Laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy: a multicenter analysis in Japan.

Background: Laparoscopic nephroureterectomy (LNUx) is prevalent in Japan and throughout the world, but long-term outcome data remain limited.

Objective: To understand the present state of LNUx in Japan, we conducted a multicenter analysis of clinical outcome and long-term cancer control for patients who underwent the procedure.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Between January 1995 and December 2005, 1003 patients with urothelial cancer in the upper urinary tract were treated with LNUx at 51 institutions in Japan, and patient data were collected retrospectively.

Prevention of recurrence with epirubicin and lactobacillus casei after transurethral resection of bladder cancer.

Purpose: A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was done to evaluate whether oral administration of a preparation of the probiotic agent Lactobacillus casei (Yakult Honsha, Tokyo, Japan) could enhance the prevention of recurrence by intravesical instillation of epirubicin after transurethral resection for superficial bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: Between August 1999 and December 2002, 207 patients clinically diagnosed with superficial bladder cancer were included as study candidates and underwent transurethral resection, followed by intravesical instillation of 30 mg epirubicin/30 ml saline twice during 1 week. After histological confirmation of superficial bladder cancer they were again included as study participants with 102 randomized to receive treatment with 6 additional intravesical instillations of epirubicin during the 3-month period after transurethral resection (epirubicin group) and 100 randomized to intravesical chemotherapy on the same schedule as the epirubicin group plus oral administration of 3 gm Lactobacillus casei preparation per day for 1 year (epirubicin plus Lactobacillus casei group).

Clinical relevance of hepsin and hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 2 expression in renal cell carcinoma.

Cell surface proteolysis is important for the generation of bioactive proteins mediating tumor progression. Recent studies suggest that the membrane-anchored cell surface proteinases matriptase and hepsin have significant roles in tumors. We analyzed the expression and clinical relevance of matriptase and hepsin, and their inhibitors hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) and type 2 (HAI-2) in 66 cases of conventional renal cell carcinomas (RCC).

Expression of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 2 (HAI-2) in human testis: identification of a distinct transcription start site for the HAI-2 gene in testis.

Hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type 1 (HAI-1) and type 2 (HAI-2) are recently identified integral membrane Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitors. They have important regulatory roles in pericellular activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) which is critically involved in the development and regeneration of various tissues. Recent reports suggest that HGF/SF is also involved in testicular development and spermatogenesis.

Primary adenocarcinoma arising from a paraurethral cyst in a female patient.

A very rare case of primary adenocarcinoma arising from a paraurethral cyst in a 63-year-old woman is reported. Initially she was diagnosed as having a simple paraurethral cyst because of absent communication with the urethra. The resected paraurethral cyst was histologically associated with adenocarcinoma.