[A recurrent case of lipid-secreting carcinoma of the breast successfully treated with capecitabine].

We herein report a recurrent case of lipid-secreting carcinoma of the breast which was successfully treated with capecitabine. A 50-year-old female underwent a pectoralis-preserving mastectomy for left breast cancer in December 2002. The clinical staging of the disease was T2N1M0 (stage II B) and ER (-), PgR(-), HER2 (1+). Microscopic examinations revealed solid alveolar proliferation in the majority of the tumor cells, which had an abundant foamy cytoplasm. A variable amount of neutral lipid was also identified in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells by Sudan III staining. After the operation, the patient received two courses of systemic chemotherapy using docetaxel (60 mg/m(2)). In March 2004, she was diagnosed to have a recurrence in the thoracic wall. She received radiotherapy (total 50 Gy radiation), but it proved to be ineffective. In June 2004, treatment using capecitabine (2,400 mg/day) was therefore attempted. Two courses of the treatment resulted in a complete response of the tumor. The above patient has since continued to show a complete response with capecitabine for over 3.5 years.

[Two cases of non-curatively resected scirrhous gastric cancer that responded well to weekly paclitaxel therapy].

We report 2 cases in which the weekly administration of paclitaxel proved to be effective for patients with scirrhous gastric cancer who underwent a curability C operation. Weekly paclitaxel therapy was observed to effectively treat peritoneal and retroperitoneal dissemination. After this treatment the tumor markers decreased markedly. This weekly paclitaxel therapy was observed to cause no adverse effects, and thanks to the treatment the patients were able to consume normal meals. These patients could also be sufficiently treated as outpatients. Weekly paclitaxel therapy is thus considered to be effective for the treatment of advanced scirrhous gastric cancer with peritoneal and retroperitoneal dissemination.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Surgery in Patients with Cardiac and Renal Complications: Retrograde Anastomosis Using a Ringed Y-graft.

When performing high-risk abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), aortic cross-clamp time was reduced to a mean of 9 minutes by performing retrograde anastomosis using a ringed Y-graft (RYG). Retrograde anastomosis with RYG was performed in nine patients, (eight men and one woman) with a mean age of 74 years (range: 65-82 years). Three patients had angina pectoris and chronic renal failure, two had angina pectoris, one had thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm and chronic renal failure, one had renal failure, one had aortic regurgitation, and one had aortic stenosis. First, the right common, external, and internal iliac arteries were clamped, then, the right limb of the graft was anastomosed to the common iliac artery or external iliac artery. Next, the aorta and left common iliac artery were clamped, and a longitudinal incision was made in the aneurysm. The proximal end of the RYG was inserted into the aorta and blood flow was resumed. Finally, the left limb of the graft was anastomosed to the left common iliac artery or external iliac artery. The mean aortic cross-clamp time was 9 minutes (range: 8-18 minutes). There were no cardiac complications during surgery. The mean operating time was 3:34 hours (range: 3:05-4:35 hours), and the blood loss averaged 1156 ml (range: 200-2000 ml). None of the patients developed postoperative complications and all of them have remained well after discharge. Retrograde anastomosis using RYG is one type of surgery that could be used in cases of high-risk patients with AAA.