Phase II evaluation of merbarone in renal cell carcinoma

Summary The Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) studied the response rate and toxicity of merbarone (1,000 mg/m² IV continuous infusion days 1–5, q 21 days) in patients with advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Among 36 eligible patients, there was one partial response for a response rate of 3% (95% C.I. 0.1–15%). There were no mixed responses. There were no treatment related deaths or adverse drug reactions. Significant anemia, diarrhea, and hypercalcemia were observed. Mild to moderate degrees of malaise/fatigue/lethargy, dizziness/vertigo, hyperglycemia, creatinine increase, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, pedal edema, dyspnea, and granulocytopenia were noted. Merbarone does not have significant activity as a single agent in advanced renal cell carcinoma.     

Endometrial carcinoma: Does the addition of intracavitary vault caesium to external beam therapy postoperatively result in improved control or increased morbidity?

A retrospective analysis of treatment for endometrial carcinoma is reported here. From 1987 to 1989, 138 patients were referred to the oncology department following total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for endometrial cancer. Forty-seven patients were not prescribed postoperative radiotherapy; 31 had Stage I well differentiated adenocarcinoma with minimal myometrial invasion, while the remaining 16 patients were considered unfit for postoperative radiotherapy. There were no instances of local relapse amongst the 31 patients with minimal myometrial invasion.The remaining 91 patients all received external beam irradiation to the pelvis and, according to the preference of the individual therapist, 51 were prescribed additional intracavitary vault caesium-137. Patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy were analysed according to whether or not they received additional intracavitary vault caesium. The two groups were also analysed for incidence of vaginal vault recurrence and treatment related morbidity.In the group receiving additional intracavitary treatment more patients had Stage II or III disease (P<0.05), and had greater depth of myometrial invasion (P<0.05). Vaginal vault recurrence was not observed in patients receiving intracavitary therapy in addition to external beam therapy. Four patients (10%) receiving external beam therapy alone developed vaginal vault recurrence.The incidence of Kottmeier-Perez grade 2 or 3 bowel toxicity following treatment was significantly higher in those patients receiving combined treatment (18% vs. 2.5%; P<0.03). There was also a higher incidence of vaginal stenosis in the group receiving both external beam and intracavitary therapy (21% vs. 3%; P<0.05). There was only one instance of grade 2 bladder toxicity in the external beam and intracavitary treatment group and none in the external beam therapy alone group.In conclusion, postoperative radiotherapy for Stages I-III endometrial carcinoma was carried out in a non-randomized manner by two regimens; either external beam therapy alone or external beam therapy with additional intracavitary vaginal caesium. The combined therapy gave significantly better local control but resulted in significantly more late bowel and vaginal morbidity.     

Aggressive resection for advanced pancreatic carcinoma

An aggressive pancreatectomy was performed on a 53 year old Japanese man with advanced cancer of the pancreas. The tumor originated from the body of the pancreas and invaded the stomach, duodenum, left kidney, transverse colon and common hepatic artery. An unexpected cancer was also found in the head of the pancreas during the operation. Therefore, total pancreatectomy, total gastrectomy, left adrenonephrectomy, resection of the left transverse colon and dissection of the regional lymph nodes were performed. Resection of the common hepatic artery was also performed, followed by an end-to-end anastomosis between the common hepatic artery and celiac trunk. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was doing well until nine months after the operation when multiple metastatic lesions were noted in the liver. He died 391 days after the operation from hepatic failure.     

P53基因突变、人乳头瘤病毒16，18型感染与肺鳞癌发病的关系

应用单链构象多态性分析多聚酶链反应ＥＢ染色法（ＰＣＲ－ＳＳＣＰ－ＥＢ）对４０例肺癌组织标本的Ｐ５３基因序列５～８外显子突变进行分析，同时应用ＰＣＲ方法检测上述标本及１８例肺良性疾病组织标本中ＨＰＶ１６、１８型ＤＮＡ相关序列，旨在分析二者在肺鳞癌发病中的作用及相互关系，并就肺鳞癌与Ｐ５３基因结构和功能异常的关系进行初步探讨。     

子宫颈上皮不典型增生与宫颈癌细胞超微结构的观察比较

光镜和电镜观察慢性宫颈炎上皮不典型增生42例,宫颈癌21例,正常对照7例。上皮不典型增生之一是位于深部的储备细胞增生,细胞的核质比大,细胞器少,分化较低。鳞状上皮不典型增生细胞特点是核质比增大,核形不整,核膜内陷,细胞器增多,桥粒和张力原纤维减少。鳞癌细胞的核质比更大,核膜内褶深,细胞器更多,桥粒和张力原纤维很少或消失,分化低的癌细胞尤明显。粘液性腺癌腺上皮深部可见储备细胞转化的癌细胞。     

Groove pancreatitis associated with true pancreatic cyst

We report a case of groove pancreatitis (GP) associated with a true pancreatic cyst. An 81-year-old man who had suffered epigastric pain for 4 months was referred to Saisekai Kure Hospital. Computed tomography and endoscopic retrograde pancreatography showed a cystic lesion in the groove area of the pancreas. Serum amylase elevation and imaging findings suggested GP due to the cyst. Six weeks of medical treatment did not improve the clinical symptoms. Therefore, pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histologic examination revealed a true cyst with intraluminal necrosis, which produced a protein plug that obstructed the Santorini duct. The parenchyma surrounding the groove area showed marked fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. GP due to true pancreatic cyst was diagnosed. Although GP is usually caused by overconsumption of alcohol, which leads to changes in the pancreatic juice and the ultimate blockage of pancreatic outflow, the histologic features in our patient suggest that true pancreatic cyst stands as a secondary cause of GP.     

一个RET原癌基因Met918Thr突变的多发性内分泌腺瘤病Ⅱb家系报道

目的 检测一个多发性内分泌腺瘤病(MEN)Ⅱb家系的RET原癌基因突变。方法 提取患者及其父母的外周血基因组DNA，对RET原癌基因第16外显子进行聚合酶链反应(PCR)，将PCR扩增产物进行直接基因测序和限制性内切酶分析。结果 检测到患者RET原癌基因第16外显子918密码子存在ATG(Met)／ACG(Thr)点突变，而在患者父母中未检测到该突变。结论 通过对MENⅡb患者及其父母的基因筛查发现，该患者点突变是杂合子错义突变。该疾病的诊断达到了基因水平。     

乳腺癌中P73、P21的表达及其意义

目的 :通过检测 P73蛋白、P2 1蛋白在乳腺癌中的表达及其与临床病理指标的关系 ,探讨乳腺癌的生物学特性 ,分析它们在乳腺癌的发生、转移中所起的作用。方法 :应用免疫组化 S-P法检测 68例乳腺癌石蜡包埋标本中 P73、P2 1的表达情况。结果 :a.在乳腺癌 - 级与 级之间 P73蛋白阳性率分别为 1 8.75 % ( 9/48)和 60 .0 0 % ( 1 2 /2 0 ) ,差异有显著性 ( P <0 .0 5 )。随着 P73阳性表达率增高 ,乳腺癌的恶性程度增高。b.淋巴结转移组 p2 1的阳性表达率 2 3 .3 3 % ( 7/3 0 )明显低于无淋巴结转移组的阳性率 5 2 .63 % ( 2 0 /3 8) ,差异有显著性( P <0 .0 5 )。c.P73、P2 1之间无相关。结论 :P73、P2 1与乳腺癌的发生、发展有关