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The rapidly increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in Japan poses a great challenge to researchers to develop preventive strategies against this disease. Thus far, several clinical trials for this purpose have been planned in Japanese subjects; some have been completed and documented while others are still ongoing. Also, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan recognizes the significance of cancer prevention studies, especially against colorectal cancer, including it as one of the pillars in the “Third Research Project on General Strategies against Cancer” and funding several large-scale projects. Among them are two chemoprevention studies currently being performed: in patients with previous sporadic colorectal tumors (J-CAPP study) and in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (J-FAPP study II). Both are double-blind randomized controlled trials with low-dose aspirin (100 mg/day), which is generally considered to be safe for long-term use. This article outlines relevant past clinical data and gives a brief introduction to these two studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is often difficult in a patient presenting with acute illness but without the classical constitutional symptoms. We report herein the case of a woman who developed acute abdominal symptoms following hemorrhagic necrosis of a previously unsuspected pheochromocytoma. This patient underwent successful emergency resuscitation followed later by elective surgical resection of a right adrenal pheochromocytoma. A review of 27 other cases indicates that a fatal outcome is likely to result without the initiation of prompt and appropriate emergency treatment, followed later by removal of the tumor. Thus, early diagnosis is important not only for controlling hypertension, but also because performing a laparotomy on a patient with unrecognized hemorrhagic necrosis of pheochromocytoma can create a potentially lethal situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]