Metastasizing anaplastic ependymoma in an adult. Chromosomal imbalances, metabolic and gene expression profiles

Preoperative chemoradiation may not always be needed for patients with T3 and T2N+ rectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Preoperative chemoradiation is becoming the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. However, since the introduction of total mesorectal excision (TME), local recurrence rates have been reduced significantly, and some patients can be spared from potentially toxic over treatment. The current study was designed to assess the factors that predict recurrence in an institutional series of patients with rectal cancer who had clinical T2 lymph node-positive (cT2N+) tumors or cT3N0/N+ tumors and underwent radical surgery without receiving preoperative chemoradiation. METHODS: Between November 1997 and November 2008, the authors' multidisciplinary group preope…

Microneedling dilates the follicular infundibulum and increases transfollicular absorption of liposomal sepia melanin

Gabriel Serrano,1 Patricia Almudéver,2 Juan M Serrano,3 Julio Cortijo,2 Carmen Faus,1 Magda Reyes,1 Inmaculada Expósito,3 Ana Torrens,3 Fernando Millán1 1Clínica Dermatológica Serrano, 2Department of Pharmacology, University of Valencia, 3Research and Development Department, Sesderma Laboratories, Valencia, Spain Abstract: Encapsulation of chemicals in liposomes and microneedling are currently used techniques to enhance the penetration of several substances through skin and hair. In this study, we apply a liposomal melanin–fluorescein compound to an ex vivo model of human skin, using a new electrical microneedling device (Nano…

Pathological Evaluation of Mesocolic Resection Quality and Ex Vivo Methylene Blue Injection

BACKGROUND: Although the National Quality Forum has endorsed the harvest of ≥12 lymph nodes as a standard quality indicator for colon cancer surgery, this minimum quantity is not reached in many centers. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the implementation of a mesocolon evaluation pathological protocol and ex vivo arterial methylene blue injection on the number of nodes harvested after colon cancer resection. DESIGN: A prospective series was compared with a historical group. SETTINGS: This study was conducted by a specialized colorectal multidisciplinary team at a tertiary teaching hospital. PATIENTS: From June 2009 to December 2009, all the specimens after colon…

Macroscopic assessment of mesorectal excision in rectal cancer

BACKGROUND: High quality of surgical technique and the use of descriptive measures to assess and report surgical proficiency have been shown to influence locoregional tumor control in patients with rectal cancer. In this study, the authors have aimed to audit the implementation of a macroscopic assessment of mesorectal excision (MAME) and to investigate factors that influenced surgical quality and disease recurrence. METHODS: All curative resections for rectal cancer were prospectively evaluated for MAME between 1998 and 2007. Mesorectal specimens were graded into 3 types: complete, nearly complete, and incomplete categories. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified independent risk …