Overexpression of Interleukin-6 suppresses cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression at local tumor sites or in systemic circulation is associated with disease progression and poor prognosis of esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of IL-6 on biological activities of esophageal cancer cells in terms of chemosensitivity. Human esophageal cancer cell lines TE13 and KYSE170 were transfected with a plasmid vector expressing IL-6 and stable transfectants overexpressing IL-6 were thus established.

Elevated serum CRP levels after induction chemoradiotherapy reflect poor treatment response in association with IL-6 in serum and local tumor site in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

Background And Objectives: Elevated serum CRP levels are associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis of esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical significance of CRP in relation to response to chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.

Methods: The relationship between serum CRP levels and response to chemoradiotherapy and prognosis was analyzed in 34 patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery.

[Severe bone marrow suppression during adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer by S-1 and its possible relationship to dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency].

The patient was a 70-year-old woman, who had undergone total gastrectomy and splenectomy with D2 lymph node dissection, for stage II gastric cancer. We admitted S-1 of 80 mg/day in adjuvant chemotherapy on postoperative day 28. There were no adverse events for one week, and she was discharged.

[The IL-6 and COX-2 expression related to sensitivity of chemoradiotherapy and prognosis in esophageal carcinoma].

Chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for esophageal cancer induces inflammatory responses within tumor tissues. Inflammatory cells infiltrated into the tumor tissues may modulate the CRT responses via inflammation-related molecules such as IL-6 or COX-2. In the present study, we investigated a relationship between IL-6/COX-2 expression and CRT responses for esophageal cancer.

[PSK-mediated growth suppression and enhancement of 5-FU/docetaxel-induced cytotoxicity in human esophageal cancer cell lines].

PSK, a protein-bound polysaccharide, is widely used for treating cancer patients as an immunostimulant. However, its direct action on cancer cells is not fully understood. In the present study, we investigated direct effects of PSK alone or in combination with 5-FU, CDDP and docetaxel on tumor growth by using esophageal cancer cell lines, KYSE170 and TE13.

[A case of immunotherapy using OK-432 in combination with RFA for CRT-resistant recurrent tumors of esophageal cancer that presented itself in the intramediastinal omentum of gastric tube].

The greater omentum contains abundant lymphoid tissues composed of a lot of macrophages and lymphocytes, and plays an important role in a host defense system in the peritoneal cavity. Also, it is well known to be an initial site of peritoneal disseminated metastases. We experienced a rare case of a 60-year-old man with postoperative recurrence of esophageal cancer that presented itself in the greater omentum of the gastric tube reconstructed through a mediastinal route, as well as through mediastinal lymph-nodes.