Cytopathology : official journal of the British Society for Clinical Cytology
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p53 protein expression and oestrogen and progesterone receptor status in invasive ductal breast carcinomas The p53 protein expression and oestrogen and progesterone receptors status was investigated in correlation to the grade of malignancy of primary breast carcinomas. Our material constituted imprints from surgical biopsies of 75 invasive ductal breast cancer cases. The p53 protein expression was investigated immunocytologically using the monoclonal antibody p53 DO-7 (DAKO). ⋯ A negative association between p53 protein expression and oestrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) positivity was found. From our results it appears that it is possible to distinguish from grade II tumours two subgroups of cases, one with low malignancy potential and p53 (-), ER (+), PgR (+), and another subgroup with high malignancy potential and phenotype p53 (+), ER (-), PgR (-). The last subset of patients could actually benefit from adjuvant therapy.
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The past decade has seen a transformation in the National Health Service Cervical Screening Programme (NHSCSP) largely driven by responses to various screening scandals. Independent inquiries into these laboratory failures have identified a number of contributing factors. ⋯ However, the results do not indicate a widespread breakdown in working relationships between consultants and biomedical scientists, although there is room for improvement in their relationships with hospital management. Finally, there seem to be mixed messages about the commitment of consultants to the screening programme.