E Gaffney

Publications (9)17.88 Total impact

• Article: Cannonball metastases with favourable prognosis.

  R Flavin, S Finn, A McErlean, P Smyth, J Meaney, F O'Connell, J Kellett, E McGovern, E Gaffney
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  ABSTRACT: Secondary 'cannonball' metastases to the lung are frequent and usually associated with disseminated malignancy and poor prognosis. To report the case of a patient with metastatic pulmonary endometrial stromal sarcoma who had a previous hysterectomy for benign uterine fibroids and no past history of malignancy. A 70-year-old female presented with cannonball metastases in her lung. Four years previously she had a hysterectomy for 'fibroids'. Review of the original histology revealed endometrial stromal sarcoma, similar to the lung metastasis. She currently has a good prognosis. A patient with 'cannonball' metastases can have a favourable prognosis. A female patient with a previous hysterectomy for uterine fibroids, should be considered to have metastatic sarcoma until proven otherwise.
  Irish Journal of Medical Science 04/2012; 174(1):61-4. · 0.58 Impact Factor
• Article: Fistulization in a locally advanced case of squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate.

  O A Raheem, R G Casey, C Attah, L Clarke, A McGrath, E Gaffney, D Hollywood, T E D McDermott, T H Lynch
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  ABSTRACT: Squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate gland is very rare, constituting 0.5%-1% of all prostatic malignancies. Though it has a similar clinical presentation to prostate cancer, the tumor is more aggressive, spreading to bone, liver and lung. The median survival time is approximately 14 months. Diagnosis is exclusively by histology. Therapeutic options may include radical surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or a combination of these treatments. We present a case of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate and comment on its management and subsequent disease related complication.
  The Canadian Journal of Urology 12/2009; 16(6):4941-5. · 0.64 Impact Factor
• Article: ACTH-secreting bronchial carcinoid: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

  J H McDermott, H Thabit, N Hickey, C Thompson, E Gaffney, V Young, S Sreenan
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  ABSTRACT: We describe a case of Cushing's syndrome due to ectopic ACTH secretion, where the only potential source on conventional imaging was a tiny benign-appearing lung nodule, which failed to take up radiolabelled octreotide. To determine whether the patient might respond to therapeutic administration of octreotide, a test dose was given. Compared to ACTH and cortisol levels on a control day, the levels following the test dose of octreotide were lower. Subsequent therapeutic administration of subcutaneous octreotide normalised urine free cortisol, with symptomatic improvement, pending evaluation for surgery. Eventual resection of the lung nodule resulted in cure of hypercortisolism. Histological examination of the resected specimen confirmed bronchial carcinoid staining positive for ACTH. This is one of the few cases described where ectopic ACTH secretion secondary to bronchial carcinoid responded to somatostatin analogue therapy. The case was also unusual in that the tumour responded despite not taking up radiolabelled octreotide.
  Irish Journal of Medical Science 06/2008; 177(3):269-72. · 0.58 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: uc.edu

  Article: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

  E M Connolly, E Gaffney, J V Reynolds
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  ABSTRACT: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs), previously classified as benign or malignant smooth muscle tumours, are the most common mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. GISTs express a growth factor receptor with tyrosine kinase activity, termed KIT. Mutations of KIT are common in malignant GISTs and lead to constitutional activation of tyrosine kinase function, which causes cellular proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. GISTs are notoriously unresponsive to chemotherapy and, until the recent introduction of the KIT inhibitor imatinib, there has been no effective therapy for advanced, metastatic disease. A Medline literature search was preformed to locate all articles relating to gastrointestinal tumours, GISTs, KIT and imatinib. The 5-year survival rate after complete resection of GISTs is approximately 50 per cent. The median duration of survival for patients with a metastatic GIST is approximately 20 months, and 9-12 months for patients with local recurrence. Phase II trials have investigated the effect of imatinib on irresectable or metastatic GISTs. In these trials more than 50 per cent of patients responded to imatinib within a few months and approximately 12 per cent had disease progression. Uptake of [(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose demonstrated by positron emission tomography has been found to be reduced after starting imatinib. The potential for cure and the optimal length of treatment is currently unknown. Imatinib is the first effective systemic therapy for metastatic and locally irresectable GISTs. Large multi-institutional clinical trials to investigate the efficacy of imatinib as adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy for GISTs are now required.
  British Journal of Surgery 11/2003; 90(10):1178-86. · 4.61 Impact Factor
• Article: Catastrophic anti-phospholipid syndrome in the absence of IgG anti-cardiolipin antibodies.

  M Kennedy, J Jackson, I Khan, P W Keeling, E Gaffney
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  ABSTRACT: The Catastrophic Anti-phospholipid Syndrome (CAPS) is a rare acute clinical syndrome associated with serum anti-phospholipid antibodies (aPL). It is rarely preceded by a precipitating event. It may occur as a primary event or be associated with auto-immune diseases. We report a fatal case occurring post-endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) in a patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), positive lupus anticoagulant and negative IgG with positive IgM anti-cardiolipin titres. The diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties of such cases is addressed.
  Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 02/1995; 24(6):389-91. · 2.47 Impact Factor
• Article: Treatment with coumarin to prevent or delay recurrence of malignant melanoma.

  R D Thornes, L Daly, G Lynch, B Breslin, H Browne, H Y Browne, T Corrigan, P Daly, G Edwards, E Gaffney
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  ABSTRACT: Both coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) and warfarin (4-hydroxycoumarin) have been shown to prevent the recurrence of malignant melanoma. Their action is macrophage-dependent and the dosage is critical. In 1984 a multicentre, prospective, randomised, double-blind trial of coumarin, given as a daily 50-mg dose for 2 years after surgery in patients with high-risk melanoma, was started. the patients had lesions greater than 1.70 mm thick and TNM stage IB or stage II disease. To date there are 4 recurrences in the coumarin-treated group of 13 patients, and 10 recurrences in the placebo-treated group of 14 patients (P < 0.01). There were no toxic effects.
  Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology 01/1994; 120 Suppl:S32-4. · 2.56 Impact Factor
• Article: Treatment with coumarin to prevent or delay recurrence of malignant melanoma

  R. D. Thornes, L. Daly, G. Lynch, B. Breslin, H. Browne, H. Y. Browne, T. Corrigan, P. Daly, G. Edwards, E. Gaffney, J. Henley, T. Healy, F. Keane, F. Lennon, N. McMurray, S. O'Loughlin, M. Shine, A. Tanner
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  ABSTRACT: Both coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) and warfarin (4-hydroxycoumarin) have been shown to prevent the recurrence of malignant melanoma. Their action is macrophage-dependent and the dosage is critical. In 1984 a multicentre, prospective, randomised, double-blind trial of coumarin, given as a daily 50-mg dose for 2 years after surgery in patients with high-risk melanoma, was started. The patients had lesions greater than 1.70 mm thick and TNM stage IB or stage II disease. To date there are 4 recurrences in the coumarin-treated group of 13 patients, and 10 recurrences in the placebo-treated group of 14 patients (PThere were no toxic effects.
  Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology 12/1993; 120:S32-S34. · 2.56 Impact Factor
• Article: Hyperamylasemia associated with progression of a serous surface papillary carcinoma.

  T O'Riordan, E Gaffney, V Tormey, P Daly
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  ABSTRACT: A 60-year-old white woman had a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, hysterectomy, and omentectomy for serous surface papillary carcinoma. Combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide was given for 1 year, but was followed by relapse 4 months after completion. This relapse was associated with hyperamylasemia ranging from 2400 IU/liter in the early phase of relapse to 5800 IU/liter in the preterminal phase. While hyperamylasemia has been previously described in serous ovarian cystadenocarcinoma, to our knowledge this is the first report in a patient with serous surface papillary carcinoma. This marker may help in distinguishing the latter from malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum since this is often an extremely difficult differential diagnosis.
  Gynecologic Oncology 04/1990; 36(3):432-4. · 3.89 Impact Factor
• Article: Thyrotoxicosis induced by choriocarcinoma a report of two cases.

  S O'Reilly, D J Lyons, M Harrison, E Gaffney, M Cullen, L Clancy
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  ABSTRACT: We report two cases of choriocarcinoma, one uterine, the other a component of an ovarian germ cell tumour, in both instances clinically overt thyrotoxicosis was a feature of their initial presentation. These cases highlight a rare clinical association which is due a thyrotropic action of Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin.
  Irish medical journal 86(4):124, 127.