Thoracic paravertebral anesthesia for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumors.

Study Objective: To present our preliminary experience using a thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) as the sole anesthetic in percutaneous hepatic radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Design: Retrospective case series of 12 ASA physical status 1, 2, and 3 patients of average risk scheduled for RFA.

Setting: University medical center.

Radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors: quantitative assessment of tumor coverage through CT image processing.

Background: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the most promising non-surgical treatments for hepatic tumors. The assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of RFA is usually obtained by visual comparison of pre- and post-treatment CT images, but no numerical quantification is performed.

Methods: In this work, a novel method aiming at providing a more objective tool for the evaluation of RFA coverage is described.

Use of a retrievable vena cava filter with low-intensity anticoagulation for prevention of pulmonary embolism in patients with cancer: an observational study in 106 cases.

Purpose: To evaluate a retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter in combination with low-intensity oral anticoagulation for prevention of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with malignancy complicated by thromboembolic disease.

Materials And Methods: From October 2005 to December 2009, 107 Bard G2 filters were placed in 106 patients. Forty-eight patients had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) alone, 53 had PE with DVT, and five had PE with no evidence of DVT.

Repeated radiofrequency ablation for management of patients with cirrhosis with small hepatocellular carcinomas: a long-term cohort study.

Unlabelled: In most patients with cirrhosis, successful percutaneous ablation or surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is followed by recurrence. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has proven effective for treating HCC nodules, but its repeatability in managing recurrences and the impact of this approach on survival has not been evaluated. To this end, we retrospectively analyzed a prospective series of 706 patients with cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class ≤ B7) who underwent RFA for 859 HCC ≤ 35 mm in diameter (1-2 per patient).

Feasibility and efficacy of percutaneous transcatheter intraarterial chemotherapy with paclitaxel in albumin nanoparticles for advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, and hypopharynx.

Purpose: In view of the promising results of a phase I trial, this phase II trial was conducted to study the efficacy and safety of intraarterial induction chemotherapy with a novel nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel formulation in advanced head and neck cancer.

Materials And Methods: Sixty previously untreated patients with locally advanced squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, oropharynx, or hypopharynx in stage T3/4 and any nodal stage received two to four cycles of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel by infusion into the external carotid artery or one of its branches, without premedication, at an initial dose of 230 mg/m2 and subsequently a reduced dose of 150 mg/m2. Response was evaluated by physical examination and multidetector computed tomography in all patients, and also by positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose in 38 patients.

Radiofrequency ablation of small hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients awaiting liver transplantation: a prospective study.

Objective: Determine the histologic response-rate (complete versus partial tumor extinction) after single radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arising in cirrhosis. Investigate possible predictors of response and assess efficacy and safety of RFA as a bridge to liver transplantation (OLT).

Background: RFA has become the elective treatment of local control of HCC, although histologic data supporting radiologic assessment of response are rare and prospective studies are lacking.

A novel intraarterial chemotherapy using paclitaxel in albumin nanoparticles to treat advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue: preliminary findings.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intraarterial infusion of paclitaxel incorporated into human albumin nanoparticles for use as induction chemotherapy before definitive treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty-three previously untreated patients (age range, 27-75 years) who had carcinoma of the tongue (stage T3-T4, any N) received intraarterial therapy with paclitaxel incorporated into albumin nanoparticles delivered by transfemoral catheterization into the external carotid artery (10 patients), selectively into the lingual artery (12 patients), or into a faciolingual trunk (1 patient). Each patient received two to four infusions, with a 3-week interval between infusions.

E-cadherin expression on fine needle aspiration biopsies of breast invasive ductal carcinomas and its relationship to clinicopathologic factors.

Objective: To evaluate E-cadherin expression on fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) of breast ductal invasive carcinomas and to correlate that expression with the grade of the tumors, axillary lymph node status, primary tumor size, menopausal status, estrogen-progesterone receptors and Bcl-2 expression.

Study Design: One hundred female patients ranging in age from 25 to 82 underwent FNAB under ultrasound guidance and were diagnosed as having breast carcinomas. Biopsy was done with 22-gauge Chiba needles under local anesthesia.

DNA fragmentation and cell proliferation correlated with tumor grade in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: DNA fragmentation and cell proliferation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been well described on fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNABs). To investigate the contribution of apoptosis, a major mechanism of cell death, to the growth of HCC, the authors analyzed both apoptosis and cell proliferation in patients with HCC.

Methods: The authors studied 50 tumors from 50 patients with HCC: Ten tumors were well-differentiated HCC, 24 tumors were moderately differentiated HCC, and 16 tumors were poorly differentiated HCC.