Contemporary management of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Victoria: implications for longer term outcomes and costs.

Objective: To describe the contemporary patterns of care for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) using a whole of population series from Victoria.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective review of medical records of all patients diagnosed and treated for RCC in Victoria in 2009. Patients were identified via the State-wide Victorian Cancer Registry.

The effect of oxygen supplementation on the arterial ketone body ratio in human cirrhosis.

Background/aims: Data from studies in experimental models have suggested that the impairment of mitochondrial function and altered redox state that occur in cirrhosis may be due to impaired hepatic oxygenation. Since interventions that improve oxygen delivery to hepatocytes may improve mitochondrial functions, we studied the effects of oxygen supplementation on the arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR) in normal volunteers and patients with cirrhosis.

Methods: After a 2-hour fast, ketone bodies were measured in arterial blood taken from patients and controls while breathing room air and then after breathing oxygen via a face mask at 12 liters/min for 60 min.

The majority of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas arise in actinic keratoses.

Background: Retrospective studies have given conflicting results with respect to how many cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) arise in actinic keratoses (AK).

Objective: This study was conducted to determine what percentage of SCCs arise in AKs and to obtain more information about two histological features of SCCs, namely, thickness and ulceration.

Methods: A prospective study was done of all SCCs treated by the authors during one calendar year.

Mouse FcgammaRI: identification and functional characterization of five new alleles.

The mouse Fcgr1 gene encoding the high-affinity IgG receptor (FcgammaRI) exists as two known alleles, FcgammaRI-BALB and FcgammaRI-NOD, and these alleles exhibit functional differences. To determine whether other alleles exist in mouse strains, Fcgr1 coding regions from 35 strains of mice were sequenced and a further five alleles were identified. The FcgammaRI-BALB and NOD alleles are now designated the "a" and "d" alleles, respectively.

MAGE-12 and MAGE-6 are frequently expressed in malignant melanoma.

MAGE proteins have been identified as potential specific targets for cancer vaccination. Although MAGE-6 and MAGE-12 were originally identified in malignant melanoma there are no studies reporting the frequency of expression of these antigens in this malignancy. These are of relevance particularly for MAGE-6 as recent studies have identified CTL activity against several epitopes.

Cardiac metastases from malignant melanoma.

Background: Cardiac metastases are uncommon, with the exception of malignant melanoma. More cases of cardiac involvement are being diagnosed in association with the rising incidence and increasing survival of patients with melanoma. Surgical intervention may be an effective palliative measure and should be considered for selected patients who present with this problem.