A new laparoscopic method of bowel radio-protection before pelvic chemoradiation of locally advanced cervix cancers

Background

Chemoradiation therapy (CRT) has become the mainstay of locally advanced cervical carcinomas (LACC). However, the price to pay is a significant rate of both early and late colo-rectal toxicities, which may impact on survivors’ quality of life. To reduce the incidence of such complications, we suggest a simple technique of pelvic radioprotection.

Materials and methods

An omental flap is created which is placed to fill the Douglas pouch to both increase the space between rectum and uterine cervix and prevent small bowel to fall in and to be exposed to radiation. In addition, a long sigmoid loop is retracted and fixed in the left paracolic gutter to prevent its irradiation as well.

Results

From May 2011 to May 2012, 51 successive LACC patients were offered this procedure in addition of a laparoscopic staging. All but 2 with too small an omentum benefitted from omentoplasty, while sigmoidopexy was performed in all but one patient with a long and free sigmoid loop. No immediate adverse effect was observed. The volume of retro-uterine omental flap averaged 7.17 ± 3.79 cm³. Sequential measurements of the utero-rectal space throughout CRT duration showed a real and durable increase in the distance between these organs, resulting in a drop in the dose of irradiation to recto-sigmoid. With 10 ± 4.5-month median follow-up, we did not observe any rectal or small bowel early or late adverse effects of CRT.

Conclusions

Although this series is preliminary, this simple procedure, feasible by laparoscopy (or laparotomy), seems effective to prevent recto-sigmoid as well as small bowel from radio-induced complications due to pelvic CRT.     

Abdominal colposacroplexy for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse with or without urinary stress incontinence]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the factors of success in abdominal colposacropexy (CSP) procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed 271 consecutive CSP between 1986 and 1997 (mean age: 48.8 years +/- 11.1). We reviewed 217 patients (80.1%). Mean duration of follow-up was 5.5 years (1-136 months). We performed: 18 CSP with Goretex mesh, 3 with resorbable mesh and 196 with Mersilene; 179 CSP with posterior colporraphy and 38 without; 208 CSP with culdoplasty (Moschowitz's procedure) and 9 without; 182 CSP with anterior and posterior meshes, 26 with posterior mesh only and 9 with anterior mesh only. RESULTS: 97.7% (212/217) of patients were cured for prolapse. 58% (125/217) had urinary stress incontinence totally cured and 82% (178/217) had urinary stress incontinence improved. Rejected grafts were 16.7% (3/18) with Goretex mesh and 1.1% with Mersilene mesh (p = 0.004). Recurrent prolapses were 1.1% (2/196) with CSP with posterior colporrhaphy and 7.9% (3/38) in CSP without (p = 0.009; OR = 0.14, CI = 0.02-0.86); 4/208 with CSP with culdoplasty and 1/9 with CSP without (p = 0.04; OR = 0.17, CI = 0.02-1.58). Recurrent stress incontinence was observed in 4/9 cases with CSP with anterior mesh only and 28/182 with CSP with anterior and posterior meshes (p = 0.03; OR = 0.34, CI = 0.12-0.97). CONCLUSION: CSP must use anterior and posterior Mersilene mesh. The CSP must be systematically combined with posterior colporraphy and culdoplasty (Moschcowitz's procedure).     

A randomized evaluation of different approaches to coronary sinus venography during biventricular pacemaker implants.

AIM: Biventricular implantation procedures require contrast venography of the coronary sinus. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of contrast venography obtained by direct manual contrast injection into the guiding catheter, compared with venography obtained after occlusion of the coronary sinus by a Swan-Ganz catheter. METHODS: Eighty-three patients were randomly assigned to direct or occlusive venography technique. The primary endpoint was complication rate. The secondary endpoints were rate of and time required for an adequate venography, total dose of contrast medium and total procedure time. RESULTS: Four dissections of the coronary sinus were observed with the occlusive venography technique group while no complications were observed with the direct venography technique group (p=0.04). Rate of adequate venography was similar in the two groups (p=NS). The time needed for coronary sinus venography and the total dose of contrast medium was significantly lower in the direct venography technique group compared with the alternative (p<0.0001 and p=0.003, respectively); the total procedure time was not significantly different between the two groups (p=NS). CONCLUSIONS: The direct venography technique shows a significantly lower incidence of complications and should be considered to be the first line approach to coronary sinus venography during biventricular pacemaker implantation.     

Immunohistochemical study of apoptosis markers and involvement of chemokine CXCR4 in skin Merkel cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cancer of the skin that mainly affects elderly patients. Because of its rarity, there is no established treatment or proven markers to guide therapy or prognosis. Immunohistochemical expression of apoptosis proteins is considered a useful marker of both malignancy and tumour progression. Apoptosis plays a fundamental role in skin homeostasis, and apoptotic cells have been detected in normal and diseased skin. Chemokines possess a wide range of biological activities and CXCR4 is expressed in some cancer cells, where it plays an efficient role in metastasis formation. OBJECTIVE: To identify immunohistochemical parameters that can help clinicians select the most suitable therapy for skin MCC. DESIGN: Antibodies against ki67, bcl-2, p53, survivin, p16 and CXCR4 were tested to assess the usefulness of these antigens as indices of proliferation potential and predictors of prognosis. METHODS: Immunohistochemical detection of apoptosis inhibitors and CXCR4 was performed on tissue from 12 patients with primary MCC. After excision of the primary lesion, five survived and had no metastases, and seven experienced local recurrence or lymph node metastases. RESULTS: Expression of ki67 and survivin was increased in patients with local recurrence or metastasis (retrospectively classified as 'poor prognosis') compared with those with a 'good prognosis', and bcl-2 expression was significantly greater (P=0.003). P53 and p16 immunostaining was moderate in both groups. A positive correlation was observed between survivin and mutant p53 in the poor prognosis group (r=0.593, P=0.033; regression coefficient). High values of p53 were measured in patients with high levels of survivin and vice versa. CXCR4 was not detected at all. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show strong MCC cell apoptosis inhibition and a high cell proliferation capacity. The positive correlation between survivin and p53 may be a predictor of MCC spread via the lymphatic network. Absent CXCR4 expression may reflect a less aggressive form, with less efficient development of distant and non-organ-selective metastasis formation.