Limited Efficacy of Anti-EGFR Monoclonal Antibodies in Colorectal Cancer Patients with Rare RAS Variants: Analysis of the C-CAT Database.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition is crucial in treating RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer, yet current testing methods may miss rare RAS variants affecting treatment efficacy. We analyzed 4122 colorectal cancer patients receiving anti-EGFR antibodies from the Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics database, identifying 54 patients (1.3%) with rare RAS variants undetectable by standard testing.

Cisplatin Plus Capecitabine After Adjuvant S-1 in Metastatic Gastric Cancer: A Phase II T-CORE1102 Trial.

Background/aim: This phase II study assessed the efficacy of capecitabine plus cisplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to adjuvant S-1.

Patients And Methods: This single-arm, open-label, multicenter, phase II study was conducted by Tohoku Clinical Oncology Research and Education Society (T-CORE) in Japan. Patients aged ≥20 years with advanced HER2-negative gastric cancer that was refractory to S-1 were enrolled.

Vimentin-positive and Alpha-fetoprotein-elevated Nuclear Protein of the Testis Midline Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Nuclear protein of the testis (NUT) midline carcinoma (NMC) is a rare malignant tumor expressing NUT with BRD4/3 rearrangements and is sometimes misdiagnosed as germinoma, especially in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-elevated cases. A 28-year-old man had a mediastinal tumor with multiple bone metastases and elevated AFP levels. Imaging/laboratory findings led to a pathological diagnosis of extragonadal germinoma.

Rapid Progression of Intracranial Dural Metastases in a Patient with Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Site.

Dural metastases are uncommon in cancer patients, but can have as much of an effect on the lives of patients as brain metastases. Dural metastases are most commonly associated with primary cancers of the breast, prostate, and lung, and it is rare that the primary site of the tumor is unknown. In this study, we encountered a 51-year-old woman who had developed multiple bone tumors, with no known primary cancer lesion.

The Role of Cancer Boards in the Treatment Decisions Regarding Chemotherapy.

Objective The influence of cancer boards with respect to the treatment decisions regarding chemotherapy remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we investigated the cases that presented at our institutional cancer boards, to assess the effect of cancer boards on the treatment decisions regarding chemotherapy. Methods Data from the cancer boards at Yamagata University Hospital, Yamagata, Japan, were collected.

Personalization of chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Erlotinib is an approved drug for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer; however, its survival benefit is small and its cost is high, and the decision to use the drug may often be personalized according to the patient's background. A 72-year-old Asian man in good general condition chose gemcitabine monotherapy over combination therapy with gemcitabine plus erlotinib because the survival benefit of the latter was small. The cost of the drug did not appear to affect this decision.

Status of radiotherapy in a multidisciplinary cancer board.

Multidisciplinary cancer boards (CBs) for making cancer treatment decisions have become popular in many countries; however, the status of radiotherapy in CBs and the influence of CBs on radiotherapy decisions have not been studied. To clarify these issues, we reviewed the minutes of our CBs from February 2010 to March 2012, and we classified planned treatments discussed at the CBs into five categories and analyzed decisions concerning radiotherapy in each category. The fraction of cases for which radiotherapy was recommended was 536/757 (71%).

[Elental prevented and reduced oral mucositis during chemotherapy in patients esophageal cancer].

Stomatitis is a side effect caused frequently by chemotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer, but a standard treatment for it has not been established. Reactive oxygen species are known to be among the causes of stomatitis induced by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and some reports suggest that their influences might be reduced by the oral supplementation of glutamine. Elental® is one of the widely-used nutritional supplements, and its pack contains 1, 932 mg of L-glutamine (an especially high amount.

[A case of advanced esophageal cancer with multiple liver metastases accompanying poorly general conditions and serious liver dysfunctions, successfully treated using concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy with low-dose nedaplatin and 5-fluorouracil].

A 64-year-old male visited our hospital complaining of epigastric pain, and was diagnosed as esophageal cancer with multiple liver metastases. Histological examinations revealed squamous cell carcinoma. He had serious liver dysfunctions and his general conditions were severe, expressed as 3 of the performance status.

Genetic diversity of the Helicobacter pylori sialic acid-binding adhesin (sabA) gene.

A putative virulence factor, SabA, a sialic acid-binding adhesin, has recently been characterized in Helicobacter pylori from European isolates. However, little genetic information is available for sabA genes in strains isolated from Japanese patients. Here, we investigated the presence of the sabA gene in 23 H.

Increased plasma levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine are associated with development of colorectal tumors.

Increased oxidative stress is generally thought to be associated with tumorigenesis. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated plasma 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels in patients with colorectal adenoma and cancer, as a surrogate marker of oxidative damage to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). We collected blood samples from 58 patients with adenoma, 32 with early cancer, 25 with advanced cancer, and 36 without polyps or cancer (as controls), and measured plasma levels of 8-OHdG by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Decreased levels of plasma adiponectin associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Aim: To investigate the association between adiponectin levels and risk of colorectal adenoma and cancer (early and advanced).

Methods: A cross-sectional study in a cohort of hospital-based patients was conducted between January 2004 and March 2006 at Yamagata University Hospital. Male subjects, who had colorectal tumors detected by endoscopic examination, were enrolled according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Plasma level of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor during granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background/aims: Cytapheresis with extra-corporeal circulation for ulcerative colitis is effective but its mechanisms are still unclear. Granulocytecolony stimulating factor (G-CSF) strongly mobilizes bone marrow-derived cells and serves as antiinflammatory factor. We investigated plasma levels of G-CSF during granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GCAP).

[A case of primary orbital adenocarcinoma responding to chemoradiation].

Primary orbital adenocarcinoma is very rare. There are not any reports about the treatment of this disease, except for surgery. We experienced a case of primary orbital adenocarcinoma, which we successfully treated by chemoradiation using 5-FU and cisplatin.

Osteonecrosis of the lateral femoral condyle in a patient with ulcerative colitis: report of a case.

Osteonecrosis is a major complication in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). It appears most commonly in the femoral head, but sometimes occurs in the proximal humerus or femoral condyle. A 27-year-old Japanese woman presented with severe pain in the left knee in 2006.

A multi center study of granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis therapy for ulcerative colitis-clinical efficacy and production of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.

Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GCAP) is a useful strategy for intractable ulcerative colitis, but its mechanisms of therapy is not fully explained. Previously, depleting activated granulocytes and monocytes (GMs) and modifying product of proinflammatory cytokines had been proposed. In addition, activated GMs are releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) that may contribute to the clinical efficacy of GCAP therapy.

Investigation of Musashi-1 expressing cells in the murine model of dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis.

Musashi-1 (Msi-1), an RNA-binding protein, had been proposed to be a specific marker for neural stem/precursor cells. Msi-1 expressing cells in the intestinal epithelium are also strongly considered as potential stem/precursor cells. To clarify the behavior of those cells in the injury or regeneration phase, we investigated Msi-1 expressing cells of intestinal mucosa in the murine model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis.

Complement activation is involved in biological responses to leukocyte adsorptive apheresis.

We examined the effects of complement activation on the biological responses of cellulose acetate (CA) beads. Peripheral blood containing the complement activation inhibitor nafamostat mesilate (NM) or heparin was incubated with CA beads in vitro. Thereafter, the fraction of adsorbed granulocytes as well as the generation of complement activation fragments (C3a and C5a) and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) were measured.

Association of visceral fat accumulation and plasma adiponectin with colorectal adenoma: evidence for participation of insulin resistance.

Purpose: Colorectal carcinogenesis is thought to be related to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. To investigate whether visceral fat accumulation contributes to colorectal carcinogenesis, we examined its accumulation and the levels of the adipose tissue-derived hormone adiponectin in Japanese patients with colorectal adenoma.

Experimental Design: Fifty-one consecutive Japanese patients ages >/=40 years and with colorectal adenoma were subjected to measurement of visceral fat area by computed tomography scanning and plasma adiponectin concentration.

Significance of rapid turnover proteins in protein-losing gastroenteropathy.

Background/aims: We investigated the significance of rapid turnover proteins (retinal-binding protein, pre-albumin and transferrin) in protein-losing gastroenteropathy.

Methodology: We evaluated the levels of these proteins in 12 patients with protein-losing gastroenteropathy.

Results: The protein-losing gastroenteropathy patients showed very low level of total serum protein of 4.