Early introduction of laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy during residency.

Background: Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy for benign diseases is becoming the standard of care. However, few residency programmes incorporate the procedure. This study evaluated the safety and feasibility of the early introduction of laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy during residency.

Intractable abdominal pain following laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

A 42-year-old woman presented with intractable crampy abdominal pain continuing for 1 year. The pain worsened after eating and improved when walking. She had undergone laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding 4 years previously, with re-banding 18 months later because of anterior band slippage.

Clinical applications of recombinant virus-based cancer immunotherapy.

Cancer immunotherapy looks back over one century of clinical applications. In spite of major advances in the comprehension of oncogenesis and treatment of cancer, malignant tumours remain a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Since 1991, a breakthrough in immunology allowed the identification of tumour-associated antigens, opening the era of specific immunotherapy.