BRAF V600E-mutated Colorectal Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Effectively Treated with a Chemotherapy Protocol for BRAF-mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Metastatic colorectal neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is often treated using a chemotherapy protocol for small-cell lung cancer; however, the prognosis is extremely poor. A 55-year-old woman with BRAF V600E-mutated transverse colon NEC and liver metastases underwent colectomy followed by FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab. Consequently, the liver metastases markedly shrank.

Efficacy of minocycline hydrochloride aspiration sclerotherapy with additional monoethanolamine oleate aspiration sclerotherapy for symptomatic hepatic cysts.

Aim: Minocycline hydrochloride (MINO) aspiration sclerotherapy (AS) has been widely used for treating hepatic cysts (HC). However, cyst recurrence remains problematic. Information on monoethanolamine oleate (EO) AS, another effective HC treatment, is currently limited.

[A case of gastric cancer showing a durable response after the discontinuation of nivolumab due to the early onset of immune-related adverse events].

The Japanese guidelines for the treatment of gastric cancer recommend nivolumab as third-line chemotherapy for metastatic gastric cancer. We report a case of gastric cancer exhibiting a durable response after the discontinuation of nivolumab due to the early onset of immune-related adverse event (irAE). A 64-year-old man with advanced HER2-positive gastric cancer and distant lymph node metastasis received nivolumab as fourth-line therapy.

Prognostic factors for mortality in middle-aged and older hemodialysis patients: a 5-year observational study.

Clinical guidelines for hemodialysis therapy have been described in an evidence-based manner with most evidence from randomized control trials or retrospective studies in which all generations of the hemodialysis patients were enrolled. Therefore, the question still remains whether these guidelines can be applied to increasing older patients. This study is an observational study, including 735 patients who received maintenance hemodialysis in April 2006.

Implications of Albumin Leakage for Survival in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients: A 7-year Observational Study.

Albumin leakage during hemodialysis (HD) presents a clinical dilemma. However, protein-binding uremic toxins are suggested to be responsible for increased mortality. No one has investigated the relationship between albumin leakage and mortality.

Evidence for Targeting Low-Molecular-Weight Proteins in Hemodialysis and Hemodiafiltration.

Background: With the identification of β2-microglobulin (β2MG) as an active participant in dialysis-related amyloid fibril formation, low-molecular-weight proteins (LMWPs) are now recognized as a distinct class of uremic toxins, and numerous compounds in this category have been identified. The class of LMWPs, although not precisely defined, has a molecular weight range of approximately 1,000-50,000 Da. With this in mind, dialysis prescriptions have been modified to increase the efficiency of uremic solute removal.

Persistent reflux symptoms cause anxiety, depression, and mental health and sleep disorders in gastroesophageal reflux disease patients.

Some patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease experience persistent reflux symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor therapy. These symptoms reduce their health-related quality of life. Our aims were to evaluate the relationship between proton pump inhibitor efficacy and health-related quality of life and to evaluate predictive factors affecting treatment response in Japanese patients.

The effect of albumin leakage in hemodialysis patients on redox status of serum albumin.

Human mercaptoalbumin (HMA) is a reduced form of albumin that is associated with cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients. Albumin-leaky hemodialysis (HD) is increasingly recognized as a gold standard therapy because it is correlated with better prognosis compared to conventional HD. However, albumin-leaky HD induces low serum albumin concentration because of albumin leakage, which is a classical risk factor for mortality.

A phase II prospective study of the trastuzumab combined with 5-weekly S-1 and CDDP therapy for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer.

Background: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of 5-weekly S-1 and cisplatin combined with trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer (AGC).

Methods: This phase II study treatment consisted of S-1 (80-120 mg per day) orally on day 1-21, cisplatin (60 mg/m(2)) intravenously on day 8, and trastuzumab (8 mg/kg on day 1 of the first cycle, followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks) intravenously. The primary end point was 1-year survival rate.

Impact of Lanthanum Carbonate on Prognosis of Chronic Hemodialysis Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study (Kawashima Study).

In hemodialysis patients, mineral and bone disorder is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and subsequent death through the progression of vascular calcification. Serum phosphorus plays a major role in this process. In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed the effects of oral phosphate binder, lanthanum carbonate (LC), on the mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Peritoneal Dialysis Registry With 2012 Survey Report.

Since 2009, the peritoneal dialysis (PD) registry survey has been carried out as part of the annual nationwide survey conducted by the Statistical Survey Committee of the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy with the cooperation of the Japanese Society for Peritoneal Dialysis. In this report, the current status of PD patients is presented on the basis of the results of the survey conducted at the end of 2012. The subjects were PD patients who lived in Japan and participated in the 2012 survey.

Treatment of renal anaemia with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in predialysis chronic kidney disease patients: Haemoglobin profile during the 6 months before initiation of dialysis.

Aim: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are all effective for renal anaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it was reported that the haemoglobin (Hb) concentration decreases to 8.4 g/dL during the initial phase of dialysis despite treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO).

Vascular access for long-term hemodialysis/hemodiafiltration patients.

Purpose: We investigated the characteristics of patients who received long-term hemodialysis/hemodiafiltration (HD/HDF) treatment for over 30 years at our group of hospitals and type of vascular access (VA) used.

Subjects And Methods: As of August 2014, 950 patients were receiving HD/HDF treatment at one of our hospitals. Of those, we investigated 41 (4.

Factors associated with pain during vascular access intervention therapy.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate and compare factors associated with pain during vascular access intervention therapy.

Subjects And Methods: Fifty patients provided informed consent to participate in a survey of pain by questionnaire after receiving dialysis treatment at our hospital. Balloons for use during the procedure were chosen at random in this prospective randomized control study.

Reduction or discontinuation of antibiotic prophylaxis in vascular access surgery, tendon sheath incision and PD catheter placement.

Purpose: Immune response in dialysis patients is suppressed and these patients are susceptible to bacterial infections. Therefore, minimal use of antibiotics in dialysis patients is recommended to avoid generating drug-resistant bacteria. However, minor surgeries including vascular access surgery, tendon sheath incision and peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement are inevitable in dialysis patients and evidence-based recommendations on the judicious use of antibiotics are not currently available for these procedures.

Simple surgical method for a native arteriovenous fistula of chronic hemodialysis patients and the patency rate.

Background/aim: The maintenance and control of vascular access in chronic hemodialysis patients are causing serious problems not only in the quality of life of patients but also in the medical economy. In this regard, we investigated the cumulative patency rate of native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) as a vascular access.

Methods: Simple surgical method for a native AVF is selected.

Evaluation of sterilization using the MEH200® (cotton pack) in vascular access puncture.

Background: In recent years, chlorhexidine-alcohol has been attracting increasing attention for its role in skin antisepsis. There have been few reports on the infection frequency associated with vascular access and no reports on the infection frequency associated with antiseptics.

Aims: We investigated skin disinfection during vascular access puncture in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD).

Vascular access for long-term hemodialysis/hemodiafiltration patients in Japan.

Background: Many patients are receiving long-term hemodialysis (HD) or hemodiafiltration (HDF) treatment in Japan. Vascular access is a lifeline for patients on HD or HDF, and proper maintenance of vascular access is one of the key factors that make long-term HD and HDF possible. We investigated the conditions of vascular access in patients undergoing chronic HD or HDF in our hospital group in Japan to assess the relationship between the type of vascular access and long-term treatment.

Multicenter, prospective trial of white-light imaging alone versus white-light imaging followed by magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging for the real-time imaging and diagnosis of invasion depth in superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) has been used to estimate the invasion depth of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SESCC), but the real diagnostic power of ME-NBI remains unclear because of few prospective studies.

Objectives: To evaluate whether ME-NBI adds additional information to white-light imaging (WLI) for the diagnosis of invasion depth of SESCC.

Design: Multicenter, prospective trial using real-time imaging and diagnosis.

Mineral Metabolism Markers Are Associated with Myocardial Infarction and Hemorrhagic Stroke but Not Ischemic Stroke in Hemodialysis Patients: A Longitudinal Study.

Background/aims: The associations between phosphate, calcium, and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and composite cardiovascular end points have been studied. This study examined the associations of these markers with myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke separately.

Methods: This is a longitudinal study on 65,849 hemodialysis patients from the Japan Renal Data Registry.

Overview of regular dialysis treatment in Japan (as of 31 December 2011).

A nationwide statistical survey of 4255 dialysis facilities was conducted at the end of 2011. Responses were submitted by 4213 facilities (99.0%).