Cancer Detection and Prevention Volume 18 / Issue 3 (May-Jun 1994)

Table of Contents and Editor's Notes

The peer review process occasionally results in approval of controversial publications that do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of the editors. Readers of the journal are encouraged to critically review and comment on presented data by submitting a "Letter to the Editor" that may be reprinted in a subsequent issue.

Familial Risk of Breast Cancer in a French Case-Control Study

N Andrieu, F Clavel, B Gairard, L Piana, A Bremond, J Lansac, R Flamant, R Renaud

A study of 495 cases and 785 controls revealed a positive association between the occurrence of breast cancer and a family history of breast cancer. >>>

A Method for Estimating Cancer Risk in p53 Mutation Carriers

Christine Le Bihan, Catherine Bonaiti-Pellie, MD, PhD Unite de Recherches d'Epidemiologie Genetique , Paris, France

A method for cancer risk assessment of p53 mutation carriers provided reliable and unbiased estimates. >>>

p53 and ras Gene Expression in Human Esophageal Cancer and Barrett's Epithelium: A Prospective Study

Kent Sorsdahl, MD, Alan G Casson, MB ChB, Mike Troster, MD, Don Van Meyel, BSc, Richard Inculet, MD, Ann F Chambers, PhD

In seven of ten esophageal tumors and in six of ten Barrette's epithelia RNA transcript levels of p53 were three to six times higher than in corresponding normal esophageal tissue. A three to sixfold overexpression of H-ras was noted only in four of ten tumors and in one of Barrette's. >>>

Immunohistochemical Analysis of p53 Overexpression in Human Colonic Tumors

Elisabeth Darmon, MS, Karen R Cleary, MD, Michael J Wargovich, PhD

Overexpression of p53 in paraffin embedded biopsies was detected in 65% of colonic adenocarcinomas and in two villous adenomas, while tubular adenomas were negative for p53 expression. P53 positive cells were also found in six adenomas of seven subjects with familial adenomatous polyposis and adencarcinoma while seven benign adenomas were negative for p53 expression. >>>

p53 Expression and Mutations in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck: Expression Correlates with the Patients' Use of Tobacco and Alcohol

John K Field, PhD, Vasillis Zoumpourlis, MSc, Demetrios A Spandidds, DSc, Andrew S Jones, MD

Assessment of p53 levels of expression in 93 head and neck cancer patients revealed positive nuclear staining in 68% and intense staining in 17% of the specimens. There was a significant difference between p53 expression in non-smokers and heavy smokers. In a group of benign and potentially malignant head and neck lesions, none of the specimens was found to overexpress the p53 protein. >>>

Evaluation of Neuron-Specific Enolase, Tissue Polypeptide Antigen, And Carcinoembryonic Antigen as Markers for Staging and Monitoring Response to Therapy of Lung Cancer

Alberto Spinazzi, MD, Enzo Soresi, MD, Roberto Boffi, MD, Atanasio Nonis, MD, Alessandro Noseda, MD, Stefano Cobelli, MD, Alberto Scanni, MD

Tumor marker assessment was carried out in 154 patients by evaluation of neuron specific enolase (NSE), Carcinoembryonic antigens (CEA) and tissue Polypeptide antigen (TPA). Of 60 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) TPA and NSE values were positive in 96.6%. In 69.1% of 94 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, at least on of the three markers was positive. Serum levels of NSE failed to differentiate SCLC from NSCLC. Levels of NSE and TPA in SCLC and those of TPA and CEA in NSCLC appeared to reflect the tumor burden. >>>

New Serum Markers for Small-Cell Lung Cancer I. The Ganglioside Fucosyl-GM(1)

Annette Vangsted, MD, Lars Drivsholm, MD, Elo Andersen, MD, Tina Pallesen, MSc, Jesper Zeuthen, DSc, Hakan Wallin, PhD

Serum samples from 56 of 112 patients with SCLC were positive for ganglioside Fucosyl-GM1 (FucGM1) while all sera from 20 healthy controls were negative. FucGM1 was associated with shorter patients survival and FucGM1 concentrations increased in patients with metastases to liver and bone marrow. >>>

Expression of Transcripts for csf-1 and for the "Macrophage" and "Epithelial" Isoforms of the csf-1 R Transcripts in Human Ovarian Carcinomas

Thomas Bauknecht, MD, Marion Kiechle-Schwarz, MD Andreas du Bois, MD, Jutta Wolfle, Barry Kacinski, PhD

Significantly higher transcript levels of CSF-1 were found in 11% and those of CSF-1R in 21% of 71 human ovarian carcinoma specimens as compared to 14 normal tissue specimens. >>>

Herbert E. Nieburgs, MD
Worcester, MA
1994