Jyunji Yonese

Successful treatment of metastatic adenocarcinoma of the urachus: report of 2 cases with more than 10-year survival.

Metastatic urachal cancer is often considered lethal. We report 2 cases of metastatic urachal carcinoma successfully treated with surgical excision followed by combinations of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy against local recurrence and/or distant metastases, with a recurrence-free survival period of more than 10 years. These cases provide support for multimodal treatments of metastatic urachal cancer.

[Multiple synchronous primary malignant tumors of fibrosarcoma and squamous cell carcinoma in the urinary bladder: a case report].

A 65-year-old housewife presented with a diagnosis of malignant spindle cell tumor of the bladder which had been diagnosed by work up for chance hematuria. Urine cytology revealed a small number of squamous epithelial cells showing dyskeratosis but no spindle cells. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance images showed a markedly enhanced mass, 4 cm in diameter, on the anterior wall of the urinary bladder, which appeared to be adhesive to the pubic bone. However, no metastasis was found. Under the suspicion of sarcoma of the urinary bladder, we performed anterior pelvic exenteration with construction of an ileal conduit. Although the anterior wall of the urinary bladder was mildly adhesive to the pubic bone, the surgical margin was negative for malignant cells. The tumor corresponded to a fibrosarcoma that infiltrated the adipose tissue surrounding the urinary bladder. The entire mucosa of the bladder showed diffuse squamous metaplasia, and well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with pearl formation was found in part. These two malignant tumors were clearly apart from each other, resulting in the histologic diagnosis of synchronous multiple malignant tumors of the bladder. The patient developed a local relapse and pulmonary metastasis of fibrosarcoma one month postoperatively and died two month later without any response to chemotherapy (CYVADIC) and radiotherapy. The current case seems to be the first one in Japan (third in the world) of a patient with multiple synchronous primary malignant tumors, carcinoma and sarcoma, airsing in the urinary bladder.

[Treatment results of VIP (etoposide, ifosfamide and cisplatin) chemotherapy as a first-line therapy in metastatic germ cell tumors].

PURPOSE We investigated the effectiveness and toxicity of VIP therapy as a first-line chemotherapy for patients with metastatic germ cell tumor. PATIENTS AND METHODS From March 1994 to October 1997, we treated 16 patients with VIP therapy consisting of etoposide (100 mg/m2), ifosfamide, (1.2 g/m2) and cisplatin (20 mg/m2), all of which were generally given daily for 5 consecutive days every 3 weeks. Of the 16 patients, 6 were classified into a good, 5 into an intermediate, and 5 into a poor prognostic group according to the International Germ Cell Consensus Classification. RESULTS Thirteen patients (81%) achieved complete response with VIP alone or VIP plus surgery. Three-year survival rate was 100% in good and intermediate prognostic group, while 40% in poor prognostic group. Although all patients had Grade 3 or higher myelosuppression, the treatment was well tolerated and no patient died of treatment-related complications. CONCLUSIONS VIP appears to be an effective and safe regimen as an induction chemotherapy for good and intermediate risk patients with germ cell tumor. However, more intensive regimen may be necessary for poor-risk patients.