Kazuki Yokoi

Seaweed Prevents Breast Cancer

To investigate the chemopreventive effects of seaweed on breast cancer, we have been studying the relationship between iodine and breast cancer. We found earlier that the seaweed, wakame, showed a suppressive effect on the proliferation of DMBA (dimethylbenz(a)anthracene)‐induced rat mammary tumors, possibly via apoptosis induction. In the present study, powdered mekabu was placed in distilled water, and left to stand for 24 h at 4°C. The filtered supernatant was used as mekabu solution. It showed an extremely strong suppressive effect on rat mammary carcinogenesis when used in daily drinking water, without toxicity. In vitro, mekabu solution strongly induced apoptosis in 3 kinds of human breast cancer cells. These effects were stronger than those of a chemothera‐peutic agent widely used to treat human breast cancer. Furthermore, no apoptosis induction was observed in normal human mammary cells. In Japan, mekabu is widely consumed as a safe, inexpensive food. Our results suggest that mekabu has potential for chemoprevention of human breast

Prognostic importance of neuroendocrine differentiation in Japanese breast cancer patients

PurposeTo evaluate the frequency and prognostic importance of neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) in Japanese breast cancer patients.MethodsWe used standard immunohistochemical techniques to examine 50 patients who underwent resection of breast cancer between 1988 and 1993 at the Department of Surgery II, Nagoya University Hospital, for NED, defined as positive reactivity for four markers: neuron-specific enolase (NSE), synaptophysin, CD57, and chromogranin A (CGA). Neuroendocrine differentiation was defined by the presence of at least one marker including CGA, CD57, and synaptophysin, or at least two markers when one was positive for NSE.ResultsNeuroendocrine differentiation was found in 13 (26%) of the 50 patients examined. There were no significant differences in the distribution of patients with positive or negative NED in terms of age, menopausal status, tumor size, lymph node metastasis, histological grade, ER, PgR, and HER2. We calculated the cumulative survival rates of patient groups according to NED status, and found no significant difference in overall or disease-free survival between patients with and those without NED.ConclusionNeuroendocrine differentiation was identified in a subset (26%) of Japanese breast cancer patients, but this appeared to have no relationship with established prognostic factors or patient outcome.

A successful surgical repair of the hepatic hydrothorax using pneumoperitoneum: Report of a case

A successful surgical repair of a right hepatic hydrothorax in the absence of ascites is reported. A technetium-99m scintigram that was injected intraperitoneally provided evidence of a one-way flow of fluid from the peritoneal to pleural cavity. To identify and possible minute defects in the diaphragm, carbon dioxide was insufflated into the peritoneal cavity during the operation. We performed a direct suture of the defect observed on the diaphragm. The pleural effusion subsequently vanished after the operation.