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To evaluate the clinical safety profile for the use of gold nanoshells in patients with human prostate cancer. This follows on the nonclinical safety assessment of the AuroShell particles reported previously. Twenty-two patients, with biopsy diagnosed prostate cancer, underwent nanoshell infusion and subsequent radical prostatectomy (RRP). Fifteen of these patients had prostates that were additionally irradiated by a single-fiber laser ablation in each prostate hemisphere prior to RRP. Patients in the study were assessed at 9 time points through 6 months postinfusion. Adverse events were recorded as reported by the patients and from clinical observation. Blood and urine samples were collected at each patient visit and subjected to chemical (16 tests), hematological (23 tests), immunological (3 tests, including total PSA), and urinalysis (8 tests) evaluation. Temperature of the anterior rectal wall at the level of the prostate was measured. The study, recorded 2 adverse events that were judged attributable to the nanoparticle infusion: (1) an allergic reaction resulting in itching, which resolved with intravenous antihistamines, and (2) in a separate patient, a transient burning sensation in the epigastrium. blood/hematology/urinalysis assays indicated no device-related changes. No change in temperature of the anterior rectal wall was recorded in any of the patients. The clinical safety profile of AuroShell particles is excellent, matching nonclinical findings. A recent consensus statement suggested that the published literature does not support a preference for any ablation technique over another.1 Now that clinical safety has been confirmed, treatment efficacy of the combined infusion plus laser ablation in prostate will be evaluated in future studies using imaging modalities directing the laser against identified prostate tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Metal nanoshells are a new class of nanoparticle with highly tunable optical properties. Gold nanoshells (GNS) are particularly suitable for use in the surgical arena as their outer shell is composed of a commonly used reduced inert gold. When activated by near infrared light, GNS can raise surrounding temperatures to levels sufficient for cellular ablation. As such, investigators have established both in vitro and in vivo models to examine the role of GNS as a therapeutic modality for the thermal ablation of solid organ tumors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Patients can search the Internet for prostate cancer information, and YouTube is a popular Web site that they may consult. We analyzed the prostate cancer videos on YouTube for information content and the presence of bias. Methods: YouTube was searched for videos about prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, radiotherapy, and surgery for prostate cancer. The included videos were in English and <10 minutes long. Two physician viewers watched each video and assigned a score for information content (excellent, fair, poor) and bias (for, against, neutral, or balanced). A third viewer arbitrated any discrepancies. The kappa statistic was used to measure interobserver variability, and Pearson''s test was used to assess correlation. Results: A total of 14 PSA videos, 5 radiotherapy videos, and 32 surgery videos were analyzed. The PSA testing videos averaged 1480 ± 2196 views and 146 ± 174 s long and had an average viewer rating of 3.1 ± 2.1 (viewer rating scale 0-5). The surgery videos averaged 2044 ± 3740 views and 172 ± 122 s long and had an average viewer rating of scored 3 ± 2.2. The radiotherapy videos averaged 287 ± 255 views and 97 ± 45 s long and had a score of 1.8 ± 2.5. The information content was fair or poor for 73% of all videos. The bias for surgery, radiotherapy, or PSA testing was present in 69% of videos; 0% of videos were biased against treatment or PSA testing. The interobserver variability was well above than expected by chance alone. Conclusions: The results of our study have shown that although some videos are robust sources of information, given the preponderance of modest and unbalanced information among reviewed videos, YouTube is an inadequate source of prostate cancer information for patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]