Incidence of Delirium during the Initiation Phase of Morphine and Hydromorphone Therapy in Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Background: Opioids are known to induce delirium, and the incidence of delirium induced by individual opioids has been investigated. However, only a limited number of studies have examined the incidence of delirium induced by oral hydromorphone.

Objective: To investigate whether differences exist in the incidence of delirium associated with oral morphine and oral hydromorphone during the initiation phase of treatment.

Clinical and radiological features of gastric and small intestinal anisakiasis: comparison with gastric ulcers and crohn's disease.

Purpose: To compare the clinical and radiological features of gastric and small intestinal anisakiasis with those of gastric ulcers and Crohn's disease.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 205 cases of anisakiasis (148 gastric; 53 small intestinal) were identified between July 2003 and February 2022. The control groups included 130 and 31 patients with gastric ulcers and Crohn's disease, respectively.

Optimization of dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin therapy for Japanese patients with urothelial carcinoma.

Background: Dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (dd-MVAC) regimen has been established as a systemic chemotherapy for patients with urothelial carcinoma. However, it is rarely used in Japan owing to the challenges associated with managing the related adverse events. This study aimed to optimize the dd-MVAC protocol for Japanese patients.

Agonists of the opioid δ-receptor improve irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms via the central nervous system.

Background And Purpose: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that is challenging to treat, and novel drugs are needed for this condition. Previously, a chronic vicarious social defeat stress (cVSDS) mouse model exhibits IBS-like symptoms. Also agonists of the opioid δ-receptor exert anti-stress effects in rodents with minimal adverse effects.

Efficient Production of Chondrocyte Particles from Human iPSC-Derived Chondroprogenitors Using a Plate-Based Cell Self-Aggregation Technique.

The limited capacity of articular cartilage for self-repair is a critical challenge in orthopedic medicine. Here, we aimed to develop a simplified method of generating chondrocyte particles from human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived expandable limb-bud mesenchymal cells (ExpLBM) using a cell self-aggregation technique (CAT). ExpLBM cells were induced to form chondrocyte particles through a stepwise differentiation protocol performed on a CAT plate (prevelex-CAT), which enables efficient and consistent production of an arbitrary number of uniformly sized particles.

[Hyperthermia Enhances Antitumor Effects of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Immune Cell Therapy].

Hyperthermia is known to enhance the effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. We have previously shown that hyperthermia also enhances the effects of molecular targeted therapy, immune cell therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Here, we present the recent clinical data and research results that suggest the mechanism of enhancement.

Prognosis of Equivocal Interstitial Lung Abnormalities in a Health Check-up Population.

Rationale: Equivocal interstitial lung abnormality (ILA) involves less than 5% of any lung zone or presents unilaterally without satisfying the diagnostic criteria for ILA; however, the prevalence and prognosis of equivocal ILA are unknown.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and long-term prognosis of equivocal ILA.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included individuals who underwent chest CT as part of a health check-up program in 2010 at St.

Minimally invasive approach of hepatectomy and thrombectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma with right atrial tumor thrombus without sternotomy using percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass.

This report by Maki and colleagues with accompanying surgical video introduces a less invasive surgical option for managing right atrial tumor thrombus in hepatocellular carcinoma, avoiding sternotomy. This approach might reduce operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay, suggesting improved safety and faster recovery compared with conventional methods with sternotomy.

Survival improvement over time in renal cell carcinoma treated with nephrectomy: A longitudinal propensity score-matched study.

Objective: Surgical treatment for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has drastically evolved for the past 30 years. However, survival outcomes of RCC according to times have not been fully elucidated, especially in the real-world setting. This study aimed to assess the survival improvement over time in RCC treated with nephrectomy by analyzing a longitudinal cohort using propensity score matching (PSM).

Retzius-Sparing Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy Using the Hinotori Surgical Robot System Platform: Report of the First Series of Experiences.

Background: The aim of this study is to describe the first series of six patients undergoing Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (rs-RARP) using the hinotori surgical robot system (hinotori SRS) and to compare the treatment outcomes with those achieved with the da Vinci surgical platform.

Methods: This study included 20 cases involving the rs-RARP procedure (hinotori: N = 6; da Vinci: N = 14) that were performed between May 2021 and April 2024 in a single institution.

Results: No significant differences were observed between the hinotori and da Vinci groups regarding the preoperative findings.

ASO Author Reflections: Potential of Peripheral Plasma Exosomal miRNA: miR-6855-5p Could Predict Radiosensitivity in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer, and Enhances Radioresistance.

The efficacy of preoperative treatment for pancreatic cancer (PC) has been reported in randomized controlled trials, but the optimal regimen and the appropriateness of combining radiotherapy remain controversial. Therefore, predicting the efficacy of preoperative treatment using biomarkers and determining whether to combine chemotherapy or radiotherapy based on the biology of individual tumors could help personalize treatment and maximize therapeutic outcomes. In this study, a microRNA (miRNA) microarray analysis was performed using peripheral blood plasma exosomes from 10 PC patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, leading to the identification of miR-6855-5p as a candidate miRNA.

MicroRNA-26a-5p is a reliable biomarker in the adjuvant setting for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a high recurrence rate even after radical resection because of subclinical tumors. To manage them, a reliable biomarker that can indicate the presence of subclinical tumors and predict their chemosensitivity is required. This study aimed to identify a miRNA as a biomarker that can be used to individualize postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy using postoperative peripheral blood samples.

Preoperative treatment response prediction for pancreatic cancer by multiple microRNAs in plasma exosomes: Optimization using machine learning and network analysis.

Background/objectives: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in chemosensitivity through their biological activities in various malignancies, including pancreatic cancer (PC). However, single-miRNA models offer limited predictability of treatment response. We investigated whether a multiple-miRNA prediction model optimized via machine learning could improve treatment response prediction.

miR-6855-5p Enhances Radioresistance and Promotes Migration of Pancreatic Cancer by Inducing Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via Suppressing FOXA1: Potential of Plasma Exosomal miR-6855-5p as an Indicator of Radiosensitivity in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Whether radiation should be added to neoadjuvant treatment remains controversial, and liquid biopsy has not been reported to predict radioresistance in pancreatic cancer (PC). We aimed to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) governing radioresistance in PC by utilizing peripheral plasma exosome samples and to verify their usefulness as biomarkers.

Methods: miRNA microarray analysis was conducted using pretreatment peripheral plasma exosomes from 10 patients with PC receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) in the discovery cohort.

Pancreatic fibrosis assessment and association with pancreatic cancer: comparison with the extracellular volume fraction.

Aims: To compare the iodine washout rate (IWR) from multiphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) with the extracellular volume fraction (fECV) for assessing pancreatic fibrosis and its association with pancreatic cancer.

Materials And Methods: The study included 51 individuals (33 men; median age: 69 years; 21 with pancreatic cancer, 30 with other diseases) who underwent multiphasic contrast-enhanced CT and histological evaluation for fibrotic changes in pancreas. The histological pancreatic fibrosis fraction (HPFF) was assessed on Azan-stained sections.

Preoperative nutritional status is a useful predictor of the feasibility of postoperative treatment in octogenarian-plus pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: The suitability of radical surgery for very elderly pancreatic cancer (PC) patients remains controversial due to concerns about postoperative functional reserve. Inflammatory-nutritional status may help identify elderly patients at risk of compromised postoperative treatment tolerance.

Methods: This retrospective analysis included 121 patients over eighty who were diagnosed with PC in 2010-2019, 40 of whom underwent radical surgery.

Oncologic and Functional Outcomes of Salvage Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: Report of the First 10 Cases.

Background: Salvage robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (sRARP) after PSA failure in patients who underwent initial radiotherapy or focal therapy has rarely been reported in Japan. We aimed to report the oncologic and functional outcomes of the first 10 cases of sRARP.

Methods: Ten patients underwent sRARP after failing to respond to initial radiotherapy or focal therapy.

Novel clipping procedure for preventing post-operative inguinal hernia in robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Objectives: Inguinal hernia (IH) is a common postoperative complication after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). We developed a novel clipping technique for the prevention of IH developing after RARP.

Methods: This cohort included 759 consecutive patients who underwent RARP for prostate cancer at the University of Tokyo Hospital between January 2011 and December 2018.