Inferior vena cava thrombosis extension into the right atrium: An unusual case report of renal cell carcinoma.

Inferior vena cava filling defects are common findings on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and accurate determination of pseudo, benign, or malignant thrombus is essential for clinical management. Inferior vena cava thrombosis involvement extending into the right atrium is a rare presentation of renal cell carcinoma. The degree of inferior vena cava and right atrium involvement is critical in determining management and prognosis of patients. Inferior vena cava thrombosis surgical thrombectomy is often a risky procedure due to the intraoperative determination of inferior vena cava thrombosis involvement. Accurate recognition of inferior vena cava thrombosis with right atrial involvement is critical in determining appropriate treatment options and preoperative level of involvement for surgical intervention. This case features a unique presentation of inferior vena cava thrombosis in renal cell carcinoma with right atrial involvement.

Reporting quality of abstracts in phase III clinical trials of systemic therapy in metastatic solid malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Manuscript abstracts represent a critical source of information for oncology practitioners. Practitioners may utilize the information contained in abstracts as a basis for treatment decisions particularly when full-text articles are not accessible. In 2007, the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) extension statement for abstracts provided a minimum list of elements that should be included in abstracts. In this study we evaluate the degree of adherence to these recommendations and accessibility of full text publications in oncology publications. METHODS: A systematic review of abstracts of randomized, controlled, phase III trials in metastatic solid malignancies published between January 2009 and December 2011 in PubMed, Medline, and Embase was completed. Abstracts were assigned a completeness score of 0-18 based on the number of CONSORT-recommended elements. Accessibility through open access was recorded. RESULTS: 174 abstracts with data for 95,956 patients were reviewed. The median completeness score was 9 (range, 3-17). Open access to full text articles was available for 80 % of abstracts. The remaining 20 % (35 out of 174) had a median cost of 38 USD (range: $22-49.95). The least frequently reported elements were: trial design description (20 %), participant allocation method (13 %), blinding (24 %), trial enrollment status (22 %), registration and name of trial (26 %) and funding source (18 %). The most frequently reported elements were eligibility criteria (98 %), study interventions (100 %), and primary endpoint (87 %). CONCLUSION: There is poor adherence to the CONSORT recommendations for abstract reporting in publications of randomized cancer clinical trials which could negatively impact clinical decision-making. Full-text articles are frequently available through open access.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors increase human sebum production.

Sebum production is key in the pathophysiology of acne, an extremely common condition, which when severe, may require treatment with isotretinoin, a known teratogen. Apart from isotretinoin and hormonal therapy, no agents are available to reduce sebum. Increasing our understanding of the regulation of sebum production is a milestone in identifying alternative therapeutic targets. Studies in sebocytes and human sebaceous glands indicate that agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) alter sebaceous lipid production. The goal of this study is to verify the expression and activity of PPARs in human skin and SEB-1 sebocytes and to assess the effects of PPAR ligands on sebum production in patients. To investigate the contribution of each receptor subtype to sebum production, lipogenesis assays were performed in SEB-1 sebocytes that were treated with PPAR ligands and isotretinoin. Isotretinoin significantly decreased lipogenesis, while the PPARalpha agonist-GW7647, PPARdelta agonist-GW0742, PPARalpha/delta agonist-GW2433, PPARgamma agonist rosiglitazone, and the pan-agonist-GW4148, increased lipogenesis. Patients treated with thiazolidinediones or fibrates had significant increases in sebum production (37 and 77%, respectively) when compared to age-, disease-, and sex-matched controls. These data indicate that PPARs play a role in regulating sebum production and that selective modulation of their activity may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of acne.