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Colorectal cancer (CRC) during pregnancy presents an estimated incidence of 1 : 13,000, and it is associated with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Here, we present the case of a 38-year-old woman, 25 weeks and 5 days pregnant, who was transferred to our Obstetrics and Gynecology Department from a local hospital with the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed marked distension with hydroaerial levels of the enterocolic loops upstream of a concentric parietal thickening of the descending colon, stenosing, extended longitudinally for about 4 cm. An exploratory laparotomy was performed with resection of the colon splenic flexure and mechanical end-terminal anastomosis. Histological examination of the operating piece highlighted the presence of moderately differentiated (G2) colon adenocarcinoma (stage pT3N1b). The operation was followed by a single course of oxaliplatin and 5-FU plus leukovorin. The patient had a vaginal delivery at 37 weeks + 2 days of gestational age, following induction of labor and giving birth to a male infant whose weight was 2670 gr with apgar 9/9. We underline the pivotal role of attention to unspecific symptoms, early diagnosis, and active treatment in changing the clinical course of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which analyzed the tubulin and stathmin expression in ovarian tumors and their associations with treatment response and survival. It indicates that high stathmin expression was associated with diseases progression and overall survival of patients and notes that the association was independent of such disease stage. The findings supports the hypothesis that stathmin may interfere with paclitaxel treatment that will leads to poor prognosis.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its effect on neonatal outcomes in pregnancies with different degrees of hyperglycemia.Methods: One hundred and fifty women with gestational diabetes, 100 with one abnormal value on the oral glucose tolerance test, 100 with a normal oral glucose challenge test and 350 with an abnormal challenge test and normal tolerance test were enrolled.Results: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was: 0%, 4.9%, 20% and 18% in the normal challenge test, abnormal challenge and normal tolerance test, one abnormal value and gestational diabetes patients, respectively. Offspring birth weights, prevalence of large-for-gestational age babies and icterus were significantly higher in women with an abnormal challenge test (both with a normal tolerance test or one abnormal value or gestational diabetes). Metabolic syndrome was the best predictor of the presence of large-for-gestational age babies in patients with an abnormal challenge and normal tolerance test (OR = 3.15), one abnormal value (OR = 3.53) and gestational diabetes (OR = 4.15).Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome in mid-pregnancy was an independent predictor of macrosomia in women with any degree of gestational hyperglycemia; the oral glucose challenge test identifies pregnancies with metabolic abnormalities and adverse neonatal outcomes also in the presence of a normal oral glucose tolerance test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]