Sensitivity is calculated as the proportion (or percentage) of malignancies correctly diagnosed, whereas specificity is the proportion (or percentage) of non-malignancies correctly diagnosed.
However, the higher than expected percentage of malignancies in this group (68%) may have been induced by a selection bias toward performing biopsy of masses with imaging features or other clinical factors that raised the prior probability of malignancy above that of masses that did not undergo biopsy.
The 20q13.2 region where the BORIS gene is located is commonly amplified in significant percentages of malignancies in a variety of organs, and may harbor one or more oncogenes [8] [11].
There were 122 accompanying malignancies that underwent surgery, and the percentage of accompanying malignancies addressed with operation versus non-surgery were 64.6 %(113/175) and 35.4 %(62/175), respectively.
Similarly, loss of function of tumour-suppressor genes leads to the deregulation of cell growth, an event thought to play an outstanding role in the development and progression of a high percentage of human malignancies (Ferreira et al, 1999).
More recently, it has been demonstrated that STATs 3 and 5 are found in a significant percentage of human malignancies, where they contribute to growth, survival, and metastasis of cancer cells [ 19, 51- 56].
Autopsy data also support this assumption indicating that 10 to 35% of histologically investigated stomach tissues contain GIST-tumorlets (micro-GIST [ 26- 28]. As expected, elderly patients (sub-cohort II) showed a significantly higher percentage of secondary malignancies (38.8% vs. 15,5%, p < 0.001, OR = 3.5 [1.6; 7.2]).
It seems that the percentage of individuals without malignancy that are correctly classified (specificity) by the suggested procedure is high, while the percentage of individuals with malignancy who are correctly classified (sensitivity) seems smaller.
The percentage of upgrade to malignancy following further sampling was equal in both groups, at 18%.
Assessment of 58 gastric and oesophageal biopsy samples showed that DCD mRNA expression occurred in a small percentage of gastro-oesophageal malignancy and that expression levels were minimal.
