Prostate-specific antigen adjusted for total prostatic tumor volume as a predictor for outcome after radical prostatectomy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential prognostic value of preoperative serum prostate-specific antigen levels adjusted for total tumor volume (PSA-TTV density) for outcome following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer by retrospective review in 268 patients. Lower PSA-TTV density was not only associated with a significantly higher risk for biological failure (bF), systemic failure and cancer death but also an independent predictor for bF (hazard ratio, 6.3). Therefore, these data suggest that there are subsets of prostate cancer with lower PSA secretion levels, and this phenotype is associated with a higher risk of failure after surgery.

Growth inhibition efficacy of an adenovirus expressing dual therapeutic genes, wild-type p53, and anti-erbB2 ribozyme, against human bladder cancer cells.

The altered expression of both p53 and erbB2 is strongly related to the disease status and the outcome of bladder cancers. We examined the antitumor efficacy by the modulation of these genetic alterations with a newly designed dual-gene-expressing adenovirus (Ad-p53/erbB2Rz), which expresses p53 and anti-erbB2 ribozyme simultaneously in human bladder cancer cells. Cell growth inhibition efficacy along with biological responses of this virus was compared with other viral vectors (Ad-p53, which expresses wild-type p53 cDNA, and Ad-erbB2Rz, which expresses anti-erbB2 ribozyme, solely or in combination). Sufficient transgene expression in targeted cells and the altered expression of the targeted genes and their encoded proteins were obtained by each therapeutic vector. Each of the three therapeutic viral vectors inhibited bladder cancer cell growth, and the putative additive antitumor effect was shown by the combination of two of the therapeutic vectors. Furthermore, Ad-p53/erbB2Rz had superior therapeutic efficacy when the same titers of viruses were infected. Nonspecific vector-related toxicity was minimized by reducing the total amount of viral titers by using the dual-gene-expressing adenovirus. Modulation of multiple genetic abnormalities might enhance the therapeutic efficacy, and vector-related toxicity could be minimized when the total amount of viral titers are reduced.

Proteome analysis of prostate cancer.

In this paper, we briefly review cancer proteomics in general, with particular attention to our proteome analyses of prostate cancer. Our efforts include development of new tools and novel approaches to discovering proteins potentially useful as cancer diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers or as therapeutic targets. To this end, we analyzed prostate cancer proteomes using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis employing agarose gels for the initial isoelectric focusing step (agarose 2-DE), with mass spectrometry used for protein identification. Agarose 2-DE offers advantages over the more widely used immobilized pH gradient 2-DE for separating high molecular mass proteins (15-500 kDa), thereby increasing its power to detect changes in the cancer's high-molecular mass proteomes.

[A case of gastrointestinal stromal tumor of rectum, difficult to differentiate from leiomyosarcoma of prostate].

A 70 year-old male was seen at the hospital with the chief complaints of frequent miction and incomplete urinary retention. A hen's egg-sized firm mass was palpable in anterior wall of rectum by digital rectal examination. Intravenous urography showed severe bilateral hydronephroureter. Transrectal ultrasound, CT scan and MRI revealed a mass with 5 cm in diameter between prostate and rectum, and the margin of them were unclear. On needle biopsy of the tumor, leiomyosarcoma of the prostate was suspected. We performed radical cytectomy and created continent urinary reserver. Because the tumor and rectum could not be lysed, part of the rectum was resected. Histological examination showed gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) of rectum. GIST of rectum is a rare entity, and in case of contact with the prostate, it is difficult to differentiate from leiomyosarcoma of prostate.

[Intraperitoneal dissemination of testicular tumor: a case report].

A 42-year-old male presented with bilateral scrotal swelling and sense of abdominal fullness. Ultrasonography and computed tomographic (CT) scan showed right testicular tumor, left scrotal hydrocele and excessive ascites, but no distant metastases. The serum lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) value was as high as 4,060 IU/L and beta human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) value was 4.0 ng/ml while alpha fetoprotein (AFP) value was within the normal range. Right high orchiectomy was performed as well as the ascites and the left scrotal fluid sampling. Histological examinations revealed anaplastic seminoma in the right testis, and similar cells were found in the ascites and the left scrotal fluid. The patient received three courses of BEP chemotherapy consisting of bleomycin, VP-16 and cisplatin. The ascites and tumor markers (LDH and beta hCG) decreased markedly. Intraperitoneal dissemination of the tumor cells seems to be caused by invasion along the right spermatic cord, but the route of dissemination into the left hydrocele fluid is not known. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of testicular tumor that showed intraperitoneal dissemination without any evidence of metastasis to the lymph nodes or distant organs.