Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine
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One of the advances in recent years about the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma is clinical evidence of the molecular target drug, sorafenib. Although sorafenib shows little anti-tumor effect indicated by tumor shrinkage, it has inhibitory effect of tumor development to be the first drug shown to extend survival in hepatocellular carcinoma. ⋯ Position of sorafenib in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma among hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and transcatheter arterial embolization is not yet clear. Many clinical trials of molecular target drugs against hepatocellular carcinoma are underway.
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Pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 caused more severe diseases in children and young adults than seasonal influenza. The typical manifestation of severe diseases was diffuse viral pneumonia complicated with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Over half of the severe cases had underlying conditions, in which pregnancy and morbid obesity were regarded as major risk factors. ⋯ The level of plasma cytokines was also elevated in the severe cases. Antiviral use was generally recommended for the severe cases and might improve the outcomes. Further studies are needed for better clinical management of the severe cases of the latest pandemic influenza.
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Humans experienced various disease pandemics in the history of the world. Disease can spread over the world more rapidly and in larger scale than in any other time in the past as the world is getting smaller. The World Health Organization established its innovative event-based surveillance system in close collaboration with many partners at global scale for early detection and rapid response to the public health events (PHE) of international importance in 1997. It has been being strengthened to respond effectively to PHEs in harmony with the International Health Regulations which were revised in 2005.