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Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and interferon-alpha2B (IFN-alpha2B) have both been individually used for the intravesical treatment of superficial bladder cancer. We report our experience on the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of combined intravesical BCG plus IFN-alpha2B for treating superficial bladder cancer, including patients failing previous BCG therapy. Thirty-two patients with superficial bladder cancer underwent 6 weekly treatments with full-, one-third, or one-tenth-dose of BCG plus 50 or 100 MU of IFN-alpha2B based on prior BCG exposure and tolerance. Patients with no evidence of disease proceeded onto maintenance therapy of 3 weekly treatments at 3 months followed by 2 additional maintenance cycles given 6 months apart. Response was assessed by cystoscopy/biopsy every 3 months after treatment. Before BCG plus IFN-alpha2B treatment, 20 patients (63%) had previously failed intravesical BCG therapy, 27 (84%) had aggressive disease (stage T1, grade 3, or carcinoma in situ), 27 (84%) had recurrent disease, 14 (44%) had multifocal disease, and 6 (19%) had disease of over 4 years duration. At median follow-up of 22 months, 21 patients (66%) remain disease-free and 11 patients (34%) had disease-recurrence. Nineteen of 32 patients (59%) were disease-free after the initial induction cycle. Six of 11 patients 55% ultimately failing combination therapy did so at the first 3 to 4 month evaluation. Four of 7 patients (57%) benefited from salvage re-induction therapy. Of the 20 patients previously treated with BCG, 12 patients (60%) remain disease-free. Combination BCG plus IFN-alpha2B intravesical therapy was well tolerated. Combination intravesical BCG plus IFN-alpha2B is an effective and tolerable alternative for patients with superficial bladder cancer, including those patients in whom intravesical BCG therapy had previously failed. Benefits of this combination therapy may include potentially less morbidity, improved clinical efficacy, and in the long term, fewer patients undergoing radical therapy. However, radical treatment options should be pursued for early failures of this combination regimen in those patients with risk factors for recurrence and progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report describes the treatment of an adult patient who had a Class II Division 1 malocclusion with a severe overjet (13.5 mm), a deep overbite (7 mm, 100%), and spacing between the maxillary anterior teeth. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the importance of developing an individualized treatment plan, tailored to the patient's specific dental and skeletal problems, as well as to his or her needs and desires. Although all indications pointed to a surgical intervention for this patient, her reluctance to undergo orthognathic surgery led to an alternative treatment, which yielded a satisfactory result., (Copyright © 2012 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

This case report describes the orthodontic treatment of a 43-year-old man with Class III malocclusion and crossbite of the maxillary anterior teeth. Treatment options included orthognathic surgery, nonextraction treatment, premolar extractions, and mandibular incisor extraction. The patient opted for nonsurgical treatment that included the extraction of a mandibular central incisor.

The seemingly high complication and re-operation rates associated with continent urinary diversion have led some to criticize its morbidity and question its role in reconstructive urological surgery. We therefore reviewed our experience with all patients undergoing either continent or standard urinary diversion performed by 3 urological surgeons during a specified 3-year period. In 73 consecutive patients (22 continent urinary diversion, 51 standard urinary diversion), no significant difference was demonstrated with respect to the number of post-operative in-hospital days, complication rate, re-operation rate and operative mortality rate between the 2 groups. While those undergoing continent diversion were on average younger and healthier than their counterparts receiving standard diversion, stratification of patients in each group according to age and a pre-operative "fitness" score showed no significant difference in operative mortality or major morbidity between comparable patients in each group. The mean post-operative length of hospital stay was, however, 3 days shorter for the youngest and fittest patients receiving standard versus continent urinary diversion.