Potential role of surgical resection for pancreatic cancer in the very elderly

BACKGROUND

There is increasing need to evaluate the surgical indication of pancreatic cancer in very elderly patients. However, the available clinical data are limited, and the optimal treatment is still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of pancreatic resection in pancreatic cancer patients over the age of 80.

METHODS

Between 2005 and 2012, 26 octogenarian patients who received pancreatic resection and 20 who received chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological factors, chemotherapy administration status, and survival were compared. Univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors for survival was performed.

RESULTS

Postoperative major complication rate was 8%, with no mortality. The one-year survival rate and median survival time of the surgery and chemotherapy groups were 50% and 45%, and 12.4 months and 11.7 months, respectively (P = 0.263). Of the 26 resected cases, 6 completed the planned adjuvant chemotherapy treatment course. The median survival time of those 6 completed cases was significantly longer than that of the 20 not completed cases (23.4 versus 10.0 months, P = 0.034). Furthermore, a multivariate analysis of the 26 resected cases showed that distant metastasis (HR 3.206, 95%CI 1.005-10.22, P = 0.049) and completion of the planned adjuvant therapy (HR 4.078, 95%CI 1.162-14.30, P = 0.028) were independent prognostic factors of surgical resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical resection was safe, but not superior to chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer in octogenarians. In the very elderly, only selected patients may benefit from pancreatic resection.

Clinical significance of CD155 expression in human pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

CD155 is expressed in many types of human cells and has diverse functions. We herein evaluated the clinical importance of CD155 in pancreatic cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated CD155 expression in 134 patients with pancreatic cancer, and evaluated the correlations of CD155 with prognosis, tumor immunity and angiogenesis. Furthermore, CD155 functions were examined.

RESULTS

CD155 expression was abundant in pancreatic cancer tissues. Patients with high CD155 expression had poorer postoperative prognosis than those with low expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that CD155 expression had a significant independent prognostic value. Tumor CD155 expression inversely correlated with the presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Furthermore, it significantly positively correlated with vascular endothelial growth factor expression and intra tumoral microvessel density. In addition, silencing of CD155 inhibited proliferation, and induced cell-cycle arrest at G2/M phase in pancreatic cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

CD155 may play a critical role through both immunological and non-immuno logical mechanisms in pancreatic cancer and may be a therapeutic target for this intractable malignancy.

Nectin-4 expression contributes to tumor proliferation, angiogenesis and patient prognosis in human pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Nectin-4 belongs to the nectin family that has diverse physiological and pathological functions in humans. Recent studies have also suggested some roles for Nectin-4 in several human cancers. However, the precise roles and clinical relevance of Nectin-4 in tumors are largely unknown.

METHODS

Nectin-4 expression was investigated in 123 patients with pancreatic cancer by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we investigated the association of Nectin-4 in pancreatic cancer with tumor proliferation, angiogenesis and immunity by using immunohistochemistry and siRNA interference method.

RESULTS

Patients with high Nectin-4 expression had poorer postoperative prognosis than those with low expression. Importantly, multivariate analysis indicated that Nectin-4 expression had a significant independent prognostic value in pancreatic cancer (HR = 1.721, 1.085-2.730; P = 0.021). Tumor Nectin-4 expression was significantly correlated with Ki67 expression. In addition, siRNA-mediated gene silencing of Nectin-4 significantly inhibited the cell proliferation in human pancreatic cancer cells, Capan-2 and BxPC-3. Furthermore, Nectin-4 expression was also positively correlated with VEGF expression and intratumoral microvessel density. However, there were no significant correlations of tumor Nectin-4 expression with tumor-infiltrating T cells.

CONCLUSION

Nectin-4 is a significant prognostic predictor, and may play a critical role in pancreatic cancer. Nectin-4 may be novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Visualization of Lymph/Blood Flow in Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Surgery by ICG Fluorescence Imaging (Lap-IGFI)

PURPOSE

In laparoscopic colorectal cancer (Lap-CRC) surgery, determination of a suitable mesentery division line and the appropriate degree of lymphadenectomy by tracing the blood supply is critical. We performed visualization of the lymph and blood flow by laparoscopic indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging (Lap-IGFI).

METHODS

ICG is injected into the submucosa near the tumor via colonoscopy, and the lymph flow is observed. Intestinal blood flow is evaluated by administering ICG intravenously.

RESULTS

For lymph flow, visualization of the main lymph node basin helped to determine the surgical division line for cases in which the blood flow was not completely visualized. Lap-IGFI changed the surgical plan of the lymphadenectomy in 23.5 %. In our experience, the metastatic rate of ICG-positive nodes was 10.0 %, and the metastatic rate of ICG-negative nodes was 5.3 %. Furthermore, there were no metastatic nodes that were ICG negative more than 5 cm from the tumor. For blood flow, the blood flow distribution of the intestinal wall from the last branch of the vasa recta of the anastomotic site was clearly visualized and proved useful in choosing the extent of intestinal resection. Lap-IGFI changed the surgical plan of the extensive intestinal resection in 16.7 %.

CONCLUSIONS

Lap-IGFI can noninvasively provide detailed lymph and blood flow information and is a useful device to aid in the accurate identification of individual patients' lymph drainage. This helps dictate adequate lymphadenectomy and the extent of intestinal resection in Lap-CRC surgery.

HVEM expression contributes to tumor progression and prognosis in human colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM) has been recently suggested to play certain roles in cancer biology. We examined HVEM expression in human colorectal cancer (CRC) to reveal its clinical importance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Immunohistochemical staining was carried-out in normal epithelium, benign and malignant lesions.

RESULTS

While intense HVEM expression was not observed in normal epithelium and hyperplastic polyps, 24% of adenoma and more than half of CRCs had high HVEM expression. In 234 CRCs, HVEM expression was significantly associated with tumor status and pathological stage. Patients with high HVEM expression had a significantly poorer prognosis than those with low expression. Importantly, HVEM status had an independent prognostic value in CRC. Furthermore, HVEM status was inversely corrected with the presence of tumor-infiltrating T-cells.

CONCLUSION

HVEM may play a critical role in tumor progression and immune evasion, and may also be a novel prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in human CRC.

Publisher's note. Identification of a novel synonymous mutation in the human β-ureidopropionase gene UPB1 affecting pre-mRNA splicing

β-Ureidopropionase is the third enzyme of the pyrimidine degradation pathway and it catalyzes the conversion of N-carbamyl-β-alanine and N-carbamyl-β-aminoisobutyric acid to β-alanine and β-aminoisobutyric acid, respectively, and ammonia and CO2. To date, only 16 genetically confirmed patients with a complete ß-ureidopropionase deficiency have been reported. Here, we report the clinical, biochemical, and molecular analysis of a newly identified patient with β-ureidopropionase deficiency. Mutation analysis of the UPB1 gene showed that the patient was compound heterozygous for a novel synonymous mutation c.93C>T (p.Gly31Gly) in exon 1 and a previously described missense mutation c.977G>A (p.Arg326Gln) in exon 9. The in silico predicted effect of the synonymous mutation p.Gly31Gly on pre-mRNA splicing was investigated using a minigene approach. Wild-type and the mutated minigene constructs, containing the entire exon 1, intron 1, and exon 2 of UPB1, yielded different splicing products after expression in HEK293 cells. The c.93C>T (p.Gly31Gly) mutation resulted in altered pre-mRNA splicing of the UPB1 minigene construct and a deletion of the last 13 nucleotides of exon 1. This deletion (r.92 104delGCAAGGAACTCAG) results in a frame shift and the generation of a premature stop codon (p.Lys32SerfsX31). Using a minigene approach, we have thus identified the first synonymous mutation in the UPB1 gene, creating a cryptic splice-donor site affecting pre-mRNA splicing.

The oncologic impact of pancreatic fistula after pancreatectomy in patients with pancreatic cancer

426

Background: There is a few reports that evaluates the association between pancreatic and long-term survival after pancreatectomy in patients with pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to elucidate the oncological impact of pancreatic fistula (PF) on long-term survival after pancreatectomy in patients with pancreatic cancer by performing a survey of high volume centers for pancreatic resection in Japan. Methods: Between January 2001 and December 2012, 1,369 patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer at 7 high-volume centers in Japan were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Pancreatic fistula(PF) occurred in 320 of 1,369 patients (23.5%), and these were classified based ISGPF as follows; grade A in 10.2%, grade B in 10.7%, and grade C in 2.6% of the patients. Median survival time (MST) in no fistula/grade A, grade B and grade C were 24.0, 26.3 and 11.0 months, respectively. MST in grade B PF was similar with that in no fistula/grade A. However, patients with grade C PF had a significantly poorer survival than those without (P<0.001). In the multivariate cox proportional hazard analysis, grade C PF was detected as an independent prognostic factor after pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer (hazard ratio (HR) 2.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.40-3.29; P< 0.001). Conclusions: Grade C PF adversely affects long-term survival of patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing pancreatectomy, although patients with grade B PF have similar prognosis with no fistula/grade A. Postoperative management to prevent grade C PF is important to improve prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing pancreatectomy.

Short-term and long-term outcomes after gastrectomy for gastric cancer in patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing, which might be an obstacle to various aspects of gastric cancer treatment, such as perisurgical management and postsurgical follow-up. The present study aimed to evaluate the short- and long-term surgical outcomes following gastrectomy in patients with CKD.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed surgical complications and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. These patients were divided into three groups according to the glomerular filtration rate (GFR): 49 patients with severe CKD (GFR < 29 ml/min/1.73 m(2)), 128 with mild CKD (GFR 30-59), and 798 in the controls (GFR ≥ 60).

RESULTS

The incidences of anastomotic leakage and intraabdominal abscess in the mild and severe CKD groups were higher than that in the control group. The incidences of wound infection, cardiovascular and pulmonary events, and in-hospital mortality in the severe CKD group were higher than those in the other two groups. Severe surgical complications were associated with co-morbidities other than CKD, serum albumin level, estimated blood loss, surgery duration in the mild and severe CKD group. The 3-year overall survival rates for the severe CKD, mild CKD, and control groups were 48.6, 80.9, and 85.0 %, respectively, indicating significant differences between the severe CKD group and other two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with severe CKD show an increased risk of morbidity and mortality following gastrectomy, and their prognosis is usually poor. Studies with a large cohort are essential to refine the risk stratification for gastrectomy in this high-risk population.

Hydrosilylation reaction of olefins: recent advances and perspectives

This review focuses on the recent development of efficient, selective, and cheaper hydrosilylation catalyst systems appearing in the last decade.

Risk factors for complications after laparoscopic major hepatectomy

BACKGROUND

Although laparoscopic major hepatectomy (MH) is becoming increasingly common in several specialized centres, data regarding outcomes are limited. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for postoperative complications of purely laparoscopic MH at a single centre.

METHODS

All patients who underwent purely laparoscopic MH between January 1998 and March 2014 at the authors' institution were enrolled. Demographic, clinicopathological and perioperative factors were collected prospectively, and data were analysed retrospectively. The dependent variables studied were the occurrence of overall and major complications (Dindo-Clavien grade III or above).

RESULTS

A total of 183 patients were enrolled. The types of MH included left-sided hepatectomy in 40 patients (21·9 per cent), right-sided hepatectomy in 135 (73·8 per cent) and central hepatectomy in eight (4·4 per cent). Median duration of surgery was 255 (range 100-540) min, and median blood loss was 280 (10-4500) ml. Complications occurred in 100 patients (54·6 per cent), and the 90-day all-cause mortality rate was 2·7 per cent. Liver-specific and general complications occurred in 62 (33·9 per cent) and 38 (20·8 per cent) patients respectively. Multivariable analysis identified one independent risk factor for global postoperative complications: intraoperative simultaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (odds ratio (OR) 6·93, 95 per cent c.i. 1·49 to 32·14; P = 0·013). There were two independent risk factors for major complications: intraoperative blood transfusion (OR 2·50, 1·01 to 6·23; P = 0·049) and bilobar resection (OR 2·47, 1·00 to 6·06; P = 0·049).

CONCLUSION

Purely laparoscopic MH is feasible and safe. Simultaneous RFA and bilobar resection should probably be avoided.

Clinical impact of herpesvirus entry mediator expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM), also known as tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily 14, regulates a variety of physiological and pathological responses in both innate and acquired immunity. Although HVEM is also suggested to be a critical regulator in tumours, actual roles in human cancer are largely unknown. This study aimed to clarify clinical importance of HVEM in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We studied HVEM expression in 150 HCC patients to explore its clinical relevance, and we examined tumour infiltrating T cells and local immune status of them.

RESULTS

HVEM was expressed in HCC cells, while no or only limited expression was observed in normal tissues in the liver. Tumour HVEM expression was significantly correlated with age, serum protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) level, vascular invasion and tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage. Furthermore, tumour HVEM expression significantly correlated with postoperative recurrence and survival. Importantly, multivariate analysis indicated that the HVEM status had an independent prognostic value. Furthermore, HVEM status was inversely correlated with tumour-infiltrating CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD45RO(+) lymphocytes. In addition, it was also associated with reduced expression of perforin, granzyme B and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). Taken together, tumour-expressing HVEM plays a functionally important role in HCC.

CONCLUSION

Tumour-expressing HVEM plays a critical role in human HCC, possibly through regulating immune evasion. Therefore, targeting HVEM may be a novel promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.

[Treatment of type four gastric cancer in our institution]

Since 2011, we have performed routine staging laparoscopy on 7 patients presenting with type 4 gastric cancer at our department. After staging laparoscopy, the patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 (DCS). After the completion of 2 courses of chemotherapy, radical gastrectomy with D2 gastrectomy or greater was performed, followed by postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 for 1 year. In the present study, we evaluate the outcomes of the treatment strategies for the type 4 gastric cancer patients treated at our institution. Staging laparoscopy and peritoneal lavage cytology revealed that none of the patients had peritoneal metastasis, while peritoneal cytology detected carcinoma cells in 3 patients. Grade 3 or greater neutropenia developed in 3 patients, and Grade 3 or greater nonhematological toxicity developed in 3 patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The disease control rate was 100% and all patients underwent radical gastrectomy. Of the 3 patients who had positive peritoneal cytology on staging laparoscopy, 2 patients had no peritoneal cancer cells at the time of gastrectomy. Six patients underwent R0 surgery after DCS chemotherapy, and the response rate was 57.1%. The median survival time was 540 days. Four patients experienced peritoneal recurrence, and 1 developed lymph node recurrence. Our therapeutic strategy for type 4 gastric cancer contributed to prolonged survival; however, it is necessary to develop better strategies that can prevent or control the peritoneal recurrence.

Mucinous adenocarcinoma associated with a chronic perianal fistula - a review of cases from a single institution

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological features of mucinous adenocarcinoma associated with perianal fistulas (MAF), to assess the importance of preoperative MRI analysis, and to determine the optimal surgery.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of the data from seven patients with MAF treated at our hospital between 2000 and 2013, and herein discuss the importance of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and of radical surgery.

RESULTS

The male to female ratio was 5:2, and the mean age of the patients was 63 years old (28-70). The median duration of chronic fistulation was 16 years (5-40). The tumor extension was classified as II+III+IV in five patients and as II+III in 2 patients according to the Sumikoshi classification, as determned by pelvic MRI. The performed surgeries were 3 abdominoperineal resections with sacral resection and 4 pelvic exenterations with sacral resection. Two local recurrences developed in patients with R1 resection, and 1 distant metastasis occurred in 1 patient with R0 resection.

CONCLUSION

For patients with MAF, a curative surgical resection is the only definitive treatment that can be expected to provide a good prognosis. The application of the Sumikoshi classification using MRI may provide a precise assessment of the extension of MAF, which can allow the appropriate surgery to be selected for the patients with MAF.

[Four resections of metachronous liver metastases and lateral lymph node metastases of a rectal carcinoid tumor - a case report]

The authors present a case of rectal carcinoid tumor with lateral lymph node metastases and liver metastases that was successfully treated by 4 resections. A 70-year-old man was diagnosed with a rectal carcinoid tumor (20 mm in diameter) with submucosal (SM) invasion. Radical resection was performed at 25 months, 38 months, and 57 months, when abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed metachronous liver metastases of the rectal carcinoid tumor. At 50 months, metachronous lateral lymph node metastases were also revealed. Three hepatectomies and a laparoscopic lateral lymph node dissection were performed. The patient is currently free of disease at 25 months after the last intervention.

Prophylactic laparoscopic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection for lower rectal cancer: remarking on the vesicohypogastric fascia

OBJECTIVE

To introduce the prophylactic laparoscopic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection performing by remarking the vesicohypogastric fascia following total mesorectal excision for patients with advanced lower rectal cancer without radiological evidence of lymph node involvement.

SURGICAL METHOD

We set 5 ports for conventional laparoscopic rectal surgery. During the prophylactic laparoscopic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection, we retrieved the lymph nodes from the internal iliac area and obturator area. We recognized the pelvic nerve plexus, vesicohypogastric fascia (including internal iliac vessels), and parietal fascia (psoas muscle fascia, pubic bone and internal obturator muscle fascia) as the dissection borders from internal to external. Of note, the vesicohypogastric fascia can be recognized under magnified clear vision, and can be preserved by precise dissection, resulting in reduced hemorrhage from the internal iliac vessels and complications such as urinary dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic laparoscopic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection after remarking on the vesicohypogastric fascia may contribute to a less invasive surgery compared with conventional laparoscopic lateral pelvic lymph node dissection.

Search for a light sterile neutrino at Daya Bay

A search for light sterile neutrino mixing was performed with the first 217 days of data from the Daya Bay Reactor Antineutrino Experiment. The experiment's unique configuration of multiple baselines from six 2.9 GW(th) nuclear reactors to six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (effective baselines 512 m and 561 m) and one far (1579 m) underground experimental halls makes it possible to test for oscillations to a fourth (sterile) neutrino in the 10(-3) eV(2)<|Δm(41)(2) |< 0.3 eV(2) range. The relative spectral distortion due to the disappearance of electron antineutrinos was found to be consistent with that of the three-flavor oscillation model. The derived limits on sin(2) 2θ(14) cover the 10(-3) eV(2) ≲ |Δm(41)(2)| ≲ 0.1 eV(2) region, which was largely unexplored.