Current opinion in oncology
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Given the burden of suffering associated with the development of ovarian cancer and the clear survival gradient related to the stage of disease at diagnosis, there is much enthusiasm for the development of effective screening strategies aimed at early detection. To date, no evidence exists to justify mass population screening; however, emphasis on subpopulation screening, identification of novel serologic markers, and multimodality screening designs have provided hope that these refinements may eventually translate into a reduction in ovarian cancer mortality.
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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a human herpes virus, is associated with a variety of malignancies. In vitro, it is able to transform B cells, which will grow as lymphoblastoid cell lines in the absence of T cells. Patients with a variety of immunodeficiency diseases are subject to the development of B-cell lymphomas that express viral antigens on their cell surface. ⋯ Transfer of mature T cells from EBV-immune marrow donors has been demonstrated to be effective in controlling these EBV-associated B-cell tumors. Recently the demonstration that EBV transcripts are found in other lymphomas (including Hodgkin disease cells) has led to the suggestion that transfer of EBV-specific T cells may also be effective in managing these tumors. Current research involves optimizing methods to expand cells that recognize the EBV antigens expressed in the lymphoma cells.