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HPV DNA is detected in NMSC, AK and normal skin biopsies. Our results also indicate that CMV is involved in NMSC at higher levels than in premalignant lesions, whereas the virus was not detected in normal skin biopsies. HSV and EBV do not appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lesions. Moreover, we suggest that the HRAS codon 12 mutation is not a very common event in AK or NMSC. Finally, both viral infection and HRAS activation appear to represent independent factors in the aetiology of NMSC, samples of which were obtained from immunocompetent patients.

The detection of HER2 mRNA-positive CTCs after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy may provide clinically useful information concerning the efficacy of treatment and the prognosis of patients with operable breast cancer.

Both BRAF and RKIP expression levels exhibit a decrease from normal skin tissue and AK, going to SCC. The decrease of RKIP mRNA levels in SCC, suggests one novel mechanism in the deregulation of the BRAF signaling pathway. Our results further indicate that BRAF does not appear to be frequently mutated either in pre-cancerous skin lesions (AK) or in non-melanoma skin tumors (SCC).