Dose modification in enzalutamide and abiraterone plus prednisolone for castration-resistant prostate cancer: A subanalysis from the ENABLE study for PCa.

Background: A head-to-head comparison between enzalutamide (ENZ) and abiraterone plus prednisolone (ABI) revealed similar survival benefits for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in the ENABLE study for PCa. Considering that a dose reduction of ENZ and ABI has demonstrated sufficient inhibitory ability of androgen receptor (AR) signaling, we analyzed the efficacy of modified doses of these agents in the ENABLE study for PCa.

Methods: This investigator-initiated, multicenter, randomized controlled trial that was conducted in Japan analyzed the prespecified survival endpoints, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate ( ≥50% decline from baseline), and safety profile in patients treated with modified doses (ENZ ≤ 120 mg/day, ABI ≤ 750 mg/day) compared with those treated with a standard dose (ENZ 160 mg/day, ABI 1000 mg/day) as a starting dose.

Perinatal clinical course of Vici syndrome associated with novel variants: unique cardiac changes and difficulty with foetal diagnosis.

Vici syndrome is a genetic disorder involving autophagy dysfunction caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in ectopic P-granules 5 autophagy tethering factor (). We report the perinatal clinical course of a neonate with Vici syndrome with a unique cardiac presentation. Foetal ultrasonography (US) detected right ventricular hypertrophy, hypoplastic left ventricle and narrowing of the foramen ovale, which were alleviated after birth.

Fusion imaging of single-photon emission computed tomography and magnetic resonance lymphangiography for post-Fontan chylothorax.

A preschool male patient with an extensive cardiac surgical history developed refractory chylothorax after a total cavopulmonary connection. Neither lymphoscintigraphy nor single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography could identify the lymphatic system leakage sites. Non-contrast heavy T2-weighted magnetic resonance lymphangiography (MRL) was performed to visualize the lymphatic system.

Enzalutamide Versus Abiraterone plus Prednisolone Before Chemotherapy for Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Enzalutamide (ENZ) and abiraterone plus prednisolone (ABI) improve survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, which agent is better for patients with CRPC remains unclear.

Objective: To evaluate whether ENZ or ABI is better as first-line treatment for CRPC.

Thrombus calcification after removing peripherally inserted central catheters in extremely preterm infants.

Pericatheter thrombus calcification is a complication that arises due to central venous catheter insertion and is particularly rare in peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs). In this case report, we reviewed the clinical course of two neonates experiencing thrombus calcification. The first case involved a male neonate weighing 445 g.

Test clamp procedure in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy: is it a safe procedure?

We performed test clamp procedure in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) to prevent massive bleeding during tumor resection and to omit dissection of non-feeding arteries around the tumor. We subsequently analyzed the safety and usefulness of the procedure. The Test clamp procedure was performed for 1 to 3 min during renal artery test ischemia prior to the actual ischemia and tumor resection.

A novel risk classification score for malignant ureteral obstruction: a multicenter prospective validation study.

Emergence of malignant ureteral obstruction (MUO) has been reported as a sign of poor prognosis; however, the distribution of survival time in patients with MUO is considerably wide, and no risk classification score has been constructed. To evaluate whether a novel risk classification score for overall survival that we previously developed, is effective in a large cohort. Investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter diagnostic/prognostic study was conducted.

Effectiveness of Synthetic Polymer-coated Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter in Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Background/aim: A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is recommended for the safe administration of anticancer agents. The effectiveness of synthetic polymer-coated and non-coated PICCs was compared.

Patients And Methods: Patients with advanced cancers who had indwelling PICCs were reviewed using their medical records.

Enzalutamide versus abiraterone as a first-line endocrine therapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer (ENABLE study for PCa): a study protocol for a multicenter randomized phase III trial.

Background: Both enzalutamide and abiraterone have demonstrated improved radiographic progression-free and overall survival for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) compared with placebo controls before docetaxel treatment in phase III studies. These oral agents target androgen and androgen receptor signaling and are thought to be less toxic than chemotherapy. Cross-resistance to these agents was recently reported because of their similar mechanism of action, and it is important to assess which agent is more effective to use initially for CRPC.

Massive Ascites in a Renal Transplant Patient after Laparoscopic Fenestration of a Lymphocele.

Retroperitoneal lymphocele is a common complication of renal transplantation. Here, we report the case of a 67-year-old woman with massive ascites after fenestration surgery for a lymphocele that developed following renal transplantation. She had been on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis for 9 years.

Stone Attenuation Values Measured by Average Hounsfield Units and Stone Volume as Predictors of Total Laser Energy Required During Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy Using Holmium:Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet Lasers.

Objective: To evaluate the predictors of the total laser energy (TLE) required during ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URS) using the holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho:YAG) laser for a single ureteral stone.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 93 URS procedures performed for a single ureteral stone in our institution from November 2011 to September 2015. We evaluated the association between TLE and preoperative clinical data, such as age, sex, body mass index, and noncontrast computed tomographic findings, including stone laterality, location, maximum diameter, volume, stone attenuation values measured using average Hounsfield units (HUs), and presence of secondary signs (severe hydronephrosis, tissue rim sign, and perinephric stranding).

Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate With Percutaneous Nephrostomy Into the Transplanted Kidney in Patient With Severe Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia With Vesicoureteral Reflux - A Case Report.

A 66-year-old male, who had received renal transplantation 10 years before, was admitted to our hospital with urinary retention. The prostate volume was 169.2 ml.

Isolated torsion of the fallopian tube in a menopausal woman and a pre-pubertal girl: two case reports.

Introduction: Isolated torsion of the fallopian tube without an ovarian abnormality is an uncommon event, with an incidence of approximately 1 in 1,500,000 females. Isolated torsion of the fallopian tube occurs mostly in reproductive-aged women, and is thus extremely rare in menopausal women and pre-pubertal girls.

Case Presentations: In case 1, 63-year-old Japanese woman presented with a 2-day history of acute lower abdominal pain.

Spontaneous retroperitoneal hemorrhage caused by rupture of an ovarian artery aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Spontaneous rupture of an ovarian artery aneurysm is extremely rare. Although a majority of these cases have been associated with pregnancy, there have been recent reports and reviews of rare cases that were not directly associated with pregnancy. Transcatheter arterial embolization is considered to be an alternative therapy to surgery.

Solitary uterine metastasis of invasive lobular carcinoma after adjuvant endocrine therapy: a case report.

Introduction: Solitary uterine metastases from extragenital cancers are very rare. Breast cancer is the most frequent primary site of metastasis to the uterine corpus, with invasive lobular carcinoma more likely to spread to gynecologic organs than invasive ductal carcinoma.

Case Presentation: A 62-year-old postmenopausal Japanese woman was diagnosed with uterine leiomyomata more than 20 years ago and had been managed conservatively until menopause.

The effectiveness of interferon-alpha subtypes alternation for metastasis from renal cell carcinoma.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) has been used in systemic treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). IFN-α has at least 14 subtypes, each of which has different biological activity. There have been reports that mRCC resistant to an IFN-α treatment responded to another IFN-α subtype.

A novel therapeutic strategy for chylous ascites after gynecological cancer surgery: a continuous low-pressure drainage system.

Purpose: Postoperative chylous ascites is an unusual complication following retroperitoneal surgery. A search of the English literature showed only 44 cases of chylous ascites following gynecological cancer surgery. The treatment is primarily conservative, but surgical treatment is considered in resistant cases.

Down-regulation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 by androgen deprivation induces castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Conversion into androgen-hypersensitive state and adaptation to the low concentration of androgen during ADT cause relapse of prostate cancer (PCa). It is important to identify differentially expressed genes between PCa and normal prostate tissues and to reveal the function of these genes that are involved in progression of PCa.

Methods: We performed cDNA microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed genes, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CAMKK2).

Increases in bone turnover marker levels at an early phase after starting zoledronic acid predicts skeletal-related events in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis.

Objective: To examine whether bone turnover markers could be predictive markers of the probability of newly arising skeletal-related events (SRE) after the start of zoledronic acid treatment in patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis.

Patients And Methods: In all, 30 patients with prostate cancer with bone metastasis were treated with zoledronic acid infusion every 4 weeks. Serum C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type 1 collagen (1CTP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured at the start of zoledronic acid treatment to establish baseline values, and every 4 weeks thereafter.

Clinicopathological outcomes of clinical T1a renal cell carcinoma by tumor size.

Objective: We performed a retrospective review of clinical T1a renal cell carcinoma patients treated in our institution. The clinicopathological findings and patients' prognoses were analyzed according to tumor size, and risk factors for tumor recurrence were elucidated.

Methods: A total of 140 cases of sporadic renal cell carcinoma with a diameter of 4 cm or less on computed tomography findings for preoperative evaluation were treated as clinical T1a.

Ethinylestradiol improves prostate-specific antigen levels in pretreated castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

Background: Ethinylestradiol was used as palliative treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). However, its use has declined after the development of combined androgen blockade. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of ethinylestradiol on pretreated castration-resistant PCa patients.

Preliminary results of tranilast treatment for patients with advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Background: Tranilast is a therapeutic agent used in treatment of allergic diseases. It has been reported previously that tranilast has antitumour effects on prostate cancer cells. This study examined whether tranilast has clinical benefit for prostate cancer patients.

CTEN/tensin 4 expression induces sensitivity to paclitaxel in prostate cancer.

Background: Recently, we established paclitaxel-resistant prostate cancer cell lines (PC-3-TxR and DU145-TxR). To determine the mechanisms of paclitaxel resistance in PC-3-TxR cells, we compared the gene expression profiles between PC-3 and PC-3-TxR cells. Our results indicated that expression of the C-terminal tensin like protein (CTEN, tensin 4) gene was down-regulated by 10-fold in PC-3-TxR cells.

[Recurrent episodes of takotsubo-like transient left ventricular ballooning occurring in different regions: a case report].

A 62-year-old male with emphysema developed recurrent episodes of transient left ventricular ballooning occurring in different regions. Left ventriculography revealed symmetric mid-ventricular ballooning when he was 60 years old, and he also developed mid-ventricular ballooning of larger extent at the age of 62 years. Furthermore, as he was treated for severe asthma attack 3 months later, left ventricular apical ballooning occurred.