Phase II Trial of Atezolizumab As First-Line or Subsequent Therapy for Patients With Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Selected Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (BIRCH).

Purpose BIRCH was designed to examine the efficacy of atezolizumab, a humanized anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibody, in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) across lines of therapy. Patients were selected on the basis of PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TC) or tumor-infiltrating immune cells (IC). Patients and Methods Eligible patients had advanced-stage NSCLC, no CNS metastases, and zero to two or more lines of prior chemotherapy.

Perioperative allogenic blood transfusion is a poor prognostic factor after hepatocellular carcinoma surgery: a multi-center analysis.

Purpose: The influence of allogenic blood transfusion on the postoperative outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surgery remains controversial. This study aims to clarify the clinical impacts of perioperative allogenic blood transfusion on liver resection outcome in HCC patients.

Methods: We analyzed data collected over 5 years for 642 patients who underwent hepatectomy for HCC at one of the five university hospitals.

Multicenter Retrospective Study of the Risk Factors of Hemorrhage After Tooth Extraction in Patients Receiving Antiplatelet Therapy.

Purpose: To identify the risk factors affecting hemorrhage after tooth extraction in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy, this study investigated the relation between various factors and hemorrhage events after tooth extraction.

Patients And Methods: The records of 264 patients receiving antiplatelet therapy who underwent tooth extraction were retrospectively reviewed from 6 institutions belonging to the Japanese Study Group of Cooperative Dentistry with Medicine. Demographic information, hemorrhage events after tooth extraction, the presence or absence of comorbidities, antiplatelet agent, the use of preoperative antibiotics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, number of teeth extracted, serum creatinine level, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and alanine transaminase level were assessed.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with everolimus: A case report.

Everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, has recently been approved for the treatment of metastatic estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, at a daily dose of 10 mg in combination with exemestane. Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is a rare but severe condition, characterized by exposed necrotic bone, and is associated with various drugs that are often used to treat advanced malignancies. We herein report the case of a patient with breast cancer who developed ONJ during treatment with everolimus, which improved after discontinuation of the drug.

PD-L1 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a poor prognostic factor in patients with high CD8 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes: highly sensitive detection using phosphor-integrated dot staining.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has an extremely poor prognosis. For the development of more effective immunotherapies, it is first necessary to elucidate the immunological escape mechanisms. In this study, we applied our recently developed highly sensitive immunostaining method employing fluorescent phosphor-integrated dot (PID) nanoparticles to evaluate the prevalence of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in patients with PDAC.

Salvage therapy for children with relapsed or refractory Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Background: In the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) era, outcomes after salvage therapy for relapsed or refractory Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remain unclear.

Procedure: The clinical courses of 19 patients with relapse (n = 13) or induction failure (n = 6) in the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group Ph+ ALL04 study were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: Fifteen male and four female patients had a median age of 8 (range 4-15) years at relapse or induction failure.

Genome-wide methylation profiles in primary intracranial germ cell tumors indicate a primordial germ cell origin for germinomas.

Intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCTs) are the second most common brain tumors among children under 14 in Japan. The World Health Organization classification recognizes several subtypes of iGCTs, which are conventionally subclassified into pure germinoma or non-germinomatous GCTs. Recent exhaustive genomic studies showed that mutations of the genes involved in the MAPK and/or PI3K pathways are common in iGCTs; however, the mechanisms of how different subtypes develop, often as a mixed-GCT, are unknown.

Surgical Outcomes for the Ruptured Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Multicenter Analysis with a Case-Controlled Study.

Background: While spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis, the true impact of a rupture on survival after hepatic resection is unclear.

Methods: Fifty-eight patients with ruptured HCC and 1922 with non-ruptured HCC underwent hepatic resection between 2000 and 2013. To correct the difference in the clinicopathological factors between the two groups, propensity score matching (PSM) was used at a 1:1 ratio, resulting in a comparison of 42 patients/group.

Limited Impact of Setup and Range Uncertainties, Breathing Motion, and Interplay Effects in Robustly Optimized Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy for Stage III Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of setup and range uncertainties, breathing motion, and interplay effects using scanning pencil beams in robustly optimized intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods And Materials: Three-field IMPT plans were created using a minimax robust optimization technique for 10 NSCLC patients. The plans accounted for 5- or 7-mm setup errors with ±3% range uncertainties.

[A Case of Traumatic Dislocation of the Penis].

We report a rare case of a traumatic dislocation of the penis. The patient was a 39-year-old man who was ambulanced to our hospital because of a motorbike accident. He was diagnosed to have a pelvic fracture.

Clinicopathological, Immunohistochemical, and Genetic Features of Primary Lung Adenocarcinoma Occurring in the Setting of Usual Interstitial Pneumonia Pattern.

Introduction: An association between usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) and carcinogenesis has been well established. However, few detailed analyses have investigated the clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, and genetic features of patients with primary lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) with UIP (UIP-ADC).

Methods: We identified 44 patients with ADC in the setting of UIP (the UIP-ADC group) (1.

Questionnaire survey on work motivations of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary pancreatic surgeons enrolled in a Japanese national interdisciplinary program.

Background: Among young residents, there seems to be a decreasing desire to become surgeons, resulting in a decrease in the number of surgeons. There is concern regarding a shortage of hepatobiliary pancreatic (HBP) surgery residents in Japan. A questionnaire survey was designed to assess the work motivations of Japanese gastrointestinal (GI) and HBP surgeons.

ctDNA Determination of EGFR Mutation Status in European and Japanese Patients with Advanced NSCLC: The ASSESS Study.

Introduction: To offer patients with EGFR mutation-positive advanced NSCLC appropriate EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment, mutation testing of tumor samples is required. However, tissue/cytologic samples are not always available or evaluable. The large, noninterventional diagnostic ASSESS study (NCT01785888) evaluated the utility of circulating free tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA) from plasma for EGFR mutation testing.

Nephrogenic adenoma in elderly patients: Three case reports.

Nephrogenic adenoma (NA), referred to as nephrogenic metaplasia, is a rare benign lesion of the urinary tract. NA is histologically characterized by tubular and papillary formations lined by low cuboidal to columnar epithelial cells. NA is also immunohistochemically characterized by positivity for paired box (PAX) 2, PAX8 and cytokeratin 7, and negative for p63 and prostate-specific antigen.

Staple-Line Reinforcement of the Duodenal Stump With Intracorporeal Lembert's Sutures in Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy With Roux-en-Y Reconstruction for Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: We report a duodenal stump reinforcement procedure in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 223 patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction for gastric cancer. We compared 2 groups: group NR (not reinforced, n=102, June 2009 to December 2011) when we did not perform reinforcement of the duodenal stump, and group R (reinforced, n=121, January 2012 to July 2014) when we did the reinforcement.

Increased FGF19 copy number is frequently detected in hepatocellular carcinoma with a complete response after sorafenib treatment.

The multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib is clinically approved for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We previously reported that fibroblast growth factor 3 and 4 (FGF3/FGF4) amplification is a predictor of a response to sorafenib. This study aims to analyze the relationship between FGF-FGF receptor (FGFR) genetic alterations and the response to sorafenib.

Influence of hospital type on survival in stage IV colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Hospital factors along with various patient and surgeon factors are considered to affect the prognosis of colorectal cancer. Hospital volume is well known, but little is known regarding other hospital factors.

Methods: We reviewed data on 853 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer who underwent elective palliative primary tumor resection between January 2006 and December 2007.

Case of Primary Intraocular Lymphoma with Extraocular Extension.

Purpose: To describe a case of primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) with an extension through the sclera that was confirmed to be part of the PIOL by histopathological examinations.

Case: An 89-year-old woman was referred to a local clinic with a 1-year history of persistent blurred vision in her left eye. After 2 years without aggressive treatments, she had a marked reduction of vision and pain in her left eye.

Effects of implementing an "enhanced recovery after surgery" program on patients undergoing resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of implementing an "enhanced recovery after surgery" (ERAS) program on the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of extensive and potentially curative liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We compared clinicopathologic factors, surgical factors, and outcomes of patients who underwent extended hepatectomy (defined as resection of more than two sections) for HCC, before and after the introduction of an ERAS program.

Results: Operating times and postoperative hospital stay were significantly shorter, and total volume infused during surgery was significantly lower, for the ERAS group than for the control group.

Importance of Lean Muscle Maintenance to Improve Insulin Resistance by Body Weight Reduction in Female Patients with Obesity.

Background: It has recently been suggested that skeletal muscle has an important role in insulin resistance in obesity, in addition to exercise tolerance and the fat index. The aim of this study was to identify body composition factors that contribute to improvement of insulin resistance in female patients with obesity who reduce body weight.

Methods: We studied 92 female obese patients (age 40.