Laparoscopy is the method of choice for surgeons experienced in EAP resection because it is feasible and reproducible with appropriate preoperative planning, similar to LAP.

Purpose: Retroperitoneal neural tumor (RNT) is rarely excised laparoscopically, and the laparoscopic management of RNT remains controversial. We herein report 4 cases of laparoscopic excision of RNT that resulted in diverse clinical outcomes. Patients and Methods: Between August 2005 and January 2011, we performed laparoscopic excision of RNT in 4 patients. The mean tumor size was 4.5 cm. The mean operative time was 297 minutes and the mean amount of blood loss was 55 ml. The surgeries were uneventful, with no operative complications or evidence of intra-abdominal bleeding. However, 2 patients required reoperation for delayed hemorrhage and urinoma formation, respectively. Results: The postoperative pathological diagnoses were schwannoma in 3 patients and ganglioneuroblastoma in 1 patient. All patients were well with no signs of peripheral neuropathy or radiculopathy, and CT and/or ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT performed during follow-up indicated no evidence of disease. Conclusions: Obtaining extensive preoperative knowledge of the source neural and vascular anatomy of the tumor is important for the surgical planning of laparoscopic resection of RNT. When a great deal of care is taken to divide the tumor and the source nerves and vital vessels, safe execution of RNT can be achieved for minimal postoperative mortality and morbidity.

This study is motivating to engage in in vivo research with various cancer types as a step toward clinical applicability and is emphasizing on the importance of developing therapeutic protocols for setting LIU parameters with respect to other therapeutic conditions.

A promoter library was developed that is composed of DNA fragments constructed by randomly elongating the cis-acting elements of transcription factors presumably activated in prostate cancer by radiation, and linking to the TATA-box sequence. One promoter with the strongest reactivity to X-ray in the LNCap cells of the library was chosen and improved by the introduction of random mutations. The resultant promoter was designated clone 880-8, showing the highest dose-dependent activity enhancement with X-ray irradiation (X-irradiation). A recombinant retrovirus expressing the luciferase gene under the control of clone 880-8 was infected into LNCap cells that showed 9.12±0.36-fold enhancement of luciferase activity 12 h after X-irradiation at 10 Gy. When the infected cells were inoculated onto nude mice, enhancement of luciferase expression was 4.27 ± 1.36-fold 12 h after X-irradiation at 10 Gy. When LNCap was infected with another recombinant carrying the fcy::fur gene downstream from clone 880-8, fcy::fur expression was enhanced by X-irradiation. It was also shown to increase the dosedependent cell killing ratio with 5-FC as compared with a counterpart without X-irradiation. These results suggest that the method used in this study is effective to construct a promoter responsive to stimulation. Such promoters can be used for stimulation-controlled gene therapies.

No abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the early quality of life outcomes in prostate cancer patients managed by high-dose-rate brachytherapy as monotherapy. Methods: A total of 51 patients with cT1c-T3aN0M0 prostate cancer treated between July 2007 and January 2010 were included in this study. The average age was 69 years, and the average initial serum prostate-specific antigen was 10.98 ng/mL. A total of 25, 18 and eight patients were considered to be low, intermediate and high risk, respectively. All patients received one implant of Ir-192 and seven fractions of 6.5 Gy within 3.5 days for a total prescribed dose of 45.5 Gy. For high-risk prostate cancer, neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy was carried out for at least 6 months, and continued after high-dose-rate brachytherapy. Quality of life outcomes were measured by using the International Prostate Symptom Score, the Functional Assessment of Cancer TherapyProstate and the International Index of Erectile Function Questionnaire. The oncological outcome was assessed by serum prostate-specific antigen and diagnostic imaging. Adverse events were also recorded. Results: The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate scores decreased for a few months after high-dose-rate brachytherapy, and recovered to pretreatment condition thereafter. The International Prostate Symptom Score significantly increased 2 weeks after treatment for each of its items and their sum, and it returned to baseline after 12 weeks. Sexual function decreased at 2 and 4 weeks, and recovered after 12 weeks. Severe complications were rare. Within a median follow up of 17.2 months, two patients showed a prostate-specific antigen recurrence. Conclusions: High-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer is a feasible treatment modality with acceptable toxicity and only a limited impact on the quality of life.

Abstract. Saturation prostate biopsy protocols have been developed to improve the prostate cancer (PCa) detection rate, particularly in the setting of repeat biopsies. The present study attempted to clarify the association between PCa detection and various risk factors in repeat saturation biopsies.

We previously developed artificial promoters that were activated in response to X-ray irradiation. Sonication with 1.0MHz ultrasound that causes intracellular oxidative stress was found to activate some of these promoters though to lesser degrees. The most sensitive one among these promoters showed intensity- and duration-dependent activations by sonication. In addition, its activation by sonication was attenuated when N-acetyl cysteine was present, suggesting the involvement of intracellular oxidative stress in the activation mechanism. Improved promoters for sensitivity to X-ray irradiation were also found more sensitive to sonication. The most improved one showed 6.0 fold enhancement after sonication with 1.0MHz ultrasound at 1.0W/cm2 for 60s. This enhancement was also attenuated with the presence of N-acetyl cysteine. When stably transfected HeLa cells with the most sensitive promoter were transplanted on to mice and sonicated, luciferase activity by the promoter increased to 1.35 fold in average though it was not statistically significant compared to control. Although gene regulation in vivo by sonication was not clear, this is the first report on artificially constructed promoters responsive to ultrasound.