Current Status of Sequential Treatment for Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background/aim: Although multiple treatments are available for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, data to determine the optimal treatment sequence are limited. This study aimed to investigate the current status of drug therapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer and clarify the sequential treatment in actual clinical practice.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study included 425 patients diagnosed with castration-resistant prostate cancer at Showa University Hospital and affiliated hospitals between January 2014 and December 2021, who were treated with any of the following four drugs: novel androgen receptor signal inhibitors (abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide) and anticancer drugs (docetaxel and cabazitaxel).

Primary classical seminoma of the testis with rhabdoid differentiation.

Rhabdoid differentiation is an indicator of poor prognosis that is often seen in renal cell carcinoma; however, it is also rarely seen in non-renal tumours. Therefore, pathologists should carefully review this finding and report. This report describes the first case of a seminoma of testicular origin that developed rhabdoid differentiation.

Efficacy and Safety of Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, and Edoxaban for Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Based on Blood Coagulation Activity and Drug Plasma Concentration: SETtsu and North Osaka Multicenter Direct Oral AntiCoagulant (SET DOAC) Registry.

The therapeutic effects of oral anticoagulant drugs for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) suggest that the three factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors may have distinct safety profiles, though this is not yet fully conclusive. This study investigated the current dosing of rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban by monitoring drug plasma concentration (PC) and coagulation activity from the viewpoint of the safety. This multicenter clinical study monitored the drug PC and two coagulation biomarkers (fibrinogen and fibrin monomer complex [FMC]) at peak and trough timing in 268 outpatients taking rivaroxaban (n = 72), apixaban (n = 71), and edoxaban (n = 125) for NVAF.

The first case of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus to achieve pathologic complete response after preoperative ipilimumab + nivolumab followed by resection.

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Surgical resection is common, but there is no consensus on perioperative treatment. Studies have reported the efficacy of programmed cell death-1 inhibitors (e.

J-AVENUE: A retrospective, real-world study evaluating patient characteristics and outcomes in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma treated with avelumab first-line maintenance therapy in Japan.

Objectives: The JAVELIN Bladder 100 phase 3 trial showed that avelumab first-line maintenance + best supportive care significantly prolonged overall survival and progression-free survival versus best supportive care alone in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma who were progression-free following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. We report findings from J-AVENUE (NCT05431777), a real-world study of avelumab first-line maintenance therapy in Japan.

Methods: Medical charts of patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma without disease progression following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, who received avelumab maintenance between February and November 2021, were reviewed.

Successful Robot-Assisted Surgery for Advanced Metachronous Cancer in a Gastric Conduit after Esophagectomy: A Case Report.

The incidence of gastric tube cancers has increased due to improved survival rates in patients after esophagectomy. However, the optimal surgical approach for gastric tube cancer remains controversial. Here, we report the case of a 70-year-old man with advanced gastric cancer arising from a retrosternally placed gastric conduit, 12 years after thoracic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

Urethral hemangioma: How to investigate as a cause of hematuria after male sexual activities.

Introduction: Urethral hemangioma is an extremely rare occurrence and is not typically considered a common cause of hematuria. Since 2000, only 22 male cases have been reported.

Case Presentation: A 45-year-old man presented with recurrent painless gross hematuria and the passage of blood clots after ejaculation.

Clinical Outcomes of Preserving Bronchial Arteries During Radical Esophagectomy: A Propensity-Score Matched Analysis.

Background: Postoperative pneumonia is a common and major cause of mortality after radical esophagectomy. Intraoperative preservation of the bronchial arteries is often aimed at avoiding tracheobronchial ischemia; however, it is unknown whether this contributes to a reduction in postoperative pneumonia.

Patients And Methods: We enrolled 348 consecutive patients who underwent radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer at Toranomon Hospital from January 2011 to July 2018.

Kerion Celsi due to Microsporum canis in an Adult Woman, Treated Successfully with Fosravuconazole.

A 64-year-old woman presented with a fist-sized, severely painful lesion with scales, crusts, pustules, erythema with subcutaneous abscess, and hair loss on the left temporal region. Direct microscopic examination revealed a large number of spores around the hair, which indicated ectothrix hair invasion, and some hyphae were also found. Histopathological examination showed significant inflammatory cell infiltration from the dermis to the subcutaneous tissues and into the hair follicles, destruction of the hair follicles with granulomatous reactions, and fungal masses along the hair within the hair follicles.

A novel homozygous missense mutation in in a patient manifesting primary triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy.

Primary triglyceride deposit cardiomyovasculopathy (P-TGCV), caused by a rare genetic mutation in encoding adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), exhibits severe cardiomyocyte steatosis and heart failure. Here, we report the case of a 51-year-old man with P-TGCV homozygous for a novel mutation (c.446C > G, P149R) in the catalytic domain of ATGL.

Intercorrelated variability in blood and hemodynamic biomarkers reveals physiological network in hemodialysis patients.

Increased intra-individual variability of a variety of biomarkers is generally associated with poor health and reflects physiological dysregulation. Correlations among these biomarker variabilities should then represent interactions among heterogeneous biomarker regulatory systems. Herein, in an attempt to elucidate the network structure of physiological systems, we probed the inter-variability correlations of 22 biomarkers.

Phosphoglyceride crystal deposition disease requiring differential diagnosis from malignant tumors and confirmed by Raman spectroscopy: A case report.

Background: Phosphoglyceride crystal deposition disease (PCDD) is a rare acquired disease in which phospholipid crystals deposit in bone and soft tissue long after surgery, trauma, or repeated injections.

Case Summary: A 60-year-old-woman was referred to our department because of multiple abdominal masses after open splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura 29 years earlier. All the masses showed marked fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (F-FDG-PET) and were strongly suspected to be malignant tumors.

Subcutaneous abscess in the shoulder caused by Prevotella bivia infection.

Prevotella bivia (P. bivia) is an anaerobic Gram-negative rod usually inhabiting in the urogenital system, and sometimes in the intra-oral space, whose infection to other parts of body is extremely rare. In this report, we describe a rare case of a recurrent infectious abscess due to P.

Experimental and theoretical study on converting myoglobin into a stable domain-swapped dimer by utilizing a tight hydrogen bond network at the hinge region.

Various factors, such as helical propensity and hydrogen bonds, control protein structures. A frequently used model protein, myoglobin (Mb), can perform 3D domain swapping, in which the loop at the hinge region is converted to a helical structure in the dimer. We have previously succeeded in obtaining monomer-dimer equilibrium in the native state by introducing a high α-helical propensity residue, Ala, to the hinge region.

Erectile dysfunction in young patients and elderly patients by sexual encounter profile: A comparative study.

Objective: Demand for erectile dysfunction treatments has increased not only in elderly patients but also in young patients. Reports indicate that frequent causes of erectile dysfunction in Japan are organic disorders in elderly patients and psychogenetic disorders in young patients.

Methods: We defined patients under the age of 40 as young erectile dysfunction patients, and those over 65 as elderly erectile dysfunction patients.

Clinical significance of initial treatment for peritoneal lavage cytology-positive gastric cancer: outcomes according to treatment strategy.

Background: Although patients with positive lavage cytology (CY1) are classified as having stage IV disease, long-term survival without other unresectable factors (P0CY1) has been reported. Conversion gastrectomy in patients with a change in cytology status after induction chemotherapy might improve survival, but appropriate treatment remains controversial. Here, we reviewed our experience in treating CY1 gastric cancer to evaluate the best treatment strategy.

Importance of long-term surveillance after curative esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The long-term outcomes after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer remain uncertain and the optimal surveillance strategy after curative surgery remains controversial.

Methods: In this study, the clinicopathological characteristics of patients who underwent curative thoracic esophagectomy between 1991 and 2015 at Toranomon Hospital were retrospectively analyzed and reviewed until December 2020. We evaluated the accumulated data regarding the pattern and rates of recurrence and second malignancy.

The effectiveness of a web-based intervention for Japanese adults with problem drinking: An online randomized controlled trial.

Aims: This study aimed (1) to delineate how a web-based intervention affects the problem drinking behaviors of Japanese adults and (2) to examine the moderating effects of disorder levels and alcohol outcome expectancies on intervention outcomes.

Methods: We implemented an online two-armed parallel-group randomized controlled trial with 546 Japanese adults. Adults aged 20 years or older and who scored eight or higher on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test were included in this study.

Identification of Preoperative Fat-Free Mass Index for the Prognosis of Curatively Resected Esophageal Cancer.

Background: The progressive, systemic depletion of muscle mass is a poor prognostic factor for various types of cancers. However, the assessment of body composition for patients with esophagectomy remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the significance of the fat-free mass index (FFMI) and estimated the appropriate cutoff value.

A Free-Energy Landscape Analysis of Calmodulin Obtained from an NMR Data-Utilized Multi-Scale Divide-and-Conquer Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

Calmodulin (CaM) is a multifunctional calcium-binding protein, which regulates a variety of biochemical processes. CaM acts through its conformational changes and complex formation with its target enzymes. CaM consists of two globular domains (N-lobe and C-lobe) linked by an extended linker region.

Bilateral Flank Compression Maneuver for Reducing Pain on Coughing after Abdominal Surgery: A Prospective Study.

Background: Despite the major advances in analgesic techniques, pain relief in coughing after abdominal surgery remains challenging. Cough-related pain causes postoperative respiratory complications by impairing sputum clearance; nevertheless, an effective technique to abolish it is not yet available. We devised the bilateral flank compression (BFC) maneuver, in which the flanks are compressed medially using both hands.

Clinical effectiveness of efinaconazole 10% solution for treatment of onychomycosis with longitudinal spikes.

Onychomycosis with longitudinal spikes in the nail plate has been reported to be refractory to oral drugs as with dermatophytoma. We evaluated the efficacy of 10% efinaconazole solution in the treatment of onychomycosis with longitudinal spikes. Of the 223 subjects who were enrolled in a previous study, a post-hoc analysis of 82 subjects with longitudinal spikes was performed in this study.