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The prognosis of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma remains generally poor. However, mounting evidence suggests a positive role of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) expression in the prognosis of patients with these cancers. In this work, the patterns of HER-2 protein expression were determined in patients with gastric or oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Retrospectively, we reviewed records of gastric and oesophageal biopsies received from 2008 to 2012 and their corresponding archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks selected for immunohistochemical analysis. The prevalence of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinomas and their association with HER-2 protein overexpression were evaluated. Gastric adenocarcinoma made up 18.79% of the gastric biopsies reviewed, and majority of these cancers occurred in males. Regarding the tumour type, HER-2 overexpression was common in the intestinal subtype compared to the diffuse type. Although squamous cell carcinoma was observed to be the commonest (31%) tumour type in the oesophagus compared to adenocarcinoma (8.79%), HER-2 was overexpressed in 42.9% of oesophageal adenocarcinomas, like gastric adenocarcinoma (41.4%). There is a high prevalence of gastric and oesophageal adenocarcinoma, with significant overexpression of HER-2 in these tumours, a window of hope for the management of patients with these cancers.

Background and Objectives: The presentation of the different histopathologic subtypes of adenocarcinoma of the large bowel vary within the colorectum and appears to impact on treatment. This study evaluated the relationships between the clinical features of adenocarcinoma of the large bowel, the histopathologic subtypes, and treatment., Methods: Patients with adenocarcinoma of the large bowel presenting to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital from January 1997 to December 2011 were studied., Results: The study involved 579 patients: 310 (53.5%) males and 269 (46.5%) females, median age 58 years. Right colon cancers were 170 (29.4%), left colon 128 (22.1%), and rectum 281 (48.5%). Well-differentiated cancers were 254 (43.3%), moderately differentiated 178 (30.3%), mucinous 90 (14.8%), anaplastic 44 (7.5%), and signet-ring cell cancer 13 (2.2%). The mean ages across the histologic types were unequal, F-test 8.34, P-value 0.0005, with patients with mucinous and signet-ring cancers much younger. Mucinous cancers were predominantly in the right colon while signet-ring cell cancers were mostly in the rectum. Well- and moderately differentiated cancers presented at early stage than anaplastic and signet-ring cell cancers, P ∼ 0.01 and P < 0.03, respectively. The overall resection rate was 346 (59.8%) with rectal cancer having very low resection rate of 81 (28.8%)., Conclusion: Adenocarcinoma of the large bowel was predominantly in the rectum and in patients who were 50 years and older and were mostly well or moderately differentiated cancers., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Clinical experience and earlier studies indicate that the number of colorectal cancer cases seen annually in the Accra metropolis is increasing., Objective: This study was aimed at providing a current update on colorectal cancer in Accra, Ghana., Methods: A prospective study of confirmed cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed from January 1997- December 2007., Results: Three hundred and fifty-nine colorectal cancer cases were studied. Males were 192(53.5%) and females 167(46.5%) with an annual incidence of 32.6 new cases. The crude incidence rates were 12.53, 9.87 and 11.18 per 100,000 population for males, females and overall respectively. Rectal bleeding 185(51.1%), abdominal mass 76(21.1%), intestinal obstruction 62(17.3%), intestinal perforation nine (2.5%) and iron deficiency anaemia nine (2.5%) cases were the main presentations. There were 168 (46.8%) rectal and 191(53.2%) colon tumours. Two hundred and thirty-one patients had laparotomy with 225 resections, and 128 patients for various reasons did not undergo surgery. The Astler Coller stages of the tumours at diagnosis were C2 84(36.7%), C1 53(22.1%), B2 49(21.4%), D 17(7.4%), B1 14(6.1%) and A 12(5.1%) cases. Adenocarcinoma was the commonest histological type 321(89.4%), with the majority either well-differentiated (62.5%) or moderately well-differentiated (25.6) carcinomas. Poorly differentiated carcinomas accounted for 28 cases (7.8%). Post-operative mortality was 6.1%. Long term survival could not be assessed as the majority of patients were lost to follow up., Conclusion: The incidence of colorectal cancer has increased over the last four decades in tandem with an aging population of Accra with adenocarcinoma as the predominant histological type.