Factors influencing prognosis after neo-adjuvant chemoradiation therapy for rectal carcinoma.

Background: Neo-adjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRTx) has become a standard therapeutic regimen for rectal carcinoma. This therapeutic option allows more sphincter preserving surgical procedures and seems to improve prognosis in patients with rectal carcinoma. The aim of this study is to analyse factors influencing prognosis in terms of disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) after CRTx.

Factors influencing histological response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy for rectal carcinoma.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy is one of the standard therapeutic regimens for rectal carcinoma. Nevertheless, chemoradiation therapy is not completely devoid of adverse effects, and it would be interesting to try to predict which patient will respond to neoadjuvancy. This study aimed at analyzing factors influencing pathological response after therapy.

Lacrimal sac metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: To report the first case of metastasis from renal cell carcinoma to the lacrimal sac and review the therapeutic options.

Methods: We have reviewed the case of a woman who was operated on for a renal cell carcinoma that developed epiphora and a lacrimal sac tumor, which corresponded to a metastasis from her previous tumor. Although renal cell carcinoma shows a great tendency for distant metastasis, this is the first reported case of metastasis to the lacrimal sac.

Ultrasonographic autopsy (echopsy): a new autopsy technique.

Autopsy has been one of the most important techniques for the development of modern medicine, mainly during the nineteenth century and the first half of last century. However, in the last few years, the number of autopsies performed in hospitals has dramatically decreased all over the world. This loss of interest can be attributed both to important advances in other diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and to the fear of malpractice suits.