International Journal of Clinical Oncology

Our medical research library holds 9 studies published in International Journal of Clinical Oncology (2010–2021). Each entry links to the study's record on PubMed and, where there is one, to the publisher's page and a free full text. 8 have an abstract, the authors' own summary as PubMed records it: open "Abstract" to read it.

About the journal

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag Tokyo
• Published: 1996 to the present, Japan
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1341-9625 (print), 1437-7772 (electronic)
• Its record in the NLM Catalog

2020s

• Clinicopathological features of radiological early malignant pleural mesothelioma with no apparent tumor or pleural thickening. A. Nakamura, M. Hashimoto, H. Kodama, et al. 2021;26(1):95-103. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Background: We occasionally encounter malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) of no apparent tumor or pleural thickening that is radiological early MPM. This study aimed to examine the clinicopathological outcomes of radiological early MPM.

  Methods: Patients with MPM treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and planned surgery at the time of diagnosis between July 2004 and December 2019 were retrospectively examined. Pretreatment maximal pleural thickness of all patients was measured on chest computed tomography. We extracted and investigated the patients who exhibited a lack of pleural thickening or visible tumor, which was defined as radiological early MPM. Survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method.

  Results: Of 296treated patients, 16 (5.4%) exhibited radiological early MPM. Fourteen (87.5%) of these patients underwent pleurectomy/decortication and 2 (12.5%) underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy. Pathological stage T1 disease was diagnosed in 14 (87.5%) patients; 2 (12.5%) exhibited pulmonary parenchymal invasion (pathological stage T2). Lymphatic invasion was detected in only 1 patient. Lymph node metastases and vascular invasion were not detected. Median follow-up was 42 months. Median progression-free survival and median overall survival were 40.7 and 56.1 months, respectively. The 3-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 84.8% and 83.6%, respectively.

  Conclusions: Radiological early MPM occurs in approximately 1 of every 20 patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery planned at the time of diagnosis in an experienced center. Radiological early MPM was associated with early pathological stage and long-term survival.

2010s

• Early recurrence after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). G.H.C. Tan, C.S. Chia, S.H. Tan, et al. 2018;23(5):989-998. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Background: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are used in the management of selected peritoneal malignancies. While most patients achieve long-term disease-free survival, there remains a group with early recurrence (ER). We aim to investigate the clinical factors associated with ER.

  Methods: A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of CRS-HIPEC patients treated between April 2001 and Feb 2016 was performed. ER was defined as recurrence within 12 months of CRS-HIPEC. Patients were stratified according to time to recurrence and only patients with at least 12-month follow-up were included. Perioperative factors were investigated, and subgroup analyses of colorectal, ovarian and appendiceal groups were performed.

  Results: Of the 144 patients included, 30.6% were colorectal, 36.8% ovarian and primary peritoneal, 24.3% appendiceal, 2.1% mesothelioma and 6.3% were of other origins. Thirty-nine patients (27%) suffered ER. Univariable and multivariable analyses revealed that primary tumour type (p = 0.02) and post-CRS adjuvant treatment (p = 0.04) were associated with ER. Appendiceal patients had a lower odds of ER compared to colorectal patients [OR = 0.15 (0.043-0.502) p < 0.002]. Patients who received post-CRS adjuvant treatment had a lower odds of ER than patients without adjuvant treatment [OR = 0.32; (0.128-0.818) p = 0.02].

  Conclusion: There remains a 27% risk of ER after CRS-HIPEC. Better patient selection and the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy may help to reduce ER.

• Post-recurrence chemotherapy for mesothelioma patients undergoing extrapleural pneumonectomy. T. Takuwa, M. Hashimoto, S. Matsumoto, et al. 2017;22(5):857-864. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Background: Additional chemotherapy is often not feasible in patients with recurrent malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) undergoing extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), due to deteriorated cardiopulmonary reserve. We thus examined the feasibility and efficacy of additional chemotherapy in patients with recurrent MPM after EPP.

  Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 59 consecutive patients who underwent bi-/tri-modal treatment with induction chemotherapy, EPP, and radiation therapy from July 2004 to August 2013 at Hyogo College of Medicine (Nishinomiya, Japan).

  Results: Of 59 patients, 39 (male/female = 31/8, right/left = 15/24, pathological stage I/II/III/IV = 1/7/23/3, bi-/tri-modality = 27/12) relapsed at a median age of 62 (range 37-71) years. The median time to recurrence after EPP was 11.6 months. Of the 39 relapsed patients, 12 received best supportive care alone, six started but discontinued chemotherapy, and the remaining 21 (53%) completed more than three cycles of intravenous chemotherapy. The median survival time after EPP was significantly longer in 21 patients who received additional chemotherapy than in 18 patients who did not (39.2 vs. 12.2 months, P = 0.009).

  Conclusions: Additional systemic chemotherapy was successfully administered in more than 50% of relapsed patients after bi-/tri-modal treatment, which included EPP, and resulted in a longer survival in comparison with best supportive care alone.

• Trimodality strategy for treating malignant pleural mesothelioma: results of a feasibility study of induction pemetrexed plus cisplatin followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy and postoperative hemithoracic radiation (Japan Mesothelioma Interest Group 0601 Trial). S. Hasegawa, M. Okada, F. Tanaka, et al. 2016;21(3):523-30. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Purpose: We conducted a prospective multi-institutional study to determine the feasibility of trimodality therapy (TMT) comprising induction chemotherapy followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and radiation therapy in Japanese patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

  Methods: Major eligibility criteria were histologically confirmed diagnosis of MPM, including clinical subtypes T0-3, N0-2, M0 disease; no prior treatment for the disease; age 20-75 years; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0 or 1; predicted postoperative forced expiratory volume >1000 ml in 1 s; written informed consent. Treatment methods comprised induction chemotherapy using pemetrexed (500 mg/m(2)) plus cisplatin (60 mg/m(2)) for three cycles, followed by EPP and postoperative hemithoracic radiation therapy (54 Gy). Primary endpoints were macroscopic complete resection (MCR) rate for EPP and treatment-related mortality for TMT.

  Results: Forty-two eligible patients were enrolled: median age 64.5 (range 43-74) years; M:F = 39:3, clinical stage I:II:III = 14:13:15; histological type epithelioid were sarcomatoid; biphasic; others = 28:1:9:4. Of 42 patients, 30 completed EPP with MCR and 17 completed TMT. The trial met the primary endpoints, with an MCR rate of 71 % (30/42) and treatment-related mortality of 9.5 % (4/42). Overall median survival time and 2-year survival rate for 42 registered patients were 19.9 months and 42.9 %, respectively. Two-year relapse-free survival rate of 30 patients who completed EPP with MCR was 37.0 %.

  Conclusion: This phase II study met the predefined primary endpoints, but its risk/benefit ratio was not satisfactory.

• Gemcitabine and vinorelbine as second-line or beyond treatment in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma pretreated with platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy. G. Toyokawa, M. Takenoyama, F. Hirai, et al. 2014;19(4):601-6. PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive neoplasm that responds poorly to chemotherapy. Although treatment with pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin serves as first-line chemotherapy for MPM, the optimal second-line and beyond therapy has not yet been fully examined.

  Methods: Between March 2008 and October 2011, 17 consecutive Japanese patients pretreated with at least one regimen of platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy received gemcitabine and vinorelbine. Responses, survival time, and toxicity were retrospectively evaluated.

  Results: Response [partial response (PR) + complete response (CR)] and disease control [stable disease (SD) + PR + CR] rates were 18 and 82 %, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) after combination chemotherapy was 6.0 months, whereas the median overall survival (OS) was 11.2 months. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and anemia were observed in 41 and 29 % of patients, respectively, and one patient experienced febrile neutropenia. Grade 3 or 4 nonhematologic toxicities included constipation (6 %) and phlebitis (6 %).

  Conclusion: Combination chemotherapy using gemcitabine with vinorelbine was shown to have moderate activity in Japanese MPM patients pretreated with platinum plus pemetrexed chemotherapy. A further multicenter phase II trial is warranted to confirm the efficacy and safety of this combination treatment.

• Early mesothelioma revisited. S. Hasegawa. 2012;17(1):30-2. PubMed · Publisher

• Pathological and molecular biological approaches to early mesothelioma. T. Tsujimura, I. Torii, A. Sato, et al. 2012;17(1):40-7. Review PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Malignant mesothelioma is an asbestos-related malignancy that arises primarily from mesothelial cells on the serosal surfaces of the pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial cavities. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is most common, and its incidence is dramatically increasing worldwide as a result of widespread use of asbestos. Morphological discrimination between MPM and reactive mesothelial hyperplasia is difficult, and the most reliable pathological criterion for malignancy is mesothelial proliferation invading deeply into subpleural adipose tissues. To establish radical cure of MPM, it is crucial to find early-stage MPM of epithelial type, in which mesothelial proliferation is localized on the serosal surface of parietal pleura or limited within the submesothelial fibrous tissues of parietal pleura. The initial clinical presentation for patients with MPM is frequently dyspnea and/or chest pain due to large pleural effusion, and cytological analysis of pleural effusions is valuable to find patients with early-stage MPM of epithelial type. Recently, cytological features of MPM in pleural effusion, molecular markers for MPM, and genetic alternations of MPM have been reported. In this review, we discuss major issues on pathological and molecular biological approaches for diagnosis of early-stage MPM of epithelial type.

• Practical approaches to diagnose and treat for T0 malignant pleural mesothelioma: a proposal for diagnostic total parietal pleurectomy. S. Hasegawa, N. Kondo, S. Matsumoto, et al. 2012;17(1):33-9. Review PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) remains suffering poor prognosis in spite of recent diagnostic and therapeutic progress. Although there is currently no established evidence, early diagnosis and early intervention may play a key role to improve prognosis of MPM, similarly to other malignancies. As pleural effusion is usually the first clinical sign of MPM, pleural effusion cytology is often the first diagnostic examination to be carried out. Since the sensitivity of pleural effusion cytology is approximately 60%, however, false-negative diagnosis is given to almost half of true MPM patients at this clinical step. One practical way to reduce the number of misdiagnosed MPM is to encourage performing thoracoscopic pleural biopsy unless definitive diagnosis other than MPM is established. There still remain a considerable number of patients with radiological/thoracoscopic T0 MPM who are misdiagnosed with nonspecific pleuritis after a complete investigation including thoracoscopic biopsies. Such patients will turn out to be malignant during follow-up period, although they have the best opportunity for long-term survival if only early therapeutic intervention is given. Currently, we are performing diagnostic total parietal pleurectomy in highly selected patients, who are characterized with strong clinical suspicion, positive pleural effusion cytology but uncertain pathological diagnosis, excellent cardiopulmonary reserve, and with written informed consent for highly invasive diagnostic surgery for pathologically unproven disease.

• Retreatment of recurrent malignant pleural mesothelioma with cisplatin and pemetrexed. H. Hayashi, I. Okamoto, Y. Ichikawa, et al. 2010;15(5):497-9. Case report PubMed · Publisher

  Abstract

  Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed is the most active first-line regimen for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). However, no drugs have been approved for second-line treatment of MPM, with effective regimens remaining to be identified for patients in relapse. We have now evaluated the combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed for retreatment of patients with recurrent MPM. Four men with MPM, all of whom received initial treatment with cisplatin and pemetrexed, underwent retreatment with this drug combination. Two of the patients achieved an objective response to the first-line chemotherapy with no evidence of disease progression for 6.4 or 11.4 months, respectively. The other two patients had stable disease with a duration of 7.8 or 5.0 months, respectively. The two patients who showed an objective response to first-line chemotherapy showed a partial response to retreatment, with a time to progression of 5.0 or 8.2 months, whereas the other two patients had progressive disease with a time to progression of 1.0 or 1.4 months, respectively. Retreatment with cisplatin plus pemetrexed was generally well tolerated. Retreatment with cisplatin and pemetrexed is a potential therapeutic option for certain patients with recurrent epithelioid MPM, possibly including those who show tumor regression with a time to progression of 6 months or more after the initial chemotherapy. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the efficacy of such retreatment and to clarify the criteria for patient selection.

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