Archive for March, 2006
March 30th, 2006. Clinical activity of pemetrexed: a multitargeted antifolate anticancer agent
Phase III studies with pemetrexed have established a clinical role for this drug as a single agent in the second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and in combination with cisplatin for the frontline treatment of unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. Clinical trials of pemetrexed alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents have shown considerable activity in many tumor types including colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancer, and urothelial tumors.
March 29th, 2006. Polio vaccines, SV40 and human tumours, an update on false positive and false negative results
The same 20 mesothelioma specimens all tested negative, 2/20 tested positive or 7/20 tested positive for SV40 Tag by simply changing the detection method on the same immuno-precipitation/western blot membranes. These results provide a simple explanation for some of the apparent discordant results reported in the literature.
March 28th, 2006. Comparative genomic hybridization (cgh) in malignant Deciduoid mesothelioma
Conclusions: Although deciduoid mesotheliomas present numerous genetic changes, we highlighted demonstrated that certain chromosomal regions are preferentially affected. Our findings show that the number of losses is predictive of the clinical outcome for this subtype of mesothelioma subtype.
March 27th, 2006. Ranpirnase – an antitumour ribonuclease: its potential role in malignant mesothelioma
Standard first-line treatment for MM has recently been established with an antifolate and cisplatin. At present, a Phase III trial of doxorubicin with or without ranpirnase is nearing completion in MM patients without prior chemotherapy or one prior chemotherapy regimen.
March 25th, 2006. Adenylate cyclase toxin from Bordetella pertussis enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis to lung cancer cells in vitro
Only minor increases of caspase-8 and -9 were noted for P31 cells. The present results, together with the knowledge that bacterial toxins decrease side effects of traditional cancer treatment, suggest a possibility to use them to enhance the therapeutic effect of cancer chemotherapy with reduced clinical adverse effects.
March 25th, 2006. Reported occupational respiratory diseases in Catalonia
Conclusions: The compulsory scheme for reporting occupational lung diseases is seriously underreporting in Catalonia. A surveillance programme based on voluntary reporting by physicians may provide better understanding of the incidence and characteristics of these diseases. Persulphates and cleaning products, besides isocyanates, were the most reported causes of occupational asthma. Metal industries and cleaning services were the occupations most frequently involved in acute inhalations with a remarkably high incidence in our register.
March 24th, 2006. Health surveillance of workers exposed to asbestos: an example of co-operation between the occupational prevention system and the national health system
Remarks: the agreement and participation reached in this Programme allow achieving much higher coverage of occupational prevention policies than those obtained with a mere law approval, as we could see during the second year of implementation of the Programme in which the number of attended workers has doubled.
March 24th, 2006. Variability in Mesothelioma Tumor Response Classification
Conclusion: The presentation of baseline scan tumor measurements affects measurements acquired on follow-up scans and could influence tumor response classification. The potential utility of semiautomated tumor thickness measurements was shown in the context of measuring tumor response.
March 24th, 2006. A Case of Peritoneal Mesothelioma without a History of Asbestos Exposure
It was difficult to distinguish peritoneal mesothelioma from carcinomatosis. Laparoscopy and peritoneal biopsy was conducted and immunostaining examination confirmed the diagnosis of peritoneal mesothelioma.
March 24th, 2006. Evaluation of 12 antibodies for distinguishing epithelioid mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma: identification of a three-antibody immunohistochemical panel with maximal sensitivity and specificity
The specificity of the nonmesothelial antigens for AdCA was 98% for BG8 and CEA, 97% for CD15, 95% for BerEp4, and 87% for MOC-31. A novel statistical analysis technique employing logic regression analysis identified a three-antibody immunohistochemical panel including calretinin, BG8, and MOC-31, which provided over 96% sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing epithelioid mesothelioma from AdCA.
March 23rd, 2006. Mediastinal Tumors: a Clinicopathological Analysis
The overall mortality was 3. 8%.
March 23rd, 2006. Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes as risk factors for asbestos-related malignant mesothelioma in a general population study
This is the first report of an association between polymorphisms in DNA repair genes and asbestos-associated MM. Our data indicate that genetic factors are involved in MM development.
March 22nd, 2006. Recombinant GM-CSF plus autologous tumor cells as a vaccine for patients with mesothelioma
Conclusion: Vaccination with autologous MM tumor cell lysate with GM-CSF induced tumor specific immunity in 32% of patients, was safe and was associated with stable disease but no major tumour regressions.
March 21st, 2006. Pleural thickening in a construction worker: it is not always mesothelioma
Despite repeated diagnostic procedures, a final diagnosis could only be made at autopsy. Multisystem foamy histiocyte infiltration suggested the diagnosis of Erdheim-Chester disease.
March 20th, 2006. Phase II Study of Pemetrexed Plus Carboplatin in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Conclusion: Treatment with pemetrexed and carboplatin was active and well tolerated in patients with MPM. Disease control rate, time to disease progression, and overall survival were similar to the results achieved with the standard regimen of pemetrexed and cisplatin, suggesting that the carboplatin combination could be an alternative option for these patients.
March 16th, 2006. Novel orthotopic implantation model of human malignant pleural mesothelioma (EHMES-10 cells) highly expressing vascular endothelial growth factor and its receptor
Treatment with cisplatin, but not gemcitabine, significantly inhibited the production of pleural effusions, but it was not effective for thoracic tumors, consistent with chemotherapy refractory characteristics of MPM in patients. Our patient-like orthotopic model using EHMES-10 cells overexpressing VEGF and its receptor may be useful for examining the molecular pathogenesis of MPM and may contribute to the development of novel treatment strategies for MPM.
March 16th, 2006. Primary intrahepatic malignant mesothelioma of epithelioid type
Ultrastructurally, numerous microvilli on the cell surface, and abundant desmosomal plaques, characteristic of mesothelial cells, were found. To date, this is the third reported case of a primary intrahepatic mesothelioma.
March 16th, 2006. Expression of HLA-G in malignant mesothelioma and clinically aggressive breast carcinoma
In conclusion, HLA-G is focally expressed in MM and breast carcinoma, while HLA-ABC expression is conserved. However, the up-regulated expression of HLA-G in MM effusions and its possible association with shorter disease-free survival in advanced stage of breast carcinoma suggest a possible role in immune response evasion in some tumors.
March 15th, 2006. Deciduoid Peritoneal Mesothelioma in a Dog
Multiple whitish-gray nodules (1–5 mm in diameter) in parietal peritoneum and mesentery were histologically composed of large, proliferating, polygonal or ovoid cells with an abundant eosinophilic, glassy cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical evaluation indicated that the neoplastic cells coexpressed cytokeratin and vimentin with strong and diffuse cytoplasmic staining, and ultrastructural analysis showed long and slender mesothelial-type microvilli; these findings confirmed the mesothelial origin of the tumor.
March 15th, 2006. Intra-tumoural regulatory T cells: A potential new target in cancer immunotherapy
We showed that the depletion of intra-tumoural T(reg) cells with anti-CD25 mAb injected directly into the tumours can cause significantly reduced tumour growth. Localised, intra-tumoural depletion of T(reg) cells is a new, clinically relevant treatment option for established tumours.
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