As breast cancer screening rates increase, smaller and more numerous lesions are being identified earlier, leading to more breast-conserving surgical procedures. Achieving a clean surgical margin represents a technical challenge with important clinical implications. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is introduced as an intraoperative high-resolution imaging technique that assesses surgical breast tumor margins by providing real-time microscopic images up to 2 mm beneath the tissue surface. In a study of 37 patients split between training and study groups, OCT images covering 1 cm 2 regions were acquired from surgical margins of lumpectomy specimens, registered with ink, and correlated with corresponding histologic sections. A 17-patient training set used to establish standard imaging protocols and OCT evaluation criteria showed that areas of higher scattering tissue with a heterogeneous pattern were indicative of tumor cells and tumor tissue in contrast to lower scattering adipocytes found in normal breast tissue. The remaining 20 patients were enrolled into the feasibility study. Of these lumpectomy specimens, 11 were identified with a positive or close surgical margin and 9 were identified with a negative margin under OCT. Based on histologic findings, 9 true positives, 9 true negatives, 2 false positives, and 0 false negatives were found, yielding a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 82%. These results show the potential of OCT as a real-time method for intraoperative margin assessment in breast-conserving surgeries. [Cancer Res 2009;69(22):8790-6]

Purpose This pilot trial sought to investigate whether any of three doses of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) might help cancer-related fatigue. A secondary aim was to evaluate toxicity. Methods Eligible adults with cancer were randomized in a double-blind manner, to receive American ginseng in doses of 750, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/day or placebo given in twice daily dosing over 8 weeks. Outcome measures included the Brief Fatigue Inventory, vitality subscale of the Medical Outcome Scale Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the Global Impression of Benefit Scale at 4 and 8 weeks. Results Two hundred ninety patients were accrued to this trial. Nonsignificant trends for all outcomes were seen in favor of the 1,000- and 2,000-mg/day doses of American ginseng. Area under the curve analysis of activity interference from the Brief Fatigue Inventory was 460–467 in the placebo group and 750 mg/day group versus 480–551 in the 1,000- and 2,000-mg/day arms, respectively. Change from baseline in the vitality subscale of the SF-36 was 7.3– 7.8 in the placebo and the 750-mg/day arm, versus 10.5– 14.6 in the 1,000- and 2,000-mg/day arms. Over twice as many patients on ginseng perceived a benefit and were satisfied with treatment over those on placebo. There were no significant differences in any measured toxicities between any of the arms. Conclusion There appears to be some activity and tolerable toxicity at 1,000–2,000 mg/day doses of American ginseng with regard to cancer-related fatigue. Thus, further study of American ginseng is warranted.

NCT 041857.

Several studies have been made of the oxidation of C, compounds by microorganisms grown on such compounds as sole source of carbon. In some cases, rather different results have been obtained by different workers. Kaneda & Roxburgh (1959) obtained evidence for an NAD+-linked methanol dehydrogenase in methanol-grown Pseudomonas PRL-W 4, whereas neither Harrington & Kallio (1960) nor Anthony & Zatman (1963) found such an enzyme in methanol-grown Pseudomonas methanica or Pseudlomonas sp. M 27 respectively. Instead, Harrington & Kallio (1960) suggested that methanol was oxidized by P. methanica '...via a catalaselinked peroxidase to formaldehyde which in turn is oxidized by a substrate specific aldehyde dehydrogenase requiring NADI and GSH.. . '. Anthony & Zatman (1963) showed by inhibitor experiments that methanol oxidation by Pseudomonas sp. M 27 was independent of catalase and instead found a methanol dehydrogenase that could be linked to phenazine methosulphate. It is somewhat unexpected that such closely similar bacteria should display different oxidation pathways for methanol, and to furnish further information on this question we present below a study of the oxidation of C1 compounds by methanol-grown Pseudomonas AM 1 and a comparative study of the oxidation of C1 compounds by three other types of bacteria. MATERIALS AND METHODS Growth of the organisMs. Pseudomonas AM 1 was grown on methanol as described by Peel & Quayle (1961). The same medium was used for the growth of Pseudomonas extorquens (Bassalik, 1913) and Protaminobacter ruber