A Case of Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer With EGFR Amplification That Responded to Necitumumab.

Background: Recent advances in cancer genome analysis and the practice of precision medicine have made it possible to identify fractions with rare genetic alterations. Among biliary tract cancers, EGFR-amplified cancers are known to be rare fractions across organs and have a poor prognosis. The use of anti-EGFR antibody for EGFR-amplified cancers has been promising; however, the evidence is not yet clear.

Facile Depolymerization of Thermally Stable Polyetherethersulfone and Polyetheretherketone Using Hydroquinone and Bases.

Super engineering plastics such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyetherethersulfone (PEES) exhibit thermal stability, chemical resistance, and mechanical strength. Such characteristics are attributed to their robust chemical structures composed of stable aryl ethers. These features make chemical recycling difficult.

[Approaches and Challenges in the Clinical Application of On-Body Injector(G-Lasta BodyPod)].

The G-Lasta BodyPod(BodyPod), a newly developed on-body injector that automatically injects pegfilgrastim(Peg-G), has been approved for clinical use in Japan. However, its precise operation is yet to be established. Exploring accumulated literature, we reviewed the efficacy and safety of the Peg-G on-body injector used in other countries and determined its eligibility criteria, operating procedures, and troubleshooting guideline.

Activation of STING in pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts exerts an antitumor effect by enhancing tumor immunity.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a high mortality rate; therefore, the development of effective treatments is a priority. The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway enhances tumor immunity by inducing the production of type 1 interferon (IFN) and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and promoting the infiltration of cytotoxic T cells. To assess the function of STING on pancreatic tumorigenesis, Ptf1a LSL-Kras p53 mice (KPC mice) and Ptf1a LSL-Kras p53/STING mice (KPCS mice) were generated.

UAV Photogrammetry for Estimating Stand Parameters of an Old Japanese Larch Plantation Using Different Filtering Methods at Two Flight Altitudes.

Old plantations are iconic sites, and estimating stand parameters is crucial for valuation and management. This study aimed to estimate stand parameters of a 115-year-old Japanese larch ( (Lamb.) Carrière) plantation at the University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest (UTHF) in central Hokkaido, northern Japan, using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry.

Impairment of Social-Related Quality of Life in COVID-19 Pneumonia Survivors: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

The post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) pose a threat to patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Here, the impact of COVID-19 on HRQOL and the clinical factors associated with impaired HRQOL were examined. Discharged COVID-19 patients were assessed at 3 and 6 months after disease onset.

Motion capture device reveals a quick learning curve in vascular anastomosis training.

Purpose: Surgical procedures are often evaluated subjectively, and an objective evaluation has been considered difficult to make and rarely reported, especially in open surgery, where the range of motion is wide. This study evaluated the effectiveness of surgical suturing training as an educational tool using the Leap Motion Controller (LMC), which can capture hand movements and reproduce them as data comprising parametric elements.

Methods: We developed an off-the-job training system (Off-JT) in our department, mainly using prosthetic grafts and various anastomotic methodologies with graded difficulty levels.

reversion mutation confers resistance to olaparib in breast cancer.

Key Clinical Message: A rare missense mutation was identified as a reversion mutation using cancer genomic profiling and a suspected mechanism underlying resistance to olaparib in breast cancer.

Abstract: A 34-year-old woman with breast cancer and : p.Gln3047Ter was treated with olaparib.

[Possibility of Prolonging Treatment by Preventing Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Using Compression Therapy].

We evaluated the efficacy of surgical glove(SG)-compression therapy for paclitaxel (PTX)-induced peripheral neuropathy (PN)and the impact of PN prevention on treatment duration. Patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer underwent a combined treatment of PTX and bevacizumab with(n=20; patients wore 2 SGs for 120 min)or without(n=15) compression therapy. SG-compression therapy significantly decreased the incidence of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events(CTCAE)v4.

Motion analysis of suturing technique with Leap Motion Controller. Proof-of-concept.

Purpose: Leap Motion Controller is a device that can capture hand gestures and reproduce these as data comprising several parametric elements. We analyzed surgical suture motion using this device and investigated the optical methodology for clinical applications.

Methods: We recruited medical students and residents (novice group) and vascular surgeons (specialist group).

Effectiveness of eribulin as first-line or second-line chemotherapy for HER2-negative hormone-resistant advanced or metastatic breast cancer: findings from the multi-institutional, prospective, observational KBCRN A001: E-SPEC study.

Background: The optimal positioning of eribulin treatment remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of eribulin administration as first- and second-line chemotherapy in patients with endocrine-resistant advanced or metastatic breast cancer (AMBC) in the real-world clinical setting.

Methods: This multi-institutional prospective cohort study enrolled patients with triple-negative AMBC or estrogen receptor-positive AMBC refractory to at least one previous endocrine therapy.

Aortitis and aortic dissection after administration of pegfilgrastim during adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer.

A 70 year-old woman on adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer developed acute aortitis after receiving pegfilgrastim. 12 days after pegfilgrastim administration, she presented to our hospital with fever and shoulder pain. White blood cell count and C-reactive protein were elevated.

Evaluation of a novel medical device for pegfilgrastim administration.

Pegfilgrastim, a pegylated form of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, has reduced the risk of developing febrile neutropenia, which is associated with an increase in severe infection and prolonged hospitalization. However, pegfilgrastim administration requires that patients visit hospital following cancer chemotherapy, thus imposing a burden on patients and those around them. An on-body injector (OBI), which automatically administers pegfilgrastim about 27 hours after chemotherapy, was used in this study.

The Origin of Epithelium with Low-Grade Atypia in Early Gastric Cancer.

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection causes chronic inflammation and atrophy of the gastric mucosa and thus a high risk of gastric cancer (GC). With the increasing success of HP infection treatment, a larger number of GCs that develop after eradication can be assessed. Several studies have shown that epithelium with low-grade atypia (ELA) is a frequent characteristic of these GCs, but the origin of this condition is unknown.

Ten-Hour Simulation Training Improved the Suturing Performance of Medical Students.

Purpose: We evaluated the effectiveness of an original simulation training system in improving the suturing performance of medical students using a previously developed web application for scoring suturing performance.

Methods: Medical students were recruited for this study and trained on vascular graft anastomosis. Prosthetic grafts were anastomosed and evaluated after orientation, and after 1 hr and 10 hr after training.

Comparable genetic alteration profiles between gastric cancers with current and past Helicobacter pylori infection.

Gastric cancers can develop even after Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication in 0.2-2.

Potential effectiveness of combining bevacizumab with paclitaxel for treating HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Although various first- to third-line HER2-targeted therapies have been established, the optimal sequence after third-line therapy has not been determined yet. Here, we describe seven patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who underwent bevacizumab (BV) and paclitaxel (PTX) combination therapy after several HER2-targeted therapies. Re-biopsy of metastatic sites was performed on four patients during the treatment prior to BV + PTX; three patients presented the same HER2-positive status as that of the primary tumor and two of whom achieved partial response.

Optimization of prediction methods for risk assessment of pathogenic germline variants in the Japanese population.

Predicting pathogenic germline variants (PGVs) in breast cancer patients is important for selecting optimal therapeutics and implementing risk reduction strategies. However, PGV risk factors and the performance of prediction methods in the Japanese population remain unclear. We investigated clinicopathological risk factors using the Tyrer-Cuzick (TC) breast cancer risk evaluation tool to predict BRCA PGVs in unselected Japanese breast cancer patients (n = 1,995).

Non-inferior clinical outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer patients with interstitial lung disease.

Objectives: The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with pre-existing interstitial lung disease (ILD) is unclear.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective medical data from advanced or recurrent NSCLC patients who were treated with nivolumab or pembrolizumab at ten institutions in Japan between January 2016 and September 2018 were analyzed. Eligible patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of pre-existing ILD.

Genetic and clinical landscape of breast cancers with germline BRCA1/2 variants.

The genetic and clinical characteristics of breast tumors with germline variants, including their association with biallelic inactivation through loss-of-heterozygosity (LOH) and second somatic mutations, remain elusive. We analyzed germline variants of 11 breast cancer susceptibility genes for 1,995 Japanese breast cancer patients, and identified 101 (5.1%) pathogenic variants, including 62 BRCA2 and 15 BRCA1 mutations.

Two cases of breast angiosarcoma after breast conserving surgery.

Background: Breast angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare malignant breast tumor arising from endothelial cells lining the blood vessels. The prognosis of AS is reportedly poor. However, the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation is still controversial.

Quantitative monitoring of circulating tumor DNA in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

According to cancer genome sequences, more than 90% of cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) harbor active KRAS mutations. Digital PCR (dPCR) enables accurate detection and quantification of rare mutations. We assessed the dynamics of circulating tumor DNA (ct-DNA) in patients with advanced PDAC undergoing chemotherapy using dPCR.

[Efficacy and Safety of Nanoparticle Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel as Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients].

Aim: We investigated the efficacy and safety of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)with a nanoparticle albumin- bound paclitaxel(nab-PTX)-containing regimen.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-eight female patients with Stage Ⅰ-Ⅲ breast cancer received nab-PTX(260mg/m / 2,q3w)±trastuzumab followed by FEC(5-fluorouracil 500 mg/m2 plus epiru- bicin 75 or 100mg/m / 2 plus cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2: q3w)between June 2013 and January 2015. Patients with HER2- positive breast cancer received trastuzumab concurrently with nab-PTX.

Effectiveness and safety of surgical glove compression therapy as a prophylactic method against nanoparticle albumin-bound-paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Background: We have developed a surgical glove (SG)-compression therapy and reported that this method significantly reduced the overall occurrence of grade 2 or higher nanoparticle albumin-bound-paclitaxel (nab-PTX)-induced peripheral neuropathy (PN) from 76.1% to 21.4%.