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Prognostic value of cell motility activation factors in patients with tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Cell motility plays a crucial role in invasion and metastasis of malignant tumors. Both AMFR and c-Met, known as key factors in up-regulation of cell motility, are overexpressed in a variety of malignant solid tumors. This study was designed to analyze the role of cell motility and its prognostic value in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In addition, the expression of Ets-1, known as a transcription factor that regulates cell motility, was also studied to elucidate its relationship with c-Met and AMFR expression. The expression of c-Met, AMFR, and Ets-1 protein was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 99 patients with tongue SCC. Then, the expression score of these proteins and their association with clinical factors was retrospectively evaluated. The expression level of both c-Met and AMFR was significantly correlated with local and distant metastatic tumor recurrence. Moreover, patients with increased expression of both c-Met and AMFR had significantly worse disease-free survival. The expression score of Ets-1 was also strongly correlated with that of c-Met, whereas it was weakly correlated with AMFR. Pathologically advanced tumor status (pT4), advanced node (pN2 and pN3), stage IV, c-Met and AMFR were significant hazards in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis among stage IV, c-Met, and AMFR, AMFR expression remained a significant prognostic factor. This study suggests that Ets-1 contributes to the invasive phenotype through overexpression of c-Met. The evaluation of AMFR and c-Met in tongue SCC is valuable in identifying patients at high risk for recurrences and who should be treated as more advanced cases.

Adolescent↗

Predictive value of decreased p27Kip1 protein expression for the recurrence-free and long-term survival of prostate cancer patients.

The p27Kip1 gene has been identified as inductor of cell cycle arrest at the G1 checkpoint to prevent entry of somatic cells into the S phase of the cell cycle when substantial DNA damage has occurred. It has been suggested that decreased expression of the p27Kip1 protein may contribute to the development of human malignancies due to loss of critical antiproliferative mechanisms. In the present study, 95 specimens (T1-T4) from 95 randomly selected patients undergoing radical prostatectomy at the Urological Department of Hannover University (82 patients) as well as in the Josef Hospital Regensburg (13 patients) between 1981 and 1992 for whom tissue blocks for immunohistochemical investigation were available, were investigated for different biological and clinical characteristics as possible predictors for recurrence-free and long-term survival: age, depth of tumour infiltration, histological grade, lymph node status, as well as decreased expression of the p27Kip1 protein. After a median follow-up up of 56 months (24-151 months), seven of 21 (33%) patients (Group 1) with loss of p27Kip1 protein expression or a relative amount of <10% of positively stained tumour cells developed recurrent disease in contrast to 17 of 74 (23%) patients (Group 2) with retained p27Kip1 protein expression (> or =10% of positively stained tumour cells). The median recurrence-free survival was 14 months (5-40 months) for patients from Group 1 and 31 months (7-133 months) for Group 2 patients (P = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, loss of p27Kip1 protein expression was identified as the only independent prognostic parameter for recurrence-free survival. In contrast, neither the univariate nor the multivariate analysis showed a correlation between loss of p27Kip1 protein expression and the long-term survival of the patients. Prospective studies are urgently needed to confirm the independent prognostic value of decreased p27Kip1 protein expression together with overexpression of the p53 tumour suppressor protein in patients with localized prostate cancer. The availability of more refined prognostically important biological variables in addition to established prognostic factors like tumour stage or Gleason score might help decision making in patients at high risk for the development of local recurrence or systemic tumour progression.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The temporal relationship of psychosocial stress to cellular immunity and herpes labialis recurrences.

This study used a prospective single-subject study design and time series analysis for repeated measures data to investigate the hypothesis that variations in psychosocial stress are associated with changes in cellular immunity in a study subject with recurrent herpes labialis. A study subject who was antibody positive for HSV-1 but reported no clinical manifestations of disease served as a control. Psychosocial stress, as measured by a questionnaire; cellular immunity, as measured by the monoclonal antibodies CD4 (OKT4), which defines the helper/inducer subset of T lymphocytes; and CD8 (OKT8), which defines the suppressor/cytotoxic subset, were measured weekly over the 32-week study period. Analysis of data using bivariate time series (ARIMA) demonstrated significant inverse correlations between stress level scores and percent CD4 helper/inducer T lymphocytes in both subjects. In the study subject with recurrent herpes simplex labialis, a Mann-Whitney U statistic determined that the percent of CD4 in the early stages of a recurrence were significantly lower than the percent of CD4 at other times when blood samples were drawn. The data presented are repeated measures on two individuals with positive antibodies to the herpes simplex virus, one with recurrent herpes and one without a history of recurrent herpes. Relevance for stress research is discussed.

Adult↗

Preoperative p27 status is an independent predictor of prostate specific antigen failure following radical prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: p27 is an important cell cycle regulator, and decreased expression in radical prostatectomy specimens is associated with an increased risk of prostate specific antigen (PSA) failure. To our knowledge no prior study has shown that preoperative p27 status independently predicts recurrence after radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prostate needle biopsy specimens of 161 men treated with radical prostatectomy were examined for p27 expression using immunohistochemistry. Various p27 cut points were examined for their ability to separate patients into groups with different risk for time to biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy. The best p27 cut point was compared to other clinical variables (PSA, clinical stage, age, biopsy Gleason score and percent of prostate needle biopsy with cancer) on multivariate analysis to determine which variables independently predicted biochemical failure. RESULTS: A p27 cut point of less than 45% positive staining cells resulted in significant preoperative risk stratification for time to PSA failure (HR 2.41, p = 0.010). On multivariate analysis serum PSA (HR 1.04, p = 0.011), biopsy Gleason score (HR 1.51, p = 0.011), percent of biopsy tissue with cancer (HR 10.01, p = 0.001) and less than 45% p27 positive cells (HR 2.44, p = 0.014) were all independent predictors of biochemical recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative p27 expression is an independent predictor of time to biochemical recurrence following radical prostatectomy. Patients with less than 45% p27 positive cells in the prostate needle biopsy specimen have almost a 2.5-fold increased risk of biochemical recurrence. To our knowledge this study is the first to show that p27 status of the prostate needle biopsy specimen can be used before radical prostatectomy to predict biochemical failure.

Aged↗

Quality of life in patients attending a low-risk gynaecological oncology follow-up clinic.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To assess the quality of life (QOL) of patients who had been treated for gynaecological malignancies and who were attending a low risk follow-up clinic. (2) To determine the accuracy of the clinic physicians' assessment of patients' QOL compared with the Functional Living Index-Cancer (FLI-C) [Schipper et al., 1984. Measuring the quality of life of cancer patients: the Functional Living Index-Cancer: development and validation. J Clin Oncol 2(5): 472-483]. (3) To examine a single subjective question about change in QOL. (4) To assess patient fear of cancer recurrence. DESIGN: Self-administered patient questionnaire. The questionnaire contained the FLI-C, with four additional questions. SETTING: Low risk (good prognosis) follow-up clinics in the Department of Gynaecological Oncology at King Edward Memorial Hospital (the tertiary centre for obstetrics and gynaecology for the state of Western Australia). PATIENTS: 202 consecutive attendees of the clinic. Non-English speaking patients attending without an interpreter were excluded. RESULTS: Most patients reported a good QOL. The range of FLI-C scores was 59-154 (possible range 22-154), with a median score of 140 and a mean of 134. Younger patients were more fearful of cancer recurrence. Radiotherapy was associated with a worsening of QOL. Patients living with partners experienced deterioration in sexual functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Patients attending the low risk follow-up clinic after gynaecological malignancy have a good overall QOL.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Bladder neck invasion is an independent predictor of prostate-specific antigen recurrence.

BACKGROUND: The 1997 TNM staging system for prostatic carcinoma and the 2002 revision thereof classified prostatic carcinoma with bladder neck involvement classified as pT4 disease. This classification is based on the belief that tumors that invade surrounding structures are more aggressive and warrant higher staging than tumors that do not invade surrounding structures. Recent reports in the literature suggested that microscopic involvement of the bladder neck does not carry independent prognostic significance. Therefore, resection specimens with bladder neck involvement should not be classified as pT4. The current study prospectively examined the prognostic significance of bladder neck involvement by prostatic carcinoma. METHODS: The authors analyzed the totally embedded and whole-mounted radical prostatectomy specimens from 364 consecutive patients. The mean patient age was 66 years (range, 41-77 years). The bladder neck, which had been coned from the specimen, was cut in a perpendicular fashion. Involvement of the bladder neck was defined as the presence of neoplastic cells within the smooth muscle bundles of the coned bladder neck. The data were prospectively collected. Bladder neck involvement was analyzed in relation to age, preoperative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, prostate weight, Gleason score, final pathologic classification, tumor volume, surgical margin status, the presence of high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasm, multifocality, seminal vesicle invasion, extraprostatic extension, perineural invasion, and PSA recurrence. RESULTS: Bladder neck involvement was found in 22 (6%) of 364 patients. Univariate results indicated that bladder neck involvement versus no bladder neck involvement was significantly associated with preoperative PSA (P < 0.001), higher pathologic classification (P < 0.001), larger tumor volume (P < 0.001), extraprostatic extension (P < 0.001), positive surgical margins (P < 0.001), and PSA recurrence (P = 0.003). In a multivariate logistic regression model controlling for pathologic classification, Gleason score, and surgical margin status, bladder neck involvement was an independent predictor of PSA recurrence (P = 0.04). The adjusted odds ratio for bladder neck involvement was 3.3 (95% confidence interval, 1.04-10.03). CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, bladder neck involvement was an independent predictor of early PSA recurrence. The data demonstrated the importance of continued assessment of bladder neck invasion and supported the placement of tumors with bladder neck involvement in a stage that recognizes the prognostic implications of such involvement.

Adult↗

Recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus: identification of risk factors.

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the influence of maternal and neonatal factors on the recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A study was conducted on 164 predominantly Hispanic patients whose index pregnancy was complicated by GDM and whose subsequent consecutive pregnancy was managed at our institution between January 1988 and December 1992. The diagnosis of GDM was based on the criteria recommended by the National Diabetes Data Group using a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test. One-hundred and eleven (68%) of the 164 women had recurrence of GDM. Fifty-three (32%) did not demonstrate recurrence in their subsequent pregnancy. Patients with recurrence had GDM diagnosed earlier (30.3 vs 32.5 weeks, p = 0.03), frequently required insulin (25 vs. 8%, p <0.05) and had more hospital admissions (32 vs. 10% p <0.05) in their index pregnancy compared to women who did not have recurrence of GDM. Women who had recurrence had elevated mean third-trimester plasma glucose values: fasting 87.6 vs. 83 mg/dL, (p = 0.009) and 2-hr postprandial 109.7 vs. 102.2 mg/dL, (p = 0.008). Neonates of patients with recurrence were heavier (3656 vs. 3373 g, p = 0.004) and had an increased incidence of macrosomia (26 vs. 10%, p <0.05). No significant differences were observed in maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index, HbgA1C values, second-trimester blood glucose levels, method of delivery, incidence of shoulder dystocia and Apgar scores between the two groups of women. Hispanic patients with history of GDM have significant risk of recurrence in their subsequent pregnancy. The risk for recurrence in women is increased if GDM is diagnosed earlier, they require insulin, have elevated third-trimester plasma glucose level, and deliver macrosomic infants in their index pregnancy. It appears that obesity does not increase the risk of recurrence of gestational diabetes in Hispanics.

Adult↗

Assessing the appropriateness of pain medication prescribing practices in nursing homes.

OBJECTIVES: To test a tool for screening the quality of nursing home (NH) pain medication prescribing. DESIGN: Validity and reliability of measurement tool developed for a pre/postintervention with untreated comparison group. SETTING: Six treatment NHs and six comparison NHs in rural and urban Colorado. PARTICIPANTS: NH staff, physicians, and repeated 20% random sample of each home's residents (N = 2,031). INTERVENTION: Nurse and physician education; NH internal pain team to champion better pain management using a pain vital sign, consultations, and rounds. MEASUREMENTS: An expert panel reviewed the Pain Medication Appropriateness Scale (PMAS) for content validity. Research assistants interviewed NH residents, assessed them for pain using standardized instruments, and reviewed their medical records for prescriptions and use of pain and adjuvant medication. Construct validity was assessed by comparing the PMAS of residents in pain with the PMAS of those not in pain and comparing scores in homes in which the intervention was more effective with those in which it was less effective, using the Fisher exact and Student t tests. Interrater and test-retest reliability were measured. RESULTS: The mean total PMAS was 64% of optimal. Fewer than half of residents with predictably recurrent pain were prescribed scheduled pain medication; 23% received at least one high-risk medication. PMAS scores were better for residents not in pain (68% vs 60%, P = .004) and in homes where nurses' knowledge of pain assessment and management improved or stayed the same during the intervention (69% vs 61%, P = .03). CONCLUSION: The PMAS is useful for assessing pain medication prescribing in NHs and elucidates why so many residents have poorly controlled pain.

Adult↗

Low psychopathology scores in the prognosis of breast cancer. A preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Research findings regarding the influence of psychopathology on cancer progression are not yet clear. This preliminary report investigates the severity of psychopathology assessed before biopsy in patients with invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) and its association with two follow-up outcomes: disease-free (to first recurrence) and survival periods. METHOD: The psychiatric assessment of 80 patients under 70 years old was established by means of an interview before biopsy. The DSM-IV criteria were used to establish the past and current psychiatric diagnoses. The Present State Examination (PSE)-Index of Definition (ID)-computer program (CATEGO) was used to define total PSE score, clusters of psychiatric symptoms (psychiatric syndromes) and current clinical severity (ID). The independent influence of biological prognostic factors and psychiatric variables on first recurrence or survival period was tested using Cox's proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: After biopsy, 38 IBC patients were followed up for 3 to 8-1/3 years. During this period, 8 patients died from IBC and 7 were alive with metastatic disease. Cox's proportional hazards regression analyses showed that tumor diameter and low ID were independent significant predictors of early recurrence, whereas tumor diameter, negative estrogen receptors and low ID were independent significant predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS: A low prebiopsy psychopathology score in IBC is a predictor of early recurrence and short survival.

Adult↗

Arthroscopic shoulder stabilization using transglenoid sutures.

The results of arthroscopic stabilization using multiple transglenoid sutures in 24 patients with posttraumatic recurrent anterior shoulder instability are presented with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. No serious complications were recorded. There were 2 recurrences. The remaining 22 patients had good or excellent results according to the modified Rowe score, with a median score of 89. The median value for loss of external rotation was 5 degrees. Seventeen patients were active in sports and 11 returned to the same sports at the same competitive level.

Adolescent↗

Residual symptoms and comorbidity in panic disorder.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of the comorbid conditions of panic disorder after 1 year of treatment, emphasizing the detection of residual symptoms and their relationship to other clinical variables. METHODS: Subjects (N = 64) were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Comorbidity with other disorders, scores on Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were assessed at baseline and after 12 months. Criteria for residual anxiety/somatic symptoms were defined. RESULTS: Reduction in generalized anxiety disorder rates accounted for a significant decrease in comorbidity at 1-year follow-up, with regard to baseline assessment. When the more severe symptoms of the disorder had remitted, a third of the patients referred physical symptoms with some concern over a fluctuating state of anxiety. The said symptoms were neither a recurrence of panic disorder nor did they account for other anxiety or somatoform disorders. Lower scores on extraversion predict higher risk of residual symptoms. DISCUSSION: The persistence of residual anxiety/somatic symptoms in a third of the patients who apparently achieved a good response to treatment of panic disorder might characterize a minor form of chronic persistence of this condition. CONCLUSIONS: The subgroup of patients with residual symptoms would not be detectable by follow-up studies, which focus on the assessment of relapse of panic disorder by means of strictly defined diagnostic criteria.

Adult↗

[Breast-conserving treatment for early invasive lobular breast cancer: 15 years results].

BACKGROUND: Infiltrating lobular cancer is biologically different from invasive ductal cancer and there is disagreement regarding appropriate local management of this disease. PURPOSE: To examine treatment outcomes after breast-saving surgery for patients with invasive lobular breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1983 and 1987, 77 women with early, stage I-II invasive lobular breast cancer were treated with complete gross excision of the tumour and axillary dissection. Fifty-eight of these patients were treated with 50 Gy ipsilateral breast irradiation, and 19 did not receive radiotherapy. During 176 month median follow-up local-regional recurrences, distant metastases, contralateral breast cancers, breast cancer deaths and deaths caused by other disease were scored. The probability of survival was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method. In uni- and multivariate analysis the Cox-model was used. Relative risk (RR) and associated confidence intervals (CI) were calculated from the regression coefficients. Statistical differences in proportions and means were assessed by log rank and Fisher exact-tests. RESULTS: In the saved breast, the actual rate of local recurrence at 15 years was 13% for irradiated and 53% for non-irradiated patients (RR: 0.1; 95% CI: 0.03-0.31; p: < 0.0001). The incidence of total breast cancer relapses (local-regional recurrences and distant metastases) was also higher for non-irradiated than for irradiated patients (74% vs. 40%; p: 0.0168). In multivariate analysis irradiation (no vs. yes) showed a significant effect on local tumour control (RR: 0.08: 95% CI: 0.02-0.28; p: 0.0001), but menopausal (pre vs. post), T-(T1 vs. T2) and N-(N0 vs. N1) status did not. The breast cancer specific survival at 15 years was 74% without and 62% with local recurrence (RR: 1.45; 95% CI: 0.53-3.96; p: 0.4697). The majority of local recurrences (9 of 14) were curable by salvage surgery. For all patients the rate of contralateral breast cancer was 6.5%. CONCLUSION: Results of long-term follow-up confirmed that breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy is a reasonable treatment for patients with early invasive lobular breast cancer. The majority of local recurrences are curable by salvage surgery.

Adult↗

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for the treatment of endometriosis: long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term recurrence rate of endometriosis after treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRH-a). DESIGN: A historical prospective study. SETTING: Royal Free Hospital, London, a tertiary referral center for the treatment of endometriosis. PATIENTS: One hundred thirty patients with endometriosis had treatment with GnRH-a buserelin acetate, goserelin, and nafarelin acetate between the years 1985 and 1987. Patients no longer being followed in the gynecology clinic were sent a questionnaire to determine their state of health. Information was also requested from the patient's general practitioner. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The cumulative recurrence rate for the fifth year after treatment ended was 53.4%. RESULTS: Patients with a higher disease stage at the outset were more likely to experience recurrence and experience it earlier than patients with minimal disease. Fifth-year recurrence rates were 36.9% for minimal disease and 74.4% for severe disease. The change in endometriosis stage classification scores at second-look laparoscopy for those patients whose disease recurred after treatment was not significantly different from those whose disease did not recur during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with endometriosis treated with GnRH-a are highly likely to suffer a recurrence of their disease, particularly if their disease is severe at the outset.

Adolescent↗

Treatment options in Western hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study of 224 patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Though hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent malignant tumors in the world, the optimal therapeutic strategy is still poorly defined. This is mainly due to geographic differences in HCC which may affect the validity of treatment regimens in differents areas of the world. The aim of the present study was to analyze the natural course of the disease as well as to assess the efficacy of different therapeutical schemes in HCC observed in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and Trieste (Italy), two cities in Western Europe situated close to each other. METHODS: During the period from January 1988 to December 1993, 224 consecutive patients (132 in Trieste and 92 in Ljubljana) with HCC were enrolled in the study. Patients were treated with the following 3 schemes: surgery 39 (17.4%), transcatheter chemoembolization (TACE) 116 (51.8%), and no treatment 69 (30.8%). The tumor was classified by Okuda staging and the liver disease by Child-Pugh score. Patients were followed up for 12-60 months, with an average of 40 months. The response rate to TACE and recurrence following surgery were evaluated. Comparative analysis of survival between different treatment groups was performed. RESULTS: The natural course of the disease, and other characteristics of the HCC, showed a typical Western type of tumor. Liver disease was scored as Child A in 58%, Child B in 30% and Child C in 12%, and the tumor was staged as Okuda I in 52%, Okuda II in 37% and Okuda III in 11%, respectively. Treatment with TACE was followed by an objective response in 27%, with a median survival of 31 months. Surgery was followed by a recurrence rate of 77% within 19.5 months and median survival of 49 months. The overall median survival of nontreated patients was 8 months. Survival in each group of patients differed significantly between all three consecutive stages of Okuda (p<0.001). In contrast, the differences in survival were significant only between Child A and B (p<0.02). The differences between Child B and C were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the importance of staging in the choice of treatment modality and diffusion of HCC in affecting an overall response to treatment and survival. Surgery is highly effective in monofocal HCC of Okuda I and II without cirrhosis. TACE is effective in Okuda I and II and Child A cirrhosis only. The treatment of HCC in Child B cirrhosis needs further studies. In Child C and/or Okuda stage III of HCC, any treatment except pure symptomatic relief is detrimental and should not be used.

Aged↗

Age impact in clinicopathologic presentation and the clinical evolution of prostate cancer in patients submitted to radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of age in pathological findings and clinical evolution of prostate cancer in patients treated with radical prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hundred and fifty-six patients operated on between 1991 and 2000 were selected. Patients were divided into age groups of between 10 and 49 years, 50 to 59 years, 60 to 69 years and 70 to 83 years. RESULTS: Patients having less than 60 years of age presented clinical stage (p = 0.001), PSA (p = 0.013) and biopsy Gleason score (p = 0.013) more favorable than older patients. Age groups did not show any relationship between either postoperative Gleason score or pathological stage or risk of non-confined organ disease and involvement of seminal vesicles. After a mean follow-up of 58.3 months, 149 (27%) patients presented recurrence. Patients aged between 40 and 59 years presented a disease-free survival rate significantly higher when compared to patients aged between 60 and 83 years (p = 0.022). However, when controlled with clinical stage, PSA, Gleason score and percentage of positive fragments, there was no relationship between age and biochemical recurrence risk (p = 0.426). CONCLUSIONS: Even though younger patients presented more favorable preoperative characteristics, postoperative pathological findings and biochemical recurrence rates did not differ between studied age groups.

Adult↗

Giant cell tumor of bone treated by curettage, cementation, and bone grafting.

Giant cell tumor, a relatively rare, occasionally malignant tumor of bone, remains a difficult therapeutic problem for the orthopedic surgeon. Various treatment options, including curettage alone, curettage with bone grafting, radiation, and curettage with acrylic cementation have been utilized and reported. Therapeutic complications such as infection, recurrence, and loss of support of the articular surface have continued to plague the treatment of giant cell tumors. This article reports the results of 10 consecutive cases of giant cell tumor of bone treated by curettage and methyl methacrylate cementation, followed by bone grafting of the surface of the lesion with demineralized bone matrix to reconstitute the cortex at the site of the tumor. At an average follow up of 36 months, eight patients had an excellent functional result and two had a fair result as scored on the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society rating system. To date, there have been no tumor recurrences or metastases, and all patients have radiographic evidence of healing of the weight bearing cortical surface.

Adult↗

Presenting characteristics of depressed outpatients as a function of recurrence: preliminary findings from the STAR*D clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Recurrent depression predicts risk for subsequent episodes, but it is unclear how it relates to demographic features, course of illness, and clinical presentation. METHODS: We report on the baseline data for the first 1500 patients enrolled in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study (www.star-d.org). Patients were required to have a DSM-IV diagnosis of nonpsychotic major depression and to score > or = 14 on the 17-item Hamilton rating scale for depression. Status with respect to recurrent depression and other aspects of illness course and demographic features were ascertained at intake, along with measures of depression and concurrent general medical illness. RESULTS: Patients with recurrent depression were older, had an earlier age of onset, and were more likely to have a positive family history of depression than first episode patients. However, recurrent patients were less likely to be chronic and reported shorter current episodes than first episode patients, something that was largely confined to females. Recurrent patients were more likely than first episode patients to report non-essential aspects of mood, cognition, and somatic symptoms, although largely as a consequence of greater overall depressive symptom severity. CONCLUSIONS: As compared to single episode depressions, recurrent depression was associated with greater symptom severity and illness characteristics suggestive of greater underlying risk, but not other demographic characteristics than age. Risk for recurrence appeared to be distinct from chronic depression. A subset of chronic first episode patients may lack the capacity to remit and may therefore be distinct from those with recurrent episodes.

Adolescent↗

Prognostic value of histopathological response to radiotherapy and microvessel density in oral squamous cell carcinomas.

The prognostic value of histopathological response to preoperative radiotherapy (50 Gy) in radically resected oral carcinomas was studied in 39 consecutive patients. Microvessel density (MVD) was evaluated for relation to radioresponse and outcome. Resected tumour tissue was examined histopathologically and response to radiotherapy was scored according to induced morphological changes. Pretreatment biopsies were stained with antibodies to von Willebrand factor to evaluate MVD in hot-spot regions, in stromal tissue and in tumour epithelial tissue. Histopathological response to radiotherapy was highly prognostic of local failures and survival (p = 0.002), though microscopic surgical radicality was obtained. In good responders to preoperative radiotherapy, the 5-year survival rate was 68% compared with 24% in poor responders. In 12 patients with local recurrence after radical surgery, 11 had poor histopathological radiotherapy responses. In univariate analysis, a high MVD score in tumour epithelium was associated with poor clinical outcome but MVD did not correlate with histopathological radiotherapy response.

Adult↗