Characterization of residual cancer by comparison of a pair of organoids established from a patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery is a standard approach for management of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Patients who do not respond well to NAC have a poor prognosis. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms of chemoresistance in ESCC remain largely unknown.

Association of immune-related expression profile with sensitivity to chemotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery is one of the standard therapeutic approaches in Japan for patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma. Recently, the JCOG1109 study revealed that NAC with docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (DCF-NAC) is superior to NAC with cisplatin and 5-FU, and has now become the standard preoperative chemotherapy. Using a microarray system, we have previously investigated the expression profiles of endoscopic biopsy samples from patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) before DCF-NAC (preNAC) and identified 17 molecules as biomarkers predictive of a pathologically complete response to DCF-NAC.

Patient-Derived Ex Vivo Cultures and Endpoint Assays with Surrogate Biomarkers in Functional Testing for Prediction of Therapeutic Response.

Prediction of therapeutic outcomes is important for cancer patients in order to reduce side effects and improve the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. Currently, the most widely accepted method for predicting the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs is gene panel testing based on next-generation sequencing. However, gene panel testing has several limitations.

Enhanced phosphorylation of c-Jun by cisplatin treatment as a potential predictive biomarker for cisplatin response in combination with patient-derived tumor organoids.

Despite recent advances in sequencing technology and large-scale drug screenings employing hundreds of cell lines, the predictive accuracy of mutation-based biomarkers is still insufficient as a guide for cancer therapy. Therefore, novel types of diagnostic methods using alternative biomarkers would be highly desirable. We have hypothesized that sensitivity-specific changes in the phosphorylation of signaling molecules could be useful in this respect.

Sansoninto-induced Lung Injury.

A man in his 70s visited our department for dyspnea with pulmonary infiltrate that was unresolved by antibiotics. He had been taking Sansoninto for five years and doubled its dose a month ago. After discontinuing Sansoninto without any additional medications, his symptoms gradually disappeared, and pulmonary infiltration improved.

Follow-Up Study of Subdermal Low-Echoic Lesions in the Ischial Region in Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injuries.

Objective: To follow up patients with spinal cord injuries with subdermal low-echoic lesions in the ischial region for abnormalities after 1 year.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A Japanese rehabilitation center.

Positron emission tomography complete metabolic response as a favorable prognostic predictor in esophageal cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil.

Background: F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography is useful in diagnosing lymph node and distant metastases of esophageal cancer. However, its value for predicting survival is controversial.

Aim: To evaluate the value of PET complete metabolic response (CMR) as a prognostic predictor for esophageal cancer.

Association of Self-Reported Medication Adherence with Potentially Inappropriate Medications in Elderly Patients: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

Background: Polypharmacy (PP) and potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) cause problematic drug-related issues in elderly patients; however, little is known about the association between medication adherence and PP and PIMs. This study evaluated the association of self-reported medication adherence with PP and PIMs in elderly patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted using data collected from electronic medical records of 142 self-administering patients aged ≥65 years, excluding emergency hospitalization cases.

Laparoscopic transhiatal surgery for an epiphrenic esophageal diverticulum derived from a jackhammer esophagus: a case report.

Background: An esophageal diverticulum is rare and is frequently associated with esophageal motility disorders. Jackhammer esophagus is also rare, is characterized by esophageal hypercontraction, and comprises 4.1% of esophageal motility disorders.

Relationship between ultrasonographically low-echoic lesions under the skin, wheelchair sitting time, and interface pressure on ischial region in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury.

To determine the relationship between physical findings, wheelchair sitting time, and interface pressure on ischial region in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI). Cross-sectional study. Rehabilitation center in Japan.

Imidafenacin, An Orally Active Muscarinic Receptor Antagonist, Improves Pulmonary Function In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 3×3 Crossover Phase II Trial.

Background: Although long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonists are central to the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), inhaled medicines may have technical difficulty in some patients and adherence barriers.

Methods: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 3×3 crossover Phase II trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral administration of the antimuscarinic agent imidafenacin in patients with COPD. Twenty-seven male COPD patients with % forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV) ≥30% and <80% predicted were randomized to single oral dose of imidafenacin 0.

A 17-molecule set as a predictor of complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil in esophageal cancer.

Background: Recently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (NAC-DCF) was identified as a novel strong regimen with a high rate of pathological complete response (pCR) in advanced esophageal cancer in Japan. Predicting pCR will contribute to the therapeutic strategy and the prevention of surgical invasion. However, a predictor of pCR after NAC-DCF has not yet been developed.

20-Hour preprocedural hydration is not superior to 5-hour preprocedural hydration in the prevention of contrast-induced increases in serum creatinine and cystatin C.

Background: Although intravenous hydration with isotonic saline is the standard therapy for the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), there is still insufficient evidence concerning the optimal timing to initiate preprocedural intravenous hydration with isotonic saline.

Methods: This study prospectively compared the contrast-induced increases in serum creatinine and cystatin C between 5-hour preprocedural intravenous hydration with isotonic saline (5h-HS) and 20-hour preprocedural intravenous hydration with isotonic saline (20 h-HS) in 122 patients with renal insufficiency (estimated glomerular filtration rate of 15-60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) undergoing an elective coronary procedure.

Case report reconstruction of exposed ilium with reverse turnover latissimus dorsi muscle flap.

Objective: It is difficult to cover a large skin and soft tissue defect with exposure of the ilium. We therefore performed a new reconstruction technique, using a reverse latissimus dorsi muscle flap fed by perforating branches of only the 10th intercostal artery.

Methods: A 45-year-old man had a large traumatic defect located on the hip with exposure of the iliac crest.

The appearance of negative U waves in the precordial leads during balloon occlusion of the long posterior descending artery.

This report presents a patient in which balloon occlusion of the posterior descending artery wrapping the apex produced negative U waves in leads V(4-5). This case report demonstrates, for the first time, that negative U waves in the precordial leads can appear by occlusion of the long posterior descending artery.

New ST-segment elevation caused by spontaneous recanalization of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

We report a rare case of a male patient with acute myocardial infarction, in whom spontaneous recanalization of an occlusive lesion in the left anterior descending artery produced new ST-segment elevation in the precordial leads, although the exact mechanism for this phenomenon is unclear.

Percutaneous drainage and continuous irrigation in patients with severe pyogenic spondylitis, abscess formation, and marked bone destruction.

Object: The use of percutaneous suction aspiration has recently become viewed as an effective management strategy for pyogenic spondylitis unresponsive to conservative treatment. What remains unclear is whether it can be effective for severe pyogenic spondylitis in which abscess formation or marked bone destruction is present. The authors undertook a study to clarify answers to this question.

Lumbar spinal disorders in patients with athetoid cerebral palsy: a clinical and biomechanical study.

Study Design: Radiologic study for patients with athetoid cerebral palsy (CP), and a biomechanical study using the finite-element model (FEM).

Objectives: To understand the lumbar disorders of athetoid CP patients and the etiology based on the results from the FEM study.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a well-identified spinal disorder associated with cerebral palsy, especially in athetoid type.

[A case of subfrontal schwannoma].

We encountered a rare case of subfrontal schwannoma. A 55-year-old woman had received resection of a left frontal tumor because of hyposmia, at the age of 28 years. On June 10, 1989, she was admitted with the chief complaint of progressive contraction of visual field.

[Delayed evolution of post-traumatic contralateral extracerebral hematoma after evacuation of initial hematoma].

105 patients over a 5-year period underwent emergency evacuation of traumatic intracranial hematomas. Seven (6.7%) developed delayed contralateral extracerebral hematomas (5 epidural and 2 subdural hematomas).