Urinary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with prostate cancer as a predictor of disease progression.

Background: The objectives of this study were to investigate the association between urinary levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the progression of prostate cancer, and to evaluate changes in urinary VEGF levels before and after initial treatment.

Materials And Methods: A total of 97 patients with prostate cancer were included in this study. Of these 97, 52 underwent radical prostatectomy and the remaining 45 received hormonal therapy as initial treatment.

Performance assessment of phased-array coil in breast MR imaging.

Purpose: To compare the performance of the phased-array coil (PAC) with that of the single-loop coil (SLC) in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the breast.

Materials And Methods: MR imaging was performed with a 1.5T MR imager.

Clinical outcome of oral uracil/tegafur (UFT) therapy for patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer.

There is no standard therapeutic strategy for advanced hormone refractory prostate cancer after the initial hormonal therapy fails. The objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical outcome of the oral anticancer agent, uracil/tegafur (UFT) for patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer. This study included 68 patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer treated by oral administration of UFT (300-600 mg/day).

[Treatment of small cell lung cancer].

The treatment of choice for limited small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is platinum-based chemotherapy combined with early, concurrent thoracic radiotherapy with a hyperfractionated regimen. The standard chemotherapy for extensive SCLC in Japan is the combination of irinotecan and cisplatin. There are expectations for new and effective molecular-target-based drugs for SCLC.

[Extended segmentectomy for small-sized peripheral CN0 non-small cell lung cancer].

With advances in diagnostic imaging techniques, small-sized lung cancers are now diagnosed much more often. Lobectomy has been the standard surgical procedure even for small lung for decades. Is it necessary to remove uniformly such a large amount of lung tissue for all tiny cancers? Extended segmentectomy as an intentional lesser resection for a peripheral clinical N0 lung cancer tumor 2 cm or less in diameter in patients able to tolerate a lobectomy, in which the resection line of the lung is placed beyond the burdened segment if required for sufficient margins, requires confirmation of surgical N0 disease by intraoperative examination of lymph node frozen sections.

Limited value of perineural invasion in radical prostatectomy specimens as a predictor of biochemical recurrence in Japanese men with clinically localized prostate cancer.

The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of perineural invasion (PNI) in radical prostatectomy specimens could be a useful prognostic parameter in Japanese men with prostate cancer. Between January 1995 and September 2003, 202 Japanese men underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for prostate cancer without any neoadjuvant therapies prior to surgery. We retrospectively analyzed the relationship between PNI in radical prostatectomy specimens and other prognostic factors, and also assessed the significance of PNI in biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease activity remains at the intermediate level in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.

A 59-year-old woman, diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (chronic phase) and treated with interferon-alpha for 13 years, developed renal failure. Renal biopsy showed thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, but intensive therapy including plasma exchange and steroid administration was not effective. The activity of von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease was detectable at the intermediate level (15-46%) during the clinical course, suggesting that this case was not compatible with the previously reported pattern of idiopathic or drug-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, but with the pattern associated with malignant disease or immunological disorders.

Prognostic significance of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein-2 to IGF-binding protein-3 ratio in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Objectives: To analyse the prognostic significance of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) and IGFBP-3 in patients having a radical cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer.

Patients And Methods: Tissue samples of invasive bladder cancer were obtained from 97 patients who had radical cystectomy. The expression of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 mRNAs in these samples was measured by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the findings analysed in relation to clinicopathological factors.

Intussusception of the bladder neck does not promote early restoration to urinary continence after non-nerve-sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Background: The objectives of the present study were to investigate whether buttressing sutures, which prevent the bladder neck from pulling open as the bladder fills, can promote earlier recovery from urinary incontinence after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and to identify possible risk factors associated with urinary incontinence after RRP.

Methods: The present study included 72 patients who underwent non-nerve-sparing RRP without neoadjuvant therapy between January and December 2003. Among these 72 patients, intussusception of the bladder neck was performed in 24 who consented to this procedure.

Prediction of potentially insignificant prostate cancer in men undergoing radical prostatectomy for clinically organ-confined disease.

Background: The objectives of the present study were to characterize, according to tumor significance, the clinicopathological features of patients with prostate cancer who underwent radical prostatectomy, and to determine useful parameters for predicting insignificant disease before surgery.

Methods: In this series, we included 195 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically organ-confined prostate cancer at our institution between January 1999 and November 2003. Several clinicopathological factors were analyzed, focusing on whether the largest tumor volume in radical prostatectomy specimens was >/=0.

Prognostic significance of vascular invasion in patients with bladder cancer who underwent radical cystectomy.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine whether vascular invasion (i.e. lymphatic and blood vessel invasion) could be a useful prognostic predictor in patients with locally invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder who underwent radical cystectomy.

Border between N1 and N2 stations in lung carcinoma: lessons from lymph node metastatic patterns of lower lobe tumors.

Objective: Distinction of lymph node stations is one of the most crucial topics still not entirely resolved by many lung cancer surgeons. The nodes around the junction of the hilum and mediastinum are key points at issue. We examined the spread pattern of lymph node metastases, investigated the prognosis according to the level of the involved nodes, and conclusively analyzed the border between N1 and N2 stations.

Therapeutic efficacy of adenoviral-mediated p53 gene transfer is synergistically enhanced by combined use of antisense oligodeoxynucleotide targeting clusterin gene in a human bladder cancer model.

To establish a more effective therapeutic strategy against advanced bladder cancer, we investigated the effects of combined treatment with antisense (AS) oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) targeting the anti-apoptotic gene clusterin and adenoviral-mediated p53 gene transfer (Ad5CMV-p53) using the human bladder cancer KoTCC-1 model. Clusterin expression in KoTCC-1 cells was highly upregulated by Ad5CMV-p53 treatment; however, AS clusterin ODN treatment further suppressed clusterin expression in KoTCC-1 cells after Ad5CMV-p53 treatment. AS clusterin ODN treatment synergistically enhanced the cytotoxic effect of Ad5CMV-p53, and DNA fragmentation characteristic of apoptosis was observed only after combined treatment with AS clusterin ODN and Ad5CMV-p53, but not after treatment with either agent alone.

Cyclosporin neurotoxicity with Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome.

In September 2000, a 22-year-old female was admitted to our hospital due to high grade fever, liver enzymes elevation and pancytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration was performed, and hemophagocytosis was present. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was positive in her peripheral blood, and we diagnosed the case as EBV-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (EB-VAHS) after excluding other malignancies.

Zoledronic acid significantly reduces skeletal complications compared with placebo in Japanese women with bone metastases from breast cancer: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid for the treatment of bone metastases from breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Women with bone metastases (N = 228) were randomly assigned to receive 4 mg zoledronic acid (n = 114) or placebo (n = 114) via 15-minute infusions every 4 weeks for 1 year. The primary efficacy end point was the skeletal-related event (SRE) rate ratio between treatment groups.

Preoperative prediction of final pathological features is not improved by the free-to-total prostate-specific antigen ratio in Japanese men with clinically localized prostate cancer.

Background: The objective of the present study was to determine whether the percentage of free/total prostate-specific antigen (f/tPSA) in patients scheduled to undergo radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer can preoperatively predict organ-confined versus extraprostatic disease.

Methods: Serum levels of fPSA and tPSA were measured in 97 patients with clinically organ-confined disease before they underwent radical prostatectomy. The relationships of tPSA, f/tPSA and the pathological stage of the prostatectomy specimens were analyzed.

Clinicopathological features of prostate cancer in Japanese men diagnosed on repeat transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy.

Background: The objective of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological features of prostate cancer detected on repeat transrectal ultrasound-guided random biopsy in comparison with those detected on initial biopsy.

Methods: Between January 1999 and March 2004, 132 Japanese men underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy without neoadjuvant therapy at our institution. In 109 patients (group A) prostate cancer was detected on initial biopsy, while in the remaining 23 (group B), it was diagnosed on repeat biopsy.

Prevention of irinotecan-induced diarrhea by oral sodium bicarbonate and influence on pharmacokinetics.

Alkalization of the intestinal tract by oral administration of sodium bicarbonate has been reported to be a promising method for preventing delayed diarrhea, a dose-limiting toxicity in patients receiving chemotherapy with irinotecan hydrochloride. However, it is feared that this method may adversely affect the pharmacokinetics of irinotecan by inhibiting its intestinal absorption and that of its active metabolites. We compared the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of irinotecan with and without oral alkalization in a cross-over study that enrolled 10 colorectal cancer patients.

Prognostic significance of the tumor volume in radical prostatectomy specimens after neoadjuvant hormonal therapy.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to determine whether the tumor volume in radical prostatectomy specimens of patients with prostate cancer who underwent neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT) could be used as a prognostic predictor.

Patients And Methods: In this study, we included 96 patients who underwent NHT followed by radical prostatectomy between January 1995 and July 2003 in our institutions. Several clinicopathological factors of these patients were analyzed, focusing on the association between tumor volume in radical prostatectomy specimens and disease recurrence.

Introduction of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 gene into human bladder cancer cells enhances their metastatic potential.

Overexpression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) has been shown to be associated with tumor progression in several human malignant tumors; however, the significance of IGFBP-2 expression in bladder cancer remains poorly defined. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of IGFBP-2 overexpression in human bladder cancer KoTCC-1 cells on their phenotype associated with tumor progression. We introduced IGFBP-2 cDNA into KoTCC-1 cells, which do not express a detectable level of IGFBP-2 protein, thus generating an IGFBP-2 overexpressing cell line (KoTCC-1/BP2).

Effect of tumor size on prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: the role of segmentectomy as a type of lesser resection.

Objective: As a result of increasing discovery of small-sized lung cancer in clinical practice, tumor size has come to be considered an important variable affecting planning of treatment. Nevertheless, there have been no reports including large numbers of patients and focusing on tumor size, and controversy remains concerning the surgical management of small-sized tumors. Therefore, we investigated the relationships between tumor dimension and clinical and follow-up data, as well as surgical procedure in particular.

Clinicopathological features of recurrence after radical surgery for nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Background: The objective of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological features of recurrent renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in patients who had undergone curative surgical resection of primary disease.

Methods: The study included 171 patients treated by radical surgery for nonmetastatic RCC in our institution. Several clinicopathological factors were analyzed to determine differences between patients with and without disease recurrence.

Prognostic significance of oxidative DNA damage evaluated by 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma.

Objectives: To determine whether the degree of oxidative DNA damage in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can be used as a useful prognostic predictor for patients who undergo radical nephrectomy.

Methods: We measured 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), one of the most commonly used markers for evaluating oxidative stress, in DNA isolated from 72 RCC specimens, as well as adjacent normal kidney tissue using a quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The mean value of 8-OHdG in RCC was significantly greater than that in the adjacent normal tissue.

Global analysis of gene expression profiles in ileum in a rat bladder augmentation model using cDNA microarrays.

Background: The objective of the present study was to globally characterize the changes in the gene expression profile in the ileum after long-term urine exposure in a rat ileal augmented bladder model using cDNA microarrays.

Methods: Bladder augmentation using the ileum was performed in female 8-week-old rats. The ileal epithelia used for bladder augmentation were harvested 1 and 3 months postoperatively and changes in the gene expression in these tissues were compared with that of intact ileal epithelia from sham-operated rats using cDNA microarrays consisting of 1176 rat genes.