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Expression of the laminin-5 gamma2-chain in carcinoma cells has been implicated in tumor invasion. The aim was to investigate the expression and prognostic significance of the ln-5 gamma2-chain compared with clinicopathological factors and tumor cell DNA ploidy in endometrial carcinoma. Histological specimens from 80 endometrial carcinomas were examined with respect to immunohistochemical ln-5 gamma2-chain expression and correlated to the clinicopathological characteristics, DNA ploidy, and survival. Sixty-eight of 80 investigated cases were judged to be positive for the ln-5 gamma2-chain. Ln-5 gamma2-chain did not show any correlation to stage, histopathological subtype, grade, and DNA ploidy. In univariate analyses, advanced stage (p < 0.001), nonendometrioid carcinoma (p = 0.030), low grade (p < 0.001), aneuploid tumors (p < 0.001), and ln-5 gamma2-chain expression (p = 0.017) were highly associated with poor survival. Aneuploid tumors in combination with strong ln-5 gamma2-chain expression were significant predictors (p < 0.001) of poor prognosis. In multivariate analyses including stage, histopathological subgroup, grade, DNA ploidy, and ln-5 gamma2-chain expression, all lost their significant prognostic information except for stage (p < 0.001) and grade (p < 0.05). Ln-5 gamma2-chain expression and DNA ploidy both as a single parameter and in combination were demonstrated to be signifi- cant prognostic factors in univariate analysis. However, stage and grade provided more useful clinical information beyond histopathological subgroup, DNA ploidy, and ln-5 gamma2-chain expression. The results also indicate that ln-5 gamma2-chain expression is upregulated during the progression of endometrial carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant mixed Müllerian tumors (MMMT) of the fallopian tube are extremely rare and account for less than 4% of all MMMT. The most common site of origin for MMMT is the endometrium followed, in decreasing order, by the vagina, cervix and ovary. To date less than 60 cases of MMMT in the fallopian tube have been reported. The prognosis is poor. We report nine cases of fallopian tube MMMT treated during the period 1923-1994. Analysis of ploidy, p53, tumor angiogenes and cell proliferation did not help to discriminate long and short time survivors. Three cases receiving complete therapy including surgery, chemotherapy and external radiation belong to the long-survival group. Our conclusion is that MMMT represent clinically and biologically highly malignant tumors. Thus aggressive treatment comprising complete surgery, chemotherapy and external radiation seems to be necessary in order to improve survival both in early and advanced stage patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short- and long-time survivors among patients with primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) were studied with respect to prognosis predicting factors. Within the Radiumhemmets series 35 patients died within 2 years and they were compared with 27 patients surviving 8 years or more. All tumours were aneuploid. The two groups had different p53 immunoreactivity (P = 0.05). The prognostic influence of FIGO stage, proliferative activity(MIB-I), tumor angiogenesis (F8) and p53 immunoreactivity was studied in all stages. MIB-1, F8, and p53 immunoreactivity showed no significant correlation to survival. FIGO stage was significantly correlated to survival(P = 0.001). Increasing proliferative activity correlated to poor survival in a multivariate analysis of stage I (P = 0.015). Nine out of 19 stage I patients are still alive with a median survival of 22 years(11-32). Six of the survivors (66%) did not receive chemotherapy and underwent incomplete surgery. Two patients in stage IV are still alive after 12 and 13 years respectively. The only difference in biological parameters in the two survival groups was the absence of p53 mutations in the long-time survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear DNA content and p53 immunoreactivity were determined in 53 cases of primary fallopian tube cancer (PFTC). All tumors showed a distinctly aneuploid DNA distribution pattern, whereas p53 immunoreactivity was observed in 51% of the cases. If the patients were divided into two groups according to survival time, p53 immunoreactivity was present in 40% of the tumors from patients surviving for more than 8 years and in 65% of tumors from patients who died within 2 years. This difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.438). Patient survival was significantly correlated to the clinical stage (FIGO) (P = 0.0009). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A histopathologic and clinical review of the Radiumhemmet series of primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC) treated from 1923 to 1991 revealed that 128 cases fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for PFTC. These cases were staged according to the new FIGO staging rules for PFTC. Survival was studied with respect to prognostic factors such as age, stage, histologic subgroups, degree of differentiation and mode of treatment. The mean age at diagnosis was 56 years. Seventy-four per cent were found to be in stage Ia-IIa and 26 % in stage III-IV. Forty-five per cent were nulliparous and 22 % had evidence of previous pelvic inflammatory disease. Treatment modalities changed during the studied period. Thirty-three per cent of patients underwent surgery with total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy while 67 % were incompletely operated. A trend towards improvement in results was noticed—however, it was not statistically significant. Among the 14 prognostic variables tested in the multivariate analysis the first in rank were stage (P = 0.001) and degree of differentiation of the tumors (P = 0.070). Patients receiving chemotherapy had superior survival rates compared with those without chemotherapy (P = 0.0006) and patients with cisplatinum-containing chemotherapy did better than those without cisplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sixty-three patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anterior two-thirds of the tongue were treated with preoperative external radiotherapy (mean target dose 42.60 Gray or 4260 rad) and surgery. The expected 5-year survival, expressed as life table estimate of percent of survivors, was 77% for patients with Stage I tumors, 69% with Stage II, and 13% for patients with tumors in Stages III-IV (p less than 0.001). Fourteen patients experienced local recurrences, 7 had homolateral neck metastases, 4 had contralateral neck metastases and 3 had distant metastases. In 15 cases no cancer could be detected at review of the surgical specimens, but 2 of these died of their cancers. In 43 cases cancer was present in the specimens, and 26 of these died of their cancer (p less than 0.01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report concerns a patient with preinvasive cervical carcinoma and atypical hyperplasia in the endometrium. Separate chromosome analyses were performed on foci of moderate dysplasia and carcinoma in situ in a cone biopsy, and on material obtained from two curettage specimens. The chromosome picture in the two cervical areas differed and indicated a clonal evolution. The two curettage specimens were at variance with the cervical epithelium. The cytogenetic difference between squamous and columnar dysplasia is discussed in relation to the possible pathway of development of malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]