Generation and Fates of Supernumerary Centrioles in Dividing Cells.

The centrosome is a subcellular organelle from which a cilium assembles. Since centrosomes function as spindle poles during mitosis, they have to be present as a pair in a cell. How the correct number of centrosomes is maintained in a cell has been a major issue in the fields of cell cycle and cancer biology. Centrioles, the core of centrosomes, assemble and segregate in close connection to the cell cycle. Abnormalities in centriole numbers are attributed to decoupling from cell cycle regulation. Interestingly, supernumerary centrioles are commonly observed in cancer cells. In this review, we discuss how supernumerary centrioles are generated in diverse cellular conditions. We also discuss how the cells cope with supernumerary centrioles during the cell cycle.

Clinical outcomes of mild hyperthermia for locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this report was to determine the impact of hyperthermia (HT) on preoperative radiochemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1996 and 2007, 235 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were treated with concurrent preoperative radiochemotherapy with or without HT. The total dose of radiotherapy was 39.6 Gy for 109 patients (group A) and 45 Gy for 126 patients (group B). Two or three cycles of chemotherapy were administered. Hyperthermia was given immediately after radiotherapy. RESULTS: In the HT subgroup of group A, more patients achieved down-staging of T stage when compared to the non-HT subgroup (57.9% versus 38%, p = 0.047). For the cN+ subgroup of all patients, the number of patients with ypN+ were significantly less in the HT subgroup (25% versus 50%, p = 0.022). In group A, HT appeared to reduce distant metastasis, increase disease-free survival, and improve overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: HT seemed to increase the response of both primary tumour and lymph nodes to preoperative radiochemotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The relationship between increased response by HT and survival should be confirmed by a large prospective randomised trial.

High-dose radiotherapy with intensity-modulated radiation therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: We report the results of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma who were not candidate for local ablative therapies, transarterial chemoembolization or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Between 2003 and 2008, 27 patients were treated with high-dose radiotherapy (median dose, 50.4 Gy). The equivalent sphere size of tumors was 11.4 ± 2.6 cm. Nineteen and 8 patients were Child-Pugh class A and B, respectively. Eighteen patients had thromboses in large veins. Six patients were treated with radiotherapy as the initial treatment modality, and 21 patients received other treatments before radiotherapy. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 44.4% (1 pathologic complete response and 11 partial responses). The primary failure pattern was intrahepatic disease progression. Until the last follow-up, the primary liver masses and vein thromboses did not progress in 63.6% and 60.0% of the patients, respectively. The median progression-free survival and overall survival after radiotherapy rate were 3 and 5 months, respectively. Based on univariate analyses, response, Child-Pugh classification, and vein thrombosis were significant factors for overall survival, and tumor response, tumor size, vein thrombosis, and multiplicity were significant factors for progression-free survival. Tumor response was the only significant prognostic factor for overall survival and progression-free survival based on multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy with intensity-modulated radiotherapy achieved a good response rate in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, and patients who had a good response lived longer than patients who did not have a good response.

Intraoperative radiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Although intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) is known to be a method that can reduce local recurrence in locally advanced colorectal cancer, it is not widely used. The aim of this study was to report our experience with IORT for locally advanced rectal cancer. METHODS: From 1991 to 1994, nine patients with locally advanced rectal cancer received IORT. External beam radiotherapy was given postoperatively in five patients and preoperatively in three. Seven patients received chemotherapy. IORT was done with 6-MeV or 9-MeV electrons, and 12 Gy was irradiated at the tumor bed. The median follow-up period was 84 months (range, 15 to 208 months). RESULTS: The median age of patients was 51 years (range, 42 to 73 years). All patients had advanced clinical T-stage (cT3/4) cancer. The overall and the disease-free survival rates were 66.7% and 66.7% at 5 years, respectively. One patient developed a local recurrence near the anastomosis site, which was out of the IORT field. Four patients died before the last follow-up; three from distant metastasis and one from secondary primary cancer. Adverse effects related to IORT did not occur. CONCLUSION: Although the number of patients was small in this study, IORT is thought to be safe and effective in reducing local recurrence in locally advanced rectal cancer. However, the role of IORT should be refined in the era of preoperative radio-chemotherapy followed by total mesorectal excision.

Expermental chemotherapeutic effects of niclofolan (Bayer 9015, Bilevon) on the animals infected with Paragonimus westermani or P. iloktsuenensis.

The new drug niclofolan (bayer 9015, Bilevon), 5,5'-dichloro-2,2'-dihydroxy-3, 3'-dinitrobiphenyl, has been used in the treatment of Paragonimus westermani in dogs and cats and P. iloktsuenensis in rats. It was proved that administration of daily dose of 1.0 mg/kg body weight for 3 days or in 2 doses of 2.0 mg/kg body weight by alternate days were evidently effective for the infected dogs, cats and rats with the lung flukes, and toxic manifestations were not found.