Laser lithotripsy of ureteral calculi: initial experience with a new pulsed dye laser

Thirty-two patients with ureteral calculi ranging in size from 5 x 5 to 12 x 18 mm underwent lithotripsy with a new pulsed dye laser (Pulsolith, TMI). In 24 cases, the patients were entirely free of stones following laser lithotripsy alone, or with adjunctive stone basket removal. There were three instances of equipment failure and five calcium oxalate monohydrate stones that did not respond to laser energy.     

The treatment of patients with ureteral calculi by ureteroscopy and intracorporeal lithotripsy

Ureteroscopy with endocorporeal urinary stone lithotripsy (EUSL) implies an "in situ" stone fragmentation including or not a basket extraction of the fragments. EUSL needs three conditions: ureteronephroscopy (antegrade or retrograde), sources of energy (ultrasonic, electrohydraulic, laser), extraction devices (basket, grasping forceps). The paper reports the data on 120 ureteral stones treated by ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy with an overall effect of 84%.     

Phase I study of capecitabine with concomitant radiotherapy for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer: expression analysis of genes related to outcome.

PURPOSE: To establish the feasibility of capecitabine with concurrent radiotherapy (XRT) in patients with locally advanced (LA) pancreatic cancer and evaluate the effect of XRT on thymidine phosphorylase (TP), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with LA pancreatic cancer received three-dimensional conformal XRT to a dose of 50.4 Gy with capecitabine at escalating doses from 600 to 1,250 mg/m2 bid (Monday through Friday). Following chemo-XRT, stable and responding patients were treated with capecitabine 2,000 mg/m2 orally bid for 14 days every 21 days. Tumor specimens were procured with endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration 1 week before and 2 weeks after chemo-XRT to evaluate TP, DPD, and TNF-alpha mRNA levels. RESULTS: Dose-limiting grade 3 diarrhea was observed in two of six patients treated at a capecitabine dose of 1,000 mg/m2 with XRT. Three patients (20%) achieved partial response. Mean percent difference in TP pre- and post-XRT was 119.2% (P = .1934). There was no significant differences in mean TNF-alpha, or DPD levels pre- and post-XRT (P = .1934 and .4922, respectively). TP and TNF-alpha levels were not significantly correlated both at pre- and post-XRT (P = .670 and P < .154, respectively). Median value of TP:DPD ratios at baseline was 2.65 (range, 0.36 to 11.08). No association between TP:DPD ratio and efficacy of capecitabine or severity of toxicities was identified. CONCLUSION: The recommended dose for phase II evaluation is capecitabine 800 mg/m2 bid (Monday through Friday) with concurrent XRT. This approach offers an easy alternative to intravenous fluorouracil as a radiosensitizer in these patients. Role of TP and TP:DPD ratio warrants further investigation in a larger clinical trial.     

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention in acute myocardial infarction: time, time, and time!

Longer door-to-balloon times, total duration of ischaemia, and time of presentation relative to symptom onset all have an impact on outcome following primary percutaneous coronary intervention.