PURPOSE: To evaluate the changes in the 7th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for stomach cancer compared to the 6th edition; to compare the predictive accuracy of the two staging systems. METHODS: In a combined database containing 2,196 patients who underwent an R0 resection for gastric ...

BACKGROUND: The leading causes of constrictive pericarditis have changed over time leading to a commensurate change in the indications and complexity of surgical pericardiectomy. We evaluated our single-center experience to define the etiologies, risk factors, and outcomes of pericardiectomy in a modern cohort. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database ...

Cognitive changes related to cancer and its treatment have been intensely studied, and neuroimaging has begun to demonstrate brain correlates. In the first prospective longitudinal neuroimaging study of breast cancer (BC) patients we recently reported decreased gray matter density one month after chemotherapy completion, particularly in frontal regions. These findings ...

There is a need for cancer imaging to provide "real-time" information about the metabolic and cellular responses of tumours. Quantitative ultrasound techniques have recently been demonstrated to be a potential method of assessing tumour response at the cellular level. Anti-cancer treatments administered to xenograft-bearing mice consisted of radiotherapy and a ...

PURPOSE: To describe regional lung tissue density changes in normal lung tissue of patients with primary and metastatic lung tumors who received stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 179 post-SBRT follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans of 62 patients who received SBRT between 2003 and 2009 ...

Objective: To evaluate volumetric changes of parotid glands (PGs) during intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in head and neck cancer patients.Methods: During IMRT all patients underwent kilovolt (kV) cone beam CT (CBCT) scans to verify the set-up positioning in a protocol study. On each CBCT scan, the PGs were retrospectively contoured and ...

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether changes in attenuation and size of liver metastatic lesions of colorectal cancer at MDCT 1 month after (90)Y radioembolization treatment are predictive of response at FDG PET 3 months after treatment. Twenty patients with colorectal liver metastasis consecutively treated with (90)Y ...

Ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) particles are promising contrast media, especially for molecular and cellular imaging besides lymph node staging owing to their superior NMR efficacy, macrophage uptake and lymphotropic properties. The goal of the present prospective clinical work was to validate quantification of signal decrease on high-resolution T(2) -weighted ...

PURPOSE: To analyze dosimetric variables and outcomes after adaptive replanning of radiation therapy during concurrent high-dose protons and chemotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Nine of 44 patients with stage III NSCLC in a prospective phase II trial of concurrent paclitaxel/carboplatin with proton radiation ...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of children born with functional univentricular heart (UVH) and their prognosis presumably changed substantially in recent years. This is due to introduction of fetal echocardiography and potential termination of pregnancy (TOP) when UVH is diagnosed (UVH TOP), and to improvements in treatment. We aimed to explore changes ...

Single-frequency bioelectrical impedance (BI) has been used to measure extracellular fluid in the upper limbs. The purpose of the study was to evaluate BI's ability to detect and monitor upper limb changes in based upon the extent of various treatments and to assess its practicality. Patients with newly diagnosed breast ...

The treatment paradigm for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer has changed in recent years with the importance of histological subtyping for the choice of chemotherapy, and the use of molecular markers to select patients for targeted therapy. Maintenance therapy (MT) is another focus of interest. The potential benefit of MT for ...

A prospective study was made to seek for a convenient biomarker to predict progression of bone destruction (PBD) in early stages of rheumatoid arthritis (ERA). All participated patients had definite RA and their radiographic stages were mild less than stage II of the Steinbrocker classification, naïve for treatment of any ...

Treatment options of patients with advanced head and neck cancer developed in the last years. Surgical approaches with or without radiotherapy used to be the standard therapy for a long time. Calls for organ preservation, poor overall survival and unsatisfactory quality of life made changes in this therapy regime necessary. ...

The chemotherapies of FOLFOX (leucovorin + 5-fluorouracil + oxaliplatin) and FOLFIRI (folinic acid + 5-fluorouracil + irinotecan) are effective for a variety of malignant tumors. In particular, the sequential chemotherapy of FOLFOX/FOLFIRI has become the preferred post-operational treatment approach for gastrointestinal cancer and an important palliative care program for advanced cancer. However, the sequential chemotherapy of FOLFOX/FOLFIRI showed ...

This study examined the effects of copper exposure on embryonic development of Chinese toad, Bufo gargarizans. Firstly, the LC(50) values from 24 to 96h of exposure were 3.61×10(-6)M, by means of a 4d toxicity test with B. gargarizans embryos. Secondly, Chinese toad embryos were exposed to 10(-9)-10(-6)M copper from mid ...

OBJECTIVE: To describe the trends in the rate, treatment, and survival of late-stage vulvar carcinomas (LSVCs) over a 20-year period in the United States. METHODS: Demographic, pathologic, treatment, and survival data were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry between 1988 and 2007. Trends concerning the rate of ...

Quantitative imaging assessment of radiation therapy (RT) for diffuse low-grade gliomas (DLGG) by measuring the velocity of diametric expansion (VDE) over time has never been studied. We assessed the VDE changes following RT and determined whether this parameter can serve as a prognostic factor. We reviewed a consecutive series of ...

The morphologic changes seen in desmoid-type fibromatosis after radiotherapy have not been well studied, and the degree of cytologic atypia, cellularity, mitotic activity, and lesional necrosis found in desmoid-type fibromatosis treated with ionizing radiation has not been thoroughly assessed. Therefore, we evaluated a series of primary and locally recurrent desmoid-type ...

Abstract For children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the impact of obesity at diagnosis and weight change during induction on survival is uncertain. Objectives were to describe the relationship between obesity and weight change during induction on event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Participants were children 2-18 years old ...

PURPOSE: Positron emission tomography using 3'-deoxy-3'-[(18)F]fluorothymidine ([(18)F]FLT) has been suggested as a means for monitoring response to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of simplified uptake measures for assessing response to chemotherapy using [(18)F]FLT in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). PROCEDURES: Fifteen LABC patients underwent ...

We present the case of a 79-year-old female with symptomatic cavernous haemangioma of the liver. The patient had experienced progressive right lateral abdominal pain for years despite increased painkiller use. Surgical resection or transarterial embolisation was not recommended because of the patient's age, cardiovascular comorbidities and large tumour size. Therefore, ...

: Abdominoperineal excision of rectum has been associated with poor oncological specimens and high local recurrence rates in comparison with restorative surgery. The role of recent changes in operative position has yet to be evaluated. : This study aimed to determine whether a change in the perineal phase from the ...

A 16-year-old girl presented to our unit with crampy abdominal pain, change in bowel habit, a subjective impression of weight loss and a single episode of haematochezia. She was found to have a rectosigmoid adenocarcinoma and proceeded to laparoscopic anterior resection, whereupon peritoneal metastases were discovered. She received chemotherapy and ...

OBJECTIVES: Meningoencephalitis caused by Cryptococcus gattii is associated with significant morbidity and the need for aggressive therapy, and often necessitates neurosurgical intervention. We adapted a previously described murine model of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans to that caused by C. gattii. METHODS: Mice were inoculated intracranially with either C. ...

BACKGROUND: Identification of factors associated with decreased survival in dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) will allow more accurate prognosis. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is negatively associated with survival in dogs with DMVD. In human patients, multimarker strategies provide superior risk stratification compared with single markers. HYPOTHESIS: High-sensitivity ...

Previous reports have demonstrated that circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CEPs) are released in response to cytotoxic chemotherapy. We investigate the relationship between the kinetics of CEPs during one cycle of chemotherapy and the response to cytotoxic chemotherapy and prognostic impacts. Previously untreated patients (n=38) receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy for non-small cell ...

BACKGROUND: Incidence rates of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are increasing in many countries, though detailed information is scarce. OBJECTIVES: To describe detailed trends in incidence rates, relative survival and estimate mortality rates of SCC in the Netherlands. METHODS: Information on newly diagnosed SCC patients between 1989 and 2008 was ...

Objective: To comprehensively review the evidence for use of pre-treatment, post-treatment and changes in tumour glucose uptake that were assessed by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) early, during, or immediately after neoadjuvant chemotherapy/chemoradiation to predict prognosis of localised oesophagogastric junction (AEG) cancer.Methods: We searched for articles published in English; ...

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal meningitis and septicaemia. The ability of this organism to survive inside phagocytic cells is poorly understood but thought to be an important step for the establishment of disease in the host. Here we demonstrate that GBS show prolonged survival within ...

Phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity is a known feature of many cancers. Whether serum tumor marker kinds vary and change following chemotherapy is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a change in the expression of serum tumor markers following chemotherapy, and the potential clinical ...

OBJECTIVE: Age adjusted incidence rate for uterine cancers in Norway has increased over last three decades from 12.2/100.000 (1981-90) to 16.0 (2001-2010). Corresponding 5-year survival increased nationally from 76.3 to 83.3%. METHODS: We wanted to investigate how changes in therapeutic strategies during a 30-year period are reflected in survival changes ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In comparison to the conventional whole-prostate dose escalation, an integrated boost to the macroscopic malignant lesion might potentially improve tumor control rates without increasing toxicity. Quality of life after radiotherapy (RT) with vs. without 18F-choline PET-CT detected simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) was prospectively evaluated in this study. METHODS: ...

We evaluated associations of interstitial changes with radiation pneumonitis (RP) for patients treated with thoracic radiotherapy. Between 2005 and 2009, patients who received thoracic radiotherapy of 40 Gy or more for lung cancer or thymic tumors and were followed-up for more than 6 months were eligible for this study. Possible ...

Helical tomotherapy (HT) is a new image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the target volume and organs at risk (OARs) of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) during helical tomotherapy. Forty-three patients with NPC and treated via HT from March 2008 ...

Anaplastic pancreatic carcinoma (APC) is a rare, aggressive variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Surgery is the preferred treatment whenever possible, however APC is often unresectable at presentation and prognosis remains poor. We present a case of APC which showed a marked initial response to FOLFIRINOX with decreased size and increased ...

Chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity is a serious consequence of cancer treatment, which occurs with some of the most commonly used chemotherapies(1,2). Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy produces symptoms of numbness and paraesthesia in the limbs and may progress to difficulties with fine motor skills and walking, leading to functional impairment. In addition to producing ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether oocyte dysmorphisms affect oocyte survival rates in an egg-cryobanking donation program. METHODS: This study included 54 patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection. A total of 415 metaphase II oocytes were vitrified using the Cryotop method. Oocyte morphology was assessed immediately prior to oocyte vitrification under 400× magnification. ...

One of the mechanisms through which photodynamic therapy (PDT) is thought to elicit tumour destruction is by producing microvascular damage and obstruction of nutritive blood flow. The aim of this study was to directly monitor and quantify microcirculatory changes following tissue illumination by PDT for oral squamous cell carcinoma. Ten ...

Base tongue involvement is a rare presentation of lingual metastases from renal cell carcinoma. A 48-year-old gentleman was treated with open radical nephrectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy for Stage II Furhman grade I clear cell carcinoma of the left kidney at an outside hospital. He presented metachronously 5 years later with ...

Hemibagrus nemurus is a riverine catfish with high economic and nutritive values. Investigations on ovarian development of this fish were carried out to determine the mode of ovarian development and describe the oocyte developmental stages. Histological studies were done on ovaries using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Fish were ...

The evolution of modern human life history has involved substantial changes in the overall length of the subadult period, the introduction of a novel early childhood stage, and many changes in the initiation, termination, and character of the other stages. The fossil record is explored for evidence of this evolutionary ...

OBJECTIVE: To create a pool of frozen donated human oocytes and find the optimal stage for slow controlled-rate freezing of human in vitro matured oocytes. DESIGN: Oocytes at different developmental stages of maturation (germinal vesicle, metaphase I, or metaphase II) and oocytes that failed to fertilize after IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm ...

The droplet vitrification method was improved for maneuverability by embedding shoot tips in gelled droplets before osmoprotection. This newly modified cryopreserving method -gelled droplet vitrification - was compared with other PVS2-based cryopreservation methods using potato shoot tips. Survival rates of each cryogenic procedure held at 25 degree C were about ...

Facilitation of margin-negative resection is the goal of neoadjuvant therapy regimens used in the treatment of borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer patients. Multiple treatment approaches have shown efficacy in this setting, including neoadjuvant GTX (gemcitabine [Gemzar], docetaxel [Taxotere], and capecitabine [Xeloda]) and radiotherapy (RT). Three-dimensional tumor response may be a more accurate ...

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of cryo-storage duration in liquid nitrogen on oocyte cryo-survival, fertilization and embryonic development following vitrification and warming. METHODS: Mature mouse oocytes were vitrified with McGill Cryoleaf and stored in liquid nitrogen for a period of 8-10 days, 90-92 days and 180-182 days, respectively. After warming, the survived oocytes ...

BACKGROUND: Examination of at least 12 lymph nodes has been established as the standard of care for adequate staging of colon cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether surgeon fellowship training, patient body mass index (BMI), and surgical approach (open versus laparoscopic) are important factors associated with ...

We report a retrospective study of a novel regimen for neuroblastoma (NB) resistant to standard induction or salvage chemotherapy which now routinely includes topotecan. Forty-five patients received carboplatin (500 mg/m(2)/day, 2×)-irinotecan (50 mg/m(2)/day, 5×)-temozolomide (250 mg/m(2)/day, 5×) (HD-CIT). Only one course was planned. Patients with thrombocytopenia indicative of poor bone ...

The prognosis for recurrent or refractory brain tumors in children is poor with conventional therapies. Topotecan is a topoisomerase I inhibitor with good central nervous system (CNS) penetration following oral administration. Increased efficacy of topotecan has been demonstrated with prolonged low-dose daily treatment in pre-clinical models. To investigate further this ...

High-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell support remains a valuable treatment option for the rare patient population with relapsed Wilms' tumor. Here we report the case of a 22-year-old male patient treated with two cycles of high-dose chemotherapy at relapse after nephrectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy; the first cycle with melphalan--etoposide--carboplatin ...