A 39-year-old man with schizophrenia and suicide attempt was diagnosed with stage IIb testicular tumor. He was initially admitted to the psychiatry ward and underwent high orchiectomy. After schizophrenia became stable by administration of antipsychopathic drugs, he was transferred to the ordinary urology ward and treated with 3 courses of chemotherapy (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin) and retroperitoneal lymph noded dissection. The mental status of the patient remained under good control throughout the course of treatment. He has been free of recurrence for 8 months postoperatively. We discussed general medical issues concerning the treatment of malignant diseases in patients with psychosis.
If bone metastasis of renal cell carcinoma is neglected, pain, paralysis, and pathologic fracture develope; consequently, the patient's quality of life is significantly lowered. We investigated the local effect of the radiation therapy to the patients with metastasis. The investigation targeted 22 cases (27 parts) of renal cell carcinoma with bone metastasis that were treated with radiation therapy in our hospital during the last 6 years. We analyzed cell type, presence or absence of organ metastasis, irradiated site, therapeutic dose, treatment period, and combination therapy. The object was classified into 2 groups by metastatic site: the group with metastasis in the vertebra, and the group of metastasis in the pelvis or long bones. We examined re-calcification rate, length of time to recalcification emergence, pain relief and duration of effect as therapeutic effects. The irradiated site was vertebra in 14, pelvis in 7, and long bone in 6 patients. The therapeutic dose was 15 to 50 Gy, and the average was 35.7 Gy. No difference was found in the re-calcification rate and length of time to recalcification according to the metastatic site. The pain relief effect was significant in the pelvis and long bone group compared to the vertebra group. The effect lasted longer when the radiation dose was 35 Gy or more, compared with a lower dose. The radiation therapy for renal cell carcinoma with bone metastasis was effective to relieve pain and improve the patients' quality of life. The results showed that early detection and recognition of bone metastasis provide local control.
(Purpose) This study was undertaken to determine the most effective treatment for improvement of the prognosis of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder (SCC).(Materials and Methods) The subjects included 18 cases of invasive SCC (T2 or worse) we have experienced in the past 10 years. While clarifying the clinical patterns of these cases, the association between stage, therapy, and prognosis was studied. Of the cases of invasive SCC reported in Japan in the recent 20 years, 54 cases in which the stage, therapy, and prognosis were documented were selected, and the association between the therapy and outcome in each stage was studied.(Results) In our series, 11 cases are alive without cancer for over 2 years. Of the above patients, 7 underwent cystectomy. Cancer death was experienced in 7 patients. Of these patients, 3 underwent cystectomy, and 6 were classified as stage III or higher.As far as our study of the cases reported in Japan is concerned, the prognosis of the cases having undergone TUR or partial resection of the bladder alone was poor. But, even if patients underwent cystectomy, most of the patients was cancer death in the cases whose cancer was stage III or higher. In the patients receiving some supportive therapy, 4 patients receiving radiation plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy were all alive without for over 2 years.(Conclusions) Total cystectomy is most appropriate as the type of operation for the cases of invasive SCC. But, the cases whose cancer was stage III or higher have high recurrence rate, and must be accompanied with some supportive therapy. We concluded that radiation plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy is a candidate of most effective supportive therapy to improve the prognosis of those patients in the supportive therapy.
Although sentinel lymph node in prostate has been generating renewed interest, its significance remains controversial due to inadequate evidence.We reviewed a prospective cohort of 50 consecutive patients with intermediate- to high-risk localized prostate cancer who had undergone laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Sentinel lymph node biopsy by fluorescence detection using intraoperative imaging with indocyanine green and backup extended pelvic lymph node dissection were conducted prior to prostatectomy. Intraoperative and pathological findings were elaborated and compared for confirmation.Sentinel lymph nodes were successfully identified in 47 patients (94%). A median of four sentinel lymph nodes was detected per patient. Lymph node metastasis was confirmed in six patients (12%), all of whom had positive sentinel lymph nodes. Three typical pathways of lymphatic drainage related to sentinel lymph nodes from the prostate were recognized. Ninety-one percent of the positive sentinel lymph nodes (10/11) were located at two predominant sites along these characteristic lymphatic pathways. One site was the junctional nodes, located at the junction between internal and external iliac vessels. The other was the distal internal iliac nodes, located along the inferior vesical artery.Over 90% of positive sentinel lymph nodes were identified at two predominant sites. Priority should be given to the removal of these sentinel lymph nodes, which are located closer to the prostate, in pelvic lymph node dissection. Particular attention should be paid to identifying these nodes to reduce the possibility of overlooking lymph node metastasis.