Enjoy following the posts of these outstandingly brave Cushies as they attempt to post a blog post each day for the month of April
Amber http://amber-mulnix.blogspot.com/
Christina http://christinapay.blogspot.com/Cristina (Portugese language) http://cristinagoncalves1973.blogspot.pt/Danielle http://lifewithcushings.blogspot.com/DawnGrace C http://adayinthelifeofatrainwreck.blogspot.com/Judy DKay http://cushiemama.blogspot.com Lisa DMalia KMary BMaryO http://www.cushie.info/blog/Melissa AMelissa SMissaf http://blogforacushiecure.blogspot.com/Molli http://livingwithstripes.blogspot.com/Nancy J http://cushielife.multiply.com/Rene B http://missdiagnosis-rene.blogspot.com/Robin S survivethejourney.blogspot.comSarah C http://sarahsstupiddisease.wordpress.com/Sharon SShermaineStanley LStephanie Y cushiesteph.blogspot.comTrishaVanessa http://www.blogger.com/profile/05094821916178382160
Enjoy!
What's this about? More info here.
- , , , , , , , , , ,
- Maria P. Foschini, MD
Summary
It is difficult to evaluate the recurrence and progression potential of pituitary adenomas at presentation. The World Health Organization classification of endocrine tumors suggests that invasion of the surrounding structures, size at presentation, an elevated mitotic index, a Ki-67 labeling index higher than 3%, and extensive p53 expression are indicators of aggressive behavior.
Nevertheless, Ki-67 and p53 labeling index evaluation is subject to interobserver variability, and their cutoff values are controversial. In the present study, the prognostic value of Ki-67 and p53 protein labeling indices and their correlation with clinical and radiologic parameters were evaluated using digital image analysis in a series of 166 pituitary adenomas in patients having undergone a follow-up of at least 6 years to evaluate the impact on the recurrence and progression potential of pituitary adenomas.
The data were analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve and classification and regression tree analysis. The results showed that, in the unstratified data set, the commonly used threshold of the Ki-67 index of 3% has a high specificity (89.5%) but a low sensitivity (53.8%).
Unsatisfactory performance results were obtained by performing receiver operating characteristic curve analysis on the p53 labeling index. On the contrary, the classification and regression tree analysis–derived tree demonstrated that each pituitary adenoma subtype has specific prognostic factors.
Specifically, the Ki-67 labeling index is a useful prognostic factor in nonfunctioning, adrenocorticotropin, and prolactin adenomas, but with different thresholds. In conclusion, our study emphasizes that the term pituitary adenomas includes different types of tumors, each one having specific prognostic factors.
Access the entire article here: http://www.humanpathol.com/article/PIIS0046817711004965/abstract?rss=yes
Only 3 days (counting today) until the Cushing's Awareness Challenge begins. At night, when I'm supposed to be sleeping, ideas for posts keep swarming through my head. Sometimes, they form into fully-written posts. Then, when I wake up, the posts are gone.
I plan to follow the suggestions to some extent and have a few ideas of my own. Over the years, I've posted lots on several blogs but I don't know if I can get 30 days of Cushing's stuff together!
At the moment, there are 26 participants in this challenge and growing. Please follow their blogs. The list is here and is constantly updated as new URLs come in.
If you want to join us, its not too late. Directions and suggestions for posts can be found here: http://cushie-blogger.blogspot.com/2012/03/cushing-awareness-challenge.html
If you have ideas for what you'd like to read about (Cushing's related, of course), please feel free to put it in the comments area.
PharmaForm announced that Corcept Therapeutics Inc. has chosen PharmaForm as their primary commercial manufacturer for their newly approved drug product, Korlym™. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Corcept's Korlym™ on February 17th, 2012 for patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome.
PharmaForm, a full-service contract provider of development and manufacturing for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry, has worked with Corcept for several years as a contract provider for services in the development, optimization and validation of the manufacturing process for Corcept's Korlym™.
Read the entire article here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pharmaform-announces-commercial-manufacturing-contract-for-corcepts-korlym-2012-03-26
Do you blog? Want to get started?
Since April 8 is Cushing's Awareness Day, several people got their heads together to create this blogging challenge.
All you have to do is blog about something Cushing's related for the 30 days of April. Robin designed 3 versions of our "official logo" to put on your blogs.
Please note that these are thumbnails - the actual image is larger than shown here. Click on the images to view actual size.
If your blog wants you to upload an image from your desktop, right-click on the image above and choose "save-as". Remember where you saved it to!
In all cases, the URL for the site is http://www.cushings-help.com
[[posterous-content:pid___0]]Small. If your blog asks you to enter the URL, use this:
Medium. If your blog asks you to enter the URL, use this:
Large. If your blog asks you to enter the URL, use this:
Please let me know the URL to your blog and I will list it on CushieBloggers ( http://cushie-blogger.blogspot.com/ ) The more people who participate, the more the word will get out about Cushing's.
Suggested topics - or add your own!
- In what ways have Cushing's made you a better person?
- What have you learned about the medical community since you have become sick?
- If you had one chance to speak to an endocrinologist association meeting, what would you tell them about Cushing's patients?
- What would you tell the friends and family of another Cushing's patient in order to garner more emotional support for your friend? challenge with Cushing's? How have you overcome challenges? Stuff like that.
- I have Cushing's Disease....(personal synopsis)
- How I found out I have Cushing's
- What is Cushing's Disease/Syndrome? (Personal variation, i.e. adrenal or pituitary or ectopic, etc.)
- My challenges with Cushing's
- Overcoming challenges with Cushing's (could include any challenges)
- If I could speak to an endocrinologist organization, I would tell them....
- What would I tell others trying to be diagnosed? What would I tell families of those who are sick with Cushing's?
- Treatments I've gone through to try to be cured/treatments I may have to go through to be cured.
- What will happen if I'm not cured?
- I write about my health because…
- 10 Things I Couldn’t Live Without.
- My Dream Day.
- What I learned the hard way
- Miracle Cure. (Write a news-style article on a miracle cure. What’s the cure? How do you get the cure? Be sure to include a disclaimer)
- Health Madlib Poem. Go to : http://languageisavirus.com/cgi-bin/madlibs.pl and fill in the parts of speech and the site will generate a poem for you.
- The Things We Forget. Visit http://thingsweforget.blogspot.com/ and make your own version of a short memo reminder. Where would you post it?
- Give yourself, your condition, or your health focus a mascot. Is it a real person? Fictional? Mythical being? Describe them. Bonus points if you provide a visual!
- 5 Challenges & 5 Small Victories.
- The First Time I…
- Make a word cloud or tree with a list of words that come to mind when you think about your blog, health, or interests. Use a thesaurus to make it branch more.
- How much money have you spent on cushing's, or, How did Cushing's impact your life financially?
- Why do you think Cushing's may not be as rare as doctors believe?
- What is your theory about what causes Cushing's?
- How has Cushing's altered the trajectory of your life? What would you have done? Who would you have been?
- What three things has Cushing's stolen from you? What do you miss the most? What can you do in your Cushing's life to still achieve any of those goals? What new goals did Cushing's bring to you?
- How do you cope?
- What do you do to improve your quality of life as you fight Cushing's?
- Your thoughts...?
Do you blog? Want to get started?
Since April 8 is Cushing's Awareness Day, several people got their heads together to create this blogging challenge.
All you have to do is blog about something Cushing's related for the 30 days of April. Robin designed 3 versions of our "official logo" to put on your blogs.
Please note that these are thumbnails - the actual image is larger than shown here. Click on the images to view actual size.
If your blog wants you to upload an image from your desktop, right-click on the image above and choose "save-as". Remember where you saved it to!
In all cases, the URL for the site is http://www.cushings-help.com
Small. If your blog asks you to enter the URL, use this:
Medium. If your blog asks you to enter the URL, use this:
Large. If your blog asks you to enter the URL, use this:
Please let me know the URL to your blog and I will list it on CushieBloggers ( http://cushie-blogger.blogspot.com/ ) The more people who participate, the more the word will get out about Cushing's.
Suggested topics - or add your own!
- In what ways have Cushing's made you a better person?
- What have you learned about the medical community since you have become sick?
- If you had one chance to speak to an endocrinologist association meeting, what would you tell them about Cushing's patients?
- What would you tell the friends and family of another Cushing's patient in order to garner more emotional support for your friend? challenge with Cushing's? How have you overcome challenges? Stuff like that.
- I have Cushing's Disease....(personal synopsis)
- How I found out I have Cushing's
- What is Cushing's Disease/Syndrome? (Personal variation, i.e. adrenal or pituitary or ectopic, etc.)
- My challenges with Cushing's
- Overcoming challenges with Cushing's (could include any challenges)
- If I could speak to an endocrinologist organization, I would tell them....
- What would I tell others trying to be diagnosed? What would I tell families of those who are sick with Cushing's?
- Treatments I've gone through to try to be cured/treatments I may have to go through to be cured.
- What will happen if I'm not cured?
- I write about my health because…
- 10 Things I Couldn’t Live Without.
- My Dream Day.
- What I learned the hard way
- Miracle Cure. (Write a news-style article on a miracle cure. What’s the cure? How do you get the cure? Be sure to include a disclaimer)
- Health Madlib Poem. Go to : http://languageisavirus.com/cgi-bin/madlibs.pl and fill in the parts of speech and the site will generate a poem for you.
- The Things We Forget. Visit http://thingsweforget.blogspot.com/ and make your own version of a short memo reminder. Where would you post it?
- Give yourself, your condition, or your health focus a mascot. Is it a real person? Fictional? Mythical being? Describe them. Bonus points if you provide a visual!
- 5 Challenges & 5 Small Victories.
- The First Time I…
- Make a word cloud or tree with a list of words that come to mind when you think about your blog, health, or interests. Use a thesaurus to make it branch more.
- How much money have you spent on cushing's, or, How did Cushing's impact your life financially?
- Why do you think Cushing's may not be as rare as doctors believe?
- What is your theory about what causes Cushing's?
- How has Cushing's altered the trajectory of your life? What would you have done? Who would you have been?
- What three things has Cushing's stolen from you? What do you miss the most? What can you do in your Cushing's life to still achieve any of those goals? What new goals did Cushing's bring to you?
- How do you cope?
- What do you do to improve your quality of life as you fight Cushing's?
- Your thoughts...?
Ask Dr. Theodore Friedman.
Read Dr. Friedman's Second Guest Chat, March 2, 2004.
Listen to Dr. Friedman Second Live Voice Interview, March 12, 2009.
Listen to Dr. Friedman Third Live Voice Interview, February 13, 2011.
Listen to Dr. Friedman Fourth Live Voice Interview, March 12, 2012.