An Overview of CyberKnife Radiosurgery

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a non-invasive procedure that utilizes precisely targeted radiation as an ablative surgical tool. Conventional radiosurgery devices, such as the Gamma Knife, rely upon skeletally attached Stereotactic frames to immobilize the patient and precisely determine the 3D spatial position of a tumor. A relatively new instrument, the CyberKnife (Accuray, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA), makes it possible to administer radiosurgery without a frame. The CyberKnife localizes clinical targets using a very accurate image-to-image correlation algorithm, and precisely cross-fires high-energy radiation from a lightweight linear accelerator by means of a highly manipulable robotic arm. CyberKnife radiosurgery is an effective alternative to conventional surgery or radiation therapy for a range of tumors and some non-neoplastic disorders. This report will describe CyberKnife technology and oncologic applications in neurosurgery and throughout the body.

Antioxidant enriched enteral nutrition and oxidative stress after major gastrointestinal tract surgery

AIM: To investigate the effects of an enteral supple-ment containing antioxidants on circulating levels of antioxidants and indicators of oxidative stress after major gastrointestinal surgery.METHODS: Twenty-one patients undergoing major upper gastrointestinal tract surgery were randomised in a single centre, open label study on the effect of postoperative enteral nutrition supplementedwith antioxidants. The effect on circulating levels of antioxidants and indicators of oxidative stress, such as F2-isoprostane, was studied. RESULTS: The antioxidant enteral supplement showed no adverse effects and was well tolerated. After surgery a decrease in the circulating levels of antioxidant parameters was observed. Only selenium and glutamine levels were restored to pre-operative values one week after surgery. F2-isoprostane increased in the first three postoperative days only in the antioxidant supplemented group. Lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) levels decreased faster in the antioxidant group after surgery.CONCLUSION: Despite lower antioxidant levels there was no increase in the circulating markers of oxidative stress on the first day after major abdominal surgery. The rise in F2-isoprostane in patients receiving the antioxidant supplement may be related to the conversion of antioxidants to oxidants which raises questions on antioxidant supplementation. Module AOX restored the postoperative decrease in selenium levels. The rapid decrease in LBP levels in the antioxidant group suggests a possible protective effect on gut wall integrity. Further studies are needed on the role of oxidative stress on outcome and the use of antioxidants in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

Multi-disciplinary treatment for cholangiocellular carcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma(CC)is rare malignant tumors composed of cells that resemble those of the biliary tract.It is notoriously difficult to diagnose,and is associated with a high mortality.Traditionally,CC is divided into intrahepatic and extraheaptic disease according to its location within the biliary tree.Intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma(IH-CCC)or peripheral cholangiocellular carcinoma(CCC)appears within the second bifurcation of hepatic bile duct,and is the second most common primary liver cancer following hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),IH-CCC or peripheral CCC often presents with advanced clinical features,and the cause for this cancer rise is still unclear.MRI,CT and PET provide useful diagnostic information in those patients.Surgical resection is the only chance for cure,with results depending on selected patients and careful surgical technique.Liver transplantation could offer long-term survival in selected patients when combined with chemotherapy.Chemotherapy,radiation therapy or combination therapies remain as the only treatment for inoperable patients.However,these are uniformly ineffective in patients' survival.

Clinical Research of a Modified Midfacial Degloving in a Maxillectomy (with a Report of a Typical Case)

OBJECTIVE To investigate the feasibility of employing a modified midfacial degloving in maxillectomy. METHODS Eight patients with carcinoma of the maxillary sinus underwent a modified midfacial degloving operation. The tumors were classified according to the 2002 AJCC system. The TNM staging of the cases was as follows： 1 T4aN0M0, 2 T3N0M0 and 5 T2N0M0. Of the 8 cases, 1 patient underwent extended maxillectomy; exenteration of the orbit; tumorectomy of the sphenomaxillary and infratemporal fossae. Two patients received a total maxillectomy, and 5 a partial resection of the maxilla. Postoperative pathological report： 4 well-differentiated squamous carcinoma, 2 moderately-differentiated squamous carcinoma, 1 mucoepidermoid carcinoma and 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma.RESULTS A modified midfacial degloving operation can sufficiently expose a field of operation, resect the tumor within a safe margin, and leave no facial cicatricles. One patient died of intracranial metastasis 8 months after operation. We observed no recurrences or metastasis in other patients during the period of follow-up.CONCLUSION The major advantages of employing the modified midfacial degloving in maxillectomy is that a facial incision can be avoided. It has an advantage of minimal invasive surgery

Successful pregnancy in a seminoma patient after fertility preservation

The frequency of invasive cancer in young patients is increasing worldwide. For patients about to undergo a surgical procedure or to receive chemical therapy, radiation therapy, loss or impairment of fertility is a major issue. So the need for fertility protection and preservation became more intensity. Sperm banking is a standard accepted procedure for males to circumvent loss or damage to spermatozoa. Here we present a successful pregnancy in a testicular germ cell tumor patient following fertility preservation.

Aggressive surgical management after transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)for liver metastases from ocular melanoma

Metastatic melanoma is also a challenge for surgeons. Recently, it has been reported that aggressive surgery combined with supportive therapy may be potential benefit for the condition. Therefore, we report a case of ocular melanoma metastatic to multiple visceral sites treated by cytoreductive surgery after initial intra-,arterial hepatic chemoembolization