The short-term safety and efficacy of TANDEM microspheres of various sizes and doxorubicin loading concentrations for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.

Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) is the most common treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the effect of drug loading concentration and microsphere size on treatment outcomes remains unclear. This retrospective study compares the outcomes of 87 HCC patients who underwent DEB-TACE with half-loaded or full-loaded doxorubicin (maximum capacity 50 mg/mL) in 75-µm or 100-µm microspheres. Treatment with 100-µm microspheres resulted in significantly lower rates of procedure-related complications (6.6% vs. 26.9%; P < 0.05), post-embolization syndrome (32.8% vs. 61.5%, P < 0.05), SIR complications (32.8% vs. 61.5%; P < 0.01) and adverse events involving abdominal pain (19.7% vs. 42.3%; P < 0.05). Half-load doxorubicin microspheres resulted in greater treatment response (OR, 4.00; 95% CI 1.06-15.13; P, 0.041) and shorter hospital stays (OR, - 1.72; 95% CI - 2.77-0.68; P, 0.001) than did microspheres loaded to full capacity. Stratified analysis further showed that patients treated with 100-µm half-load doxorubicin microspheres had a higher CR (63.6% vs 18.0%) and ORR (90.9 vs 54.0%) and a shorter hospital stay (1.6 ± 1.3 vs 4.2 ± 2.3 days) than did those treated with full-load microspheres (P < 0.05). Thus, the drug-loading concentration of microspheres in DEB-TACE should be carefully considered.

Immunoprevention of human papillomavirus-associated malignancies.

Persistent infection by one of 15 high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) types is a necessary but not sufficient cause of 5% of all human cancers. This provides a remarkable opportunity for cancer prevention via immunization. Since Harald zur Hausen's pioneering identification of hrHPV types 16 and 18, found in approximately 50% and 20% of cervical cancers, respectively, two prophylactic HPV vaccines containing virus-like particles (VLP) of each genotype have been widely licensed. These vaccines are beginning to affect infection and HPV-associated neoplasia rates after immunization campaigns in adolescents. Here, we review recent progress and opportunities to better prevent HPV-associated cancers, including broadening immune protection to cover all hrHPV types, reducing the cost of HPV vaccines especially for developing countries that have the highest rates of cervical cancer, and immune-based treatment of established HPV infections. Screening based upon George Papanicolaou's cervical cytology testing, and more recently detection of hrHPV DNA/RNA, followed by ablative treatment of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2/3) have substantially reduced cervical cancer rates, and we examine their interplay with immune-based modalities for the prevention and eventual elimination of cervical cancer and other HPV-related malignancies.

Symptomatic mesentery Castleman disease mimicking a pancreatic tumor.

Castleman disease (CD) is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology. It can be localized or multicentric. There are two major histological variants. The hyaline-vascular type predominates in the thorax and the mesenteric disease is usually of the plasma cell type. Hyaline-vascular CD of the mesentery is very rare. We report such a neoplasm of mesenteric root in a 38-year-old woman who presented with abdominal discomfort. Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of CD has rarely been reported previously. The imaging findings of CD on computed tomograms, MR images and angiograms were described.

Pseudoaneurysm of the deep circumflex iliac artery: a rare complication at an anterior iliac bone graft donor site treated by coil embolization.

Pseudoaneurysm formation of the deep circumflex iliac artery (DCIA) after harvesting an anterior iliac bone graft for spinal fusion is reported herein. A 76-year-old man with cervical myelopathy underwent anterior cervical decompression and fusion with a left anterior iliac bone graft. A painful left inguinal mass was noted 1 month later. He was admitted to our emergency ward. Angiography of the left external iliac artery was performed which showed a pseudoaneurysm of the DCIA. Selective transarterial coil embolization of the artery was performed, and bleeding was arrested. In a review of the previous literature, only 1 pseudoaneurysm of the DCIA was reported to be associated with anterior iliac bone graft. In conclusion, vascular injury after anterior iliac bone harvesting is rare but can occur. Selective transarterial coil embolization is a prompt and effective solution.