Role of Bone Marrow-Derived Monocytes/Macrophages in the Repair of Mucosal Damage Caused by Irradiation and/or Anticancer Drugs in Colitis Model

Mucosal damage is a common side effect of many cancer treatments, especially radiotherapy and intensive chemotherapy, which often induce bone marrow (BM) suppression. We observed that acetic acid- (AA-) induced mucosal damage in the colon of mice was worsened by simultaneous treatment with irradiation or 5-FU. However, irradiation 14 days prior to the AA treatment augmented the recovery from mucosal damage, suggesting that the recovery from BM suppression had an advantageous effect on the mucosal repair. In addition, BM transplantation also augmented the recovery from AA-induced mucosal damage. We further confirmed that transplanted BM-derived cells, particularly F4/80+Gr1+ “inflammatory” monocytes (Subset 1), accumulated in the damaged mucosal area in the early healing phase, and both of Subset 1 and F4/80+Gr1− “resident” monocytes (Subset 2) accumulated in this area in later phases. Our results suggest that monocytes/macrophages contribute to the mucosal recovery and regeneration following mucosal damage by anticancer drug therapy

Cancer of Unknown Primary Site:A Review of 28 Cases and the Efficacy of Cisplatin/Docetaxel Therapy at a Single Institute in Japan

We evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of cisplatin/docetaxel (CDDP/TXT) chemotherapy and identified prognostic factors in Japanese patients with cancer of unknown primary site (CUP). Twenty-eight consecutive patients seen at a single institute were reviewed retrospectively. Sixteen patients were treated with TXT 80mg/m2, followed by CDDP 75mg/m2. The overall response rate to CDDP/TXT treatment was 62.5%, with a median survival time (MST) of 22.7 months. Common adverse reactions were myelosuppression and hyponatremia. The MST of all 28 patients with CUP was 8.3 months, and the 1-year overall survival rate was 45.6%. Univariate analysis identified 5 prognostic factors:performance status, liver involvement, bone involvement, pleural involvement, and lymph node involvement. In conclusion, CDDP/TXT chemotherapy is effective with tolerable toxicity in patients with CUP. Japanese patients with CUP might be chemosensitive and may survive longer

Eight-year survival after advanced gastric cancer treated with S-1 followed by surgery

We report a case of advanced gastric cancer, with cervical, axillary, and abdominal paraaortic lymph node metastases, that was successfully treated with chemotherapy and surgery. The disease was initially considered unresectable, and the patient was treated with orally administered S-1. Chemotherapy was effective, and all lymph node metastases disappeared after 6 courses. After 27 mo of chemotherapy, the patient underwent curative surgery, with subtotal gastrectomy and lymph node dissection. Histopathological examination revealed many viable poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cells in the stomach, but no cancer cells in the lymph nodes. The patient is alive, without recurrence, 8 years later. This, therefore, is a case report of an 8-year survivor of advanced gastric cancer with distant lymph node metastasis