The Efficacy of FOLFIRI Plus Ramucirumab in Recurrent Colorectal Cancer Refractory to Adjuvant Chemotherapy with Oxaliplatin/Fluoropyrimidine-Including Biomarker Analyses.

Background: FOLFIRI (5-FU + leucovorin + irinotecan) plus ramucirumab is one of the standards in second-line metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients progressing after treatment with oxaliplatin/fluoropyrimidine with bevacizumab, but there is no evidence on its efficacy without prior bevacizumab. Moreover, VEGF-D has not been confirmed as a predictive biomarker for ramucirumab's efficacy, either.

Methods: The RAINCLOUD study was a multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial conducted in Japan.

Histopathologic Comparison Among Drug Eruptions Induced by Enfortumab Vedotin, Brentuximab Vedotin, and Taxanes.

Microtubule-stabilizing agents (enfortumab vedotin and brentuximab vedotin) and microtubule-disrupting agents (docetaxel and paclitaxel) are used as anticancer agents but can also induce drug eruptions. Recently, mitotic arrest figures have been reported in various non-neoplastic cells as the histopathologic side effect of these drug eruptions. Therefore, we performed a comparative analysis of drug eruptions associated with these microtubule-targeting agents.

Prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio in uterine carcinosarcoma.

Introduction: Uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) and uterine sarcomas (US) are rare but aggressive cancer with poor prognoses. The prognostic value of systemic inflammatory response (SIR) indicators, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), in predicting outcomes of UCS and US remains unclear. This study investigated the prognostic significance of SIR indicators for UCS and US.

Assessment of heterogeneity according to hospital or medical experience factors in outcomes of chemotherapy for advanced biliary tract cancer: a post-hoc analysis of JCOG1113.

Background: JCOG1113 is a randomized phase III trial that showed non-inferiority of gemcitabine plus S-1 to gemcitabine plus cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. Assessment of inter-institutional heterogeneity in chemotherapy contributes to confirm generalizability and reliability of the study itself. However, there have been no studies conducted to assess the heterogeneity among participating centers in randomized phase III trials for biliary tract cancer.

Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced people with HIV: 12-month virologic effectiveness and safety outcomes in the BICSTaR Japan cohort.

BICSTaR (BICtegravir Single Tablet Regimen) is an ongoing, observational cohort study assessing the virologic effectiveness and safety of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in treatment-experienced (TE) and treatment-naïve (TN) people with HIV across 14 countries over 24 months. We present 12-month outcomes from participants in the BICSTaR Japan cohort. Retrospective and prospective data were pooled from people with HIV aged ≥20 years receiving B/F/TAF within routine clinical care in Japan.

Minimally invasive surgery versus open gastrectomy for older patients with gastric cancer: A propensity score-matching analysis.

Aim: To compare minimally invasive and open surgery for older patients with gastric cancer.

Methods: This study included 464 consecutive patients with gastric cancer aged ≥75 years who underwent open or laparoscopic gastrectomy at our institution from January 2004 to December 2018. We performed propensity score-matching and compared short- and long-term outcomes between the two groups.

Effectiveness of tacrolimus therapy in refractory ulcerative colitis compared to infliximab with propensity score matching.

There is insufficient evidence comparing the outcomes of tacrolimus-based remission induction therapy with infliximab in refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) and evidence regarding optimal strategies after tacrolimus-based remission induction therapy. We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study of patients with UC treated with tacrolimus or infliximab between January 2010 and March 2019. The proportion of clinical remission at week 8 and cumulative colectomy-free rate were examined using propensity score matching analysis.

HINODE study: haemophilia A in infancy and newborns - protocol for a prospective, multicentre, observational study evaluating the coagulation potential and safety of emicizumab prophylaxis.

Introduction: Emicizumab prophylaxis is approved for people of all ages with haemophilia A (HA) including infants and children. Although previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy and tolerability of emicizumab in infants with HA, real-world data on emicizumab use in infants are limited. The Haemophilia A in Infancy and NewbOrns: multi-instituional prospective observational study to assess the efficacy anD safety of Emicizumab (HINODE) study aims to evaluate the coagulation potential and safety of emicizumab prophylaxis in infants with congenital HA from birth to <12 months of age.

Fatal Spitz Melanoma With MAD1L1::BRAF Fusion: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Spitz melanoma is extremely rare, and only a few cases of distant metastases have been reported. Herein, we describe a case of Spitz melanoma with multiple distant metastases. A 37-year-old woman presented with a 5.

The effect of time to neurosurgical or neuroradiological intervention therapy on outcomes and quality of care after traumatic brain injury, a registry-based observational study.

Background: Evidence regarding the effect of time to neurosurgical and neuroradiological intervention on outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI) across Asia-Pacific region is limited. This study evaluates the quality of care and outcomes for TBI patients undergoing neurosurgical and neuroradiological procedures at different timings.

Methods: Adult TBI patients who received any neurosurgical or neuroradiological interventions during the year 2015-2022 in the Pan-Asian Trauma Outcome Study database were analyzed.

Outcomes of Surgical Resection of Primary Lung Cancer After Pancreatic Cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the therapeutic significance of lung resection for primary lung cancer after pancreatic cancer surgery in contemporary cases.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who had lung nodules and performed pulmonary resection after pancreatic cancer surgery at seven hospitals affiliated with the Thoracic Surgery Study Group of Osaka University between January 2009 and December 2021. Patients in which surgery was performed for biopsy purposes, those with a history of other cancers with potential for lung metastasis, patients who did not give their consent for enrollment, and patients determined to be ineligible by the attending physician were excluded from the study.

An open-label, randomized, controlled trial on the benefit of β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate, l-arginine, l-glutamine combination beverages and locomotion training as supportive care for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma using lenvatinib: A pilot study (HELLO study).

Introduction: Hand-foot-skin reaction (HFSR) is the most common side effect of multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Sarcopenia has been reported to be a poor prognostic factor for HCC. Here, we performed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the efficacy of a β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate/l-arginine/l-glutamine (HMB/Arg/Gln) beverage and locomotion training as supportive care in the treatment of uHCC with lenvatinib.

Tenderness over the Pes anserinus and Gerdy's tubercle before and after total knee arthroplasty.

Objectives: Several patients experience chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), with the source of postoperative pain attributed to intra- and extra-articular factors. This study focused on the proximal tibia with either the Pes anserinus (PA) or around Gerdy's tubercle (GT) as the most common site of extra-articular pain.

Methods: This prospective study included 270 patients (360 knees) with advanced varus osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee scheduled for primary TKA and the patient population comprised 289 women and 71 men with a mean age of 74.

Selection of anti-cytokine biologics by pretreatment levels of serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) can monitor disease activities during biologics treatment in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is unclear whether the pretreatment serum LRG level can predict clinical effectiveness including serum trough levels of ustekinumab in patients with IBD. This multicenter prospective cohort study included 184 patients (Crohn's disease, 104; ulcerative colitis, 80) who received ustekinumab (n = 119) or anti-tumor necrosis factor (n = 65) between January 2019 and March 2023.

Validity of High-Dose-Rate Interstitial Brachytherapy as Monotherapy for Mobile Tongue Cancer in Terms of the Acute Mucosal Reaction.

Background: The present study investigated the acute mucosal reaction (AMR) after high-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy at 54 Gy/9 fractions (HDR54) as monotherapy administered twice a day for tongue cancer in 13 patients, and attempted to validate HDR54 by comparing the AMR with that of our previously reported HDR at 60 Gy/10 fractions (HDR60), and low-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy at approximately 70 Gy (LDR70).

Methods: The European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer/ Radiation Therapy Oncology Group scoring system with modifications (score: 1-4.5) was used to evaluate AMR.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Cilostazol Addition for In-Stent Restenosis After Carotid Artery Stenting.

Background: Restenosis after carotid artery stenting (CAS) is associated with the risk of developing ischemic stroke. We aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of cilostazol addition on in-stent restenosis (ISR) in patients treated with CAS.

Methods: In a randomized, open-label, blind-end point trial, patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and scheduled for CAS were randomly assigned to adding cilostazol (50 or 100 mg, twice per day) on other antiplatelets from 3 days before CAS or not adding cilostazol.

Detrimental Effect of Acute Hyperglycemia on the Outcomes of Large Ischemic Region Stroke.

Background: Although endovascular therapy (EVT) is effective for large ischemic region strokes, the impact of hyperglycemia remains unclear.

Methods And Results: We analyzed data from the RESCUE-Japan LIMIT (Recovery by Endovascular Salvage for Cerebral Ultra-Acute Embolism-Japan Large Ischemic Core) trial, which randomized stroke patients with Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score of 3 to 5 to EVT versus medical management. Outcomes were compared among patients with normoglycemia (<140 mg/dL), moderate hyperglycemia (≥140, <180 mg/dL), and severe hyperglycemia (≥180 mg/dL) on admission.

International practice patterns and perspectives on endovascular therapy for the treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis.

Background: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) accounts for 0.5-1% of all strokes. The role of endovascular therapy (EVT) in the management of CVT remains controversial and variations in practice patterns are not well known.