Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Biopsy, Needle ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; methods ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo detect serum content of cofilin protein in patients with lung cancer and investigate its clinical value.

METHODSThe serum content of cofilin protein was detected in 30 cases of lung cancer and 30 healthy control subjects using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTSThe mean serum content of cofilin protein was 0.485∓0.465 ng/ml in patients with lung cancer and 0.203∓0.102 ng/ml in the control subjects, showing a significant difference between them (P<0.05). The content of cofilin protein in patients with stage III and IV lung cancer 0.744∓0.584 ng/ml, significantly higher than that in stage II patients (0.257∓0.126 ng/ml).

CONCLUSIONSerum cofilin protein is elevated in patients with lung cancer, especially in cases in advanced stages, suggesting its relation with lung cancer staging.

Actin Depolymerizing Factors ; blood ; Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging

OBJECTIVETo assess the application value of diagnostic transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with persistently abnormal serum PSA levels.

METHODSWe performed TURP for 71 BPH patients with the PSA level > 4 microg/L, and analyzed the Gleason scores and prognosis of the cases pathologically confirmed as prostate cancer (PCa). We conducted follow-up visits to all the patients, obtained the PSA levels and International Prostate Symptom scores (IPSS) at 6 and 12 months after TURP, analyzed their changes and assessed the value of TURP in the diagnosis and treatment of BPH with serum PSA abnormality.

RESULTSAmong the 40 patients with negative prostate biopsy and persistent serum PSA abnormality, 2 cases were diagnosed as Gleason score 6 prostatic adenocarcinoma by TURP biopsy, and 1 case as Gleason score 6 PCa by repeated biopsy. All the 3 patients underwent radical prostatectomies and were well recovered during the follow-up visits. Of the 31 patients who had refused biopsy, 9 cases were confirmed by postoperative pathology as Gleason score 7 -9 PCa, 1 treated by radical prostatectomy and the other 8 by endocrine therapy. Another 59 cases were pathologically diagnosed as BPH, of which, the serum PSA level was restored to normal in 56 and significantly reduced in the other 3, and IPSS was remarkably increased in 53 and improved in the other 6 following urethral soundings.

CONCLUSIONDiagnostic TURP can increase the early diagnosis rate of PCa, improve lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and help to normalize the serum PSA level. Therefore, it can be chosen for those with persistent serum PSA abnormality, LUTS and negative prostate biopsy.

Adenocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms ; diagnosis ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; pathology ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; blood ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; diagnosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate

OBJECTIVEBoth (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) imaging and serum tumor marker measurements can be used in the post-therapy surveillance of recurrent endometrial carcinoma, but the relationship between those two methods has not been demonstrated yet. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic efficiency of (18)F-FDG imaging and serum tumor marker measurements in the diagnosis of recurrent endometrial carcinoma, as well as to analyze the correlation between those two methods.

METHODSThirty-five patients with histopathologically confirmed endometrial carcinoma and suspected to have recurrent disease during post-therapy surveillance were included in this study. (18)F-FDG images from the thorax to the pelvis were obtained in all patients by using GE-Millennium VG Hawkeye system, and the abnormal FDG uptake was judged as tumor recurrence. Serum CA-125 and CP-2 were also measured for each patient by enzyme-linked immunoassay, and a cutoff value of 35 U/ml was taken as the criteria for predicting tumor recurrence. Based on the final clinical diagnosis, the efficiency of tumor markers (CA-125, CP-2) and (18)F-FDG imaging in the diagnosis of recurrent tumor was evaluated.

RESULTSAccording to the histopathological diagnosis or follow-up examinations, tumor recurrence was confirmed in 13 of the 35 patients. Elevated serum level of CA-125 was found in 7 patients, serum CP-2 was increased in 9, and (18)F-FDG imaging was positive in 15. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 53.8%, 100% and 82.9% for the serum CA-125; 38.5%, 81.0% and 65.7% for the serum CP-2, and 100%, 90.9% and 94.3% for the (18)F-FDG imaging, respectively. The diagnostic coincidence rate between the (18)F-FDG imaging and serum CA-125 was 77.1% (Kappa = 0.50, P = 0.001), but no significant correlation was found between the (18)F-FDG imaging and serum CP-2. In the patients with true positive (18)F-FDG imaging, a positive correlation between the tumor volume and the serum CA-125 value was found (r = 0.89, P < 0.001), but no correlation was found between the tumor uptake and the serum CA-125 values.

CONCLUSIONFor the post-therapy surveillance of patients with endometrial carcinoma, serum CA-125 is a high specific tumor marker for diagnosing recurrent disease and better than CP-2, but (18)F-FDG imaging is better than CA-125, and there is a positive correlation between tumor volume and serum CA-125 value.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; CA-125 Antigen ; blood ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; blood ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; blood ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; blood ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; blood ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transcription Factors ; blood

OBJECTIVETo explore the characteristics of 3.0T dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging of lung cancer and its correlation with microvessel density (MVD).

METHODSThirty-seven patients with pathologically proven lung cancer underwent DCE-MR with liver acquisition with volume acceleration sequence. DCE-MR images were acquired intermittently for a total of 4 minutes on a 3.0T MR scanner. The relative enhancing percentage (SI%) at each time point was measured. The shapes of T-SI% curves were defined as A (rapidly ascending followed by a descending branch) and B (rapidly ascending branch followed by a plateau). The early peak enhancement (SIEP%), early peak time (TEP), maximum enhancement (SIpeak%), and peak time (Tpeak) were recorded and compared according to different dimensions, locations, histological types, and differentiation grades of lung cancer. Tumour specimens were immunostained for CD31 and CD34 in ten patients who had undergone surgical resections. The enhancement values were correlated with MVD. Results The SIEP% and SIpeak% of tumors with smaller dimensions (< or = 5 cm) were significantly higher than those with larger dimensions (> 5 cm) (P = 0.014, P = 0.024). The SIEP% and SIpeak% were positively correlated with the tumor MVD. Conclusion The SIEP% and SIpeak% of lung cancer correlate with tumor dimension and can reflect MVD in tumor.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood supply ; diagnosis ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood supply ; diagnosis ; Contrast Media ; Female ; Humans ; Image Enhancement ; methods ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood supply ; diagnosis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Microvessels ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; diagnosis

Approximately 5-30% of the ovarian cancers are metastatic malignancies. The prevalence of metastatic ovarian tumors varies with the incidence rates and spread patterns of primary malignancies. We evaluated the prevalence, pre- and postoperative characteristics of metastatic ovarian cancer in Korean women. We reviewed the records for 821 ovarian malignancies with pathological consultation from 1996- 2006 and recorded patient demographical, radiological, histopathological, and survival data. The study included 112 cases of histologically confirmed metastatic ovarian cancer. Metastatic ovarian cancer accounted for 13.6% of all ovarian malignancy, primarily arising from the gastrointestinal tract. The preoperative detection rate with imaging was 75%, and none of the radiological or serological features were useful for differential diagnosis. In multivariate analysis for prognostic variables, the only significant factor was the primary tumor site (p=0.004). Furthermore, extensive resection increased survival for some patients. The differential diagnosis of metastatic ovarian cancer can be problematic, so multiple diagnostic approaches are necessary. The extent of cytoreductive surgery for this type of tumor must be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Adenocarcinoma/*diagnosis/*secondary/surgery ; Adult ; CA-125 Antigen/blood ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms/*diagnosis/*secondary/surgery ; Ovariectomy ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Survival Analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Primary non-ampullary duodenal adenocarcinomas (PNADAs) comprise <0.3% of gastrointestinal malignancies. The rarity of PNADA and poorly defined natural history often leads to a delayed correct diagnosis. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical characteristics of PNADA and to identify its prognostic factors. METHODS: Data were collected by retrospectively reviewing the medical records of patients with PNADA managed at Gyeongsang National University Hospital from January 2000 to December 2014. Demographic, clinical, endoscopic, and pathological variables were investigated, and factors related to survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with PNADA were identified, and their median age was 64.9+/-13.6 years with 16 (59.3%) being male. The majority of patients (25/27, 92.6%) were initially diagnosed during upper endoscopy with biopsies. The tumor was located on the 1st or 2nd portion of duodenum in 92.6% (25/27) of patients. At the time of diagnosis, 85.2% (23/27) had advanced diseases (stage III or IV); 48.2% (13/27) had distant metastasis. Median survival time was 12 months (1-93 months). One and 3-year survival rates were 48.1% and 33.3%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, total bilirubin > or =2 mg/dL (OR, 85.28; 95% CI, 3.77-1,938.79; p=0.005) and distant metastasis (OR, 26.74; 95% CI, 3.13-2,328.14; p=0.003) at the time of diagnosis were independent poor prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage. Presence of distant metastasis was independent prognostic factor of PNADA together with elevated total bilirubin.
Adenocarcinoma/*diagnosis/mortality/pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bilirubin/blood ; Demography ; Duodenal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/mortality/pathology ; Female ; Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Indeterminate cytology results increase the number of repetitive procedure and unnecessary surgery. This study was designed to find useful and simple predictive tools to differentiate malignant thyroid nodules from indeterminate nodules. We retrospectively enrolled 164 patients who had undergone thyroid surgery as a result of indeterminate cytology in the National Cancer Center. We reviewed patients' age at diagnosis, sex, preoperative biochemical markers such as thyroglobulin (Tg), anti-Tg antibody, free T4 and TSH level, and sonographical and pathological findings, which were subjected to statistical analysis. We found several clinical and sonographical predictive factors that showed significant differences. Young age, male, preoperative high Tg level, and hypoechoic nodule on sonography all increased cancer probability significantly in multivariate analysis. With a cut-off value of 187.5 ng/mL Tg, sensitivity and specificity were 54.8% and 90.1%, respectively (AUC 0.748, P < 0.001). In the case of nodule size > 1.7 cm, elevated serum Tg predicts the risk of malignancy; especially Tg > 70 ng/mL (odds ratio 3.245, 95% confidence interval 1.115-9.450, P = 0.038). Preoperative Tg levels had very high specificity in predicting thyroid cancer in case of suspicious follicular neoplasm. Therefore, Tg levels may be a useful marker for differentiating thyroid cancer from benign thyroid nodules in the cytological diagnosis of indeterminate nodules.
Adenocarcinoma, Follicular/*diagnosis/metabolism/pathology ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Autoantibodies/blood ; Biological Markers/blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Predictive Value of Tests ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sex Factors ; Thyroglobulin/*blood ; Thyroid Nodule/ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: We wanted to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum CA-125 concentration, when used in combination with the preoperative contrast-enhanced CT results, to differentiate borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) from stage I malignant epithelial ovarian tumors (MEOTs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight masses (46 BOTs and 52 stage I MEOTs) from 87 consecutive patients (49 with BOTs and 38 with stage I MEOTs) who had undergone preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and surgical staging were evaluated retrospectively and independently by two radiologists. The preoperative serum CA-125 concentration was measured in all patients. The utility of analyzing serum CA-125 concentration in combination with the CT results was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: An irregular tumor surface and lymphadenopathy were predictive of a MEOT. ROC analysis showed that the combination of CT data and the serum CA-125 level resulted in a higher diagnostic performance than did using the CT alone for differentiating BOTs from MEOTs. The areas under the curves (AUCs) without and with the use of the serum CA-125 level data were 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.77) and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.68-0.85), respectively, for reader 1 (p = 0.029) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.61-0.80) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72-0.89), respectively, for reader 2 (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: The serum CA-125 concentration is of additional diagnostic value when used in conjunction with the CT imaging results for differentiating BOTs from MEOTs.
Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous/*blood/pathology/*radiography ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biological Markers/blood ; CA-125 Antigen/*blood ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous/*blood/pathology/*radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Ovarian Neoplasms/*blood/pathology/*radiography ; Predictive Value of Tests ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To compare prostate cancer detection rates between 12 cores transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) and visually estimated multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy (MRI-visual-Bx) for patients with prostate specific antigen (PSA) level less than 10 ng/mL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 76 patients with PSA levels below 10 ng/mL underwent 3.0 Tesla mp-MRI and TRUS-Bx prospectively in 2014. In patients with abnormal lesions on mp-MRI, we performed additional MRI-visual-Bx. We compared pathologic results, including the rate of clinically significant prostate cancer cores (cancer length greater than 5 mm and/or any Gleason grade greater than 3 in the biopsy core). RESULTS: The mean PSA was 6.43 ng/mL. In total, 48 of 76 (63.2%) patients had abnormal lesions on mp-MRI, and 116 targeted biopsy cores, an average of 2.42 per patient, were taken. The overall detection rates of prostate cancer using TRUS-Bx and MRI-visual-Bx were 26/76 (34.2%) and 23/48 (47.9%), respectively. In comparing the pathologic results of TRUS-Bx and MRI-visual-Bx cores, the positive rates were 8.4% (77 of 912 cores) and 46.6% (54 of 116 cores), respectively (p<0.001). Mean cancer core lengths and mean cancer core percentages were 3.2 mm and 24.5%, respectively, in TRUS-Bx and 6.3 mm and 45.4% in MRI-visual-Bx (p<0.001). In addition, Gleason score ≥7 was noted more frequently using MRI-visual-Bx (p=0.028). The detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer was 27/77 (35.1%) and 40/54 (74.1%) for TRUS-Bx and MRI-visual-Bx, respectively (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: MRI-visual-Bx showed better performance in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, compared to TRUS-Bx among patients with a PSA level less than 10 ng/mL.
Adenocarcinoma/blood/diagnosis/*pathology ; Aged ; Biopsy/*methods ; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration/*methods ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Interventional/methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Prostate/diagnostic imaging/*pathology ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/*blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms/blood/diagnosis/*pathology ; Ultrasonography, Interventional/methods