Use of olanzapine for the relief of nausea and vomiting in patients with advanced cancer: a multicenter survey in Japan.

Nausea and vomiting are among the most common and distressing symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. Olanzapine, an antipsychotic agent, is known to have an affinity for multiple neurotransmitter receptors. Previous studies have reported olanzapine to be efficacious in the treatment of nausea and vomiting.

Hepatitis B virus reactivation in adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Immunosuppressive therapy, such as chemotherapy or the use of corticosteroids, may stimulate reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Most of these episodes occur in patients whose hepatitis B surface antigens are positive (HBsAg+). We report a case of HBV reactivation in a patient with negative HBsAg during chemotherapy for breast cancer, in spite of avoiding corticosteroids.

Early gallbladder carcinoma associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis and ulcerative colitis.

Patients troubled with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are at high risk for cholangiocarcinoma, whereas cancer of the gallbladder (GBC) is rarely reported to develop in that population. A Japanese man aged 62 years with a 14-year history of PSC and UC had been found to have a protruding lesion of the gallbladder by screening sonography. The preoperative examination suggested the lesion to be GBC at an early stage.

Long-term pain control in trigeminal neuralgia with local anesthetics using an indwelling catheter in the mandibular nerve.

Objective: The authors sought to determine the usefulness of long-term continuous trigeminal nerve block with local anesthetics using an indwelling catheter in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia.

Design: The study design included pain control in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia until the time of neurosurgical operation.

Setting: The study was conducted in the Dental Hospital of Tokyo Medical and Dental University.