Bite-on-bite biopsies for the detection of residual esophageal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Active surveillance after neoadjuvant treatment is increasingly implemented. The success of this strategy relies on the accurate detection of residual cancer. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of a second (bite-on-bite) biopsy for the detection of residual esophageal cancer and to correlate outcomes to the distribution of residual cancer found in the resection specimen.

[A painful periapical radiopacity in the lower jaw].

A periapical radiopacity is frequently encountered by chance on a conventional periapical or panoramic x-ray. However, local pain and/or swelling in the area of a radiopacity is seldom seen. Here, we report on 2 cases of patients referred to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a painful periapical radiopacity in the lower jaw.

Native aortic valve endocarditis with Morganella morganii in a patient with multiple myeloma and valvular amyloidosis: a case report.

Background: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are known to be immune incompetent and experience higher incidences of infectious diseases. However, infective endocarditis (IE) is rarely observed in patients with MM and Morganella morganii (M. morganii) has rarely been associated with IE.

An Extraosseous Ewing Sarcoma of the Index Finger Masquerading as a Benign Tumor.

Ewing sarcoma is a malignant, small, round, blue cell tumor that often affects the long bones and pelvis. It is rarely seen in the bones of the hand. A minority of Ewing sarcoma cases arise in soft tissue.

Precision-cut rat, mouse, and human intestinal slices as novel models for the early-onset of intestinal fibrosis.

Intestinal fibrosis (IF) is a major complication of inflammatory bowel disease. IF research is limited by the lack of relevant in vitro and in vivo models. We evaluated precision-cut intestinal slices (PCIS) prepared from human, rat, and mouse intestine as ex vivo models mimicking the early-onset of (human) IF.

[A woman with a pigmentation of the hard palate].

A bluish flat pigmented lesion of the hard palate of a 51-year-old woman was excised to exclude malignancy, in particular oral malignant melanoma. On histopathological examination, depositions of black pigment were seen accompanied by several foreign body giant cells. Probably due to a childhood trauma, a pencil point had penetrated the hard palate.

Negative inotropic effects of recombinant interleukin 2 in patients without left ventricular dysfunction.

Unlabelled: Experimental data have shown that rIL2 has negative inotropic properties. This has not been investigated in humans with normal left ventricular function. Seventeen consecutive renal cell carcinoma patients who received rIL2 therapy because of dissemination were analyzed before and after treatment with a low dose of rIL2 subcutaneously.

The modulatory impact of recombinant human interleukin-6 on the immune system of cancer patients.

To investigate the immunomodulatory impact of low-dose recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6), we examined 15 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma or malignant melanoma receiving rhIL-6 as an antitumor agent in a phase II trial. RhIL-6 (150 micrograms) was administered subcutaneously (s.c.

Approaches to lung cancer treatment using the CD3 x EGP-2-directed bispecific monoclonal antibody BIS-1.

The bispecific monoclonal antibody (bsAb) BIS-1 combines a monoclonal-antibody(mAb)-defined specificity for the CD3 complex, as present on all T lymphocytes, with a mAb-defined specificity for the pancarcinoma/epithelium associated glycoprotein EGP-2. In vitro studies indicate that BIS-1 can direct T lymphocytes to kill EGP-2-positive tumour target cells. T cell pre-activation is necessary for this activity and can be obtained either via incubation of isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells with CD3 mAb, followed by short culturing in recombinant interleukin-2-containing medium, or via costimulation with CD5- and CD28-based bsAb.

Outpatient-based subcutaneous interleukin-2 monotherapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma: an update.

To minimize interleukin-2-related toxicity while retaining its efficacy, a treatment schedule utilizing subcutaneous IL-2 was evaluated in a phase II setting. Eighty unselected, consecutive patients with metastatic or recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC), mean age 58 years (range, 21 to 76), received IL-2 on an outpatient basis, 5 days per week for 4 or 6 consecutive weeks. During the first 5-day cycle, a dose of 18 million IU IL-2 was administered once a day; during subsequent cycles the dose in the first two days was reduced to 9 million IU.

Bispecific monoclonal antibodies for intravenous treatment of carcinoma patients: immunobiologic aspects.

Immunobiologic parameters measured during a phase I trial of intravenously (i.v.) administered bispecific monoclonal antibodies (BsmAb) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients are described.

Recombinant human interleukin-6 induces a rapid and reversible anemia in cancer patients.

Initial studies have shown that recombinant human interleukin-6 (rhIL-6) induces anemia. Until now, the pathophysiologic mechanism of this induced anemia has been unknown. To unravel the underlying mechanism, we examined 15 cancer patients receiving rhIL-6 as an antitumor immunotherapy in a phase II study.