There is still debate on what is the optimal follow-up protocol after a treatment for preinvasive cervical disease. We performed this study in order to improve diagnostic accuracy of the follow-up protocol and at the same time reducing the number of overtreated patients. One hundred and fourteen patients were followed up after conization for CIN3 and/or AIS at 3-6 month, 9-12 month and 18-24 month intervals, then yearly. The follow-up consisted of cytology, colposcopy with biopsy if needed and HPV testing. The end-point of the study was a secondary treatment due to a high suspicion of resdidual/recurrent disease or disease free period of at least 24 months. The median follow-up time was 41 months (5-72 months). In predicting residual/recurrent disease cytology had a specificity of 88.9%, sensitivity of 100%, PPV of 33.3% and a NPV of 100% whereas HPV had a specificity of 76.9%, sensitivity of 100%, PPV of 21.4% and a NPV of 100%. According to our results both tests can be used as a primary follow-up tool after conization. The choice should depend on a socio-economic aspect. In our setting the HPV test should be done only in those patients with a positive smear any time during follow-up as the point of decision for a second treatment. With this approach we could considerably decrease the number of reoperated patients and co-morbidities.

The aim of the study was to explore possible differences in DNA flow cytometric characteristics, particularly differences in distribution of DNA indices of aneuploid clones, between male and female breast cancers. We retrospectively analyzed 31 male breast cancers. Clinicopathological and DNA flow cytometric characteristics of male breast cancers (patient age, tumor size, histological type, histological grade, axillary lymph node status, hormone receptor expression, ploidy, and S-phase fraction) were compared with that of the control group of matched female breast cancers. Hormone receptors and HER-2/neu were investigated immunohistochemically with additional chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) analysis of HER-2/neu 2+ cases. Ploidy and S-phase fraction were determined by DNA flow cytometry. Comparison with clinicopathological features was made using χ (2) and t test. Aneuploidy was found in 78% of the cases, with the predomination of hypotetraploid clones (39%), followed by tetraploid (23%) and hypertetraploid clones (16%). We found higher frequency of hypertetraploidy in male breast cancers (16 and 6%, respectively) than in the control group of matched female breast cancers. Clinicopathological features of hypertetraploid male breast cancers did not differ from that of non-hypertetraploid cancers. Higher frequency of hypertetraploidy among male breast cancers might indicate different cytogenetical evolutionary pathway between male and female breast cancer.

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Introduction: Various reports suggest linkage of protein expression to HPV status in cervical carcinomas. The aim of this study was to determine a possible association between HPV type, protein expression and DNA content in both preinvasive (CIN III) and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the cervix, as well as differences between the studied groups in these parameters. Materials and methods: Sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue from 47 cases of CIN III and 60 cases of invasive SCC of the cervix were subjected to HPV genotyping using LiPA (Line immuno-probe assay) and Flow cytometry for DNA content analysis. Also, immunohistochemical staining was performed. Obtained data were analyzed in SPSS using the Chi square test. Results: The major difference (p=0.007) between CIN III and invasive SCC of the cervix was found in DNA content - more aneuploid and tetraploid cases in invasive SCC of the cervix compared to CIN III. Although we observed a similar distribution of studied parameters in both groups, no statistically significant association was found between these parameters, except for p53 and pRb (p=0.018). Conclusion: The studied groups differ in DNA content. A significant association between analyzed parameters was observed in Invasive SCC of the cervix between p53 and pRb expression.

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