At time of surgical evaluation, women with unilateral breast cancer substantially overestimated their risk of CBC; however, this elevated risk perception was not associated with choosing CPM. Early physician counseling is needed to provide women with accurate information regarding their true CBC risk.

LRP expression in malignant cells of ascites is a promising marker to predict response to first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced ovarian serous carcinoma.

Unlike its cutaneous counterpart, prognostic markers for primary mucosal malignant melanoma have not been well elucidated. It has been recently demonstrated that microvascular density (MVD) in cutaneous malignant melanoma has a significant negative correlation with survival; however, this has not been well-studied in mucosal malignant melanoma of the head and neck. This study explores the potential association between MVD, various histological parameters, and the outcome of a series of sinonasal and oral mucosal melanomas. Nineteen such cases were immunostained with CD31 and the MVD was calculated by using Bioquant Image Analysis Software (R and M Biometrics, Nashville, TN). These cases included 16 sinonasal and 3 oral cavity tumors. The 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years overall survival rates were 75, 57, 61, 46 and 46%, respectively. The MVD of the tumors ranged from 25.7 to 732 vessels/mm 2 (mean 142.8 vessels/mm 2 ; median 84.7 vessels/mm 2 ). There was no significant correlation between the MVD and the different clinicopathological features seen within the tumors. There was also no correlation between the MVD and relapse free and overall survival. The results of this study suggest that MVD does not correlate with outcome in mucosal melanoma of the head and neck as seen in cutaneous melanomas. Further larger studies are needed to identify predictive and prognostic markers in such melanomas.

No abstract

Unlike their cutaneous counterparts, head and neck mucosal malignant melanomas (HNMM) behave much more aggressively and their prognostic markers have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the clinicopathologic features of a contemporary series of primary HNMM, retrieved from archival material of 2 large medical centers, and to explore the association, if any, between these variables, the clinical features, and outcomes. The clinicopathologic, radiographic, and follow-up information as well as the dominant histologic pattern, mitotic rate, presence/absence of pigmentation, necrosis, ulceration, vascular invasion, and host-associated lymphocytic response were retrieved and recorded. Twenty cases were identified including 1 melanoma in situ. Eight-five percent of tumors arose in the sinonasal tract and 3 (15%) in the oral cavity. After a median follow-up of 25 months, all patients with invasive melanoma developed recurrence and/or metastasis. Local recurrences occurred in 82% of the patients after a median of 12 months, and distant metastasis occurred in 71% of the patients after a median of 13 months. Of those with adequate follow-up, 82% died with disease, and the remaining 3 had recurrent or metastatic disease. Fourth-seven percent of tumors were pigmented, 89% showed at least focal necrosis, and 93% demonstrated ulceration. Sixth-eight percent showed vascular invasion and 63% had a brisk host lymphocytic response. Mitotic rates ranged from 2 to 60/10 high-power fields. The absence of an invasive component might be associated with a better prognosis but other clinical and pathological features that predict outcome, and/or could influence therapy, remain to be determined in HNMM.