Prediction of Occult Uterine Sarcoma before Hysterectomy for Women with Leiomyoma or Abnormal Bleeding.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop a risk prediction model for occult uterine sarcoma using preoperative clinical characteristics in women undergoing hysterectomy for presumed uterine leiomyomata. DESIGN: Cases of uterine sarcoma were identified from the electronic medical records. Age/race-matched controls were selected at a 2:1 ratio (controls:cases) from a cohort of 45 188 women who underwent hysterectomy for uterine leiomyomata or abnormal bleeding during the same time interval. Unadjusted conditional logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for occult uterine sarcomas, defined as no preoperative suspicion for malignancy. A risk prediction model was developed using a weighted logistic regression model, and the performance of the model was assessed using the receiver operator characteristic curve and corresponding area under the curve. SETTING: A large integrated health care system in California PATIENTS: Women 18 years of age and older who underwent a hysterectomy and were diagnosed with a uterine sarcoma and matched controls from 2006 to 2013. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There were 117 cases of occult uterine sarcomas that met inclusion criteria during the study period. The final risk prediction model included age, race/ethnicity, number of myomas, uterine weight, uterine size increase, degree of pelvic pain, and recent history of blood transfusion. The risk prediction model showed high accuracy based on the receiver operating characteristic curve method (area under the curve = 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.90); however, the positive predictive values were low (0.048 or less) at all risk thresholds. CONCLUSION: Multiple clinical features are associated with the presence of a uterine sarcoma, but when incorporated into a prediction model, they fail to provide significantly more information about women who may have an unrecognized sarcoma and only marginally improve the certainty about women who are not likely to have sarcoma.

Exploring reasons behind patient compliance with nutrition supplements before pelvic exenteration surgery.

PURPOSE: Compliance with oral nutrition support (ONS) is poorly reported in the literature. Many factors influence compliance, which could mask the true benefits of preoperative ONS. Surgical oncology patients, including pelvic exenteration patients, are often requested by healthcare workers to consume nutrition supplements before surgery. Exploration of barriers and enablers to compliance with nutrition supplements is needed to improve patient compliance and understand the real impact of preoperative ONS. METHOD: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was performed to investigate enablers and barriers to preoperative nutrition supplement compliance. Twenty participants who had been asked to consume 15 nutrition supplements, either immunonutrition or standard polymeric supplements, were interviewed. Inductive thematic analysis was used to determine major themes associated with compliance. RESULTS: Twelve out of 20 participants were not compliant with recommended dosing. Well-nourished participants were more compliant than malnourished participants. Major themes associated with compliance were flavour, volume, texture, impact on dietary intake and motivation to consume supplements. Flavour differed between the two groups, negatively impacting compliance in the immunonutrition group. Volume, texture and impact on dietary intake also negatively impacted compliance whereas motivation positively impacted compliance. CONCLUSION: To overcome barriers and enforce enablers with nutrition supplement compliance, it is essential healthcare workers implement individualised interventions, taking into account nutritional status. A range of flavours, minimal volume and low viscosity supplements should be provided to address individual preference and minimise poor compliance. Better-targeted education and regular motivation are needed to improve compliance.

[Prevention of cognitive dysfunction in elderly cancer patients operated on the pelvic organs in conditions of multimodal anesthesia]. / Profilaktika kognitivnoi disfunktsii u pozhilykh onkologicheskikh bol'nykh, operirovannykh na organakh malogo taza v usloviiakh mul'timodal'noi anestezii.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of various variants of multimodal anesthesia on the cognitive functions of elderly patients after surgical interventions on pelvic organs, the development of preventive measures for POCD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study was conducted in 76 elderly patients aged 62 to 84 years with an increased risk of developing POCD. Of these, 46 women and 30 men. Patients were divided into two groups, depending on the type of anesthesia. The 1st group consisted of 37 patients who had low-flow anesthesia with sevoflurane combined with epidural analgesia. 2nd - 39 patients who had anticipated multimodal analgesia on the basis of systemic administration of lidocaine, sulphate magnesia, verapamil. In each group, patients are divided into subgroups - the main (O) and control (K). In the main subgroups anesthetics were supplemented with 20 ml. Cytoflavin, administered 20-25 minutes before the end of surgery and on the 1-3 days of the perioperative period. Cognitive functions were assessed by standardized scales: Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Evaluation Scale (MoCA), Frontal Assessment Batteries (FAB). The level of anxiety and depression was determined by the hospital scale of anxiety and depression (HADS). RESULTS: At oncological patients of advanced age in 52.5% of cases there is a moderate degree of cognitive impairment. In the perioperative period, in the study groups, when using different variants of multimodal anesthesia, there is an equivalent transient decrease in cognitive functions by 12.5 and 12.8%. The use of cytoflavin can reduce the manifestation of POCD from 1-day perioperative period, improve the cognitive status of patients. CONCLUSION: In cancer patients of advanced age, cognitive impairment is observed, aggravated after surgical treatment, regardless of the variant of multimodal anesthesia. Protection by Cytoflavin allows to restore the cognitive functions of elderly cancer patients, reduce the manifestations of POCD.

[Modern approaches to components of therapy of patients with diabetes mellitus operated on for malignant neoplasms of small pelvic organs]. / Sovremennye podkhody k komponentam terapii bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom, operiruemykh po povodu zlokachestvennykh novoobrazovanii organov malogo taza.

The purpose of this study was assessment of the effect of cytoflavin preparation inclusion in surgical treatment of patients with malignant neoplasms of small pelvic organs and diabetes mellitus. A prospective examination of 51 patients aged 56 to 76 years suffering from diabetes mellitus and malignant neoplasms of the pelvic organs was performed. Patients were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of 27 patients whose adaptive potential was characterized by tension of adaptation mechanisms, the second one - 24 patients with poor adaptation. In turn, in each group, patients were divided into subgroups depending on the treatment regimen: in the main subgroup of the first group (14 people) the treatment program was supplemented with cytoflavin (10 ml 2 times a day), in the main subgroup of the second group were 13 patients with cytoflavin supplement (20 ml 2 times a day). Patients of control groups underwent standard therapy. State of energy deficiency was assessed by methemoglobin, carbohemoglobin, P50, oxygen delivery, consumption and extraction. Concentration of glucose, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase was assessed. The results of the study showed clear relationship between the nature of changes in transport and oxygen consumption, adaptation adaptive reactions, allowing to identify mechanisms that characterize formation of various types of energy deficiency in perioperative period in patients with malignant diseases of the pelvic organs and diabetes. Use of cytoflavin contributed to a qualitative and effective correction of energy deficiency as well as reduction in the patients stay in the hospital.

Whole abdominopelvic intensity-modulated radiation therapy for desmoplastic small round cell tumor after surgery.

PURPOSE: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSCRT) is an uncommon pediatric tumor with a poor prognosis. Aggressive multimodality therapy is the current treatment approach; however. treatment toxicity is of concern. We report our results with whole abdominopelvic intensity-modulated radiation therapy (WAP-IMRT) as a component of multimodality therapy for DSCRT at a single institution. MATERIALS/METHODS: Medical records of all patients with DSCRT who received WAP-IMRT as part of definitive treatment at MD Anderson (2006-2010) were identified and reviewed. RESULTS: Eight patients with DSRCT received WAP-IMRT with a median follow-up of 15.2 months. All patients received multiple courses of chemotherapy followed by surgical debulking of intra-abdominal disease; seven also had intraoperative hyperthermic cisplatin. WAP-IMRT was delivered to a total dose of 30 Gy postoperatively; four patients received a simultaneous boost (6-10 Gy) to sites of gross residual disease. Seven patients received concurrent chemotherapy during WAP-IMRT. No Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Grade 4 nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea occurred during RT. Red-cell transfusions were given to two patients to maintain hemoglobin levels >10 g/dL. Grade 4 cytopenia requiring growth factor support occurred in only one patient; no other significant cytopenias were noted. WAP-IMRT resulted in 25% lower radiation doses to the lumbosacral vertebral bodies and pelvic bones than conventional RT plans. The median time to local or distant failure after WAP-IMRT was 8.73 months in seven patients. One patient who had completed RT 20 months before the last follow-up remains alive without evidence of disease. Five patients (63%) experienced treatment failure in the abdomen. Distant failure occurred in three patients (37.5%). CONCLUSIONS: WAP-IMRT with concurrent radiosensitizing chemotherapy was well tolerated after aggressive surgery for DSCRT. Enhanced bone sparing with IMRT probably accounts for the low hematologic toxicity (vs. conventional WAP-RT). This modality should be considered as an additional local-regional control option for DSRCT.

Manejo de los tumores retrorrectales del adulto / Management of the retrorectal tumors of the adult

Antecedentes: Los tumores que asientan en el espacio virtual entre el mesorrecto y el sacrocoxis comprenden un grupo heterogéneo y poco frecuente cuya incidencia se estima en 1/40.000 ingresos. Se clasifican en congénitos, neurogénicos, óseos y misceláneas. Por ser asintomáticos u ocasionar síntomas inespecíficos su diagnóstico suele ser tardío y muchas veces cuando han alcanzado un gran tamaño o comprometido las estructuras vecinas. El diagnóstico y tratamiento, que requiere un equipo multidisciplinario, han evolucionado en los últimos años por el aporte de la resonancia magnética nuclear (RMN), las nuevas terapias quimiorradiantes y un abordaje quirúrgico más agresivo. Objetivo: Comunicar nuestra experiencia y sugerir la estrategia de manejo de estos tumores basada en esta serie y la de los centros internacionales de referencia. Pacientes y Métodos: Se revisaron retrospectivamente las historias clínicas de los pacientes con tumores retrorrectales operados entre 1991 y 2006 en la División Cirugía del Hospital Juan A. Fernández. Se excluyeron procesos inflamatorios, tumores rectales localmente avanzados y metastásicos. Se registraron sexo, edad, síntomas/signos, tiempo de evolución, estudios preoperatorios, tamaño tumoral, compromiso sacro y/o de órganos vecinos, tratamiento quirúrgico, morbimortalidad inmediata, estadía postoperatoria, secuelas, histopatología, recurrencia y supervivencia. Además se evaluó la utilidad de la tomografía axial computada (Te) y la RMN para establecer la estirpe tumoral, la posible malignidad, la invasión de estructuras vecinas y la vía de abordaje. Resultados: Hubo 7 pacientes (5 mujeres), edad promedio 37,5 (23-54) años. Congénitos: 2 (cordoma 1, hamartoma quístico 1), neurogénicos: 2 (neurofibroma plexiforme 1, schwanoma maligno 1), óseos: 1 (tumor de células gigantes del sacro) y misceláneas: 2 (liposarcoma 1, fibroma extrapleural maligno 1)...

Background: Tumors occupying the virtual space between the mesorectum and sacro-coccyx are heterogeneous and infrequent, with an estimated incidence of 1/40.000 hospitalizations. They are classified as congenital, neurogenic, osseous, and miscellaneous. Because they are asymptomatic or cause non-specific symptoms diagnosis is usually delayed, and very often done when have reached a great dimension or involved adjacent structures. Diagnosis and treatment, that required a multidisciplinary team, has evolved in recent years due to the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), new chemo-radiation therapies and a more aggressive surgical approach. Objective: Report on our experience, and suggest the management strategy for these tumors based on this series and that of international referral centers. Patients and Methods: Clinical records of patients with retrorectal tumors operated on, between 1991 and 2006 in the Division of Surgery of the Hospital Juan A. Fernández were retrospectively reviewed. Inflammatory processes, locally advanced rectal tumors and metastatic lesions were excluded. Registe red data included gender, age, symptom/signs, time of evolution, preoperative studies, size of tumors, involvement of sacrum and/or adjacent viscera, surgical treatment, 30-day morbidity and mortality, postoperative hospital stay, secuela, histopathology, recurrence and survival. Besides, the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) and MRI to establish the histologic tumor type, possible malignancy, invasion of adjacent structures, and operative approach was assessed. Results: Seven patients (5 women), mean age 37.5 (23-54) years, were treated. Congenital: 2 (chordoma 1, tailgut cyst 1), neurogenic: 2 (plexiform neurotibroma 1, malignant schwannoma 1), osseous: 1 (gigant cell tumor of the sacrum) and miscellaneous: 2 (liposarcoma 1, extrapleural malignant fibroma 1)...

[Uncrossmatched type O red blood cell transfusion and cell saver autologous blood transfusion effective for intraoperative massive bleeding].

We experienced rapid and massive bleeding in a 57-year-old woman undergoing resection of ovarian tumor metastasis. One hour after the start of operation, blood loss increased due to adhesion of the tumor. The blood hemoglobin level decreased from 11.7 to 4.6 g x dl(-1). Since available matched homologous blood had been consumed, we transfused type O uncrossmatched red blood cells followed by cell saver autologous blood. For the treatment of uncontrollable hyperkalemia and metabolic acidosis, continuous hemodiafiltration was started. A total of 66 U of red blood cells, 48 U of FFP, and 40 U of platelets were transfused intraoperatively. No neurological deficit, pulmonary edema, renal failure, or hemolysis was found postoperatively.

Severe iatrogenic bismuth poisoning with bismuth iodoform paraffin paste treated with DMPS chelation.

BACKGROUND: Bismuth iodoform paraffin paste (BIPP) is used for the packing of wound and surgical cavities. Features of both bismuth and iodoform toxicities have been associated with the use of BIPP, but there are no previous reports of 2,3-dimercaptopropane-1-sulphonate (DMPS) chelation therapy for bismuth poisoning secondary to its use. CASE REPORT: A 67-year-old man presented with a pelvic tumor requiring extensive surgical resection. BIPP packing was required post-operatively for surgical wound breakdown. A few days after insertion, the patient developed neurological features of bismuth toxicity (blood and urine bismuth concentrations were 340 microg/L and 2800 microg/L, respectively), which was treated with removal of the BIPP packing and DMPS chelation [27 days of intravenous DMPS (5 mg/kg 4 times daily for 5 days, 5 mg/kg three times daily for 5 days followed by 5 mg/kg twice a day for 17 days) followed by 24 days of oral DMPS (200 mg three times a day for 10 days, followed 200 mg twice daily for 14 days)]. This resulted in improvement in his symptoms and a decline in his pre-chelation bismuth concentration of 480 microg/L to 5 microg/L following chelation. There were no adverse effects during chelation. CONCLUSIONS: DMPS chelation appears to be a potentially effective chelating agent in bismuth toxicity.

Treatment of metastatic urachal carcinoma in an elderly woman.

BACKGROUND: A 67-year-old woman with a history of smoking presented with abdominal pain and hematuria. On physical examination, she had a palpable pelvic mass. Imaging revealed a large pelvic mass situated on the dome of the bladder, extending from the urachus, without evidence of other sites of metastases. After resection, urachal adenocarcinoma was histologically confirmed. No adjuvant therapy was administered. Repeat imaging obtained 3 months after resection revealed a large left pelvic mass consistent with recurrence. INVESTIGATIONS: Physical examination, pelvic and complete lymph-node examination, laboratory tests, urine analysis, CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis, chest X-ray, bone scan, cystoscopy, histologic examination of tumor morphology, and MRI of the abdomen and pelvis. DIAGNOSIS: Metastatic urachal adenocarcinoma. MANAGEMENT: Surgical excision combined with cystectomy and pelvic lympadenectomy, chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan.

[Partial internal hemipelvectomy for a secondary giant pelvic chondrosarcoma. A case report]. / Hemipelvectomía parcial interna por condrosarcoma secundario gigante de pelvis. Reporte de caso.

The purpose of this paper is to present the orthopedic-oncologic and functional outcomes of internal partial hemipelvectomy for a secondary giant pelvic chondrosarcoma in a patient with multiple hereditary osteochondromatosis.

An approach for cure: PEI-chemotherapy and regional deep hyperthermia in children and adolescents with unresectable malignant tumors.

BACKGROUND: Elevated temperatures of 40 - 44 degrees C increase the actions of various anticancer drugs including N-lost derivatives, cytotoxic antibiotics and platinum analoga. In clinical usage thermochemotherapy (TCH) should facilitate surgical resection and ameliorate local tumor control. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 07/1993 to 12/2002 a total of 39 patients have been enrolled onto a phase-II study (female = 24, male = 15, age 1 - 37.5 years, median 5.2). Among these, 24 patients had extracranial non-testicular germ cell tumors and 15 patients soft tissue or chondrosarcomas. INDICATION: locoregional relapse (n = 29) or unresectable tumor after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 10). Among these two groups, there were ten patients with poor response or progressive disease under primary or relapse chemotherapy. Ten out of the 29 relapse patients had more than one relapse. Tumor site: pelvis (30), abdomen (4), head and neck (2), proximal leg (2) and lumbar spine (1). Thermochemotherapy (TCH): 1800 - 2000 mg ifosfamide/m (2) and 100 mg etoposide/m (2) on days 1 - 4 and 40 mg cisplatin/m (2) on days 1 + 4 combined with regional deep hyperthermia (42 - 44 degrees C, 1 h) on days 1 + 4. RESULTS: In 39 protocol patients a total of 166 TCH courses (332 heat sessions) were applied. 20 patients achieved complete response, and 10 patients achieved partial response. TCH was followed by surgical tumor resection in 28/39 patients and/or radiotherapy in 13/39 patients. At a median follow-up of 27 months, outcome in this high-risk patient population was 22 NED, 3 AWD, 12 DOD, 2 DOC. Five year event free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) for the whole study cohort was 0.39 +/- 0.11 (20/39 patients) and 0.52 +/- 0.11 (25/39 patients), respectively. CONCLUSION: TCH shows substantial therapeutic efficacy and facilitates complete tumor resection in 14 out of 28 operated patients. Multimodal treatment including TCH, surgical resection and/or radiotherapy leads to sustained remission in the majority of patients with locoregional tumor recurrence. The therapeutic effect is most pronounced, if TCH is administered at first relapse. Due to the clinical and histologic heterogeneity the number of patients eligible for TCH is limited. Therefore, a more valid assessment of treatment efficacy can only be made by a matched-pair comparison in cooperation with the clinical registers.

Secondary hypertension due to a renin-producing teratoma.

Twenty cases of extrarenal renin-secreting tumors have been reported, but this is the first case of a renin-producing teratoma. The patient was a 17-year-old African American girl who presented with hypertension and hypokalemia, and who was documented to have a plasma aldosterone-to-renin activity ratio consistent with secondary aldosteronism. Computed tomography demonstrated a pelvic tumor suspicious for a teratoma. With no other apparent etiology for the secondary aldosteronism, the teratoma was suspected to be an extrarenal renin-secreting tumor. This was confirmed after surgery by pathologic evaluation, and significantly reduced requirements for antihypertensive medication and potassium supplementation.

[The use of predeposited autologous blood transfusion for radical prostatectomy and total cystectomy].

BACKGROUND: To avoid homologus blood transfusion, we performed the operation for intra-pelvic malignancy with predeposited autologus blood using recombinant human erythropoietin (rH-EPO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The seven cases of radical prostatectomy and the 15 cases of total cystectomy were analyzed retrospectively. All cases were given ferrons sulfate/200 mg of iron orally every day to the day before the operation and treated with 24,000 unit of rH-EPO subcutaneously every week. The target volumes of preoperative autologus blood collection were 800 to 1,000 ml and 800 to 1,200 ml for radical prostatectomy and total cystectomy, respectively. For each case, 400 ml blood was collected once a week. RESULTS: In cases of radical prostatectomy, the preserved blood volume was 885.7 +/- 157.4 ml and 6 out of 7 operations were successfully performed without additional homologus blood transfusion (85.7%). In total cystectomy, the preserved blood volume was 1,033.3 +/- 167.6 ml and 14 out of 15 operations were successfully performed without additional homologus blood transfusion (93.3%). The bleeding volume during operation showed no significant difference compared to control group where used homologus blood transfusion. Postoperative courses were uneventful and there encountered no severe side effects and complications in all our procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that in cases of radical prostatectomy and total cystectomy, the operation with predeposited autologus blood using rH-EPO is possible to be performed in safe. The effect on long term prognosis of malignancy is not clear, however, this technique is helpful able to avoid hazardous issues related to homologus blood transfusion during the operation.

[The role of intraperitoneal chemotherapy after curative excision of primary abdominopelvic sarcoma]. / Place de la chimiothérapie intrapéritonéale après exérèse curative des sarcomes abdomino-pelviens primitifs.

Local recurrence and prognosis of abdominopelvic sarcomas depend on complete resection of the primary malignancy. Peritoneal seeding of the tumor can be assessed by the size of the tumor and the number of abdominopelvic regions involved by sarcoma. Under these conditions, we analyzed 14 consecutive patients with primary sarcoma. Complete resection of the tumor was performed in 9 patients with peritoneal involvement less than or equal to 3 abdomino-pelvic regions and complete resection combined with perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy was performed for the last 5 patient with involvement of more than 3 abdomino-pelvic regions. Results shows that the median survival was 28 months and the survival for very large tumors treated with perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy was similar to survival for smaller tumors treated by resection only. These results suggest the efficacy of chemotherapy on the site of resection and argue in favour of the use of regional chemotherapy in an attempt to achieve long-term disease-free survival for primary sarcoma.

Radioimmunoguided surgery benefits for recurrent colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Despite new adjuvant therapy, 50% of patients with colon cancer will have recurrent disease. This study investigated the use of a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody in locating occult tumor during surgery for recurrent colorectal cancer. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with recurrent colorectal cancer underwent surgery using the radioimmunoguided surgery (RIGS) system. All patients were subjected to abdominal and chest computed tomography (CT). Before surgery, patients were injected with the CC49 monoclonal antibody (MoAb), anti-TAG antibody labeled with 125I. Ten patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels and no CT findings had a scintigraphy scan with an anti-CEA MoAb labeled with 99Tc. Human antimouse antibody levels of these patients were within normal limits. Surgical exploration including liver ultrasound examination was followed by survey with a gamma-detecting probe (GDP). RESULTS: There was MoAb tumor localization in 100% of the patients. CT found nine tumor sites, traditional surgical exploration 30, and the GDP 51, with 44 confirmed by pathology (hematoxylin and eosin). The RIGS system found occult tumor in 10 patients (45.4%) and resulted in major changes in surgical procedure in 11 patients. In the 10 patients who had scintigraphy scans, 10 tumor sites were identified, whereas RIGS found an additional eight sites. CONCLUSION: RIGS technology offers a substantial benefit for patients undergoing surgery for recurrent colorectal cancer and a better chance of finding recurrent tumor intraoperatively in patients who have elevated CEA levels with no other CT findings.

Extracorporeal circulation as a blood conservation technique for extensive pelvic operations.

Difficult pelvic operations for malignancy or complex benign conditions can be associated with extensive blood loss. Religious beliefs that preclude transfusion and the known risks of homologous blood have prompted investigators to seek alternatives to transfusion. We used the Haemonetics-V50 Cell Separator (Haemonetics Corporation) to provide for extracorporeal circulation of the patient's own blood with associated normovolemic hemodilution as a means of conserving blood during operations. This technique was used in eight patients undergoing extensive pelvic operations. The procedure was accepted by Jehovah's Witnesses and was well tolerated by all patients. Estimated blood loss ranged from 75 to 2,000 milliliters. One instance of mild intraoperative disseminated intravascular coagulation was encountered. Two patients were given homologous transfusions. While clinical judgment is necessary to determine the safety of complicated operations, this technique is useful in expanding surgical options for some patients who object to blood transfusion.

Surgical resection following interleukin 2 therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma prolongs remission.

Records of 399 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with interleukin 2 with or without lymphokine-activated killer cell immunotherapy enrolled in 14 separate clinical trials from multiple institutions were reviewed to determine whether patients with a partial response to interleukin 2 therapy would benefit from surgical resection of residual tumor. Sixty-two patients demonstrated objective responses (15.5%), 18 (4.5%) complete and 44 (11.0%) partial. Eleven patients underwent resection of residual tumor in the lung, kidney, retroperitoneum, or pelvis so that they had "surgically no evidence of disease" (SNED). Of these, 10 had partial responses, and one patient with progressive disease had a complete response. Comparison of response duration showed no difference between the complete response and SNED groups, but there was a significant difference between each of these groups and the partial response group. At this writing, all 11 patients in the SNED group remained alive without evidence of disease (median follow-up, 21 months). In contrast, only 14 patients (76%) with complete responses and 15 patients (35%) with partial responses remained free of disease progression. Enhanced survival of the complete response and SNED groups compared with the partial response group borders on significance and awaits longer follow-up. These data suggest that surgical resection, if technically feasible, may benefit patients who show a partial response to interleukin 2 treatment for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

[Operability of primary inoperable pelvic tumors by preoperative regional hyperthermia in combination with systemic chemotherapy exemplified by Ewing's sarcoma]. / Operabilität primär inoperabler Beckentumoren durch präoperative regionale Hyperthermie in Kombination mit systemischer Chemotherapie am Beispiel eines Ewing-Sarkoms.

Failure of local tumor control is of critical importance in the clinical management of large pelvic tumors. For bulky sarcomas of the pelvis a new treatment strategy could be of importance in the future using preoperative regional hyperthermia combined with systemic chemotherapy. In our case history of a patient with unresectable Ewing sarcoma of the pelvis no tumor response could be observed during multi-drug chemotherapy alone. However, after treatment with regional hyperthermia combined with systemic chemotherapy, the tumor mass became resectable and was separated from the adjacent tissue by a fibrotic pseudocapsule. Histological evaluation of the tumor tissue showed a complete change of the pattern.

Initial evaluation of the use of the potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP/532) laser in gynecologic laparoscopy.

A new surgical laser, the potassium-titanyl-phosphate 532 nm laser (Laserscope, Santa Clara, CA) has recently become available for investigative procedures in gynecology. This article reports initial investigation of this laser energy at laparoscopy with the use of a flexible fiberoptic delivery system in rabbits and patients with endometriosis. Tissue effects on peritoneal structures of rabbits with laparoscopic firing of this new laser demonstrated the ability to accomplish surface vaporization without bowel perforation or penetration greater than 2 mm. In ten patients with pelvic endometriosis and pain, effective laparoscopic vaporization of implants has been safely accomplished with ease. Early follow-up revealed symptomatic improvement in all patients. This new laser is easy to use laparoscopically, appears safe in early investigations, and effectively reduces early postoperative pain associated with pelvic endometriosis.