PURPOSE: We evaluated if VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor)-immunoreactivity is associated with tumor stage or grade in RCC (renal cell carcinoma), and specifically, if it could serve as a prognostic i ndicator in terms of survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Histologic samples of 54 patients in whom radical nephrectomy due to RCC (clear cell type exclusively) from January 1995 to July 1999 were included in this study. VEGF-immunoreactivity was classified as 0 to 3+ according to the ratio of VEGF-positive cells in randomly selected multiple tumor areas. Histologic differentiation was classified according to Fuhrmann's classification and staging was made with TNM classification. RESULTS: The correlation between grade and VEGF-positivity was statistically significant using chi-square analysis. Among the 3 patients with grade I, showed 2, 1, 0 for VEGF 1+, 2+, 3+ respectively. In grade II the cases were 11, 7, 3 respectively. In grade III the cases were 3, 10, 11, and in grade IV the cases were 1, 2, 3 respectively. The correlation between stage and VEGF-positivity didn't show statistical significance. The survival rate for VEGF during the period was 100%, 90%, 76.5% for VEGF 1+, 2+, 3+ respectively. The survival rate for grade was 100%, 100%, 83.3%, 66.7% for grade I, II, III, IV respectively. The survival rate for stage was 95.2%, 85.7%, 87.5%, 66.7% FOR STAGE I, II, III, IV respectively. In the same grade, survival rate decreased apparently according to the increase of VEGF-positivity. For example, in the same grade III, the survival rae was 100%, 90%, 72.7% for VEGF 1+, 2+, 3+ respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study is that VEGF is correlated with tumor grade and the higher VEGF expression, the lower the survival rate, so we can predict the prognosis by VEGF immunohistochemical staining for supplement of grading system. VEGF alone can be a good predictor for survival, and importantly in the same grade, we can differentiate patient's prognosis with VEGF.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Classification ; Humans ; Nephrectomy ; Prognosis ; Survival Rate ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Three hundred ten bacterias isolated in significant numbers from the 276 specimens of urine during the period January 1, 1974 through December 31. 1974, were evaluated and the following results were obtained. 1. Of a total of 310 bacterial strains isolated by culture of the urine, 72.9% gram-negative and 27.1% were gram-positive. Isolated organisms include E. coli(28.1%), Klebsiella(16.1%), Streptococcus (13.1%), Staphylococcus (11.2%). Postcolon bacilli (8.1%), Enteaococcus and Pseudomonas (2.3%. each other) in order of frequency. 2. In 34 cases of acute and chronic pyelonephritis, 31 were female and only 3 were male patients. Most frequent causative organism in pyelonephritis was E. coli (61.9%) Klebsiella infection was the second most common infection in urinary tract infection (16.1%). 3. The gram-negative bacilli were relatively susceptible to Gentamicin in a range of 52.2 to 88.5% and to Kanamycin (14.3~82.7%). Penicillin G, Tetracycline and Ampicillin had nearly no effectiveness to gram-negative bacilli in this experiment.
Ampicillin ; Bacteria ; Female ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Kanamycin ; Klebsiella Infections ; Male ; Penicillin G ; Pseudomonas ; Pyelonephritis ; Staphylococcus ; Streptococcus ; Tetracycline ; Urinary Tract Infections* ; Urinary Tract*

Prognosis of prostatic carcinoma can be cheefly influenced not by method of treatment, but histological differentiation and tumor stage. We reviewed histologic grade and survival of prostatic carcinoma retrospectively using the Gleason grade system based on gland differentiation and relation between gland and stroma in 25 patients from Jan, 1980 to Jan, 1987, Whom we had follow-up data about. The following results were obtained. 1. The average age of patients was 69 years with a range of 56 to 84 years. 2. We identified 1 patients as grade 2, 4 patients as grade 3, 9 patients as grade 4, 11 patients as grade 5 of total 25 patients. In 2 year survival, there were 100% for low combined Gleason(2-4), 90% for intermediate group(5-7), 80% for high grade. 3. There was close relationship between tumor grade and stage such that high grade is high stage, low grade is in low stage. 4. There were high mortality index(0.102) in high grade group, low mortality index(0.039 %) in low grade group in prostatic index combined Gleason grade with clinical tumor staging.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis* ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Prostate*

No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies* ; Laser Therapy* ; Prostate*

It is well known that many cases of renal cell carcinoma accompanies gross or microscopic hematuria. It implies that much of renal cell carcinoma may also have pelvic or medullary invasion. But unlike other well known prognostic factors such as renal vessel or regional invasion, the prognostic significance of pelvic or medullary invasion in renal cell carcinoma has not been known well. We reviewed retrospectively 73 patients treated with radical nephrectomy in whom 18 patients has pathologically confirmed pelvic or medullary invasion. The mean follow-up duration was about 23 months. The average size of tumor in non-pelvic invasive group (NPIG) was 6.6 cm and in pelvic invasive group (PIG) it was 5.4 cm. In NPIG, 91% (67 patients) of tumor was Grade II and III and in PIG 100% of tumor was Grade II and III. 89% of NPIG tumor was stage pT3aN0M0 or below. And 88% of PIG was pT3aN0M0 or below. At 12 NPIG patients (16%) tumor has recurred and its mean duration was about 6.6 months. In PIG, 5 patients had recurrent tumor (27%) and its duration was about 7.6 months. Nine patients (12.3%) died due to renal cell carcinoma in NPIG. In PIG 3 patients (16%) died of renal cell carcinoma. The study revealed that there is no significant difference between pelvic or medullary invasive and non-pelvic invasive renal cell carcinoma in tumor grade and stage. But in pelvic invasive renal cell carcinoma, relatively more tumor recurrence had occurred (p>0.05) and also relatively more patients died due to tumor. We think that for more proper clarification of prognostic significance of pelvic or medullary invasion in renal cell carcinoma, more long term follow-up and stage by stage study will be needed.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematuria ; Humans ; Nephrectomy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

No abstract available.
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A*

PURPOSE: Hormone-refractory prostate cancer(HRPC) is the terminal step in the natural history of prostate cancer, for which no chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to impact on the clinical outcomes. However, taxane-based therapies have recently appeared to have a significant efficacy on HRPC. The therapeutic effect of paclitaxel was evaluated against metastatic human prostate cancer PC-3 xenografted into athymic nude mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 24 male nude mice subcutaneously transplanted with the PC3 cell line were divided in 2 groups. An experimental group was given paclitaxel intraperitoneally at a dose of 12.5mg/kg per injection per day for 4 consecutive days, from the 6th and 20th day following tumor injection. All mice were observed for 31 days, and sacrificed by CO2 gas asphyxiation at the end of the experiment. The mean tumor volume and body weight of both groups were compared using student's t-tests. A tumor volume of more than 200mm3 was regarded as dead. The survival rate was indirectly analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The mean tumor volume of the paclitaxel treatment group was significantly reduced from the 20th day after tumor injection until the end of the experiment compared with the control group. The mean body weight of both groups was different significantly from the 17th day after tumor injection until the end of the experiment, but after removal of the tumor mass, at the 31st day after tumor injection, no significant difference was observed between the two groups. The survival rate of the paclitaxel treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data has shown that paclitaxel is effective in suppressing the growth rate of a HRPC cell line in vivo and improved the survival rate. It is believe that further clinical assessment of the optimal dose and schedule of this drug are warranted.
Animals ; Appointments and Schedules ; Body Weight ; Cell Line* ; Heterografts* ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude* ; Natural History ; Paclitaxel* ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Survival Rate ; Tumor Burden ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Despite the low incidence of adrenal involvement from renal cell carcinoma, ipsilateral adrenalectomy continues to be a standard part of radical nephrectomy at most medical centers. We reviewed retrospectively 51 patients treated with standard radical nephrectomy and 36 patients treated with modified radical nephrectomy sparing the ipsilateral adrenal gland. Histopathology confirmed malignant involvement of the adrenal in one patient who had evidence of adrenal involvement on the preoperative CT scan, and 50 patients who were normal on the preoperative CT scan didn`t have malignancy on their adrenal specimens. There were no malignant involvement of the adrenal on follow-up CT scan in 36 patients treated with sparing their adrenal and didn`t affected their prognosis and survival. These findings suggest that the ipsilateral adrenal gland need not be removed routinely as part of perifascial nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. For patients with middle and lower pole localized renal cell carcinoma who have normal findings on preoperative CT scans, modified radical nephrectomy sparing the adrenal gland may be a surgical alternative to radical nephrectomy.
Adrenal Glands ; Adrenalectomy* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Nephrectomy* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Abdominal ultrasonography was performed in 25,622 adults during the period from July 1992 to June 1995 at the Helth Care Examination Center. The renal masses detected and identified by abdominal sonography were investigated to estimate the incidence of each identification. Renal masses were found in 562 cases(2.19%). Of five hundred and sixty two cases, 555(98.75%) were cystic masses and seven(1.25%) were solid masses. Of five hundred and fifty five cystic masses, 550 were simple cyst(97.86%), four polycystic kindney(0.71%) and one cystic renal cell carcinoma(0.18%). Of seven solid masses, two were angiomyolipoma(0.36%) and another four were renal cell carcinoma(0.71%). The rest one case revealed equivocal finding on an ultrasonography, but the patient refused further study. Although the study population was not a random sampling, the incidence of simple cyst was 2,146 per 100,000 in adult and that of renal cell carcinoma was 19 per 100,000 in adult. Furthermore, ultrasonography is a useful tool for screening the renal carcinoma at the low cost.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Mass Screening ; Ultrasonography*