Effects of the external qigong on symptoms of arteriosclerotic obstruction in the lower extremities evaluated by modern medical technology.

The modern treatment strategy for arteriosclerotic obstruction (ASO), which symptomatically appears primarily in the lower extremities, consists of drug and interventional therapy. Reported herein are the effects of external qigong, which has been a traditional therapeutic technique in the oriental countries for a long time and is known to bring warmness in the body, evaluated by modern medical technology.

[Autologous blood transfusion aided with erythropoietin in transurethral resection of the prostate].

Erythropoietin (EPO) with an established clinical efficacy in renal anemia has in recent years become applied as an aid to autologous blood transfusion in surgical patients. This report describes our experience with autotransfusion along with the use of EPO in transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P), indicating its usefulness. Ten patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy aged 60 to 74 years received 3000 units of EPO, with an iron preparation, nine times beginning 3 weeks prior to operation. Autologous blood of 300 ml was collected from the patient each at 2 and 1 week before operation and was used at TUR-P. Five other patients who underwent TUR-P with the same volume of autotransfusion accompanied by preparative medication with the iron alone served as controls. In the EPO treated group (mean age, 68.3 years) the mean value for hemoglobin concentration (Hb) was 14.0 +/- 1.6 g/dl on the day of operation, which showed a recovery rate of 94.9 +/- 5.4% (Hb recovery rate) as against the pre-EPO treatment value (mean: 14.8 +/- 1.3 g/dl). This Hb recovery rate was significantly greater (p less than 0.001) when compared to 82.2 +/- 2.5% in the control group (mean age, 68.2 years). Of the EPO treated patients, those in their sixties (n = 6; mean age, 66.3 years) exhibited a significantly higher Hb recovery rate (98.3 +/- 3.5%) than the rate (89.9 +/- 3.0%) for patients in their seventies (N = 4; mean age, 71.3 years) (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Superiority of selective bolus infusion and simultaneous rapid removal of anticancer agents by charcoal hemoperfusion in cancer treatment.

This report presents the clinical effectiveness of multidisciplinary therapy consisting of intraarterial selective chemotherapy, combined with radiofrequency regional hyperthermia (RFRH) in advanced cancer patients. Patients were categorized into the following therapeutic groups: Group I: RFRH without intraarterial chemotherapy. Group II: Intraarterial infusion of a standard dose of Mitomycin C (MMC) and 5Fu. Group III: RFRH combined with intraarterial chemotherapy as in Group II. Group IV: RFRH combined with a large intraarterial infusion of MMC or Adriamycin (ADM) during charcoal hemoperfusion. Clinical effectiveness in terms of more than 50% tumor size reduction was achieved in 9% in Group I, 0% in Group II, 25% in Group III and 55% in Group IV, respectively. In Group IV, several side effects were observed but were not serious, despite the lethal dose of drug administered. These results suggest that RFRH combined with selective infusion chemotherapy, especially when large doses are administered during charcoal hemoperfusion, is a valuable treatment for advanced cancer patients.

[Intraarterial bolus infusion followed by rapid removal of anticancer agents with hemocarboperfusion under local hyperthermia in advanced hepatic cancer].

Reported herein is a new multidisciplinary treatment modality for unresectable hepatic cancer in which local hyperthermia and intraarterial infusion of bolus anticancer agent are simultaneously undertaken while anticancer agent leaking from the hepatic bed into the general circulation is rapidly removed by charcoal hemoperfusion. Local hyperthermia induced by exposure to 13.56-MHz radiofrequency waves was conducted between one and one and a half hours once or twice a week. During the hyperthermia treatment, a bolus of either 1 mg/kg Mitomycin C or 2 mg/kg Adriamycin was injected into the hepatic artery via a Vascular Access Port, the catheter portion of which had been surgically inserted into the hepatic artery and the reservoir of which had been implanted subcutaneously. In general, a regular dose of 6 mg of Mitomycin C was injected into the Vascular Access Port during the following hyperthermia procedures. In seven of nine patients (78%) treated with this method, a marked reduction in tumor size of more than 50% was observed on computed tomograms. A light to moderate degree of side effects such as leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, liver dysfunction or hair loss were noticed after the bolus infusion, but were not so serious as to threaten the patients' lives.

[Combination of selective intra-arterial infusion of an anticancer agent via the vascular access port with RF local hyperthermia].

It is desirable for multidisciplinary cancer treatments to be concentrated as selectively as possible onto the cancer-bearing organs in order to augment the anticancer effects and minimize the untoward effects. Combined treatments of selective intraarterial infusion of anticancer agents via an implanted Vascular Access Port with local hyperthermia using 13.56 MHz RF have been performed in 12 patients with extensive cancers. In 9 out of these 12 cases (75%), more than 50% reduction in tumor size has been obtained. Tumor-diminishing effect was more remarkable in patients who underwent bolus infusion of anticancer agents such as 1 mg/kg of mitomycin C under charcoal hemoperfusion for rapid removal of anticancer agents from the blood stream.

[Experience in local hyperthermia with using ThermaTech 2000--second report].

In the use of hyperthermia treatment, it is apparent from the work of other investigators that only a proportion of large clinical neoplastic tumors of substantial size and deep location can be heated to adequate temperatures (over 42 degrees c). It is therefore of major significance that we have tested the concept that OK-432 can be used as an immunoheat potentiator. A ThermaTech 2000 was used as the radio-frequency generator at 13.56 MHz, including an ancillary computer in the thermometry unit. Minor response in advanced and metastatic tumors was observed in 3 of 3 evaluable patients using OK-432. With other anticancer drugs, no change was observed in 11 of 16 patients, and progressive disease in 5 of 16. However, OK-432 has severe side effects including chills & fever, therefore improved immunoheat potentiators are desirable.

[Experience in local hyperthermia with using Therma Tech 2000. First report].

Studies of the effects of hyperthermia on neoplastic tumors have been developed on the basis of biology. At the some time, machines for the clinical application of hyperthermia have been slowly improved. The Therma Tech 2,000, however, unlike most other pieces of hyperthermia equipment, generates RF energy at 13.56MHz. In the present study, rabbits bearing VX2 tumors were given hyperthermia treatment and measurements of their temperatures were taken.