even after surgery with curative intent. This indicates that there is undetected residual disease in the peritoneal cavity. We conducted this study to determine the value of peritoneal and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and peritoneal washing cytology in predicting the locoregional and distant spread of gastric cancer.We prospectively evaluated 70 consecutive patients with gastric cancer by measuring peritoneal CEA (pCEA) and serum CEA (sCEA) levels and peritoneal washing cytology results, and studying their effect on the histopathologic properties. The effect of the pCEA level on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was also evaluated in patients treated with curative intent.Twenty-one (30%) patients had sCEA levels10 ng/ml, whereas 25 patients (35.7%) had pCEA levels10 ng/g protein and 26 patients (37.1%) had positive cytology. The pCEA levels were significantly higher in patients with hepatic metastases (P = 0.034), or serosal (P = 0.028), and peritoneal (P = 0.026) involvement, whereas the sCEA levels were significantly higher only in patients with hepatic metastases (P = 0.04). Similarly, positive cytology was mainly detected in patients with hepatic metastases (P = 0.004). The pCEA levels significantly affected DFS (P = 0.002) and OS (P = 0.01) in 34 patients treated with curative intent.Since pCEA levels are more useful for predicting locoregional recurrence, their measurement during surgery may help plan the most appropriate surgical strategy and adjuvant therapy.