Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with RHT is predictive for an improved local tumor control resulting in a long-term survival benefit for patients with HR-STS at unfavorable RP/V sites; however, the impact of RHT has to be defined in a randomized phase III trial.

Mouse infection with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) is an established model for studying human cytomegalovirus infection. In this study, the relationship was analyzed between MCMV activity in organs of infected mice and the presence of infectious virus (viremia), viral genomes (DNAemia), or secreted virus-encoded proteins in the blood. For the latter, 2 recombinant viruses were constructed that encode for the hepatitis B virus surface antigen and the secreted alkaline phosphatase, respectively, as secreted marker proteins. The secreted markers correlated better with the infection in organs than DNAemia and viremia. The marker protein assays can serve as practical and sensitive tools for longitudinal monitoring of MCMV infection in individual mice.

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Background: The local recurrence rate of colorectal cancer has been significantly reduced due to the use of combined radiochemotherapy. Despite this improvement regarding locally advanced tumour recurrences, the treatment strategy for pre-treated patients remains difficult and unresolved. Patients and Methods: We analysed treatment and follow-up data of 14 patients with local recurrence of rectal cancer who were treated with radiation therapy (RT), chemotherapy (CT) and regional hyperthermia (RHT) from November 1997 to December 2001. Nine of these patients had received irradiation and CT (= pre-treated patients) in the past. For this group, 30.6–39.6 Gy RT, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as a continuous infusion over 5 days per week (350 mg/m²/24 h) combined with RHT twice a week was given. The 5 remaining patients (= not pre-treated) received conformal irradiation of 45 Gy with a boost between 9 and 14.4 Gy, combined with continuous infusion of 5-FU on days 1–4, and 29–33 (500 mg/m²/ 24 h), and RHT twice a week. Response to therapy was evaluated by means of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and by clinical follow-up. Results: Among 13 evaluated cases, the overall objective response rate was 54% (5 complete responses, 2 partial responses). At mean follow-up of 13.9 months (range 5–32 months) 7 patients were alive. Conclusion: The therapeutic regimen appears to be active in the treatment of local recurrences of rectal cancer. Larger-scaled studies are needed to evaluate the potency of hyperthermia in this therapeutic strategy.