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The present study evaluated the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed, carboplatin and bevacizumab, followed by maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab, in chemotherapy-naive patients with stage IIIB/IV non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The patients were administered pemetrexed (500 mg/m 2 ), carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve, 6.0 mg/ml x min) and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) intravenously every three weeks for up to six cycles. Patients who did not experience tumor progression remained on maintenance pemetrexed and beva- cizumab until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. The primary endpoint was the overall response rate. Of the 26 patients enrolled between March 2010 and April 2011, three were excluded due to brain metastases, therefore the intention-to-treat (ITT) population consisted of 23 patients. The median age was 64 years (range, 40-74 years) and 15 patients were male. In total, six patients had a perfor- mance status of 0, and 20 had stage IV tumors. The response rate was 69.6% (95% confidence interval (CI), 47.1-86.8), the disease control rate was 100% and the time to response was 1.2 months (95% CI, 0.72-1.93). The median progression-free survival time was 8.6 months (95% CI, 5.9-10.9) and the median overall survival time was 18.6 months (95% CI, 12.9- 24.8). There were no grade 3 or worse hemorrhagic events and the feasibility was modest. Overall, pemetrexed and carboplatin plus bevacizumab, followed by maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab, was effective and tolerable in the patients with non-squamous NSCLC, and the time to response was relatively short.

123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG)-accumulation in angiomyolipoma (AML) is demonstrated. A 24-year-old Japanese woman presented with tumors in the right retroperitoneal space. The tumors, which accumulated 123I-MIBG, had been thought to be adrenal pheochromocytoma before surgery. They were removed, and were found to be AML. 123I-MIBG was accumulated in AML. 123I-MIBG-accumulation in AML led to a false-positive diagnosis of adrenal pheochromocytoma. Catecholamine levels had been normal. No chromaffin cells were found in the histological examination of the tumors. MIBG accumulation does not necessarily indicate the presence of pheochromocytoma.

Catecholamines strongly promote lipolysis and thermogenesis, and play a central role in the regulation of body fat content. The beta1 adrenergic receptor (BAR-1) is a major mediator of catecholamine-induced lipolysis and thermogenesis. To explore whether mutations in the BAR-1 gene contribute to morbid obesity in Japanese, we scanned for mutations in the coding sequence of the gene in 50 morbid obese [body mass index (BMI)>==35.0kg/m(2); 99.7th percentile] Japanese subjects. Direct DNA sequencing was performed following polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Two common polymorphisms, Gly49Arg and Arg389Ser, were detected in these subjects. The frequencies of these polymorphisms, as determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, showed no significant difference between 180 severely obese subjects (BMI>==30.0kg/m(2); 97th percentile) and 132 control (BMI

e18081 Background: Until recently non–small-cell lung cancer was treated as a single disease with “platinum-based doublet chemotherapy” comprising first-line treatment for advanced disease. However, survival outcome of advanced non-squamous non–small-cell lung cancer are improving since the appearance of pemetrexed and bevacizumab. These drugs show a high effect especially to Adenocarcinoma, but there are few reports of the regimen which combined these both agents. Then, we designed this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed, carboplatin, and bevacizumab followed by maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab in patients with chemotherapy-naïve Japanese stage IIIB or stage IV non-squamous non–small-cell lung cancer. Methods: Patients received pemetrexed 500 mg/m2, carboplatin area under the concentration-time curve of 6, and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks for up to six cycles. For patients who is not progressed after pemetrexed, carboplatin and bevacizumab therapy, pemetrexed and bevacizumab were continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primarity endpoint is response rate. Results: 23 patients were enrolled between March 2010 and April 2011 and treated. Median age was 64 (40-74), 15 patients were male, 6 patients were PS 0, 20 patients were Stage IV. Response rate was 69.5% and disease control rate was 100%. Median PFS was 8.5 months and median OS was not reached. Median time to response was 1.2 months. There were no grade 3 or worse hemorrhagic events. The feasibility was modest. Conclusions: Pemetrexed and carboplatin plus bevacizumab with maintenance pemetrexed and bevacizumab was efficacy and tolerable regimen in Japanese patients with non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer. This regimen also has a trend of shorter period for response. It may contribute to the better QoL.