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The objective of this study was to determine whether nuclear morphometric data can predict survival, disease progression, and chemotherapeutic response in ovarian serous carcinoma. Nuclear morphometric parameters were determined from archival hematoxylin and eosin sections of 132 serous tumors. Clinicopathologic and morphometric parameters were evaluated as to their individual and independent prognostic value and prediction of chemotherapy response. Nuclear parameters were found to strongly correlate with extent of disease residuum, tumor grade, and FIGO stage. Univariate analysis revealed stage, grade, preoperative CA125, presence of ascites, extent of disease residuum, standard deviation of nuclear area (SDNA), nuclear perimeter (NP), SDNP, nuclear length (NL), nuclear breadth (NB), orthoferet, and equivalent diameter (ED) to be significant predictors of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Grade, stage, extent of disease residuum, presence of ascites, SDNA, NP, NL, NB, and orthoferet were found to be significant predictors of chemotherapy response. Multivariate analysis revealed extent of disease residuum (P

The objective of this study was to determine whether syntactic structure analysis (SSA) can predict survival outcome and chemotherapeutic response in ovarian carcinoma. Syntactic structure analysis parameters, blindly determined in archived hematoxylin and eosin sections of 132, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I to IV serous ovarian tumors, and clinicopathologic parameters were evaluated as to their univariate and multivariate prognostic value and ability to predict chemotherapy response as measured by changes in CA125 levels. Univariate analysis revealed FIGO stage, tumor grade, preoperative CA125, presence of ascites, extent of disease residuum, and the SSA parameters minimum spanning tree (min MST), maximum MST (max MST), percent connectivity to 1, and 2 nearest neighbors to be significant predictors of overall survival and disease-free survival. Tumor grade, FIGO stage, extent of disease residuum, presence of ascites, and percent connectivity to 2 nearest neighbors were found to be significant predictors of chemotherapy response. Multivariate analysis revealed extent of disease residuum to be a significant predictor for overall survival (P

The study objective was to determine the prognostic value of assessment of staining of p53 and bcl-2 in a well-selected group of serous ovarian carcinomas. Immunohistochemical detection was used to identify both p53 and bcl-2 positive tumors. One hundred thirty-two tumors were analyzed for positivity of staining, grade of staining intensity, and for p53 alone, percent expression rates. These were analyzed alongside traditional clinicopathologic parameters for their ability to predict overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and response to chemotherapy (CR). Univariate COX analysis revealed percent p53 expression (P = 0.012) and p53 grade (P = 0.01) to be significant predictors of DFS. Neither the p53 nor bcl-2 measurement parameters were found significant for OS or prediction of CR. On multivariate analysis, incorporating clinicopathologic parameters, p53 parameters did not retain independent significance for any outcome measure. As in primary reported studies, bcl-2 was not found to be of clear independent prognostic value in this group of ovarian tumors. If mutation of p53 and its consequent overexpression is an early event in ovarian tumorigenesis, then p53 assessment may prove useful prognostically in the assessment of either low-grade ovarian carcinomas, as a possible indicator for progression, or in early-stage ovarian tumors, as a marker of tumor aggression or likelihood of recurrence. p53 analysis of a larger group of stage I ovarian tumors would be desirable to further explain the potential association with DFS.

The study objective was to determine whether tumor vascularity correlates with patient survival, to compare newer semiautomated methods of angiogenesis assessment to older methods, and to determine if advanced image analysis methods can offer useful patient outcome data in serous ovarian cancer. Using the specific endothelial marker CD34, microvessel determinations were quantified in 132 serous ovarian tumors by manual counting at final magnifications of x 200 and x 400 in the most highly vascular areas. Computer-assisted image analysis microvessel counts, endothelial area estimates, and minimum spanning tree (MST) analysis of capillary architecture, which involves assessment of intercapillary distances, were correlated with traditional manual techniques.Manual, semiautomated, and advanced image analysis methods were found to be highly reproducible and express strong correlation with one another. Univariate cyclooxygenase analysis revealed angiogenesis parameters to be highly significant predictors for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival. Multivariate cyclooxygenase analysis revealed maximum MST (P = 0.009), length MST (P = 0.005), 1 nearest neighbor (P

Olfactory neuroblastoma is an uncommon tumour arising in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses. We report the management of nine cases treated with external beam radiotherapy subsequent to surgery, either attempted definitive removal or biopsy only. Recent refinements in pathological evaluation of these tumours are discussed. Seven cases were deemed classical olfactory neuroblastoma whilst two were classified as neuroendocrine carcinoma. The clinical features, radiotherapy technique and variable natural history are presented. Seven of eight patients treated radically were controlled locally, with a minimum follow-up of two years. Three patients developed cervical lymph node disease and three patients died of systemic metastatic disease. Suggestions are made as to which patients should have en-bloc resection rather than definitive radiotherapy.

Daily exposures to relatively small suberythemogenic fluences of UVA (50-200 kJ/m2) for 8 days resulted in cumulative morphological skin alterations indicative of early tissue injury. Histologically, irradiated skin revealed epidermal hyperplasia, inflammation and deposition of lysozyme along the dermal elastic fiber network. Sunburn cells were also present within the epidermis. These changes were quantified by image analysis and were found to be related to the cumulative UVA fluence. A long UVA waveband (UVAI, 340-400 nm) was as effective as a broad UVA band (320-400 nm), suggesting that these changes are induced by longer UVA wavelengths.

Background: The skin is repeatedly exposed to solar UV radiation. Long-term photodamage is a consequence of cumulative UV radiation injury. Hence an examination of the repetitive effects of UV exposure is more likely to yield clues to the early alterations that lead to photoaged skin than a single exposure., Objective: We examined the effects of repetitive low-dose UV irradiation on human skin with the aim of identifying UVA-induced effects that may have a different wavelength dependence than acute erythema., Methods: Areas on the lower part of the back were each exposed to a suberythemal dose (0.5 minimal erythema dose [MED]) of solar simulated radiation (290 to 400 nm) and of UVA (320 to 400 nm) once daily, 5 days a week, for 28 doses. One site was also treated daily with a sunscreen having a sun protection factor of 22 and then exposed to 11 MEDs of solar simulated radiation for the same duration. Epidermal and dermal changes were analyzed and quantified by histochemical stains in combination with computer-assisted image analysis of tissue sections., Results: At equal 0.5 MED doses, UVA induced greater cumulative changes than solar simulated radiation, as assessed by development of a greater cumulative erythema response in the first week of treatment, the presence of epidermal hyperplasia and stratum corneum thickening, depletion of Langerhans cells, dermal inflammatory infiltrates, and deposition of lysozyme on elastin fibers. These changes were not prevented by the sunscreen. A single short-term dose of UVA did not elicit these changes., Conclusion: These findings suggest that UVA may contribute significantly to long-term actinic damage and that the spectral dependence for cumulative damage does not parallel the action spectrum for acute injury (erythema) in human beings.

Advanced breast carcinoma responds to tamoxifen in more than 30% of cases (Mouridsen et al., 1978). It is widely used for hormonal treatment in women suffering from breast carcinoma, particularly if they are post-menopausal (Carter, Bakowski and Hellmann, 1981).