Primary cardiac angiosarcoma is rare and its prognosis very poor. A 34-year-old woman complained of facial edema and dyspnea. Echocardiography, chest computed tomography scan and chest magnetic resonance imaging showed a huge tumor arising in the right atrium. Surgical excision of the tumor was performed for the purpose of relieving superior vena cava syndrome and making diagnosis of the tumor. The right atrial wall, including the tumor, was resected and reconstructed with Gore Tex patch under cardiopulmonary bypass. The tumor was diagnosed as angiosarcoma. Doxorubicin hydrochloride/ifosfamide were used to treat postoperative cardiac recurrence and lung metastasis. These drugs were effective to a certain degree, but she died of brain metastasis of the tumor in the 14th postoperative month.

To examine whether the consumption of dried bonito both is effective for the prevention of hand-foot syndrome(HFS), concentrated bonito broth was administered to 10 patients with HCC who were treated with sorafenib. Among the 10 patients, seven showed an increase in peripheral blood flow, as observed on Doppler ultrasonography. Only one patient showed Grade 1 HFS on day 14 after the initiation of sorafenib (10%); this incidence rate of HFS was significantly lower than that obtained in our previous studies and reported data. These results suggest that consumption of dried bonito broth contributes to the prevention of HFS by maintaining peripheral blood flow.

Carmustine (BCNU) wafer implantation has been used in Japanese patients after resection of high-grade glioma (HGG) since 2013. Wafer implantation plays an important role in improving the prognosis of HGG patients, but it often causes particular changes as observed on neuroimaging and various adverse effects (AEs). Here, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey of Japanese neurosurgeons to determine how they feel about this treatment based on their actual observations. Most neurosurgeons had a positive impression of the treatment based on previous evidence of clinical effectiveness. Additionally, we found that the Japanese neurosurgeons are taking measures to cope with some AEs including cerebral edema, postoperative convulsions, cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and protracted wound healing.

Management of febrile neutropenia (FN) is important for the safety of patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy. Oral antimicrobials are usually prescribed as the initial treatment for FN, and outpatients are instructed to begin medication prior to chemotherapy. However, the effectiveness and safety of the use of these oral antibiotics have not yet been established. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness and safety of levofloxacin hydrate (LVFX) for breast cancer patients with FN, and the factors associated with the onset of FN in 134 breast cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy including the anticancer drug anthracycline (total, 513 courses), in an outpatient chemotherapy department. The effectiveness and safety of LVFX were defined respectively as defervescence within 5 days, and the appearance of side effects such as diarrhea and rashes. Fever was observed in 89 (66%) of the 134 patients, and during 164 (32%) of 513 courses. Defervescence was observed with the LVFX medication in 149 (93%) of 160 courses. The primary side effect was the development of rashes, and only 2 (1%) of the 160 courses were discontinued. Onset of stomatitis during chemotherapy was observed as a factor of FN (odds ratio: 1.36, p<0.05). Our results suggest that the use of LVFX according to the patients' discretion might be an effective and safe option for the management of FN during outpatient chemotherapy.

The enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, a tumor-targeting principle of nanomedicine, serves as a standard for tumor-targeted anticancer drug design. There are 3 key issues in ideal EPR-based antitumor drug design: i) stability in blood circulation; ii) tumor-selective accumulation (EPR effect) and efficient release of the active anticancer moiety in tumor tissues; and iii) the active uptake of the active drug into tumor cells. Using these principles, we developed N-(2- hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer-conjugated pirarubicin (P-THP), which uses hydrazone bond linkage; it was shown to exhibit prolonged circulation time, thereby resulting in good tumor-selective accumulation. More importantly, the hydrazone bond ensured selective and rapid release of the active drug, pirarubicin (THP), in acidic tumor environments. Further, compared to other anthracycline anticancer drugs (eg, doxorubicin), THP demonstrated more rapid intracellular uptake. Consequently, P-THP showed remarkable antitumor effect with minimal side effects. In a clinical pilot study of a stage IV prostate cancer patient with multiple metastases in the lung and bone, P-THP (50-75 mg administered once every 2-3 weeks) was shown to clear the metastatic nodules in the lung almost completely after 3 treatments where 50-70 mg THP equivalent each was administerd per 70 kg body wt, and bone metastasis disappeared after 6 months. There was no recurrence after 2 years. The patient also retained an excellent quality of life during the treatment without any apparent side effects. Thus, we propose the clinical development of P-THP as an EPR-based tumor-targeted anticancer drug.

In Japan, JSCN/JSMO/JASPO Joint Guidelines for Safe Handling of Cancer Chemotherapy Drugs was published in July, 2015. Occupational exposure of hazardous drugs (HD) should be prevented and safely managed by comprehensive team approaches throughout all processes of cancer chemotherapy; preparation, delivery, administration to abandonment of HD. All medical stuffs who deal with HD occupationally should acquire knowledge and skills for safe handling of HD. Understanding of hierarchy control and practical use of BSC, CSTD, PPE are keys for prevention of HD exposure.

The recommended regimen for S-1 internal use is 4 weeks of daily medication and 2 weeks of drug holiday. However, we experience many cases where changing the regimen is ineffective because of adverse events. This time, we report a favorable case of alternate-day treatment with S-1 in an elderly patient with multiple lung metastases of colon cancer. An 84-year-old woman, performance status 2, was diagnosed as having colon cancer and multiple lung metastases. After operation of the colon, she received chemotherapy with the S-1 alternate-day treatment. The lung metastases decreased remarkably, and she was able to continue the treatment without significant adverse events. She has been receiving the treatment without progression for more than 18 months now. The alternate-day treatment with S-1 is reported as a cure with anticancer efficacy and few adverse events. This treatment seems to be a useful chemotherapy for elderly patients with colon cancer.

The patient was a 92-year-old woman. Pelvic exenteration and bilateral ureterocutaneostomy had been performed for rectal carcinoma 29 years earlier. Right nephrostomy had been performed for right ureteral stenosis 20 years earlier. Left nephrectomy had been performed for the left atrophic kidney 12 years earlier. She began receiving hemodialysis for renal failure 10 years earlier. In September 2014, macrohematuria and an abnormal mass at the right nephrostomy were observed. Pathological examination revealed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the tumor of the right renal pelvis extended to the abdominal wall along the nephrostomy. At first, owing to her extremely old age and disdialysis syndrome, conservative treatment was selected. However, because of tumor enlargement and bleeding from the tumor, anticancer therapy was required. In spite of oral doxifluridine administration for 1 month, the tumor increased in size. For the second-line therapy, bleomycin ointment was selected. Computed tomography performed after 2 months revealed 81% tumor reduction.

Although anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, including cetuximab and panitumumab, are highly effective in KRAS wild-type advanced colorectal cancer, these drugs frequently cause several adverse events. These events include hypomagnesemia and acneiform rash, which may lead to the dose reduction or discontinuation of therapy. In the present study, we retrospectively investigated the incidence of hypomagnesemia and acneiform rash in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We examined the relationship between the incidence of such adverse events and the therapeutic effect.

Nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel(nab-PTX)was approved for the treatment of gastric cancer without a large-scale clinical trial in Japan. Its safety and efficacy should be validated in clinical practice. We retrospectively investigated prognostic factors related to time to treatment failure(TTF)in 11 patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer treated with nab- PTX in our hospital. In univariate analysis, Onodera's prognostic nutritional index(PNI)and the time from the start of first-line chemotherapy to the start of nab-PTX were related to TTF. In multivariate analysis, Onodera's PNI was identified as an independent predictive factor for TTF (hazard ratio 0.056, p=0.022). PNI could contribute to adequate patient selection and the improvement of nab-PTX therapy efficacy ingastric cancer.

Stomatitis is a characteristic adverse event of everolimus and other mTOR inhibitors, and occurs at a high incidence and impairs QOL owing to pain. Most cases of stomatitis are mild to moderate. However, when stomatitis becomes serious, it can interfere with the continuation of medication. Therefore, it is important to place more emphasis on the prevention as well as early detection and treatment. In addition, patient education is also important. The possible occurrence of stomatitis, its signs and symptoms, as well as the importance of oral care need to be thoroughly explained prior to starting treatment. In order to smoothly carry out these measures, it will also be essential that cancer-treating physicians coordinate and collaborate with dentists, nurses, and pharmacists. It is desirable to establish appropriate prevention and management methods on the basis of the results of the Phase III prospective study, Oral Care-BC, currently ongoing in Japan.

Chemoradiotherapy using fluorouracil was initially investigated as a postoperative adjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer. However, a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) of surgery, chemoradiotherapy, and chemotherapy demonstrated that chemoradiotherapy was inferior to no chemoradiotherapy, while the efficacy of radiotherapy as adjuvant therapy was controversial. Since gemcitabine was established as a standard therapy for unresectable pancreatic cancer, several RCTs have revealed that gemcitabine is also an effective adjuvant therapy. In Japan, S-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, was approved for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and a phase III study compared S-1 with gemcitabine as adjuvant therapy. This study examined whether S-1 was non-inferior to gemcitabine and found it superior. As a result, S-1 is recognized as the first-choice adjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer in Japan. FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel was recently demonstrated to prolong survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. To improve the survival rate of patients who undergo surgery, these chemotherapeutic regimens with higher response rate are also currently under investigation compared with gemcitabine as adjuvant therapies in RCTs. Furthermore, neoadjuvant therapy using gemcitabine plus S-1, FOLFIRINOX, or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel is expected to improve outcomes of surgical treatments, and various clinical trials of neoadjuvant therapies using those regimens are currently under investigation.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic progressive liver disease characterized by intense liver steatosis accompanied by hepatocyte destruction, inflammation and fibrous, despite little or no history of alcoholic consumption. There are also cases of drug-induced secondary steatohepatitis. Drug-induced steatohepatitis is a relatively rare type of drug-induced liver disease, but close attention to the possible onset of steatohepatitis is needed when drugs with the potential to induce fatty liver are prescribed for long term use. Estrogen is a factor indispensable to smooth fatty acid β-oxidation in hepatocytes. However, treatment with Tamoxifen markedly suppresses fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver. As free fatty acids are toxic, their accumulation results in the activation of alternative fatty acid oxidation pathways mediated by CYP2E1 in cytosol and lipid peroxidases in peroxisomes in hepatocytes. CYP2E1 enhances lipid peroxidation and dicarboxylic acid synthesis via the activation of fatty acid ω-oxidation that injures mitochondria and results in the emergence of ballooned hepatocytes. In such cases, the attenuation of alternative fatty acid oxidation pathways could have some beneficial effects on mitochondrial injury, since fibrates (PPAR-α ligands) are potent enough to stimulate neutral fat consumption through the activation of peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation. Fortunately, fibrates attenuate serum estrogen levels by affecting estrogen receptor expression, so the co-administration of fibrates with Tamoxifen is expected to exert higher efficacy in breast cancer patients with Tamoxifen-induced hepatic steatosis.

An 81-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a right renal tumor with vena cava thrombus and multiple lung metastases that were detected by computed tomography (CT) scan during evaluation of respiratory discomfort. We started medical treatment with sunitinib at a dose of 50 mg daily in a 2-week-on, 1-week-off schedule after confirming clear cell renal cell carcinoma by tumor biopsy. After 2-week sunitinib treatment, thrombocytopenia continued and platelet count decreased to 1.8×10(9)/l at day 11 after stopping sunitinib. We needed to administer a total of 60 units platelet transfusion because of persistent thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration did not reveal myelosuppression or carcinoma invasion to bone marrow. Under the clinical diagnosis of drug-induced thrombocytopenia secondary to sunitinib, we started immunoglobulin therapy at day 23 after stopping sunitinib. Platelet count returned to normal 10 days after starting immunoglobulin. The patient developed exacerbating lung metastasis and carcinomatous lymphangiosis during subsequent course and died of renal cell carcinoma 79 days after starting sunitinib. Thrombocytopenia after sunitinib therapy is often encountered but prolonged thrombocytopenia is rare after stopping sunitinib. This case suggests that immunoglobulin therapy is effective for drug-induced prolonged thrombocytopenia through immunological mechanism.

To investigate the long-term effectiveness of as-needed anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy on age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare lists hand-foot syndrome as a serious adverse drug event. Therefore, we evaluated its association with anticancer drug therapy using case reports in the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). In addition, we calculated the reporting odds ratio (ROR) of anticancer drugs potentially associated with hand-foot syndrome, and applied the Weibull shape parameter to time-to-event data from JADER. We found that JADER contained 338224 reports from April 2004 to November 2014, while FAERS contained 5821354 reports from January 2004 to June 2014. In JADER, the RORs [95% confidence interval (CI)] of hand-foot syndrome for capecitabine, tegafur-gimeracil-oteracil, fluorouracil, sorafenib, and regorafenib were 63.60 (95%CI, 56.19-71.99), 1.30 (95%CI, 0.89-1.89), 0.48 (95%CI, 0.30-0.77), 26.10 (95%CI, 22.86-29.80), and 133.27 (95%CI, 112.85-157.39), respectively. Adverse event symptoms of hand-foot syndrome were observed with most anticancer drugs, which carry warnings of the propensity to cause these effects in their drug information literature. The time-to-event analysis using the Weibull shape parameter revealed differences in the time-dependency of the adverse events of each drug. Therefore, anticancer drugs should be used carefully in clinical practice, and patients may require careful monitoring for symptoms of hand-foot syndrome.