Long-Term Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Laser Ablation for Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma: Results of a 10-Year Retrospective Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the 10-year efficacy and safety of laser ablation (LA) for the treatment of solitary papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Methods: LA was performed on patients with low-risk PTMC (diagnosed using fine-needle aspiration cytology) who refused or were ineligible for surgery between 2008 and 2011. Ultrasonography was performed to evaluate the ablated volumes and potential recurrences on the day after the procedure, as well as at 1 week, 1, 3, and 6 months, and every 6 months thereafter for 10 years. Computed tomography (CT) with contrast enhancement and positron emission tomography/CT was performed to evaluate local recurrences and distant metastases. Results: A total of 90 PTMCs in 90 patients were treated in a single session of LA, and the procedure was well tolerated by the patients. The mean follow-up duration was 112 months. By 3-10 months after the LA, all the ablation areas had disappeared or presented as scars. The disappearance rate was 100% after 12 months. Thyroid hormone and autoantibody levels did not change significantly after the treatment. Three patients experienced transient voice changes, but each recovered within 1 month. Additional PTMC foci were subsequently detected in previously untreated areas in five patients (5.5%) 17-56 months after the treatment. A metastatic lymph node was detected in one patient (1.1%) within two months of the treatment; however, it was determined to be an undetected cancer metastasis, rather than a recurrence. All the patients with recurrence underwent surgery, and there were no instances of recurrence after >5 years. Conclusions: LA is effective and safe for the treatment of low-risk PTMCs. A thorough examination of multifocality and lymph node metastasis status is required before considering LA treatment.

[Effects of TNF-alpha on angiogenesis in CT-26 mouse colon carcinoma homograft model].

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) exerts its anti-tumor effect through direct cytotoxicity on tumor cells and damage to the tumor vasculature. However, its role in tumor angiogenesis is controversial. We evaluated the angiogenic effect of TNF-alpha on BALB/c mouse colon carcinoma homograft model. METHODS: Ten BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with CT-26 mouse colon carcinoma cells. After a week, recombinant mouse TNF-alpha (2 microg/mL) were given four times on every other day to five animals and the same volume of phosphate buffered saline was given at the same interval to five animals as control. Harvested tumor tissues were stained by immunohistochemistry with CD31 and VEGF antibodies. Number of microvessels and VEGF expression were counted by light microscope. RESULTS: The mean microvessel counts per 200x field of TNF-alpha treated animals were 70.2+/-7.8 and those of nontreated animals were 83.8+/-8.3 (p<0.05). The VEGF score of both groups were 3. CONCLUSIONS: TNF-alpha treated animals showed decreased microvessel counts in tumor tissue but VEGF expression in both groups showed no difference. Therefore, TNF-alpha showed antiangiogenic effects on colon carcinoma homograft model.

Intestinal type cholangiocarcinoma of intrahepatic large bile duct associated with hepatolithiasis--a new histologic subtype for further investigation.

Intestinal metaplasia is regarded as a possible predisposing factor of cancer, particularly of the intestinal type adenocarcinoma. The clinicopathologic features of intestinal type adenocarcinoma have been well documented in the stomach, and intestinal metaplasia and intestinal type adenocarcinoma has also been reported in the gallbladder. However, regarding the intrahepatic bile ducts, the clinicopathologic features are not yet clear and there have been no reports in English literature on intestinal type intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. We report a case of intestinal type cholangiocarcinoma associated with hepatolithiasis in the large intrahepatic bile duct. The tumor showed mainly intraductal papillary growth primarily composed of absorptive columnar cells. Particularly, Paneth cell metaplasia of carcinoma cells was widespread, and goblet cells and neuroendocrine cells were also observed in the carcinoma tissue, to a varied degree. It showed an intraluminal spread along the dilated intrahepatic ducts with minimal ductal stromal invasion. In the vicinity of the tumor, intestinal metaplasia was also identified in the adjacent hyperplastic and dysplastic bile duct epithelium. Some bile ducts contained stones and the mural glands of the bile ducts showed hyperplastic change secondary to stones. This case is considered to provide the evidence supporting the concept of the metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence via intestinal metaplasia in the stone-containing intrahepatic bile ducts.