Evaluation of health economic impact of initial diagnostic modality selection for colorectal cancer liver metastases in suspected patients in China, Japan and the USA.

Aims: To compare cost offsets and contributing factors (false-negative rates and confirmatory imaging requirements, potentially leading to longer waiting times for diagnosis) as well as long-term cost effectiveness associated with the diagnostic and treatment pathways for colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM) in the US, Japan, and China according to initial imaging modality used. Gadoxetate disodium (ethoxylbenzyl-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) was compared to multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), extracellular contrast media enhanced-MRI (ECCM-MRI) (the US and China only) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Materials And Methods: Decision tree models were developed to simulate the clinical pathway, from first diagnostic test to initial treatment decision, based on local clinical guidelines and validated by experts.

Ultrafilter co-culture, a new method for estimating the molecular mass of bioactive substances, indicates a small molecule neurotrophic substance is released from cultured cerebellar granule neurons of the BALB/c mouse.

Cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs), which require a depolarizing agent in the medium for long-term survival, are widely used for the analysis of mechanisms underlying the activity-dependent survival of neurons. It was recently found that this is not the case for BALB/c mouse CGNs, which survive without a depolarizing agent. Co-culture experiments indicated that the mouse cells release a neurotrophic substance.