Publications by authors named "Koji Ando"
Background: FOLFOXIRI plus bevacizumab (BEV) is an option for first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, there is no consensus on the optimal treatment strategy when disease progresses. The EFFORT open-label, multicenter, single-arm phase II study investigated whether FOLFIRI plus aflibercept retains activity after progression of FOLFOXIRI plus BEV treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of measuring lymph node size on preoperative CT imaging to predict pathological lymph node metastasis in patients with colon cancer to enhance diagnostic accuracy and improve treatment planning by establishing more reliable assessment methods for lymph node metastasis.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1,056 patients who underwent colorectal resection at our institution between January 2004 and March 2020. From this cohort, 694 patients with resectable colon cancer were included in the study.
Epidemiological studies for atomic bomb (A-bomb) survivors clearly demonstrated that A-bomb radiation increased the risk of hematological neoplasms, such as acute and chronic leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) among survivors. Several studies on MDS among survivors investigated its characteristics, and it seems that MDS among survivors has different features from those seen in de novo MDS and therapy-related MDS. In this short review, we describe the differences of clinical features, chromosomal alterations and genome aberrations among them.
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- * Japan began researching telesurgery in 2002, but implementation was slow due to insufficient telecommunications and a lack of support for robotic surgery.
- * Recently, the Japan Surgical Society is leading feasibility studies for telesurgery amid growing demand for online medical services, with other countries like China, India, and the U.S. also exploring similar clinical studies, indicating a shift towards broader adoption of telesurgery.
Aim: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of total neoadjuvant therapy with long-course chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy in Japanese patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Methods: This prospective, multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial was conducted at 10 centers. The eligibility criteria included age ≥20 y, locally advanced rectal cancer within 12 cm of the anal verge, and cT3-4N0M or TanyN+M0 at diagnosis, enabling curative resection.
Article Synopsis
- A 63-year-old man with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia underwent a third stem cell transplant and was given voriconazole to prevent fungal infections.
- On day 42 post-transplant, he developed septic arthritis without the typical skin signs associated with fungal infections.
- Despite surgery and treatment with liposomal amphotericin B, he died due to a resistant fungal infection, highlighting the need to consider azole-resistant infections as potential causes of septic arthritis in similar patients.
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- * A retrospective analysis of 32 patients aged 70 and older showed that those treated with MOG-containing chemotherapy had a median survival time of 18.1 months and a 2-year overall survival rate of 45%, indicating improved outcomes compared to previous treatments.
- * Adverse events from MOG treatment were similar to those seen in past studies, and while comorbidity impacted survival, the intensity of MOG treatment did not, suggesting a different action mechanism compared to
Article Synopsis
- The management of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) requires a team approach, with debates over the use of angiogenesis inhibitors for RAS mutant tumors.
- A case study of a 37-year-old woman with RAS mutant transverse colon cancer showed long-term disease-free survival through multiple surgeries and the combination treatment of aflibercept and FOLFIRI.
- The findings suggest that a multidisciplinary strategy focused on complete tumor resection, along with the use of aflibercept, can successfully manage recurrent CRLMs and offer extended survival rates.
The interim analysis of the CIRCULATE-Japan GALAXY observational study demonstrated the association of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based molecular residual disease (MRD) detection with recurrence risk and benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in resectable colorectal cancer (CRC). This updated analysis with a 23-month median follow-up, including 2,240 patients with stage II-III colon cancer or stage IV CRC, reinforces the prognostic value of ctDNA positivity during the MRD window with significantly inferior disease-free survival (DFS; hazard ratio (HR): 11.99, P < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of skeletal muscle mass and nutritional status in gastric cancer patients treated with nivolumab monotherapy as late-line treatment.
Methods: We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of 90 gastric cancer patients who previously received anti-PD-1 therapy (nivolumab). On computed tomography images captured before nivolumab induction, the skeletal muscle index (SMI, cm2/m2) was defined as the erector muscle area (cm2) divided by the height (m) squared.
Super-enhancers (SEs) play an important role in regulating tumor-specific gene expression. JQ1, a Bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) inhibitor, exerts antitumor effects by disrupting SE-mediated regulation of gene expression. We investigated the anti-adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) effects of JQ1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Laparoscopic simultaneous resection (LSR) of primary colorectal tumors and synchronous colorectal liver metastases (sCRLM) has been recently performed. This study aimed to evaluate the postoperative outcomes after LSR and determine the risk factors for resection surface-related complications (RSRC), such as postoperative biliary fistula and liver-transection surface abscess.
Methods: Between 2009 and 2022, consecutive patients with sCRLM who underwent LSR were included.
Structural fluctuations and dynamic cross-correlations in the mouse eugenol olfactory receptor (Olfr73) were studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to characterize the dynamic response of the protein upon ligand binding. The initial structure was generated by the artificial intelligence tool AlphaFold2 due to the current lack of experimental data. We focused on the hydrogen (H) bond of the odorant eugenol to Ser113, Asn207, and Tyr260 of the receptor protein, the importance of which has been suggested by previous experimental studies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDevelopment of the vascular system is regulated by multiple signaling pathways mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases. Among them, angiopoietin (Ang)/Tie signaling regulates lymphatic and blood vessel development in mammals. Of the two Tie receptors, Tie2 is well known as a key mediator of Ang/Tie signaling, but, unexpectedly, recent studies have revealed that the Tie2 locus has been lost in many vertebrate species, whereas the Tie1 gene is more commonly present.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To clarify the long-term oncological outcomes and postoperative anal, urinary, and sexual functions after laparoscopic surgery for clinical stage I very low rectal carcinoma located near the anal canal.
Summary Background Data: Laparoscopic surgery is widely applied for rectal cancer; however, concerns remain, with some studies showing poorer outcomes compared to open surgery.
Methods: This single-arm, phase II trial included patients registered preoperatively from 47 institutions in Japan.
Background: The significance of angiogenic factors as predictors of second-line (2L) chemotherapy efficacy when combined with angiogenesis inhibitors for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains unestablished.
Patients And Methods: In this multicenter prospective observational study, 17 angiogenic factors were analyzed in plasma samples collected at pretreatment and progression stages using a Luminex multiplex assay. Patients who received chemotherapy plus bevacizumab (BEV group), FOLFIRI plus ramucirumab (RAM group), or FOLFIRI plus aflibercept (AFL group) as the 2L treatment were included.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) in Japan, focusing on preoperative treatment and surgical outcomes.
- Conducted as a phase II trial with 30 patients, the treatment involved preoperative short-course radiation and CAPOX chemotherapy, leading to a 30% rate of pathological complete response (pCR) and successful treatment completion.
- The results showed that TNT was well-tolerated with no treatment-related deaths, and adverse events were manageable; the study concluded that TNT is a promising approach for LARC patients in Japan.
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- - Laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer can be difficult due to anatomical challenges, raising concerns about safety and resection margins.
- - Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) is a newer technique that offers advantages over conventional laparoscopic methods, improving oncological and functional outcomes.
- - Effective training programs are needed as TaTME's learning curve can be steep, with ongoing clinical trials comparing it to traditional methods to evaluate its benefits.
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- * Results show that SST did not increase complications and resulted in better postoperative anorectal function compared to traditional hand-sewn techniques.
- * Hand-sewn anastomosis is linked to a higher risk of major low anterior resection syndrome (LARS), making SST a viable option for patients with low-lying rectal tumors in TaTME procedures.
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- - This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of haptic feedback during telesurgery to enhance safety in robotic surgery practices.
- - Experiments involved a surgeon operating from two separate locations, and while no significant impact on task accuracy was found, the remote operations resulted in longer completion times and lower usability ratings.
- - Haptic feedback allowed surgeons to use lighter grasping forces, particularly benefiting experienced surgeons, highlighting its potential as a crucial tool for safe and effective telerobotic surgery.
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- Coronary arteries are vital for heart nourishment in humans, and their defects can lead to serious health issues, highlighting their evolutionary significance.
- Some fish species (teleosts) manage to survive without coronary arteries, indicating that tetrapods underwent significant evolutionary changes regarding these blood vessels.
- The study suggests that true ventricular coronary arteries in amniotes (like mammals and birds) evolved from ancestral structures during development, reflecting major morphological advancements in the vascular system over time.
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- Nivolumab is an effective treatment for advanced gastric cancer, but identifying reliable biomarkers like TP53 mutations could help predict patient response.
- A study involving 913 patients found that those with TP53 wild type (wt) had a higher response rate to nivolumab (24.6%) compared to TP53 mutant patients (14.8%).
- For TP53 mutants, those with the frameshift type had a slightly better response rate and progression-free survival compared to other mutation types, suggesting some variants may still benefit from treatment.