We posed six clinical questions (CQ) on preoperative biliary drainage and organized all pertinent evidence regarding these questions. CQ

BackgroundThe prognosis of patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) is extremely poor and only a few standard treatments are available for this condition. We performed a phase I trial to investigate the safety, immune response and anti-tumor effect of vaccination with three peptides derived from cancer-testis antigens.MethodsThis study was conducted as a phase I trial. Nine patients with advanced BTC who had unresectable tumors and were refractory to standard chemotherapy were enrolled. Three HLA-A*2402 restricted epitope peptides-cell division cycle associated 1 (CDCA1), cadherin 3 (CDH3) and kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A)-were administered subcutaneously, and the adverse events and immune response were assessed. The clinical effects observed were the tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsThe three-peptide vaccination was well-tolerated up to a dose of 3 mg per peptide (9 mg total). No grade 3 or 4 adverse events were observed after vaccination. Peptide-specific T cell immune responses were observed in all patients and stable disease was observed in 5 of 9 patients. The median PFS and OS were 3.4 and 9.7 months. The Grade 2 injection site reaction and continuous vaccination after PD judgment appeared to be prognostic of OS.ConclusionsMultiple-peptide vaccination was well tolerated and induced peptide-specific T-cell responses.Trial registrationThis study was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR000003229).

Purpose: The prognosis of patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) is extremely poor and there are only a few standard treatments. We conducted a phase I trial to investigate the safety, immune response, and antitumor effect of vaccination with four peptides derived from cancer-testis antigens, with a focus on their fluctuations during long-term vaccination until the disease had progressed.Experimental Design: Nine patients with advanced BTC who had unresectable tumors and were refractory to standard chemotherapy were enrolled. HLA-A Ã 2402-restricted epitope peptides, lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus K, TTK protein kinase, insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein 3, and DEP domain containing 1 were vaccinated subcutaneously once a week at doses of 0.5, 1, or 2 mg and continued until disease progression. The adverse events were assessed by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events and the immune response was monitored by an enzyme-linked immunospot assay or by flow cytometry. The clinical effects observed were tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).Results: Four-peptide vaccination was well tolerated. No grade 3 or 4 adverse events were observed. Peptide-specific T-cell immune responses were observed in seven of nine patients and clinical responses were observed in six of nine patients. The median PFS and OS were 156 and 380 days. The injection site reaction and CTL induction seemed to be prognostic factors of both PFS and OS.Conclusions: Four-peptide vaccination was well tolerated and seemed to provide some clinical benefit to some patients. These immunologic and clinical responses were maintained over the long term through continuous vaccinations.

Internal stenting of the hepaticojejunostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy was performed in 11 consecutive patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy between July 1992, and July 1994, to promote earlier discharge from hospital. Although minor leakage of the pancreaticojejunostomy occurred in 4 patients, this resolved within a short period and all 11 patients were able to be discharged by the 29th postoperative day in good health and without any intubation. Follow-up abdominal X-ray and computed tomography (CT) scans proved that all 22 of the stenting tubes had spontaneously fallen out by the 176th postoperative day. No complication related to the stenting tubes occurred in any of our patients.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 is feasible treatment in patients with resected biliary tract cancer. It is necessary to conduct a phase III study to confirm the efficacy of adjuvant therapy of S-1 in patients with resected BTC.

This paper is an overview of a project concerned with “Early warning for torrential rainfall/tornado” under “Enhancement of Societal Resiliency against Natural Disasters,” which is one of eleven themes of the SIP (Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program under the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan). The characteristics of the project are the development of a multi-parameter phased array weather radar (MP-PAWR) that enables the accomplishment of an accurate three-dimensional model of precipitation over 30 s within a 60 km radius. Various products developed ducts using MP-PAWR and other observations, and numerical predictions, are also discussed, with a demonstration experiment to provide early warnings for torrential rainfall and related disasters. For end users such as local governments and general citizens, the final goal of this project is the social implementation of these products.

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