A 65-year-old man with left lung squamous cell carcinoma was admitted to our hospital for operation. His tumor was located left upper lobe and invaded to the orifice of left upper bronchus. We diagnosed the tumor as cT2aN0M0 and intended to perform radical operation. Preoperative three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) revealed that A9+10 which descended along lower bronchus was arisen from the left main pulmonary artery as a 1st branch of it. A wedge bronchoplastic left upper lobectomy was safely done with preserving the branch. Although this abnormal branching of left pulmonary artery is very rare, we should pay more attention this type of anomaly because unintended injury of the branch causes massive bleeding or ischemia of left lower lobe. Preoperative 3D-CT is useful for detecting the anomaly of pulmonary vessels.

Elastofibroma is a relatively rare tumor that occurs commonly at the apex of scapula in elderly people. We report a case of elastofibroma of a female in her seventies. She visited our hospital with complaints of painful mass in her back, which was increasing in size. On the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),the T1 and the T2-weighted images showed the same signal intensity as the muscle between the right scapula and the intercostal muscles. The internal fat component was cord-like, with high signal intensity. Based on the site of the tumor and characteristic findings on imaging, it was diagnosed as elastofibroma and resection was performed. Pathological findings revealed bundle-like proliferation of fibrous and spherical hyaline substances, together with collagen fibers. The hyaline substance stained in black on Elastica van Gieson staining and was confirmed to be elastic fiber. Thus, it was diagnosed as elastofibroma. The patient is on regular follow-up, with no recurrence after surgery.

A 74-year-old woman had underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for a carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. After 3 years of the operation, chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed a solitary nodule in the right posterior segment (S2). Under the diagnosis of solitary pulmonary metastasis, we performed wedge resection for the right S2 lesion under video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Pathological diagnosis was the metastasis of carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater. One year later, chest CT scan showed another solitary lesion in right superior segment (S6). Wedge resection was performed again for the right S6 nodule, which was also diagnosed as a metastasis.

A 76-year-old man presented with a tracheal tumor associated with severe respiratory obstruction. A tracheotomy was performed due to respiratory failure. F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) -positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed an abnormal accumulation of FDG (maximum standardized uptake value: 16) in the trachea. A histopathological examination of the tracheal biopsy revealed extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKL). He was treated with concurrent radiotherapy (50 Gy) for the tracheal tumor and three courses of two-thirds dose ofdexamethasone, etoposide, ifosfamide, and carboplatin. Although the tumor responded remarkably well to this therapy, the patient died of an ENKL recurrence in the lungs and liver 11 months post therapy.

A 72-year-old man with advanced dementia presented with a right lower abdominal painful mass, and on detailed examination and investigation, was diagnosed to have moderately differentiated circumferential tubular adenocarcinoma infiltrating the abdominal wall in the middle of the ascendingcolon. It was extremely painful, and there was also a risk of ileus if left untreated. Therefore, laparoscopic right hemicolectomy was performed. One year after surgery, examination revealed local recurrence. After consultation with family members, we started with chemotherapy, usingcapecitabine and bevacizumab. It is our policy to administer chemotherapy under adequate surveillance. Thus, outpatient chemotherapy was safely administered in a dementia patient with shrinkage of local recurrent lesions.

We report a case of nephrotic syndrome induced by ramucirumab for metastatic rectal cancer. A 48-year old woman who had received FOLFIRI plus ramucirumab for rectal cancer with liver, lung, and bone metastases presented to our hospital with edema and increased body weight. Laboratory studies showed hypoalbuminemia and severe proteinuria, and the patient was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. After administration of an angiotensin II receptor blocker and thiazide diuretic, her symptoms disappeared and serum albumin level normalized. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detailed report of nephrotic syndrome related to ramucirumab. This case serves to emphasize that the possibility of nephrotic syndrome should be considered during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.

Therapy-related myelodysplasticsyndrome(t-MDS)has been reported to occur after treatment with cytotoxic agents and radiation. Here, we report a case of t-MDS following oxaliplatin(L-OHP)exposure, which was successfully treated with azacitidine(AZA). A 71-year-old man was referred to our department because of pancytopenia. He had been diagnosed with rectal cancer(cT4aNXM0, stage II B-III C, RAS gene status wild-type)3 years ago and had received 8 courses of capecitabine(CAP)and L-OHP(XELOX regimen), followed by 48 courses of CAP and bevacizumab. Before referral, recurrence of rectal cancer was detected using CT after the last course of chemotherapy. A bone marrow examination revealed multilineage dysplasia and 9.0%myeloblasts. Cytogenetic analysis disclosed a chromosome 7 abnormality. The diagnosis of t- MDS was made and treatment with AZA was initiated. Subsequently, temporary but significant hematological improvements were observed, which enabled the patient to receive additional palliative radiation therapy against the locally relapsed rectal cancer. AZA might be useful in t-MDS because of its efficacy and low toxicity.

We present a case of a 74-year-old man who was a heavy smoker with a performance status of 0(Brinkman indexof 2080). In 2008, he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and was treated with pirfenidone. During follow-up, abnormal chest shadows were observed. In May 2014, he was diagnosed with right middle lobe primary squamous cell carcinoma of the lung(C-T2aN2M1a, contralateral lung metastasis)IV a, for which chemotherapy was immediately initiated. After 3 courses of carboplatin(5 AUC, day 1)plus nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel(100mg/m2, days 1, 8, and 15) treatment, the primary tumor markedly decreased in size(reduction ratio, 93.3%). Moreover, both the mediastinal lymph nodes and lung metastatic lesions disappeared, and the level of tumor marker CYFRA had decreased from 29.5 to 3.4 ng/mL. The patient then underwent thoracoscopic partial resection of the right middle lobe of the lung, as a combination of these chemotherapeutic agents with salvage surgery is the standard treatment regimen for residual middle lobe lung tumors. Subsequently, he was discharged from the hospital without complications. Three courses of the same chemotherapeutic agents were administered post-surgery. As of August 2017, the patient was alive without any recurrence during the outpatient follow-up.

Although eribulin mesylate(ERI)has been approved for metastatic breast cancer, its efficacy and safety in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents have not been established. To investigate the tolerability of combination therapy with ERI and gemcitabine(GEM), we conducted a phase I clinical study in Japanese patients with metastatic breast cancer. The initial doses(Level 0)of ERI and GEM were 1.1mg/m2 and 800 mg/m2, respectively. When tolerability to Level 0 doses was confirmed, the doses were escalated to 1.4mg/m2 for ERI and 800 mg/m2 for GEM(Level 1). Seven patients were enrolled in this study; 3 patients received Level 0 doses and the other 4 patients received Level 1 doses. A dose limiting toxicity(DLT)was found in only 1 patient of the Level 1 group(Grade 3 oral mucositis). However, Grade 3 or higher hematological toxicities, including neutropenia, frequently occurred, and hence, this combination therapy was not conducted as scheduled. Thus, maximum tolerated dose(MTD)and recommended dose(RD)for phase II trials were not evaluated in this study. Drugdrug interactions between ERI and GEM were not observed. In conclusion, it was difficult to continue the combination therapy for patients with advanced recurrent breast cancer due to hematological toxicities. There is little possibility for the combination therapy with ERI and GEM at the specific doses to be regarded as a new treatment option for Japanese patients.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is the standard of care for breast cancer. The detection method using radioisotope(RI)is considered the standard method but has some drawbacks including radiation exposure and access of the nuclear medicine to RI. A novel method using indocyanine green(ICG)as a near infrared(NIR)fluorescence contrast agent was developed in Japan. This NIR fluorescence imaging system can visualize subcutaneous lymphatic channels in real-time and navigate the surgeon to harvest sentinel lymph node in the axillary basin. Accumulating results in previous studies demonstrated that the ICG fluorescence method has achieved a high detection rate of sentinel lymph node comparable with the RI method. Currently, the ICG fluorescence method is another standard method as an acceptable alternative to the RI method. Development of fluorescence tracer to visualize tumor cells may enable the novel navigation surgery using in vivo fluorescence imaging.

A 71-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital, complaining of a seizure for the first time. A tumor was detected in the right frontal lobe, and a craniotomy was performed with a partial tumor resection. The pathological diagnosis was oligodendroglioma with IDH mutation and 1p/19q codeletion, and irradiation therapy was performed. Six months later, the patient's lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)level elevated remarkably, and the fluoro-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography showed abnormal uptake in multiple bone marrow locations. Bone marrow aspiration was performed, and the pathological diagnosis was oligodendroglioma metastasis. The patient was given two cycles of chemotherapy with temozolomide(TMZ), and her LDH level reduced to normal. After a few months, the LDH level elevated again, so we gave her two more cycles of TMZ;however, her LDH level did not change. Thereafter, the patient was hospitalized because of paraplegia, which started a few days prior, and right lower jaw swelling. Her CT and magnetic resonance imaging showed metastasis to the thoracic vertebrae and right mandibular bone. Irradiation therapy was performed to these locations, and the patient was given chemotherapy using nimustine(ACNU), procarbazine, and vincristine(PAV). Her LDH levels reduced temporarily, but elevated again. The patient deteriorated slowly and died 20 months after she presented with a seizure. Oligodendroglioma with extracranial metastasis is extremely rare, and this case report is the 68th report. The chemotherapy approach with TMZ or PAV/PCV may be effective against oligodendroglioma metastasis to the bone marrow.

Male breast cancer accounts for less than 1.0% of all breast cancer cases, and its brain metastasis is very rare. We encountered a male patient in whom brain metastasis occurred more than 20 years after the development of breast cancer. The patient was a 78-year-old male who underwent surgery for right breast cancer 24 years ago. Nausea and anorexia had appeared 2 months earlier, and the patient was referred to our department because a brain tumor was suspected on MRI. A 4×4-cm tumorous lesion was observed in the right temporal lobe, and it was heterogeneously enhanced with gadolinium. Suspecting a metastatic brain tumor, tumor resection with craniotomy was performed. Through pathological examination, the patient was diagnosed with brain metastasis of the breast cancer. Whole-brain irradiation was additionally performed. The patient recovered smoothly without neurological deficit and was discharged. No intracranial recurrence was noted on follow-up imaging, but the general condition aggravated, and the patient died after 13 months. Breast cancer in males may metastasize to the brain after a prolonged period in rare cases, for which follow-up examinations by imaging may be necessary.

We report two cases of clear cell adenocarcinoma arising in the urethral diverticulum. Case 1 occurred in a 79-year-old woman presenting with complaints of frequent micturition. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a localized urethral diverticular tumor. Transurethral resection of the tumor was performed, and the final histopathological diagnosis was clear cell adenocarcinoma. Anterior pelvic exenteration was performed. She had no recurrence 15 months after surgery. Case 2 occurred in a 79-year-old woman presenting with urinary incontinence. As in Case 1, MRI and histopathological findings of transurethral resection of the tumor revealed clear cell adenocarcinoma in the urethral diverticulum. Anterior pelvic exenteration and ileal conduit formation were performed. She had no recurrence 16 months after surgery. Clear cell adenocarcinoma in the urethral diverticulum is very rare. We review 17 cases of clear cell adenocarcinoma arising in the urethral diverticulum in Japan.

A 62-year-old woman underwent laparoscopic radial nephrectomy for the left renal cell carcinoma in September 2008. In July2016, the patient developed asymptomatic gross hematuria. Computed tomography (CT) revealed the enlargement of the left ureteral stump and an 11mm nodule in the superior lobe of the right lung. Since [F-18] fluoro-D-glucose-positron emission tomography-CT FDG PET-CT demonstrated a lung tumor, we decided to perform right upper lobectomybyvideo-assisted thoracoscopic surgeryin September. The patient was diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We then removed the left ureteral stump and performed partial cystectomy in November. A pathological examination revealed that the tumor was metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma invading the muscle layer. Two months later, the patient developed gross hematuria again. Cystoscopy revealed a 1cm tumor around the scar of partial cystectomy. Transurethral resection was performed, and a pathological examination revealed metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We herein report this case of renal cell carcinoma in which recurrence occurred in the ureteral stump, 8 years after radical nephrectomy.

We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of immediate single instillation (SI) of pirarubicine hydrochloride (THP) in the chemoprevention of intermediate and high risk patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The study population consisted of 256 intermediate and high risk patients with NMIBC who underwent Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) induction therapy or delayed intravesical chemotherapy between 1999 and 2014. We introduced SI of 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline for all cases in 2010, and thus earlier cases could be considered as historical controls. As BCG induction therapy, patients received 80 mg of BCG Tokyo strain 2 weeks after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT), and the instillations were repeated weekly for 8 weeks. On the other hand, as delayed intravesical chemotherapy, patients received 30 mg THP in 30 ml normal saline over a period of 6 months starting 2 weeks after TURBT. The instillation schedule was once a week for 1 month, every other week for 1 month and once a month for 4 months. The patients were followed with cystoscopy and urine cytology every 3 months for the first 2 years and every 6 months thereafter. The 3-, and 5-year non-recurrence rates were 80. 3 and 80.3%, respectively, in the single immediate instillation group and 69.7 and 64.5%, respectively, in the control group. Univariate analysis revealed a significant difference between the SI group and the control group (P=0. 025). Multivariate analysis showed that there was an independent and significant recurrence risk factor in selecting chemotherapy instead of BCG in additional intravesical instillation therapy and not to perform SI. Limitations of our study are its retrospective and nonrandomized nature with a limited number of patients.

Super-enhancers comprise of clusters of enhancers that are typically defined by the ChIP-seq analysis for active histone marks. Although the biological significance of super-enhancers is still controversial, this concept is gaining prominence as useful characteristics of genes that play crucial roles in normal development and pathogenesis of cancer. In various cancer cells, super-enhancers are often associated with genes involved in carcinogenesis. For example, in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the oncogenic transcription factor TAL1 and its regulatory partners (GATA3, RUNX1 and MYB) are regulated by super-enhancers; these genes are sensitive to transcriptional inhibition, for example, via the pharmacological approach using a small-molecule CDK7 inhibitor. This preferential inhibition of cancer genes can also be observed for other types of cancer. Based on these findings, we recently performed super-enhancer profiling combined with gene expression analysis in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, which is a genetically complicated hematological malignancy, to identify critical genes responsible for the pathogenesis. This review article aims to discuss the concept of super-enhancers, their significance in biomedical research, and their potential utility in elucidating the molecular pathogenesis of cancer.

A 77-year-old male with hyperleukocytosis and thrombocytopenia was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) -negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) ; he was treated with induction chemotherapy. Despite an initial complete remission, hyperleukocytosis was returned 18 months later. A bone marrow smear revealed a substantial increase in the number of myeloid cells with each stage of differentiation, which was markedly different from the initial presentation, resulting in the diagnosis of Ph-negative myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN). After a month, an autopsy revealed that the disease had progressed to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Since the first diagnosis, a chromosomal translocation, t (8;13) (p12;q12), was identified; this was subsequently confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis to comprise a genomic rearrangement of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) gene. Collectively, this is a rare case of a myeloid/lymphoid neoplasm with an FGFR1 genomic rearrangement that initially presented as B-cell ALL, before developing into MDS/MPN and finally into AML. In the literature, although a transformation of MPN into ALL is often reported, the transformation of B-cell ALL into MPN is an infrequent event.