Multiple endocrine neoplasia 2a presenting with pheochromocytoma and pituitary macroadenoma

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2A (MEN-2a) is a rare disease associated with tumors of endocrine organs. Presentation most commonly is with medullary thyroid cancer and infrequently with other complaints. Pituitary adenoma has been seen coincidentally with this disease very rarely. Presented is a case of coincident MEN-2a with a symptomatic pituitary adenoma and an asymptomatic pheochromocytoma. A brief review is also provided.

Plasmid delivery in the rat brain

Neurodegenerative diseases as a class do not have effective pharmacotherapies. This is due in part to a poor understanding of the pathologies of the disease processes, and the lack of effective medications. Gene delivery is an attractive possibility for treating these diseases. For the paradigm to be effective, efficient, safe and versatile vectors are required. In this study we evaluated three plasmid delivery systems for transgene expression in the rat hippocampus. Two of these systems were designed to have enhanced intracellular biodegradability. It was hypothesized that this system would be less toxic and could increase the free (non-vector) associated plasmids within the cell, leading to increased transgene activity. Polyethylenimine (PEI) and r-AAV-2 (recombinant adeno associated virus-2) were used as positive, non-viral and viral controls respectively, in the in vivo experiments. The results from the studies indicate there is a distinct difference between the various vectors in terms of total cells transfected, type of cell transfected, and toxicity. Non-viral systems were effective at transfecting both neurons and glia cells within the hippocampus, while the r-AAV-2 transfected mainly neurons. In summary, plasmid-mediated systems are effective for transgene expression within the brain and deserve further study.

Primary mixed neuroendocrine carcinoma of the bladder with large cell component: a case report and review of the literature

Primary large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) of the bladder are rarely encountered, and only a few reports have been documented. Frequently, they are found to be admixed with other histologies. In this report, we describe such a tumor found in a 65-year-old man who underwent radical cystectomy, after initial transurethral resection discovered a small cell NEC pathology. We also reviewed the limited number of neuroendocrine tumors reported containing a large cell component. Given the paucity of these tumors and the resultant difficulty in developing generalized treatment protocols, we promote the use of gene expression models to tailor chemotherapeutic regimens for individual tumors.

From microarray to biology: an integrated experimental, statistical and in silico analysis of how the extracellular matrix modulates the phenotype of cancer cells

A statistically robust and biologically-based approach for analysis of microarray data is described that integrates independent biological knowledge and data with a global F-test for finding genes of interest that minimizes the need for replicates when used for hypothesis generation. First, each microarray is normalized to its noise level around zero. The microarray dataset is then globally adjusted by robust linear regression. Second, genes of interest that capture significant responses to experimental conditions are selected by finding those that express significantly higher variance than those expressing only technical variability. Clustering expression data and identifying expression-independent properties of genes of interest including upstream transcriptional regulatory elements (TREs), ontologies and networks or pathways organizes the data into a biologically meaningful system. We demonstrate that when the number of genes of interest is inconveniently large, identifying a subset of "beacon genes" representing the largest changes will identify pathways or networks altered by biological manipulation. The entire dataset is then used to complete the picture outlined by the "beacon genes." This allow construction of a structured model of a system that can generate biologically testable hypotheses. We illustrate this approach by comparing cells cultured on plastic or an extracellular matrix which organizes a dataset of over 2,000 genes of interest from a genome wide scan of transcription. The resulting model was confirmed by comparing the predicted pattern of TREs with experimental determination of active transcription factors.

Current management considerations for the incidentally detected small renal mass

BACKGROUND

Nephron-sparing treatments remain underutilized for the management of small renal masses despite a rise in incidentally detected renal cell carcinoma and a downward stage migration.

METHODS

Historical publications representative of currently accepted paradigms were reviewed, and the results of a contemporary scientific literature search conducted in PubMed focusing on studies involving humans, published in English, and inclusive of clinical trials, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and practice guidelines are included. Results from contemporary retrospective trials augment the data when level I or II evidence is absent.

RESULTS

Phase III clinical trial results substantiate the long-held tenet that partial nephrectomy is equivalent to radical nephrectomy with respect to safety and oncologic efficacy. Further, minimally invasive techniques using laparoscopy and robotic assistance to achieve partial nephrectomy appear equally effective to traditional open techniques. Although no prospective randomized studies are available, large retrospective studies support the notion that active surveillance and thermal ablative techniques are viable options for carefully selected patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The management of small renal masses encompasses a host of therapeutic options, all of which must be considered and discussed with the individual patient.

Sulfhydryl based cationic surfactants and the impact of polyanions on disulfide bond formation: implications for gene transfer vectors

Compacting plasmid DNA (pDNA) into a small size is a fundamental necessity for the efficient in vivo transfer of nucleic acids to somatic cells. An approach for accomplishing this is to condense pDNA using cationic detergents with sulfhydryl groups, near their critical micelle concentration. In this study, a model surfactant was used to study how the rate of disulfide bond formation relates to environmental factors. It was shown that the thiol detergent had the ability to form a disulfide bond when oxidized and the presence of polyanions was significantly increased. The addition of a reducing agent disrupted the disulfide bonds initially, but this was followed by disulfide bond reformation in a short time period.

Long-term outcomes of active surveillance for prostate cancer: 10 years later

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Background: Prostate cancer (CaP) has exhibited a downward stage migration during the PSA era. Approximately 70% of those newly diagnosed with CaP, harbor tumors of low-risk. Such tumors often prove to be of low-volume and of clinical insignificance at time of radical prostatectomy (RP), suggesting over treatment and excessive exposure to the morbidity associated with definitive management. Over the last decade, active surveillance (AS) strategies have become a more accepted practice when addressing low-risk tumors. We present the long-term oncologic outcomes of patients placed on AS. Methods: An IRB approved retrospective chart review identified 114 patients placed on AS for their CaP between November of 1997 and November of 2000. Of those, 96 patients meet study inclusion criteria mandating a Gleason sum of < 7, tumor presence in < 4 sextets, and involvement of <50% of any single biopsy core. Eligible patients were surveyed by serum PSA , digital rectal exam, and surveillance transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsies at physician determined intervals. Results: At diagnosis, the mean age was 70.3 (SD±5.3) years with a mean PSA value of 8.2 (SD±8.2) ng/dL. Surveillance patterns approached acquisition of a PSA at a mean of 9 months and a TRUS-guided biopsy of the prostate every 1.5 years. The median total number of PSA’s and biopsies obtained while on surveillance were 6.0 (SD±5.72) and 3.5(SD±2.02), respectively. At a median follow-up of 134.8 months (95%CI: 114.5, 148.7), 52 (54%) of patients had been reclassified or demonstrated disease progression. The median progression-free and overall survival for the cohort were 68.7 (95%CI: 53.2, 97.3) months and 156.9 (95%CI: 139.9, 161.5) months, respectively. Only one prostate cancer specific mortality was identified. Conclusions: AS presents a reasonable management strategy option for low-risk prostate cancer in appropriately selected patients. However, treatment at time of disease progression did not improve survival. A significant percentage of men on AS are exposed to progression of their disease if alive beyond 10 years from their diagnosis.

Relationship of overall survival and the frequency of performing transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate in those patients with low-risk tumors electing active surveillance

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Background: Limited derived benefit from definitive treatment has been observed with respect to prostate cancer−specific mortality (PCSM) in those low−risk disease and only small absolute risk reductions in both overall PCSM and incidence of metastasis have been demonstrated. Thus, active surveillance (AS) strategies have been adopted to monitor for disease progression with intent for intervention at time of disease reclassification. Yet, the timing and frequency of surveillance remain without evidence-based standardization. We assessed the relationship between the frequency of surveillance prostate biopsies and the oncologic outcomes in those patients with low−risk prostate cancer (CaP) managed by AS. Methods: An IRB approved retrospective chart review identified 114 patients placed on AS for their CaP between November of 1997 and November of 2000. Of those, 96 patients meet study inclusion criteria mandating a Gleason sum of < 7, tumor presence in < 4 sextets, involvement of <50% of any single biopsy core. Eligible patients were surveyed by serum PSA, DRE, and surveillance TRUS−guided biopsies at physician determined intervals. Results: At diagnosis, the mean age was 70.3 (SD±5.3) years with a mean PSA value of 8.2 (SD±8.2) ng/dL. While on AS, patients underwent a median of 3.5 (SD±2.02) TRUS−guided biopsies; at a frequency approaching 1 biopsy every 18 months. At a median follow−up of 134.8 months (95%CI: 114.5, 148.7), multivariate analysis found more frequent prostatic biopsy acquisition to be inversely associated a worse prognosis with respect to both progression−free (p<0.0001) and overall survival (p=0.0002). Both progression−free (p<0.0001) and overall survival (p=0.0207) were progressively shorter as the interval between biopsies declined from greater than 2 years, to 1−2 years, and then less than 1 year. Conclusions: No survival advantage was achieved by frequent re−biopsy of the prostate. Patients biopsied more frequently were paradoxically found have poorer survival outcomes.

Novel prognostic model of overall survival in patients undergoing cytoreductive nephrectomy: Importance of pretreatment clinical and serological parameters

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Background: Over the past decade, there has been an increasing interest in combining surgical and systemic therapy to combat metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) with upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy (CN) favored in well selected patients. This study presents a novel risk stratification model to identify those who may benefit from upfront CN within the current targeted therapy era.

Methods: Eighty-two patients with mRCC who underwent CN within our tertiary care referral center were identified. Potential pre-operative clinical and serologic predictors of overall survival (OS) were evaluated using both univariate and multivariable Cox-Regression analyses. A Recursive Partitioning and Regression Tree (RPART) model was subsequently developed allowing for stratification of patients into risk groups on the basis of OS.

Results: The derived RPART tree, was able to stratify patients into 4 risk groups ranging from “low risk” to “very high risk” with respect to their expected OS utilizing the number of metastatic sites at diagnosis, serum hemoglobin (Hgb), and serum white blood cell count (WBC) count as partitioning parameters. Within the 4 groups, the median OS ranged from 4.3 months to 72 months.

Conclusions: Our proposed simple quantitative risk-stratification model based on the pre-operative metastatic burden, Hgb, and WBC count is useful to predict OS when contemplating upfront CN prior to systemic therapy. Furthermore, a pre-operative serum WBC count ≥ 7.15 K/uL appears to be indicative of a poor prognosis.

Long term survival and predictors of disease reclassification in patients on an active surveillance protocol for prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION

Up to 50% of patients will have disease reclassification while on active surveillance (AS) for their prostate cancer. Determining which patients will have reclassification that will impact their survival is difficult. We investigated clinicopathologic factors associated with disease reclassification and differences in both overall and metastasis free survival between those treated and those remaining on AS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of patients who were enrolled in an AS protocol between 1994 and 2000. Inclusion criteria for AS were: < cT2a disease, PSA < 10 ng/mL, < 50% of single core involvement, and Gleason score < 7, as well as sufficient follow up for evaluation (at least 1 subsequent transrectal ultrasound guided biopsy after initial diagnosis).

RESULTS

There were 102 patients that met the inclusion criteria with median age of 70 years (IQR 68-73), follow up of 9.25 years (IQR 6.1-12.2) and time to disease reclassification of 4.7 years (IQR 2.8-7.9). Only prostate-specific antigen (PSA) density ≥ 0.15 was a significant predictor of disease reclassification with a hazard ratio of 5.5 (95% confidence interval 2.3-13.4, p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in metastasis free and overall survival between patients who received treatment and those that continued on AS despite reclassification of disease; this remained true even while stratifying patients by age ≥ 70 compared to those < 70 years old.

CONCLUSIONS

PSA density is a significant predictor of disease reclassification and AS remains a safe option for patients with low risk prostate cancer with up to 10 years of follow up.

Primary carcinoid tumor of the ileal efferent limb of an ileovesicostomy: a case report

We report on the evaluation and management of a 47-year-old white male found to have primary carcinoid tumor of the ileal segment of his diverting ileovesicostomy thirty-five months after initial creation. Subsequent to presentation with intermittent gross hematuria, CT urogram highlights an 8 mm enhancing lesion near the enterovesical junction of urinary diversion. Office cystoscopy confirms presence of a lesion that was later endoscopically resected and found to be a well-differentiated carcinoid tumor. Evaluation with serum markers, direct visualization utilizing endoscopy, and imaging was without finding of alternate primary or metastatic lesions. The patient ultimately had the proximal ileal portion of his ileovesicostomy excised and the distal portion converted into an ileal conduit. After briefly discussing the carcinoid tumor and the carcinoid syndrome it may cause, we review the literature on the incidence of carcinoid tumors in a population requiring the use of intestine in the urinary tract.

Do seminoma germ cell elements affect perioperative outcomes following post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for metastatic testis cancer?

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Background: Post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissections (PC-RPLND) performed at high-volume centers are safe and comparable in risk to primary RPLNDs. The desmoplastic reaction encountered during PC-RPLND in patients with seminoma components increases the complexity of surgical dissection. We examined whether the presence of seminoma at diagnosis was associated with more adverse events in the perioperative setting. Methods: A single institution review board approved retrospective review identified 108 patients undergoing PC−RPLND from 1992 to 2012. All patients had received at least first-line cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy. Of these, 11 patients undergoing redo PC-RPLNDs were excluded from analysis. Patients were divided into two groups; those with any seminoma element in their orchiectomy or retroperitoneal specimens and those without seminoma elements. We performed independent t-tests and Chi-squared analysis of the data. Results: Of 97 patients undergoing PC-RPLND, 33 had seminoma components in their diagnostic specimens. Using the Clavien classification system to stratify post-operative complications, the percentage of seminomatous elements (less than 50% compared to more than 50%) within the primary tumor did not correlate with a higher incidence of complications; even when examining only major complications (p=0.673). There was a trend towards higher nephrectomy rate for tumors with seminoma elements compared to those without (27% vs. 8.5%, p = .058). The nephrectomy rate did show a dependence on the pathologic size of the residual mass regardless of histology (31% for more than 10 cm, 6.8% for 5 to 10 cm, 0% for 0 to 5 cm p = 0.021). There was also a trend towards blood loss greater than one liter for patients with seminoma elements compared to those without (63% vs. 43%, p = 0.078), while the transfusion rate was similar between the two groups (p=0.785). Post−operative length of stay was independent of a patient’s histology (p=0.94). Conclusions: PC-RPLND remains a safe and necessary therapeutic procedure. The presence of seminoma germ cell elements in our patient cohort did not result in a more complicated perioperative course surrounding PC-RPLND.