Direct comparison between transrectal and transperineal extended prostate biopsy for the detection of cancer

AIM: To establish whether extended transrectal (TR) and extended transperineal (TP) biopsies are equivalent in detecting prostate cancer. METHODS: Due to an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) greater than 2.5 ng/mL or abnormal digital rectal examination findings, 783 men underwent a transrectal ultrasound-guided three-dimensional 26-core biopsy, a combination of TR 12-core and TP 14-core biopsies. Using recursive partitioning, the best combination of sampling sites that gave the highest cancer detection rate at a given number of biopsy cores was selected either with a TR or a TP approach. The cancer detection rate and characteristics of detected cancers were compared between the TP 14-core and the TR 12-core biopsies and between selected subset biopsy schemes. RESULTS: Prostate cancer was detected in 283 of the 783 men (36%). There was no statistical difference in cancer detection rate or in the characteristics of detected cancers between TP 14-core and TR 12-core biopsies. As far as the best combination of sampling sites was selected, there was no statistical difference in cancer detection rates or in the characteristics of detected cancers between the TP and the TR subset biopsy schemes up to 12 cores. TP and TR biopsies performed equally, regardless of a history of negative biopsy, a digital rectal examination finding, the PSA level or the prostate volume. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated for the first time that extended TP biopsy is as effective as its TR counterpart in detecting cancer and the characteristics of detected cancers, as far as sampling sites are selected to maximize the cancer detection rate.     

Collecting duct carcinoma producing granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)

We present a 67-year-old male with a rare case of collecting duct carcinoma producing granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. He was referred to us with lumbago and fever. Laboratory testing showed leukocytosis and computed tomography revealed a left renal mass. After chemotherapy with gemcitabine and nedaplatin, computed tomography showed a partial response. A left nephroureterectomy was performed. The histopathological diagnosis was collecting duct carcinoma producing granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor. White blood cell levels were reduced to 9900/mm(3). No recurrence was detected after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy and the patient was discharged from the hospital. However, 3 months later, computed tomography revealed multiple lung metastasis. Nedaplatin- based chemotherapy was administered but computed tomography after chemotherapy identified a progressive disease. The patient died 9 months after the operation.     

Long-term outcomes and social independence level after arterial switch operation.

OBJECTIVES: Various issues regarding the long-term survivors of arterial switch operation (ASO) have been clarified according to the improvement of surgical mortality. We reviewed the long-term results and social independence level after ASO. METHODS: Two hundred and four (204) patients who had undergone ASO more than 15 years ago were studied retrospectively. ASO was performed as a primary operation (group I, n=99) or as a secondary operation (group II, n=105). Lecompte procedure was performed in 197 patients, modified Aubert procedure in 5, and original Jatene procedure in 2. RESULTS: There were 11 late deaths. Kaplan-Meier survival rate (not including operative deaths) was 94.9% at 10 years and 94.9% at 15 years in group I, and 96.9% at 10 years and 94.4% at 15 years in group II. Forty-eight reoperations were performed (aortic valve replacement in 6, aortic valvoplasty in 2, Konno procedure in 1, double valve replacement in 1, right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in 35). The reoperation-free rate including late death was 82.2% at 10 years and 75.7% at 15 years in group I, and 88.2% at 10 years and 78.1% at 15 years in group II. One hundred and seventy-eight patients were classified as NYHA class I and 7 patients as class II. All the patients except those with mental disorder (1) or neurodevelopmental impairment (3) were attending school or working. There was no significant difference in left ventricular function between group I and II, both showing values within the normal range. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term (>15 years) outcome of ASO survivors was satisfactory. Most patients showed excellent cardiac function and were socially independent.     

Safety,tolerability, pharmacokinetics,and antitumour activity of oleclumab in Japanese patients with advanced solid malignancies: a phase I,open-label study

Background

Cluster of differentiation (CD) 73-targeted immunotherapy and CD73 inhibition may reduce adenosine production, which can augment the host and/or immunotherapy response to tumours. We aimed to assess the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antitumour activity of oleclumab, an anti-CD73 monoclonal antibody, in adult Japanese patients with advanced solid malignancies resistant to standard therapy.

Methods

In this phase I, single-centre, open-label study, patients received oleclumab 1500 mg (Cohort 1) or 3000 mg (Cohort 2) intravenously every 2 weeks.

Results

In total, six patients were enrolled in the study (three in each cohort), and all six patients received the study treatment. The median patient age was 56.0 years and 4/6 were males. All patients (100%) reported adverse events (AEs) during the study; five (83.3%) patients reported AEs related to the study treatment. One (16.7%) patient reported a Grade 3 AE (neutrophil count decreased) that was not related to the study treatment. No AEs with an outcome of death were reported, and no patients reported AEs or serious AEs leading to oleclumab discontinuation/dose interruption. No dose-limiting toxicities were reported, and no patient discontinued due to an AE related to the study treatment. Oleclumab exposure increased dose proportionally. No patient achieved disease control at 8 weeks, and all six patients developed progressive disease.

Conclusions

Oleclumab was well tolerated in adult Japanese patients with advanced solid malignancies and no unexpected safety concerns were raised; oleclumab exposure increased with dose. Future studies on combination therapy with other agents are warranted.

     

Functional Localization of the Supplementary Motor Area

The supplementary motor area (SMA) is a key structure involved in behavioral planning and execution. Although many reports have indicated that SMA is organized somatotopically, its exact organization remains still unclear. This study aimed to functionally map SMA using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and validate the fMRI-SMA by electrocortical stimulation (ECS) and postsurgical symptoms. Total 32 healthy volunteers and 24 patients participated in this study. Motor tasks were right and left finger tapping and language tasks included simple reading, lexical decision for presented words, and verb generating tasks. SPM8 was used to conduct individual and group analyses. In all subjects, the lexical decision task induced the greatest number of active fMRI pixels in SMA. fMRI during the language tasks showed anterior part of SMA compared to finger tapping tasks. We found an overlap spot with all different tasks in posterior part of SMA, which we termed SMA core. Six patients underwent awake craniotomy for ECS mapping for primary regions and SMA. During awake craniotomy, ECS to posterior part of SMA, which might involve the possible SMA core consistently, evoked both speech arrest and flaccid hemiparesis. The SMA mapping suggested posterior part of SMA might play more important roles in any executions, which might involve the SMA core.     

Uptake of K+ by frog gastric mucosa from submucosal side and acid secretory rate.

The K+ content in frog gastric mucosa (K+) was measured as a function of the submucosal K+ concentration ([K+sm]) in the absence of K+ on the mucosal side. The (K+) in HCO3- buffer with 95% O2-5% CO2 gas showed that the removal of external K+ induced a 27% K+ loss from the control value of 5 mM K+sm, that there was no linear relation between (K+) and [K+sm, and that the change in the (K+) versus the [K+sm] was hyperbolic, indicating that there are two different types of K+ in the mucosa: bound and free K+.