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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Body mass index (BMI) has been shown to influence perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing open radical cystectomy and urinary diversion. The impact of BMI on robot-assisted intracorporeal ileal conduit has not been studied. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with ileal conduit at our institution were offered intracorporeal ileal conduit beginning May 2009. Fifty-six consecutive patients underwent robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal ileal conduit from May of 2009 to July 2010. Patients were categorized into three groups based on BMI: Normal (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)), overweight (BMI=25-29 kg/m(2)), and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)). The effect of BMI on intraoperative and postoperative outcomes was assessed by retrospective review of a comprehensive RARC quality assurance database. Results: Median age at cystectomy was 72 (range 42-87 y), and 75% of patients were male. Median follow-up for the entire cohort was 5 months (range 12 d-16 mos). Median BMI was 27 kg/m(2) (range 19-47 kg/m(2)), and 75% of patients were overweight or obese. Age, ASA score, and overall operative time were not significantly different among the normal, overweight, and obese patients. Median urinary diversion times were 95, 151, and 124 minutes for normal, overweight, and obese patients, respectively (P=0.13). Conclusions: Robot-assisted intracorporeal ileal conduit can be safely performed in all body mass indices. Further studies are needed to assess long-term conduit function and stomal complications.
Journal of endourology / Endourological Society 02/2012; 26(7):857-60. · 1.75 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to determine the rate of salvage resections in patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer following intensive surveillance in a comprehensive cancer center.
Patients with stage II and III colorectal cancer with a minimum follow-up of 3 years were included. Carcinoembryonic antigen was obtained every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for years 3-5. CT scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis were performed every 6 months for 2 years and then yearly for years 3-5. Colonoscopy was performed at year 1 and then every 3 years.
One hundred and seventy-seven patients were followed for a median of 60 months; 44 patients were diagnosed with recurrent disease. CT was the first sign of recurrence in 68% of patients. Carcinoembryonic antigen test was normal in 20 patients (45%) at the time of disease recurrence. Twenty-five patients (57%) with recurrent disease underwent curative-intent resection, 12 of whom are still cancer free at a median follow-up of 81 months.
In this retrospective study, intensive radiographic screening was associated with a high salvage resection rate, which led to favorable clinical outcomes. Randomized clinical trials are urgently needed to define the optimal duration and schedule of radiographic screening in stage II and III colorectal cancer.
Oncology 01/2012; 82(1):41-7. · 2.27 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with porfimer sodium, FDA approved to treat premalignant lesions in Barrett's esophagus, causes photosensitivity for 6-8 weeks. HPPH (2-[1-hexyloxyethyl]-2-devinyl pyropheophorbide-a) shows minimal photosensitization of short duration and promising efficacy in preclinical studies. Here we explore toxicity and optimal drug and light dose with endoscopic HPPH-PDT. We also want to know the efficacy of one time treatment with HPPH-PDT.
Two nonrandomized dose escalation studies were performed (18 patients each) with biopsy-proven high grade dysplasia or early intramucosal adenocarcinoma of esophagus. HPPH doses ranged from 3 to 6 mg/m2 . At 24 or 48 hours after HPPH administration the lesions received one endoscopic exposure to 150, 175, or 200 J/cm of 665 nm light.
Most patients experienced mild to moderate chest pain requiring symptomatic treatment only. Six patients experienced grade 3 and 4 adverse events (16.6%). Three esophageal strictures were treated with dilatation. No clear pattern of dose dependence of toxicities emerged. In the drug dose ranging study (light dose of 150 J/cm at 48 hours), 3 and 4 mg/m2 of HPPH emerged as most effective. In the light dose ranging study (3 or 4 mg/m2 HPPH, light at 24 hours), complete response rates (disappearance of high grade dysplasia and early carcinoma) of 72% were achieved at 1 year, with all patients treated with 3 mg/m2 HPPH plus 175 J/cm and 4 mg/m2 HPPH plus 150 J/cm showing complete responses at 1 year.
HPPH-PDT for precancerous lesions in Barrett's esophagus appears to be safe and showing promising efficacy. Further clinical studies are required to establish the use of HPPH-PDT.
Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 09/2011; 43(7):705-12. · 2.75 Impact Factor
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Vijayvel Jayaprakash,
Mary Reid,
Elizabeth Hatton,
Mihai Merzianu,
Nestor Rigual,
James Marshall,
Steve Gill,
Jennifer Frustino, Gregory Wilding,
Thom Loree,
Saurin Popat,
Maureen Sullivan
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ABSTRACT: Human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 are causally related to a sub-set of oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell cancers. However, a clear estimate of the prevalence of HPV-16/18 in oral cavity and oropharyngeal dysplasia (OOPD) is not available. This literature review and meta-analysis was conducted to provide a prevalence estimate for HPV-16/18 in OOPD. Twenty-two studies that reported prevalence of HPV-16 and/or 18 in 458 OOPD lesions were analyzed. Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the prevalence of HPV-16/18 and logistic regression was used for stratified analysis by age, gender, and histological grade. The overall prevalence of HPV-16/18 in OOPD lesions was 24.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 16.4-36.7%)]. The individual prevalence for HPV-16 alone was 24.4%. The prevalence of HPV-16/18 in oral cavity lesions alone was 25.3% (95% CI, 14.2-45.2%). The odds of detection of HPV-16/18 in dysplastic lesions in males were twice that of females [odds ratio (OR), 2.44]. HPV-16/18 were 3 times more common in dysplastic lesions (OR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.95-5.53%) and invasive cancers (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 2.07-5.69%), when compared to normal biopsies. There was no significant difference in HPV-16/18 rates between dysplastic lesions and cancers or between mild, moderate or severe dysplastic lesions. This meta-analysis provides a quantification of the prevalence of HPV types 16/18 in OOPD lesions. These results also support the assumption that HPV-16/18 infection occurs during the early phase of the oral cavity and oropharyngeal carcinogenesis.
Oral Oncology 08/2011; 47(11):1048-54. · 2.86 Impact Factor
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Taimur Sher,
Sikander Ailawadhi,
Kena C Miller,
Debbie Manfredi,
Margaret Wood,
Wei Tan, Gregory Wilding,
Myron S Czuczman,
Francisco J Hernandez-Ilizaliturri,
Fredrick Hong,
Raman Sood,
Saif Soniwala,
William Lawrence,
Saad Jamshed,
Aisha Masood,
Daniel Iancu,
Kelvin Lee,
Asher Chanan-Khan
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ABSTRACT: Novel agents have provided a new foundation for multiple myeloma therapies. When combined with other anti-myeloma agents, these compounds significantly enhance clinical efficacy. High-dose steroids are frequently used in anti-myeloma combination regimens; however, the doses employed are often poorly tolerated, especially in patients with concurrent comorbid conditions. We hypothesized that a steroid-independent combination regimen could be developed without significant compromise of efficacy. The availability of such a regimen will be important for patients whose concurrent ailments make them poor candidates for steroid containing anti-myeloma regimens. A phase II single institute, non-randomized clinical trial was conducted to investigate a novel steroid-free three-drug combination of bortezomib (V), pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (D), and thalidomide (T), the VDT regimen. Forty-three newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients requiring treatment were enrolled on this study. The overall response rate and complete response (CR) + near complete response (nCR) rate was 78% and 35%, respectively. Median time to progression was 29·5 months. Fatigue, rash, neuropathy, constipation and infections were the most common side effects. We concluded that VDT is a tolerable and an effective regimen capable of inducing high response rates and can be employed in patients considered to be poor candidates for steroid-based treatment regimens.
British Journal of Haematology 07/2011; 154(1):104-10. · 4.94 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Recent growth of daVinci Robotic Surgical System as a minimally invasive surgery tool has led to a call for better training of future surgeons. In this paper, a new virtual reality simulator, called RoSS is presented. Initial results from two studies - face and content validity, are very encouraging. 90% of the cohort of expert robotic surgeons felt that the simulator was excellent or somewhat close to the touch and feel of the daVinci console. Content validity of the simulator received 90% approval in some cases. These studies demonstrate that RoSS has the potential of becoming an important training tool for the daVinci surgical robot.
Studies in health technology and informatics 01/2011; 163:274-6.
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ABSTRACT: We previously reported that delayed formalin fixation (DFF) has a negative effect on immunohistochemical staining of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2. The primary aim of the study was to determine if DFF affected commonly used clones of the ER and PR differentially. The specific clones evaluated were ER clones 1D5, 6F11, and SP1 and PR clones 16, 1E2, and PgR636. Ten breast cancer cases were dissected and fixed at different times (0, 10, and 30 minutes; 1, 2, 4, and 8 hours; and overnight) and were then stained with anti-ER and anti-PR antibodies. The mean Q score for ER started to decline at 2 to 4 hours for clones 1D5 and 6F11 and at 1 hour for SP1. SP1 was superior to 1D5 at the 8-hour mark (P = .03). The Q score for PR started to decline at 1 hour for clones PgR636 and 16 and 4 to 8 hours for 1E2 (P = .03). Based on our findings, it appears that regardless of the antibody clones evaluated, DFF has a negative effect on hormone receptors.
American Journal of Clinical Pathology 11/2010; 134(5):813-9. · 2.60 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between type B3 thymoma from thymic carcinoma histologically. Given the rarity of these tumours, studies have been limited. A series of 66 thymic neoplasms were reviewed and classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) scheme. We performed a tissue microarray analysis of surgically resected thymic tumour specimens including 12 thymic carcinomas, 17 type B3 thymomas and 37 thymomas of other types. Percentage and staining intensity of immunohistochemical markers were recorded. Tumour eosinophilia was recorded positive if at least one eosinophilic cell identified. Positive staining of the following markers significantly differentiated type B3 thymoma from thymic carcinoma: cytokeratin 5/6 (15 vs. 3), Mesothelin (0 vs. 5), cytoplasmic androgen receptor (10 vs. 0), CD57 (9 vs. 0), CD5 (0 vs. 7), TdT (lymphocytic) (14 vs. 1), CD1a (lymphocytic) (14 vs. 2), CD117 (1 vs. 9), MOC31 (2 vs. 6), p21 (2 vs. 8), cytoplasmic Survivin (0 vs. 4), and tumour eosinophilia (1 vs. 11). Combining two or three markers was able to differentiate these two tumours with area under the curve percentage of at least 92%. Tumour eosinophilia combined with a panel of immunohistochemistry could differentiate type B3 thymoma from thymic carcinoma.
International Journal of Experimental Pathology 11/2010; 92(2):87-96. · 2.57 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Infusional 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) plus bevacizumab chemotherapy is commonly implemented in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. A stop and go oxaliplatin strategy has been recommended to reduce oxaliplatin-associated neuropathy. Despite the acceptance of this strategy by community and academic practices, efficacy data with this approach are limited.
We analyzed the efficacy of a stop and go FOLFOX regimen combined with bevacizumab in a single institute between January 2007 and December 2009. Oxaliplatin was withdrawn electively after 8 cycles of treatment and patients were maintained on 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin and bevacizumab until progression. When feasible, patients were rechallenged with oxaliplatin upon progression.
Sixty-seven patients were treated and analyzed for outcome. The response rate of this group was 58%. The median progression-free and overall survival was 10.6 and 26.7 months, respectively. The median duration of disease control in the 18-patient subgroup that was rechallenged with oxaliplatin was 21.2 months.
Elective withdrawal of oxaliplatin after 8 cycles in the setting of FOLFOX and bevacizumab does not appear to compromise the activity of this regimen. A stop and go approach of FOLFOX plus bevacizumab is effective and may reduce treatment costs and toxicity in comparison with a continuous FOLFOX treatment strategy.
Oncology 11/2010; 79(1-2):67-71. · 2.27 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To evaluate the perceptions of the importance and utility of robot assisted surgery in gynecologic oncology.
A 39 question web-based survey was sent to members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.
The survey response rate was 28%, with 277 surveys completed. Nearly 40% of respondents felt robotic surgical training was required as a part of their career goals, and 73% of respondents have performed a robotic hysterectomy. Among respondents, 39% felt that robotic surgery was as good as laparoscopic surgery but 23% thought robot assisted surgery should be the gold standard for the treatment of endometrial cancer.
Robot assisted surgery is gaining widespread acceptance and is perceived to be as good as laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of early stage endometrial and cervical cancers. Among respondents the greatest benefit of robot assisted surgery was its ease of use and perceived improvement in a patient's quality of life.
International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery 10/2010; 6(4):468-72. · 1.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To determine and compare the status of urologic laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery (RAS) across the world.
Two hundred ninety-one surveys were completed by urologists at various national and international conferences in 2008. The 58-item questionnaire assessed the individual and institutional practice patterns of minimally invasive surgery with a focus on RAS. Surveys from Europe and North American continents (ENA) were compared with surveys from the Middle East and Asian continents (MEA).
One hundred sixty-six (57%) surveys were completed by urologists from MEA and 125 (43%) from ENA. Eighty percent of respondents performed minimally invasive surgery, with 64% having prior formal training. Respondents in ENA were more likely to have had formal training in RAS and performed more RAS cases (p < 0.01). Sixty percent of those surveyed from ENA had used robotic consoles in training courses compared with only 20% in MEA (p < 0.01). Dedicated RAS support teams were less common in MEA (p < 0.01). Lack of a robotic system was the most common deterrent for RAS in MEA (56%). Respondents in ENA performed more robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, robot-assisted radical cystectomy, and robot-assisted nephrectomy. In the more established robotic environment of ENA, robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, robot-assisted radical cystectomy, and robot-assisted nephrectomy represented the gold standard in 34%, 14%, and 26% of surveys, respectively. Comparatively, MEA respondents were more likely to believe RAS represented the gold standard.
Usage of RAS in urology continues to grow across the globe, though to most it represents a surgical alternative rather than benchmark. Even with reduced exposure, training, and access, more urologists in the MEA considered RAS to be the surgical standard for prostatectomy, cystectomy, and nephrectomy. The evolution of attitudinal change should be the focus of further study.
Journal of endourology / Endourological Society 10/2010; 24(10):1637-44. · 1.75 Impact Factor
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Mary E Platek,
Peter G Shields,
Duanjun Tan,
Catalin Marian,
Matthew R Bonner,
Susan E McCann,
Jing Nie, Gregory E Wilding,
Christine Ambrosone,
Amy E Millen,
Maurizio Trevisan,
Marcia Russell,
Thomas H Nochajski,
Stephen B Edge,
Janet Winston,
Jo L Freudenheim
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ABSTRACT: Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations are frequent in breast tumors, but the etiology of these mutations is unknown. We hypothesized that these mutations are associated with exposures that affect oxidative stress such as alcohol metabolism. Using archived tumor blocks from incident breast cancer cases in a case control study, the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) study, analysis of mtDNA mutations was conducted on 128 breast cancer cases selected based on extremes of alcohol intake. Temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) was used to screen the entire mtDNA genome and sequencing was completed for all TTGE positive samples. Case-case comparisons were completed using unconditional logistic regression to determine the relative prevalence of the mutations by exposures including alcohol consumption, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) genotype, nutrient intake related to oxidative stress and established breast cancer risk factors. Somatic mtDNA mutations were found in 60 of the 128 tumors examined. There were no differences in the prevalence of mtDNA mutations by alcohol consumption, MnSOD genotype or dietary intake. The likelihood of mtDNA mutations was reduced among those with a positive family history for breast cancer (OR = 0.33, CI = 0.12-0.92), among postmenopausal women who used hormone replacement therapy (OR = 0.46, CI = 0.19-1.08, P = 0.08) and was increased for ER negative tumors (OR = 2.05, CI = 0.95-4.43, P = 0.07). Consistent with previous studies, we found that mtDNA mutations are a frequent occurrence in breast tumors. An understanding of the etiology of mtDNA mutations may provide insight into breast carcinogenesis.
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 10/2009; 121(2):453-60. · 4.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Delay to formalin fixation may invalidate hormone receptors and HER2 analyses. Invalid results of tumor markers could significantly alter the type of adjuvant therapy a patient receives and potentially impact outcome. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of progressive delay to formalin fixation on breast cancer biomarkers. Ten palpable invasive breast cancers were resected and underwent immediate gross evaluation. For each case, the procured tumor was divided into eight parts and consecutively fixed after 0, 10, 30 min, 1, 2, 4, and 8 h; one section was kept in saline and stored overnight at 4 degrees C. Two tissue microarray blocks were constructed. Estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2 immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization were carried out. Statistical analyses including non-parametric sign test, exact McNemar's test and Page's L test were used. All 10 cases were invasive ductal carcinomas. Q score > or =6 was identified in five cases for estrogen receptor and four for progesterone receptor. Mean Q score started to decline at the 2 h mark for estrogen receptor and 1 h mark for progesterone receptor. Lowest score was at 8 h mark for estrogen receptor and overnight for progesterone receptor. HER2 fluorescence in situ hybridization started to be compromised for interpretation at the 1 h mark and became statistically significant at the 2 h mark (P<0.03). To avoid delay to formalin fixation as a factor negatively affecting on breast biomarkers, we recommend not to delay formalin fixation for more than 1 h and not to store specimens overnight.
Modern Pathology 10/2009; 22(11):1457-67. · 4.79 Impact Factor
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Khurshid A Guru,
Abid Hussain,
Rameela Chandrasekhar,
Pamela Piacente,
Marlene Bienko,
Mark Glasgow,
Willie Underwood, Gregory Wilding,
James L Mohler,
Mani Menon,
James O Peabody
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ABSTRACT: The surgical robot is becoming an important tool for performance of minimally invasive surgical procedures around the world. We surveyed opinions about and utilization of robot-assisted surgery among urologic surgeons from 44 countries.
A total of 297 surveys were completed from September to November 2008 by participating urologic surgeons polled at various national and international urologic meetings. The survey evaluated surgeon background, personal experience with minimally invasive surgery, institutional status regarding robotic surgery surgeons' attitudes towards robot-assisted surgery, in general, and prostate, bladder and kidney oncologic procedures, specifically.
Two hundred ninety-seven participants completed the survey of which 35% were in training for and 54% in practice of urology. Although 57% of these participants were older than 40, 62% had never sat on a robotic surgical console but 61% believed they would perform robot-assisted surgery. Seventy-eight percent of respondents felt it was required or beneficial to have training in robot-assisted surgery. Only 21% of respondents were currently performing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Sixty-one percent of respondents felt robot-assisted radical prostatectomy was the current gold standard or as good as laparoscopic prostatectomy. Only 10% had performed robot-assisted radical cystectomy and 70% of these surgeons have transferred skills from robot-assisted radical prostectomy. Ten percent were performing robot-assisted radical nephrectomies and 30% had transferred skills for laparoscopic partial nephrectomy to robot-assisted partial nephrectomy.
Robot-assisted surgery has begun to integrate into the minimally invasive armamentarium for urologic surgery and is applied for more procedures as experience is gained.
The Canadian Journal of Urology 09/2009; 16(4):4736-41; discussion 4741. · 0.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study compared a simplified method of intrapleural bupivacaine administration with traditional analgesic therapy to decrease postoperative pain and opioid usage in patients after thoracoscopy.
Thirty patients who had non-rib-spreading thoracoscopic operations under general anesthesia were prospectively randomized to no local anesthetic infusion (control), intermittent bolus (30 mL every 6 hours), or continuous infusion (5 mL/h). Bupivacaine (0.25%) was delivered through the pleural infusion channel of a specially designed single silicone 28F chest tube. Total intravenous fentanyl patient-controlled analgesia (boluses with basal rate) infused in the first 24 hours postoperatively was the designated primary study end point. Escalations of analgesic therapy, including ketorolac administration, were standardized across all groups. Nurses assessed pain control at onset and every 6 hours by visual analog pain scales (VAPS, 100 mm). VAPS were repeated 10 minutes later to assess any opioid or bupivacaine bolus effects.
No study-related adverse events occurred. Compared with controls, pooled VAPS scores and 24-hour fentanyl consumption were significantly lower for the intermittent and continuous administration groups (1753 vs 1180 vs 1177 microg/24 h, respective median; p = 0.04) Early (6-hour) VAPS analgesic responses were more certain for intermittent (10 of 10) and continuous (10 of 10) patients than controls (7 of 10, p = .04). Five continuous patients successfully maintained VAPS scores below 20 mm throughout the study vs 3 intermittent and 2 controls (p = .045).
Intermittent or continuous intrapleural bupivacaine infused through the chest tube reliably reduces postoperative pain and 24-hour opioid usage in thoracoscopy patients.
The Annals of thoracic surgery 05/2009; 87(4):1040-6; discussion 1046-7. · 3.74 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Our objective was to investigate the expression of survivin, Bcl-2, p53, Ki-67, and Src in thymic neoplasms and analyze their interrelationship with clinicopathologic variables.
A series of 60 thymic neoplasms was reviewed and classified according to the World Health Organization (WHO) scheme. Key clinical information, including Masaoka stage, recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) was obtained. The percentage and staining intensity of listed markers were recorded. The correlation of markers and clinicopathologic variables was statistically analyzed using the Fisher exact test and log-rank test.
There were 7 type A, 15 type AB, 8 type B1, 5 type B2, 17 type B3 thymomas, and 8 thymic carcinomas. Seven patients (11.7%) died of the disease. Tumors recurred in eight patients (13.3%). Although p53 expression alone was found to be correlated with RFS with borderline significance (p = 0.056), patients with Src-positive and p53-positive coexpression had a shorter OS time than the other groups (p < 0.008). Cytoplasmic expression of survivin was present in 5 of 60 thymic neoplasms (8.3%), 4 of which were thymic carcinomas that all recurred.
Regardless of WHO type and/or tumor stage, although p53 expression may predict recurrence in thymomas, p53 and Src coexpression can predict shorter OS, and cytoplasmic localization of survivin may predict recurrence in thymic carcinoma. These findings make thymic tumors a prime target for newly developed anti-Src and anti-survivin therapies.
Chest 04/2009; 136(1):220-8. · 5.25 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The apex is the most common site of an involved surgical margin after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. We assessed the impact of two surgical techniques for dorsal vein control on surgical margins rates.
From August 2005 to January 2008, 480 patients underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The Roswell Park Cancer Institute Quality Assurance robotic prostatectomy database was reviewed to identify all patients with prostate cancer at the apex on final pathologic evaluation. The rate of positive apical margins was compared between two surgical techniques. Group 1 consisted of 145 patients who underwent apical dissection after cold incision of the dorsal venous complex (DVC) without previous suture ligation, and group 2 consisted of 158 patients who underwent suture ligation of the DVC before apical dissection.
Of 480 patients, 303 (63%) patients had prostate cancer in the apex. Age, body mass index, prostate-specific antigen level, and clinical stage were similar in both groups. The overall apical positive margin rate was 5%. Group 1 patients had an apical positive margin rate of 2%, while group 2 patients had a positive margin rate of 8% (P = 0.02). Mean operative blood loss estimated by the attending anesthesiologist was 331 mL and 268 mL in group 1 and group 2, respectively (P = 0.044). One patient in group 1 needed blood transfusion.
Cold incision of the DVC before suture ligation reduces the rate of apical margin involvement during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.
Journal of endourology / Endourological Society 02/2009; 23(1):123-7. · 1.75 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To prospectively determine the effect of robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) on quality of life (QoL) after surgery.
In all, 34 patients who had RARC for bladder cancer between January 2006 and December 2007 at one institution were prospectively enrolled in a study of QoL. All patients had RARC with extracorporeal urinary diversion by one surgeon. As part of the routine follow-up, QoL was assessed at intervals. Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bladder (FACT-BL) questionnaires were administered before and then over a 6-month period after RARC. Patients undergoing chemotherapy were not excluded. Follow-up FACT-BL and individual domain scores for physical, social, emotional and functional well-being were compared with those obtained before RARC.
The mean age of all patients was 65 years, 88% were men, and 13 (38%) had adjuvant chemotherapy. The mean time after RARC for the 1-, 3- and 6-month assessments was 29, 90 and 193 days, respectively; 19 patients completed three follow-up questionnaires. Initially, there were significant decreases in the physical and functional domains, with improvements in the emotional domain (P < 0.001). Total FACT-General and FACT-BL scores decreased in the initial period after RARC and then progressively improved. There was no statistically significant difference in total scores at 3 months after surgery; at the 6-month follow-up the total FACT-BL scores exceeded those before RARC (P = 0.048).
QoL appears to return promptly to, or exceed, baseline levels by 6 months after RARC. The improvement in the short term might allow for more contented patients and quicker initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy.
BJU International 12/2008; 103(6):800-4. · 2.84 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This phase II study was conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of capecitabine and bevacizumab in untreated elderly metastatic colorectal cancer patients.
Patients received 1500 mg/m(2)/dose of capecitabine twice daily x 7 days and bevacizumab at 5mg/kg on day 1, in 2 week-cycles.
The study was closed early, due to poor accrual, after a total of 16 patients enrolled. Four patients had an objective response and 11 patients had stable disease. The median time to progression and overall survival were 9.5 and 21.2 months, respectively. The most common grade >or= 3 toxicities included diarrhea (13%) and hand and foot syndrome (25%). Three patients had an arterial thrombotic event and one patient developed a bowel perforation.
In this underpowered phase II study in elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, capecitabine plus bevacizumab was associated with considerable clinical activity but at an increased risk of hand and foot syndrome and arterial thrombotic events.
Critical reviews in oncology/hematology 12/2008; 71(3):242-8. · 5.27 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in esophageal cancer is associated with poor prognosis. Preclinical studies indicate synergism between the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib and oxaliplatin or radiotherapy (RT). We report here early results of a planned phase I/II study of gefitinib, oxaliplatin, and RT for locally advanced, unresectable esophageal cancer.
The protocol consisted of oral gefitinib 250 mg daily for 1 year plus intravenous oxaliplatin 85 or 100 mg/m(2) on days 1, 15, and 29, and RT (50.4 Gy in 28 1.8-Gy fractions). Four-quadrant biopsies were obtained at 1-cm intervals along the length of the tumor before and after treatment and the specimens were immunostained for EGFR, Erk, Akt, and their phosphorylated (activated) forms.
Enrollment was halted at 6 evaluable cases [all male; median age, 72.5 years (range, 51-75); and all with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 1]. All 6 tumors were adenocarcinomas; 5 were stage III and 1 stage IVA. Oxaliplatin was given at 85 mg/m(2) in 3 cases and at 100 mg/m(2) in 3 cases. Gefitinib therapy lasted a median 24 weeks; the median number of oxaliplatin doses was 6.5. Best responses were mucosal complete response (n = 1), partial response (n = 1), stable disease (n = 1), and progressive disease (n = 3). EGFR was expressed by tumor in 5 cases and Erk and Akt in 6 cases before treatment; no changes were noted after treatment. EGFR expression did not correlate with survival or response. No grade 4 toxicities were noted; grade 3 toxicities were diarrhea (n = 1), vomiting (n = 1), fatigue (n = 1), and constipation (n = 2). Median overall and disease-free survival times were 10.8 months and 8.4 months.
Gefitinib in combination with oxaliplatin and RT was tolerable, but had limited clinical activity and did not down-regulate total or activated EGFR, Akt, or Erk in esophageal tumor samples.
American journal of clinical oncology 09/2008; 31(4):329-34. · 2.21 Impact Factor
