Microwave ablation single-needle radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of HCC up to 4 cm: A randomized-controlled trial.

Background & Aims: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the standard treatment for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), specifically for tumors <3 cm in size and numbering fewer than three, excluding surgical candidates. Microwave ablation (MWA) is an innovative approach believed to have theoretical benefits over RFA; however, these advantages are yet to be empirically verified. Therefore, we evaluated and compared the effectiveness of MWA and RFA in managing HCC tumors up to 4 cm in size.

Peritoneal Dissemination and Malignant Ascites in Duodenal Cancer Successfully Treated With Adoptive Cell Therapy Using WT1- and MUC1-Pulsed Dendritic Cells and Activated T Cells With No Adverse Effects: A Case Report.

A satisfactory treatment for the dissemination of duodenal cancer has not yet been established. We describe a case of peritoneal dissemination and malignant ascites in duodenal cancer that was successfully treated with adoptive cell therapy with no adverse effects. A 72-year-old Japanese male patient with primary duodenal cancer with distal lymph node metastases received chemotherapy with S-1, an oral pyrimidine fluoridederived agent, and oxaliplatin after gastrojejunal bypass, which resulted in tumor shrinkage; however, peritoneal dissemination developed.

Oral administration of Bifidobacterium longum and Bifidobacterium infantis ameliorates cefcapene pivoxil-induced attenuation of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 antibody action in mice.

Gut bacteria play pivotal roles in the antitumor effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, antimicrobial therapy, often necessary for infections in cancer patients, can reduce the efficacy of ICIs. The potential of probiotics to restore ICI efficacy remains uncertain.

Successful Control of Myasthenic Crisis After the Introduction of Ravulizumab in Myasthenia Gravis: A Case Report.

This case study describes the successful use of ravulizumab in treating a 71-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis experiencing a myasthenic crisis. The patient initially presented with hypernasality and dysphagia; her medical history included untreated, complicated type 1 diabetes. The patient received several treatments approved in Japan for general myasthenia gravis, including immunoadsorption plasmapheresis, tacrolimus, intravenous immunoglobulin, and intravenous methylprednisolone.

Long-Term Outcome Over 15 Years of Prosthesis for Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Arthritis: A Case Series.

This report presents the long-term (over 15 years) results of four Japanese patients who underwent total joint replacement for thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint arthritis. Four patients (mean age 60.5 years) underwent prosthesis replacement for thumb CMC joint arthritis with AVANTA(TM) (Small Bone Innovations, Morrisville, PA, USA) implants between 2001 and 2004, with a mean follow-up of 20 years and seven months.

Coronary Plaque Regression and Fractional Flow Reserve Improvement in a Chronic Coronary Syndrome Case: Early Optimal Medical Therapy and Fractional Flow Reserve-Computed Tomography Follow-Up Strategy.

Optimal medical therapy (OMT) is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone in managing chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), offering a non-invasive alternative to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A 38-year-old male with diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension was treated with early and comprehensive OMT, including statins, ezetimibe, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), pioglitazone, and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors. Insulin was introduced during the acute phase to stabilize glycemic control.

Risk factors for lenvatinib-induced hypertension in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

Aims: Lenvatinib mesylate (LEN) is an orally administered tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LEN therapy for HCC is associated with a high incidence of adverse events, including hypertension (HTN). However, the risk factors associated with LEN therapy remain unclear.

Photon-counting X-ray Computed Tomography Using a Cadmium Telluride Flat Panel Detector with High Spatial Resolutions and Dual-energy Selection.

Introduction: To perform energy-dispersive X-ray imaging, we constructed a photon-counting X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner to perform enhanced K-edge CT.

Methods: X-ray photons penetrating through an object were detected using a cadmium telluride flat panel detector (FPD) with pixel dimensions of 100 × 100 mm, and 720 radiograms from the FPD were sent to the personal computer to reconstruct tomograms. Gadolinium (Gd) K-edge energy is 50.

Cytokine Storms and Anaphylaxis Following COVID-19 mRNA-LNP Vaccination: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches.

Acute adverse reactions to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are a major concern, as autopsy reports indicate that deaths most commonly occur on the same day of or one day following vaccination. These acute reactions may be due to cytokine storms triggered by lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and anaphylaxis induced by polyethene glycol (PEG), both of which are vital constituents of the mRNA-LNP vaccines. Kounis syndrome, in which anaphylaxis triggers acute coronary syndrome (ACS), may also be responsible for these cardiovascular events.

Is seated voiding associated with lower urinary tract symptoms, health conditions, or marital status? Findings by age group from the 2023 Japan Community Health Survey.

Objectives: Seated voiding may be an attempt to obviate voiding dysfunction, improve physical stability during voiding, and prevent messy bathroom contamination. Therefore, we hypothesized that seated voiders had a higher prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), deteriorating health conditions, and a higher marriage rate than standing voiders.

Methods: Of the participants from the 2023 Japan Community Health Survey conducted by the Japanese Continence Society, 2936 men (mean age: 53.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is associated with prolonged relapse free survival in patient with MRI-detected extramural vascular invasion (mrEMVI) positive rectal cancer: A multicenter retrospective cohort study in Japan.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is employed for the local control of locally advanced rectal cancer; however, its prognostic impact is limited and often impairs pelvic organ function. Therefore, careful patient selection is essential. This study aimed to investigate the impact of nCRT on relapse-free survival (RFS) by stratifying patients according to MRI detected circumferential resection margin (mrCRM) or extramural vascular invasion (mrEMVI), as the ability of MRI findings to identify patients who will have beneficial outcomes from nCRT is uncertain.

Impact of urinary catheters including reusable catheters on quality of life and work productivity in persons with spinal cord lesion.

While preventing renal damage and symptomatic urinary tract infection are of paramount importance to persons with a spinal cord lesion (SCL), patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are receiving much more attention than ever before. We performed a cross-sectional internet survey of 282 adult members of SCL patient advocacy groups and investigated, for the first time, the impact of different types of urinary catheter, including a Japanese reusable silicone catheter and a reusable intermittent balloon catheter, on PROs of persons with SCL. Intermittent self-catheterization (ISC) did not surpass continuous indwelling catheterization in terms of a disease-specific urinary quality of life.