Feasibility of Preoperative Chemotherapy with Docetaxel, Cisplatin, and 5-Fluorouracil versus Adriamycin, Cisplatin, and 5-Fluorouracil for Resectable Advanced Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for resectable advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) requires reassessment. We have conducted a trial aiming at the comparison between DCF and ACF concerning perioperative adverse events.

METHODS

Patients were randomly assigned to receive either DCF [docetaxel 70 mg/m2, cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 1, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 700 mg/m2 for 5 days] every 3 weeks or ACF (adriamycin 35 mg/m2, cisplatin 70 mg/m2 on day 1, and 5-FU 700 mg/m2 for 7 days) every 4 weeks. Each group consisted of 81 patients. Two cycles of preoperative chemotherapy were planned, after which patients underwent subtotal esophagectomy via a right thoracotomy with lymphadenectomy. Chemotherapy- and surgery-related adverse effects were assessed.

RESULTS

Grade 3-4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia occurred in 90 and 39% of patients, respectively, in the DCF group compared with 69 and 17% of patients, respectively, in the ACF group (p < 0.01). Perioperative complications did not differ significantly between the groups. The overall response rates of DCF and ACF were 61 and 40%, respectively, while the histopathological complete responses were 15 and 3%, respectively (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The DCF and ACF regimens were found to be equally feasible in patients with resectable advanced ESCC; however, DCF delivered an antitumor effect and therefore potentially improved the long-term outcomes.

[Is Adjuvant Chemotherapy Necessary after R0 Resection for pCR or ypStage I Patients with Gastric Cancer ?]

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)followed by surgery and palliative chemotherapy for unresectable advanced gastric cancer followed by conversion surgery are currently under investigation in clinical trials and are attractive therapeutic alternatives. We examined the relationship between ypStage and prognosis among patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery following preoperative chemotherapy and evaluated the necessity of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pCR or ypStage I gastric cancer. Sixty-one patients received chemotherapy followed by surgery from 2006 to 2014 in Osaka National Hospital. For preoperative chemotherapy, 41 patients received NAC, and 20 patients received palliative chemotherapy. Five (8.2%)patients with pCR, ypStage I A, and Stage I B disease(n=2, 1, and 2, respectively), 3 of whom received adjuvant chemotherapy and 2 of whom did not, were all alive without recurrence after a median follow-up of 3 years and 6 months. The overall survival for patients from each ypStage in the preoperative chemotherapy group was comparable with that for each ypStage in the surgery without preoperative chemotherapy group during the same period. Discontinuation of adjuvant chemotherapy and intense follow-up is a treatment option after R0 resection for patients with gastric cancer who achieve pCR or downstaging to ypStage I .

[A Case of Rectal Metastasis of Gastric Cancer Associated with Dermatomyositis]

We report a case of rectal metastasis of gastric cancer associated with dermatomyositis showing paraneoplastic syndrome. The patient was a 70-year-old man who had undergone curative total gastrectomy for Stage III Agastric cancer in March 2005. He was diagnosed with dermatomyositis and treated with prednisolone after gastrectomy. In April 2006, erythema of his face relapsed, and his serum CPK level was abnormally elevated. He experienced muscle weakness and dysphagia, and was treated with increased doses of prednisolone and gamma-globulin. At this time, endoscopic examination and computed tomography(CT)revealed a rectal tumor with hepatic metastasis. We performed Hartmann's operation in July 2006. The rectal tumor was predominantly submucosal, was 7 cm in diameter, involved #251 lymph node, and had positive peritoneal lavage cytology. The histopathological findings of the rectal tumor were comparable with those of gastric cancer, and we therefore diagnosed metastatic adenocarcinoma of gastric cancer. After surgery, we could control the patient's dermatomyositis with prednisolone at a reduced dose. However, chemotherapy with S-1 was ineffective and the patient died 8 months postoperatively.

[A Long-Surviving Patient with Unresectable Gastric Cancer Treated with Multiple Rounds of Chemotherapyafter Gastrojejunostomyand Ileocolonostomy]

We report a long-surviving patient with unresectable gastric cancer treated with multiple rounds of chemotherapy after gastrojejunostomy and ileocolonostomy. The patient was a 79-year-old man. Endoscopic examination revealed a type 3 gastric cancer in the antrum and showed pyloric stenosis. We observed that the gastric tumor had invaded the transverse colon, pancreas, and duodenum, and was associated with peritoneal metastasis on the surface of the hepatoduodenal ligament and the posterior leaf of the transverse mesocolon. We performed gastrojejunostomy and ileocolonostomy to allow oral intake and to prevent ileus. The final diagnosis was fT4b(SI), N2, H0, P1, M0, CY0, Stage IV . The patient's oral intake was not sufficient following the operation, and therefore, he was treated with 8 courses of 5-FU plus PTX intravenously until disease progression was observed. Bi-weekly administration of CPT-11 and CDDP was chosen as the second-line chemotherapy. Grade 2 renal dysfunction was observed after 13 courses of this therapy, and therefore, we changed the regimen to CPT-11 monotherapy, repeating 18 courses until disease progression was observed. The patient was treated with 18 courses of S-1 monotherapy as the fourth-line chemotherapy, and then 2 courses of S-1 plus DTX. The patient died of progressive disease 4 years and 5 months after surgery. During chemotherapy, he maintained a good performance status and could be treated as an outpatient.

[A Case of Subacute Thyroiditis during Chemotherapy after Distal Pancreatectomy]

A 68-year-old woman who underwent distal pancreatectomy combined with resection of the celiac axis had an abdominal wall recurrence and resection 2 years after the first surgery. She was treated with S-1 at an outpatient clinic following the surgery. She returned to the clinic with a high fever after the S-1 administration and was diagnosed with febrile neutropenia. However, treatment for febrile neutropenia including antibiotics and G-CSF did not improve her symptoms. Her history of chronic severe neck pain and painful enlargement of her thyroid gland suggested thyroiditis. After blood tests and thyroid scintigraphy, she was diagnosed with subacute thyroiditis and was treated with prednisolone. Her symptoms improved within a week. Although patients with neutropenia and a high fever during chemotherapy are likely to have febrile neutropenia, the possibility of another cause of neutropenia with fever should be considered if treatments for febrile neutropenia are not effective.

Risk factors for superficial incisional surgical site infection after gastrectomy: analysis of patients enrolled in a prospective randomized trial comparing skin closure methods

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection is one of the commonest complications of gastrointestinal surgery. The nature of surgical procedures and wound closure methods may influence the incidence of superficial incisional surgical site infection. Patients enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing skin closure methods are the best subjects for analyzing surgical site infection risk.

METHOD

From a cohort of 1080 patients who had been enrolled in our previous randomized controlled trial, data for 685 patients who had undergone elective open total gastrectomy or distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer were extracted. The incidences of superficial incisional surgical site infection after total gastrectomy and distal gastrectomy were compared and risk factors for superficial incisional surgical site infection were investigated by univariate analyses using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

In all, 42 patients (6.1 %) developed superficial incisional surgical site infections after gastrectomy; 15 of 288 patients (5.2 %) developed these infections after total gastrectomy, and 27 of 397 patients (6.8 %) developed these infections after distal gastrectomy-these differences are not significant. According to univariate analysis, age (75 years or older or younger than 75 years) was the only risk factor for superficial incisional surgical site infections (P = 0.049). There was a tendency for the incidence of superficial incisional surgical site infection to increase in parallel with age.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of superficial incisional surgical site infection did not differ between total gastrectomy and distal gastrectomy. Advanced age was the only identified risk factor for superficial incisional surgical site infections after gastrectomy.

Effects of perioperative enteral EPA-enriched immunonutrition on meaningful loss of lean body mass after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer: Post hoc analysis of a phase III study

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Background: Total gastrectomy for gastric cancer significantly reduces body weight, especially lean body mass (LBM), through surgical stress and decrease of the calorie intake. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-enriched enteral nutrition (EPA-EN) could modulate immune function and limits catabolism. In our phase III study to compare perioperative standard diet with or without EPA-EN, additional EPA-EN did not contribute to prevent weight loss or LBM. Recently, 5% or more LBM loss after surgery was reported to impair compliance of post-operative S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy. This post hoc study explored whether additional EPA-EN prevented meaningful loss of LBM for compliance of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. Methods: Key entry criteria of this phase III study was (1) histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the stomach, (2) clinical T1-T4a and M0, (3) R0 resection is possible by total gastrectomy, (4) sufficient oral intake, and (5) sufficient organ function. The patients were randomized to Group A: no supplementation with oral nutrients (standard diet) or Group B: standard diet with oral supplementation of ProSure including 600 kcal with 2.2 g EPA for 7 days before surgery and for 21 days after surgery. For both groups, patients underwent total gastrectomy with Roux-en Y reconstruction. Results: A total of 127 patients (Group A: 63, Group B: 64) were enrolled in the study. All background factors were well balanced between the both groups. Median relative performance of supplement in group B was 100% before surgery and 54% after surgery. 5% or more LBM loss at 1 month after surgery was observed in 44 patients (80.0%) in group A and in 37 patients (67.3%) in group B (p = 0.194), while that at 3 months after surgery was found in 51 patients (91.1%) in group A and in 43 patients (76.8%) in group B (p = 0.070). Conclusions: Perioperative standard diet with EPA-enriched enteral nutrition tended to prevent meaningful loss of LBM after total gastrectomy. Further analysis is required whether perioperative EPA enriched EN improve compliance of S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy after total gastrectomy. Clinical trial information: UMIN000006380.

A phase II trial of trastuzumab combined with irinotecan in patients with advanced HER2-positive chemo-refractory gastric cancer: OGSG1203 (HERBIS-5)

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Background: Irinotecan is a key drug in second- or further-line chemotherapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Continuous administration of trastuzumab beyond first progression is expected to contribute to the benefit of chemotherapy for HER2-positive gastric cancer. We assessed the efficacy and safety of combination chemotherapy with trastuzumab and irinotecan in Japanese patients with advanced HER2-positive chemo-refractory gastric cancer. Methods: Intravenous infusion of irinotecan every 2 weeks at a dose of 150 mg/m2; intravenous infusion of trastuzumab at a dose of 8 mg/kg on day 1 of the first cycle, followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks. Administration of irinotecan and trastuzumab were repeated in independent schedules. The primary endpoint was disease control rate. The secondary endpoints were adverse events, response rate, time-to-treatment failure, progression-free survival, overall survival, and response rate stratified by prior trastuzumab use. This study was conducted by the Osaka Gastrointestinal Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group (OGSG). Results: From October 2012 to Augst 2014, 30 patients were enrolled and one patient withdrew before study treatment. Accordingly, 29 patients were assessable for efficacy and safety. The disease control rate was 65.5% [95% C.I. 45.7 - 82.1%], and the response rate was 20.7% [95% C.I. 8.0 - 39.7%]. The median progression free survival and the median overall survival were 3.7 and 7.5 months, respectively. The major grade 3/4 toxic effects were neutropenia (24%); anemia (24%); leucopenia (21%); anorexia (11%); fatigue (14%); hypoalbuminemia (24%); and hypokalemia (14%). One death (NOS) was considered to be related to the study. Conclusions: The results of combination Trastuzumab with irinotecan showed feasible and promising efficacy against advanced HER2-positive chemo-refractory gastric cancer. These findings indicated that trastuzumab continuation use might be beneficial. Clinical trial information: 000008626.

Gastrectomy plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for advanced gastric cancer with a single non-curable factor (REGATTA): a phase 3, randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy is the standard of care for incurable advanced gastric cancer. Whether the addition of gastrectomy to chemotherapy improves survival for patients with advanced gastric cancer with a single non-curable factor remains controversial. We aimed to investigate the superiority of gastrectomy followed by chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone with respect to overall survival in these patients.

METHODS

We did an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial at 44 centres or hospitals in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. Patients aged 20-75 years with advanced gastric cancer with a single non-curable factor confined to either the liver (H1), peritoneum (P1), or para-aortic lymph nodes (16a1/b2) were randomly assigned (1:1) in each country to chemotherapy alone or gastrectomy followed by chemotherapy by a minimisation method with biased-coin assignment to balance the groups according to institution, clinical nodal status, and non-curable factor. Patients, treating physicians, and individuals who assessed outcomes and analysed data were not masked to treatment assignment. Chemotherapy consisted of oral S-1 80 mg/m(2) per day on days 1-21 and cisplatin 60 mg/m(2) on day 8 of every 5-week cycle. Gastrectomy was restricted to D1 lymphadenectomy without any resection of metastatic lesions. The primary endpoint was overall survival, analysed by intention to treat. This study is registered with UMIN-CTR, number UMIN000001012.

FINDINGS

Between Feb 4, 2008, and Sept 17, 2013, 175 patients were randomly assigned to chemotherapy alone (86 patients) or gastrectomy followed by chemotherapy (89 patients). After the first interim analysis on Sept 14, 2013, the predictive probability of overall survival being significantly higher in the gastrectomy plus chemotherapy group than in the chemotherapy alone group at the final analysis was only 13·2%, so the study was closed on the basis of futility. Overall survival at 2 years for all randomly assigned patients was 31·7% (95% CI 21·7-42·2) for patients assigned to chemotherapy alone compared with 25·1% (16·2-34·9) for those assigned to gastrectomy plus chemotherapy. Median overall survival was 16·6 months (95% CI 13·7-19·8) for patients assigned to chemotherapy alone and 14·3 months (11·8-16·3) for those assigned to gastrectomy plus chemotherapy (hazard ratio 1·09, 95% CI 0·78-1·52; one-sided p=0·70). The incidence of the following grade 3 or 4 chemotherapy-associated adverse events was higher in patients assigned to gastrectomy plus chemotherapy than in those assigned to chemotherapy alone: leucopenia (14 patients [18%] vs two [3%]), anorexia (22 [29%] vs nine [12%]), nausea (11 [15%] vs four [5%]), and hyponatraemia (seven [9%] vs four [5%]). One treatment-related death occurred in a patient assigned to chemotherapy alone (sudden cardiopulmonary arrest of unknown cause during the second cycle of chemotherapy) and one occurred in a patient assigned to chemotherapy plus gastrectomy (rapid growth of peritoneal metastasis after discharge 12 days after surgery).

INTERPRETATION

Since gastrectomy followed by chemotherapy did not show any survival benefit compared with chemotherapy alone in advanced gastric cancer with a single non-curable factor, gastrectomy cannot be justified for treatment of patients with these tumours.

FUNDING

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan and the Korean Gastric Cancer Association.

[A Case of Recurrent Gastric Cancer with Left Cervical Lymph Node and Para-Aortic Lymph Node Successfully Treated with TS-1 Chemotherapy]

We report a case of recurrent gastric cancer with left cervical and para-aortic lymph node close to the hilum of the right kidney that was successfully treated with TS-1 monotherapy and surgical resection. The patient was a 55-year-old woman. She underwent total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer in June 2002. Histopathological examination revealed type 4, por1, pT3 (SE), pN1 (#4d: 1/5), H0, P0, M0, CY0, pStageⅢA. She refused to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. At 1 year 7 months after gastrectomy, she noticed cervical lymph node swelling. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a 2.5 cm diameter lymph node. Histopathological examination of an aspiration needle biopsy specimen from the left cervical lymph node confirmed that the tumors had metastasized from gastric cancer. Treatment with TS-1 (120 mg/day) was initiated in January 2004 and continued for 2 years 5 months. A complete response was achieved 5 months after treatment initiation and continued until the present. Abdominal CT revealed a para-aortic lymph node that tended to increase in size. Positron emission tomography revealed accumulation with a standardized uptake value in the lymph node. Because it was a solitary tumor, we performed tumor resection in October 2009, histopathologically confirming the lymph node metastasis. Subsequently, the patient was again treated with TS-1 monotherapy again until the present. She is currently alive 5 years 9 months after the surgery, without any signs of disease recurrence.

[Optimal Target Population for Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Pathological T1 Gastric Cancer]

The ACTS-GC trial showed the efficacy of adjuvant treatment with S-1 in patients who had undergone D2 gastrectomy for Stage Ⅱ or Ⅲ(excluding pT1) gastric cancer, classified according to the 13th Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma. We retrospectively analyzed the treatment outcomes of pT1 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy at our institute to determine the optimal target population for adjuvant treatment among these particular patients. Patients with pT1 gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy for primary gastric cancer at our institute between 2000 and 2008 without perioperative chemotherapy and mortality were included in the current analysis (n=461). The incidence of lymph node metastasis in M and SM patients were 1.7% (4/240) and 16.7% (37/221), respectively. The 5-year relapse-free survival in M and SM patients was 100% and 96.2%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the most important risk factor for recurrence in SM patients was 3 or more involved nodes (HR: 6.53, [95%CI: 1.10-31.29], p=0.040). The 5-year relapse-free survival in SM patients with involvement of 3 or more nodes was 66.7% and was comparable with that in stage Ⅱ surgery-only patients in the ACTS-GC trial. Hence, SM patients with 3 or more involved nodes are candidates for effective adjuvant treatment after curative gastrectomy.

[Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm (IPMN) of the Pancreas Showing High Accumulation of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)--A Case Report]

The diagnosis of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas includes radiographic (CT, MRI) and endoscopic evaluation (ERCP, EUS). The treatment strategy is outlined in the 2012 International Consensus Guidelines (ICG). Herein, we report a case initially not indicated for surgery. Four months after the initial diagnosis, the cystic lesion transformed into a solid mass-like lesion visible on CT. FDG-PET showed abnormal FDG uptake at the same location. Surgical resection was performed immediately, and the tumor was diagnosed as IPMN with inflammation. FDG-PET showed a false-positive diagnosis for the malignancy in this case of IPMN.

[Analysis of Esophageal Cancer Patients Undergoing Non-Curative Resection]

The prognosis of esophageal cancer patients who undergo non-curative resection is very poor. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the factors associated with non-curative resection. Thirty-five patients with cT3 or T4 thoracic esophageal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy followed by esophageal resection were included in this study. Among the 35 patients, 27 underwent curative resection (R0 group), while 8 underwent non-curative resection (R1R2 group). A comparison of the clinicopathological factors between groups revealed no significant differences in presurgical factors. The pathological T factor was significantly deeper in the R1R2 group than in the R0 group (p=0.0086). Histopathological response tended to be higher in the R0 group (p=0.055). An accurate preoperative diagnosis of T factor is important.

[A Case of Esophageal Cancer Metastases to the Skin]

Skin metastases from esophageal cancer are comparatively rare but have poor prognosis. Here, we report a case of esophageal cancer metastases to the skin. A 70-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for nodules with ulceration in the nose, and biopsy revealed a metastatic carcinoma. FDG-PET indicated FDG accumulation in the skin, liver, and esophagus, while an endoscopic study of the upper gastrointestinal tract showed a type 3 tumor at the upper mid-thoracic esophagus. We diagnosed the patient with metastatic esophageal cancer and administered chemotherapy. Radiation therapy (40 Gy/20 Fr) was simultaneously administered for the tumor in the nose because the patient's quality of life (QOL) decreased daily owing to pain and bleeding caused by metastatic skin cancer. The radiation therapy reduced the size of the tumor in the nose, but the tumor had remained along with the presence of a scar 3 to 6 months after the start of radiation therapy. Radiation effectively promoted the QOL of our patient with skin metastases.

[Analysis of Chemotherapy with Trastuzumab in Advanced Gastric Cancer]

PURPOSE

Here, we investigated the efficacy of chemotherapy with trastuzumab for patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated the progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of advanced gastric cancer patients who received first-line chemotherapy with trastuzumab in our hospital.

RESULT

After first-line chemotherapy, the median PFS and median OS of patients who received trastuzumab combined with capecitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy was not significantly longer than those of patients who received trastuzumab combined with S-1/cisplatin chemotherapy (PFS, 138 [95%CI: 118-187] vs 169 [95%CI: 83-251] days, p=0.9684; OS, 393 [95%CI: 240-469] vs 466 [95%CI: 256-482] days, p=0.4703). After second-line chemotherapy, the median PFS of patients who received trastuzumab plus irinotecan chemotherapy was not significantly longer than that of patients who received trastuzumab plus paclitaxel chemotherapy (PFS, 63 [95%CI: 52-266] vs 58 [95%CI: 26-184] days, p=0.5447).

[A Case of Unresectable Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Radiotherapy and Trans-Arterial Embolization, Resulting in Effective Hemostasis]

We report the case of a 70-year-old man with unresectable advanced gastric cancer because of invasion to the pancreas and multiple liver metastases. He could have continued with fourth-line chemotherapy by controlling intermittent bleeding from the cancer by means of 2 rounds of radiotherapy and trans-arterial embolization. The serum hemoglobin level declined to 4.5 g/dL during second-line chemotherapy. As the venous bleeding from the cancer was difficult to control by endoscopic hemostasis, radiotherapy with 40 Gy/20 fractions was applied to the cancer. We were able to restart chemotherapy after the hemostasis, but 6 months later, the serum hemoglobin level declined to 6.1 g/dL. Additional radiotherapy of 20 Gy/10 fractions was delivered to the tumor, and successful hemostasis was achieved; the serum hemoglobin level reached 7.5 g/dL. However, a contrast-enhanced CT, which was performed 3 weeks later, demonstrated extravasation from the cancer into the gastric cavity. We conducted trans-arterial embolization, and the patient no longer required transfusion. We planned to restart chemotherapy soon, but after 1 month, he died of pneumonia.

[Interventional Radiology for Intra-Abdominal Abscess after Gastrectomy]

Approximately 20% of patients develop some complications after gastrectomy. These complications should be treated appropriately to achieve a positive outcome. The records of 6 patients with postoperative intra-abdominal abscesses treated with interventional radiology (IVR) were analyzed. The cause of abscess was anastomotic leakage in 4 patients and contaminated surgery after gastric perforation in 2 patients. Intra-abdominal abscesses were detected on postoperative day 12 (median), and an IVR-guided drainage tube was inserted with a median interval of 1 day. The drainage tube was kept in place for 26 days (median), and patients were discharged 6.5 days (median) after drainage tube removal. No patients were converted to open surgery. Early IVR-guided drainage was essential and effective for intra-abdominal abscess treatment after gastrectomy.

[Two Cases of Pathological Complete Response with Neoadjuvant Therapy for Advanced Rectal Cancer]

We report the cases of 2 patients with advanced rectal cancer who achieved pathological complete response to treatment with preoperative therapy. Case 1 was a 72-year-old man diagnosed with cT3N1M0 advanced rectal cancer. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with S-1 (120 mg/day) and radiation (50 Gy/25 Fr) was administered. Eight weeks after the last chemoradiation therapy, we performed laparoscopic Hartmann's operation. Case 2 was a 59-year-old man diagnosed with cT4aN0M0 advanced rectal cancer. He was treated with XELOX plus bevacizumab as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Four weeks after 4 courses of treatment, he underwent laparoscopic Mile's operation. Neoadjuvant therapy was performed without any complications, and a pathological complete response was achieved in both patients. These cases demonstrated that neoadjuvant therapy can be a promising option for locally advanced rectal cancer.

[A Long Surviving Case of Resected Advanced Gastric Cancer with a Synchronous Adrenal Metastasis]

We report a long surviving case of gastric cancer with a synchronous adrenal metastasis in a patient who underwent curative resection. The patient was a 74-year-old man. Endoscopic examination revealed a type 3 gastric cancer in the proximal stomach. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a soft tissue density mass in the right adrenal gland and a high-density mass suspected as hemangioma in the left adrenal gland. The CT scan indicated no other distant metastasis. The patient had no endocrine abnormalities according to blood test results. Total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and right adrenalectomy were performed in August 2003. On histopathological examination, the gastric tumor was diagnosed as a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The histopathological findings of the right adrenal tumor were compatible with those of gastric cancer. The final diagnosis was por1, 105×65 mm, pT2 (SS), pN1 (#1: 2/8, #3: 1/11), P0, H0, CY0, pM1 (ADR), pStage Ⅳ. Two months after the surgery, the patient was treated with adjuvant TS-1 monotherapy (80 mg/m2 day 1-28/q6w) for 1 year 9 months. The patient had been in good health without a recurrence for more than 9 years 3 months after the operation.

[A Case of Resected Gastric Cancer Occurring Simultaneously with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma after S-1 plus Cisplatin Chemotherapy]

It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between metastatic and primary liver tumors, when the liver tumor occurs simultaneously with a gastric cancer. We encountered a case of resected gastric cancer, which occurred concomitantly with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after S-1 plus cisplatin chemotherapy, in a patient who was previously diagnosed with metastatic liver tumor before treatment. An 80-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of epigastralgia. Endoscopic study of the upper gastrointestinal tract showed a type 3 tumor at the upper body of the stomach. A plain CT scan showed an irregular, low-density area, which was enhanced by contrast medium in the lateral segment of the liver. We performed an ultrasound- guided needle biopsy, because it was impossible to make a definitive diagnosis by dynamic CT, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, and MRI. Immunohistochemical analysis for cytokeratin 7/20 resulted in 7 (+)/20 (-) for both the gastric cancer and the liver tumor. Therefore, we diagnosed the patient with gastric cancer, which occurred concomitantly with the metastatic liver tumor, and administered chemotherapy with S-1 plus cisplatin. After 3 courses of the regimen, a reduction in the size of mass was observed in the stomach and the liver. We subsequently performed left hepatectomy and total gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. Microscopic examination revealed the gastric cancer, which occurred simultaneously with the intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remains well without recurrences.