Feasibility of metronomic chemotherapy with tegafur-uracil, cisplatin, and dexamethasone for docetaxel-refractory prostate cancer.

To evaluate the efficacy of tegafur-uracil (UFT), a prodrug of 5-fluorouracil, plus cisplatin and dexamethasone in patients with docetaxel-refractory prostate cancers. Twenty-five patients with docetaxel-refractory prostate cancer were administered oral UFT plus intravenous cisplatin (UFT-P therapy) and dexamethasone. Treatment responses were assessed monthly via prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level measurements.

Clinical impact of palliative treatment using octreotide for inoperable malignant bowel obstruction caused by advanced urological cancer.

Malignant bowel obstruction (MBO), an occasional complication in patients with advanced urological cancer, causes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting leading to suffering which severely impairs quality of life (QOL). Drug therapy, especially octreotide, a synthetic analog of somatostatin, is reportedly effective in controlling the symptoms of MBO. In the present study, we administered octreotide to urological cancer patients with MBO and evaluated the improvement of subjective symptoms, oral intake, and nasogastric intubation.

Implications of greater short-term PSA recurrence with laparoscopic as compared to retropubic radical prostatectomy for Japanese clinically localized prostate carcinomas.

Purpose: There is ongoing discussion as to the necessity for certain surgical procedures being limited to high through-put institutions. To cast light on this question regarding use of open as compared to laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) the present study was conducted focusing on biochemical (PSA) recurrence-free survival of Japanese patients with clinically localized prostate carcinomas.

Materials And Methods: From April 2004 to December 2010 we identified 579 patients undergoing LRP (n=245) and retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) (n=334) who did not undergo immediate adjuvant therapy (radiation and/or hormonal) and whose PSA levels were lower than 25 ng/ml.

Simple method of preventing postoperative inguinal hernia after radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Objectives: To establish a novel and simple method of preventing post-retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) inguinal hernia. Inguinal hernias occur in 8%-22% of men within 1-2 years of RRP. Although manipulation during RRP might weaken the normal fascia structure at the internal inguinal ring with the vas deferens, the exact mechanism of post-RRP inguinal hernia remains unknown.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma and growth inhibition by its ligands in prostate cancer.

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) is expressed in certain human cancers. Ligand-induced PPAR-gamma activation can result in growth inhibition and differentiation in these cancer cells; however, the precise mechanism for the anti-proliferative effect of PPAR-gamma ligands is not clear.

Methods: In this study, we examined the expression of PPAR-gamma in human prostate cancer and the effect of two PPAR-gamma ligands, 15 deoxy-Delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) and troglitazone, on prostate cancer cell growth.

Essential role of Chk1 in S phase progression through regulation of RNR2 expression.

Chk1 is an essential kinase for maintaining genome integrity and cell cycle checkpoints through phosphorylating several downstream targets. Recently, we demonstrated that Chk1 is also required for cell proliferation in somatic cells under unperturbed condition through regulating transcription of several genes. Here, we show that Chk1 is required for S phase progression and RNR2 is a critical downstream target of genes transcriptionally regulated by Chk1.

[Molecular targeted therapy for prostate cancer].

Androgen plays an important role in the growth of prostate cancer, but the molecular mechanism that underlies the development of resistance to anti-androgen therapy remains unknown. In this paper, we review the role of cell cycle regulators and steroid receptor co-activators for prostate cancer growth and survival. Cyclin E has been shown to increase the transactivation activity of the human androgen receptor and the proliferation of prostate cancer cells.