Stereotactic body radiotherapy for Stage I lung cancer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: special reference to survival and radiation-induced pneumonitis

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate radiation-induced pneumonitis (RIP) and a related condition that we define in this report—prolonged minimal RIP (pmRIP)—after stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for Stage I primary lung cancer in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We assessed 136 Stage I lung cancer patients with COPD who underwent SBRT. Airflow limitation on spirometry was classified into four Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) grades, with minor modifications: GOLD 1 (mild), GOLD 2 (moderate), GOLD 3 (severe) and GOLD 4 (very severe). On this basis, we defined two subgroups: COPD-free (COPD −) and COPD-positive (COPD +). There was no significant difference in overall survival or cause-specific–survival between these groups. Of the 136 patients, 44 (32%) had pmRIP. Multivariate analysis showed that COPD and the Brinkman index were statistically significant risk factors for the development of pmRIP. COPD and the Brinkman index were predictive factors for pmRIP, although our findings also indicate that SBRT can be tolerated in early lung cancer patients with COPD.     

Postoperative development of sarcopenia is a strong predictor of a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and upper gastric cancer

Background

There were few studies assessed the postoperative sarcopenia in patients with cancers. The objective of present study was to assess whether postoperative development of sarcopenia could predict a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction, (AEG) and upper gastric cancer (UGC).

Intake of arsenic from water, food composites and excretion through urine, hair from a studied population in West Bengal, India.

To evaluate the main intake source of arsenic by the villagers from arsenic-affected families in Jalangi and Domkol blocks in Mushidabad district, West Bengal-India, we determined the concentrations of arsenic in tube-well water and in food composites, mainly including vegetables and cereals collected from the surveyed families which were cultivated in that region. The daily dietary intakes of arsenic by the villagers were estimated and the excretions of arsenic through urine and hair were determined. The arsenic concentrations in hair and urine of the studied population living in mild (2.78 microg/L), moderate (30.7 microg/L) and high (118 microg/L) arsenic-affected families were 133, 1,391 and 4,713 microg/kg and 43.1, 244 and 336 microg/L, respectively. The linear regressions show good correlations between arsenic concentrations in water vs hair (r(2)=0.928, p<0.001) and water vs urine (r(2)=0.464, p<0.01). Approximately 29.4%, 58.1% and 62.1% of adult population from mild, moderate and high arsenic-affected families were suffering from arsenical skin manifestations. The mean arsenic concentrations of food composites (vegetables and cereals) in high arsenic-affected families are not significantly different from mild arsenic-affected families. The daily dietary intakes of arsenic from water and food composites of the studied population, living in high, moderate and mild arsenic-affected families were 568, 228 and 137 microg, respectively. The linear regressions show good correlations between arsenic concentrations in hair vs daily dietary intake (r(2)=0.452, p<0.001) and urine vs daily dietary intake (r(2)=0.134, p<0.001). The water for drinking contributed 6.07%, 26.7% and 58.1% of total arsenic in our study from mild, moderate and high arsenic-affected families. The result suggested that the contaminated water from high arsenic-affected families should be the main source for intake of arsenic. On contrary, the contribution of arsenic-contaminated food composites from mild and moderate arsenic-affected families might be the main source for intake of arsenic. The Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) values of arsenic in our study were 3.32, 5.75 and 12.9 microg/kg body weight/day from mild, moderate and high arsenic-affected families, respectively, which is higher than the recommended PTWI value of arsenic (2.1 microg/kg body weight/day).     

Systemic arterial supply to the left basal segment without the pulmonary artery: four consecutive cases.

Systemic arterial supply from the descending thoracic aorta to the basal segment of the left lower lobe without a pulmonary artery supply is a rare congenital anomaly within the spectrum of pulmonary sequestration cases. We encountered four consecutive cases, which were treated successfully by three basalectomies and one lower lobectomy to preserve lung function.     

Fit and fill analysis of a newly designed femoral stem in cementless total hip arthroplasty for patients with secondary osteoarthritis

The fit and fill of the femoral canal are critical to the success of cementless femoral stems in total hip arthroplasty. It is difficult for conventional stems to provide a good fit and fill for the femora of patients with secondary osteoarthritis. Based on measurements of 100 femora of these patients, we designed two types of Fukui Medical School (FMS) stems with a proximal lateral flare that differed in the medial radius. We compared the fit and fill of the FMS stems with those of four conventional stems, using computer simulation. The mean proximal fit and total fit of the FMS stems were 46% and 53% respectively, a significant improvement compared with the other stems examined. The mean fill of FMS stems was 82% at the lower end of the lesser trochanter and 84% at the upper end of the isthmus, values that were significantly higher than those of the other stems. Since September 1995, we have implanted FMS stems in 15 hips with secondary osteoarthritis. Radiographic evaluations showed that the canal fill of the FMS stems was significantly greater in the proximal femur compared with other stems previously inserted at our department. A summary of this paper was presented at the 9th Symposium on Computer-Assisted Radiology; June 1995, Berlin, and at the 8th International Symposium on Technology in Arthroplasty; September 1995, Puerto Rico.     

Biodistributions of 201Tl in tumor bearing animals and inflammatory lesion induced animals

The accumulation of 201Tl in tumor and inflammatory tissues were small. However, this nuclide showed a high concentration in viable tumor tissue, less in connective tissue (containing inflammatory tissue), and was not seen in necrotic tumor tissue regardless of the time after administration of 201Tl(I)-chloride. In inflammatory lesions, 201Tl accumulated in subcutaneous tissue infiltrated with neutrophils and macrophages, and quite large amounts of this nuclide were accumulated in subcutaneous tissue and sites where neutrophils were crowded. Most 201Tl existed in a free form in the fluid of tumor and inflammatory tissues regardless of the time after administration. A small amount of this nuclide was localized in the nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions in these tissues, and the nuclide was bound to protein in these fractions. The distribution of 201Tl(III)-chloride in tumor bearing animals was essentially the same as that of 201Tl(I)-chloride.     

Chemical radioprotectors

Basic mechanisms of radioprotection and clinical applicability of radioprotectors for low-and high-LET radiotherapy were reviewed and discussed here. Chemical radioprotectors are able to inhibit indirect radiation damage, to repair direct and indirect damage once they occur, and to facilitate the recovery of damaged cells on depleted cell populations. The vast majority of radioprotective agents that have been developed and tested are the aminothiols. WR-2721 or ethiofos represents a significant improvement in effectiveness, potency and reduction of toxicity over the early radioprotectors. WR-151327 provided substantial protection against neutron irradiation. Dose modification factors after single doses of cyclotron neutrons were 1.5 for both early and late skin damage and 1.5-2.4 for late muscle damage.