Comparison of endovascular strategy versus hybrid procedure in treatment of chronic venous obstructions involving the confluence of common femoral vein.

Objective: Treatment of extensive chronic venous obstruction (CVO) with post-thrombotic trabeculation involving the common femoral vein with extension into the femoral vein or deep femoral vein remains a challenge and the best treatment technique for such cases is not clear. In the present study, we compared the results of endovascular alone vs endovascular with additional endophlebectomy (hybrid) procedures for such patients.

Methods: The medical records of 102 consecutive patients (108 limbs) treated between 2015 and 2020 for iliofemoral CVO extending to the femoral confluence were retrospectively reviewed.

Intermittent pneumatic compression after varicose vein surgery.

Objective: Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) is an established treatment option to remove tissue fluid from patients with lymphedema and chronic venous disease. The effects of IPC applied directly after varicose vein surgery performed with high volumes of tumescent local anesthesia have not been investigated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of postoperative IPC concerning its effects on the leg volume and patient comfort after surgery.

Short-Term Efficacy of Inguinal Reoperation for Recurrent Saphenofemoral Incompetence using the Stump Suture Technique.

Objectives: Neovascularization from the saphenofemoral junction (SFJ) is regarded to be an important cause of clinical recurrence. The ideal treatment of SFJ recurrence is still a matter of debate. Barrier strategies have been implemented to improve surgical outcome by reducing neovascularization.

Chemosensitivity-directed therapy compared to dacarbazine in chemo-naive advanced metastatic melanoma: a multicenter randomized phase-3 DeCOG trial.

Chemotherapy still plays an important role in metastatic melanoma, particularly for patients who are not suitable or have no access to highly efficacious new therapies. Pre-therapeutic chemosensitivity testing might be useful to identify optimal chemotherapy regimens for individual patients. This multicenter randomized phase-3 trial was aimed to test for superiority of chemosensitivity-directed combination chemotherapy compared to standard dacarbazine monochemotherapy, and to demonstrate the chemosensitivity test result as prognostic in metastatic melanoma.

Ultraviolet damage, DNA repair and vitamin D in nonmelanoma skin cancer and in malignant melanoma: an update.

Skin exposure with UV radiation (UV) is the main cause of skin cancer development. Epidemiological data indicate that excessive or cumulative UV exposure takes place years and decades before the resulting malignancies arise. The most important defense mechanisms that protect human skin against UV radiation involve melanin synthesis and active repair mechanisms.

Reciprocal responses of fibroblasts and melanocytes to α-MSH depending on MC1R polymorphisms.

The melanocortin 1-receptor (MC1R) exhibits several variants in form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are known to differentially regulate melanocyte function. However, whether and how MC1R polymorphisms also affect fibroblast function has not been investigated so far.Therefore we measured intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) concentrations and cellular proliferation upon stimulation with alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in eight different human fibroblast and melanocyte cell lines with wild type and different MC1R SNPs.

Comparable effectiveness of endovenous laser ablation and high ligation with stripping of the great saphenous vein: two-year results of a randomized clinical trial (RELACS study).

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) with high ligation and stripping (HLS) as standard treatment for great saphenous vein (GSV) insufficiency.

Design: Two-center randomized controlled trial with 2-year follow-up.

Setting: Interventions were performed on ambulatory and hospitalized patients at 2 vein centers, a university dermatology department (EVLT-treated group), and a specialized vein clinic (HLS-treated group).

Radiofrequency induced thermotherapy (RFITT) of varicose veins compared to endovenous laser treatment (EVLT): a non-randomized prospective study concentrating on occlusion rates, side-effects and clinical outcome.

Background: Radiofrequency obliteration (RFO) and endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) are established techniques in varicose therapy. A novel bipolar RFO technique - Radiofrequency Induced Thermotherapy (RFITT) - was introduced in 2007. Comparative studies of RFITT and EVLT with one year follow-up are missing.

Construction and evaluation of a multidimensional score to assess varicose vein severity - the Homburg Varicose Vein Severity Score (HVVSS).

To evaluate a novel score (HVVSS) for varicose vein patients combining subjective symptoms, clinical findings and functional data of venous insufficiency. 91 patients (118 legs) with primary varicose veins of the great, small or accessory anterior saphenous vein were treated with conventional surgery. HVVSS was assessed pre- and 3 months postoperatively.

Venoarterial flow index steadily improves after endovenous laser treatment of the great saphenous vein.

Background: Endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) is a minimally invasive procedure to ablate varicose veins. The venous arterial flow index (VAFI) represents a quantitative duplex ultrasound parameter to characterize venous hemodynamics, which has not been investigated in EVLT so far.

Objective: To analyze the hemodynamic improvement of EVLT of the great saphenous vein (GSV) according to VAFI measurement.

High-throughput miRNA profiling of human melanoma blood samples.

Background: MicroRNA (miRNA) signatures are not only found in cancer tissue but also in blood of cancer patients. Specifically, miRNA detection in blood offers the prospect of a non-invasive analysis tool.

Methods: Using a microarray based approach we screened almost 900 human miRNAs to detect miRNAs that are deregulated in their expression in blood cells of melanoma patients.

Efficacy of low-dose interferon {alpha}2a 18 versus 60 months of treatment in patients with primary melanoma of >= 1.5 mm tumor thickness: results of a randomized phase III DeCOG trial.

PURPOSE Low-dose (LD) interferon (IFN) alfa (LDI) has demonstrated a consistent disease-free survival benefit for patients with clinically lymph node-negative melanoma in clinical trials. However, the optimal duration of treatment is still under discussion, and no previous trial has evaluated this question specifically. A prolongation of LDI from 18 months to 60 months might be of clinical benefit for patients with intermediate or high-risk melanoma.

Prospective randomized multicenter adjuvant dermatologic cooperative oncology group trial of low-dose interferon alfa-2b with or without a modified high-dose interferon alfa-2b induction phase in patients with lymph node-negative melanoma.

PURPOSE Interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) has shown clinical efficacy in the adjuvant treatment of patients with high-risk melanoma in several clinical trials, but optimal dosing and duration of treatment are still under discussion. It has been argued that in high-dose IFN-alpha (HDI), the intravenous (IV) induction phase might be critical for the clinical benefit of the regimen. PATIENTS AND METHODS In an attempt to investigate the potential role of a modified high-dose induction phase, lymph node-negative patients with resected primary malignant melanoma of more than 1.

Treatment of melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer.

The incidence of skin cancer is increasing in Caucasian populations worldwide. Treatment approaches for Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) are predominantly curative and surgery can be regarded as standard of care. Nevertheless, novel and less invasive topical therapy modalities like photodynamic therapy or local immune modifiers are in progress.

UV damage and DNA repair in malignant melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Exposition of the skin with solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) is the main cause of skin cancer development. The consistently increasing incidences of melanocytic and nonmelanocytic skin tumors are believed to be at least in part associated with recreational sun exposure. Epidemiological data indicate that excessive or cumulative sunlight exposition takes place years and decades before the resulting malignancies arise.

Frequency of colour vision deficiencies in melanoma patients: results of a prospective comparative screening study with the Farnsworth panel D 15 test including 300 melanoma patients and 100 healthy controls.

Patients with melanoma may experience a variety of different vision symptoms, in part associated with melanoma-associated retinopathy. For several melanoma patients with or without melanoma-associated retinopathy, colour vision deficiencies, especially involving the tritan system, have been reported. The frequency of colour vision deficiencies in a larger cohort of melanoma patients has not yet been investigated.