Deodorant pad for ulcerated breast cancer: safety and efficacy.

OBJECTIVES: APOLLO study, 'efficacy and safety of the deodorAnt Pad against Odour and uLceration for LOcally advanced breast cancer', aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of wearing a deodorant pad in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) with an ulceration. METHODS: Komagome Pads were previously developed by Juntendo University and Kao Corporation. In test A, a conventional pad consisting of gauze, a commercially available diaper, pad, etc and the Komagome Pad were compared over 3 days to assess their efficacy and possible improvements for short-term use. In test B, the Komagome Pad was used continuously for 1 month to evaluate its safety during long-term use. RESULTS: This study included 14 patients in test A and nine in test B. In odour evaluation using sensory testing in test A, nine patients reported more significant efficacy in odour suppression with the Komagome Pad. The odour intensity of the Komagome Pad was lower on the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The group with a high level of exudation reported significantly higher satisfaction with the Komagome Pad. In test B, no adverse events were observed. CONCLUSIONS: A new deodorant pad for LABC demonstrated high safety and deodorant efficacy.

[A Case of Synchronous Solitary Splenic Metastasis of Sigmoid Colon Cancer Treated with Laparoscopic Resection].

An 82-year-old woman presented to our hospital with chief complaints of lower abdominal pain and nausea. Contrast- enhanced CT showed ileus of sigmoid colon cancer and a solitary splenic tumor. A metallic stent was placed for the primary lesion. FDG-PET showed high FDG accumulation in the solitary splenic tumor, and synchronous solitary splenic metastasis was diagnosed. Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy and laparoscopic splenectomy were performed without changing the intraoperative position or port arrangement. Postoperative progress was favorable. The patient was discharged 9 days after surgery, and no sign of recurrence has been observed to date, at 4 months after surgery. Solitary splenic metastasis of colorectal cancer is extremely rare. This is the first case report of synchronous solitary splenic metastasis of colorectal cancer treated with laparoscopic resection in Japan. This procedure is considered effective and minimally invasive. We review and discuss the Japanese literature on this rare disease.

Does breast-conserving surgery with radiotherapy in BRCA-mutation carriers significantly increase ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is often preferred for localized, small breast cancers, but its safety and efficacy in BRCA-mutation carriers is still controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether there was any significant difference in the incidence of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) between BRCA-mutation carriers who underwent BCS and controls with sporadic breast cancer. METHODS: A PubMed search was conducted through March 2020 to identify studies examining the risk of IBTR after BCS in BRCA-mutation carriers versus controls. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias. The pooled risk ratio (RR) was calculated using the random-effects model. RESULTS: Thirteen studies involving 701 BRCA-mutation carriers and 4788 controls in total were eventually analyzed. In the meta-analysis, IBTR after BCS was significantly higher in BRCA-mutation carriers (RR: 1.589; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.247-2.024; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of the follow-up time found that the RR for IBTR increased as the observation period lengthened (median follow-up: ≧ 7 years [RR: 1.505; 95% CI 1.184-1.913] and ≧ 10 years [RR: 1.601; 95% CI 1.201-2.132], respectively). However, a qualitative meta-analysis of overall survival in three cohort studies found no evidence to suggest a deterioration in overall survival in patients with BCS. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that BRCA-mutation carriers with BCS have a higher risk of IBTR, which tended to persist for a long period and become more apparent with longer observation.

Short- and long-term outcomes of immediate breast reconstruction surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is a standard option for breast cancer patients, although its utility in patients with advanced breast cancer requiring neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is debatable. We assessed the short-term complications and long-term prognosis of IBR after NAC. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1135 patients with IBR and/or NAC between 2010 and 2018, 43 of whom underwent IBR after NAC. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients underwent reconstruction with a tissue expander (TE) followed by silicon breast implantation, 5 with a latissimus dorsi muscle transfer flap, and 13 with a deep inferior epigastric perforator flap. Complete surgical resection with a free margin confirmed by a pathological assessment was achieved in all patients. The evaluation of the short-term complications indicated no cases of total flap necrosis, two cases of partial flap necrosis, and one case of wound infection. Only one case required postponement of subsequent therapy due to partial flap necrosis. A long-term evaluation indicated no local recurrence, although distant metastasis was observed in 4 cases, 3 patients died, and TE removal after post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) was performed in 2 of 11 TE cases. CONCLUSION: IBR may be a viable option in patients with advanced breast cancer who achieve complete surgical resection after NAC.

Suspected Adverse Effects After Human Papillomavirus Vaccination: A Temporal Relationship Between Vaccine Administration and the Appearance of Symptoms in Japan.

INTRODUCTION: In Japan, after receiving human papillomavirus vaccination, a significant number of adolescent girls experienced various symptoms, the vast majority of which have been ascribed to chronic regional pain syndrome, orthostatic intolerance, and/or cognitive dysfunction. However, a causal link has not been established between human papillomavirus vaccination and the development of these symptoms. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to clarify the temporal relationship between human papillomavirus vaccination and the appearance of post-vaccination symptoms. METHODS: Between June 2013 and December 2016, we examined symptoms and objective findings in 163 female patients who had received human papillomavirus vaccination. We used newly defined diagnostic criteria for accurate inclusion of patients who experienced adverse symptoms after human papillomavirus vaccination; these diagnostic criteria were created for this study, and thus their validity and reliability have not been established. RESULTS: Overall, 43 female patients were excluded. Among the remaining 120 patients, 30 were diagnosed as having definite vaccine-related symptoms, and 42 were diagnosed as probable. Among these 72 patients, the age at initial vaccination ranged from 11 to 19 years (average 13.6 ± 1.6 years), and the age at appearance of symptoms ranged from 12 to 20 years (average 14.4 ± 1.7 years). The patients received the initial human papillomavirus vaccine injection between May 2010 and April 2013. The first affected girl developed symptoms in October 2010, and the last two affected girls developed symptoms in October 2015. The time to onset after the first vaccine dose ranged from 1 to 1532 days (average 319.7 ± 349.3 days). CONCLUSIONS: The period of human papillomavirus vaccination considerably overlapped with that of unique post-vaccination symptom development. Based on these sequential events, it is suggested that human papillomavirus vaccination is related to the transiently high prevalence of the previously mentioned symptoms including chronic regional pain syndrome and autonomic and cognitive dysfunctions in the vaccinated patients.