AACR meeting unveils more good news in fight against 'women's cancers'.Two studies, presented at a recent meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in San Francisco, offer hope for fighting breast and cervical cancers. In the first, researchers identified 2 proteins in breast cancer tumors that might help determine the likelihood of the cancer spreading or recurring (see "New tests, "p. 12). The investigation, a joint effort by ChromaVision (San Juan Capistrano San Juan Capistrano (săn wän kăpĭsträ`nō), city (1990 pop. 26,183), Orange co., S Calif.; inc. 1961. San Juan Capistrano has some manufactures, including aircraft parts, medical apparatus, and boats, but the economy is , CA) and the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), examined the usefulness of an imaging system by ChromaVision to aid in the prognosis and treatment of breast cancer. The study of 84 specimens from breast cancer patients and normal individuals showed 100% specificity for tumor cell detection and revealed that the system was highly predictive of the likelihood of metastasis metastasis /me·tas·ta·sis/ (me-tas´tah-sis) pl. metas´tases 1. transfer of disease from one organ or part of the body to another not directly connected with it, due either to transfer of pathogenic microorganisms or to when tumor cells were found and negatively predictive when tumor cells were absent. The second study found that the NMP NMP New Millennium Program (NASA) NMP National Military Park (National Park Service) NMP N-Methylpyrrolidone NMP Network Management Protocol NMP Not My Problem 179 assay from Matritech (Newton, MA), used to diagnose cervical cancer, identified 92% of high-risk cases among 869 women with Pap smear Pap smear or Papanicolaou smear Sample of cells from the vagina and cervix of the uterus for laboratory staining and examination to detect genital herpes and early-stage cancer, especially of the cervix. Developed by the Greek-born U.S. results that were previously classified as indeterminate (ASCUS as·cus n. pl. as·ci A membranous, often club-shaped structure in which typically eight spores are formed through sexual reproduction of ascomycetes. ascus pl. asci; the spore case of Ascomycetes. ) but were later diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in follow-up. According to the study, more than 75% of patients whose ASCUS smears returned to a normal level also tested negative with the manufacturer's assay. |
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