Although in the past two decades there has been a sharp rise in the incidence of extranodal primary lymphomas in the United States, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the female genital tract is still rare. We present four cases of extranodal NHL presenting with signs and symptoms consistent with cancer of the vagina or cervix and lacking the "B" symptoms often associated with systemic lymphoma such as fever, weight loss, night sweat, and fatigue. It is important for gynecologists to be aware of this neoplastic disease and to include cervical or vaginal lymphoma in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with examinations suggestive of cervical or vaginal cancer. A correct diagnosis leads to the appropriate therapy, and radical gynecological surgery can be avoided for primary cervical and vaginal lymphoma.

Bone marrow-derived MSC therapy appears to improve sensory function recovery in a rat limb transplant model. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA Microsurgery 37:222-234, 2017.

BACKGROUND The authors tested the effects of the antiestrogenic agent tamoxifen on telomerase activity and cell proliferation in MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 breast carcinoma cell lines. MCF‐7 cells belong to a known estrogen receptor positive cell line, whereas MDA‐MB‐231 cells, previously thought to be estrogen receptor negative, are now shown to contain estrogen receptor‐β. METHODS Both cell lines were grown in the presence of tamoxifen 10−6, 10−7, 10−8, and 10−9 M for 10 days. Cells in separate flasks were harvested daily for determination of total cell number, protein was extracted for determination of telomerase activity, and RNA was extracted for reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction analysis to measure expression levels of the telomerase components (the RNA component and the catalytic subunit) and estrogen receptors. RESULTS Total cell counts and telomerase activity levels of both cell lines with 10−8 M tamoxifen treatment were lower than control cells and other tamoxifen treatments. Changes in the expression of individual telomerase components correlated with telomerase activity. Estrogen receptor status did not correlate with telomerase activity. CONCLUSIONS Tamoxifen strongly affected both cell count and telomerase activity within the 10−8 M concentration of both cell lines. Cells were able to overcome drug inhibition at all other doses after 4 days. Telomerase activity and cell proliferation were correlated in both cell lines and depended on drug concentration. Tamoxifen showed long term effects on cell proliferation of the MCF‐7 cells. Cancer 1999;85:1523–9. © 1999 American Cancer Society.

11056 Background: Aromatase [CYP19] activity and expression is increased by prostaglandin E2, thus providing a rational for combining the COX-2 inhibitor, CELE, with an aromatase inhibitor. To evaluate the effects of these drugs on proliferation and other biomarkers, we conducted a neoadjuvant trial of EXE alone followed by the combination of EXE and CELE. The primary endpoint was the assessment of biomarkers and the secondary endpoint was toxicity. Methods: Clinical stages II/III, postmenopausal, estrogen [ER] and/or progesterone receptor [PR] positive, previously untreated, ECOG 0–1 were eligible. Excluded were inflammatory breast cancer, history of myocardial infarction, and documented allergy to aspirin, NSAIDs, or sulfonamides. After initial core biopsy pts received 8 weeks (wks) of EXE 25 mg daily. They then received a second core biopsy followed by 8 wks of EXE and CELE 400 mg twice daily. After 16 wks, pts had definitive surgery. Compliance was assessed by pill counts at study visists every 4 wks. At baseline, 8, and 16 wks, pts had tumor measurements by physical exam, mammogram, and ultrasound. A tissue microarray [TMA] was contructed and immunohistochemical [IHC] staining with commercially available antibodies for Ki-67, COX-2, HER-2, ER, and PR was performed. Two independent pathologists scored intensity and percentage of cells staining and were blinded to treatment and the timimg of specimen acquistion. Statistical analyses were performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test Results: Twenty pts with a median age 62 (range 56–87) were enrolled. CELE was discontinued in 3 (15%) pts for grade 1 rash-1 pt; grade 1 creatinine elevation-1 pt; and grade 1 melena-1 pt. Three (15%) pts-partial response, 16 (80%)-stable disease, and 1 (5%)-progressive disease. None of the differences in biomarkers between 0 and 8 wks and 8 and 16 wks were significant. A trend toward decreasing mean Ki 67 was observed from 0 to 8 wks (20% vs 9%, p=0.19) and 8 to 16 wks (9% vs 7%, p=0.7) Conclusions: Neoadjuvant EXE followed by EXE/CELE was well tolerated with anti-tumor activity. Tumor cell proliferation decreased by about 50% during EXE, but small sample size precluded reaching statistical significance. Frozen tissue was collected and the results of CYP 19 mRNA expression will be presented. [Table: see text]