87 patients had been operated on 5 years and six months in which there were: 47 pituitary adenomas, 23 craniopharyngiomas, 1 metastatic carcinoma and 4 undentified tumors. Masculine sex was 54/33 (60%) and a great number of patients was young. Almost patients came late with a voluminous size of tumor. The main signs were visual failure for every patients and endocrine disturbances especially in pituitary adenoma or craniopharyngioma. The outcome in general was favourable and acceptable: improvement of visual acuity, endocrine disturbances diminution and disapperance of headache. The mortatily was low. The recurrency rate was still low, but the followup in long term showed an increase of reoperated patients. Laboratory investigations (especially radioimmuno assay) and histopathological classification were our two limitations in this study.
Neoplasms

Introduction: The phenotype and genotype of cancer cells portray hallmarks of cancer which may have clinical value. Cancer cell lines are ideal models to study and confirm these characteristics. We previously established two subtracted cDNA libraries with differentially expressed genes from an acute myeloid leukaemia patient with poor prognosis (PP) and good prognosis (GP). Objective: To compare gene expression of the leukaemia associated genes with selected biological characteristics in leukaemia cell lines and normal controls. Methodology: Expression of 28 PP genes associated with early fetal/embryonic development, HOX-related genes, hematopoiesis and aerobic glycolysis/ hypoxia genes and 36 GP genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, protein synthesis, chromatin remodelling and cell motility were examined in B-lymphoid (BV173, Reh and RS4;11) and myeloid (HL-60, K562) leukaemia cell lines after 72h in culture as well as peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy controls (N=5) using semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Cell cycle profiles were analysed on flow cytometry while MTT cytotoxicity assay was used to determine drug resistance to epirubicin. Results: Genes expressed significantly higher in B-lymphoid leukaemia cell lines compared to healthy controls were mostly of the GP library i.e. oxidative phosphorylation (3/10), protein synthesis (4/11), chromatin remodelling (3/3) and actin cytoskeleton genes (1/5). Only two genes with significant difference were from the PP library. Cancer associated genes, HSPA9 and PSPH (GP library) and BCAP31 (PP library) were significantly higher in the B-lymphoid leukemia cell lines. No significant difference was observed between myeloid cell lines and healthy controls. This may also be due heterogeneity of cell lines studied. PBMC from healthy controls were not in cell cycle. G2/M profiles and growth curves showed B-lymphoid cells just reaching plateau after 72 hour culture while myeloid cells were declining. IC50 values from cytotoxicity assay revealed myeloid cell lines had an average 13-fold higher drug resistance to epirubicin compared to B-lymphoid cell lines. Only CCL1, was expressed at least two-fold higher in myeloid compared to B-lymphoid cell lines. In contrast, MTRNR2, EEF1A1, PTMA, HLA-DR, C6orf115, PBX3, ENPP4, SELL, and IL3Ra were expressed more than 2-fold higher in B-lymphoid compared to myeloid cell lines studied here. Conclusion: Thus, B-lymphoid leukaemia cell lines here exhibited active, proliferating characteristics closer to GP genes. Higher expression of several genes in B-lymphoid compared to myeloid leukaemia cell lines may be useful markers to study biological differences including drug resistance between lineages.
Neoplasms

Solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) is a rare spindle-cell neoplasm that can occur in the orbit. We report two cases of orbital SFT in a 35-year-old female and a 28-year-old male with different presentations. First patient presented with slowly progressive left lateral upper lid mass which is firm in consistency and non tender. Patient had non axial proptosis as the mass compressed the globe inferonasally. There was also funduscopy evidence of choroidal folds superotemporally. There is slight impairment of vision on the left eye comparing to right eye. Meanwhile, the second patient presented with a painless diffuse swelling of left upper eyelid. It was soft in consistency, non fluctuate and no opening or pus discharge noted. There is mild mechanical ptosis, however there was no proptosis and no evidence of compression into the globe nor visual impairment.Computed tomography (CT) imaging revealed a well circumscribed and contrast enhanced soft tissue mass intraorbital extraconal mass in both cases. However in the first case, the tumour was at the level of lacrimal gland with compression of the globe, while in second case, it was superior and posterior to the left lacrimal gland with no globe compression. Both patients underwent complete resection of their tumors. The histological findings showed alternating hypercellular and hypocellular areas composed of bland spindle cells with a fibrous stroma. The strong immunoreactivity for CD34 supported the diagnosis of orbital SFT. There was no recurrence at the 2nd and 3rd year follow-up visits for both patients. SFT should be considered as one of the differential diagnosis of an orbital tumor. The combination of CT scan, histologic findings and immunohistochemical staining provide accurate diagnosis. En bloc excision of the tumour is the mainstay of treatment.
Neoplasms

Desmoplastic small round cell tumour (DSRCT) is a very rare malignant tumour which commonly presented as an intraabdominal tumour. It has a distinct histological and immunophenotypic characteristic which differentiates it from other types of small blue cell tumour such as Ewing’s sarcoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumour, neuroblastoma and malignant mesothelioma. Apart from the abdomen, it may also originate from other region of the body including the reproductive organs.
Neoplasms

Chronic exudative malodorous fungating wound of four years at the right arm due to diffuse large B cell lymphoma managed with silver dressings. In two months of application with nanocrystalline silver coated dressings, there was significant improvement in wound.
Neoplasms

Distress has become a major issue in cancer population. Patients may suffer from either physical, psychological distress or both. Cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy are more likely to experience psychological distress. This could be due to the negative effects of chemotherapy agents, the uncertainty of post-treatment, and the occurrence of psychosocial problems. As a result, the patient may experience a normal reaction such as sadness or may develop common psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety
Neoplasms

Biliary cystic tumors (BCT), which include the subgroups biliary cystadenoma (BCA) and biliary cystadenocarcinoma (BCAC), affect 5 to 10% of the global population. BCTs are solitary, multiloculated cysts that are usually intrahepatic in location. BCACs are rare tumors that arise from the malignant transformation of BCA. The presentation of BCT often mimics simple hepatic cysts and other hepatic cystic lesions making diagnosis difficult. With the recent advances in medical imaging, BCTs have been diagnosed more often. Patients with BCT are often asymptomatic. When symptoms are present, however, patients usually manifest with abdominal pain and distention. Given the high risk of recurrence, complete surgical resection by formal hepatic resection or enucleation is the best treatment of choice for patients. We present a case of a 65-year-old female who came in due to a four-year history of an enlarging abdomen. She was initially treated, preoperatively, as a case of ovarian new growth but was later managed as hepatic cystadenocarcinoma.
Neoplasms

Uterine carcinosarcoma, also known as malignant mixed mullerian tumor (MMMT) is a rare and aggressive malignancy. It is the only type of uterine carcinoma with both an epithielial-derived carcinoma and a mesodermal-derived sarcoma. Classically, they have been considered as a soft tissue sarcoma, however, recent studies ascertain the pathogenesis of carcinosarcomas as to that of a metaplastic transformation of a carcinoma to give rise to a sarcomatous component. With the paradigm shift on the pathogenesis of disease, treatments have been aligned to follow protocols used in aggressive uterine carcinomas and are in further evaluation for its applicability to the aforementioned carcinosarcoma. This paper presents three cases of MMMT diagnosed in a Private Tertiary Hospital from October 2015 to February 2017. Among the three cases, two cases underwent endometrial sampling with results suggestive of MMMT and one case with an intraoperative frozen section done revealing carcinosarcoma. All cases underwent extrafascial hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (EHBSO) and bilateral lymph node dissection (BLND). Post-operatively, two of the cases underwent adjuvant chemotherapy and are currently alive. The one case that did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy succumbed to the disease eight months after diagnosis. With the high propensity of MMMT to metastasis, relapse and recurrence, it is then imperative that all cases are properly managed.
Neoplasms

Introduction: Bone scan is the modality of choice for evaluation of bone metases in asymptomatic patients primary malignancy. The distribution and pattern of bone metases in prostate, breast, and lung malignancies are investigated using bone scan results. This could aid future interpretation of bone scans and narrow down the differential diagnoses by establishing the likely regional location of metastatic bone disease in commonly encountered malignancies. Materials and methods: Chart review of a total of 411 patients with histologically proven malignant disease, who underwent bone scan in the Division of Nuclear Medicine of the Philippine Heart Center for the first time from October 2013 to October 2016, was conducted. Results: Out of 411 patients, 149 had metastatic bone disease; 42 (28.2%) had lung cancer, 26 (17.4%) had prostate cancer, 60 (40.3%) had breast cancer, while the remaining 21 (14.1%) had other primary malignancies. Majority of the lessions were multiple and were found in the ribs, vertebrae and pelvic bones for lung cancer; ribs, lower thoraric and lumbar vertebrae, and pelvic bones for prostate and breast cancer. Conclusion There was no scintigraphic pattern attributable to a particular malignancy but rather, sites of predilection were observed in this study. The top 3 regions of distribution of bone metasis were as follows: for lung cancer, 1. ribs, 2. vertebrae, 3. pelvic bones; for prostate cancer,1. lower thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, 2. pelvic bones; 3. ribs; for breast cancer, 1. lower thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, 2. ribs, 3. pelvic bones. Involvement of the long bones wasw highest among lung and prostate cancers; whereas metasis to the sternum was most commonly seen in breast cancer.
Neoplasms

A case of melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNETI) is presented. The salient histopathologic features of this unusual neoplasm are discussed including post-chemotherapy morphologic changes.
Neoplasms