A phase II trial of oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer agent (S-1) with concurrent external-beam radiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer

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Background: S-1 is a new oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer agent and has shown a good efficacy for pancreatic cancer. In the phase I trial, we evaluated the safety of S-1 combined with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in unresectable pancreatic cancer patients (H. Shinchi et al,, Br J Ca 2007;96:1353). The phase I trial determined the recommended of S-1 for the phase II chemoradiotherapy trial to be 80mg/m2/day given on days 1–21. This phase II trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of EBRT combined with S-1 for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods: Eligible patients had locally advanced and unresectable pancreatic cancer without distant metastases, ECOG PS 0–1, adequate organ and marrow function, and no prior anticancer therapy. EBRT was delivered in fractions of 1.25Gy twice daily, totaling 50Gy per 40 fractions for 4 weeks. S-1 was given orally at a dose of 80mg/m2/day twice a day on days 1–21. The primary end-point of this trial was objective tumor response and secondary end-points included toxicity and overall survival. Results: Forty patients were enrolled in this phase II trial. Of the 40 patients, 39 (97%) completed the scheduled course of chemoradiotherapy. The objective tumor responses by RECIST criteria included 13 PR (33%), 20 SD (50%) and 7 PD (17%). The median survival time was 14 months and 1-year survival rate was 67%. Although grade 3 rash and anorexia occurred in one patient each, no grade 4 toxicities were observed. Conclusions: Combination therapy of S-1 and radiation shows favorable efficacy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer and was well tolerated with no severe toxicities.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Work-based social networks and health status among Japanese employees

BACKGROUND

Despite the worldwide trend towards more time being spent at work by employed people, few studies have examined the independent influences of work-based versus home-based social networks on employees' health. We examined the association between work-based social networks and health status by controlling for home-based social networks in a cross-sectional study.

METHODS

By employing a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure, 1105 employees were identified from 46 companies in Okayama, Japan, in 2007. Work-based social networks were assessed by asking the number of co-workers whom they consult with ease on personal issues. The outcome was self-rated health; the adjusted OR for poor health compared employees with no network with those who have larger networks.

RESULTS

Although a clear (and inverse) dose-response relationship was found between the size of work-based social networks and poor health (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.27, comparing those with the lowest versus highest level of social network), the association was attenuated to statistical non-significance after we controlled for the size of home-based social networks. In further analyses stratified on age groups, in older workers (> or =50 years) work-based social networks were apparently associated with better health status, whereas home-based networks were not. The reverse was true among middle-aged workers (30-49 years). No associations were found among younger workers (<30 years).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests a differential association of alternative sources of social support on health according to age groups. We hypothesise that these patterns reflect generational differences in workers' commitment to their workplace.

Clinical significance of midkine expression in pancreatic head carcinoma

Midkine (MK) is a heparin-binding growth factor and a product of a retinoic acid-responsive gene. Midkine is overexpressed in many carcinomas and thought to play an important role in carcinogenesis. However, no studies have been focussed on the role of MK in pancreatic carcinoma. This study sought to evaluate the clinical significance of MK expression in pancreatic head carcinoma, including the relationship between immunohistochemical expression and clinicopathologic factors such as prognosis. Immunohistochemical expression of MK and CD34 was evaluated in pancreatic head carcinoma specimens from 75 patients who underwent surgical resection. Midkine was expressed in 53.3% of patients. Midkine expression was significantly correlated with venous invasion, microvessel density, and liver metastasis (P=0.0063, 0.0025, and 0.0153, respectively). The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower for patients positive for MK vs patients negative for MK (P=0.0073). Multivariate analysis revealed that MK expression was an independent prognostic factor (P=0.0033). This is the first report of an association between MK expression and pancreatic head carcinoma. Midkine may play an important role in the progression of pancreatic head carcinoma, and evaluation of MK expression is useful for predicting malignant properties of pancreatic head carcinoma.

Phase-I trial of oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer agent (S-1) with concurrent radiotherapy in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer

In this phase-I trial, we evaluated the safety of S-1, a novel oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer agent, combined with external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to determine the maximum-tolerated dose and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in unresectable pancreatic cancer patients. Patients had histologically proven unresectable locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. S-1 was administered orally twice daily. External-beam radiotherapy was delivered in fractions of 1.25 Gy × 2 per day, totalling 50 Gy per 40 fractions for 4 weeks. S-1 was given at five dose levels: 60 mg m^–2 day^–1 on days 1–7 and 15–21 (level 1), 1–14 (level 2), and 1–21 (level 3a) and 80 mg m^–2 day^–1 on days 1–21 (level 3b) and 1–28 (level 4). We studied 17 patients: dose levels 1 (four patients), 2 (four patients), 3a (three patients), 3b (three patients), and 4 (three patients). One patient in level 1 (grade 3 vomiting) and two patients in level 4 (grade 4 neutropenia and grade 3 anorexia) showed DLT. No DLT was seen for levels 2, 3a, and 3b. Clinical effects by computed tomography included 5 partial responses (35%), 11 cases of stable disease, and one case of progressive disease. CA19–9 levels of less than half the starting values were observed in 8 of 16 (50%) patients. S-1 at a dose of 80 mg m^–2 day^–1 given on days 1–21 is safe and recommended for phase-II study in patients with locally advanced and unresectable pancreatic cancer when given with EBRT.

Molecular epidemiology of subgenus F adenoviruses associated with pediatric gastroenteritis during eight years in Hiroshima Prefecture as a limited area

We have studied the prevalence of the subgenus F adenoviruses and the molecular characteristics of adenovirus type 41 in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, as a limited area during the period of 1997-2004. Subgenus F adenoviruses were detected in 30 (3.4%) of 892 fecal specimens by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and 80.0% (24 of 30) of positive patients were <36 months old. One (3.3%) and 29 (96.7%) of the 30 EIA-positive specimens were adenoviruses type 40 (Ad40) and 41 (Ad41), respectively. The genomes of Ad41 strains amplified by PCR were divided into two genomic type clusters (GTC1 and GTC2) based on the hexon gene as described by Li et al. (J Clin Microbiol 42: 4032-4039, 2004.). Twenty-one (95.5%) of 22 Ad41 strains detected between 2000 and 2004 belonged to GTC1, whereas all seven strains detected between 1997 and 1999 belonged to GTC2. These genomic typings were the same for the hexon and fiber genes except for one strain. This strain contained a hexon gene belonging to GTC1 and a fiber gene belonging to GTC2 and was considered to be a recombinant between adenoviruses of these types.

Phase II study of conventional fractionated radiotherapy versus hyper-fractionated accelerated radiotherapy concomitant with low dose gemcitabine for patients with pancreatic cancer

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Background: Concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy with gemcitabine (GEM) has been reported to improve the median survival of patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. Although hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) was administered to pancreatic cancer recently, the efficacy is unclear. Phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and the toxicity of HART concomitant with twice-weekly low dose GEM compared with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (CRT) for unresectable pancreatic cancer. Methods: Between April 2001 and April 2004, 34 untreated eligible patients with histologically proven unresectable pancreatic cancer were enrolled. In CRT group (n=15), 50.4Gy was delivered in 28 fractions of 1.8Gy/day. In HART group (n=19), 50Gy was delivered in 40 fractions of 1.25Gy twice a day. All patients were treated with conformal radiation using 5mm multileaf collimeter. Concurrent chemotherapy with GEM (40mg/m2) was administered twice a week to both groups. Chemotherapy was suspended for Grade 3 toxicities or increase in temperature more than 38 °C. Response evaluations were conducted at six weeks after the treatment. Maintenance chemotherapy composed of GEM (1000mg/m2/week) for 3weeks was repeated every 4 weeks thereafter. Results: The median survival time (MST) was 11.3 months in CRT group and 12.9 months in HART group. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were 42.9% and 28.6% in CRT group, 52.9% and 17.6% in HART group. There was no significant difference in response rate between CRT and HART group (35.7% vs. HART; 35.3%). The median time to progression (TTP) was significantly prolonged in HART group (9.7months) compared with CRT group (5.9 months) (p=0.02). Overall treatment time was significantly shorter in HART group (37days) than CRT group (45days) (p=0.002). There was no significant deference in toxicity between CRT and HART group. Conclusions: HART concomitant with low dose GEM was well tolerated with acceptable toxicity and prolonged median TTP and MST with shortening of treatment time compared with conventional radio-chemotherapy. This regimen appears to be one of the crucial therapies for patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Phase I study of oral fluoropyrimidine anticancer agent (S-1) with concurrent external-beam radiotherapy for unresectable pancreatic cancer

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Background: S-1 is an oral fluorouracil anticancer agent that was recently reported to demonstrate a response rate of 21% in 19 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Concurrent external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and 5-FU has been generally accepted as the standard treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. However, there are no published data regarding the efficacy of combination therapy of S-1 and radiation in patients with pancreatic cancer. Our purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of S-1 combined with EBRT and determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of S-1 in patients with locally advanced and unresectable pancreatic cancer. Methods: Eligible patients had UICC stage III or IV pancreatic cancer (either advanced unresectable or metastatic), adequate organ function, and no anticancer therapy in the preceding 4 weeks. S-1 was given orally at a dose of 60 mg/m2/day or 80 mg/m2/day in two divided doses after breakfast and supper. External-beam radiotherapy was delivered using a conformal technique in fraction of 1.25 Gy X 2/day, 5 days per week, totaling 50 Gy/40 fraction for 4weeks. S-1 at a dose of 60 mg/m2/day was given on days 1–7 and 15–21 in level 1, on days 1–14 in level 2, on days 1–21 in level 3a, respectively. S-1 at a dose of 80 mg/m2/day was given on days 1–21 in level 3b and on days 1–28 in level 4. DLT was defined as NCI-CTC grade 3/4 toxicity. Results: 18 patients were entered in this phase I trial: level 1 (4 patients), level 2 (5 patients), level 3a (3 patients), level 3b (3 patients), level 4 (3 patients). There were 1 of 5 patients with DLT in level 2: grade 3 vomiting. There were no DLT in levels 1, 3a, and 3b, respectively. Two of 3 patients in level 4 showed DLT: one patient developed grade 3 neutropenia and another patient developed grade 3 diarrhea. Clinical effects by CT scan included one PR, 15 SD and 2 PD. Reduced CA19–9 level less than a half of that at starting time was observed in 6 of 18 patients. Conclusions: S-1 at a dose of 80 mg/m2/day given on days 1–21 is safe and may be recommended for phase II study in patients with locally advanced and unresectable pancreatic cancer. This regimen appears to be a promising and well-tolerated approach with consideration of application to outpatients.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

MUC4 expression is a novel prognostic factor in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas

BACKGROUND

Many patients with invasive ductal carcinoma of the pancreas (IDC) have a poor outcome. MUC4 expression has been implicated as a marker for diagnosis and progression of IDC, but there are no studies of the relation between MUC4 expression and patient prognosis in IDC.

AIMS

To investigate the prognostic significance of MUC4 expression in IDC.

METHODS

The expression profiles of MUC4, ErbB2, p27, and MUC1 were investigated in IDC tissues from 135 patients by means of immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

MUC4 was expressed in 43 of the 135 patients with IDC (31.9%). The survival of 21 patients with high MUC4 expression (>20% of neoplastic cells stained) was significantly worse than that of the 114 patients with low MUC4 expression (<20% of neoplastic cells stained) (p = 0.0043). Univariate analysis showed that high MUC4 expression (p = 0.0061), large primary tumour status (>T2) (p = 0.0436), distant metastasis (p = 0.0383), lymphatic invasion (p = 0.0243), and surgical margins (p = 0.0333) were significant risk factors affecting the outcome of patients with IDC. Backward stepwise multivariate analysis showed that MUC4 expression (p = 0.0121), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0245), and lymphatic invasion (p = 0.0239) were significant independent risk factors. ErbB2, p27, and MUC1 were not independent risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that MUC4 expression in IDC is a new independent factor for poor prognosis and predicts the outcome of patients with IDC.

The predictive value of p53, p53R2, and p21 for the effect of chemoradiation therapy on oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The p53 family regulates cell-cycle arrest, triggers apoptosis or is involved in repair of DNA damage. In the present study, we analysed the expression of some p53 family proteins and their responses to chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in cases of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We immunohistochemically investigated the relationship between p53, p53R2, and p21 expression in biopsy specimens of untreated primary tumours and their clinical and histological responses to CRT in 62 patients with ESCC. Chemoradiation therapy consisted of 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin and 40 Gy of radiation. The rates of clinical and histological responses (complete or partial) to CRT were 71.0% (clinical) and 52.8% (histological). The rate of positive expression was 43.5% for p53, 37.1% for p53R2, and 54.8% for p21 expression. Statistically significant correlations were found between p53 or p53R2 expression and favourable response to CRT (P=0.0001 or 0.041 clinical, P=0.016 or 0.0018 histological, respectively). Furthermore, in p53-negative tumours, CRT was more effective in tumours with p53R2 negative expression than those with p53R2 positive expression (P=0.0014). We demonstrated that the negative expression of p53 and p53R2 expression was closely related to the effect of CRT and should predict the CRT outcome in patients with ESCC.

Characterization of antigenically and genetically similar influenza C viruses isolated in Japan during the 1999-2000 season

Between October 1999 and May 2000, a total of 28 strains of influenza C virus were isolated in four Japanese prefectures: Yamagata, Miyagi, Saitama and Hiroshima. Antigenic analysis showed that the 28 isolates were divided into three distinct antigenic groups, and viruses belonging to different antigenic groups were co-circulating in each of the four prefectures. Phylogenetic analysis of the seven protein genes demonstrated that the viruses having a similar genome composition spread in various areas of Japan during the same period. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that most of the influenza C viruses isolated in various areas of the world between the 1970s and 1980s were closely related to the contemporary Japanese viruses in all gene segments. These observations suggest that the influenza C viruses cause epidemics in some communities during the same season and that antigenically and genetically similar influenza C viruses spread throughout Japan and may be circulating worldwide.

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas. Comparison of helical CT and MR imaging

PURPOSE

To compare the effectiveness of thin-section helical CT and MR imaging with gadolinium-enhanced dynamic technique and MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in the examination of patients with intraductal papillary mucinous tumors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Helical CT, dynamic MR imaging, and MRCP of 25 intraductal papillary mucinous tumors were compared with ERCP and surgical findings.

RESULTS

The duodenal papilla was identified by helical CT and dynamic MR imaging in 11 (44%) and 20 (80%) of the 25 patients, respectively (p<0.05). The main pancreatic duct was visualized on helical CT, dynamic MR imaging, and MRCP in all patients (100%): 25 (96.2%), 24 (92.3%), and 26 (100%) cystic lesions were depicted, respectively. A communicating duct between the main pancreatic duct and the cystic lesion was visualized on helical CT, dynamic MR imaging, and MRCP in 14 (53.8%), 11 (42.3%), and 15 (55.7%) lesions, respectively. The papillary projections corresponding to 3 mm or larger papillary neoplasms were depicted on helical CT and MR imaging in 7 patients (25%).

CONCLUSION

MR imaging was equal or slightly superior to thin-section helical CT in the evaluation of intraductal papillary mucinous tumors.

Rapid immunohistochemical detection of lymph node micrometastasis during operation for upper gastrointestinal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The intraoperative diagnosis of lymph node micrometastasis (LNM) may help guide the area of appropriate lymph node dissection. This study aimed to evaluate the rapid immunohistochemical detection of LNMs using frozen sections during operation for gastro-oesophageal cancer.

METHODS

Rapid immunostaining with anticytokeratin (AE1/AE3) antibody was compared with conventional immunostaining. A total of 210 lymph nodes obtained from 47 patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and from 32 with gastric adenocarcinoma were examined during operation. Lymph nodes were frozen, sectioned, and examined by histological and immunohistochemical methods.

RESULTS

It took 30 min to complete the rapid immunostaining procedure; the expression of cytokeratin by rapid immunostaining was similar to that by conventional immunostaining. The incidence of lymph node metastasis detected by histological and immunohistochemical examination was 17 and 23 per cent respectively. LNM was solely detected in 12 lymph nodes by immunostaining: three micrometastases and nine with tumour cell microinvolvement.

CONCLUSION

: Intraoperative rapid immunostaining is a simple and useful technique for detecting LNMs. Further study should investigate the role of rapid immunostaining during cancer surgery to select appropriate areas for lymphadenectomy.

Neuroleptic malignant syndrome with prolonged catatonia in a dopa-responsive dystonia patient

The authors describe a patient with dopa-responsive dystonia who developed neuroleptic malignant syndrome with prolonged catatonia following treatment with neuroleptic agents. Use of these agents probably expanded the patient's neuronal dysfunction beyond the nigrostriatal system to involve multiple dopaminergic systems. Electroconvulsive treatment alleviated the prolonged catatonia.