General thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Sep 2009
Case ReportsFulminant apical ballooning syndrome after replacement of a prosthetic aortic valve.
A 70-year-old woman was readmitted to our hospital with a fever of 39 degrees C on the 30th day after replacement of a prosthetic aortic valve. She required percutaneous cardiopulmonary support for her heart failure and was weaned after 7 days. Echocardiography revealed an akinetic and aneurysmally dilated left ventricular apex and hyperdynamic basal segments. This case indicates that fulminant apical ballooning syndrome might be added to the list of potential complications after cardiac surgery.
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Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Sep 2009
ReviewLung cancer-associated tumor antigens and the present status of immunotherapy against non-small-cell lung cancer.
Despite recent advances in surgery, irradiation, and chemotherapy, the prognosis of patients with lung cancer is still poor. Therefore, the development and application of new therapeutic strategies are essential for improving the prognosis of this disease. Significant progress in our understanding of tumor immunology and molecular biology has allowed us to identify the tumor-associated antigens recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. ⋯ Tumor escape mechanisms from host immune surveillance remain a major obstacle for cancer immunotherapy. A better understanding of the immune escape mechanisms employed by tumor cells is necessary before we can develop a more effective immunotherapeutic approach to lung cancer. We review recent studies regarding the identification of tumor antigens in lung cancer, tumor immune escape mechanisms, and clinical vaccine trials in lung cancer.