The management of early gastric cancer

Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia: Challenges and the Opportunity for Precision Prevention

GIM is a persistent, premalignant lesion whereby gastric mucosa is replaced by metaplastic mucosa resembling intestinal tissue, arising in the setting of chronic inflammation, particularly in the context of Helicobacter pylori. While the overall rates of progression to gastric adenocarcinoma are low, estimated at from 0.25 to 2.5%, there are features that confer a much higher risk and warrant follow-up. In this review, we collate and summarise the current knowledge regarding the pathogenesis of GIM, and the clinical, endoscopic and histologic risk factors for cancer. We examine the current state-of-practice with regard to the diagnosis and management of GIM, which varies widely in the published guidelines and in practice. We consider the emerging evidence in population studies, artificial intelligence and molecular markers, which will guide future models of care. The ultimate goal is to increase the detection of early gastric dysplasia/neoplasia that can be cured while avoiding unnecessary surveillance in very low-risk individuals.

“A review on double tract reconstruction after proximal gastrectomy for proximal gastric cancer.”

Gastric cancer remains one of the deadliest malignancies on the planet, accounting for the fourth highest cause of death by cancer worldwide. While trends indicate that its incidence is decreasing globally, it remains a concern, particularly when identified at an advanced stage with a high mortality rate. The best treatment option for early proximal stomach cancer has been identified as surgical resection followed by an acceptable reconstructive procedure.

One such surgical management called Double Tract Reconstruction (DTR), has piqued surgeons' interest. DTR has been found to be a potential reconstructive strategy for reducing esophagogastric reflux or post-gastrectomy gastritis and esophagitis. Not only does this technique ensure adequate vitamin B12 maintenance post surgically, but it is also a safe and effective procedure. According to several researchers, the benefits may be comparable to those of total gastrectomy as it relates to, post-operative recovery time, operation time, intraoperative complications, and early complications. DTR is still being studied, and gastrointestinal surgeons worldwide are looking for new ways to improve this method and increase overall survival of gastric cancer.

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Double tract reconstruction is a safe and promising reconstructive procedure.

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Double tract reconstruction decreases esophagogastric reflux.

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Double tract reconstruction maintains vitamin B1₂ level post-surgery.

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Double tract reconstruction-proximal gastrectomy is comparable to total gastrectomy.

Anastomotic recurrence after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with delta-shaped anastomosis : report of a case

Delta-shaped anastomosis is nowadays an increasingly performed reconstruction method in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. To date, anastomotic recurrence at the delta-shaped anastomotic site has not been reported. Surgery for this disease is more complicated than anastomotic recurrence at the site of conventional Billroth-I anastomosis. A 68-year-old female was referred to our institute with early gastric cancer on the posterior wall of the antrum. She underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with delta-shaped Billroth-I anastomosis. Follow-up gastrofiberscopy 16 months after the operation revealed suspected anastomotic recurrence, and gastric biopsy revealed signet-ring cell carcinoma. Open total gastrectomy with reconstruction with the Roux-en-Y method was performed. At the distal part of the previous anastomosis, an adequate length of the duodenum was dissected from the pancreas. Then, the duodenum was transected 3 cm distal to the anastomosis using a linear stapler. The patient recovered well and was discharged on postoperative day 14. The patient is alive without re-recurrence 3 years postoperatively. We successfully treated a patient with anastomotic recurrence of gastric cancer after delta-shaped anastomosis. Adequate resection of the duodenal stump was performed without any residual tumor or injury to the pancreas. J. Med. Invest. 67 : 211-213, February, 2020.

Identifying early gastric cancer under magnifying narrow-band images with deep learning: a multicenter study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Narrow-band imaging with magnifying endoscopy (ME-NBI) has shown advantages in the diagnosis of early gastric cancer (EGC). However, proficiency in diagnostic algorithms requires substantial expertise and experience. In this study, we aimed to develop a computer-aided diagnostic model for EGM (EGCM) to analyze and assist in the diagnosis of EGC under ME-NBI.

METHODS

A total of 1777 ME-NBI images from 295 cases were collected from 3 centers. These cases were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 170), an internal test cohort (ITC, n = 73), and an external test cohort (ETC, n = 52). EGCM based on VGG-19 architecture (Visual Geometry Group [VGG], Oxford University, Oxford, UK) with a single fully connected 2-classification layer was developed through fine-tuning and validated on all cohorts. Furthermore, we compared the model with 8 endoscopists with varying experience. Primary comparison measures included accuracy, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).

RESULTS

EGCM acquired AUCs of .808 in the ITC and .813 in the ETC. Moreover, EGCM achieved similar predictive performance as the senior endoscopists (accuracy: .770 vs .755, P = .355; sensitivity: .792 vs .767, P = .183; specificity: .745 vs .742, P = .931) but better than the junior endoscopists (accuracy: .770 vs .728, P < .05). After referring to the results of EGCM, the average diagnostic ability of the endoscopists was significantly improved in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, PPV, and NPV (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

EGCM exhibited comparable performance with senior endoscopists in the diagnosis of EGC and showed the potential value in aiding and improving the diagnosis of EGC by endoscopists.

Early Gastric Cancer: identification of molecular markers able to distinguish submucosa-penetrating lesions with different prognosis

BACKGROUND

Early Gastric Cancer (EGC) reaches 25% of the gastric cancers surgically treated in some areas of Northeastern Italy and is usually characterized by a good prognosis. However, among EGCs classified according to Kodama's criteria, Pen A subgroup is characterized by extensive submucosal invasion, lymph node metastases and worse prognosis, whereas Pen B subgroup by better prognosis. The aim of the study was to characterize the differences between Pen A, Pen B and locally advanced gastric cancer (T3N0) in order to identify biomarkers involved in aggressiveness and clinical outcome.

METHODS

We selected 33 Pen A, 34 Pen B and 20 T3N0 tumors and performed immunohistochemistry of mucins, copy number variation analysis of a gene panel, microsatellite instability (MSI), TP53 mutation and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analyses.

RESULTS

Pen A subgroup was characterized by MUC6 overexpression (p = 0.021). Otherwise, the Pen B subgroup was significantly associated with the amplification of GATA6 gene (p = 0.002). The higher percentage of MSI tumors was observed in T3N0 group (p = 0.002), but no significant differences between EGC types were found. Finally, TP53 gene analysis showed that 32.8% of Pen tumors have a mutation in exons 5-8 and 50.0% presented LOH. Co-occurrence of TP53 mutation and LOH mainly characterized Pen A tumors (p = 0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

Our analyses revealed that clinico-pathological parameters, microsatellite status and frequency of TP53 mutations do not seem to distinguish Pen subgroups. Conversely, the amplification of GATA6 was associated with Pen B, as well as the overexpression of MUC6 and the TP53^mut/LOH significantly characterized Pen A.

Value of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for gastric cancer surveillance in patients with Lynch syndrome

In our study, we evaluated the effectiveness of upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy as an instrument for early gastric cancer (GC) detection in Lynch syndrome (LS) patients by analyzing data from the registry of the German Consortium for Familial Intestinal Cancer. In a prospective, multicenter cohort study, 1128 out of 2009 registered individuals with confirmed LS underwent 5176 upper GI endoscopies. Compliance was good since 77.6% of upper GI endoscopies were completed within the recommended interval of 1 to 3 years. Forty-nine GC events were observed in 47 patients. MLH1 (n = 21) and MSH2 (n = 24) mutations were the most prevalent. GCs in patients undergoing regular surveillance were diagnosed significantly more often in an early-stage disease (UICC I) than GCs detected through symptoms (83% vs 25%; P = .0231). Thirty-two (68%) patients had a negative family history of GC. The median age at diagnosis was 51 years (range 28-66). Of all GC patients, 13 were diagnosed at an age younger than 45. Our study supports the recommendation of regular upper GI endoscopy surveillance for LS patients beginning no later than at the age of 30.

Early Gastric Cancer: Trends in Incidence, Management, and Survival in a Well-Defined French Population

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the epidemiology of early gastric cancer (EGC) in Western countries. The aim of this study was to analyze trends in the incidence, management, and survival of EGC in a well-defined population over a 30 year period.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the population-based cancer Registry of Burgundy (France). Incidence rates were calculated by sex, age, and 10 year period of diagnosis. Net survival rates were calculated and a multivariate relative survival analysis performed.

RESULTS

EGC represented 6.7 % of gastric cancer diagnosed between 1982 and 2011. Age-standardized incidence rates were higher in men (0.79/100,000) than in women (0.40/100,000). Between the periods 1982-1991 and 2002-2011, it decreased from 0.97 to 0.53 per 100,000 in men and from 0.44 to 0.30 per 100,000 in women. Overall, 19 % of the tumors were limited to the mucosa, 69 % to the submucosa, and 15 % invaded lymph nodes. Node invasion and male sex were the only significant prognostic factors. Five-year net survival was 50 % in node-positive patients and 85 % in node-negative patients (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the relative risk of death in men compared to women was 2.3 and was 10.4 in patients with positive nodes compared to patients with negative nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

EGCs are rare in France. The prognosis is favorable, except for node-positive cancers, which may benefit from the recently developed adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer.

HER2/neu over-expression predicts poor outcome in early gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis

PURPOSE

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) is involved in the pathogenesis of several types of cancer, including gastric cancer. However, there remains a paucity of data regarding the prognostic relevance of HER2/neu in early gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis (pN0 EGC). The aim of our study was to analyze whether the over-expression of HER2/neu significantly predicts poor outcomes of pN0 EGC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Sixty-seven patients who underwent operative resection for pN0 EGC was enrolled. The HER2/neu status was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

RESULTS

The HER2/neu-positive rate was 16.4%. HER2/neu over-expression showed a significant correlation with histological type (P ≤ 0.001), tumor location (P=0.022) and Lauren grade (P=0.012). Multivariate analysis showed HER2/neu serves as a good prognostic marker to predict the risk of poor outcome for pN0 EGC. (HR=1.384, 95.0% CI: 1.142-1.897 P=0.005) CONCLUSION: Considering HER2/neu over-expression significantly predicts poor outcome in pN0 EGC, accurate HER2/neu assessment would be done before endoscopic therapy. For HER2/neu-positive patients, radical surgery should be performed.

Comparison of perioperative and long-term outcomes of total and proximal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer: a multi-institutional retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Various surgical procedures are used to treat early gastric cancers in the upper third of the stomach (U-EGCs). However, there is no general agreement regarding the optimal surgical procedure.

METHODS

The medical records of 203 patients with U-EGC were collected from 13 institutions. Surgical procedures were classified as Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy after total gastrectomy (TG-RY), esophagogastrostomy after proximal gastrectomy (PG-EG), or jejunal interposition after PG (PG-JI). Patient clinical characteristics and perioperative and long-term outcomes were compared among these three groups.

RESULTS

TG-RY, PG-EG, and PG-JI were performed in 122, 49, and 32 patients, respectively. Tumors were larger in TG-RY patients than in PG-EG and PG-JI patients, and undifferentiated-type gastric adenocarcinoma tended to be more frequent in TG-RY than in PG-EG. The operative time was shorter for PG-EG than for PG-JI and TG-RY. Hospital stay and early postoperative complications were not different for the three procedures. With respect to gastrectomy-associated symptoms, a "stuck feeling" and heartburn tended to be more frequent in PG-EG patients, while dumping syndrome and diarrhea were more frequent in TG-RY patients. Post-surgical weight loss was not different among the three groups, however, serum albumin and hemoglobin levels tended to be lower in TG-RY patients.

CONCLUSION

Three surgical procedures for U-EGC did not result in differences in weight loss, but PG-EG and PG-JI were better than TG-RY according to some nutritional markers. In U-EGC, where patients are expected to have long survival times, PG-EG and PG-JI should be used rather than TG-RY.

Surgery for gastric cancer: what the trials indicate

To optimize the therapeutic value of an operation for cancer, surgeons must weigh survival value against mortality/morbidity risk. As a result of several prospective, randomized trials, many surgeons feel that international opinion has reached a consensus. Reflexively radical surgical hubris has certainly given way to a more nuanced, customized approach to this disease. But issues remain. This article critically reviews existing data and emphasizes areas of continued controversy.

Treatment strategy for early gastric cancer

Gastric cancer ranks the second leading cause of cancer-specific mortality worldwide. With a poor prognosis, 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer is less than 20%-25% in the USA, Europe, and China [1]. However, early gastric cancer(EGC) offers an excellent (over 90%) chance of cure based on surgical resection [2]. As the increasing detection of EGC, more treatment options have been developed both curatively and minimally invasively to maintain a good quality of life(QOL). One of the advanced therapeutic techniques is endoscopic dissection. Improvements in surgical treatment include minimizing lymph node dissection, reconstruction methods, laparoscopy-assisted surgery, and sentinel node navigation surgery(SNNS) [3]. With technological advances, even Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopy Surgery (NOTES) and robotic surgery are expected to represent the next revolution [4]. However, there still remains much dispute among these treatments, which arouses further clinical trials to verify. Update of the treatments, controversial indications, prognosis and current strategies for EGC are discussed in this review.

Gastric cancer: an infectious disease

The role of infectious agents and chronic inflammation in carcinogenesis is being increasingly recognized. It has been estimated that about 18% of cancers are directly linked to infections, particularly gastric adenocarcinoma (Helicobacter pylori), cervical carcinoma (human papilloma viruses), and hepatocarcinoma (hepatitis B and C viruses). Multiple clinical trials of COX-2 inhibitors and other antiinflammatory agents have shown a beneficial effect on the development of diverse tumors, such as those of the colon, stomach, prostate, and breast. However, their mechanism of action is not completely understood and may differ among the infectious agents and tumor types. Because gastric adenocarcinomas account for more than 90% of all gastric malignancies, this review focuses on adenocarcinomas.

Surgical resection with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination

BACKGROUND

The prognosis for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination is very poor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival benefit from gastrectomy with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination.

METHODS

From 1992 to 2002, 128 gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination underwent surgery at the Department of Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China. The clinicopathological characteristics and survival were compared between the resection and the non-resection groups, and between the resection alone and the resection with HIPEC groups.

RESULTS

The 5-year survival rates were 5.5% for patients in the resection group and 0% for patients in the non-resection group (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed surgical resection was significantly associated with better prognosis in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination. In the patients who underwent resection, the survival difference between the resection alone and the resection with HIPEC groups was significant (P = 0.025), and HIPEC was an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The HIPEC procedure was an independent prognostic factor after resection for patients with peritoneal dissemination. Therefore, gastrectomy with HIPEC may be an option for those patients. The survival benefit of this strategy should be validated by large cohort prospective clinical trials.

Preoperative imaging of sentinel lymph nodes in gastric cancer using CT lymphography

PURPOSE

Preoperative identification of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) in gastric cancer (GC) patients may have great advantages for the minimally invasive treatment. This study was performed to evaluate the possibility of preoperative SLN detection using CT lymphography.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fourteen patients with early GC were enrolled. CT images were obtained before and at 1, 3, and 5 minutes after endoscopic submucosal peritumoral injection of 2 mL iopamidol. For patients with clearly identified SLNs, to make comparisons with the CT lymphography results, intraoperative SLN detection was performed using subserosally injected Indocyanine green (ICG) lymphography and ex vivo ICG and iopamidol lymphography using mammography was also performed.

RESULTS

CT lymphography clearly visualized draining lymphatics and SLNs in 4 (28.6%) out of 14 patients. All clearly visualized SLNs (one to three SLNs per patient) under preoperative imaging were detected in the same location by intraoperative ICG lymphography and ex vivo ICG and iopamidol lymphography using mammography. All preoperative SLN detections were observed with the primary tumors in the lower third of the stomach.

CONCLUSION

Although our study demonstrated a SLN detection rate of less than 30%, CT lymphography with radio-contrast showed potential as a method of preoperative SLN detection for GC.

Survival benefit of non-curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients with synchronous distant metastasis

BACKGROUND

The prognosis for gastric cancer patients with distant metastasis is very poor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival benefit of non-curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients with synchronous distant metastasis.

METHODS

From 1992 to 2002, 253 gastric cancer patients with synchronous distant metastasis underwent surgery at the Department of Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, China. The clinicopathological characteristics and survival were compared between resection and non-resection groups.

RESULTS

The 5-year survival rate was 6.5% for patients in resection group and 0% for patients in non-resection group (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, and non-resection were significantly associated with poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients with distant metastasis. The survival difference between resection and non-resection groups was only observed in patients with single peritoneal dissemination (P < 0.001), but were not in patients with single liver metastasis (P = 0.428), distant nodes involvement (P = 0.490) and multiple metastatic sites (P = 0.192), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggests that there were no survival benefit from non-curative gastrectomy for patients with single liver, distant nodes, or multiple sites metastasis. However, only patients with single peritoneal dissemination had survival benefit from non-curative resection. The value of non-curative resection should be evaluated by well-designed clinical trials.

Prognostic influence of sub-stages according to pTNM categories in patients with stage IV gastric cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The prognosis for patients with stage IV gastric cancer is still very poor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcome and prognosis, and to determine the prognostic influence of sub-stages of stage IV gastric cancer.

METHODS

From 1992 to 2002, 287 patients histologically diagnosed with stage IV gastric cancer underwent gastrectomy at the Department of Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, China. Regarding TNM categories, we separated them into T1-3N3M0, T4N1-2M0, T4N3M0, and TanyNanyM1 groups. We compared the clinicopathological characteristics as well as the survival in these groups.

RESULTS

There were largest proportions of patients who underwent extended lymphadenectomy and curative gastrectomy in T1-3N3M0 group followed by T4N1-2M0, T4N3M0, and TanyNanyM1 groups. The survival rate of patients with sub-stage IVa (T1-3N3M0 and T4N1-2M0) tumors was significant higher than that of patients with sub-stage IVb (T4N3M0 and TanyNanyM1) tumors (P = 0.008). Multivariate analysis showed that sub-stage with the highest risk ratio (1.454), and the surgical curability were independent prognostic factors in patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Sub-stages IVa (T1-3N3M0 and T4N1-2M0) and IVb (T4N3M0 and TanyNanyM1) may predict patients' prognosis more accurately. Curative resection should be performed whenever possible in patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

Detection of early gastric cancer: misunderstanding the role of mass screening

BACKGROUND

The proportion of early gastric cancer (EGC) increased from 15% during the 1960s to 50% recently, leading to a remarkable improvement of the 5-year survival rate of gastric cancer patients from 40% to 70%. This has been attributed to mass screening together with extended lymphadenectomy. However, more and more patients with EGC are diagnosed outside of mass screening. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients are symptomatic at the time of early detection and the method of tumor detection.

METHODS

From 2001 to 2003, a total of 1226 patients (male/female 2.2 : 1.0, age 26-95 years) with EGC were treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo. We reviewed their medical records.

RESULTS

Of these 1226 patients, 512 (41.8%) were symptomatic, and 714 (58.2%) reported no symptoms. Among the symptomatic patients, 468 (91.4%) were examined at outpatient clinics, 39 (7.6%) by private health assessment clinics, and 5 (1.0%) by mass screening. In total, 91.6% of the symptomatic patients directly underwent esophagogastro-duodenoscopy (EGD). Of the asymptomatic patients, 320 (44.8%) were examined at outpatient clinics, 306 (42.9%) by private health assessment clinics, and 88 (12.3%) by mass screening. EGD was the initial assessment in 67.8% and radiography in 32.2% of asymptomatic patients.

CONCLUSION

Most patients with EGC were detected outside of mass screening. This suggests that the Japanese public and physicians are well aware of the risk of gastric cancer and the importance of early detection. The effect of mass screening is misunderstood.

Minimally invasive treatment for gastric cancer: approaches and selection process

Minimally invasive treatment of gastric cancer has emerged as a result of the technical advances, better understanding of gastric physiology, and more knowledge of the biologic behavior of gastric cancer. This treatment results in improved quality of life embodied by smaller incisions, reduced length of hospital stay, and a faster return to productive life. However, minimally invasive treatment for gastric cancer must take into consideration the potential effects of these techniques on tumor dissemination at the time of the treatment procedure, as well as the rates of recurrence and overall survival. Several technical treatment approaches to gastric cancer have now become possible, utilizing endoscopy, laparoscopy, or an open method. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), limited resection, and laparoscopic surgical resection are the currently practiced modalities as the minimally invasive treatment. Lymph node dissection with the minimally invasive techniques is a barrier to its wide application. Although it is not commonly performed in Western countries, the use of minimally invasive treatment for gastric cancer is growing, especially in Korea and Japan. Minimally invasive treatment for early gastric cancer (EGC) has already been shown to be safe and effective in many retrospective series though no prospective randomized studies comparing it to open resection have been performed. Therefore, routine implementation of these procedures must await confirmatory outcomes generated by well-done randomized prospective clinical trials.

Prospective study of proximal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach

BACKGROUND

Total gastrectomy with D2 dissection is the standard treatment in Japan for early upper-third gastric cancer. The purpose of this study was to confirm the safety and radicality of proximal gastrectomy as an alternative operation.

METHODS

Between 1993 and 1999, 45 patients with an apparent primary early gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach were treated by proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition. The spleen was preserved, but the suprapancreatic nodes were cleared.

RESULTS

Histology confirmed early gastric cancer in 37 patients while eight had advanced disease. Nodal metastasis was observed in six patients. There was no hospital death and no early postoperative complications. One patient died from nodal recurrence and two from unrelated causes. Two patients had reflux symptoms without endoscopic oesophagitis. Mean weight loss was 11.5 per cent of initial bodyweight.

CONCLUSION

Proximal gastrectomy for early upper-third gastric cancer can be performed safely with an excellent cure rate. This procedure deserves further clinical evaluation to assess patients' quality of life.

Is D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer a staging tool or a therapeutic intervention?

The extent of lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer is a controversial topic widely debated by those treating the disease. Regional differences in outcome have been noted between patients treated in Japan centers and those treated in Western centers. Technical differences have been investigated within the context of two large, prospective randomized trials, which found no benefit to more extensive lymphadenectomy procedures with increased morbidity. Subsets of patients being treated for cure may benefit from extended resections. The impact of tumor features, such as depth of invasion and number of metastatic lymph nodes, has been described and incorporated into current staging systems. The role of enhanced pathologic evaluation of surgical specimens and impact on staging and treatment strategies is evolving.