Modelling the Recurrence of Bladder Cancer

The risk of a new tumor recurrence after transurethral resection (surgical operation) in patients with primary superficial bladder carcinoma is evaluated. As the exact time of the event is not known, it is suggested to consider interval-censored survival data methodology. We use the model of Farrington to perform a prognostic model for predicting a new recurrence and to determine the clinicopathologic factors associated within interval-censored data framework. The implementation of this method is easy using standard statistical packages. Anyway, we use diagnostic methods for the validation of the model developed by the same author for interval-censored data. The obtained model is easily interpretable and let us to individualize the course of follow-up and treatment of each patient in order to improve the patient’s quality of life.      

Biomedical application of VIMP: screening of malignant cells in the prostate

An electrochemical method for discriminating healthy and malignant tissues in prostate biopsies using the voltammetry of immobilized particles methodology is described. The method involves the sampling with graphite bars 0.5 mm in diameter on paraffin-impregnated cross sections of prostate tissues used in ordinary cytological evaluation after local staining with methylene blue (MB). The subsequent record of the voltammetric response of sample-modified graphite electrodes displays clearly different MB-centered features for healthy and malignant regions due to the different association of the dye to the respective cells.