Limited significance of curative surgery in Borrmann type IV gastric cancer. Med Oncol. 2016;33:69. [PMID: 27251378 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-016-0783-3]

Therapeutic strategies and prognostic challenges in linitis plastica

Gastric cancer ranks fifth as the most common cancer and third as the leading cause of death worldwide. Risk factors include advancing age, low-fiber diets, high salt intake and Helicobacter pylori infection. Diagnosis relies on histological examination following endoscopic biopsy with staging accomplished through various imaging modalities. Early gastric cancer is primarily managed via endoscopic resection, while non-early operable cases typically undergo surgery. Advanced cases are addressed through sequential chemotherapy lines, with initial treatment usually comprising a platinum and fluoropyrimidine combination. Linitis plastica (LP) is a rare, aggressive form of gastric cancer characterized by diffuse infiltration of the gastric wall, resulting in poor outcomes even after curative resection. The absence of a standardized definition contributes to uncertainty regarding the precise incidence of these tumors. LP is often diagnosed at advanced stages, with a reported median survival rate of approximately 4%-29%, despite "curative resection". Its distinctive biological behavior includes perineural invasion, nodal metastasis, and peritoneal dissemination. The bleak prognosis for LP patients partly stems from delayed diagnosis and its aggressive biological nature, posing significant challenges for clinical management. Currently, no specialized treatment strategy exists for LP, and clinical approaches typically align with those used for general gastric cancer treatment. Surgical resection is the primary treatment, but the optimal surgical approach remains contentious. Recent studies have investigated the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy in improving survival outcomes for LP patients. However, controversies persist regarding the role of adjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative radiotherapy. LP requires a multidisciplinary approach and personalized treatment strategies tailored to each patient's condition. Further research is needed to elucidate optimal therapeutic interventions and improve outcomes for LP patients.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis and immunosuppression in gastric cancer

Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, the mortality rate for gastric cancer remains one of the highest in the world. A large body of evidence has demonstrated that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), as core members of the stroma, can secrete cytokines, proteins and exosomes to create a tumour microenvironment that is conducive to cancer cell survival. CAFs can also interact with cancer cells to form a complex signalling network, enabling cancer cells to more easily metastasise to other organs and tissues in the body and develop metastatic foci. In this review, we provide an overview of the CAFs concept and activators. We focus on elucidating their effects on immune cells, intratumoural vasculature, extracellular matrix, as well as cancer cell activity, metastatic power and metabolism, and on enhancing the metastatic ability of cancer cells through activation of JAK/STAT, NF/κB and CXCL12/CXCR4. Various therapeutic agents targeting CAFs are also under development and are expected to improve the prognosis of gastric cancer in combination with existing treatment options.

Feasibility of laparoscopic/robot-assisted surgery for Borrmann type 4 gastric cancer: a comparison study with conventional open surgery

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer is regarded as a standard of care because of robust evidences obtained by several phase-III trials. Furthermore, the efficacy of laparoscopic radical surgery for advanced gastric cancer has been also reported. Meanwhile, the feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for Bormann type 4 gastric cancer, special type with unfavorable prognosis, remains unclear since excluded from eligibility of these trials.

METHODS

This study included 100 patients with type 4 gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic/robot-assisted (minimally invasive surgery (MIS) group; n = 32) or open (Open group; n = 68) curative surgery between 2008 and 2021. After propensity score matching, 30 patients in each group were extracted for analysis. Clinical data, including surgical and midterm survival outcomes, were retrospectively compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Incidences of postoperative complication (≥ Clavien-Dindo grade III) were recorded in 23.3% in the MIS group and 13.3% in the Open group, but no statistical significance was demonstrated (P = 0.50). The 3-year overall survival rate in the MIS group was better than that in the Open group (80.2% vs. 53.5%, log-rank, P = 0.03). The trend of recurrence site was similar. Multivariate analysis showed that adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent favorable prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 0.33, 95% confidence interval 0.11-0.93) for overall survival. MIS was indicated as a favorable prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.39-1.07), but without statistical difference.

CONCLUSION

While multidisciplinary treatment is mainstay of treatment because of the poor prognosis of this disease, minimally invasive surgery may play an important role in treatment if appropriate patient selection is done. Further analyses with larger sample size are necessary to reach a final conclusion regarding oncological efficacy.

A nomogram for predicting postoperative complications based on tumor spectral CT parameters and visceral fat area in gastric cancer patients

PURPOSE

To construct a nomogram combining tumor spectral CT parameters and visceral fat area (VFA) to predict postoperative complications (POCs) in patients with gastric cancer (GC).

METHOD

This retrospective study included 101 GC patients who underwent preoperative abdominal spectral CT scan and were divided into two groups (37 with POCs and 64 without POCs) according to the Clavien-Dindo classification standard. Logistic regression was used to establish spectral, VFA, and combined models for predicting POCs. The combined prediction model was presented as a nomogram, and the diagnostic performance of each model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

The AUCs of the VFA and spectral model were 0.71 (95% CI: 0.62-0.80) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72-0.88), respectively. VFA, the slope of spectral curve (λ) in venous phase (λ-VP) and tumor Hounsfield units on monoenergetic images 40 keV in VP (MonoE40keV-VP) were independent predictors of POCs in GC. The nomogram yielded an AUC of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.81-0.94). The combined model was superior to the VFA or spectral models by comparing their AUCs (P = 0.000 and 0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

The nomogram based on two tumor spectral parameters (λ-VP, MonoE40keV-VP) and VFA could serve as a convenient tool for predicting the POCs of GC patients.

Gastric cancer clinical characteristics and their altered trends in South China: An epidemiological study with 2,800 cases spanning 26 years

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is a serious threat to human health. The clinical GC characteristics in China may be impacted by changes in people's lifestyles and the promotion of early GC (EGC) screening. The present study aims to evaluate the recent trends of GC characteristics in South China and search for hazardous factors limiting the survival time of GC patients.

METHODS

Data on GC patients that were hospitalized in the Department of Digestive Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, from 1994 to 2019 were collected and divided into two categories according to the time when the EGC screening began in China: the PRE group (previous 13 years, 1994-2006) and the PAS group (past 13 years, 2007-2019).

RESULTS

We found that, although the 5-year survival rate increased in the PAS group compared with the PRE group (P < 0.0001), patients with age ≥60 years or Borrmann type IV still had a worse prognosis. In the PAS group, the larger percentages of elderly patients and patients with Borrmann type IV in the lymphatic metastases (N1) group (41.0% vs. 51.1%, P = 0.0014) and stage IV subgroup (20.7% vs. 32.2%, P = 0.016), respectively, when compared with the PRE group, may have contributed to the poor outcome of GC. By comparing the odds ratio (OR) of 5-year overall survival (OS) in the two 13-year periods, female sex and T2 turned into risk factors because of a greater proportion of Borrmann type IV or elderly patients in the PAS group (OR = 0.983, 95% CI = 0.723-1.336 vs. OR = 1.277, 95% CI = 1.028-1.586 and OR = 1.545, 95% CI = 0.499-4.775 vs. OR = 2.227, 95% CI = 1.124-4.271, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the GC epidemiology changes, the overall prognosis of GC patients has improved in South China. However, old age and Borrmann type IV are still the major restrictions affecting the survival of GC patients, a situation which calls for additional attention.

Poorly cohesive cells gastric carcinoma including signet-ring cell cancer: Updated review of definition, classification and therapeutic management

While the incidence of gastric cancer (GC) in general has decreased worldwide in recent decades, the incidence of diffuse cancer historically comprising poorly cohesive cells-GC (PCC-GC) and including signet ring cell cancer is rising. Literature concerning PCC-GC is scarce and unclear, mostly due to a large variety of historically used definitions and classifications. Compared to other histological subtypes of GC, PCC-GC is nevertheless characterized by a distinct set of epidemiological, histological and clinical features which require a specific diagnostic and therapeutic approach. The aim of this review was to provide an update on the definition, classification and therapeutic strategies of PCC-GC. We focus on the updated histological definition of PCC-GC, along with its implications on future treatment strategies and study design. Also, specific considerations in the diagnostic management are discussed. Finally, the impact of some recent developments in the therapeutic management of GC in general such as the recently validated taxane-based regimens (5-Fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel), the use of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy as well as pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy and targeted therapy have been reviewed in depth for their relative importance for PCC-GC in particular.

Are Borrmann's Types of Advanced Gastric Cancer Distinct Clinicopathological and Molecular Entities? A Western Study

Most studies on the clinicopathological impact of Borrmann classification for gastric cancer (GC) have been performed in Asian patients with type IV tumors, and immunohistochemical features of Borrmann types have scarcely been analyzed. We assessed the clinicopathological, molecular features and prognostic value of Borrmann types in all patients with advanced GC resected in a Western institution (n = 260). We observed a significant relationship between Borrmann types and age, systemic symptoms, tumor size, Laurén subtype, presence of signet-ring cells, infiltrative growth, high grade, tumor necrosis, HERCEPTEST positivity, microsatellite instability (MSI) and molecular subtypes. Polypoid GC showed systemic symptoms, intestinal-type histology, low grade, expansive growth and HERCEPTEST positivity. Fungating GC occurred in symptomatic older patients. It presented intestinal-type histology, infiltrative growth and necrosis. Ulcerated GC showed smaller size, intestinal-type histology, high grade and infiltrative growth. Most polypoid and ulcerated tumors were stable-p53-not overexpressed or microsatellite unstable. Flat lesions were high-grade diffuse tumors with no MSI, and occurred in younger and less symptomatic patients. No association was found between Borrmann classification and prognosis. According to our results, Borrmann types may represent distinct clinicopathological and biological entities. Further research should be conducted to confirm the role of Borrmann classification in the stratification of patients with advanced GC.

Prognostic impact of surgery after chemotherapy for type 4 gastric cancer

PURPOSE

To assess the clinical indications for, and prognostic impact of surgery after, chemotherapy for type 4 gastric cancer.

METHODS

The subjects of this retrospective study were 67 patients who received chemotherapy for type 4 gastric cancer. The patients were grouped into those with progressive disease (PD group) and those without PD (non-PD group), according to the tumor response to chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Distant metastases developed in 58 patients. With regard to tumor response, there were 16 patients in the PD group and 51 patients in the non-PD group. The prognosis of the PD group patients was significantly poorer than that of the non-PD group patients (p < 0.0001). R0 resection was performed for 21 of 23 patients who underwent surgery after chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis revealed tumor response and surgery as independent prognostic factors (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0009, respectively). Moreover, multivariate analysis of the surgery group revealed that metastatic nodal status (N0-1 vs. N2-3) and residual tumor status (R0 vs. R1-2) were significant independent prognostic factors (p = 0.0258 and p = 0.0458, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that surgery after chemotherapy for type 4 gastric cancer may improve the prognosis of responders with N0-1 status, who undergo curative R0 resection.

Comparative Outcomes of Laparoscopic Gastrectomy and Open Gastrectomy for Scirrhous Gastric Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective

A multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) versus open gastrectomy (OG) for scirrhous gastric cancer (GC) as a unique subtype also known as type 4 gastric cancer or linitis plastica.

Background

Although data on the efficacy and safety of LG as an alternative to OG are emerging, the applicability of LG to scirrhous GC remains unclear.

Methods

Patients with clinical type 4 GC undergoing gastrectomy at 13 hospitals from 2005 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. As the primary endpoint, we compared overall survival (OS) between the LG and OG groups. To adjust for confounding factors, we used multivariate Cox regression analysis for the main analyses and propensity-score matching for sensitivity analysis. Short-term outcomes and recurrence-free survival were also compared.

Results

A total of 288 patients (LG, 62; OG, 226) were included in the main analysis. Postoperative complications occurred in 25.8% and 30.1%, respectively (P = 0.44). No significant difference in recurrence-free survival was observed (P = 0.72). The 5-year OS rates were 32.4% and 31.6% in the LG and OG groups, respectively (P = 0.60). The hazard ratio (LG/OG) for OS was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-1.43) in the multivariate regression analysis. In the sensitivity analyses after propensity-score matching, the hazard ratio for OS was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.58-1.45).

Conclusions

Considering the hazard ratios and 95% CIs for OS, LG for scirrhous GC was not associated with worse survival than that for OG.

Subtotal gastrectomy combined with chemotherapy: An effective therapy for patients with circumscribed Borrmann type IV gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Although Borrmann type IV (B-4) gastric cancer has a higher mortality rate and presents distant metastasis easily, especially peritoneal metastasis, when diagnosed, some B-4 patients were found to have no distant metastasis by preoperative detection and underwent curative surgery, which was defined as circumscribed B-4 in our study. In this study, we focused on the circumscribed B-4 patients without distant metastasis during surgery to identify factors related to prognosis and postoperative peritoneal cavity metastasis (PPCM), which is important for selecting an appropriate therapeutic strategy.

AIM

To identify factors related to the prognosis and PPCM of B-4 patients.

METHODS

A total of 117 B-4 patients who underwent gastrectomy between January 2005 and December 2012 were included in this study. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox multivariate models. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to identify the factors related to PPCM. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 20.0.

RESULTS

Lymph node status, gastrectomy type, and postoperative chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors in 117 circumscribed B-4 patients. Subtotal gastrectomy combined with chemotherapy could significantly improve the long-term survival time. Six patients who were diagnosed with pN0 and received the combination therapy had a 3-year survival rate of 100% and a median survival of 77.7 mo. Even for patients with metastatic lymph nodes (n = 13), the combination therapy also increased the 3-year overall survival rate to 57.1%. In addition, positive lymph node status was the only factor (P = 0.005) correlated with PPCM in certain B-4 patients, and chemotherapy was useful for suppressing PPCM in patients with subtotal gastrectomy but not in those with total gastrectomy.

CONCLUSION

Lymph node status is an independent prognostic factor for circumscribed B-4 patients. In addition, subtotal gastrectomy and postoperative chemotherapy could effectively improve prognosis and even suppress PPCM.

Prognostic impact of Borrmann classification on advanced gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort from a single institution in western China

Background

Due to the controversy over the prognostic significance of Borrmann type in patients with gastric cancer (GC), the present study was to investigate the clinical value of Borrmann type in advanced GC.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 2092 patients with advanced GC and subsequently examined the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients stratified by Borrmann type.

Results

Patients were divided into three groups according to Borrmann type (Borrmann types I+II, III, and IV). Patients with Borrmann types III and IV had larger size, more poorly differentiated tumor type, more advanced tumor stage, and higher chance of involving the entire stomach. The overall survival (OS) rates were significantly different among the three groups (p < 0.001). Stratification analysis revealed significant OS rates among the three groups in tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage III (p < 0.001) and TNM stage IV (p = 0.008). Multivariate analysis revealed that Borrmann types, adjuvant chemotherapy, curative resection, and TNM stage were all independent predictors of OS among GC patients. The subgroup analysis indicated that Borrmann type was an independent predictor of OS among GC patients who undergone curative resection and with TNM stage III cancer. However, curative resection and postoperative chemotherapy failed to prolong the survival of patients with Borrmann type IV.

Conclusions

The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with three Borrmann types of GC were different. Borrmann type can be simply used as a valuable factor to predict survival in advanced GC patients, especially in those TNM stage III undergoing curative resection. Additionally, more attention should be paid to the treatment for Borrmann type IV GC.

Borrmann Type IV Gastric Cancer: Focus on the Role of Gastrectomy

OBJECTIVES

The benefits of curative or palliative gastrectomy for Borrmann type IV (B-IV) gastric cancer remain controversial. This study was conducted to investigate whether or not gastrectomy could benefit prognosis of patients with Borrmann type IV gastric cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A cohort of 469 B-IV gastric cancer patients from January 2001 to September 2017 was retrospectively reviewed. Survival analysis was used to investigate the prognosis of patients with or without gastrectomy.

RESULTS

Among this cohort, the average age was 55 years and the median follow-up time was 12 months. One hundred and forty-six (31%) patients underwent curative resection, 187 (40%) patients underwent palliative resection, and the remaining 136 (29%) patients were judged unresectable. During the follow-up, a total of 294 (63%) patients died. Cox multivariate analysis showed that Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stage (p = 0.002), grade (p = 0.033), and gastrectomy (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of overall survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that, no matter in total group or subgroup stratified by tumor stage and grade, overall survival rates at 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years in patients with palliative resection were significantly worse than those in patients with curative resection (all p < 0.05), but significantly better than those in patients with no resection (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Curative or palliative gastrectomy could increase the survival rate for B-IV gastric cancer patients. In the absence of alternative effective therapies, surgical resection remains a choice of improved survival or potential cure for B-IV gastric cancer.

Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblast in Gastric Cancer Progression and Resistance to Treatments

Although the survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients has gradually improved, the outcomes of advanced GC patients remain unsatisfactory despite standard treatment with conventional chemotherapy or targeted agents. Several studies have shown that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a major component of tumor stroma in GC, may have significant roles in GC progression and resistance to treatments. CAFs are a major source of various secreted molecules in the tumor microenvironment, which stimulate cancer cells and other noncancerous components of GC. Surprisingly, these factors could be involved in gastric carcinogenesis. Cytokines, including interleukin-6 and interleukin-11, or growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factor produced from CAFs, can directly activate GC cells and consequently lead to the development of an aggressive phenotype. Galectin-1 or hepatocyte growth factor can be involved in CAF-derived neovascularization in GC. In addition, recent studies showed that CAFs can affect tumor immunity through M2 polarization of tumor-associated macrophages. Finally, the current study aimed to introduce several inhibitory agents and evaluate their suppressive effects on CAFs in patients with GC progression. However, further studies are required to evaluate their safety and select appropriate patients for application in clinical settings.

Borrmann Type 1 Cancer is Associated with a High Recurrence Rate in Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of Borrmann type 1 gastric cancer and evaluate its clinical significance in advanced gastric cancer compared with Borrmann types 2 and 3 cancer.

METHODS

Between January 1989 and December 2013, 1949 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomy at our institution were enrolled in the study.

RESULTS

Of the 1949 patients, 59 (3%) exhibited Borrmann type 1 cancer, characterized by a large size, rare serosal invasion, lower lymph node involvement, location in the upper third of the stomach, intestinal type, and differentiated histology. The recurrence rate was higher for Borrmann type 1 than for Borrmann types 2 and 3 cancer. In addition, more than half of the Borrmann type 1 recurrences showed a hematogenous pattern. However, overall survival did not differ significantly among the three cancer types. In the multivariate analysis, Borrmann type 1 cancer, with tumor depth, node metastasis, and vascular invasion, was an independent risk factor associated with recurrence. Particularly, Borrmann type 1 cancer showed a worse prognosis in both overall survival and recurrence-free survival than the other Borrmann types in the upper third of the stomach.

CONCLUSIONS

Borrmann type 1 gastric cancer is associated with a higher recurrence rate than Borrmann types 2 and 3, but not with a difference in the overall survival rate.

Prognostic impact and implications of extracapsular lymph node spread in Borrmann type IV gastric cancer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between extracapsular lymph node spread (ECS) and clinicopathology and its influence on the prognosis in patients with Borrmann type IV gastric cancer. Between 2002 and 2014, clinical data were reviewed from 486 patients with Borrmann type IV gastric cancer who underwent curative resection. Of the 486 patients, lymph node metastasis was found in 456. ECS was detected in 213 (46.7%) patients with lymph node metastasis. A positive lymph node with ECS was significantly correlated with the N category, lymphatic/venous invasion, tumor location, and TNM stage. For the whole patients, the mean OS was 34.7 months, and the 5-year OS rate was 15.5%. The 5-year OS rate of node-negative patients was 48%, for node-positive patients without ECS 18.7%, and for node-positive patients with ECS 5.7% (P = 0.000). In a multivariate analysis, adjusted for tumor location, lymphatic/venous invasion, body mass index (BMI), and TNM stages, ECS remained an independent prognostic factor. For patients with the same N category and TNM stage, those with ECS still had a worse survival rate. Recurrent sites were confirmed in 367 patients. The most frequent recurrent site was the peritoneum. There was a significant difference between ECS+ (N = 150) and ECS- (N = 142) patients (P = 0.008). Our results suggested that ECS was an independent prognostic value for Borrmann type IV gastric cancer patients with curative resection and a subgroup indicated a significantly worse long-term survival for patients with the same N or TNM stages. ECS+ was an adverse factor for peritoneal metastasis.