Protocol for a Randomized Phase II Trial for Mesh Optimization by Autologous Plasma Coating in Prolapse Repair: IDEAL Stage 3.

Introduction: Mesh-related complications especially after vaginal implantation have raised awareness lately because of severe adverse reactions and legal aspects. About 20% of patients suffer from complications after mesh insertion in the anterior vaginal wall. Autologous plasma coating of meshes prior to implantation has shown potential to improve the biocompatibility of meshes in vivo and in vitro.

Lack of difference in acute nephrotoxicity of intravenous bisphosphonates zoledronic acid and ibandronate in women with breast cancer and bone metastases.

Background: More than 50% of patients with advanced breast cancer develop bone metastases that may lead to multiple complications such as pathological fractures, bone pain or hypercalcaemia. The standard treatment, besides endocrine, targeted-therapy or chemotherapy, is the use of bisphosphonates. However, one of their main adverse side-effects is bisphosphonate-induced nephrotoxicity.

Growth-modulatory effects of heparin and VEGF165 on the choriocarcinoma cell-line JEG-3 and its expression of heparanase.

Background: Expression of heparanase (HPSE) in tumor cells is strongly associated with invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. It also plays a key role during pregnancy, in processes of implantation as well as placentation. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and heparin are known to alter HPSE expression, with heparin given prophylactically to women with a history of placenta-mediated complications in subsequent pregnancies.

Cancer in pregnancy. Part I: basic diagnostic and therapeutic principles and treatment of gynecological malignancies.

Purpose: Cancer in pregnancy is a rare circumstance. However, the coincidence of pregnancy and malignancy is supposed to increase due to a general tendency of postponing childbearing to older age. To date, clinical guidelines are scarce and experience regarding therapeutic management is limited to case reports.

Cancer in pregnancy. Part II: treatment options of breast and other non-gynecological malignancies.

Purpose: In case of non-gynecological solid tumors and hematological malignancies diagnosed during pregnancy, individual diagnostic and treatment options must be established by an interdisciplinary team.

Methods: In part II of the present review we report on diagnostic and therapeutic principles in distinct entities of solid and hematological malignancies.

Results: On the basis of a review of the current literature, clinical guidelines and algorithms have been established for diagnosis and therapy of maternal cancer during pregnancy.