Pediatric case report on magnetic resonance imaging/transrectal ultrasound-fusion biopsy of rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder/prostate: a new tool to reduce therapy-associated morbidity?

Rhabdomyosarcomas are the most common soft tissue sarcomas in children. Here we present management of an 18-month-old boy with metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma of the bladder/prostate. After radiochemotherapy, high-spatial-resolution 3-Tesla multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed regressive systemic disease but a residual mass at the right seminal vesicle.

Rescue of death receptor and mitochondrial apoptosis signaling in resistant human NSCLC in vivo.

Non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is a highly lethal malignancy that often becomes resistant to chemotherapy. To determine whether alterations in apoptotic signaling might contribute to such resistance, we established in vitro and in vivo models for sensitive and resistant human NSCLC. We found that resistance is due to multiple defects found in expression of CD95-L, CD95 and members of the Bcl-2 and IAP family, as well as caspase-8, -9 and -3 as examined by immunohistochemistry, Western blot analysis, gene array analysis and functional assays.

Glucocorticoid cotreatment induces apoptosis resistance toward cancer therapy in carcinomas.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer often have severe side effects that limit their efficacy. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are frequently used as cotreatment because they may have potent proapoptotic properties and reduce nausea, hyperemesis, and acute toxicity on normal tissue. In contrast to the proapoptotic effect of GCs in lymphoid cells, resistance toward cancer therapy-mediated apoptosis was induced in solid tumors of human cervix and lung carcinomas.