Follow-up Results of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy using the Dye-Only Method for Breast Cancer

To demonstrate the validity of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) using the indocyanine green dye method (dye only method), we compared the survival of breast cancer patients negative to SLNB without axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) (SLNB group) to that of lymph node-negative patients undergoing ALND (ALND group). We studied a total of 174 patients with T1-2N0 invasive breast cancer diagnosed at our university hospital clinical department between 2000 and 2008, with follow-up till 31 December 2009, retrospectively. The SLNB group consisted of 108 SLNB-negative women without additional ALND (median follow-up, 25 months), diagnosed between May 2005 and 2008. The ALND group consisted of 66 axillary lymph node-negative women (median follow-up, 75 months) treated with ALND between 2000 and April 2005. SLNB was performed during operation by periareolar injection using indocyanine green. All sentinel lymph nodes were examined using the largest section along the major axis, and permanent sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. In the SLNB group, no patients developed axillary recurrence during the 25-month median follow-up. The 4.5-year distant disease free survival and overall survival rates were 90.9% and 91.9%, respectively. The survival rate in the SLNB group was equivalent to that in the ALND group. This suggests that SLNB with the dye only method can safely replace ALND as the procedure of choice for axillary staging in breast cancer patients with a clinically negative axilla

ACTH-Producing Breast Cancer: A Patient Report

Ectopic ACTH secretion in the setting of breast cancer is extremely rare but when present affects both the tumor’s behavior and the incidence of complications. The patient, a 58-year-old woman, first presented with a mass in her left breast as well as multiple osseous metastases and a right femur fracture. Laboratory data revealed a hypokalemic alkalosis. Her plasma ACTH level was elevated. She was diagnosed with breast cancer with ectopic ACTH secretion, and underwent a left mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. Histological examination demonstrated a poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma with ectopic ACTH secretion. Although the signs and symptoms of ectopic ACTH secretion from a breast cancer are frequently subtle, the recognition of ectopic ACTH secretion from breast cancer is important for patient management

Theoretical Study for the Reactions of (Silyl)(silylene)tungsten and -molybdenum Complexes with Ethylene Sulfide

The reaction mechanisms of the (silyl)­(silylene)­tungsten and -molybdenum complexes Cp*­(OC)₂M­(SiMe₃)­(SiMes₂) (M = W (<b>1</b>), Mo (<b>2</b>); Cp* = η⁵-C₅Me₅; Mes = 2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂) with the sulfur donor reagent ethylene sulfide <b>3</b> have been explored by ab initio molecular orbital and DFT (B3LYP) methods. As a result, the metal–ligand interactions were found to be stronger in the tungsten complexes than in the molybdenum complexes. Therefore, in the early stages which are common for both tungsten and molybdenum complexes, the energy barriers of the reactions of the tungsten tend to be higher than those of the molybdenum. The insertion of a sulfur atom into the metal–ligand bond takes place more easily in the molybdenum complex in comparison to that in the tungsten complex. This is the plausible reason parts of the reaction mechanisms and the final products are different between the W and Mo complexes

Pneumatosis Intestinalis Associated with Juvenile Dermatomyositis

We herein report a case of pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), a condition characterized by the presence of gas within the wall of the digestive tract, associated with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). A 16-year-old girl, diagnosed with JDM at the age of 10, presented with abdominal pain and distention. She developed PI based on radiological findings that also included a dilated large intestine, extraluminal gas, and secondary diaphragmatic elevation. She was observed with medical therapy including bowel rest and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. However, she ultimately developed a strangulated obstruction 5 years after presentation with PI and large intestine resection and colostomy were performed emergently

Surface-Deacetylated Chitin Nano-Fiber/Hyaluronic Acid Composites as Potential Antioxidative Compounds for Use in Extended-Release Matrix Tablets

In this study, we examined a possible use of a surface-deacetylated chitin nano-fiber (SDCH-NF) and hyaluronic acid (HA) interpolymer complex (IPC) tablet as a potential antioxidative compound in extended-release matrix tablets. The antioxidant properties of untreated chitin (UCH), SDCH-NF, and HA were examined using N-centered radicals derived from 1,1′-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS). SDCH-NF and HA had acceptable scavenging abilities and were relatively efficient radical scavengers, but UCH was much less effective. The results suggest that SDCH-NF and HA could serve as scavengers of compounds related to the development of oxidative stress. An SDCH-NF/HA IPC tablet was prepared and evaluated as an extended-release tablet matrix using famotidine (FMT) as a model drug. The release of FMT from the IPC tablet (DCF-NF:HA = 1:1) was slower than that from a SDCH-NF only tablet. Turbidity measurements and X-ray diffraction (XRD) data also indicated that the optimum complexation ratio for IPC between SDCH-NF/HA is 1/1, resulting in a good relationship between turbidity or XRD of the complex and the release ratio of FMT. These results suggest that an SDCH-NF/HA tablet has the potential for use in an extended-release IPC tablet with a high antioxidant activity