Detection of Tumor-Associated Antigens of Osteosarcoma in Humans by the Mixed Lymphocyte Tumor Cell Culture Assay

Tumor-associated antigens of human osteosarcoma cells were studiedby the mixed lymphocyte tumor cell culture (MLTC) assay. Peripheralblood lymphocytes from patients with osteosarcomas reacted withtheir individual autochthonous cultured osteosarcoma cells inthree of the five cases tested, but did not significantly reactwith allogeneic cultured osteosarcoma cells. This result suggeststhat human osteosarcoma cells possess individual specific tumor-associatedantigens but not common tumor-associated antigens, althoughthere was a limited number of patients.     

Transcatheter Arterial Chemo-Embolization (TAC-E) for Patients with Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Preoperative transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TAC-E)was used for 19 patients with locally advanced breast cancer,to eradicate the extensive loco-regional areas prior to surgeryand hopefully to reduce the postoperative recurrence rate. Theresults were as follows: (1) Each primary tumor showed markedregression within 2 weeks after TAC-E. (2) Surgicopathologyconfirmed the excellent efficacy of TAC-E against both primarytumors and metastatic lymph node tumors. (3) Side effects dueto this treatment were few, compared with other forms of cancerchemotherapy. (4) The prognosis of each patient was good. We conclude that preoperative TAC-E has a great potential forthe treatment of locally advanced breast cancer.     

Preliminary Phase II Study of 1-(2-Chloroethyl)-3-(MethylAlpha-D-Glucopyranos-6-Yl)-1-Nitrosourea (MCNU) Against Primary Lung Cancer and Metastatic Pulmonary Tumors

A phase II study of 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(methyl--D-glucopyranos-6-yl)-1-nitrosourea(MCNU) was conducted with 16 patients with primary lung canceror metastatic pulmonary tumors who had failed to respond toconventional therapy. MCNU was administered by a single intravenousinjection at a dose of 120 mg/m². There were no patients whoshowed any objective responses. Although stabilization was achievedin 12 patients, four patients with primary lung cancer experiencedprogressive disease. Gastrointestinal toxicities such as anorexia,nausea and vomiting were mild or moderate and readily subsidedwithout any treatment. The major toxic side effects were leukocytopeniaand thrombocytopenia. Five patients (38.4%) had leukocytopeniaof less than 2,000/mm³ and six patients (46.1%) had thrombocytopeniaof less than 5.0x10⁴/mm³.     

日本乳腺癌和卵巢癌死亡率的特点

目的：对1947年－1997年日本的乳腺癌与卵巢癌死亡情况及居民食物变化特点进行研究分析，为我国的肿瘤防治措施借鉴。方法：从“日本死亡统计数据库（Vital Statistics of Japan)”中，收集自1947年至1997年以来日本乳腺癌和卵巢癌年龄别死亡人数和5岁年龄组人口数，用世界标准人口对死亡率进行标化。所有资料输入计算机，用SPSS软件对其标化死亡率进行分析研究；从日本文部省收集1946年－1997年国民营养调查资料，对几种有关的食物进行动态分析。结果：乳腺癌和卵巢癌的死亡率分别增加了2和6倍，以50岁以上年龄组增加最明显；乳腺癌死亡率模型与卵巢癌相似，但卵巢癌随时间变化增加较迅速。出生队列研究发现，出生越晚，死亡率越高，这是两者的共同特点；居民营养调查发现，从1947年到1997年的50年内，动物性食物的消费量明显增加，其中以牛奶增加最为显著。结论：近50年来日本乳腺癌和卵巢癌的死亡率在不断升高，可能与膳食的结构变化有关。     

The outbreak of mumps in a small island in Japan

A major mumps outbreak occurred on a small island, Ikeshima, in Nagasaki Prefecture from August 1994 to February 1995. There were 236 patients with the mumps at Ikeshima Miners' Hospital during that period. The Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR, Toitsukabu) vaccination coverage in the 43 children at the nursery school was 65.1% and it was 61.9% in the 21 children aged 4–5 years not attending the nursery school. Coverage was 66.6% in the 63 kindergarten students and 53.7% in 56 first-graders. The overall MMR vaccination coverage among these children was 61.7% (113/183) from 1989 to 1992. Children from the second grade to junior high school received monovalent mumps vaccine, Torii strain. None received Zishakabu MMR. The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 43 years, with a mean of 9.1 years. The majority (77.5%) were primary school children. The attack rates for vaccinated and unvaccinated children in grades one to six were: 6.7% (2/30) and 88.5% (23/26), 25% (3/12) and 44.1% (30/68), 11.1% (1/9) and 64.4% (29/45), 25% (2/8) and 60% (45/79), 22.2% (2/9) and 35.9% (28/78), 0% (0/5) and 24.7% (18/73), respectively. The overall frequency in the primary school was 41.4% (183/442 children). The frequency in the nursery school for children aged 4–5 years was 14.0% (6/43). It was 17.5% (11/63) in children aged 5–6 years in the kindergarten, 5.2% (11/213) in children not attending school with an age range of 1–5 years, and 4.2% (10/237) in junior high school students. Although the frequencies of MMR coverage for the nursery school children and kindergarteners were not high enough to eradicate mumps outbreaks, the MMR vaccination program was thought to have influenced the low frequency of mumps among the children. Close physical interactions among the first-graders would have contributed to their high frequency of mumps. Some patients presented with suspected mumps parotitis several times, but no such serological confirmation of reinfection was obtained.     

Lower urinary tract symptoms and risk of prostate cancer in Japanese men

Our aim was to investigate whether or not men with lower urinary tract symptoms are at increased risk of prostate cancer. A total of 3511 men aged 50-79 years who underwent mass screening for prostate cancer between 2002 and 2004 for the first time, and completed the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire at the time of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, were enrolled in the present study. All men with PSA values greater than 4.0 ng/mL were advised and encouraged to undergo transrectal systematic sextant biopsy. The number of cancers subsequently detected was compared between men with IPSS scores of 0-7 and 8-35. Of the 3511 men, 219 (6.2%) had PSA values greater than 4 ng/mL, 178 (5.1%) underwent biopsy, and 51 (1.5%) were found to have prostate cancer. Although the PSA positivity rate for men with IPSS scores of 8-35 was significantly higher than that in the 0-7 group, there were no significant intergroup differences in the cancer detection rates for biopsied men and for total screened subjects. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that prostate volume was the dominant predictor for the detection of prostate cancer, followed by PSA level, but the IPSS made no significant contribution. No significant difference was noted in the IPSS scores between men with cancer and the others of the same age group. Symptomatic Japanese men are not at higher risk of prostate cancer despite their higher PSA values compared with asymptomatic men of the same age group.     

Retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy using radiofrequency ablation

Two patients with renal tumors underwent retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy. The renal tumors were initially treated with radiofrequency ablation. This method allowed tumor excision to be achieved without clamping the renal pedicle. Residual renal function was well maintained as determined by enhanced computed tomography scanning and measurement of the serum creatinine level. There were no complications such as vascular damage or collecting system injury. The pathological diagnosis was clear cell carcinoma (pT1) in Patient 1 and was not determined in Patient 2 because of entire ablation. No recurrence has been observed after 3 years and 2 years of follow up, respectively. Radiofrequency ablation was useful for control of local bleeding during retroperitonaoscopic partial nephrectomy.     

Long-Term Survival in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer

Of the 66 patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) who weretreated by combination chemotherapy with or without radiationtherapy from July 1978 to December 1983 at the National CancerCenter Hospital, Tokyo, 12 (18%) sur vived over two years andnine (14%) have remained disease-free over three years. Thetwo-year survival rates were compared according to the patientcharacteristics of sex, performance status (PS), extent of disease,histologic subtype, regimen of the initial chemotherapy andresponse to treatment. Sex, extent of disease and response tothe initial chemotherapy were the most important prognosticfactors. The prognosis for patients with liver or bone metastasis was poor. All disease-free survivors, except for two patientswho were treated by surgical resection after chemotherapy, achievedcomplete response (CR) with chemotherapy with or without radiationtherapy. Eleven of the 12 two-year survivors achieved CR. Becauseof the small number of patients in our study, it will be necessaryto evaluate further the influence of prognostic factors in patientswith SCLC in future studies.     

Neuroleptic-induced Meige's syndrome following akathisia: Pharmacologic characteristics

A 52-year-old schizophrenic patient acutely showed blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia following neuroleptic-induced akathisia. She had suffered from schizophrenia and been treated with neuroleptics for 15 years and had manifested tardive dyskinesia 5 years ago. Following a change in her neuroleptic medication, severe akathisia developed. Two days after the appearance of akathisia, blepharospasm and oromandibular dystonia appeared. After the disappearance of akathisia, the disorder continued. The frequency of blepharospasm ranged from 30 to 40 (times/min). The oral administration of trihexyphenidyl (6 mg/day), perphenazine (12 mg/day), and fluphenazine (12 mg/day) significantly decreased the frequency of blepharospasm, whereas carbamazepine (600 mg/day) and sulpiride (1200 mg/day) did not. These results suggest that overactivity of both cholinergic and dopaminergic functions in the striatum may be involved in this patient. Our patient, who showed acute onset of Meige's syndrome following neuroleptic-induced akathisia, is of interest to those studying the pathogenesis of Meige's syndrome.