Makoto Nakiri

A useful treatment for patients with advanced mixed-type small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the prostate: A case report.

Treating extended prostatic small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (PSCNC) is extremely difficult and no standard treatment has yet been established. We experienced a case of advanced mixed-type PSCNC in which the patient achieved long-term survival and local control following combined therapy. Locally advanced PSCNC causing lower urinary obstruction was detected during androgen-ablation therapy for stage D2 mixed adenocarcinoma PSCNC. The patient was treated with intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy using a reservoir system and external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to the whole pelvis and local tumor. After chemoradiotherapy, the patient’s lower urinary obstruction was reduced and did not return during the remaining 40 months of the patient’s life. The patient survived for 70 months following the start of the androgen-ablation therapy. The present study reports a useful treatment for advanced mixed-type PSCNC, androgen-ablation therapy and chemoradiotherapy. The present results also suggest that the prognostic factors for advanced mixed-type PSCNC are the sensitivity of the conventional adenocarcinoma to androgen-ablation therapy, degree of metastasis and extent of the small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma component.

Relationship between sexual function and prostate-specific antigen bounce after iodine-125 permanent implant brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer

To analyze clinical and dosimetric factors involved in prostate‐specific antigen bounce in patients who underwent permanent implant brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer, and to study the relationships among prostate‐specific antigen bounce, age and sexual function.

Early primary renal tumor response predicts clinical outcome in patients with primary unresectable renal cell carcinoma with synchronous distant metastasis receiving molecularly targeted therapies

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic factors for patients with primary unresectable renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with synchronous distant metastasis receiving molecularly targeted therapies. A total of 26 patients with primary unresectable RCC with synchronous distant metastasis underwent molecularly targeted therapies at the Kurume University Hospital (Kurume, Japan) between March 2008 and March 2016. Early primary renal tumor response was evaluated at 8-12 weeks after the introduction of molecularly targeted therapy and a 10% decrease in the diameter of primary renal tumor was used as the cut-off value. The median overall survival from the initiation of first-line molecularly targeted therapy was 18.3 months. Univariate analyses for various factors identified early primary renal tumor response (P=0.0004) and best response to first-line treatment (P=0.0002) as prognostic variables. Multivariate analyses also identified early primary renal tumor response (P=0.0099) and best response to first-line treatment (P=0.0054) as independent prognostic factors. A comparison of clinical characteristics between the group with ≥10% shrinkage and the group with disease progression or <10% shrinkage revealed that the number of metastatic sites and pretreatment monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio tended to be predictive factors for primary renal tumor response. These results suggest that early primary renal tumor shrinkage is highly variable for patients with primary unresectable RCC with synchronous distant metastasis receiving molecularly targeted therapies.

Long-term response of over ten years with sorafenib monotherapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a case report.

BackgroundMolecular targeted therapies have dramatically improved the prognosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. However, patients in whom the treatment could initially be effective will experience disease progression later.Case presentationA 74-year-old Japanese man who was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma with no evidence of metastasis presented to our hospital. He initially underwent radical nephrectomy, and subsequently the disease metastasized to the lung. Sorafenib was started for the lung metastases 1 year after the operation. The dose of sorafenib was reduced and temporarily discontinued because adverse events, including fatigue and cardiac infarction, occurred. The patient has continued sorafenib monotherapy for over 10 years without disease progression and severe adverse events.ConclusionsWe present a rare case of a patient with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who has survived for over 10 years while receiving sorafenib monotherapy.

Prognostic value of PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE In renal cell carcinoma (RCC), several prognostic biomarkers have been identified and are under investigation. Several reports have shown that the expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 is associated with poor outcome for patients with RCC. The present study is aimed at evaluating the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 and to investigate their clinical and prognostic significance in patients with clear cell RCC (CCRCC) having received molecular targeted therapies. In addition, we also evaluated the relationship between the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 and intratumoral tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). METHODS A total of 33 patients with metastatic CCRCC who underwent surgery and received molecular targeted therapies from March 2008 to April 2016 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Tissue specimens from the patients were analyzed for PD-1 and PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The median patient age was 64 years old (range=53-78). The majority of patients were male (81.8%). All Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center risk groups were represented among the patients with 39.4% with favorable-, 51.5% with intermediate- and 9.1% with poor-risk. The expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 was observed in 16 (48.5%) and 9 (27.3%) patients, respectively. The expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 was associated with a larger primary renal tumor size, higher nuclear grade and sarcomatoid feature. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that no significant difference in progression free survival of first line molecular targeted therapy was found for PD-1 (P=0.2396) and PD-L1 (P=0.5919) expression. However, PD-1 expression has a significant worse impact on overall survival (OS) (P=0.0385), while for PD-L1 expression only a trend is seen for OS (P=0.1542). The patients with PD-1 and PD-L1 expression showed higher infiltration of CD4 (P<0.0001 and P<0.0001, respectively), CD8 (P=0.0328 and P=0.0044, respectively) and FOXP3 (P<0.0001 and P=0.0033, respectively) positive TILs. CONCLUSION PD-1 and PD-L1 expression is significantly associated with adverse clinicopathological features in CCRCC. Furthermore, PD-1 expression could be one of the biomarkers suggesting poor outcome in patients with metastatic CCRCC receiving molecular targeted therapies.

Efficacy of Axitinib as Second-line Treatment in Locally Advanced and Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

Aim: To investigate prognostic factors for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with axitinib as second-line therapy. Patients and Methods: This study included 35 patients with RCC who received axitinib as second-line therapy after the failure of first-line tyrosine kinases inhibitor from November 2012 to March 2017. Results: In univariate analyses, the following factors were associated with poor prognosis: bone and extrapulmonary metastasis for progression-free survival; and prior nephrectomy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center risk classification, International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk classification of poor, extrapulmonary metastasis and early tumor response for overall survival. Multivariate analyses identified the following factors as independent poor prognostic effects: extrapulmonary metastasis for progression-free survival, and no prior nephrectomy, IMDC risk classification of poor and extrapulmonary metastasis for overall survival. Conclusion: Axitinib as second-line treatment is effective for patients with pulmonary metastasis alone of RCC, but not for those with extrapulmonary metastasis.

METANEPHRIC ADENOMA DIAGNOSED PREOPERATIVELY AS RENAL CELL CARCINOMA: A REPORT OF TWO CASES

Metanephric adenoma is an extremely rare benign tumor. We report two cases of metanephric adenoma that were diagnosed preoperatively as renal cell carcinoma (RCC).Case 1 was a right renal tumor found by ultrasonography in a 57-year old woman who presented for a medical examination. Abdominal CT revealed a 26-mm mass that was enhanced weakly in the early phase and enhanced strongly in the late phase, in the right kidney. Based on a clinical diagnosis of RCC (cT1aN0M0), laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was performed. Case 2 was a left renal tumor incidentally found during an annual examination of a 79-year old woman with a past history of breast cancer. Abdominal CT revealed a 24-mm mass that was enhanced heterogeneously in the left kidney. Based on a clinical diagnosis of RCC (cT1aN0M0), laparoscopic radical nephrectomy was performed. The pathological diagnosis of both cases was metanephric adenoma.It is often difficult to distinguish metanephric adenoma from other malignant neoplasms preoperatively. When it is difficult to distinguish between renal cell carcinoma and metanephric adenoma, renal tumor biopsy and minimal surgery is required.

A Laparoscopic Management Combined with a Flexible Ureteroscope for Ureteral Polyps of More Than 3 cm Length

Abstract Ureteral polyps are benign tumors of the ureter, which are relatively rare. The etiology has proposed various hypotheses, involving chronic inflammation and congenital disease. Most of them are commonly diagnosed in the upper ureter including the ureteropelvic junction. Some studies have reported polypectomy using a holmium laser, but several studies presented laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy for patients in whom the mentioned procedure is difficult. We underwent laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy with a combination of flexible ureteroscope for ureteral polyps of more than 3 cm length. We used ureteroscopy with a laparoscopic approach to minimize the length of ureter resection. Using the light guide of ureteroscopy is useful to decide the exact and minimal excision range for ureteroureterostomy.