BACKGROUND:The authors summarized the outcomes of patients with unresectable osteosarcoma of the trunk who received carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT). METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 78 patients who had medically inoperable osteosarcoma of the trunk and received treatment with CIRT between 1996 and 2009. Tumor sites included the pelvis in 61 patients, the spine and paraspinal region in 15 patients, and other sites in 2 patients. The median applied CIRT dose was 70.4 Gray equivalent (GyE) in a total of 16 fixed fractions over 4 weeks. RESULTS: The minimum duration of follow-up for survivors was 14 months. Fortyeight patients remained alive. The 5-year overall survival rate was 33%, and the local control rate was 62%. Thirty-eight patients who had a clinical target volume <500 cm 3 had a 5-year overall survival rate of 46% and a 5-year local control rate of 88%. Except for 3 patients who experienced severe skin/soft tissue complications requiring skin grafts, no other severe toxicities were observed. Of 9 patients who were continuously disease free for >5 years, 8 were able to walk with or without the help of a cane, and 6 were free from pain killers. CONCLUSIONS: CIRT appeared to be a safe and effective modality for the management of unresectable osteosarcoma of the trunk, providing good local control and offering a survival advantage and good long-term functional results without unacceptable morbidity.

BackgroundMost diseases are thought to arise from interactions between environmental factors and the host genotype. To detect gene–environment interactions in the development of lifestyle-related diseases, and especially cancer, the Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study was launched in 2005.MethodsWe initiated a cross-sectional study to examine associations of genotypes with lifestyle and clinical factors, as assessed by questionnaires and medical examinations. The 4519 subjects were selected from among participants in the J-MICC Study in 10 areas throughout Japan. In total, 108 polymorphisms were chosen and genotyped using the Invader assay.ResultsThe study group comprised 2124 men and 2395 women with a mean age of 55.8 ± 8.9 years (range, 35–69 years) at baseline. Among the 108 polymorphisms examined, 4 were not polymorphic in our study population. Among the remaining 104 polymorphisms, most variations were common (minor allele frequency ≥0.05 for 96 polymorphisms). The allele frequencies in this population were comparable with those in the HapMap-JPT data set for 45 Japanese from Tokyo. Only 5 of 88 polymorphisms showed allele-frequency differences greater than 0.1. Of the 108 polymorphisms, 32 showed a highly significant difference in minor allele frequency among the study areas (P < 0.001).ConclusionsThis comprehensive data collection on lifestyle and clinical factors will be useful for elucidating gene–environment interactions. In addition, it is likely to be an informative reference tool, as free access to genotype data for a large Japanese population is not readily available.

BackgroundDietary pattern may influence the risks of cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome through its effects on inflammation. We evaluated the association between dietary pattern and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in a Japanese population.MethodsIn this cross-sectional analysis, we used baseline data from 3905 men and 5640 women (age 40–69 years) who participated in a population-based cohort study between November 2005 and December 2007. Participants with possible inflammation-related diseases, current analgesic use, high hs-CRP levels (≥3000 ng/mL) or extreme dietary energy intake were excluded. We used 46 items from a validated short food frequency questionnaire and examined major dietary patterns by factor analysis.ResultsWe identified 5 dietary patterns: healthy (high in vegetables and fruit), Western (high in meat and fried foods), seafood (high in shellfish, squid, fish, etc.), bread (high in bread and low in rice), and dessert (high in confections and fruit). After adjustment for age, alcohol use, smoking, physical activity, and body mass index, hs-CRP levels in men were inversely associated with the healthy, bread, and dessert patterns (P-trend: 0.01, 0.06, and <0.01, respectively) and positively associated with the seafood pattern (P-trend = 0.02). In women, hs-CRP levels were inversely associated with the healthy pattern (P-trend = 0.06) and positively associated with the Western pattern (P-trend = 0.06).ConclusionsThe healthy dietary pattern may be associated with suppressed inflammation in Japanese men and women, independently of body mass index and other factors. The sex-specific associations of hs-CRP with other dietary patterns (eg, the seafood pattern) require further study.

Each molecular subtype of invasive breast cancer showed a heterogeneous kinetic pattern in dynamic-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The HR+/HER2- cancers and the TN cancers had relatively lower percentages of washout pattern. When a manual assessment of the kinetic parameters is performed, close attention should be paid in order to identify the malignant washout kinetic pattern, particularly in HR+/HER2- cancer and TN cancer.

BackgroundAlthough many studies have examined factors that influence the response to postal questionnaires, few have addressed baseline recruitment for cohort studies involving genetic analyses. The aim of this study was to describe the method used for a baseline survey, the Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort Study (J-MICC Study), in Saga Prefecture, and to examine the factors that might influence the recruitment of participants in such studies.MethodsThe Saga J-MICC Study is an ongoing population-based prospective cohort study of the genetic and environmental interactions associated with lifestyle-related disease. From 2005 through 2007, a total of 61 447 residents between the ages of 40 and 69 were invited by mail to participate in this study. The survey date and time were arranged by telephone.ResultsAmong that population, 31 002 (50.5%) responded and 12 078 (19.7%) agreed to participate. A completed questionnaire and blood pressure and anthropometric data were collected from all participants; blood, DNA specimens, and accelerometer measures were obtained from the great majority of them. Female sex and older age were associated with a higher participation rate. In addition, the convenience of the survey location and the sending of a reminder significantly improved the participation rate (odds ratio, 1.3).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that making the survey location as convenient as possible and sending a reminder can both substantially improve participation rate in population-based studies.