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The precise relationship between GCF2 expression and carcinogenesis has not yet been established. To clarify the metastatic potential of GCF2 in colorectal cancer, HT-29 cells stably suppressing GCF2 expression were injected into the spleens of severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. GCF2 suppression reduced the number of metastatic foci in the liver and reduced fibronectin-induced cell adhesion, migration, and invasion. Downstream from the integrin signaling pathways, GCF2 regulates RhoA interaction with the RGS domain of Leukemia associated RhoGEF (LARG). Altogether, our results suggest that GCF2 plays an important role in colorectal cancer metastasis by regulating RhoA-induced cell adhesion, migration, and invasion., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In anatomical resection of the liver, transection of the hepatic vein or Glisson's pedicle is necessary. We examined the surgical records and outcome of 25 patients who underwent hepatectomy. An endovascular stapler with 35 and 60 mm staples was used for transection of the hepatic vein or Glisson's pedicle, and hepatic parenchyma including vessels. Surgery included also left lateral sectorectomy in 6 patients, right lateral sectorectomy in one, right hepatectomy in 12, left hepatectomy in two and trisegmentectomy in 4. Endovascular stapling was used for transection of hepatic veins (n=25) in all patients and Glisson's pedicle (n=8). No failure of firing occurred during cutting. Injury of an aberrant bile duct occurred in one patient, but none suffered bleeding or bile leakage from the transected parts. Vascular transection using vascular stapler could be performed safely and rapidly during anatomical hepatic resection.

The patient was a 53-year-old male. He had been admitted to another hospital with a complaint of left sciatica. He was referred to our hospital for further examination and therapy. He was diagnosed as left urothelial carcinoma with multiple bone metastasis, liver metastasis and right adrenal metastasis. He was treated with combination chemotherapy of gemcitabine and carboplatin (1,000 mg/m2 day 1 and AUC 2 day 1, respectively) biweekly. After the ninth course, a significant tumor reduction was obtained, and has been maintained. He has been treated on an outpatient basis because of no grade 3 or severer adverse reactions. We report an effective case of biweekly chemotherapy with gemcitabine and carboplatin in the treatment of advanced urothelial carcinoma.

The patient was an 81-year-old man, diagnosed with advanced huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava (Vv3), for which resection was judged impossible. The radio therapy (51 Gy) for tumor thrombus was carried out, and he received a weekly hepatic arterial infusion therapy (weekly high-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)) for these legions. After 8 cycles, the CT scan revealed a minor response of the tumor (SD), and,the tumor marker reduced. After 10 months, these legions had markedly regressed (PR), the tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava was not detectable. There were no severe side effects. Ten months since the start of chemo-radio therapy, the positron emission tomography (PET) revealed a metastatic tumor of the femoral bone in recurrence. In conclusion, some elderly patients of advanced HCC with tumor thrombus may obtain a long term survival through this treatment.

Though SMANCS-Lipiodol suspension has advantages over tumor regression, its disadvantages should also be considered: (1) Anaphylactic reaction due to its high molecular weight. (2) Since it readily destroys the tissue, a smaller dose and repeated administration are required. (3) Due to its low viscosity, it easily enters the arterioles and causes damage even to the extrahepatic organs. When this drug is infused into the left hepatic artery in subsegmental fashion, it enters the neighboring gastric tissues through the communication of the left hepatic and left gastric arteries, and this ultimately causes intractable gastric ulcers. Considering the above facts, this drug should be used carefully.

The ultrasonographic appearance of hepatic hemangiomas was studied in 19 patients (31 lesions). The detectability rate by real-time ultrasonography was 77%. A hyperechoic, sharply-marginated and internally homogeneous lesion is highly suggestive of hemangioma. If the hypoechoic lesion has homogeneous internal echoes and/or strong marginal echoes, it is also suggestive of hemangioma. It is difficult to detect small lesions in the lower lateral part of the right lobe and lesions in the right lobe immediately under the diaphragm. Computed tomography should be the next procedure of choice in the evaluation process. If the computed tomography is not characteristic, angiography should be done to confirm the diagnosis.

We present a technique used to avoid unnecessary embolization of the cystic artery in the treatment of hepatoma by transcatheter arterial embolization. A special long tapering catheter that is flexible and soft enough to be inserted into the distal small branches of the heptic artery is used. Embolic material ( Oxycel , absorbable cellulose) was mixed with Mitocin -C (mitomycin) and contrast material. This mixture will help to avoid reflux.

Serial changes in sonographic appearance after transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization (TAE) were studied in 22 patients who had hepatoma and one patient who had a hepatoblastoma. These changes were classified into three types. In cases of type 1, the internal echo of the entire tumor became remarkably echogenic with or without an acoustic shadow. In cases of type 2, echogenic areas or scattered echogenic spots with or without acoustic shadows were observed. In Type 3 cases, no changes in sonographic appearance were observed. Tumor diameters in all of the type 1 cases were less than 4.9 cm. Various size tumors were observed in the cases of type 2 and type 3. Transcatheter arterial embolization was completely effective or effective in 89 per cent of the type 1 and type 2 cases, but was not effective in 75 per cent of the type 3 cases. The sonographic changes correlated well with the effectiveness of TAE.