[A Case of Stage Ⅳ Pancreatic Head Cancer with Aortic Lymph Node Metastasis Treated with 40 Courses of mFOLFIRINOX Therapy after Surgery and Maintaining PR].

The patient was a male in his 60s who presented with obstructive jaundice and was diagnosed with pancreatic head cancer. He was referred to the Department of Surgery 2 months later due to prolonged jaundice and immediately underwent pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy with the diagnosis of resectable pancreatic cancer. Pathology showed pN1b (14/37), but 16b1 interaorticocaval was 0/1.

Fatal Fungal Aneurysm Rupture Due to Aspergillosis after Craniopharyngioma Removal via Endoscopic Endonasal Surgery: Case Report and Comparison with Seven Reported Patients.

There has been a noted increase in the incidence of intracranial aspergillosis; this is often attributed to the wider use of antibiotics, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants. Fungal cerebral aneurysms due to aspergillosis after neurosurgery remain extremely rare; in fact, only seven cases have been reported in the literature. In this study, we present a patient with an aneurysm that elicited subarachnoid hemorrhage after endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) for craniopharyngioma.

Outcomes of Interferon-free Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection Seven Years after Approval and Problems with Drop out during and after Treatment: A Retrospective, Single-center Study.

Objective This retrospective, single-center study assessed the effects of interferon (IFN)-free treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, which has been approved for seven years; calculated the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after achieving a sustained virologic response (SVR); and elucidated problems with follow-up for surveillance of post-SVR HCC, particularly the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods We summarized the SVR achievement rate of 286 HCV-infected patients who received 301 IFN-free treatments and analyzed the cumulative incidence of initial HCC and the cumulative continuation rate of follow-up after SVR in the 253 patients who achieved SVR and did not have a history of HCC. Results Among 286 patients who received IFN-free treatments, 14 dropped out, and the 272 remaining patients achieved an SVR after receiving up to third-line treatment.

Noninferior oncological outcomes in adults aged 80 years or older compared with younger patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Aim: Radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) is the gold standard treatment for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), but the usefulness of this surgery for older patients is rarely discussed. The prognosis following RNU for patients ≥80 years old remains controversial. We retrospectively investigated the prognosis of UTUC in patients ≥80 years old who underwent RNU.

[Two Cases at Community Pharmacies of Mercaptopurine Removal from a Disk-type Powder-packaging Machine by Wiping It with Water].

"Leukerin powder 10%" containing mercaptopurine (6-MP) is an oral anticancer drug that requires careful handling. As a powder formulation, there are risks of exposure due to scattering during dispensing and possible 6-MP contamination to other drugs due to adhesion to the packaging machine. We previously reported that wiping with an alcohol-containing towel is useful for removing scattered powder after dispensing.

Safety, efficacy, and operability of a newly developed absorbable adhesion barrier (GM142) in patients with primary rectal cancer scheduled for diverting ileostomy during laparoscopic surgery: Randomized controlled trial.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of GM142, a newly developed gelatin film with a concave and convex structure to a commercially available conventional film, hyaluronate-carboxymethylcellulose.

Methods: Patients with primary rectal cancer who were scheduled for diverting ileostomy during laparoscopic surgery were eligible for this study. Patients were randomized before surgery and an antiadhesion film was applied under the umbilical incision.

Frequency of null genotypes of glutathione S-transferase M1 and T1 in Japanese patients with drug-induced liver injury.

Aim: Previous reports suggest that the null genotype (*0/*0) of glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1 and/or GSTT1 could be risk factors for drug-induced liver injury (DILI). However, multi-institutional pharmacogenetic research with various suspected drugs has rarely been performed in Japan. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotype in the occurrence of DILI in Japanese patients.

Physical function and physical activity in hemodialysis patients with peripheral artery disease.

Introduction: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is commonly observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis. PAD impairs the vasculature and leads to pathophysiologic changes in the skeletal muscles, causing physical function impairment and physical inactivity in general. However, it is unclear whether PAD adversely affects physical function and physical activity in patients on hemodialysis.

Pre-Vaccination Anti-Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibody Seroprevalence in Workers at Three Japanese Hospitals.

Background: Antibody testing is essential for accurately estimating the number of people infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to investigate the influence of background factors on seroprevalence by testing for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in blood samples obtained from the staff of three hospitals.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted from June 8 to July 4, 2020, as part of a mandatory health examination.

Impact of salvage cytotoxic chemotherapy on prognosis in patients with recurrence after radical cystectomy: a multi-institutional retrospective study.

Background: In patients experiencing disease recurrence after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer, data about the impact of clinicopathologic factors, including salvage treatment using cytotoxic chemotherapy, on the survival are scarce. We investigated the prognostic value of clinicopathologic factors and the treatment effect of salvage cytotoxic chemotherapy (SC) in such patients.

Methods: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the clinical data for 86 patients who experienced recurrence after RC.

Efficacy and Safety of Acute Phase Intensive Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Frail Older Patients with Acute Heart Failure: Results from the ACTIVE-EMS Trial.

As frailty in older patients with acute heart failure (AHF) has an adverse effect on clinical outcomes, the addition of electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to exercise-based early rehabilitation may improve the effects of treatment. Post hoc analysis was performed on a randomized controlled study for clinical outcomes and prespecified subgroups (ACTIVE-EMS: UMIN000019551). In this trial, 31 AHF patients aged ≥ 75 years with frailty (Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB] score 4-9) were randomized 1:1 to receive treatment with an early rehabilitation program only ( = 16) or early rehabilitation with add-on EMS therapy ( = 15) for 2 weeks.

A multi-institutional retrospective study of open versus laparoscopic nephroureterectomy focused on the intravesical recurrence.

Aim: Intravesical recurrence (IVR) after nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is relatively frequent, occurring in about 30-50% of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of the prognosis and IVR between open and laparoscopic surgery and to elucidate the risk factor of IVR.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 403 patients with UTUC treated with laparoscopic or open nephroureterectomy at six affiliated hospitals between 1990 and 2015.

Patients with Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Previously Treated with Nephroureterectomy Have a High Risk of Recurrence after Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Intravesical Instillation Therapy.

Background: There is a high incidence of intravesical recurrence after transurethral resection of bladder tumor for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is widely used to prevent recurrence and progression. There are two types of NMIBC: primary NMIBC and subsequent NMIBC after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

Prognostic value of postural hypotension in hospitalized patients with heart failure.

Although postural hypotension (PH) is reportedly associated with mortality in the general population, the prognostic value for heart failure is unclear. This was a post-hoc analysis of FRAGILE-HF, a prospective multicenter observational study focusing on frailty in elderly patients with heart failure. Overall, 730 patients aged ≥ 65 years who were hospitalized with heart failure were enrolled.

Effects of Roxadustat on Erythropoietin Production in the Rat Body.

Anemia is a major complication of chronic renal failure. To treat this anemia, prolylhydroxylase domain enzyme (PHD) inhibitors as well as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) have been used. Although PHD inhibitors rapidly stimulate erythropoietin (Epo) production, the precise sites of Epo production following the administration of these drugs have not been identified.

D-dimer levels in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and acute heart failure treated with edoxaban.

Background: D-dimer levels can predict ischemic stroke in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). However, the effects of direct oral anticoagulants on D-dimer levels have not been investigated during admission for AHF in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study examined D-dimer levels immediately after admission and following edoxaban initiation as a sub-analysis of a multi-center study that investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of edoxaban in patients with nonvalvular AF (NVAF) and AHF.

Relationship between Kita-Kyushu Lung Cancer antigen-1 expression and prognosis of cases with lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Previously, we identified the highly immunogenic cancer testicular antigen named Kita-Kyushu Lung Cancer antigen-1 (KK-LC-1). In this study, we analyzed the effect of KK-LC-1 expression on the prognosis of patients with resected squamous cell lung cancer.

Methods: Fifty squamous cell lung cancer patients, who received complete resection, were enrolled in this study.

Inaccurate recognition of own comorbidities is associated with poor prognosis in elderly patients with heart failure.

Aims: A patient's understanding of his or her own comorbidities is part of the recommended patient education for those with heart failure. The accuracy of patients' understanding of their comorbidities and its prognostic impact have not been reported.

Methods And Results: Patients hospitalized for heart failure (n = 1234) aged ≥65 years (mean age: 80.

Changes in Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan across Five Months during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Related Factors.

Although vaccination is a particularly important countermeasure against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), vaccine hesitancy may be a barrier to an effective vaccination program. It is understood that attitude towards vaccines is not a simple binominal decision between hesitancy and acceptance, but a continuum with a wide range of related factors. It is also likely to change depending on the present situation.