À l'heure actuelle, une large proportion des recherches vouées à l'identification et au développement de nouvelles thérapies anticancéreuses est basée sur l'apoptose. Dans les dernières décennies, divers composés phytochimiques ont été caractérisés comme des agents pharmacologiques susceptibles d'éliminer les cellules cancéreuses via l'induction de l'apoptose. Parmi ceux-ci, l'isoliquiritigénine (ILG), un flavonoïde naturellement présent dans les racines de réglisse, se distingue des autres par ses nombreuses propriétés thérapeutiques incluant une activité antitumorale. Chez les mammifères, les cellules apoptotiques (CA) peuvent être complètement dégradées via leur capture par des cellules phagocytaires spécialisées ou servir de vecteurs d'ADN dans un processus appelé transfert horizontal de gènes (THG). Ainsi, il a été mis en évidence que des CA dérivées de cancer du col de l'utérus peuvent induire le transfert de séquences d'oncogènes de papillomavirus humains (HPV) à des fibroblastes primaires humains (HPFs) qui acquièrent des propriétés de cellules transformées. Cependant, les mécanismes cellulaires et moléculaires impliqués dans l'internalisation de CA par les fibroblastes, un modèle de phagocyte non-professionnel, n'ont pas encore été clairement identifiés et la caractérisation de ces événements qui précèdent le THG est essentielle à la compréhension de ce processus et de la transformation des cellules receveuses qui peut en découler.Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de cette thèse étaient, (i) d'analyser les effets anticancéreux de l'ILG sur des cellules dérivées de cancer du col de l'utérus, (ii) de caractériser les mécanismes cellulaires et moléculaires impliqués dans la capture des CA par les HPFs, (iii) d'étudier les événements cellulaires qui font suite à ce processus comme la maturation des phagosomes, le THG et l'acquisition de propriétés de transformation et enfin, (iv) de démontrer la preuve de la conservation de la capacité tumorigénique des CA in vivo.Un premier travail a permis de mettre en lumière les propriétés antitumorales de l'ILG via une multiplicité d'actions sur des modèles cellulaires de cancer du col de l'utérus in vitro, incluant des activités anti-proliférative, pro-apoptotique, anti-migratoire. Concernant la lignée cellulaire Ca Ski, p53 sauvage et représentative du carcinome du col utérin le plus fréquent, associé à une infection transformante par HPV16, l'apoptose induite par l'ILG semble dépendante de p53 et de la mitochondrie, mais aussi de la voie des récepteurs de mort, comme attesté par l'augmentation des niveaux de protéines p53 et p21, la dissipation du potentiel membranaire mitochondrial, la libération du cytochrome c et le clivage des caspases-9, -8 et -3. Ces effets pourraient être la conséquence de la diminution de l'expression de l'oncoprotéine virale E6 d'HPV16 induite par l'ILG entraînant la restauration de l'expression de p53. Nos travaux révèlent un fort potentiel de l'ILG contre différents types de cellules malignes et ouvrent le champ à de nouvelles modalités de traitement des cancers associés à HPV. / Most of the research strategies aiming at improving anticancer therapies currently target apoptosis. Over the last decades, several natural products derived from herbal medicine or food have been identified as pharmacological agents for cancer cell elimination through apoptosis induction. Among them, isoliquiritigenin (ILG) is a chalcone derivative isolated from liquorice and shallots which exhibits a wide variety of biological functions including antitumor properties.In mammals, apoptotic cells (AC) can either be eliminated after their capture by specialized phagocytes or act as vectors of DNA in a process named horizontal gene transfer (HGT). For instance, AC derived from cervical cancer cells can transfer human papillomavirus (HPV) oncogene sequences to human primary fibroblasts (HPFs) which subsequently acquire transformed cell properties. The molecular mechanisms underlying AC uptake by HPFs, a model of non-professional phagocytes, have not been clearly identified. Characterizing these upstream events appears critical to broaden our understanding of HGT and the ultimate transformation of recipient cells which may subsequently occur.The aims of this work were to (i) study the antitumor effects of ILG on cervical cancer cell lines,(ii) characterize the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying AC uptake by HPF, (iii) study the cellular events which occur in HPFs following AC engulfment such as phagosome maturation, HGT and acquisition of transformed properties, and (iv) evaluate the tumorigenic properties of AC in vivo.In a first part of this PhD project, we found that ILG exhibits multiple antitumor actions on cervical cancer cells in vitro including anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-migration properties. Further studies on apoptosis-related events were conducted in Ca Ski cells (p53wt, HPV16 DNA positive), which are representative of the most frequent cervical carcinoma. The treatment of Ca Ski cells with ILG is associated with increased levels of p53 and p21 proteins, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release and caspase-9, -8 and -3 cleavage. These features suggest that ILG-induced apoptosis is dependent on p53 and involve both mitochondrial and death receptor- mediated pathways. The effect of ILG in Ca Ski cells may be partly explained by the decrease of HPV16 E6 oncoprotein expression and the associated raise of p53 levels observed after cell treatment. Our work highlights the potential of ILG as an antitumor agent and provides the opportunity of new treatment. ln the second part of this work, we set up a method based on flow cytometry to quantitatively analyze AC uptake. This original method and microscopy analysis allowed us to show that HPFs act as non-professional phagocytes and are able to engulf subcellular fragments rather than dying whole cells, with lower efficiency and rapidity compared to professional phagocytes as macrophages. Uptake of AC by HPFs depends on time, temperature and the presence of bivalent ions. Morphological analysis and fonctional assays using endocytosis inhibitors revealed a mechanism related to phagocytosis and/or macropinocytosis. The recognition of phosphatidylserine exposed on the surface of AC by their receptor BAIl has emerged as a required event for AC uptake by HPFs.

台灣地區自民國八十四年三月開始實行全民健保，並於同年七月起提供三十歲以上婦女每年一次免費抹片檢查，但我國婦女抹片檢查利用率和先進國家相比仍舊偏低。爰此，本論文主要目的，在探討台灣地區婦女在健保制度下抹片篩檢利用度的影響因素，藉由實證分析結果，期能提供政府當局有效提高篩檢率的具體方針和建議，以有效降低婦女子宮頸癌的發生率和死亡率。 第二章為理論架構，分別應用Becker(1965)的家庭生產函數和Grossman(1972)的健康需求模型，以建構影響抹片檢查需求的理論模型，並為本論文實證分析的理論基礎。本論文實證分析共分三章，首先利用衛生署國民健康局家庭計畫研究所，分別於民國81年及87年進行的「台灣地區家庭與生育力調查」資料，採用Logit迴歸模型做分析。實證結果發現，抹片檢查接受與否的影響因素在健保實施前後有很大差異，而「南部＊全民健保」及「鄉鎮＊全民健保」的變數對30歲以上婦女亦為顯著正相關；意味健保制度的推行，沖消掉大多數變數的影響效果，使得原本具有影響力的因素變為不顯著，亦即健保政策在婦女抹片防癌使用度的增加有很大貢獻。此外，政府除了對30歲以上女性提供免費檢查給付政策外，亦積極加強衛教宣導工作、建立子宮頸抹片篩檢服務網等工作，使得「全民健保」變數不僅對30歲以上婦女，亦對30歲以下婦女有顯著的正影響力，故建議政府可考慮將篩檢給付擴及至所有已婚女性。 接者，在第四章則利用國家衛生研究院於民國90年所進行的「國民健康訪問調查」資料，應用Bivariate Probit 迴歸模型，並將台灣地區所有316個鄉鎮市分成八個都市化層級，探討都市化程度高低對婦女預防保健利用度之影響。結果發現都市化程度不同，的確造成婦女抹片檢查利用率存在顯著差異，居住在第二至第六個都市化層級的婦女，其接受抹片篩檢的比率明顯較都市化程度最高者低；而第七和第八層級(都市化程度最低)並無顯著較第一層級不願做篩檢。究其原因，乃因政府為均衡不同地區抹片篩檢的可近性，積極鼓勵相關醫療院所加入健保特約醫院，以配合健保給付政策並提供篩檢服務，至民國86年，有超過90%約1500家的醫療院所加入；此外，衛生當局亦在偏遠地區提供巡迴車設站採檢服務，以解決偏遠地區醫療資源不足問題。意味全民健保制度在婦女抹片檢查服務上，已達到提昇偏遠地區醫療服務可近性的貢獻。 最後，在第五章我們利用國民健康局於民國91年所進行的「國民健康促進知識、態度與行為調查」資料，應用兩階段最小平方法(2SLS)估計模型，分析健康資訊對抹片檢查的影響程度。應用Kenkel(1990)衡量資訊的方法，將受訪者對子宮頸癌及抹片檢查相關知識的得分加總，以代表婦女健康資訊程度。實證結果發現，健康資訊的確是影響婦女是否接受抹片檢查的重要因素，擁有愈多相關健康資訊的婦女，因愈了解抹片檢查對預防子宮頸癌的重要，故明顯較願意去接受篩檢。因此，政府除了積極全面衛教宣導工作、建立子宮頸抹片篩檢服務網等工作外，也應針對擁有較低健康資訊的婦女多加宣導抹片防癌的重要性，以有效提高我國婦女的篩檢利用率。 / The National Health Insurance program provided free annual cervical cancer screening for women aged above 30 years old since July, 1995, just four months after the inauguration of the NHI. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the demand for Pap-smear utilization among women under NHI program. To explore the factors influencing cervical cancer screening and the empirical results can be of great importance to health policy decisions aimed at reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. In Chapter 2, we attempt to analyze the theoretical foundations applying the household production function developed by Becker (1965) and Grossman’s (1972) health decision-making model and summarize the literatures through a review of the demand for preventive care services. Three empirical essays will proceed in following three chapters. First of all, chapter 3 presents data obtained from the 1992 and 1998 surveys on ‘Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice’ administered by Taiwan’s Provincial Institute of Family, performing a logit model. The results show that factors affecting Pap smear test utilization varied significantly before and after NHI, besides, the coefficient of the South＊NHI and village/town＊NHI interaction variable for women above 30 become significant and positive. This indicates that NHI system plays an important contributor on reducing the disparities in utilization of Pap smear tests between different areas. In addition to NHI coverage, other strategies such as strengthening educational activities and establishing a service network for Pap-smear screening are other vital contributors to increase the utilization rate of Pap smear screening for those aged below 30 years under NHI. To further increase the utilization of cervical cancer screening, the insurance coverage could be extended to all married women regardless of age. In chapter 4, we attempt to explore the impact of urbanization level on the use of female preventive services under NHI, using a bivariate probit model and dataset obtained from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey provided by the National Health Research Institutes. All 316 cities/counties in Taiwan was stratified into 8 levels of urbanization. The results showed that urbanization levels have a significant influence on Pap-smear screening. Those living between the second and sixth levels of urbanized regions were significant negative to the cervical cancer screening compared to the highest urbanization level. In order to balance the accessibility of cervical cancer screening between different areas, the health authorities encourage the obstetric, gynecological hospitals and clinics to contract with the government, more than 90%, about 1,500 medical care institutions were under contract until 1997. Besides, government authorities introduced mobile testing stations to provide specimen collection services in the deeper remote regions. As a result, those living in the areas with the 7th level and the 8th level (the lowest level) of urbanization were not less likely to take Pap-smear test. It means that the implementation of NHI has enhanced the accessibility of taking pap-smear test. Finally, in chapter 5, the nationwide survey dataset was obtained from the 2002 Health Promotion of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice (HPKAP) in Taiwan, provided by the Bureau of Health Promotion and two-stage estimation model was adopted to investigate the association of cervical cancer screenings with the healthcare information. The results showed that women’s healthcare information has a significant positive effect on the utilization of cervical cancer screening; that is, the more informed women are, in terms of information and knowledge on cervical cancer screening, the more likely they are to undergo Pap-smear testing. Therefore, it is important for the healthcare authorities to place greater effort into strengthening the knowledge and information on cervical cancer screening and Pap-smear testing, for those who are currently less informed, so as to enhance the overall efficiency of the screening program.

No description available.

Disertacijos objektas naujas citologinio gimdos kaklelio tyrimo panaudojus Shandon PapSpin skystąsias terpes efektyvumo įvertinimas. Žinoma, kad citologinis gimdos kaklelio tepinėlio tyrimas-efektyvus gimdos kaklelio vėžio kontrolės būdas, tačiau jis pasižymi nepakankamu jautrumu sąlygotu nepakankamos tyrimo kokybės. Skystųjų terpių citologinis tyrimas buvo įvertintas dviem etapais: tiriant dalytą gimdos kaklelio medžiagą ( angl.split-sample) fazėje ir nedalytą gimdos kaklelio medžiagą (angl. direct to vial). 2950 moterims buvo atlikti citologiniai tyrimai. Gauti citologinių tyrimų rezultatai buvo palyginti su atitinkamai konizuotosios gimdos kaklelio dalies histologinio tyrimo rezultatais apskaičiuojant citologinių metodų diagnostines vertes, sutarimą tarp citologinio tepinėlio tyrimų ir skystųjų terpių tyrimų. Disertacijoje keliamas klausimas ar citologiniai gimdos kaklelio tyrimai panaudojus skystąsiais terpes yra patikimas ikinavikinės gimdos kaklelio patologijos diagnostikos metodas. Disertacijoje konstatuojama, kad citologiniai gimdos kaklelio tyrimai panaudojus skystąsias terpes yra efektyvus diagnostikos metodas diagnozuojant ikinavikinius gimdos kaklelio pakitimus. Pagrindiniai metodo privalumai –statistiškai reikšmingas netinkamų ir ASC ( atipinių plokščiojo epitelio ląstelių) tyrimų kiekio sumažėjimas. Disertacijoje taip pat daug dėmesio skiriama Žmogaus papilomos viruso nustatymui iš skystosios likusios po citologinio tyrimo terpės ir konizuotosios gimdos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The study comparing the effectiveness of a novel liquid-based Pap test (the PapSpin) with the conventional Pap smear. The impetus behind the study is meritorious: although the conventional Pap smear has been highly effective in diminishing mortality from cervical cancer, it is not perfect. It suffers from inconsistency in cell thickness and occasional obscuring blood, which hinder accurate evaluation. An alternative preparation method, one that would reduce the amount of blood and provide for a more consistent, thin layer of cells would make screening easiser and more accurate. The several performance characteristics examined in the study: Rate of unsatisfactory smears, rate of "atypical" smears (smears with an interpretation of "atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance"), sensitivity, specificity, positive predicitve value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), based on histologic correlation and suitability for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. The study consists of two principal parts. In the first part, the cervical sample collected was split into two preparations ("split sample"): a conventional smear was prepared first, then the residue left on the collection device was used to prepare a PapSpin slides. In the second part ("direct to vial"), the entire cervical sample was used to prepare a PapSpin slide. In the "split sample" study a significant reduction in the proportion of unsatisfactory and "atypical" cases was found when slides were prepared... [to full text]

The study comparing the effectiveness of a novel liquid-based Pap test (the PapSpin) with the conventional Pap smear. The impetus behind the study is meritorious: although the conventional Pap smear has been highly effective in diminishing mortality from cervical cancer, it is not perfect. It suffers from inconsistency in cell thickness and occasional obscuring blood, which hinder accurate evaluation. An alternative preparation method, one that would reduce the amount of blood and provide for a more consistent, thin layer of cells would make screening easiser and more accurate. The several performance characteristics examined in the study: Rate of unsatisfactory smears, rate of "atypical" smears (smears with an interpretation of "atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance"), sensitivity, specificity, positive predicitve value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), based on histologic correlation and suitability for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. The study consists of two principal parts. In the first part, the cervical sample collected was split into two preparations ("split sample"): a conventional smear was prepared first, then the residue left on the collection device was used to prepare a PapSpin slides. In the second part ("direct to vial"), the entire cervical sample was used to prepare a PapSpin slide. In the "split sample" study a significant reduction in the proportion of unsatisfactory and "atypical" cases was found when slides were prepared... [to full text] / Disertacijos objektas naujas citologinio gimdos kaklelio tyrimo panaudojus Shandon PapSpin skystąsias terpes efektyvumo įvertinimas. Žinoma, kad citologinis gimdos kaklelio tepinėlio tyrimas-efektyvus gimdos kaklelio vėžio kontrolės būdas, tačiau jis pasižymi nepakankamu jautrumu sąlygotu nepakankamos tyrimo kokybės. Skystųjų terpių citologinis tyrimas buvo įvertintas dviem etapais: tiriant dalytą gimdos kaklelio medžiagą ( angl.split-sample) fazėje ir nedalytą gimdos kaklelio medžiagą (angl. direct to vial). 2950 moterims buvo atlikti citologiniai tyrimai. Gauti citologinių tyrimų rezultatai buvo palyginti su atitinkamai konizuotosios gimdos kaklelio dalies histologinio tyrimo rezultatais apskaičiuojant citologinių metodų diagnostines vertes, sutarimą tarp citologinio tepinėlio tyrimų ir skystųjų terpių tyrimų. Disertacijoje keliamas klausimas ar citologiniai gimdos kaklelio tyrimai panaudojus skystąsiais terpes yra patikimas ikinavikinės gimdos kaklelio patologijos diagnostikos metodas. Disertacijoje konstatuojama, kad citologiniai gimdos kaklelio tyrimai panaudojus skystąsias terpes yra efektyvus diagnostikos metodas diagnozuojant ikinavikinius gimdos kaklelio pakitimus. Pagrindiniai metodo privalumai –statistiškai reikšmingas netinkamų ir ASC ( atipinių plokščiojo epitelio ląstelių) tyrimų kiekio sumažėjimas. Disertacijoje taip pat daug dėmesio skiriama Žmogaus papilomos viruso nustatymui iš skystosios likusios po citologinio tyrimo terpės ir konizuotosios gimdos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Le virus du papillome humain (HPV) est l’infection sexuellement transmise la plus fréquente au monde. Plusieurs études ont établi son implication dans l’étiologie de pratiquement tous les cancers du col de l’utérus, une maladie qui constitue un problème de santé majeur dans les pays pauvres. Le HPV est également responsable de 90% des cancers de l’anus, 40-50% des cancers du pénis, de la vulve et du vagin, et 30% des cancers de la tête et du cou. L’objectif général de cette thèse est de combler les lacunes relatives aux connaissances sur la distribution génotypique du HPV dans les lésions néoplasiques cervicales utérines et de la tête et du cou, plus particulièrement en Afrique. Les objectifs spécifiques sont les suivants: 1) analyser la distribution génotypique du HPV dans les cancers du col de l’utérus et faire une analyse comparative de cette distribution dans cinq pays africains en fonction de la prévalence du VIH; 2) évaluer la présence du HPV dans les cancers de la tête et du cou au Sénégal; 3) faire une revue de la littérature et une méta-analyse sur la distribution du HPV dans les cancers de la tête et du cou dans toutes les régions du monde. Pour le premier et le second objectifs, qui découlent d’un large projet international coordonné par l’Institut Catalan d’Oncologie pour l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS), une étude transversale multicentrique a été menée au Mali et au Sénégal pour collecter des blocs de paraffine de patientes diagnostiquées entre 2001 et 2010 du cancer invasif du col et des cancers de la tête et du cou. Pour le troisième objectif, une revue exhaustive de la littérature a permis d’identifier tous les articles qui ont été publiés sur les cancers de la tête et du cou dans tous les pays du monde et d’effectuer une méta-analyse sur la prévalence de l’ADN du HPV selon le site du cancer et la région géographique. Notre analyse montre que les principaux types de HPV ciblés dans les vaccins prophylactiques (HPV16/18) représentent la majorité des types de HPV détectés dans le cancer invasif du col de l’utérus en Afrique subsaharienne. Par contre, le HPV45 vient au second rang dans certains pays d’Afrique, dont le Mali et le Sénégal. Nos données suggèrent également que le VIH aurait un rôle dans la contribution relative du HPV18 et HPV45 dans le développement du cancer du col de l’utérus. Au Sénégal, notre étude montre que la prévalence du HPV dans les cancers de la tête et du cou est très faible et ne semble pas jouer un rôle important dans l’oncogenèse. Finalement, la méta-analyse a mesuré la prévalence des HPV dans les cancers de la cavité orale, de l’oropharynx, du larynx et de l’hypopharynx, et confirme l’importante contribution relative du HPV16 dans ces cancers. Globalement, cette thèse permet de mieux comprendre l’impact potentiel des vaccins prophylactiques sur l’incidence des cancers associés au HPV. / Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Several studies have shown its involvement in the etiology of virtually all cancers of the cervix, which is a major health problem in poor countries. HPV is also responsible for 90% of anal cancers, 40-50% of penile, vulvar and vaginal cancers, and 30% of head and neck cancers. The overall objective of this thesis is to fill the gaps in knowledge on the genotype distribution of HPV in anogenital and head and neck neoplasia, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The specific objectives are to: 1) analyze HPV genotype distribution in cervical cancer and compare this distribution in five African countries according to HIV prevalence; 2) evaluate the presence of HPV in cancers of the head and neck in Senegal; 3) review the literature on the distribution of HPV in cancers of the head and neck in all regions of the world and perform a meta-analysis. For the first and second objectives, which were derived from a larger international project coordinated by the Catalan Institute of Oncology for the World Health Organization (WHO), a cross-sectional multicentric study was conducted to collect paraffin-embedded blocks of invasive cervical cancer and head and neck cancer diagnosed between 2001 and 2010 in Mali and Senegal. For the third objective, a comprehensive search of the literature was conducted to identify all articles published to date on head and neck cancer. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the prevalence of HPV DNA according to cancer site and geographical region. Our analysis shows that the main HPV types targeted in the prophylactic vaccines (HPV16/18) accounted for the majority of the HPV types found in invasive cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. Our data also suggests that HIV may play a role in the contribution of HPV18 and HPV45 to the development of cervical cancer. However, HPV45 ranks second in many African countries, notably in Mali and Senegal. In Senegal, our study shows that HPV DNA prevalence in head and neck cancer is very low and is not importantly involved in the oncogenesis. Finally, the meta-analysis measured the prevalence of HPV in cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx, and confirmed the significant relative contribution of HPV16 in these cancers. Overall, this thesis contributes to a better understanding of the potential impact of HPV prophylactic vaccines on the incidence of HPV-associated cancers.

This thesis describes a set of image analysis tools developed for the purpose of quantifying the distribution of chromatin in (light) microscope images of cell nuclei. The distribution or pattern of chromatin is influenced by both external and internal variations of the cell environment, including variations associated with the cell cycle, neoplasia, apoptosis, and malignancy associated changes (MACs). The quantitative characterisation of this pattern makes possible the prediction of the biological state of a cell, or the detection of subtle changes in a population of cells. This has important application to automated cancer screening. The majority of existing methods for quantifying chromatin distribution (texture) are based on the stochastic approach to defining texture. However, it is the premise of this thesis that the structural approach is more appropriate because pathologists use terms such as clumping, margination, granulation, condensation, and clearing to describe chromatin texture, and refer to the regions of condensed chromatin as granules, particles, and blobs. The key to the structural approach is the segmentation of the chromatin into its texture primitives. Unfortunately all of the chromatin segmentation algorithms published in the literature suffer from one or both of the following drawbacks: (i) a segmentation that is not consistent with a human's perception of blobs, particles, or granules; and (ii) the need to specify, a priori, one or more subjective operating parameters. The latter drawback limits the robustness of the algorithm to variations in illumination and staining quality. The structural model developed in this thesis is based on several novel low-, med-ium-, and high-level image analysis tools. These tools include: a class of non-linear self-dual filters, called folding induced self-dual filters, for filtering impulse noise; an algorithm, based on seeded region growing, for robustly segmenting chromatin; an improved seeded region growing algorithm that is independent of the order of pixel processing; a fast priority queue implementation suitable for implementing the watershed transform (special case of seeded region growing); the adjacency graph attribute co-occurrence matrix (AGACM) method for quantifying blob and mosaic patterns in the plane; a simple and fast algorithm for computing the exact Euclidean distance transform for the purpose of deriving contextual features (measurements) and constructing geometric adjacency graphs for disjoint connected components; a theoretical result establishing an equivalence between the distance transform of a binary image and the grey-scale erosion of its characteristic function by an elliptic poweroid structuring element; and a host of chromatin features that can be related to qualitative descriptions of chromatin distribution used by pathologists. In addition, this thesis demonstrates the application of this new structural model to automated cervical cancer screening. The results provide empirical evidence that it is possible to detect differences in the pattern of nuclear chromatin between samples of cells from a normal Papanicolaou-stained cervical smear and those from an abnormal smear. These differences are supportive of the existence of the MACs phenomenon. Moreover the results compare favourably with those reported in the literature for other stains developed specifically for automated cytometry. To the author's knowledge this is the first time, based on a sizable and uncontaminated data set, that MACs have been demonstrated in Papanicolaou stain. This is an important finding because the primary screening test for cervical cancer, the Papanicolaou test, is based on this stain.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2010.

This qualitative study explored and described the experience of African women diagnosed with both HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer in order to gain an understanding of the experience of both illnesses as lived by these women. Phenomenological research methods were employed using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Communication as a strategy facilitating diagnosis, disclosure, acceptance and support for women with HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer emerged as the main theme, followed by the experience of physical symptoms and emotional experiences. The study shows the importance of communication in the management and support of these women attending public health institutions and in the community. For communication to occur the relationship between healthcare professionals and women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer is very important. Treatment approaches in radiation therapy need to be developed for women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and cervical. More research is needed in this area (HIV/AIDS and cervical cancer). / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The aim of this study was a prospective detection of postoperative lymphedema of the lower limbs in patients after the surgery for cervical and vulvar cancer using different methods of examination and their comparison and monitoring of postoperative complications and quality of life. Totally 78 women were followed after the surgery for cervical cancer and 36 for carcinoma of the vulva. Due to the radicality of the surgery the patients were divided into the conservative and radical groups. Lower limbs lymphedema were evaluated preoperatively and 3, 6 and 12 months after the surgery by the measurement of the lower limbs circumference, multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MFBIA) and subjective feeling. Quality of life using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaires was evaluated before and 6 and 12 month after the surgery. 12 months after the cervical cancer surgery 35.9 % of patients reported subjective lymphedema, 37.18 % lymphedema were objectively diagnosed by the measurement of lower limb circuits and in 52.56 % of cases the increase of amount of extracellular fluid was detected by the MFBIA Ri/R0 method. The prevalence of lymphedema after the surgery for vulvar cancer reached 19.44% by the subjective assessment, 38.89 % by the measurement of...