Impact of thoracic radiotherapy timing in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: usefulness of the individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Chemotherapy (CT) combined with radiotherapy is the standard treatment of 'limited-stage' small-cell lung cancer. However, controversy persists over the optimal timing of thoracic radiotherapy and CT.

Materials And Methods: We carried out a meta-analysis of individual patient data in randomized trials comparing earlier versus later radiotherapy, or shorter versus longer radiotherapy duration, as defined in each trial.

The impact of nitrous oxide on electroencephalographic bicoherence during isoflurane anesthesia.

Background: We previously reported that electroencephalographic (EEG) bicoherence, the degree of phase coupling among the frequency components of a signal, showed 2 peaks during isoflurane anesthesia. Hayashi et al. (Br J Anaesth 2007;99:389-95) also revealed that the peak frequency of bicoherence around 10 Hz increased when ketamine was added.

Phase II study of amrubicin in previously untreated patients with extensive-disease small cell lung cancer: West Japan Thoracic Oncology Group (WJTOG) study.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of amrubicin, (+)-(7S, 9S)-9-acetyl-9-amino-7-[(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentopyranosyl )oxy]-7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-6,11-dihydroxy-5,12-naphthacenedione hydrochloride, in previously untreated patients with extensive-disease small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

Patients And Methods: A total of 35 previously untreated patients with extensive-disease SCLC were entered into the study. Amrubicin was given by daily intravenous infusion at 45 mg/m(2)/day for 3 consecutive days, every 3 weeks.

[The influence of ageing and seasons on infantile eczema - a population-based cohort study of babies aged 4 months and 10 months].

Background: This is probably the first report of a population study on infantile eczema performed for 12 months at two ages of 4 months and 10 months on the same infant group.

Methods: The Fujiidera Health Center services the health needs of 181,994 inhabitants of Habikino and Fujiidera cities. Between September 1990 and August 1991,1775 newborns were called for a health check-up performed twice a months when they reached 4 months of age.

Association between genetic variation in the gene for death-associated protein-3 (DAP3) and adult asthma.

Lung epithelium plays a central role in modulation of the lung inflammatory response, and lung repair and airway epithelial cells are targets in asthma and viral infection. Activated T lymphocytes release cytokines such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) that induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, of damaged epithelial cells. Death-associated protein-3 (DAP3) is involved in mediating IFN-gamma-induced cell death.

Unusually low bispectral index values during emergence from anesthesia.

Unlabelled: We observed unusually low BIS values during emergence from anesthesia apparently caused by misanalysis (as "suppression") of low voltage electroencephalogram.

Implications: When BIS values do not adequately correspond with clinical status, it is necessary to check raw electroencephalogram waveforms to more clearly characterize patient status.

[Clinical study of weekly paclitaxel administration for metastatic breast cancer based on time to progression (TTP) and survival].

We studied 13 women aged 29-62 years for response to weekly administration of paclitaxel for metastatic breast cancer. Paclitaxel was administered by 1-hour intravenous infusion at a dose of 60-80 mg/m2 once a week. Administration was continued for 3 weeks with a 1-week rest for at least 3 cycles.

[Clinical study of weekly administration of paclitaxel for advanced and metastatic gastric cancer].

Ten cases of advanced and metastatic gastric cancer treated by weekly administration of paclitaxel were studied. The patients were 50-72 years of age, including 9 men and 1 woman. In this study, paclitaxel was administered by 1 hour intravenous infusion at a dose of 50-80 mg/m2 every week.

Poor prognosis after lung resection for patients with adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung.

Background: We evaluated the prognosis of adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung after lung resection in comparison with other types of carcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who underwent lung resection for lung cancer.

Results: Surgical outcomes for 30 patients with adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung, who were treated between 1976 and 1998, were compared with the surgical results for 1,219 patients similarly treated for adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma during the same period.

[Molecular epidemiologic study of tuberculosis--a study on isolates of M. tuberculosis in southern half of Osaka Prefecture].

Restriction fragment length polymorphism, RFLP or DNA fingerprinting technique provides a very useful tool for the study of epidemiology of tuberculosis transmission in human. We performed RFLP analysis with the IS6110 insertion sequence of the organisms isolated from culture-positive patients who visited our Hospital during the period from January to December 2001. Our Hospital covers patients living in southern half of Osaka Prefecture including a part of Osaka City, which is the highest TB prevalence area in Japan.

Infrared transmission of electronic information via LAN in the operating room.

Recent advances in technology have brought many kinds of monitoring devices into the operating room (OR). The information gathered by monitors can be channeled to the operating ward information system via a local area network (LAN). Connecting patients to monitors and monitors to the LAN, however, requires a large number of cables.

Changes of electroencephalographic bicoherence during isoflurane anesthesia combined with epidural anesthesia.

Background: The authors previously reported that, during isoflurane anesthesia, electroencephalographic bicoherence values changed in a fairly restricted region of frequency versus frequency space. The aim of the current study was to clarify the relation between electroencephalographic bicoherence and the isoflurane concentration.

Methods: Thirty elective abdominal surgery patients (male and female, aged 34-77 yr, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I-II) were enrolled.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic bullectomy for spontaneous pneumothorax in a Swyer-James syndrome patient.

We treated a 15-year-old patient with spontaneous pneumothorax associated with Swyer-James syndrome using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Thoracic computed tomography showed hyperlucent areas in the bilateral lungs. Due to major air leakage continuing for a week, we conducted VATS bullectomy.

[A case of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension based on essential thrombocythemia].

We report a case of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension based on essential thrombocythemia. A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with dyspnea. The hematologic workup revealed a platelet count of 99.

Inhomogeneity correction in radiotherapy for lung cancer in multicenter clinical trials.

Purpose: Dose distribution in patients in past multicenter clinical trials was reviewed from the perspective of clinicians to evaluate the quality of treatment and to improve the quality of future clinical trials.

Materials And Methods: Thirty patients with stage III lung cancer, who had undergone radical radiation therapy in multicenter clinical trials were retrospectively reviewed. A two-dimensional treatment planning system using Clarkson integration was used to calculate correction factors at the primary lesions and at the mediastinal lymph nodes.

[A case of multiple skin metastases from gastric cancer successfully treated with docetaxel combined with doxifluridine].

The results of treatment of gastric cancer with docetaxel have scarcely been reported. Combination chemotherapy of docetaxel and doxifluridine was administered to five patients with recurrent or unresectable gastric cancer in the authors' department, and the overall response rate was 40%. Among them, we report here a case of multiple skin metastases successfully treated with this chemotherapy.

[A study of INH 0.1 microgram/ml resistant M. tuberculosis strains assessed by BrothMIC MTB-1 method].

In the antimycobacterial susceptibility test for INH using the egg-based Ogawa media, 3 concentrations (0.1, 1, or 5 micrograms/ml) of INH were used, and 1 microgram/ml was used as a critical concentration for INH resistance. However, it was controversial whether INH 0.

Phase III study of concurrent versus sequential thoracic radiotherapy in combination with cisplatin and etoposide for limited-stage small-cell lung cancer: results of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study 9104.

Purpose: To evaluate the optimal timing for thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) in limited-stage small-cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC), the Lung Cancer Study Group of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group conducted a phase III study in which patients were randomized to sequential TRT or concurrent TRT.

Patients And Methods: We treated 231 patients with LS-SCLC. TRT consisted of 45 Gy over 3 weeks (1.

Steroid therapy without primary dose escalation for postthymectomy crisis in 2 thymomatous myasthenia gravis patients.

We report 2 cases of thymomatous myasthenia gravis associated with postoperative crisis and medicated with steroid therapy using prednisolone without primary dose escalation. Two women, a 38 years old and the other 64 years old, underwent extended thymectomy under the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis associated with invasive thymoma. Bulbar symptoms in both were severe despite preoperative anticholinesterase medication.

A new technique for two-trocar laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: New techniques for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) that reduce the number of trocars or use very thin instruments have been devised with the goal of further minimizing surgical invasiveness.

Methods: We performed two-trocar LC using an original new technique in 70 consecutive patients. A 10-mm trocar and a 5-mm trocar were inserted in the subumbilical and epigastrium positions, respectively.