[A Case of Primary Angiosarcoma of the Ureter].

Angiosarcoma is a very rare tumor. The malignancy is high grade and the prognosis is extremely poor. A 51-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with the main complaint of asymptomatic macroscopic hematuria. Since right ureteral cancer was suspected by the imaging examination, laparoscopic right total nephroureterectomy was planned. However, strong adhesion was found between the tumor and the surrounding tissue, and the tumor could not be completely resected from the distal ureter. Pathological diagnosis was primary ureteral angiosarcoma, and staging was right middle ureteral angiosarcoma T3N0M0. However, since surgical findings strongly suspected that the peeled surface was positive, adjuvant radiation therapy was added. He is alive without disease recurrence at one year and eight months after surgery.

[Post-Operative Immediate Single Instillation of Chemotherapy as Prevention of Recurrence after Transurethral Resection of Intermediate-High Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer].

We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of immediate single instillation (SI) of pirarubicine hydrochloride (THP) in the chemoprevention of intermediate and high risk patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The study population consisted of 256 intermediate and high risk patients with NMIBC who underwent Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) induction therapy or delayed intravesical chemotherapy between 1999 and 2014. We introduced SI of 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline for all cases in 2010, and thus earlier cases could be considered as historical controls. As BCG induction therapy, patients received 80 mg of BCG Tokyo strain 2 weeks after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), and the instillations were repeated weekly for 8 weeks. On the other hand, as delayed intravesical chemotherapy, patients received 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline over a period of 6 months starting 2 weeks after TURBT. The instillation schedule was once a week for 1 month, every other week for 1 month and once a month for 4 months. The patients were followed with cystoscopy and urine cytology every 3 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months thereafter. The 3-, and 5-year non-recurrence rates were 80. 3 and 80.3%, respectively, in the single immediate instillation group and 69.7 and 64.5%, respectively, in the control group. Univariate analysis revealed a significant difference between the SI group and the control group (P=0. 025). Multivariate analysis showed that there was an independent and significant recurrence risk factor in selecting chemotherapy instead of BCG in additional intravesical instillation therapy and not to perform SI. Limitations of our study are its retrospective and nonrandomized nature with a limited number of patients.

[Post-Operative Single Immediate Intravesical Instillation Chemotherapy as Prophylaxis for Reccurence after Transurethral Resection of Low Risk Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer].

We evaluated the efficacy of single-dose instillation of pirarubicine hydrochloride (THP) in the chemoprophylaxis of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC). In a retrospective study, 135 evaluable patients were assigned to three groups after transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT). In group 1, patients received no adjuvant therapy after TURBT. In group 2, patients received a single-dose of 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline immediately after TURBT. In group 3, patients received 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline 2 weeks after TURBT , and the instillations were repeated for 4 weeks, then every other week twice and successively monthly for 6 months. Patients were followed with cystoscopy and urine cytology every 3 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months thereafter. The 3- and 5-year non-recurrence rates were 66.9%, and 66.0%, respectively, in group 1, 85.6%, and 85.6%, respectively, in group 2, and 93.6%, and 77.9%, respectively, in group 3. There was a significant difference only between group 1 and group2 (P ＝0.048). With respect to the recurrence per month, there was a significant difference between the 3 groups (P＝0.014) for the first 2 years. However, there was no significant difference thereafter. Limitations of our study are its retrospective and nonrandomized nature with a limited number of patients.

[Assessments of progression in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer].

We retrospectively studied 463 patients with primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at two facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Ida Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). In this study, disease progression was defined as invasion to the muscle or further (upstage) and presence of metastasis (metastasis). We detected progression in 22 cases, including 18 upstages and 4 metastasis. Univariate analysis showed that factors associated with progression were T category (pT1 p< 0.0001), grade (high grade p< 0.0001, G3 p< 0.0001) and number of tumors (multiple p=0.0213). Multivariate analysis showed that the only equivocal factor associated with progression was T category (T1). Use of a second tansurethral resection for high-grade pT1 cases was unrelated to progression. Among the patients with progression, many had a more advanced T category at the time of radical treatment, and the results of treatment were poor. The factors associated with progression of bladder cancer should be investigated in more detail, so that early radical treatment can be initiated in eligible patients.

[Assessment of clinical features in solitary minimum size (<1 cm) bladder cancer].

We retrospectively evaluated primary non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 at 2 facilities (Kawasaki Municipal Hospital and Yokohama Minami Kyosai Hospital). Size (< 1 cm) solitary bladder cancer statistically evaluated the characteristics. Out of 463 bladder cancers, 52 were minimum-size solitary pTa bladder cancers less than 1 cm in diameter. The average follow-up period was 50.9 months. The recurrence rate of the minimum-size bladder cancer was significantly lower than that of bladder cancers of other sizes (1 to 3 cm or ≥ 3 cm). The 3-year non-recurrence rate was 80.7,71.0,and 62.9% in each group (< 1, 1 to 3, ≥ 3 cm). High-grade minimum size bladder cancer (pTa) showed a significantly higher recurrence rate than the low-grade cases (P = 0.0101). Intravesical chemotherapy with anti-cancer drugs significantly reduced the intravesical recurrence rate in the low-grade minimum-size bladder cancer group (P = 0.0418). There was no statistically significant difference in either the average recurrence number or the rate of multiple recurrences between the minimum-size tumor group and the 1 to 3 cm tumor group. Minimum size bladder cancer had a lower recurrence rate than tumors of other sizes; however, there were no differences in other characteristics between the groups. Therefore, sufficient treatment, in accordance with the guidelines, should be administered for minimum size tumors as well as tumors of other sizes.

[A case of primary seminal vesicle cancer detected by FDG-PET/CT].

We reported a case of primary seminal vesicle cancer, detected by FDG-PET/CT. A 65-year-old man with constipation and appetite loss was admitted to our hospital. An ultrasound examination revealed evidence of bilateral hydronephrosis. He was diagnosed as acute post renal failure, and nephrostomy was done. CT and MRI showed a solid mass in the area of seminal vesicle. He underwent transrectal core biopsy, which histologically showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry showed the tumor to be CA125 positive, CEA positive and CK7 positive but PSA negative. FDG-PET/CT revealed an increased uptake of FDG only in the area of seminal vesicle. Serum CA125 was elevated and PSA stayed within normal limit. Primaly rectal carcinoma was ruled out by colonoscopy. The result of transperineal prostate biopsy was negative. We diagnosed him as suffering from primary seminal vesicle carcinoma. Anti-androgen blockade and radiotherapy to whole pelvis were performed, and serum CA125 level was improved. But, 6 months later serum CA125 re-elevated and 19 months later multiple liver metastases were noted. The patient received two cycles of docetaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy, however he developed pulmonaly embolism and rectal bleeding by tumor invasion and he died of his disease 22 months after the diagnosis.

[Multi-center trial on the early effects of silodosin on lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia].

Silodosin (URIEF), a new so-called 3rd generation alpha-1 blocker, is widely expected to be effective and useful for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), due to its high specificity to alpha-1A receptor. We evaluated the efficacy of Silodosin, on 187 males 50 years old or over with the diagnosis of BPH. Silodosin significantly improved the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life (QOL) score from the day after administration was started. Among 166 patients whose data were available for the analysis of efficacy of Silodosin, 77.5% showed apparent subjective improvement. Eighty three patients, who had been taking another alpha-1 blocker but without satisfactory effects, showed almost the same improvements in IPSS and QOL score after switching to Silodosin as the remaining 83 patients who had no preceding treatment with an alpha-1 blocker. The improvements were not only in voiding symptoms but also in storage symptoms. The patients, who had serious storage symptoms, responded rather well to Silodosin and showed significant improvement. Taken together, Silodosin showed a quick effect for improving subjective symptoms and QOL, and was found to be useful for the management of LUTS with BPH.

Muscle and small intestinal metastasis of renal cell carcinoma markedly responsive to interferon-alpha therapy: a case report.

Skeletal muscle and small intestine are rare sites of metastasis in renal cell carcinoma. Therefore very few reports of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) therapy exist for these types of metastasis. Here, a case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to muscle and jejunum is reported. After IFN-alpha therapy for 9 weeks, muscle metastasis completely disappeared and intestinal lesions were markedly reduced. However, subsequent patient compliance for this therapy was poor, resulting in death after relapse of the RCC.

[Clinical study of combination chemotherapy of methotrexate, epirubicin and nedaplatin (MEN) in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma].

The toxicity of platinum-based chemotherapies is a common problem for patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. We performed a prospective study to assess the efficacy and safety of the combination chemotherapy of methotrexate, epirubicin and nedaplatin (MEN) as first-line treatment in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Eligible patients had pathologically proven measurable unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Between February 2003 and February 2006, 11 patients with a mean age of 70 years were treated every 3 weeks with methotrexate (30 mg/m(2) on day 1) and epirubicin (50 mg/m(2) on day 1) and nedaplatin (80 mg/m(2) on day 2). A median of 2.6 cycles were administered. None of the 11 patients achieved a complete response (CR), but 6 patients (55%) achieved a partial response (PR) with a median duration of response of 10 months, and no responses occurred in 4 patients. The median survival time was 11 months. Grade 4 hematological toxicities included neutropenia in 1 case (9%), thrombocytopenia in 2 cases (19%) and anemia in 1 case (9%). None of the 11 patients had febrile neutropenic episodes, and no toxic death was observed. Our results suggest that the combination chemotherapy of methotrexate, epirubicin and nedaplatin (MEN) was effective and acceptable treatment in patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma.

[Pheochromocytoma manifested by traumatic adrenal hemorrhage].

The presentation of pheochromocytoma is quite variable. We report a case of previously undiscovered pheochromocytoma which was manifested by traumatic retroperitoneal hemorrhage. A 79-year-old man fell from his bicycle and was admitted to the emergency room complaining of right flank pain. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed hemorrhage around the right adrenal gland. Since the plasma catecholamine levels were elevated, we suspected the presence of pheochromocytoma. After absorption of the hematoma, the tumor appeared clearly. The diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was confirmed through urine catecholamine testing and 131I-MIBG scintigraphy. Six months after the injury, the tumor was surgically resected. Traumatic hemorrhage of pheochromocytoma is extremely rare; only 3 cases have been reported in the literature.

[A case of seminoma with a low level positive of serum hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) beta considered as false positive hCGbeta].

A 32-year-old male consulted a hospital with a complaint of left scrotal swelling. Serum hCGbeta and LDH levels were elevated and computed tomography demonstrated a suspicious small lymphadenopathy in the paraaortic region. Left inguinal orchiectomy was performed. Histological examination demonstrated seminoma. We diagnosed the disease as clinical stage 2A and the patient received 2 courses of chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin. After this therapy, the small lymphadenopathy in the paraaortic region did not decrease in size. We considered this lesion a vessel or connective tissue. Although he achieved clinical complete remission and serum LDH level was normalized, the serum hCGbeta level remained low level positive. Urinary hCGbeta level after chemotherapy was below the threshold of detectability. We measured the serum from this patient as well as control sera by two- and four-fold dilution with a diluent comprised of mouse serum as a heterophilic antibody-blocking agent. The serum hCGbeta level of this patient was obviously decreased; in contrast, control sera were decreased in parallel. The serum hCGbeta level of this patient remained low level positive without recurrence for 8 months after chemotherapy. These results strongly suggested that low level of positivity for serum hCGbea in this case was a false positive finding. We consider the measurement of urinary hCGbeta and dilution measurement using a heterophilic antibody-blocking agent to be useful methods of distinguishing false positive findings for serum hCGbeta.

Nonexistent Objects as Truth-Makers: Against Crane's Reductionism.

According to Meinongianism, some objects do not exist but we can legitimately refer to and quantify over them. Moreover, Meinongianism standardly regards nonexistent objects as contributing to the truth-makers of sentences about nonexistent objects. Recently, Tim Crane has proposed a weak form of Meinongianism, a reductionism, which denies any contribution of nonexistent objects to truth-making. His reductionism claims that, even though we can truly talk about nonexistent objects by using singular terms and quantifiers about them, any truth about nonexistent objects is reducible to some truths about existent objects. In this paper, we critically examine the reductionism casting some doubts on the reducibility of truths of sentences like 'a winged pig is possible' or 'some winged pig does not exist' into truths about existent objects. We also argue that the truth of such sentences can be explained by adopting a strong form of Meinongianism which admits contribution of nonexistent objects to the truth-making of such sentences.

[Pheochromocytoma associated with neurofibromatosis 1: a report of two cases].

Pheochromocytomas may occur as either sporadic or familial tumors. Clinical features of pheochromocytomas in neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) patients are similar to those in patients with sporadic pheochromocytomas, unlike pheochromocytomas associated with other hereditary syndromes. Here we report two cases of pheochromocytoma associated with NF1. Case 1: A 29-year-old man with previously undiagnosed NF1, was admitted to our hospital for hypertension and a right adrenal tumor. On physical examination, café-au-lait spots and neurofibromas were observed on his body. Serum and urine catecholamine levels were markedly elevated. Case 2: The patient was a 46-year-old man with NF1. The tumor was incidentally detected by ultrasonography. Serum and urine catecholamine levels were similarly elevated. 131I-MIBG scintigraphy showed an abnormal accumulation in the right adrenal gland. After this diagnosis of pheochromocytoma associated with NF1, open adrenalectomy was performed. No evidence of malignancy was seen in either case.

[Vesicovaginal fistula associated with a vaginal foreign body: a case report].

A 14-year-old girl was referred to our hospital with severe pyuria pointed out in a school health check up. An intravenous pyelography and a cystography revealed a foreign body in the pelvic region outside the bladder and pooling of contrast medium in the vagina. Conputed tomography confirmed the foreign body in the vagina. About 1 year earlier, she inserted a hair spray can into the vagina but could not remove its cap. Under the diagnosis of vesicovaginal fistula due to vaginal foreign body, the cap was removed manually and transvaginal repair of the vesicovaginal fistula was performed under general anesthtesia, but it recurred twice. Finally, she underwent successful abdominovaginal repair of fistula. Although a variety of self-introduced objects in the vagina illegally used as a means of sexual gratification have been described, a vesicovaginal complication is very rare.

[Giant seminoma in abdominal retention of the testis manifested with unilateral leg pain: a case report].

A 26-year-old man was admitted to the department of surgery of our hospital with a complaint of intermittent left leg pain for the past two weeks. Ultrasonography revealed reduced blood flow to the tibial artery, which suggested a vascular disease like arteriosclerosis obliterans. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a huge abdominal tumor and a 3-dimensional CT scan showed a feeding artery from the left renal artery to the huge tumor. Findings of routine blood and urine examinations were elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and C-reactive protein. Surgical exploration revealed a giant tumor with clouded ascites in the abdominal cavity containing class V cells revealed by cytological examination. The tumor was easily resected. Its vascular pedicle was thick and hypertrophied. Thus, it could be traced to the origin of left gonadal artery. At this time, the surgeon incidentally noticed the absence of left testis in the patient's scrotum. The resected specimen was 25 x 18 x 12 cm in size, and it weighed 3000 gm. The histological finding was pure seminoma invaded to peritoneum. His leg pain was relieved after the tumor resection.

[Treatment with TAE of subcapsular hematoma as a complication of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL): a case report].

A 58-year-old man with a left renal stone and with poor controlled hypertension was attacked by sudden onset of left renal colic pain, gross hematuria and nausea at 3 hours after ESWL. Ultrasonography and enhanced computed tomography revealed severe subcapsular hematoma, which compressed the left kidney. Since serum hemoglobin level continued to decrease in spite of 7 days of conservative therapy, we performed transfusion of red blood cells and selective transarterial embolization (TAE). Renal angiography showed multiple pseudo-aneurysms of arteriole at the lower pole of the left kidney. Embolization of left renal artery was effective to relieve patient's symptom and to stabilize the serum hemoglobin level.

[Small cell carcinoma of the bladder: a case report].

A 61-year-old man was referred to our hospital with a complaint of gross hematuria and lower abdominal discomfort. Ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging and cystoscopy revealed a nodular invasive tumor in urinary bladder. The histopathological findings of transurethral-biopsy specimen was the small cell carcinoma and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder infiltrating into smooth muscle layer. Total cystectomy with ileal conduit was performed following 1 course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (M-VAC). Computed tomography (CT) before adjuvant chemotherapy revealed tiny lung metastasis in left peripheral lung area. As postoperative adjuvant therapy, 4 courses of chemotherapy (etoposide and calboplatin) were performed with 50 Gy of extra beam radiotherapy to the lung metastasis. Follow up CT revealed disapperance of lung metastasis, and the patient has been free from disease for one year after chemotherapy.

Complete response, as determined by prostate-specific antigen level, to chlormadinone acetate withdrawal persisting longer than 2 years in patients with advanced prostate cancer: two case reports.

Antiandrogen withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a well-established phenomenon in prostate cancer. However, responses to AWS are usually of limited duration, and a complete response (CR) is extremely rare. We present two patients who exhibited a chemical CR for more than 2 years after the discontinuation of steroidal antiandrogen chlormadinone acetate use. Whether patients who respond to antiandrogen withdrawal include a group of patients with a better prognosis remains uncertain. However, considering that the usual survival period of patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer is approximately 12 months, both of the patients reported here, who are present in excellent physical condition, exhibiting an improved quality of life, and attending their hospital as outpatients, obviously acquired a prolonged survival because of AWS.