Colonoscopy screening and surveillance guidelines

The Colonoscopy Screening and Surveillance Guidelines were developed by the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society as basic guidelines based on the scientific methods. The importance of endoscopic screening and surveillance for both detection and post-treatment follow-up of colorectal cancer has been recognized as essential to reduce disease mortality. There is limited high-level evidence in this field; therefore, we had to focus on the consensus of experts. These clinical practice guidelines consist of 20 clinical questions and eight background knowledge topics that have been determined as the current guiding principles.

The Oncologic Outcomes of Inferior Mesenteric Artery-Preserving Laparoscopic Lymph Node Dissection for Upper-Rectal or Sigmoid Colon Cancer

BACKGROUND

The standard procedure of lymph node (LN) dissection for rectal or sigmoid colon cancer remains controversial. Many laparoscopic surgeons cut the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) at the root; however, this may cause bowel ischemia around the site of anastomosis. We performed D3 or D2 LN dissection with the preservation of the IMA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncologic outcomes of IMA-preserving LN dissection.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 142 consecutive patients with upper-rectal or sigmoid colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic LN dissection with the preservation of the IMA. The number of LNs dissected and the overall and disease-free survival rates were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

Laparoscopic D3 (n = 92) or D2 (n = 50) LN dissection were performed with the preservation of the IMA. The left colic artery was preserved in all cases, the superior rectal artery was also preserved in 30 cases. The mean number of LNs dissected was 19.6 in the D3 group and 12.9 in the D2 group. The median operative time was 230 minutes, and the median volume of blood loss was 17 mL. There was no treatment-related mortality. The estimated 5-year disease-free survival rates of the stage I, II, and III patients were 93%, 83%, and 74%, respectively. No patients developed LN recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic surgery with IMA-preserving LN dissection is an oncologically acceptable treatment strategy in patients with upper-rectal or sigmoid colon cancer.

Utility of Laparoscopic Surgery for Multiple Synchronous Colorectal Cancers With Two Anastomotic Sites

The frequency of multiple synchronous colorectal cancers is reported to be 2% to 7%. The surgical resection of 2 lesions and having 2 anastomotic sites are rare. According to previous studies, even if there are 2 anastomotic sites, the rate of complications associated with laparotomy will not increase. However, the number of studies confined to cases of laparoscopic surgery is limited. This study investigated effective methods for laparoscopic colorectal resection and their short-term results in cases of multiple synchronous colorectal cancers with 2 anastomotic sites. The safety of these methods were also evaluated. The study was comprised of 4 patients with multiple synchronous colorectal cancers who underwent resection using laparoscopy between January 2011 and March 2015. We retrospectively examined patients with 2 anastomosis sites. A total of 3 patients underwent multiport laparoscopic surgery (5-port) and 1 patient underwent single-port laparoscopic surgery. Complications due to the conversion to laparotomy or intraoperative or postoperative complications were not observed in any patient. Laparoscopic colorectal resection, resulting in 2 anastomosis sites, was performed safely. Compared to open colorectal resection with 2 anastomotic sites, laparoscopic resection was a smaller incision and minimally invasive. Therefore, laparoscopic colorectal resection with 2 anastomotic sites is regarded as a feasible and safe option for multiple synchronous colorectal cancers when tumors are located distantly from each other.