Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(2):54-60
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000200002
PURPOSE: the objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical, pathological and molecular characteristics in very young women and postmenopausal women with breast cancer. METHODS: we selected 106 cases of breast cancer of very young women (<35 years) and 130 cases of postmenopausal women. We evaluated clinical characteristics of patients (age at diagnosis, ethnic group, family history of breast cancer, staging, presence of distant metastases, overall and disease-free survival), pathological characteristics of tumors (tumor size, histological type and grade, axillary lymph nodes status) and expression of molecular markers (hormone receptors, HER2, p53, p63, cytokeratins 5 and 14, and EGFR), using immunohistochemistry and tissue microarray. RESULTS: when comparing clinicopathologic variables between the age groups, younger women demonstrated greater frequency of nulliparity (p=0.03), larger tumors (p<0.000), higher stage disease (p=0.01), lymph node positivity (p=0.001), and higher grade tumors (p=0.004). Most of the young patients received chemotherapy (90.8%) and radiotherapy (85.2%) and less tamoxifen therapy (31.5%) comparing with postmenopausal women. Lower estrogen receptor positivity 49.1% (p=0.01) and higher HER2 overexpression 28.7% (p=0.03) were observed in young women. In 32 young patients (29.6%) and in 20% of the posmenopausal women, the breast carcinomas were of the triple-negative phenotype (p=0.034). In 16 young women (50%) and in 10 postmenopausal women (7.7%), the tumors expressed positivity for cytokeratin 5 and/or 14, basal phenotype (p=0.064). Systemic metastases were detected in 55.3% of the young women and in 39.2% of the postmenopausal women. Breast cancer overall survival and disease-free survival in five years were, respectively, 63 and 39% for young women and 75 and 67% for postmenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: breast cancer arising in very young women showed negative clinicobiological characteristics and more aggressive tumors.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(1):22-27
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000100005
PURPOSE: to analyze complications, morbidity, mortality and survival rate in a group of patients with cervical cancer with central pelvic relapse after primary radiotherapy treatment. METHODS: retrospective study of a series of 16 cases of pelvic exenteration after primary radiotherapy treatment. Descriptive statistics, survival curve through Kaplan-Meier's method, and regression analysis to evaluate prognosis were performed. RESULTS: sixteen patients have undergone pelvic exenteration. Epidermoid carcinoma, IIb stage and undifferentiated grade were the most frequent conditions. Post-operatory tumor relapse occurred in half the cases. Eleven patients presented peri or post-surgical complications, the most frequent being pelvic infection, that of the surgical wound, and urinary fistulae. Global survival rate was 64.3%, with average follow-up of 11 months. Regression analysis did not detect any significant prognosis factor for the patient survival. CONCLUSIONS: the survival rate was 64.3%. No particular factor associated to poor prognosis has been found in the present series of cases.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2005;27(3):130-136
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032005000300006
PURPOSE: to analyze birth weight in a cohort of newborns for the year 2000, in Goiânia, by determining the coefficient of mortality and neonatal survival probability, stratified by categories of birth weight, and also, through the identification of factors associated with low birth weight (LBW). METHODS: a retrospective cohort study, made possible by the linkage of data from the ISM (Information System on Mortality) and ISLB (Information System on Live Births) files. Coefficients of neonatal mortality were calculated for the categories of birth weight and a neonatal survival probability chart was constructed with the help of linear regression analysis. Risk factors for LBW were identified by univariate analysis (RR) and logistic regression analysis, and the level of significance was set at 5%. RESULTS: the incidence of LBW was 6.9% and 140 (66.8%) neonatal deaths took place in this group. Thirty percent of these deaths occurred in the 1,500-2,500 g weight bracket. The following risk factors were identified for LBW: preterm pregnancy, presence of congenital malformations, mothers at the extreme ages for reproduction, mothers living in the northwestern region of the city, insufficient prenatal appointments with the doctor, delivery in a public hospital, and female babies. CONCLUSION: Goiânia had an incidence of LBW which is comparable to that of developed countries and coefficients of neonatal mortality by category of weight were below those found for those countries. These results recommend that we pay attention to: prematurity, public hospitals, and the northwestern region of Goiânia.