Biomedical subjects

Michael E Franks

Publications and source records attributed to Michael E Franks.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Synchronous unilateral renal cell carcinoma and Kimura disease of the kidney.

Kimura disease (KD) is a rare, benign, chronic inflammatory disorder most often found in young Asian males that can simulate a neoplasm. We report a case of renal cell carcinoma and KD within the same kidney. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of KD involving the kidney confirmed pathologically, as well as the first association of KD with renal cell carcinoma.

Angiolymphoid Hyperplasia with Eosinophilia↗

PubMed2005

Partial adrenalectomy: the National Cancer Institute experience.

OBJECTIVES: To report our experience of partial adrenalectomy and demonstrate whether adrenal function can be preserved in patients with hereditary adrenal pheochromocytoma. Total adrenalectomy has largely been used in the treatment of patients with hereditary adrenal pheochromocytomas. Adrenal cortical-sparing surgery is an alternative approach that aims to balance tumor removal with preservation of adrenocortical function. METHODS: From 1995 to 2004, 33 patients with hereditary pheochromocytoma presented with adrenal masses. Partial adrenalectomy (open or laparoscopic) was performed if normal adrenocortical tissue was evident on preoperative imaging or intraoperative ultrasonography. Various operative parameters, as well as postoperative function of the residual adrenal remnants, were determined. RESULTS: Of the 33 patients, 8 underwent open partial adrenalectomy and 25 laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy during a 10-year period. Ten patients underwent simultaneous, bilateral partial adrenalectomy and 8 underwent surgery on a solitary adrenal gland, 4 of whom received postoperative steroid replacement (stopped in 3 after 1 to 3 months). All other patients had normal catecholamine levels and remained tumor free by imaging at a mean follow-up of 36 months (range 3 to 102). CONCLUSIONS: Partial adrenalectomy can preserve adrenal function in patients with adrenal masses. The laparoscopic approach is technically safe and associated with less morbidity without compromising tumor removal. With careful surgical planning, especially in patients with tumors in solitary glands, adrenocortical function may be preserved, thereby avoiding the morbidity associated with medical adrenal replacement.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Highlights from the Society of Urologic Oncology 4th annual meeting.

PURPOSE: The 4th annual meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) was held December 5-6, 2003 in Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting was attended by urologists, medical and radiation oncologists, and researchers whose focus is genitourinary (GU) malignancies. More than 500 participants registered for the meeting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The agenda for the SUO meeting included more than 50 speakers and discussion panels, and addressed a broad range of topics in GU oncology. Transcripts of the proceedings and submitted slide presentations were reviewed for content following the meeting, and the highlights were summarized. These written materials can be accessed through the SUO web site at http://societyofurologiconcology.org. RESULTS: Reviewed session topics included epidemiology of GU malignancies, biomarkers for GU malignancies, cancer genomics, bladder cancer, testis cancer, minimally invasive treatments for GU malignancies, molecular therapeutics and advanced prostate cancer. Significant advances in these fields have directly impacted clinical care and improved patient outcomes across the many disciplines associated with treatment of GU cancers. CONCLUSIONS: The SUO meeting is unique in its multidisciplinary forum and focus on urological oncology. The 2003 meeting highlighted recent advances in epidemiology, clinical management and emerging molecular approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of urological malignancies with several state-of-the-art presentations.

Humans↗

PubMed2004

Genotyping and functional analysis of the D104N variant of human endostatin.

Endostatin is an endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis derived from the extracellular matrix protein collagen XVIII. It has been reported that a variation at the 104 position (D104N) of human endostatin is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, potentially indicating that this protein variant is less active as an anti-angiogenic agent. Herein we reported the results of genotyping 389 patients with androgen independent prostate cancer (AIPC) and 352 normal control individuals for D104N endostatin. There was no significant association between the frequency of 104N endostatin and the incidence of AIPC in either Caucasian or African American patients compared to controls (15% Caucasian AIPC versus 13.7% in Caucasian controls, p=0.79; 7.4% African American AIPC versus 5.6% in African American controls, p=0.64). Actuarial analysis revealed no statistically significant association between incidence of the DN heterozygous genotype and survival (p=0.62 by logrank test). To study the functional significance of the D104N conversion, we have expressed and purified insoluble recombinant human 104D and 104N endostatin and compared their respective activities in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube formation assays. The 104N variant of human endostatin inhibited HUVEC tube formation at least as well as the wild-type form. We concluded that the D104N variation in human endostatin is neither clinically relevant nor suitable as a pharmacogenomic endpoint to assess the risk for developing AIPC.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Gleason score and pretreatment prostate-specific antigen in survival among patients with stage D2 prostate cancer.

Although multiple studies have addressed the prognostic importance of tumor differentiation in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, few data are available in patients with metastatic disease. We evaluated and compared survival data in two groups of men with Whitmore stage D2 metastatic prostate cancer initially treated with hormonal therapy. A series of 76 patients with D2 metastatic disease were evaluated and treated at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in conjunction with an additional cohort of 141 patients from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine (LSU). Pathological specimens were classified according to the Gleason score. Fifty-two (25%) of the combined NCI/LSU specimens had a Gleason score of 6 or less, 71 (34%) had a value of 7, and remaining 87 (41%) had scores between 8 and 10. The median PSA at the time of diagnosis for the NCI patients was 294.2 ng/ml. Time to treatment failure was defined as the time that a greater than 50% increase above nadir PSA was noted. In neither group was Gleason score correlated with overall survival. There was no association between the time to progression following hormone therapy and primary tumor Gleason score. The PSA concentration at the time of diagnosis was not correlated with the Gleason score for the NCI patients; however, there was an inverse correlation between pretreatment PSA level and time to progression following hormonal ablation. Gleason score does not appear to impact survival in metastatic prostate cancer. PSA as a marker of the biological behavior in metastatic disease may also be limited. These findings should be reevaluated in larger, better matched cohorts. Novel techniques such as serum proteomics, microarrays, and metastatic cell isolation methods may better predict outcome in advanced prostate cancer.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Thalidomide.

Despite its history as a human teratogen, thalidomide is emerging as a treatment for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Although the evolution of its clinical application could not have been predicted from the tragedy associated with its misuse in the past, its history serves as a lesson in drug development that underscores the need to understand the molecular pharmacology of a compound's activity, including associated toxicities. Here, we summarise the applications for thalidomide with an emphasis on clinical trials published over the past 10 years, and consider our knowledge of the molecular pharmacology of the drug in the context of clinical trial data, attempting to provide a mechanism-guided understanding of its activity.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2004

Genetic variations in the vitamin D receptor, androgen receptor and enzymes that regulate androgen metabolism.

PURPOSE: We review the current literature on genetic variations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR), androgen receptor (AR) and enzymes regulating androgen development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MEDLINE search was conducted to identify research investigating associations between polymorphisms in important regulatory genes that may indirectly affect cancer risk, with special regard to prostate cancer. RESULTS: Genes involved in androgen regulation, metabolism and their related pathways, and the vitamin D receptor are prime candidates for study of prostate cancer risk. Expression and nuclear activation of the VDR are necessary for the antiproliferative effects of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol), which is involved in calcium and bone homeostasis. Several genetic variations have been identified in the VDR, and at least 1 VDR polymorphism appears to confer some predictability of prostate cancer risk in various ethnic cohorts. Interactions between the androgen receptor and circulating androgens have a major role in the development of normal and malignant prostate cells. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the relationship between the AR and prostatic growth, it has been proposed that polymorphisms within the AR may have a role in susceptibility to prostate cancer.

Calcitriol↗

PubMed2003

New directions in cancer research 2003: technological advances in biology, drug resistance, and molecular pharmacology.

The 94th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) was held from July 11 to 14, 2003 in Washington, DC, and provided an overview of the latest developments in the field of cancer. This report provides highlights of presentations on array-based and RNA-interference technologies to study cancer biology and molecular pharmacology of anticancer drugs, mechanisms and modulation of drug resistance patterns, recent developments in the treatment of prostate cancer, and the medicinal chemistry of established and novel anticancer drugs.

American Cancer Society↗

PubMed2003

Effect of botulinum toxin A on the autonomic nervous system of the rat lower urinary tract.

PURPOSE: The magnitude and duration of the effects of botulinum toxin A on acetylcholine (ACh) and norepinephrine release from the bladder and urethra of rats were measured using a radiochemical method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Saline (sham treatment) or botulinum toxin A was injected into the bladder (50 microl.) or urethra (30 microl.) in separate groups of animals. The release of 3H-norepinephrine or 14C-choline was measured at 2 time points after injection (5 or 30 days). RESULTS: The fractional release of ACh in botulinum toxin A treated animals was significantly inhibited at higher frequencies of electrical field stimulation (20 Hz.) but not at lower frequencies (2 Hz.) 5 days after injection. However, ACh release recovered to sham injected values 30 days after toxin injection. No significant differences in the fractional release of norepinephrine from sham injected or botulinum toxin A bladders were observed. In contrast, norepinephrine release from the urethra was inhibited by botulinum toxin A for at least 30 days after injection. Similar to its effect on transmitter release in the bladder, botulinum toxin A inhibited norepinephrine release in the urethra at high (20 Hz.) but not at low (4 Hz.) electrical stimulation frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the clinical effects of botulinum toxin A on the lower urinary tract may vary depending on the site of injection and level of nerve activity.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed2003

Surgical enucleation for the treatment of renal tumors.

INTRODUCTION: We analyzed our institutional experience with surgical enucleation for the primary treatment of small renal tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patient demographics, histological features, effect of different types of vascular control and outcome from surgery were analyzed in 45 patients. A majority of the tumors (67%) were diagnosed incidentally. RESULTS: All were stage T(1), 77% were low grade (I-II) and 23% were high grade (III-IV). Complication occurred in 12% of patients. At a mean follow-up of 34 months (range 7-97), 28 of 33 patients (84%) with malignant tumors were alive without evidence of disease. One patient with a solitary kidney developed recurrent tumor after enucleation that required nephrectomy. Mean operative time was significantly lower with the compression technique versus direct vascular control (164 +/- 12 min vs. 233 +/- 15 min, p = 0.002). There were no differences in outcome between the two techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical enucleation is a safe and viable procedure for the treatment of small renal tumors. Manual compression of the kidney appears to be at least as effective as clamping of the renal vessels in obtaining vascular control during the procedure and is more expeditious.

Adenoma, Oxyphilic↗