The Jet Newspaper

CALLS FOR MORE DIALYSIS CENTRES The Jet Newspaper Calls have been made to Government to increase the number of dialysis centres around the country and supplement the current five which are located in Lautoka, Suva and Labasa. During the National Development consultation at the Namaka Public School ...

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Primary renal sarcomas are exceptionally rare, constituting 1% of all malignant renal tumours.

Since the prognosis for a renal sarcoma is particularly poor, differentiation from sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is necessary. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry are the only modes of diagnosing these sarcomas as they have no specific features clinically and radiologically. We report a case of renal leiomyosarcoma which was clinically diagnosed as RCC. Histopathology revealed a spindle cell sarcoma and immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed a renal leiomyosarcoma. She also had a liver nodule and mass in the right side of neck and left arm. Biopsy from these sites revealed a similar morphology and IHC confirmed leiomyosarcoma. We report a case illustrating the rarity of this disease and its aggressive nature owing to fatal metastatic potential.

Written by:
Narula V, Siraj F, Bansal A.   Are you the author?
National Institute of Pathology, Indian Council of Medical Research, Delhi, India.

Reference: Can Urol Assoc J. 2015 Mar-Apr;9(3-4):E139-41.
doi: 10.5489/cuaj.2396

PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25844101

UroToday.com Renal Cancer Section

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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastatic to the head and neck region is quite rare.

This report describes a case of RCC metastatic to the oral tongue presenting initially with a renal mass that evaded diagnosis by biopsy examination of the primary lesion and was eventually established as a papillary type RCC by lingual biopsy examination. The tongue mass progressed rapidly despite chemotherapy with interferon-?2b, caused difficulties with oral food intake, and thus necessitated removal by partial glossectomy. Treatment alternatives for lingual RCC metastasis include surgical resection for major functional impairment, risk of airway compromise, or massive hemorrhage. Radiotherapy might be useful and should be considered for specific patients. Lingual metastasis from RCC usually predicts poor survival.

Written by:
Altunta? O, Petekkaya ?, Süslü N, Güllü ?.   Are you the author?
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Oncology, Gaziantep Dr Ersin Arslan State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey; Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Anakara, Turkey. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reference: J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2015 Jun;73(6):1227-30.
doi: 10.1016/j.joms.2014.12.031

PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25843819

UroToday.com Renal Cancer Section

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Routine scans could help clinicians protect patients’ heart health

Highlight
• Certain electrocardiogram measures helped investigators identify a subgroup of individuals with chronic kidney disease who had substantially elevated risks of dying from heart disease.

An estimated 26 million people in the United States have chronic kidney disease, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in these patients.

Newswise — Washington, DC (July 9, 2015) — Several common measures obtained from electrocardiograms (ECGs) may help clinicians determine a kidney disease patient’s risk of dying from heart disease. The findings, which are published in a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), may be important for preserving kidney patients’ heart health.

ECG screening is not recommended for routinely assessing heart health in low-risk populations such as young athletes; however, would ECGs be useful in a higher-risk population such as those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), whose leading cause of death is heart disease?

To investigate, Rajat Deo, MD, MTR (Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania) and his colleagues evaluated whether a panel of 5 common ECG parameters could enhance prediction of CKD patients’ risk of dying over a median follow-up of 7.5 years.

Among 3587 patients in the study, 750 participants died. The researchers found that common ECG measures (PR interval, QRS duration, corrected QT interval, heart rate, and left ventricular hypertrophy) identified individuals with CKD who were at an especially high risk of dying from heart disease. “By enhancing the prediction of cardiovascular death in this population, we may find more effective and novel interventions to prevent the complications of cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Deo.

Additional research is needed to evaluate whether treating patients who are found to be at especially high risk due to ECG screening will help to improve and prolong the lives of individuals with CKD.

Study co-authors include Haochang Shou, PhD; Elsayed Soliman, MD, MSc, MS; Wei Yang, PhD; Joshua Arkin, MD; Xiaoming Zhang, MS; Raymond Townsend, MD; Alan Go, MD; Michael Shlipak, MD, MPH; and Harold Feldman, MD, MSCE.

Disclosures: The authors reported no financial disclosures.

The article, entitled “Electrocardiographic Measures and Prediction of Cardiovascular and Noncardiovascular Death in CKD,” will appear online at http://jasn.asnjournals.org/ on July 9, 2015.

The content of this article does not reflect the views or opinions of The American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). ASN does not offer medical advice. All content in ASN publications is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions, or adverse effects. This content should not be used during a medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health care provider if you have any questions about a medical condition, or before taking any drug, changing your diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment. Do not ignore or delay obtaining professional medical advice because of information accessed through ASN. Call 911 or your doctor for all medical emergencies.

Founded in 1966, and with more than 15,000 members, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) leads the fight against kidney disease by educating health professionals, sharing new knowledge, advancing research, and advocating the highest quality care for patients.

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