Palonosetron versus granisetron in combination with aprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients with gynecologic cancer / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: There is no research regarding the appropriate antiemetic agents for female patients, especially those receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC). We evaluated the antiemetic efficacy of a combination of 5-HT3 receptor with/without aprepitant in patients with gynecological cancer treated with the TC (paclitaxel and carboplatin) regimen of MEC. METHODS: We enrolled 38 patients diagnosed with gynecologic cancer and scheduled to receive the TC regimen. The patients were randomly assigned to receive a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, either palonosetron in the first cycle followed by granisetron in the second cycle or vice versa. In the third cycle, all patients received a combination of the 5-HT3 receptor and dexamethasone with/without aprepitant. RESULTS: When three drugs were administered, palonosetron consistently produced an equivalent complete response (CR) rate to granisetron in the acute phase (89.5% vs. 86.8%, p=0.87) and delayed phase (60.5% vs. 65.8%, p=0.79). With regard to the change in dietary intake, palonosetron exhibited similar efficacy to granisetron in the acute phase (92.1% vs. 89.4%, p=0.19) and delayed phase (65.7% vs. 68.4%, p=0.14). However, in the delayed phase, the addition of aprepitant therapy with a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and dexamethasone produced a higher CR rate than a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist with dexamethasone (93.3% vs. 47.8%, p<0.001) and allowed the patients to maintain a higher level of dietary intake (93.3% vs. 56.5%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The addition of aprepitant therapy was more effective than the control therapy of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, and dexamethasone in gynecological cancer patients treated with the TC regimen.

Pulmonary Metastases After Low-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy for Localized Prostate Cancer

PURPOSE: To analyze unusual events and focus discussion on pulmonary metastasis in particular after low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT) for prostate cancer (PCa). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 616 consecutive patients who had undergone LDR-BT for clinically localized PCa at Jikei University Hospital between October 2003 and April 2010 were enrolled in this study. Follow-up information was summarized, and patterns of biochemical recurrence and clinical outcome were investigated. RESULTS: Disease risk was stratified as low-risk in 231 patients, intermediate-risk in 365, and high-risk in 20, respectively. Of these patients, 269 (43.7%) had received hormonal therapy (HT) in combination with LDR-BT, and 80 (13.0%) had received external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Average dosimetric parameter values with and without EBRT were 95.3% and 94.2% for V100, 132.8 Gy and 164.2 Gy for D90, and 180.6 Gy2 and 173.7 Gy2 for the biologically effective dose. Biochemical recurrence was noted in 14 patients (6.1%) in the low-risk group, 25 patients (6.8%) in the intermediate-risk group, and 6 patients (30.0%) in the high-risk group, respectively. In these cases of biochemical recurrence, 9 (64.3%), 13 (52.0%), and 4 patients (66.7%) in each respective risk group showed signs of clinical recurrence. Five patients (19.2%) with clinical recurrence developed pulmonary metastases, of which 4 were isolated lesions. All tumors responded favorably to subsequent HT. CONCLUSIONS: LDR-BT for biologically aggressive PCa may be linked to possible pulmonary metastasis owing to tumor dissemination during seed implantation. This information is important in planning adequate treatment for these patients.

Anticancer Efficacy of Concurrent Capecitabine and Radiation Therapy for Cervical Adenocarcinoma in Nude Mice / 中国医科大学学报

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of the new plan of concurrent capecitabine (CAP) and radiation therapy for hu-man cervical adenocarcinoma in nude mice. Methods The nude mice were injected with CAC-1 cells for the modelization of cervical ade-nocarcinoma. Before treatment,all mice with tumors were randomly divided into control group,CAP group,5-FU group,radiation group,CAP+ radiation group,5-FU+radiation group. According to the tumor size,mice were furtherly divided into large-size and small-size groups in the control group,CAP group,radiation group, CAP+radiation group. The change of tumor size,tumor growth percentage and the delay time of tu-mor growth were evaluated. Results The therapeutic effect of combining 2/3MTD CAP with 6 Gy radiation or fractionation 2 Gy × 8 times radiation was better than that of the control group,chemotherapy group and the radiation group. The difference was significant (P < 0.05). The restraint effect of the combining 2/3MTD CAP with 6 Gy radiotherapy was better than that of the combining 2/3MTD 5-FU with 6 Gy radiotherapy. Combining 2/3MTD CAP with fractionation 2 Gyx8 times radiation therapy was more efficient than Combining 2/3MTD CAP with fractionation 6 Gy radiation therapy. In combining therapy groups,the response of large-size tumors was more significant than that of the small-size tumors (P < 0.05),which had almost no obvious response. Conclusion Concurrent CAP and radiation therapy has obvious restraint effect on CAC-1 cervix adenocarcinoma in nude mice. The CAP and radiation therapy can promote the therapeutic effect to each oth-er. The therapeautic effect of the concurrent CAP and radiation therapy is affected by the radiation dose, radiation method and the tumor size.

Urinary Bisphenol-A Concentration in Infertile Japanese Women and Its Association with Endometriosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: Bisphenol A (BPA), a raw material commonly used in the manufacture of resins such as polycarbonate and epoxy, is a possible xenoestrogen that is hypothesized to disrupt the human endocrine system. Humans are widely exposed to BPA. We investigated the urinary concentration of BPA in infertile Japanese women and its possible association with endometriosis. Materials and Methods: We recruited 166 women (aged 20–45) who had complained of infertility and visited a university hospital in Tokyo. The subjects were interviewed and their urine samples were obtained prior to a laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis between January 2000 and December 2001. Urinary total BPA concentration in 140 eligible urine samples was then measured using enzymatic deconjugation of glucuronide and sulfate and high-performance liquid chromatography isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Results: Median (25th–75th percentile) unadjusted and creatinine-adjusted urinary BPA concentrations were 1.6 (0.69–2.8) μg/L and 0.80 (0.45–1.3) μg/g creatinine. No significant monotonic association of endometriosis with urinary BPA concentration was observed. Median urinary BPA concentration in women with stage 0–I endometriosis (0.74 μg/g creatinine) did not significantly differ from that in those with stage II–IV endometriosis (0.93 μg/g creatinine) (p for difference=0.24). Conclusions: This study, based on a larger number of samples than those in previous studies in Japan and using the most reliable analytical method currently available, showed that urinary concentrations of BPA in women who consulted a physician for infertility were not higher than those in other populations. Moreover, no association between urinary BPA concentration and endometriosis was found in this cross-sectional study.

Urinary bisphenol-A concentration in infertile Japanese women and its association with endometriosis: A cross-sectional study

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>Bisphenol A (BPA), a raw material commonly used in the manufacture of resins such as polycarbonate and epoxy, is a possible xenoestrogen that is hypothesized to disrupt the human endocrine system. Humans are widely exposed to BPA. We investigated the urinary concentration of BPA in infertile Japanese women and its possible association with endometriosis.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>We recruited 166 women (aged 20-45) who had complained of infertility and visited a university hospital in Tokyo. The subjects were interviewed and their urine samples were obtained prior to a laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis between January 2000 and December 2001. Urinary total BPA concentration in 140 eligible urine samples was then measured using enzymatic deconjugation of glucuronide and sulfate and high-performance liquid chromatography isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Median (25th-75th percentile) unadjusted and creatinine-adjusted urinary BPA concentrations were 1.6 (0.69-2.8) μg/L and 0.80 (0.45-1.3) μg/g creatinine. No significant monotonic association of endometriosis with urinary BPA concentration was observed. Median urinary BPA concentration in women with stage 0-1 endometriosis (0.74 μg/g creatinine) did not significantly differ from that in those with stage II-IV endometriosis (0.93 μg/g creatinine) (p for difference=0.24).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study, based on a larger number of samples than those in previous studies in Japan and using the most reliable analytical method currently available, showed that urinary concentrations of BPA in women who consulted a physician for infertility were not higher than those in other populations. Moreover, no association between urinary BPA concentration and endometriosis was found in this cross-sectional study.</p>

MORPHOLOGICAL AND STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROTATOR CUFF AND DELTOID MUSCLES IN COLLEGIATE BASEBALL PLAYERS / 体力科学

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a shoulder injury on rotator cuff muscle thickness and shoulder muscle strength in baseball players. Based on orthopedic medical checks performed by a doctor for 57 male collegiate baseball players, two groups, the pain-free normal group (NOR group, n=19) and the impingement test positive group (IMP group, n=17) volunteered to participate in the study. Muscle thickness of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus and posterior deltoid muscles was measured bilaterally using a B-mode ultrasound apparatus (SSD-500, Aloka) with a 5-MHz transducer. Isometric shoulder abduction strength was measured bilaterally with a hand-held dynamometer in the sitting position with the arm at 45 degrees abduction, and shoulder external and internal rotation strength were measured bilaterally with an isokinetic dynamometer in the sitting position with the upper arm at 90 degrees abduction.<BR>When the two groups were compared, the NOR group showed significantly greater values on the dominant side than on the non-dominant side for muscle thickness of the posterior deltoid. However, the IMP group showed significantly greater values on the non-dominant side than on the dominant side of muscle thickness of the supraspinatus, the muscle strength with the abduction and external rotation (300 deg/sec) and external internal rotation strength ratio (180 deg/sec) .<BR>Also, the IMP group had a significantly weaker dominant/non-dominant ratio of supraspinatus muscle thickness (p<0.05) and abduction strength than the NOR group (p<0.01) .<BR>These results suggest that baseball players with positive impingement show both a morphological and functional decline in the supraspinatus muscle. The dominant side supraspinatus weakness observed in the IMP group of this study may reflect muscle atrophy and chronic fatigue.

The History of Dai-kenchu-to and the Component Crude Drugs / 日本東洋医学雑誌

A Kampo medicine, Dai-kenchu-to, has been used clinically for treatments of various ailments such as vomiting, stomachache, and abnormal intestinal peristalsis caused by abdominal chill. Recently, it is often used to prevent intestinal obstruction after abdominal operations. We searched ancient Chinese and Japanese medical texts for the indications and pharmacological characteristics of Dai-kenchu-to and its constituent herbs (<i>Zanthoxylum</i> fruit, dried Ginger rhizome, Ginseng root, and Malt sugar). We clarified the applications and the cautions of Dai-kenchu-to in this paper. Dai-kenchu-to has rarely been used in China. However, it was often used for the remedy of severe abdominal pain caused by chilling, worm-ileus and hernia in the medieval period of the Edo era in Japan. For these reasons, evidence is considered as described below. i) Japanese people did not have the habit of eating meat in those days. ii) Japanese people used to drink a lot of water. iii) Severe abdominal pain occurred frequently due to wearing traditional Japanese clothing, which does not protect well against cold. iv) Abdominal diagnosis was advanced in Kampo medical methods. We found two precautions in the ancient Japanese medical texts. One is that a purgative should be avoided when used in an applicable case of Dai-kenchu-to. The other is that Dai-kenchu-to should not be given in the case of high fever. It is supposed that the botanical origins and processing of the four herbs used in the medieval period of the Edo era are the same as those of today. Our findings suggest that the pharmacological contribution of the four herbs in Dai-kenchu-to is mainly due to <i>Zanthoxylum</i> fruit and dried Ginger rhizome, and that Ginseng root and Malt sugar harmonize between the condition of patient and the pharmacological action of <i>Zanthoxylum</i> fruit and dried Ginger rhizome.