LAPAROSCOPIC DISTAL PANCREATECTOMY WITH OR WITHOUT SPLEEN PRESERVATION: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SHORT AND LONG-TERM OUTCOMES.

Background: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) is the preferred approach for resection of tumors in the distal pancreas because of its many advantages over the open approach.

Aim: To analyse and compare short and long-term outcomes from LDP performed through two different techniques: with splenectomy vs. spleen preservation and splenic vessel preservation.

Superior vena cava syndrome and pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

We report a large-cell adenocarcinoma of the lung in a tobacco smoker with classical superior vena cava syndrome and digital clubbing. Computed tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance revealed the involvement of the vena cava and metastases in the left adrenal gland and central nervous system. Biopsy samples of the mass yielded the diagnosis.

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF LONG-TERM RESULTS OF MALIGNANT HEPATIC TUMORS TREATED BY MEANS CURATIVE LAPAROSCOPIC HEPATECTOMY.

Background: Laparoscopic hepatectomy has presented great importance for treating malignant hepatic lesions.

Aim: To evaluate its impact in relation to overall survival or disease free of the patients operated due different hepatic malignant tumors.

Methods: Thirty-four laparoscopic hepatectomies were performed in 31 patients with malignant neoplasm.

Evaluation of P53, E-cadherin, Cox-2, and EGFR protein immunoexpression on prognostic of resected gallbladder carcinoma.

Background: Gallbladder carcinoma presents a dismal prognosis. Choice treatment is surgical resection that is associated a high levels of both morbidity and mortality. Best knowledgement of prognostic factors may result a better selection of patients either for surgical or multimodal treatment.

Reversible cardiotoxicity in a 54-year-old woman treated with trastuzumab.

We report a 54-year-old woman with an stage IIA (T2N0M0) RE and RP negative and HER2-positive ductal invasive breast cancer who developed a reversible cardiotoxicity associated with chemotherapy. After surgery, she received four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosfamide. Later, she used paclitaxel and trastuzumab.

Gallbladder adenocarcinoma: evaluation of the prognostic factors in 100 resectable cases in Brazil.

Background: In spite its relative rarity, gallbladder adenocarcinoma is a neoplasm who presents an aggressive biologic behavior. The single curative treatment has been radical surgical resection with free margin. Prognostic factors has been studied because are very important to identify long-term survival patients which may benefit of aggressive surgical resection.

Meningeal carcinomatosis in solid tumors.

The involvement of the leptomeninges by metastatic tumors can be observed in solid tumors, in which case it is termed meningeal carcinomatosis (MC), and in lymphoproliferative malignant disease. It is more common in breast and lung cancer, as well as melanoma, with adenocarcinoma being the most frequent histological type. MC is usually a late event, with disseminated and progressive disease already present and, it is characterized by multifocal neurological signs and symptoms.

[Clinical and economic issues in adjuvant chemotherapy for HER-2 positive breast cancer].

Purpose: To examine efficacy figures and drug expenditure for adjuvant chemotherapy in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) positive breast cancer, in the Brazilian supplemental health insurance market.

Methods: We obtained efficacy data (disease free survival at 3-years) and drug cost estimate for current adjuvant strategies in HER-2 positive breast cancer: Finland Herceptin (FinHER), National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSAPB-31), North Central Cancer Treatment Group (N9831), Herceptin Adjuvant (HERA) and Breast Cancer International Research Group (BCIRG-006). We estimated clinical impact measures--number needed to treat (NNT) and absolute risk reduction (ARR)--and total drug cost by protocol to avoid one single cancer recurrence.