Archiv fur Geschwulstforschung最新文献

Forty-one histologically verified endometrial carcinomas were examined to reveal relationship, if any, between cytoplasmic receptor content and tumour differentiation, cytologic diagnosis and mean nuclear surface area. The latter in itself was found to be a reliable prognostic sign of the estrogen receptor positivity of the tumour.

We are giving a report about the results of treatment of children (0 till 15 years old), who were from January 1, 1971 till December 31, 1985 with a neuroblastoma, a nephroblastoma or an osteosarcoma hospitalized in the Clinic of Paediatrics of the University at Rostock or in the Children's Clinic of the District Hospital at Schwerin. All together there were 65 cases with such a diagnosis. There is a summarizing life table analysis.

We have examined the expression of 7 well defined tumor markers/tumor associated antigens (H type 2, X, Y, sialyl-Lea, CEA, MAM-6, and Tn) and a tumor associated antigen defined by a new own monoclonal antibody on non-transformed human epithelial cell lines derived from reduction mammoplasties by means of immunocytochemistry with monoclonal antibodies. Two cell types are discernible: slowly or non-proliferating, lumenal derived (I), and proliferating, stem cell-like, basal cell-derived cells (II). Five out of the 8 tumor markers were expressed on type I cells, and all 8 on type II cells. The number of positive cells varied considerably from a few to 100 per cent depending on the individual markers. The observed patterns proved to be characteristic and reproducible; they appear to reflect the developmental stage of the cells cultured in vitro rather than a direct influence of the culture conditions.

More than 170 types of commercial cigarettes from several European countries and the USA were analyzed for tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in tobacco and mainstream smoke as well as for nitrate in tobacco. The cigarettes included filter and nonfilter cigarettes with different tar and nicotine yields. The observed range for N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) was from 4 to 1353 ng/cigarette in mainstream smoke and from 45 to 12454 ng/cigarette in tobacco. For 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) the values were between not detected (less than 4 ng/cigarette) and 1749 ng/cigarette in mainstream smoke and between not detected (less than 50 ng/cigarette) and 10745 ng/cigarette in tobacco. Nitrate levels ranged from 0.6 to 19.4 mg/cigarette. The TSNA levels for the cigarettes from the different countries investigated were in a similar range with the exception of few individual brands. The results demonstrated that there is no correlation between TSNA and tar deliveries in mainstream smoke. The TSNA deliveries in mainstream smoke depend on the amount or preformed TSNA in the actual tobacco composition, which is influenced by the nitrate level of the tobacco and the tobacco type. According to these results the tar delivery, although crucial, is not a sufficient index for the biological activity and the carcinogenic potential of cigarette smoke. Reduction of TSNA exposure can be achieved by selecting tobaccos with low levels of preformed TSNA in tobacco, which means a low nitrate content and reduction of the amount of Burley tobaccos and stems in blended cigarettes.

Sometimes widely diverging results have been reported as regards the nuclear DNA ploidy pattern of adenocarcinomas of the endometrium. Since such discrepancies might be due to differences in the techniques applied, it seemed worthwhile to investigate this possibility in conventional uterine curetted specimens. In order to obtain a high incidence of tumours with cancer cell nuclei showing "aneuploid" DNA distribution pattern, a selection was made, so that only those adenocarcinomas that had led to a fetal outcome of the neoplastic disease were examined. The results of two image cytometric (ICM) techniques for cytochemical nuclear DNA assessments were compared. One was direct photographic cytometric measurements on Feulgen-stained sections; the other was densitometric assessments on isolated tumour cell nuclei of deparaffinised and disintegrated specimens. In 39 cases out of 43 the DNA ploidy pattern was the same by means of the two techniques. However, about half the numbers of the specimens (40 out of 83) were lost during the deparaffinisation and disintegration procedure. As far as could be found from a limited study on 20 (out of the 43) selected cases, these losses of specimens became even greater when the flow-cytometric (FCM) technique was applied on the deparaffinised specimens; about one third of these specimens were not possible to evaluate. In addition, in those where assessments by means of FCM could be made, the DNA ploidy pattern obtained differed from that of the two ICM techniques in not less than 80% of the cases. Broad peaks and high amounts of counts in the background in the DNA histograms indicated that most of the DNA assessments made by means of FCM on archival material of the present kind of curetted specimens of endometrial adenocarcinomas gave no reliable results. Consequently, differences in the techniques applied in cytochemical assessments of the nuclear DNA distribution pattern in endometrial carcinomas can explain the more or less controversial results reported from different laboratories.

Aspiration cytology smears from 24 breast alterations were subjected to cytophotometry and TV image analysis. The smears were grouped according to histological diagnosis and cytological pattern. Cell cycle parameters and DNA indices were calculated from the decomposition of the DNA histograms. Based on quantitative morphometric features the TV image analyser distinguished the benign cells from the malignant ones. In benign cases its diagnostic accuracy is of 80%. Cytological Grades 1, 2 and 3 are also identifiable by this system. Cytophotometric measurements were also performed with 22 invasive breast cancers with known 5-year survival. The cell cycle parameters were related to the survival data. From the point of view of survival only the ratio of the S plus G2 phase cells of all the parameters examined proved to be significant.

After introduction and using sonography and computed tomography over years magnetic resonance tomography is also being applied to clinical practice for various diseases. Considering the cost-benefit-risk new conceptions for the diagnostic strategy are necessary. With the presentation of the three supplementary and to some extent competitive cross sectional imaging procedures the diagnostic possibilities in space occupying processes of adrenals, kidneys, liver, and pancreas are discussed.

In healthy as well as in leukemia P388- or melanoma B16-bearing B6D2F1 mice the platinum concentrations in liver, serum and kidneys were determined after i.v. administration of 10 mg/kg cisplatin. In a tumor stage related to about 40% of the mean survival time (MST) no differences in platinum distribution between tumor-bearing and healthy animals could be observed. In the tumor stage related to about 70% of the MST, elevated platinum levels in serum of both tumor models and in kidneys only in melanoma-bearing but not in leukemia-bearing mice could be found. These results confirm those of other authors that tumor stages less than 50% of the MST exert no marked influence on the distribution pattern of cisplatin in rodents. Moreover, in advanced tumor stages distributional differences of antineoplastic agents may be expected between healthy and tumor-bearing mice as well as between animals bearing different neoplasias.

Current understanding of the complex processes of cancer causation through a study of the mechanisms of carcinogenesis have documented that there are several major steps each, with distinct quantitative risk assessment factors. The first series of steps, defined by genotoxicity, deal with the assessment of the type of genotoxic carcinogen and its metabolism, leading to a DNA- and macromolecular-reactive species. A second area concerns the rate of cell duplication, important in leading to cell transformation to an early neoplastic state. The third key area explores agents that bear on a further development and growth of the transformed cells, an area that has quite distinct dose-response relationships from the first type. Therefore, modulation of the third area provides excellent means of control. In addition, of course, the optimal means is avoiding exposure to genotoxic carcinogens.