Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019204 (hepatocellular carcinoma)
 71,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Forty-eight patients fulfilling the criteria for carcinoma of unknown origin (CUO) between April 1983 and December 1987 were retrospectively analyzed. Mean age was 62 (33-83). Twenty-seven were males (56%) and 21 females (44%). The most common site of metastasis was the bone (35%), followed by the liver (19%) and lymph nodes (19%). 58% of cases were adenocarcinomas. Overall 274 studies for the detection of the primary tumor were carried out, the diagnosis being achieved in 10 cases (3.65%) which corresponded to lung neoplasms (5 cases), prostatic adenocarcinoma with negative markers (2 cases), bile duct neoplasms (2 cases) and pancreatic carcinoma (1 case). In our series, the most useful studies were computed tomography (CT) and fibrobronchoscopy. The necropsy, carried out in 11 patients, yielded 8 additional diagnoses: pulmonary neoplasm (one case), gastric adenocarcinoma (2 cases), malignant melanoma (2 cases), small intestine neoplasm (one case), parotid cancer (one case) and hepatocarcinoma (one case). Thirty-five patients were treated with chemotherapy and/or radiation; 12 objective responses (3 complete and 9 partial) were achieved, with a median duration of the response of 10 months (range 0.2-78 +). In view of the low diagnostic yield of the studies in patients with CUO we feel that the diagnostic study may be limited to CT scan with evaluation of the possible usefulness of bronchoscopy in individual patients. Regarding therapy, it is to be noted that there was a tendency for a longer survival in patients who responded.
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PMID:[Carcinoma of unknown origin. Diagnostic study of 48 cases and its clinical yield]. 270 4

We have assessed the clinical utility of a radioimmunoassay for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). The method, which relies on ammonium sulfate precipitation for the separation of "bound" and "free" radiolabeled antigen, can be completed in one working day. The assay is specific for AFP, has a sensitivity of < 10 ng/ml, and has intra- and inter-assay precision of 5--8% and 9--11%, respectively. We have conducted a three-year study of 472 pregnancies in which physicians wished to detect neural tube defects, and of 400 non-pregnant patients to assess the value of serum AFP as a marker for certain benign and malignant diseases. Six of 6 fetal open neural-tube defects (NTD's) and 3 of 3 intrauterine fetal deaths were correctly identified by their association with marked AFP elevations in both maternal serum and amniotic fluid. Thirty non-pregnant patients were found to have AFP elevations greater than 20 ng/ml. Malignancies associated with these elevations were hepatoma, germ cell tumors, Wilms' tumor, and carcinoma of unknown origin. Carcinoma metastatic to the liver was not associated with AFP elevations. In AFP-associated tumors we found serial measurements of serum AFP to be of value in assessing therapeutic response. Benign diseases associated with AFP elevations included neonatal hepatitis, viral hepatitis, fulminant toxic hepatitis, and cryptogenic cirrhosis.
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PMID:alpha-Fetoprotein in the routine clinical laboratory: evaluation of a simple radioimmunoassay and review of current concepts in its clinical application. 615 81