• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.111-120
• /
• 1990

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix is a distinct subtype of cervical cancer that appears analogous to oat cell carcinoma and carcinoid tumors of the lung. It has been assumed to be derived from the neural crest via argyrophilic cells in the normal endocervix. We have recently encountered a case of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix coexisting with adenocarcinoma which was argyrophil negative. A 66-year-old multiparous woman was admitted because of vaginal bleeding for 2 months. Cervicovaginal smear revealed several scattered clusters and sheets of monotonous small cells with some peripheral palisading in the background of hemorrhage and necrosis. Radical hysterectomy specimen revealed an ulcerofungating tumor on endocervical canal which was composed of two components. Major component of the tumor was made up of monomorphic population of small oval-shaped tumor cells arranged in sheets and partly in acinar structures or trabecular fashion. Other component was adenocarcinoma, endocervical well-differentiated type. Argyrophilia was present on the Grimelius stain and immunohistochemical studies revealed diffuse positivity to neuron-specific enolase and carcinoembryonic antigen. Electron microscopic examination showed clusters of small round to oval cells, which had a few well-formed desmosomes and several membrane-bound, dense-core neurosectetory granules.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.116-119
• /
• 2004

Primary clear cell adenocarcinoma of uterine cervix is rare and cytomorphology in the vaginal smear have not been previously described in Korean literatures. The cytologic characteristics of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix include : malignant cells with abundant, finely vacuolated cytoplasm ; hobnail appearance, and distinctive basement membrane-like hyaline materials within cellular aggregates. A 36-year-old woman presented with vaginal bleeding. Cytologic examination of vaginal smear and histopathologic examination of a radical hysterectomy specimen allowed the diagnosis of hemorrhagic tumor in the uterine cervix as a clear cell adenocarcinoma. Cytologic findings were very characteristic. The tumor cells had abundant, pale, finely vacuolated cytoplasm with indistinct cytoplasmic membrane. The nuclei were round to oval with finely dispersed chromatin. Extracellular basement membrane-like hyaline substance, which stained a light green color in Papanicolaou's preparation, was frequently observed within the cancer cell clusters.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.2171-2175
• /
• 2016

Trends in cancer incidence is a key tool to identify the pattern of cancer of any country. This retrospective study was performed to present the trends of change in cancer incidence in Nepal.The total number of cancer cases in males was 26,064 while the total number of females cancer cases was 29,867 throughout the 10 years from 2003 to 2012. The cancer incidence per 100,000 in males was 12.8 in 2003 and 25.8 people in 2012. Similarly, in females, the crude incidence rate was 15.1 in 2003 and 26.7 per 100,000 in 2012. Cancer incidence was low at early age but it was increased with age in both sexes in Nepal. Lung cancer was the most common cancer in males throughout, while it was the third most common cancer in females. Cervix uteri was the most common site of cancer in females throughout the 10 years, with a clear trend for increase in breast cancer within this time.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.8
• /
• pp.4169-4172
• /
• 2012

Background: The majority of women in rural India have poor or no access to cervical cancer screening services, although one.quarter of all cervical cancers in the world occur there. Several large trials have proven the efficacy of low-tech cervical cancer screening methods in the Indian context but none have documented the necessary components and processes of implementing this evidence in a low-resource setting. Methods: This paper discusses a feasible model of implementation of cervical cancer screening programme in low-resource settings developed through a pilot research project carried out in rural Tamilnadu, India. The programme used visual inspection of cervix after acetic acid application (VIA) as a screening tool, nurses in the primary care centres as the primary screeners and peer educators within Self-Help Women groups to raise community awareness. Results: The uptake of screening was initially low despite the access to a screening programme. However, the programme witnessed an incremental increase in the number of women accessing screening with increasing community awareness. Conclusions: The investigators recommend 4 key components to programme implementation in low-resource setting: 1) Evidence-based, cost-effective test and treatment available within the reach of the community; 2) Appropriate referral pathways; 3) Skilled health workers and necessary equipment; and 4) Optimisation of health literacy, beliefs, attitudes of the community.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.87-92
• /
• 1993

The effect of Roentgen rays on carcinoma of the cervix has long been of great interest to both radiologists and gynecologists. Since most cervical carcinomas are treated by irradiation, any additional knowledge either concerning the radiosensitivity of cervical tumors or their ultimate prognosis would be of value. The vaginal smear is considered to be one of convenient and rapid methods to study the effects of radiation on cervical malignancy. We observed morphologic changes in 297 cytologic preparations obtained from 60 patients who had underwent irradiation for cancer of the cervix. With the morphologic parameters such as cytoplasmic vacuolization, cytoplasmic basophilia, multinucleated giant cell formation, polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) sticking and postradiation dysplasia, we analyzed the findings in relation to the follow up time interval. The most common effect was the cytoplasmic vacuolization with basophilia of basaloid cells, which were noted in more than 90% of followed patients. The multinucleated giant ceil formation and PMNL stickering were noted in 38 cases(63%) and 48 cases(80% ) respectively. The differential diagnosis of postradiation dysplasia from recurrent or persistent carcinoma, reparative atypical cells, and regressing tumor cells was difficult and further study seems to be needed to clarify the more accurate morphologic features and biologic behavior.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.6
• /
• pp.2461-2464
• /
• 2014

Background: Cancer accounts for 12.6% of total deaths in the world (just after heart disease). Materials and Methods: Frequency and age-specific incidence rates of breast and gynecologic cancers in Iran are calculated based on the dataset of the National Cancer Registry of Iran in 2005. Results: Gynecologic and breast cancer accounted for 7.6% and 25.6% of total cancer cases, respectively. Ovarian cancer was the most frequent gynecologic cancer followed by endometrium. Endometrial cancer revealed the highest age specific incidence rate followed by ovary (after 59 years). Conclusions: Regarding disease burden, breast and gynecologic cases account for 33.4% of total cancer patients. The age specific incidence rate is a useful guide in epidemiologic and future plans.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.29 no.2 s.53
• /
• pp.159-172
• /
• 1996

A hospital-based case-control study was carried out to investigate the risk factors of uterine cervical cancer in Korea. Information on a wide-range of life-styles, which might be related with uterine cervix cancer, has been routinely collected through a dual application of the self-administered questionnaire and the direct interview by a well-trained nurse at the Department of Gynecology, Seoul National University Hosiptal since 1992. The number of cervical cancer cases, histologically confirmed at the hospital, were 284. Included were 939 women as controls, who were free of past history of any malignancies. Adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence limits were based on the unconditional logistic regression model. The multivariate logistic model was constructed under the consideration of biologic characteristics on the natural history of the malignancy. In the multivariate results, the uterine cervical cancer risk was higher in women of shorter height$(P_{trend}<0.05)$, less educated spouse$(P_{trend}<0.001)$(0.001), multiple marriages(adjusted OR=2,70, 95% C.I. $1.64\sim4.47$), ever had a family history (adjusted OR=2.14., 95% C.I. $1.18\sim3.89$), multiparity$(P_{trend}<0.001)$, and early age at first $(P_{trend}<0.001)$. These results strongly suggest that the uterine cervix cancer might be related to the reproductive factors, and probably with sexual behaviour of both women and men in Korea.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.8
• /
• pp.3779-3784
• /
• 2014

Aims: To study alterations of plasma lipid profiles in carcinoma cervix and to assess significance comparedwith controls in different histological grades and stages. Materials and Methods: Totals of 99 histopathologically diagnosed cases and 35 controls from a tertiary hospital situated in the southern part of India which caters the rural and semi-urban populations were considered for the study. Fasting blood samples were taken to analyze total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), for comparison of cases, grouped according to histological grades and stages, and controls. One way ANOVA was used for multiple group comparisons and the Student's t test (unpaired) for group wise comparisons. For all tests a 'p' value of 0.05 or less was considered as significant. Results: Out of 99 cases, most (n-39) were seen in the 40-49 year age group followed by 60-69 years (n-22). Serum TG significantly differed between cases and controls but without any relation to differentiation grade. The lipid profile parameters in various grades of cervical cancer were not statistically significant. Statistically significant increase of TC and LDL-C values was observed with increase in stage of the disease. Conclusions: The study showed TG is elevated in cervical cancer, and that TC and LDL-C are proportional to the spread of cancer as it increases from stage I to stage IV. An in-depth study of molecular changes in lipid metabolism in cervical cancer patients, enzymes/genes responsible and alterations in LDL receptors is necessary to provide information to decide whether the lipid profile has any diagnostic/prognostic role in cervical cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.11
• /
• pp.4475-4482
• /
• 2014

Background: Cisplatin, a DNA damaging agent, induces apoptosis through increasing DNA fragmentation. However, identification of intrinsic resistance molecules against Cisplatin is vital to estimate the success of therapy. Bag-1 (Bcl-2-associated anthanogene) is one anti-apoptotic protein involved in drug resistance impacting on therapeutic efficiency. Elevated levels of this protein are related with increase cell proliferation rates, motility and also cancer development. For this reason, we aimed to understand the role of Bag-1 expression in Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in HeLa cervix cancer cells. Cisplatin decreased cell viability in time- and dose-dependent manner in wt and Bag-1L+HeLa cells. Although, $10{\mu}M$ Cisplatin treatment induced cell death within 24h by activating caspases in wt cells, Bag-1L stable transfection protected cells against Cisplatin treatment. To assess the potential protective role of Bag-1, we first checked the expression profile of interacting anti-apoptotic partners of Bag-1. We found that forced Bag-1L expression prevented Cisplatin-induced apoptosis through acting on Mcl-1 expression, which was reduced after Cisplatin treatment in wt HeLa cells. This mechanism was also supported by the regulation of heat shock protein (Hsp) family members, Hsp90 and Hsp40, which were involved in the regulation Bag-1 interactome including several anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members and c-Raf.

• Journal of Korea Association of Health Promotion
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.27-37
• /
• 2004

Background 'For many years, the Papanicolaou smear has been used to detect pre-malignant and malignant disease of the cervix. Although cervical cytology screening programmes have result in the reduction of cervical cancer incidence and mortality, Pap smear have been subjected to intense scrutiny and criticism in recent years. So cervicography is introduced. Cervicography is an adjunct method of cervical cancer screening intended to complement Papanicolaou smear. Cervicography involve obtaining and evaluating a photographic image of the cervix. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the efficacy of Papanicolaou smear and cervicography in cervical cancer screening. Materials & Methods : This study population was of 74 women, who visited department of obstetrics & Gynecology, Korea association of Health Promotion Chung-nam branch from January, 20O2 to October, 2003. All patients were taken Pap smear before cervicography, and then two cervicography was obtained with applying5% acetic acid. Those women in whom abnormalities were detected by either test subsequently obtained histologic specimen. Results : 1. The sensitivity and the specificity of Papanicolaou smear was 92.1% and 72.7%respectively.2. The sensitivity and the specificity of cervicography was 88.9% and 54.5% respectively. The false negative rate, and false positive rate of Papanicolaou smear were 7.9%, 27.2% respectively. The false negative rate, and false positive rate of cervicography were 11.1%,45.5% respectively. Conclusions . Papanicolaou smear is a useful method and an important tool for detecting cervical cancer. However when Papanicolaou smear and Cervicograpy is used together, the sensitivity is higher than for Papanicolaou smear used alone.