A Multicenter Phase II Trial of Docetaxel, Cisplatin, and Cetuximab (TPEx) Followed by Cetuximab and Concurrent Radiotherapy for Patients With Local Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (CSPOR HN01: ECRIPS Study).

Induction chemotherapy (IC) is a treatment option for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LA SCCHN). However, treatment with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-FU (TPF) followed by cisplatin and radiotherapy is controversial because of toxicity concerns. The aim of this phase II study was to assess the feasibility of docetaxel, cisplatin, and cetuximab (TPEx) followed by cetuximab and concurrent radiotherapy for LA SCCHN.

Hard Metal Lung Disease with Favorable Response to Corticosteroid Treatment: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Hard metal lung disease (HMLD) is a pneumoconiosis caused by occupational exposure to hard metals such as tungsten carbide and cobalt, but the treatment strategies for HMLD have not been well established. A 68-year-old Japanese man with occupational history as a grinder of hard metals for 18 years referred to our hospital because of dry cough and dyspnea. A chest computed tomography (CT) on admission revealed centrilobular micronodules, ground-glass opacities, and reticular opacities in the peripheral zone of both lungs.

A Phase II study of the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib in patients with advanced thyroid cancer.

Aim: To investigate the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib in advanced thyroid cancer.

Patients/methods: In this Phase II study, 51 Japanese patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC), medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) or anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) received once-daily lenvatinib 24 mg. The primary end point was safety.

Correlation between changes in functional connectivity in the dorsal attention network and the after-effects induced by prism adaptation in healthy humans: A dataset of resting-state fMRI and pointing after prism adaptation.

It has been reported that it is possible to observe transient changes in resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in the attention networks of healthy adults during treatment with prism adaptation. by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (see "Prism adaptation changes resting-state functional connectivity in the dorsal stream of visual attention networks in healthy adults: A fMRI study" (Tsujimoto et al., 2018) [1].

Predictive Value of Cetuximab-Induced Skin Toxicity in Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and NECK.

Skin toxicity is a common adverse event during cetuximab (Cmab) treatment. However, few reports have investigated the correlation between skin toxicity and the efficacy of Cmab in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN). We retrospectively reviewed 112 R/M SCCHN patients who received palliative chemotherapy with Cmab.

Prism adaptation changes resting-state functional connectivity in the dorsal stream of visual attention networks in healthy adults: A fMRI study.

Unilateral spatial neglect (USN) can be defined as a failure to orient to contra-lesional stimuli in the absence of either sensory or motor defects. Although the behavioral and clinical effects of prism adaptation (PA) are widely accepted, its underlying mechanisms are still controversial. However, recent neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies support the idea that PA affects the visual attention and sensorimotor networks including in the parietal cortex and cerebellum.

Impact of dose interruption on the efficacy of lenvatinib in a phase 3 study in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Background: In the phase 3 Study of (E7080) Lenvatinib in Differentiated Cancer of the Thyroid (SELECT), lenvatinib significantly improved efficacy outcomes versus placebo in patients with radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC). Lenvatinib-treated patients had more adverse events (AEs), which were generally managed with dose modifications, including dose interruption. This exploratory post hoc analysis investigated the impact of dose interruption on lenvatinib efficacy.

Brillouin characterization of slimmed polymer optical fibers for strain sensing with extremely wide dynamic range.

To date, most distributed Brillouin sensors for structural health monitoring have employed glass optical fibers as sensing fibers, but they are inherently fragile and cannot withstand strains of >3%. This means that the maximal detectable strain of glass-fiber-based Brillouin sensors was ~3%, which is far from being sufficient for monitoring the possible distortion caused by big earthquakes. To extend this strain dynamic range, polymer optical fibers (POFs) have been used as sensing fibers.

Usefulness of diluted contrast medium for test-scanning of infants scheduled for contrast-enhanced cardiovascular computed tomography angiography.

Objective:: To compare the ability of test scans with undiluted and diluted contrast medium (CM) to predict contrast enhancement (CE) on cardiovascular CT angiography (CCTA) images of infants.

Methods:: We divided 120 consecutive infants who had undergone CCTA on a 64-MDCT scanner into two equal groups. In one group, the test bolus consisted of undiluted CM [protocol 1 (P1): injection volume = total  body weight × 1.

Clinical impact of cachexia in unresectable locally advanced head and neck cancer: supplementary analysis of a phase II trial (JCOG0706-S2).

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical impact of cachexia, defined by the combination of albumin and C-reactive protein levels, in patients with unresectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas who received chemoradiotherapy in a phase II trial of JCOG0706.

Methods: Forty-five patients received radiation for a total of 70 Gy/35fr concurrently with S-1 and cisplatin. The present analysis was conducted in 44 patients with available data.

Optimal management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib.

Lenvatinib, a multi-kinase inhibitor, has demonstrated improved outcomes for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in clinical trials. The phase 3 REFLECT trial confirmed the noninferiority of lenvatinib to sorafenib for overall survival of HCC patients and indicated clinical benefits in efficacy over sorafenib. Adverse events (AEs) included hypertension, diarrhea, decreased appetite, decreased weight, fatigue, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, and proteinuria.

Age-dependent differences in response to partial-thickness cartilage defects in a rat model as a measure to evaluate the efficacy of interventions for cartilage repair.

The objectives of this study are (1) to examine age-dependent longitudinal differences in histological responses after creation of partial-thickness articular cartilage defects (PTCDs) in rats and to use this model (2) to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for cartilage repair. Linear PTCDs were created at a depth of 100 μm in the weight-bearing region of the medial femoral condyle in rats of different ages (3 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks). One day, one week, two weeks, four weeks and twelve weeks after PTCD generation, spontaneous healing was evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically.

Radiation Dose Reduction With a Low-Tube Voltage Technique for Pediatric Chest Computed Tomographic Angiography Based on the Contrast-to-Noise Ratio Index.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiation dose and image quality at low tube-voltage pediatric chest computed tomographic angiography (CTA) that applies the same contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) index as the standard tube voltage technique.

Materials And Methods: Contrast-enhanced chest CTA scans of 100 infants were acquired on a 64-row multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scanner. In the retrospective study, we evaluated 50 images acquired at 120 kVp; the image noise level was set at 25 Hounsfield units.

Paclitaxel Plus Cetuximab as 1st Line Chemotherapy in Platinum-Based Chemoradiotherapy-Refractory Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of cetuximab (Cmab) and paclitaxel (PTX) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) who had unresectable recurrent or metastatic (R/M) disease after platinum-based chemoradiotherapy. Data on 23 patients with SCCHN who received paclitaxel and cetuximab (Cmab) for R/M disease no more than 6 months after CRT completion were retrospectively reviewed. PTX and Cmab were given in a 28-day cycle (PTX, 80 mg/m on days 1, 8, and 15; Cmab, loading dose 400 mg/m followed by a weekly 250 mg/m).

Comparison of meniscal extrusion and osteophyte formation at the intercondylar notch as a predictive biomarker for incidence of knee osteoarthritis-Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

Background: Medial meniscal extrusion (ME) is a biomarker to predict later development of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). On the other hand, we have reported osteophyte formation at the posterior condylar notch of the femur served as a biomarker for the same purpose. The purpose of this study is to compare capacity of the two biomarkers in predicting KOA development.

Four-directional approach to the meso-transverse attachment combined with preoperative radiological vascular simulation facilitates short-term surgical outcomes in laparoscopic transverse colon cancer surgery.

Introduction: Transverse colon resection is one of the most difficult laparoscopic procedures because of anatomic hazards such as variations in the mesenteric vascular anatomy and the complex structure of organs and surrounding membranes.

Methods: We evaluated the short-term surgical outcomes of laparoscopic transverse colon resection using a creative approach. This approach included preoperative surgical simulation using virtual surgical anatomy by CT, a four-directional approach to the mesentery, and 3-D imaging during laparoscopic surgery.

Evaluating different closed loop graft preparation technique for tibial suspensory fixation in ACL reconstruction using TightRope™.

In most anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions, grafts are fixed to the femoral side first followed by the tibial side. Various techniques have been reported to achieve optimal tension on the grafts, but once the grafts are fixed it is difficult to adjust graft tension further. To enable post fixation tension control we have invented a new graft configuration using an adjustable loop-device (TightRope, Arthrex, FL, USA) on the tibial side.

Efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: pooled analyses after long-term follow-up in KEYNOTE-012.

Background: Second-line treatment options for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are limited. The phase Ib KEYNOTE-012 study evaluated the safety and the efficacy of pembrolizumab for the treatment of HNSCC after long-term follow-up.

Methods: Multi-centre, non-randomised trial included two HNSCC cohorts (initial and expansion) in which 192 patients were eligible.

Nivolumab vs investigator's choice in recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: 2-year long-term survival update of CheckMate 141 with analyses by tumor PD-L1 expression.

Objectives: We report 2-year results from CheckMate 141 to establish the long-term efficacy and safety profile of nivolumab and outcomes by tumor PD-L1 expression in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M),platinum-refractory squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Methods: Patients with R/M SCCHN with tumor progression/recurrence within 6 months of platinum therapy were randomized 2:1 to nivolumab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks or investigator's choice (IC). Primary endpoint: overall survival (OS).

CheckMate 141: 1-Year Update and Subgroup Analysis of Nivolumab as First-Line Therapy in Patients with Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer.

Nivolumab significantly improved overall survival (OS) vs investigator's choice (IC) of chemotherapy at the primary analysis of randomized, open-label, phase 3 CheckMate 141 in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Here, we report that OS benefit with nivolumab was maintained at a minimum follow-up of 11.4 months.

Clinical impact of developing better practices at the institutional level on surgical outcomes after distal pancreatectomy in 1515 patients: Domestic audit of the Japanese Society of Pancreatic Surgery.

Background And Aim: Institutional standardization in the perioperative management of distal pancreatectomy (DP) has not been evaluated in a multicenter setting. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of institutional standardization on the development of postoperative complications after DP.

Methods: Data were collected from 1515 patients who underwent DP in 2006, 2010, and 2014 at 53 institutions in Japan.

The influence of the electrodes spacing of a mapping catheter on the atrial voltage substrate map.

Background: Detailed substrate mapping is important for catheter ablation. However, the influence of the electrode spacing of the mapping catheter on the substrate map has not been well clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the electrode spacing of the mapping catheter on the voltage of the substrate map.