The Clinicopathological and Prognostic Significance of HER2-Low Breast Cancer: A Comparative Analysis Between HER2-Low and HER2-Zero Subtypes.

Background: HER2-low breast cancer (BC) is a newly defined subset of HER2-negative BC. However, it is still uncertain whether HER2-low BC can be categorized as a distinct biological/clinical subgroup with any prognostic significance.

Methods: Invasive BC cases (n = 10,215) with Stage I-III were retrospectively analyzed to determine the HER2 status.

Long-term prognostic value of the GenesWell BCT score in Asian women with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative early breast cancer.

Background: Accurate prediction of the risk of recurrence is crucial for optimal treatment decisions in hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative early breast cancer. The GenesWell BCT is a molecular assay to predict the 10-year risk of distant metastasis. In this study, we evaluated the long-term prognostic value of the GenesWell BCT assay.

Satisfaction of Patients Who Received Breast-Conserving Surgery Using the Suture Scaffold Technique: A Single-Institution, Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Optimal cosmetic results after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) improve patient satisfaction. The suture scaffold technique (SST) is a breast reconstruction technique that all breast surgeons can perform without any extensive training in plastic surgery.

Objective: We aimed to investigate patient satisfaction after BCS and compare blood loss and operative duration between the SST, breast glandular flap technique (BGFT), and no oncoplastic technique (NOT).

Prognostic and predictive impacts of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes differ between Triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancers treated with standard systemic therapies.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have potential value for stratifying the treatment of breast cancer (BC), though their precise use remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the utility of TILs using an alternative approach in different settings. We reviewed patients with triple-negative (TN) or human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive invasive ductal carcinomas from a single institutional cohort and classified archived hematoxylin-eosin-stained samples in terms of TIL score as low (<10 %), intermediate, and high (>50 %).

Intermittent negative pressure external drainage of the pancreatic duct reduces the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreaticojejunostomy.

Background/aims: The formation of a pancreatic fistula remains one of the serious morbidities after pancreaticojejunostomy. This study is focused on the efficacy of negative pressure external drainage of the main pancreatic duct in pancreaticojejunostomy.

Methodology: Fifty-eight consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticojejunostomy at our hospital from May 2008 to May 2012 were enrolled in this study.

Efficacy of micafungin in empirical therapy of deep mycosis in surgically ill patients.

Micafungin (MCFG), an echinocandin antifungal agent, exhibits antifungal activity against Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida. The fungicidal activity of MCFG against clinical isolates of Candida species was investigated, and the clinical efficacy of MCFG in therapy of deep mycosis in surgery was studied using the AKOTT algorithm. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration values of fluconazole were ≤0.

Association of microRNA-21 expression with its targets, PDCD4 and TIMP3, in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Since the discovery of small non-coding RNAs, the analyses of microRNA (miRNA) expression patterns in human cancer have provided new insights into cancer biology. miRNA-21 has been suggested to be one of the miRNAs that have an important role in the development or biological behavior of a variety of malignancies, including pancreatic cancer. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the expression of miRNA-21 and that of its molecular targets, programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP3), in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma derived from IPMN and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma concomitant with IPMN.

Objectives: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) may derive from an intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas or may develop in the pancreatic duct apart from IPMN. The purpose of this study was to define the clinicopathological features of these 2 entities and compare them with those of ordinary PDAC.

Methods: Of 765 patients who had surgical resection for IPMN, 122 were diagnosed as having PDAC derived from IPMN and 31 with PDAC concomitant with IPMN.

Surgeons' stress from surgery and night duty: a multi-institutional study.

Objective: To examine the stress experienced by surgeons in response to surgery and night duty.

Design: Analyses were done by subjective questionnaires and an objective urine analysis.

Setting: One university hospital and 15 community/public hospitals in Kitakyushu City, Japan.

Molecular detection of SS18-SSX fusion gene transcripts by cRNA in situ hybridization in synovial sarcoma using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue specimens.

SS18-SSX fusion genes resulting from a chromosomal translocation t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2) are a genetic hallmark of synovial sarcoma.

A novel germline mutation of MSH2 in a hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer patient with liposarcoma.

Background: One of the clinical features of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is a high incidence of multiple primary neoplasms arising in various organs including the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Among extracolonic tumors, a limited number of soft tissue sarcomas associated with HNPCC have been reported, and the mechanism underlying liposarcoma in HNPCC patients remains unclear.

Aim: We herein report the case of a HNPCC patient with liposarcoma, with the goal of elucidating the involvement of a mismatch repair deficiency in the tumor.