Are there differences in the characteristics of patients who respond to gemcitabine plus cisplatin chemotherapy and those who respond to pembrolizumab therapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma? Multicenter retrospective study.

Objectives: To evaluate factors to predict overall survival of metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients treated with gemcitabine plus cisplatin chemotherapy or pembrolizumab therapy.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated two metastatic urothelial carcinoma cohorts treated with (i) gemcitabine plus cisplatin or (ii) pembrolizumab. The gemcitabine plus cisplatin cohort was treated from December 2005 through December 2014 while the pembrolizumab cohort was treated from January 2018 through December 2020.

Therapeutic options to reduce intravesical recurrence in newly diagnosed Ta high-grade bladder cancer according to risk stratification: A multicenter retrospective study.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk factors for intravesical recurrence in patients with newly diagnosed Ta high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and the optimal management to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated Ta high-grade bladder cancer in patients who were newly diagnosed by transurethral resection from January 2007 through October 2018. Using multivariate analyses, we evaluated the risk factors and therapeutic options affecting intravesical recurrence and stratified the patients according to the risk numbers.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: multicenter retrospective study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent neoadjuvant GC therapy followed by radical cystectomy from April 2009 through December 2015 in the Sapporo Medical University Urologic Consortium. The efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) was assessed based on the pathological T0 (pT0) rate in radical cystectomy specimens, and the recurrence-free survival, cause-specific survival and overall survival (OS) rates.

Evaluation of Urinary DNA Methylation as a Marker for Recurrent Bladder Cancer: A 2-Center Prospective Study.

Objective: To clarify the clinical utility of urinary DNA methylation for detection of intravesical recurrence of non-muscle invasive BCa (NMIBC), we performed a 2-center prospective study.

Patients And Methods: A series of 207 self-voided urine samples were prospectively collected from 132 patients with NMIBC who had undergone transurethral resection of BCa. Methylation of miRNA genes (miR-9-3, miR-124-2, miR-124-3, and miR-137) was analyzed using bisulfite pyrosequencing.

Significance of intraprostatic architecture and regrowth velocity for considering discontinuation of dutasteride after combination therapy with an alpha blocker: a prospective, pilot study.

Purpose: We conducted a prospective single-center study to evaluate the possibility of discontinuation of dutasteride after combination therapy with an alpha blocker for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Materials And Methods: We prospectively treated BPH patients with an alpha blocker and dutasteride (0.5 mg/d).

Computed tomography-based centrilobular emphysema subtypes relate with pulmonary function.

Introduction: Centrilobular emphysema (CLE) is recognized as low attenuation areas (LAA) with centrilobular pattern on high-resolution computed tomography (CT). However, several shapes of LAA are observed. Our preliminary study showed three types of LAA in CLE by CT-pathologic correlations.

Classification of Centrilobular Emphysema Based on CT-Pathologic Correlations.

Introduction: Centrilobular emphysema (CLE) is recognized as low attenuation areas (LAA) with centrilobular distribution on high-resolution computed tomography. The LAA often exhibit a variety of shape or sharpness of border. This study was performed to elucidate the relationship between morphological features of LAA and pathological findings in CLE.

[Two cases of breast cancer responding to primary systemic chemotherapy containing trastuzumab without surgery].

The first case was a 40-year-old woman who was referred to our hospital with a complaint of left breast tumor. She was diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma (T2N0M0, Stage IIA). The tumor was ER-negative, PR-negative and HER2-positive.

[A case of premenopausal stage IV breast cancer responding to neoadjuvant endocrine therapy after chemotherapy with FEC].

A 33-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a complaint of left breast tumor. After examinations, she was diagnosed as invasive ductal carcinoma with sternum metastasis (T2N0M1(OSS), Stage IV). The tumor was hormone receptor- positive and HER2-negative.

[Successful treatment by voriconazole for pulmonary aspergilloma of elderly patient].

A 75-year-old man was admitted with bloody sputum. His chest radiogram and CT revealed a fungus ball within a cavity lesion of the right upper lung field. Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

A surgical approach to severe congestive heart failure--overlapping ventriculoplasty.

Background: Previously we developed a new procedure of overlapping cardiac volume reduction (OLCVR) surgery for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy refractory to medical treatment. Papillary muscle plication (PMP) when combined with OLCVR may achieve a better clinical outcome.

Purpose: To investigate the early and intermediate results of OLCVR with or without PMP.

A case of mitral valve replacement with a collar-reinforced prosthetic valve for heavily calcified mitral annulus.

Mitral valve replacement in the presence of extensive calcification of the mitral annulus is a technical challenge. Dense calcification of the annulus can cause a great difficulty in the insertion of a prosthetic valve and later periprosthetic leakage. A radical calcium debridement may cause left circumflex coronary artery injury, atrioventricular rupture, and thromboembolic events.

[Overlapping ventriculoplasty for ischemic cardiomyopathy].

We have previously reported overlapping cardiac volume reduction operation (OLCVR) for dilated cardiomyopathy. Because of the acceptable clinical outcome and especially the excellent ellipsoidal shape of the left ventricle (LV) after surgery, we extended this indication for ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) with dilated LV. In such cases we combined OLCVR with mitral annuloplasty and papillary muscles approximation (PMA), called integrated overlapping ventriculoplasty (IOLVP).

A new device for ensuring the correct length of artificial chordae in mitral valvuloplasty.

Mitral valvuloplasty using Gore-Tex as artificial chordae, especially for patients with anterior leaflet prolapse, is often associated with difficulties in determining the length of artificial chordae as well as in preventing knot slipping. We describe a simple technique of using a new device that enables surgeons to easily determine the accurate length of the artificial chordae and to tie the slippery knot without sliding and damaging it.

[Ischemic cardiomyopathy treated with overlapping ventriculoplasty].

A 58-year-old man was admitted due to congestive heart failure. Left ventriculography showed end-diastolic volume index (EDVI) of 172 ml/m2 and ejection fraction (EF) of 16%. Coronary angiography showed severe double vessel disease (the left anterior descending artery and the right coronary artery).

Reflux in the left ovarian vein: analysis of MDCT findings in asymptomatic women.

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the CT features of ovarian vein reflux in asymptomatic women and to determine the possible cause of the reflux.

Materials And Methods: One hundred ten multiparous or uniparous and 41 nulliparous asymptomatic women were examined on MDCT. Degree, pathway, and associated findings of ovarian vein reflux were evaluated.

[Aberrant subclavian artery].

Aberrant subclavian artery (ASA) is the most frequently encountered congenital anomaly of aortic arch. The ASA aneurysms are rare but potentially lethal disease, it has been recognized that the presence of an aneurysm of an ASA itself is an indication for surgery. We experienced 4 cases with ASA during the past 23 years.

Combined cox maze procedure, septal myectomy, and mitral valve replacement for severe hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy complicated by chronic atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been reported to be an important prognostic indicator for clinical deterioration particularly in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). A 66-year-old female complained of severe exertional dyspnea and tachycardia, which were resistant to medical treatments. Doppler echocardiography demonstrated a peak left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient of 117 mmHg at rest.

[Surgical treatment to an old patient with right coronary artery aneurysm; report of a case].

The patient was 75-year-old woman. The patient was referred to our hospital for operation due to a developing right coronary artery aneurysm. The coronary artery angiography showed that the aneurysm was 3 cm in diameter which had not existed two years previously, and with a 75% distal stenosis.