Clinical Outcomes of Postoperative Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Surgically Resected High-Grade Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Carcinoma.

Introduction: Data on the clinical outcomes of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for surgically resected high-grade pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma (HGNEC) (large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and small-cell lung cancer) are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with HGNEC.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with surgically resected HGNEC at five institutions in Japan between January 2006 and May 2016.

Real-World Patient Characteristics and Treatment Patterns of Naldemedine for the Treatment of Opioid-Induced Constipation in Patients with Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Chart Review Study.

: Naldemedine is a peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonist that improves opioid-induced constipation. Although clinical trials have excluded patients with poor performance status (PS) and those started on naldemedine early after opioid initiation, clinical practice has used naldemedine for the same patients. Therefore, we investigated the treatment patterns of naldemedine in a real-world setting.

Low-Dose Olanzapine Plus Granisetron and Dexamethasone for Carboplatin-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Patients with Thoracic Malignancies: A Prospective Multicenter Phase II Trial.

Background: Olanzapine is an inexpensive and durable agent for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and is also superior to neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists in the control of nausea. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a low dose of 5 mg olanzapine plus granisetron and dexamethasone for treatment of carboplatin (CBDCA)-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with thoracic malignancies.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective, open-label, single-arm, multicenter, phase II trial in four centers in Japan.

Metachronous bilateral breast metastases of a lung neuroendocrine tumor: A case report.

Breast metastases of primary lung neuroendocrine tumors are rarely reported. The current report presents the case of a 41-year old female with no history of smoking who initially underwent surgery for a breast fibroadenoma, during which a neuroendocrine tumor of the right lung was detected via chest X-ray. The patient underwent surgery for the tumor and developed right breast nodules after adjuvant chemotherapy.

Phase II Study of Weekly Nanoparticle Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel as Second- or Third-Line Therapy in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Introduction: Treatment outcomes in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are poor due to limited treatment options.

Objective: We conducted a multicenter, single-arm phase II study to prospectively assess the efficacy and safety of weekly nab-PTX in patients with advanced NSCLC with failed cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients with advanced NSCLC having adequate organ functions with a performance status of 0-1 were enrolled.

Glasgow prognostic score predicts efficacy and prognosis in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving EGFR-TKI treatment.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Although epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are effective for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR mutations, some patients experience little or no response. The Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) is an inflammation-related score based on C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin concentrations, and has prognostic value in various cancer settings.

Efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy in pretreated elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an effective subsequent-line treatment for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, it remains unclear whether the efficacy and safety of subsequent-line ICI monotherapy in elderly patients (aged ≥ 75 years) are similar to that in non-elderly patients. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of ICI monotherapy in pretreated elderly patients with NSCLC.

Efficacy and safety of first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in elderly patients (aged ≥ 75 years) with non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: Pembrolizumab is an effective front-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients expressing high levels of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). However, it is unclear whether first-line pembrolizumab has similar efficacy among elderly (aged ≥ 75 years) and younger patients. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of front-line pembrolizumab monotherapy in older adults with NSCLC expressing high PD-L1.

Post-progression survival is highly linked to overall survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer harboring sensitive EGFR mutations treated with first-line epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Background: In patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) treatment has shown a good response. Subsequent treatments jeopardize the ability to determine the effect of first-line chemotherapy on overall survival (OS). Therefore, using patient-level data, we aimed to study the associations of progression-free survival (PFS) and post-progression survival (PPS) with OS after first-line EGFR-TKI treatment in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

Intrapericardial carboplatin in the management of malignant pericardial effusion in breast cancer: a pilot study.

Purpose: Malignant pericarditis is observed in 5.1-7.0% of all cases of acute pericarditis, and malignant pericardial effusion (MPE) can lead to cardiac tamponade in the later stages of cancer.

An Exploratory Randomized Phase II Trial Comparing CDDP Plus S-1 With Bevacizumab and CDDP Plus Pemetrexed With Bevacizumab Against Patients With Advanced Non-squamous Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background/aim: It remains unclear which chemotherapeutic regimens are better for the addition of bevacizumab. We conducted an exploratory randomized phase II trial comparing first-line S-1 plus cisplatin with bevacizumab and pemetrexed plus cisplatin with bevacizumab in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naïve patients received S-1 (80 mg/m) from day 1 to day 14 plus cisplatin (80 mg/m) on day 1 with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) on day 1, followed by maintenance with bevacizumab plus S-1 (SCB) on day 1 every 3 weeks and pemetrexed (500 mg/m) on day 1 plus cisplatin (75 mg/m) on day 1 with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) on day 1 followed by maintenance bevacizumab plus pemetrexed (PCB) on day 1 every 3 weeks.

Topotecan monotherapy for the treatment of relapsed small cell lung cancer in elderly patients: A retrospective analysis.

Background: Topotecan is one of the most active chemotherapeutic drugs for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, its efficacy in elderly patients with SCLC has not been validated. This study evaluated the feasibility and efficacy of topotecan monotherapy in elderly patients with relapsed SCLC.

Efficacy of prophylactic cranial irradiation in patients with limited-disease small-cell lung cancer who were confirmed to have no brain metastasis via magnetic resonance imaging after initial chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is recommended for patients with limited-disease small-cell lung cancer (LD-SCLC) who achieved good response to definitive chemoradiotherapy. However, most clinical studies lacked brain imaging scans before PCI. Our study aimed to investigate whether PCI has a survival benefit in patients who have no brain metastases (BM) confirmed via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before PCI.

The incidence and risk factors of febrile neutropenia in chemotherapy-naïve lung cancer patients receiving etoposide plus platinum.

Purpose: This study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of febrile neutropenia in chemotherapy-naïve Japanese patients treated systemically with etoposide plus platinum for lung cancer.

Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of 244 patients who were monitored for febrile neutropenia through multiple cycles of the combination of etoposide with platinum, and the associations between incidence of febrile neutropenia and patient characteristics were evaluated.

Results: Eighty-eight patients were treated with etoposide plus cisplatin and 156 were treated with etoposide plus carboplatin.

Post-Progression Survival Associated with Overall Survival in Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Docetaxel Monotherapy as Second-Line Chemotherapy.

Background: In patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the effects of second-line chemotherapy on overall survival (OS) might be confounded by subsequent therapies. Therefore, using individual-level data, we aimed to determine the relationships between progression-free survival (PFS) and post-progression survival (PPS) with OS in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with docetaxel monotherapy as second-line chemotherapy.

Methods: Between April 2002 and December 2014, data from 86 patients with advanced NSCLC who underwent second-line docetaxel monotherapy following first-line treatment with platinum combination chemotherapy were analyzed.

Phase I study of nab-paclitaxel plus carboplatin and concurrent thoracic radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: The aim of our study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose (RD) of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) plus carboplatin in combination with thoracic radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Weekly nab-paclitaxel plus carboplatin was administered intravenously for 6 weeks. Doses of each drug were planned as follows: level 1, 40/2; level 2, 60/2; level 3, 80/2 (nab-paclitaxel [mg/m]/carboplatin [area under the plasma concentration time curve mg/ml/min]).

Two Cases of Intravascular Lymphoma Diagnosed by Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Biopsy.

Two cases of intravascular lymphoma (IVL) were diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy. Both patients were admitted to our hospital with a fever of an unknown origin. An elevated serum level of soluble interleukin-2 receptor antibody suggested IVL.

Acidic pH increases cGMP accumulation through the OGR1/phospholipase C/Ca(2+)/neuronal NOS pathway in N1E-115 neuronal cells.

Neuronal NO synthase (nNOS)-mediated cGMP accumulation has been shown to affect a variety of neuronal cell activities, regardless of whether they are detrimental or beneficial, depending on the amount of their levels, under the physiological and pathological situations. In the present study, we examined the role of proton-sensing G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which have been identified as new pH sensors, in the acidic pH-induced nNOS/cGMP activity in N1E-115 neuronal cells. In this cell line, ovarian cancer G protein-coupled receptor 1 (OGR1) and G protein-coupled receptor 4 (GPR4) mRNAs are expressed.

Lipoprotein-associated lysolipids are differentially involved in high-density lipoprotein- and its oxidized form-induced neurite remodeling in PC12 cells.

Oxidatively damaged proteins and lipid peroxidation products have been shown to accumulate in the brain of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis, and oxidized lipoprotein is considered to be toxic and neurodegenerative. However, the role of lipoprotein and its oxidized form in neurite remodeling has not been well understood. In the present study, we have aimed to clarify whether and, if so, how high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and oxidized HDL (oxHDL) affect neuritogenesis.

[A case of neurosarcoidosis discovered in a patient complaining of chest pain].

A 60-year-old woman complained of chest and axillary pain, which had initially appeared three months previously and had recently become worse. A chest CT revealed hilus-mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Because an increased serum ACE level was observed, sarcoidosis was suspected and further investigations performed.