Efficacy and safety of larotrectinib in patients with TRK fusion gastrointestinal cancer.

Background: Larotrectinib is the first-in-class, highly selective TRK inhibitor with demonstrated efficacy in various TRK fusion solid tumours. We report the efficacy and safety of larotrectinib in patients with TRK fusion gastrointestinal (GI) cancer.

Methods: Patients with TRK fusion GI cancer from NAVIGATE (NCT02576431) were included.

Rituximab maintenance overcomes the negative prognostic factor of obesity in CLL: Subgroup analysis of the international randomized AGMT CLL-8a mabtenance trial.

No data are available regarding obesity and outcome in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). We analyzed 263 patients from the AGMT CLL-8a Mabtenance trial for the impact of obesity. The trial included patients after rituximab-containing induction treatment in first or second line that had achieved at least a PR.

Rituximab maintenance versus observation alone in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia who respond to first-line or second-line rituximab-containing chemoimmunotherapy: final results of the AGMT CLL-8a Mabtenance randomised trial.

Background: In many patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia requiring treatment, induction therapy with rituximab plus chemotherapy improves outcomes compared with chemotherapy alone. In this study we aimed to investigate the potential of rituximab maintenance therapy to prolong disease control in patients who respond to rituximab-containing induction regimens.

Methods: In this randomised, international, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 clinical trial, we enrolled patients who had achieved a complete response (CR), CR with incomplete bone marrow recovery (CRi), or partial response (PR) to first-line or second-line rituximab-containing chemoimmunotherapy and randomly assigned them in a 1:1 ratio (central block randomisation in the electronic case report form system) to either intravenous rituximab 375 mg/m(2) every 3 months, or observation alone, for 2 years.

Zoonotic ocular onchocercosis caused by Onchocerca lupi in dogs in Romania.

Onchocerca lupi is a filarial nematode, which infects the scleral conjunctival tissue of dogs, wolves and cats. Whilst adult nematodes localize in the conjunctive tissue of sclera or in the retrobulbar, microfilariae are found in the skin, and they are rarely diagnosed in asymptomatic animals. Since the first report of human ocular infection 5 years ago, up to 10 zoonotic cases have been identified in patients worldwide.

Pact with the devil: alemtuzumab therapy, immune suppression and infectious complications in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Infectious complications are an important cause of hospitalization in patients diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The pathogenesis of infection is complex, involving both disease-induced and treatment-related immune depression. During the last decade, the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has been redefined by the approval of monoclonal antibody-based treatment, which resulted in improved therapeutic responses.

Combining gemcitabine, cisplatin, and ifosfamide (GIP) is active in patients with relapsed metastatic germ-cell tumors (GCT): a prospective multicenter GETUG phase II trial.

Background: The standard treatment of patients with metastatic germ-cell tumor (GCT) relapsing after first-line chemotherapy is based on a cisplatin and ifosfamide-containing three-drug regimen, which usually yields a complete response (CR) rate <50%. As gemcitabine consistently displayed activity in patients with advanced GCT and as synergy with cisplatin was reported, we integrated this drug into the salvage triplet regimen and assessed its activity in this phase II study.

Patients And Methods: The GIP regimen consisted in gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) day 1 and 5, ifosfamide 1200 mg/m(2)/day day 1-5, cisplatin 20 mg/m(2)/day day 1-5, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 263 μg/day day 7-15, repeated every 3 weeks for four cycles.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised, phase II/III trials adding bevacizumab to platinum-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Summary data from randomised trials comparing first-line bevacizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy with chemotherapy alone for inoperable locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic NSCLC were meta-analysed. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and pooled odds ratio (OR) for adverse events were calculated.

[Distal pancreatectomy with spleen preservation in a pseudopapillary pancreatic tumor case].

Pseudopapillary pancreatic tumors represent about 1-2% of all exocrine pancreatic tumors, studies in the literature about this type of tumor is limited. We present a female patient of 18 years hospitalized for nonspecific abdominal symptoms, diagnosed with corporeal pancreatic tumor approximately 3-4 cm. It takes practice surgical distal pancreatectomy with spleen preservation, pathological examination revealing a pseudopapillary pancreatic tumor.

[Primary and secondary hepatic cancer--specifics of surgical treatment in correlation with disease stage].

Unlabelled: Given the necessity of increasing their resectability, there are evaluated the possibilities of surgical treatment for these types of hepatic cancer, in the context of dominant clinical presence of advanced hepatic tumors.

Material And Method: The study comprises 190 patients during 01.01.

[Postoperative digestive fistulas. Etiopathogenic considerations].

The digestive fistula is one of the most serious complications that might appear following different types of resectional digestive surgery. This condition still carries a considerable morbidity and mortality rate and therefore all surgical and ICU staff pay a great deal of attention and intensify their care to avoid the fatalities. The postoperative digestive fistulas, through their physiopathological and clinical complexity induce the disturbance of the biological equilibrium with vital consequences.

Flow cytometry-based quantification of cytokine levels in AML patients plasma and cell culture supernatants.

Aim: Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been found to support leukemic cell survival; however, the mechanisms responsible are far from being elucidated yet. The main aim of the current study is to identify particular cytokine/chemokine patterns of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, and, on a longer term, to correlate them with the patient outcome and response to therapy. Therefore, the influence of BMSCs on in vitro modulation of cytokine secretion (IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-10, IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-2) by AML cells as well as the AML cells supportive capacity of BMSCs-derived soluble factors was investigated.

[Intraoperative injuries of the biliary tract].

Statistically speaking, the intraoperative lesions of common bile duct are rare clinical cases, but they have a high gravity potential. Our study was made on a lot of 11 operated pacients during 1995-2007 in our Clinic and it shows the tactical and technical approach used in solving these complications. The study also shows the high level of difficulty of these cases, as immediate recognition of this type of intraoperative lesions is needed.

[General principles of clinical and therapeutic management in postoperative external enteral fistulas].

Postoperative enterocutaneous fistulas represent a frequent complication in the emergency or cancerous digestive surgery. As to the high level of mortality and morbidity caused by this type of postoperative complication (4%), efforts are made to establish the principles of therapeutic management, on the purpose of decreasing these indicators and thus lowering the prolonged hospitalisation afferent costs.

[Internal hernia--a rare cause of intestinal obstruction].

Internal hernia is rare its frequency ranging between 0.6 and 5.8%.

[Pancreaticoduodenectomy with or without pylorus preservation: a retrospective analysis of 137 patients].

Objective: We performed a retrospective study to assess the postoperative results, long-term survival and quality of life after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD) versus standard Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy (WPD).

Methods: A retrospective study was performed in a nonselected series of 137 patients who were operated in the Surgical Clinics of "St. Spiridon" University Hospital Iaşi, Romania, from January 1st, 1995 till December 31, 2005.

[Radiofrequency ablation in the multimodal treatment of liver metastases--preliminary report].

Unlabelled: Although the "gold standard" in the multimodal treatment of liver primary and secondary tumors is the surgical ablation, the rate of resection, despite the last decades advances, remains still low (10 - 20%). In addition, the interest for non-surgical ablation therapies is increasing. Among them, regional or systemic chemotherapy, intra-arterial radiotherapy as well as locally targeted therapies--cryotherapy, alcohol instillation and radiofrequency (RF) are the most valuable options as alternative to the surgical approach.

[Pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer, 54 cases].

Unlabelled: Pancreatic cancer has an increase rate in western countries. From the first pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) performed by Kausch in 1909, the value of the resection in the treatment of pancreatic head cancer was disputed.

Aim: To assess the PD with or without pylorus preservation as surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Disseminated infection due to Candida guilliermondii in a patient with AML(M4). Case study.

Unlabelled: A 43-year-old patient admitted with acute myelogenous leukemia, developed bronchopneumonia and sepsis during profound neutropenia. Fever and pulmonary infiltrates did not improve by using empiric antibacterial therapy (Cefoperazona-Sulbactam, Trimethoprim-Sulphametoxazol). Blood and sputum culture were performed and patient received Voriconazol.

[Disseminated infections due to Scedosporium apiospermum in a patient with anaplastic large cell lymphoma. A case study].

A 42-year-old man was diagnosed with hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in November 2003. Remission was incompletely achieved despite 10 courses of chemotherapy. He developed fever (38.

[Radiofrequency ablation of malignant liver tumours].

Both primary and secondary liver tumors are common problems. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a tumor with rapid progression and poor prognosis. The standard in the treatment of liver tumors is surgical resection.

[Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus. Case report].

We present a 50 years old man who was admitted for severe pain in the chest appeared after vomiting, dyspnoea, cardiovascular collapse. The diagnosis of spontaneous perforation of the esophagus (Boerhaave's syndrome) was confirmed by a radiopaque swallow. We performed a laparotomy, mediastinal drainage, cervical esophagostomy and jejunostomy.

[Spontaneous esophageal rupture in three patients].

Boerhaave's syndrome represents the most severe perforation of the gastrointestinal tract. The typical clinical presentation is by a sudden onset of pain after a vomiting effort on the background of an alimentary and alcoholic abuse. It usually associates the cervicomediastinal emphysema, altogether forming the Mackler triad.

[Surgical treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma--indications, limitations, realities].

The present study analyzes the importance of the factors in improving the resectability, obtaining morbidity and mortality rates in accordance to the actual exigencies. In The III-rd Surgical Clinic, "Sf.Spiridon" Hospital, Iaşi, during 1998-2003, 24 cases of CHC (19 men, 5 women with a median age of 58.

[Therapeutical options in partial infected aorto- bifemoral prosthetic grafts].

Purpose: To asses the use of synthetic or autologous conduits for the reconstruction of iliofemural sector in the cases of partial, limited infections of aortobifemural prosthetic grafts.

Method: We present two cases, both of them with infection recognized at the groin; the first one by a vascular fistula bleeding intermittently, the second by a draining groin sinus with fever and leukocytosis.

Results: The PTFE conduit was the material utilized at the first case and the superficial femoral vein in the second case.

The anatomical variants of the profunda femoris artery and of its collaterals.

The profunda femoris artery, the main nutritive artery of the thigh, has a great surgical significance. The high frequency of the occlusive arterial disease in the lower limbs caused by atherosclerosis, imposes as main therapy the reconstructive surgery. Because the profunda femoris artery remains patient in most of the cases of the occlusive arterial disease of the lower limbs, it means the only hope of saving an critically ischemic limb in a desperate attempt of a surgeon to avoid amputation.