A case of a urethral diverticular adenocarcinoma after the fenestration of the anterior vaginal wall for pelvic floor abscess.

A 61-year-old woman presented to the gynecology department with complaints of atypical genital bleeding. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a localized urethral tumor extended to vagina. Histological test of the biopsy tissue of the mass suggested the adenocarcinoma. The patient was performed the fenestration of the anterior vaginal wall 15 years ago. Under the diagnosis of urethral diverticular adenocarcinoma, we performed standard open total cystectomy with lymph node excision and ileal conduit. We could not establish a diagnosis of urethral diverticulum from the histological test; however, we clinically diagnosed as urethral diverticular adenocarcinoma. Because carcinoma arising from urethral diverticula is reported, a close long-term follow-up for the recurrence or generation of malignant tumors by genitourinary examinations or images is necessary, for the patient with urethral diverticula.

Circulating Cytokine Levels in Patients with Prostate Cancer: Effects of Neoadjuvant Hormonal Therapy and External-beam Radiotherapy.

AIM: The aim of the study was to better characterize the temporal induction of inflammatory cytokines in the serum of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) treated with radiotherapy and to ascertain the influence of hormonal therapy upon those expressions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 2007 and December 2009, 30 patients with localized PCa were treated with 3-dimensional conformal external-beam radiotherapy. Fifteen patients had received neoadjuvant hormonal therapy using a leuteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) analog for six months prior to radiotherapy. The cytokine levels were collectively measured using a multiplex assay system. RESULTS: Seventeen cytokines were at detectable levels throughout the blood sampling times before and during radiotherapy. Hormonal therapy for six months significantly decreased the serum levels of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF), granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and interferon-gamma (IFNγ) significantly increased during radiotherapy. Most cytokine levels, except for eotaxin, G-CSF, growth-related oncogene (GRO), transforming growth factor-beta (TGFß)-1 and TGFß2, significantly increased during radiotherapy compared to the levels observed before radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed the influence of hormonal, and of radiation therapy on the proinflammatory cytokine levels in the sera of patients with PCa. In addition, neoadjuvant hormonal therapy amplified the radiation-induced alteration of serum cytokines. Further studies to characterize the mechanism underlying a radiation- or hormone-induced inflammatory state are, therefore, necessary.

[Gemcitabine and cisplatin therapy in advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer: comparison of side effect with MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin)].

OBJECTIVE: Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy has been considered as standard therapy for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. A recent study has, however, revealed that gemcitabine may have the potential to act synergistically with cisplatin. Therefore, the side effects of gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) therapy were compared with those of methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin (MVAC) therapy in patients with advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients received GC therapy. Gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) was administered on days 1, 8 and 15 of each 28-day cycle. Cisplatin (70 mg/m2) was administered on day 2 of each cycle. As a control group, 24 patients received MVAC therapy (methotrexate at 30 mg/m2 on days 1, 15, 22, vinblastine at 3 mg/m2 on days 2, 15, 22, doxorubicin at 30 mg/m2 on day 2, and cisplatin at 70 mg/m2 on day 2 of each 28-day cycle. RESULTS: In the group of patients which received GC therapy, the overall response rates based on independent radiologic reviews of the 20 patients with measurable disease were 55%, with 20% CR and 35% PR. Fewer GC patients as compared with MVAC patients had grade 3/4 anorexia (4.5% vs. 75%, respectively), stomatitis (9.0% vs. 66.7%, respectively), and alopecia (27.3% vs. 100%, respectively). On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the incidence or pattern of hematologic toxicities between the group receiving GC therapy and that receiving MVAC therapy. Fatal neutropenic sepsis occurred in one patient receiving MVAC therapy. CONCLUSION: GC therapy is effective for the treatment of advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, with an acceptable clinical safety profile. This study also indicates that GC therapy may be better tolerated and safer than MVAC therapy.

A pure nongestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary diagnosed with DNA polymorphism analysis.

BACKGROUND: Choriocarcinoma arises in the ovary from gestational or nongestational origin. Nongestational choriocarcinoma of the ovary is extremely rare and the pure type is less frequent than the mixed type with other germ cell tumors. Diagnosis of pure nongestational choriocarcinoma is very difficult without genetic analysis. CASE: We report a pure nongestational choriocarcinoma primarily arising in a 19-year-old woman's ovary. Following abdominal operative procedure, careful examination of the tumor revealed pure choriocarcinoma without combination of other germ cell tumors. We confirmed its nongestational origin by DNA polymorphism analysis. Multiple courses of chemotherapy with an EMA/CO regimen were effective for this case. CONCLUSION: Genetic analysis is useful tool in determining the origin of choriocarcinoma. We could distinguish the genetic origin of this tumor analyzing only two or three appropriate VNTR loci.