Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.

Aim: To study the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure in prostate cancer patients who underwent prostatectomy.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-two prostate cancer patients whose PSA levels were less than 0.2 ng/ml 3 months after surgery were randomized to either an EPA group (n=32) or a control group (n=30).

[Two cases of spontaneous rupture of upper urinary tract caused by the primary ureteral or renal pelvic tumor: a case report].

We report two cases of spontaneous urinary rupture caused by primary ureteral or renal pelvic cancer. Case 1: A 76-year-old man presented with macrohematuria and left back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging showed left middle ureteral tumor and rupture of upper ureter.

Implications of insulin-like growth factor-I for prostate cancer therapies.

In the last decade, abundant evidence has suggested that the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) family comprises a multi-component network of molecules involved in the regulation of both physiological and pathological growth processes in the prostate. The IGF axis plays an important role in the tumorigenesis and neoplastic growth of prostate cancer. Epidemiological observations indicate that circulating IGF-I levels are positively associated with increased risk of prostate cancer.

A case of venous air embolism during transurethral resection of the prostate.

Venous air embolism is a rare complication during transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). We report a case of air embolism during TURP under general anesthesia in a 56-year-old man. Incorrect assembly of the resectoscope-drain aspiration system caused rapid entrainment of air into the vein of the prostate bed.

[Clinical study on operative treatment of acute scrotum].

Between July 1986 and March 2006, 102 patients underwent an operation for acute scrotum. Median age was 12.0 years old (range 0-51).

Urachal signet ring cell carcinoma.

Urachal adenocarcinoma is a rare neoplasm associated with poor prognosis. We report a case of urachal signet ring cell carcinoma in a 65-year-old man. He was admitted with a chief complaint of microscopic hematuria.

A case of orbital metastasis from prostatic carcinoma as an initial symptom.

Orbital metastasis caused by prostate cancer is rare. We report a case of prostate cancer diagnosed from the initial ocular signs with complaints of decreased vision and exophthalmos. The orbital tumor was surgically removed and endocrine therapy was performed subsequently.

Primary adenocarcinoma of the appendix invading the urinary bladder.

We report a case of adenocarcinoma of the appendix invading the urinary bladder in a 75-year-old man. Although cystoscopic examination and computed tomography suggested a primary or secondary bladder tumor, repeated transurethral bladder biopsy could not confirm the neoplasm. At operation a primary neoplasm of the appendix invading the bladder was discovered and en bloc resection of the urinary bladder with the adherent cecum followed by an ileocolonic anastomosis and ureterocutaneostomy was performed.

Serum immunosuppressive acidic protein doubling time as a prognostic factor for recurrent renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy.

Objectives: To identify the prognostic factors in patients with recurrent renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy, various factors were assessed, with special attention to serum immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP) and its doubling time.

Methods: Age, sex, stage, grade, histopathologic type, primary tumor size, site and number of metastatic organs, time to recurrence, IAP levels before nephrectomy and at the diagnosis of recurrence, and IAP doubling time just before recurrence were analyzed in 125 patients with recurrent renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy.

Results: Univariate analysis identified stage, grade, histopathologic type, primary tumor size, time to recurrence, IAP level at the diagnosis of recurrence, and IAP doubling time as significant prognostic factors.

Clinical impact of tamsulosin on generic and symptom-specific quality of life for benign prostatic hyperplasia patients: using international prostate symptom score and Rand Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Health Survey.

Aim: To examine the efficiency of alpha1-blocker treatment on disease-specific and generic quality of life (QOL) in men with clinically diagnosed benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), the improvement of QOL scores with International prostate symptom score (I-PSS) and Rand Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Health Survey (SF-36) was prospectively analyzed.

Methods: A total of 68 newly diagnosed patients with symptomatic BPH that satisfied all inclusion and none of the exclusion criteria were prospectively recruited. All patients received 0.

The effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on prostate-specific antigen.

The "Study of EPA Effects on Prostate Cancer" (SEEPC) Group has been conducting a clinical trial with patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. The main purpose of the SEEPC is to evaluate whether eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) prevents prostate cancer (PC) recurrence. As the surrogate marker of recurrence, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was measured.

Serum interleukin-11 in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

To clarify whether serum levels of interleukin-11 (IL-11) could be a useful marker in patients with prostate cancer, serum IL-11 was determined in 73 and 23 men with prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), respectively, before treatment. There were no statistical differences of IL-11 levels between patients with prostate cancer and BPH. Patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer had a significantly higher level of IL-11 than those with untreated cancer.

[Treatment of traditional Chinese medicine for idiopathic male infertility].

Several Chinese herbal medicines have been used to treat patients with idiopathic male infertility and have been reported to improve semen quality. The clinical efficacy of these medicines was reviewed. The therapeutic effect of Hochu-ekki-to based on the pretreatment traditional diagnosis (Sho) was examined.

Differential expression of integrin subunits in DU-145/AR prostate cancer cells.

We have established a clonal DU-145 prostate cancer cell line (DU-145/AR) stably transfected with androgen receptor cDNA. We investigated the expression of integrin subunits, adhesion to extracellular matrices, the invasion of DU-145/AR prostate cancer cells. The expression of various integrin subunits and adhesion to various extracellular matrices in DU-145, DU-145/Neo and DU-145/AR cells were examined.

Tissue factor expression and prognosis in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Objectives: To assess immunohistochemically the pattern of tissue factor (TF) expression in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, because TF is aberrantly expressed in human cancer. TF is the primary initiator of the coagulation cascade.

Methods: Seventy-three patients with untreated metastatic prostate cancer who received hormonal therapy were included in the present study.

Prognostic significance of serum soluble Fas level and its change during regression and progression of advanced prostate cancer.

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum soluble Fas (sFas) and sFas ligand as a prognostic factor and for monitoring the regression and progression of metastatic prostate cancer treated with endocrine therapy, sFas and sFas ligand were measured in sera collected from 30 patients with untreated metastatic prostate cancer. sFas levels were measured sequentially in 16 patients who had progressed to a state of elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and 5 patients who were in regression following endocrine therapy. Serum sFas levels in patients with metastatic prostate cancer were found to be significantly higher than that of control patients with benign prostate hyperplasia.

Clinical significance of expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in patients with prostate cancer.

Background: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) has been reported to overexpress in several types of human cancers and correlate with cancer progression. The present study was performed to evaluate the significance of expression of u-PA on the progression of prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Expression of u-PA protein was investigated immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded section from 61 patients with untreated prostate cancer.

Cell proliferation, apoptosis and prognosis in patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Background: Since tumor growth is determined by an imbalance between cell growth and cell death, we assessed the incidence of cell proliferation and apoptosis in biopsy specimens from patients with metastatic prostate cancer treated with endocrine therapy.

Materials And Methods: In fifty-five patients with untreated metastatic prostate cancer, proliferation and apoptotic indices were determined by detection of Ki-67 immunostaining and the in situ end-labeling technique, respectively. The clinical parameters and prognosis of the patients were evaluated.

Prognostic significance of changes in short-term prostate volume and serum prostate-specific antigen after androgen withdrawal in men with metastatic prostate cancer.

Objective: Endocrine therapy is the standard treatment for metastatic prostate cancer although progression to androgen independence is inevitable. To evaluate prognostic factors in metastatic prostate cancer, patients who had been treated with endocrine therapy were investigated especially for the change in prostate volume.

Methods: Fifty-nine patients with untreated metastatic prostate cancer who received endocrine therapy were included in the present study.

Expression of tissue factor is associated with clinical features and angiogenesis in prostate cancer.

Background: Tissue factor (TF), the main initiator of blood coagulation, is involved in cancer metastasis and progression. We examined the role of TF on prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed using the anti-TF antibody.

Serum pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (31-98) in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic carcinoma.

Objectives: To clarify whether serum levels of pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) (31-98) could be a useful marker in patients with prostatic carcinoma. GRP is produced and secreted by prostatic neuroendocrine cells.

Methods: Serum levels of ProGRP(31-98) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 20 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia and 107 patients with prostatic carcinoma.

Loss of heterozygosity at 7q31.1 and 12p13-12 in advanced prostate cancer.

Background: Allelic losses on chromosome arms 2q, 3p, 5q, 6q, 7q, 8p, 9p, 10p, 10q, 11p, 11q, 12p, 13q, 16q, 17p, 17q, 18q, and 21q are reportedly associated with progression and/or initiation of prostate cancer. In the present study, we performed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of polymorphic microsatellite loci on the human chromosomes 7 and 12p13-12 in prostate cancer tissue to investigate the extent of involvement of these regions, which may contain putative tumor suppressor genes.

Methods: Tissue samples were obtained at autopsy from 17 men who died of hormone-refractory prostate cancer at Chiba University, Japan, and affiliated hospitals between June of 1992 and June of 1995.

Preoperative parameters to predict tumor volume in Japanese patients with nonpalpable prostate cancer.

Background: Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) determination has led to the increased detection of nonpalpable prostate cancer (T1c cancer). Some T1c cancers are small and may pose no threat. To examine the characteristics of patients with T1c cancer in Japan, patients treated with radical prostatectomy were reviewed.

Low serum testosterone level predicts worse response to endocrine therapy in Japanese patients with metastatic prostate cancer.

Patients with prostate cancer generally respond to androgen withdrawal therapy, but progression to androgen-independence is frequently observed later. To examine whether pretreatment serum androgen status could predict disease progression in metastatic prostate cancer, pretreatment serum testosterone, histological grade, extent of bony metastasis, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response to hormone therapy, and prognosis of the 40 patients with untreated metastatic prostate cancer who received endocrine therapy were evaluated. Although there were no differences in age, pretreatment PSA level, extent of bony disease and histological grade between patients with normal testosterone and those with low testosterone, PSA response after endocrine therapy was better in normal testosterone group.

CAG polymorphic repeat lengths in androgen receptor gene among Japanese prostate cancer patients: potential predictor of prognosis after endocrine therapy.

Background: Several investigators have examined the clinical significance of the length of the CAG repeat at the N-terminal region of the androgen receptor in the pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Because the clinical significance of CAG repeat length during the course of prostate cancer in Japanese patients is unknown, the present study analyzed CAG repeat length in relation to several potential clinical factors.

Materials And Methods: A total of 88 Japanese patients with prostate cancer and a control group of 53 patients with benign prostatic disease were enrolled in this study.