Photodynamic therapy of human colorectal carcinoma cell line

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in Europe and North America and it is the most common gastrointestinal carcinoma. The population in the Czech Republic has a higher incidence of colorectal carcinoma compared to other countries. Efforts are underway to develop better screening strategies and novel therapies to improve patient survival rates. Despite all efforts, colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of death from cancer. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established modality for the treatment of various diseases. The PDT procedure involves the administration of a photosensitizer followed by illumination. The anti-tumor effects result from direct killing of malignant cells, shutting down of the tumor's vasculature, and the promotion of an immune response. In our experiment, we examined the effects of phototherapy with disulfonated hydroxyaluminum phthalocyanine (Al(OH)S2Pc) on the growth of colorectal carcinoma cells, in an effort to offer a new treatment modality for patients with this disease.

Comparison of photodynamic therapy with phthalocyanine and photofrin in human colorectal carcinoma

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been developed in recent years as a new modality for the treatment of various neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions. Although the method of combining light with photosensitizers for treatment has been around for a century, further understanding has been evolved over the past decades. The method is based on the phenomenon involving the combination of photosensitizer and light. Neither drug nor light alone are effective as therapeutic agents. The antitumour effects result from direct cell damage, destruction of tumor vasculature and activation of a nonspecific immune response. The more accepted use of PDT is still restricted for ophthalmology, dermatology and treatment of some stages of esophageal, lung and urinary bladder cancer. In our experiments, the effect of phototherapy with disulfonated hydroxyaluminium phthalocyanine (Al(OH)S2Pc) and photofrin (control group) on the growth of human colorectal carcinoma on nude mice was studied. We chose colorectal carcinoma, because the Czech population has the highest incidence and it is still increasing. We try to offer a new possibility of treatment for patients with this severe disease.

Poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma and intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas: Description of an unusual case

Neuroendocrine tumors and intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms constitute histologically distinctive but relatively rare entities among pancreatic tumors. Collision of these tumors is extremely rare and causes several diagnostic problems regarding the histopathologic differential diagnosis of other pancreatic epithelial tumors. The question of whether the neoplastic populations originate from common progenitor cell or whether they represent only a fortuitous association has not been sufficiently explained. Here, we describe a new case of poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma combined with an intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm. To disclose the relationship between the two histologic components, neuroendocrine differentiation was studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy using double immunofluorescence labeling with chromogranin-A and CD57 antibodies. Our results revealed a co-localization of both antigens in neuroendocrine cells of the intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm. The finding has previously been described in non-neoplastic neuroendocrine cells. Cells forming poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma showed a wide heterogeneity in immunoreactions. Our results do not indicate a potential histogenetic similarity between these two neoplasms, which are dissimilar histologically, and underline the previous thesis that cells in intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm revealing neuroendocrine differentiation represent only a non-neoplastic cell admixture.

[Complications of the Longo Procedure--rectal occlusion]

Longo Procedures on hemorrhoids are widely used and standard surgical procedures used in many surgical clinics. Extensive studies, describing benefits and possible complications of the method in a detail, are published in Czech and foreign literature. A wide range of complication rates (5-20%) is reported by individual clinics, however, the rates decrease proportionally to the surgeon's growing experience and mastering of the method. The complications reported are mostly non-serious, bleeding from stapled sutures is one of the commonest ones. However, more serious complications including suture dehiscence or rectovaginal fistules, are less common. Our case-review presents an unusual complication after the procedure, a blind closure of the rectum with a circular PPH stapler. No similar complication has been found in the available literature.

[Diverticulosis of the small intestine--the authors study group and a case review]

Our case review describes an unusual case of an acute GIT haemorrhaging, caused by multiple diverticulosis of the proximal jejunum. The disorder is rare, rarely reported in literature worldwide. The typical course of the disease is asymptomatic, manifesting itself late as acute complications, most commonly urgent abdominal disorders. Chronic symptoms are less frequent, e.g. unspecific abdominal pain or occult haemmorhage. Inspired by literature data, the authors set up their own group of patients, who had been operated by the team for diverticles located in the small intestine, in the last 9 years.

[The malignant melanoma metastasis into the stomach corpus]

Our case-review studies an unusual case of occult bleeding from the cephalad portion of the digestive tube, caused by a metastasis of the malignant melanoma in the gastric corpus. The worldwide rates of patients with confirmed metastatic affections of the abdominal cavity, reaches only 2%. On the contrary, in 60% patients who died in consequence with malignant melanoma generalization, sections revealed metastases to the gastrointestinal tract. Unspecific symptoms, most frequently general weakness, tiredness, unspecific pains, anaemia and sometimes difficult decision-making, are among the suspected causes of poor diagnostic outcomes. Our case-review and collected literature data have confirmed positive effects of surgery on condition of patients with metastatic affections of the gastrointestinal tract.

[Use of a tack for hemorrhage in the presacral plexus]

In operations where the rectum must be mobilized, frequently haemorrhage from presacral venous plexuses occurs. If the haemorrhage is massive, this is a serious complication, which may threaten the patient's life. In those instances we use a "drawing-pin" to arrest haemorrhage. The possibility to use a "drawing-pin" is not generally known and therefore the authors present their clinical experience with this method.