Changes of cancer diagnosis disclosure to children in Japan in the last 20 years

International Journal of Clinical Oncology - The practice of cancer diagnosis disclosure to children has been changed with the times. The regulations of clinical trials in the 2000s might change...     

Quality of life after single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A randomized,clinical trial

Background

Controversy continues as to whether single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with the somewhat larger incision at the umbilicus, may lead to a worse postoperative quality of life and more pain compared with the more classic 4-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to compare single-incision and 4-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy from the perspective of quality of life.

Feasibility and mid- to long-term results of endovascular treatment for portal vein thrombosis after living-donor liver transplantation

PURPOSEWe aimed to evaluate mid- to long-term results of endovascular treatment for portal vein thrombosis (PVT) after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT).METHODSThirty cases (14 males, 16 females; age range, 0.67–65 years) who underwent endovascular treatment including thrombolysis, angioplasty, stent placement, and/or collateral embolization for PVT after LDLT from 2001 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical and procedural data were collected and analyzed regarding the patency of the PVT site at the last follow-up date (PVT-free persistency) using Log-rank test. Results were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.RESULTSMedian follow-up was 120 months. The technical success rate was 80% (n=24). Patency rates at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 12, 36, and 60 months were 73%, 59%, 55%, 51%, 51%, 51%, and 51% for primary patency and 80%, 70%, 66%, 66%, 66%, 61%, and 61% for assisted patency after secondary endovascular treatment. PVT-free persistency rates regarding the subgroups were as follows: children under 12 years vs. adults, 50% vs. 68% (p = 0.42); acute vs. nonacute, 76% vs. 46% (p = 0.10); localized vs. extensive, 90% vs. 50% (p = 0.035); transileocolic approach vs. percutaneous-transhepatic approach, 71% vs. 54% (p = 0.39); and thrombolysis-based treatment vs. non-thrombolysis-based treatment, 71% vs. 44% (p = 0.12), respectively. Among technically successful cases, PVT-free persistency rate was 94% for those with hepatopetal flow in the peripheral portal vein vs. 17% for those without hepatopetal flow (p < 0.001). The only major complication occurring was pleural hemorrhage (n=1). Minor complications (i.e., fever) occurred in 18 patients (60%).CONCLUSIONIn conclusion, mid- to long-term portal patency following endovascular treatment was approximately 50%–60% in PVT patients after LDLT. PVT site patency over three months after the first endovascular treatment, localized PVT, and hepatopetal flow in the peripheral portal vein were identified as key prognostic factors for mid- to long-term portal patency.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a vascular complication of living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), with an estimated incidence of up to 4% (1, 2). The risk of vascular complications, including PVT, is higher in LDLT compared with conventional deceased-donor liver transplantation, because of the smaller vessels, insufficient vessel length for reconstruction, neointimal proliferation, and higher risk of twisting and kinking of the vascular pedicle (3) due to smaller graft size than in deceased-donor liver transplantation. PVT after LDLT can lead to graft failure and the need for retransplantation or death (2), making immediate treatment crucial.Endovascular-based treatment is one option for treating PVT. The utility of target-focused thrombolysis, balloon angioplasty, and stent placement to restore portal flow has been reported previously (4–10). However, the efficacy of endovascular treatment after LDLT has only been presented in some case reports (11, 12) and the mid- to long-term outcomes remain unclear.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the technical success, feasibility, and mid- to long-term results of endovascular treatment for PVT after LDLT in our institution.     

A case report: Severe bone marrow suppression caused by 6-mercaptopurin in Crohn's disease patient]

A 23-year-old man was admitted for treatment of acute exacerbation of ileitis and perianal abscess caused by Crohn's disease. After incision and drainage of the abscess, coupled with antibiotic therapy, 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) was commenced. His white blood cell (WBC) count on day 12 after initiation of 6-MP was not decreased. However, on day 24 he was re-admitted because of severe myelosuppression (WBC: 300/microl), which was complicated by the recurrence of the perianal abscess. Myelosuppression was prolonged and required the administration of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). G-CSF was continued for 17 days to achieve recovery of his WBC count to a normal level.     

Easier node dissection after chemoradiotherapy for lung cancer with collagen insertion at mediastinoscopy

Objective: Induction chemoradiotherapy followed by anatomical resection is a current therapeutic strategy for non-small-cell lung cancer with mediastinal node involvement. Dense peritracheal fibrosis and sclerosis after chemoradiotherapy cause difficult mediastinal node dissection. We evaluated a novel technique to make the mediastinal node dissection easier after induction therapy. Methods: At the end of mediastinoscopic node biopsy for staging of lung cancer, cotton-type collagen was inserted anterior and lateral to the trachea in patients with pathologically confirmed mediastinal node involve-ment (n=45). The induction therapy consisted of concurrent use of platinum-based chemotherapy and hyperfractionated radiotherapy. After the chemoradiotherapy all patients underwent a pulmonary resection with complete mediastinal node dissection 7–12 weeks after the collagen insertion. Surgical findings of the mediastinum and the time for node dissection were compared with those without collagen insertion at mediastinoscopy after chemoradiotherapy (n=5). Results: All five patients without collagen insertion showed sclerotic and fibrotic change of mediastinal nodes with severe adhesion to the trachea. In 42 of 45 patients with collagen insertion (93.3%) the collagen remained unabsorbed and separated the mediastinal nodes from the trachea. Mediastinal node dissection was easily accomplished by removing mediastinal tissues lateral and anterior to the collagen. The rate of mediastinal node separation was significantly higher with collagen insertion than without (p< 0.0001). The times for node dissection in patients with and without collagen insertion showed no significant difference. Conclusion: Cotton-type collagen insertion at staging mediastinoscopy for lung cancer separates the mediastinal nodes from the trachea and makes the node dissection easier after induction chemoradiotherapy.     

Effects of anthocyanidin derivative (HK-008) on relaxation in rat perfused mesenterial bed.

Anthocyanins, which are responsible for a variety of bright colors (including red, blue, and purple) in fruits, vegetables, and flowers, are consumed as dietary polyphenols. Anthocyanin-containing fruits are thought to decrease coronary heart disease and are used in anti-diabetic preparations. Diabetes is associated with a variety of cardiovascular complications that may be mediated by endothelial dysfunction, and so this study was designed mainly to characterize the influence of a synthesized anthocyanidin derivative (HK-008) over acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation in mesenteric arterial beds isolated from rats. In a glucose-tolerance test in intact rats, HK-008 (30 mg/kg) reduced the glucose level as effectively as the same dose of glibenclamide. The aortic relaxation induced by pinacidil (an ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener) was greatly inhibited by glibenclamide (10 microM), and also significantly inhibited by HK-008 (10 microM). Interestingly, the ACh-induced relaxation in the perfused, preconstricted mesenteric arterial bed was significantly enhanced by HK-008 (10 microM), and this enhancement was significantly attenuated by indomethacin (10 microM). The ACh-induced mesenteric relaxation was impaired by an increase in oxidative stress, viz. superoxide-generating treatment [xanthine oxidase (XO; 0.1 U/ml) plus hypoxanthine (HX; 10 microM)]. However, this impairment was strongly suppressed by HK-008 (10 microM). These results suggest that HK-008 increases endothelium-induced relaxation by suppressing oxidative stress or modulating prostanoids signaling. This compound may therefore be useful against certain cardiovascular disorders.