Efficacy of surgical staple line reinforcement in Glissonean stapling: A single-center pilot study

Vascular staplers are routinely used in laparoscopic liver resection, which has become a standard procedure in advanced medical facilities. Although previous reports have outlined the benefits of staple line reinforcement (SLR), its application in Glissonean pedicle transection during hepatic resection remains poorly studied. This study investigated surgical SLR as a tool to enhance staple line strength and improve perioperative hemostasis. Here, 10 patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection using the Tri-StapleTM2.0 Reinforced Reload were included. Patient characteristics, surgical details, and outcomes were assessed. The results demonstrated successful outcomes with no complications related to bile leakage or injuries during staple insertion. Overall, our findings suggest that SLR can be safely utilized in Glissonean pedicle transection during laparoscopic liver resections. Further studies are required to comprehensively evaluate its benefits compared with conventional surgical staplers.

A surgical case of anti-coagulant ileus mimicking small-bowel tumors: a case report

BACKGROUND

Anti-coagulant ileus, characterized by intramural hematoma due to excessive anti-coagulant therapy, presents a diagnostic challenge. Although previously considered uncommon, recently, reporting cases of anti-coagulant ileus have become more frequent. Herein, we report a rare surgical case of anti-coagulant ileus mimicking small-bowel tumors.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 79-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for fatigue. He had been administered warfarin for 5 months for atrial fibrillation. On admission, the patient exhibited mild epigastric tenderness. Laboratory test results revealed anemia (hemoglobin, 8.4 g/dL); unmeasurably prolonged prothrombin time (PT) with international normalized ratio (INR) > 8; and elevated soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels (849 IU/mL; normal range, 122-496 IU/mL). Abdominal plain computed tomography (CT) showed a circumferentially thickened intestinal wall at one site in the jejunum and two in the ileum. After hospitalization, bowel obstruction did not improve with conservative treatment. Suspecting small-bowel tumors such as lymphoma, the patient subsequently underwent open surgery on day 3 after admission. No obvious tumor mass was observed intra-operatively. However, only thickened and hemorrhagic segments were identified at the suspected sites. We performed partial jejunal and ileal resections of 12 and 27 cm, respectively. Histopathology confirmed submucosal congestion, edema, and hemorrhage in each area without tumor components, leading to the final diagnosis of intramural hematoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on postoperative day 9. No recurrence occurred during the 5-year follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

We encountered a surgical case of anti-coagulant ileus, which was difficult to differentiate from malignant lymphoma based on CT findings and high sIL-2R levels. The possibility of anti-coagulant ileus should always be considered in patients on long-term anticoagulation medication and bowel obstruction with high PT-INR values.

Management of Patients Receiving Antiplatelet Therapy During Gastroenterological Surgery: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study (GSATT)

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of continuing preoperative aspirin monotherapy on surgical outcomes in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy (APT).

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

The effectiveness of continuing preoperative aspirin monotherapy in patients undergoing APT in preventing thromboembolic consequences is mostly unknown.

METHODS

This prospective multicenter cohort study on the Safety and Feasibility of Gastroenterological Surgery in Patients Undergoing Antithrombotic Therapy (GSATT study) conducted at 14 clinical centers enrolled and screened patients between October 2019 and December 2021. The participants (n=1,170) were assigned to the continued APT group, discontinued APT group, or non-APT group, and the surgical outcomes of each group were compared. Propensity score matching was performed between the continued and discontinued APT groups to investigate the effect of continuing preoperative aspirin therapy on thromboembolic complications.

RESULTS

The rate of thromboembolic complications in the continued APT group was substantially lower than that in the non-APT or discontinued APT groups (0.5% vs. 2.6% vs. 2.9%; P=0.027). Multivariate investigation of the entire cohort revealed that discontinuation of APT (P<0.001) and chronic anticoagulant use (P<0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative thromboembolism. The post-matching evaluation demonstrated that the rates of thromboembolic complications were significantly different between the continued and discontinued APT groups (0.6% vs. 3.3%; P=0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

APT discontinuation following elective gastroenterological surgery increases the risk of thromboembolic consequences, whereas continuing preoperative aspirin greatly reduces this risk. The continuation of preoperative aspirin therapy in APT-received patients is considered one of the best alternatives for preventing thromboembolism during elective gastroenterological surgery.

Impact of intravenous injection of glucagon on anastomotic leakage in esophagectomy

Background

Anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy affects the early postoperative state and prognosis. However, effective measures to prevent anastomotic leakage in esophagogastric anastomosis have not been established.

Methods

This single-center, retrospective, observational study included 147 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer between 2010 and 2020. Glucagon was administered to extend the gastric tube in patients who underwent esophagectomy from January 2016. The patients were divided into two groups: a glucagon-treated group (2016-2020) and a control group (2010-2015). The incidence of anastomotic leakage was compared between the two groups for evaluation of the preventive effects of glucagon administration on anastomotic leakage.

Results

The length of the gastric tube from the pyloric ring to the final branch of the right gastroepiploic artery was extended by 2.8 cm after glucagon injection. The incidence of anastomotic leakage was significantly lower in the glucagon-treated group (19% vs. 38%; p = 0.014). Multivariate analysis showed that glucagon injection was the only independent factor associated with a reduction in anastomotic leakage (odds ratio, 0.26; 95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.87). Esophagogastric anastomosis was performed proximal to the final branch of the right gastroepiploic artery in 37% patients in the glucagon-treated group, and these cases showed a lower incidence of anastomotic leakage than did those with anastomosis distal to the final branch of the right gastroepiploic artery (10% vs. 25%, p = 0.087).

Conclusions

Extension of the gastric tube by intravenous glucagon administration during gastric mobilization in esophagectomy for esophageal cancer may be effective in preventing anastomotic leakage.

Is Palliative Gastrojejunostomy for Malignant Gastric Outlet Obstruction an Optimal Choice for Very Elderly Patients? A Report from a Long-Lived Country

BACKGROUND

Gastrojejunostomy (GJ) is a surgical option for malignant gastric outlet obstruction (mGOO). Confronting an aging society, the demand to treat elderly cancer patients with unresectable malignancies is increasing; however, the benefit of GJ to the very elderly (≥ 80 years of age) has never been investigated.

METHODS

This multicenter, retrospective review included 108 patients who had undergone GJ for mGOO from two medical centers in Japan, one of the most long-lived countries. Patients were divided into two groups, with 80 years of age as the cut-off. Various factors, including surgical complications and patient survival, were compared.

RESULTS

GJ in the very elderly (aged ≥ 80 years) was associated with a higher incidence of surgical complications (p = 0.049), such as delayed gastric emptying (DGE; p < 0.001), aspiration pneumonia (p = 0.029), and consequent mortality (p = 0.016). Age ≥80 years was also identified as an independent predictor of DGE (odds ratio 6.444, p = 0.005) and survival after GJ (hazard ratio 7.767, p = 0.016). In particular, the median survival time after GJ in the population aged ≥80 years with gastric cancer was only < 2 months. About the surgical procedure, antiperistaltic anastomosis with partial stomach partitioning (PSP) yielded the lowest occurrence rate of DGE (3.4%) and aspiration pneumonia (1.7%).

CONCLUSIONS

GJ does not seem to be the optimal choice for very elderly patients, particularly those with gastric cancer. If performed, antiperistaltic anastomosis with PSP should be employed to reduce the surgical complications.

Indocyanine green plasma clearance rate and 99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin single-photon emission computed tomography evaluated preoperative remnant liver

BACKGROUND

Preoperative evaluation of future remnant liver reserves is important for safe hepatectomy. If the remnant is small, preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) is useful. Liver volume analysis has been the primary method of preoperative evaluation, although functional examination may be more accurate. We have used the functional evaluation liver using the indocyanine green plasma clearance rate (KICG) and 99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin single-photon emission computed tomography (99mTc-GSA SPECT) for safe hepatectomy.

AIM

To analyze the safety of our institution’s system for evaluating the remnant liver reserve.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 23 patients who underwent preoperative PVE. Two types of remnant liver KICG were defined as follows: Anatomical volume remnant KICG (a-rem-KICG), determined as the remnant liver anatomical volume rate × KICG; and functional volume remnant KICG (f-rem-KICG), determined as the remnant liver functional volume rate based on 99mTc-GSA SPECT × KICG. If either of the remnant liver KICGs were > 0.05, a hepatectomy was performed. Perioperative factors were analyzed. We defined the marginal group as patients with a-rem-KICG of < 0.05 and a f-rem-KICG of > 0.05 and compared the postoperative outcomes between the marginal and not marginal (both a-rem-KICG and f-rem-KICG > 0.05) groups.

RESULTS

All 23 patients underwent planned hepatectomies. Right hepatectomy, right trisectionectomy and left trisectionectomy were in 16, 6 and 1 cases, respectively. The mean of blood loss and operative time were 576 mL and 474 min, respectively. The increased amount of f-rem-KICG was significantly larger than that of a-rem-KICG after PVE (0.034 vs 0.012, P = 0.0273). The not marginal and marginal groups had 17 (73.9%) and 6 (26.1%) patients, respectively. The complications of Clavian-Dindo classification grade II or higher and post-hepatectomy liver failure were observed in six (26.1%) and one (grade A, 4.3%) patient, respectively. The 90-d mortality was zero. The marginal group had no significant difference in postoperative outcomes (prothrombin time/international normalised ratio, total bilirubin, complication, post-hepatectomy liver failure, hospital stay, 90-d, and mortality) compared with the not-marginal group.

CONCLUSION

Functional evaluation of the remnant liver enabled safe hepatectomy and may extend the indication for hepatectomy after PVE treatment.

Three Cases of Boerhaave’s Syndrome Treated via Laparoscopic Transhiatal Esophageal Repair

Spontaneous esophageal perforation in Boerhaave's syndrome results in significant morbidity and mortality. The gold standard treatment for this disease is thoracotomy and laparotomy because it can be a life-saving procedure that can be performed in emergencies; however, minimally invasive surgery has recently been reported. This report describes three cases of Boerhaave's syndrome that were treated using laparoscopic transhiatal suture and omental patch. One patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged from the hospital after 12 days. The other 2 patients had postoperative complications, such as minor leakage and remnant abscess (Clavien-Dindo Grade II), but were discharged from the hospital after 17 days and 30 days, respectively. In the case of Boerhaave's syndrome with localized mediastinal collections, a good clinical course can be obtained by laparoscopic transhiatal esophageal repair to avoid surgical invasion due to thoracotomy.

Hepatectomy Followed by Adjuvant Chemotherapy with 3-Month Capecitabine Plus Oxaliplatin for Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases

Lessons Learned

Three‐month adjuvant capecitabine plus oxaliplatin in combination (CAPOX) appeared to reduce recurrence, with mild toxicity in postcurative resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLM).

Recurrence in patients who underwent the 3‐month adjuvant CAPOX after resection of CLM was most commonly at extrahepatic sites.

Background

The role of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy in the management of initially resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLM) is still unclear. We evaluated the feasibility of 3‐month adjuvant treatment with capecitabine plus oxaliplatin in combination (CAPOX) for postcurative resection of CLM.

Methods

Patients received one cycle of capecitabine followed by four cycles of CAPOX as adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection of CLM. Oral capecitabine was given as 1,000 mg/m² twice daily for 2 weeks in a 3‐week cycle, and CAPOX consisted of oral capecitabine plus oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² on day 1 in a 3‐week cycle. Primary endpoint was the completion rate of adjuvant chemotherapy. Secondary endpoints included recurrence‐free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), dose intensity, and safety.

Results

Twenty‐eight patients were enrolled. Median age was 69.5 years, 54% of patients had synchronous metastases, and 29% were bilobar. Mean number of lesions resected was two, and mean size of the largest lesion was 31 mm. Among patients, 20 (71.4%; 95% confidence interval, 53.6%–89.3%) completed the protocol treatment and met its primary endpoint. The most common grade 3 or higher toxicity was neutropenia (29%). Five‐year recurrence‐free survival and overall survival were 65.2% and 87.2%, respectively.

Conclusion

Three‐month adjuvant treatment with CAPOX is tolerable and might be a promising strategy for postcurative resection of CLM.

A case report of intersigmoid hernia treated using laparoscopic surgery

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Intersigmoid hernia (ISH) is a rare disease that is difficult to diagnose preoperatively and sometimes causes intestinal necrosis that requires emergency surgery.

CASE PRESENTATION

The patient was an 87-year-old male with no history of abdominal surgery who visited our emergency outpatient service due to left lower quadrant pain and vomiting as chief complaints. Abdominal findings showed tenderness with the severest point in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen. Contrast-enhanced CT showed poor imaging of the dorsal sigmoid colon and an expanded proximal small intestine, with regional ascites around the small intestines. The patient was diagnosed with small bowel obstruction associated with ISH incarceration and underwent emergency surgery. Invagination of the small intestine into the intersigmoid fossa was found by laparoscopy. The incarcerated part was removed and the hernia orifice was sutured and closed. Mild congestion was seen in the incarcerated small intestine, but with no findings of ischemia. Thus, intestinal resection was determined to be unnecessary. The postoperative course was good and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 6.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

ISH is often diagnosed as simple ileus at the initial visit, which can result in delayed surgery. There are no case reports of complete remission of ISH with conservative therapy, and treatment with surgery is generally required. Our patient underwent early surgery because of CT findings that were characteristic of ISH and allowed diagnosis before surgery.

CONCLUSION

Early diagnosis of ISH and performance of laparoscopic surgery can avoid the need for intestinal resection.

Resection strategy for colorectal liver metastasis focusing on intrahepatic vessels and resection margins

PURPOSE

We analyzed the impact of surgical margins and vessel preservation on the oncological outcomes of patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, resected CRLM (n = 242) from 116 patients were assigned to one of the following groups: Group A, apart from vessels (n = 201); Group B, hepatic vein contact (n = 27); or Group C, Glissonean pedicle contact (n = 25). We analyzed the local recurrence rates (LRR) in each group.

RESULTS

The total LRR and that in Groups A, B, and C were 11.6%, 10.4%, 7.4%, and 20%, respectively. In group A, R1 resections were associated with a significantly higher LRR than R0 resections (27.6% vs 7.6%, respectively; P = 0.001); however, the margin widths were not related to the LRR. In group B, the LRR for hepatic vein preservation and resection did not differ. In group C, the Glissonean pedicle preservation group had a higher LRR than the Glissonean pedicle resection group (66.7% vs 5.3%, respectively; P = 0.001). The 5-year overall survival rate of the local recurrence group (25%) was significantly lower than that of the no recurrence group (84%, P < 0.001) and the intrahepatic recurrence group (60%, P = 0.026).

CONCLUSION

R0 resections for CRLM, apart from those involving vessels, can achieve local control. While preserving hepatic vein contact with CRLM is acceptable, the Glissonean pedicle should be resected because of the higher LRR.

Laparoscopic Colectomy for Splenic Flexure Cancer Approached from Four Directions

Background: Standardized protocols for laparoscopic surgery of splenic flexure cancer (SFC) have not been established yet. We described a standardized laparoscopic procedure for SFCs and examined its safety and feasibility. Methods: Laparoscopic colectomy for SFC was performed as follows. The sigmoid colon was mobilized to the descending mesocolon through the medial approach. After confirming the base of the inferior mesenteric artery, the left colic artery was dissected and resected at the base. Further dissection was carried out between the mesentery of the colon and the renal fascia until it exceeded the upper pole of the left kidney and the splenic flexure. The next dissection reached the white line at the lateral side and the sigmoid-descending colon junction. After making an incision at the greater omentum and gastrocolic ligament from the center of the transverse colon to the splenic flexure, the transverse mesocolon base was dissected from the inside splenic flexure for complete mobilization. This was performed by approaching from four directions toward the splenic flexure. Intestinal resection and anastomosis are performed. Results: This procedure was performed in 70 patients with splenic flexure colon cancer (mean age 70 years). The mean operative time was 190 minutes, and the mean blood loss was 2.0 mL. No notable perioperative or postoperative complications were noted. Conclusions: Safe mobilization of the splenic flexure can be achieved by approaching from four directions, and standardization of left colectomy can facilitate complete mesenteric excision.

Complete Response of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer with Pancreatic Invasion and Gastric Outlet Obstruction after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with S-1 and Oxaliplatin

The prognosis of locally advanced gastric cancer is poor even if radical gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy is followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Hence, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is performed to try to improve the prognosis, as it can significantly downstage the tumor and safely improve the R0 resection rate of patients. Herein, we report a case of locally advanced gastric cancer with pancreatic invasion and gastric outlet obstruction that showed a pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX). A 74-year-old man presented to our hospital with abdominal pain and pyloric stenosis. CT images revealed a cStage IVb, cT4b tumor in the pancreas, cN1, cM0. Therefore, we performed laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy, and the patient's oral intake improved after surgery; we then administered neoadjuvant chemotherapy with SOX on postoperative day 18, without any surgical complications. After 3 courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the patient underwent radical distal gastrectomy, thereby avoiding pancreatoduodenectomy. Histopathological examination of the resected sample revealed no residual cancer cells, indicating a pathological complete response. No recurrence has occurred for 1 year after surgery. Thus, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with SOX can help in tumor downstaging and may be a multipotent option for the treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer, such as cases with the invasion of other organs; this treatment can result in improved curability and avoid overinvasive surgery.

Conversion to complete resection with mFOLFOX6 with bevacizumab or cetuximab based on K-RAS status for unresectable colorectal liver metastasis (BECK study): Long-term results of survival

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

To investigate the long-term outcome and entire treatment course of patients with technically unresectable CRLM who underwent conversion hepatectomy and to examine factors associated with conversion to hepatectomy.

METHODS

Recurrence and survival data with long-term follow-up were analyzed in the cohort of a multi-institutional phase II trial for technically unresectable colorectal liver metastases (the BECK study).

RESULTS

A total of 22/12 patients with K-RAS wild-type/mutant tumors were treated with mFOLFOX6 + cetuximab/bevacizumab. The conversion R0/1 hepatectomy rate was significantly higher in left-sided primary tumors than in right-sided tumors (75.0% vs 30.0%, P = .022). The median follow-up was 72.6 months. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate in the entire cohort was 48.1%. In patients who underwent R0/1 hepatectomy (n = 21), the 5-year RFS rate and OS rate were 19.1% and 66.3%, respectively. At the final follow-up, seven patients had no evidence of disease, five were alive with disease, and 20 had died from their original cancer. All 16 patients who achieved 5-year survival underwent conversion hepatectomy, and 11 of them underwent further resection for other recurrences (median: 2, range: 1-4).

CONCLUSIONS

Conversion hepatectomy achieved a similar long-term survival to the results of previous studies in initially resectable patients, although many of them experienced several post-hepatectomy recurrences. Left-sided primary was found to be the predictor for conversion hepatectomy.

Internal hernia of the stomach associated with colostomy after laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer: a case report

Background

Colostomy via the intraperitoneal route is often performed during laparoscopic Hartmann’s operation or abdominoperineal resection. Internal hernia of the small intestine often occurs after colostomy. This report shows a rare case of internal hernia of the stomach associated with sigmoid colostomy after laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer.

Case presentation

The patient was a 79-year-old woman with a sigmoid colostomy. Computed tomography scan showed a markedly distended stomach in the space between the lifted sigmoid colon and the lateral abdominal wall. Laparoscopy revealed that the body of the stomach had passed through a hernia orifice located between the lifted sigmoid colon and the left lateral abdominal wall. The dislocated stomach was restored to its normal position, and the lateral defect was closed with the lateral peritoneum and the lifted sigmoid colon laparoscopically.

Conclusions

Internal hernia associated with colostomy can lead to not only obstruction of the small intestine, but also obstruction of the stomach. We reported a successful case of the suture repair for the internal hernia of the stomach associated with colostomy.

Multicenter phase II study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 and oxaliplatin for locally advanced gastric cancer (Neo G-SOX PII)

399

Background: Prognosis for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC), such as clinical T4 disease, bulky nodal metastases, type 4 and large type 3 gastric cancer, was not satisfactory even by D2 gastrectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is another promising approach, therefore, we have conducted a phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy of S-1 and oxaliplatin (G-SOX) followed by gastrectomy with D2/3 lymph node dissection for LAGC, and the primary endpoint of curative resection rate was met [Miki A, ESMO 2019]. We show longer follow-up data from this study. Methods: Patients with adenocarcinoma of the stomach; clinical T4; clinically resectable gastric cancer of type 4 or large type 3; bulky nodal involvement around major branched arteries to the stomach were enrolled. Patients receive two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 (80 mg/m2, p.o., days 1-14 followed by 1 week rest) and oxaliplatin (130 mg/m2 at day 1), followed by D2 or higher surgery with no residual disease. Patients with pathological R0/1 resection received S-1 (80 mg/m2, p.o., days 1-28 followed by 2 week rest) for 1 year as adjuvant chemotherapy. Primary endpoint was curative resection rate. Results: Between August 2015 and March 2017, forty-one patients were in enrolled. Of the patients, 39 patients (95%) completed the two courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy of G-SOX, 37 (90%) received gastrectomy, and 36 (87.8%) received curative resection (R0/1). Grade 3 or higher toxicities during neoadjuvant chemotherapy of G-SOX were neutropenia (7%), fatigue (7%), diarrhea (5%) and thrombocytopenia (2%). No treatment related deaths were observed. Surgical complications including postoperative complications were observed in 13 patients (35%). Pathological response rate after neoadjuvant G-SOX was 40%. With a median follow-up period of 33.8 months, 3year-relapse free survival and 3year-ovearll survival was 54.3% and 73.1%, respectively. Conclusions: An update analysis confirmed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy of G-SOX is a feasible and might be one of the promising strategies for patients with LAGC. Clinical trial information: UMIN000018661.

Diaphragm disease associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs mimicking intestinal tumor: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Diaphragm disease is rare and caused by intestinal obstruction due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Given the availability of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) and balloon enteroscopy (BE) this disease will be diagnosed more often.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 73-year-old man was presented to our hospital for persistent nausea and vomiting. Abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography revealed small-bowel thickening, stricture in the terminal ileum, and dilation of the proximal small intestine. Differential diagnosis included ileal lymphoma and multiple ileal adenocarcinomas, and a diagnostic laparoscopy was performed. Twenty-centimeter of ileum was resected by primary ileo-ileal anastomosis. On pathological examination, fibrosis of the submucosa was identified, and erosions and numerous inflammatory cells reaching the submucosa were also identified from the specimen.

DISCUSSION

The preoperative diagnosis of diaphragm disease is sometimes challenging due to its uncharacteristic symptoms; moreover, radiological findings are usually indefinite and distinctive. Currently, the main treatment for diaphragm disease is surgery.

CONCLUSION

We have documented a case of intestinal obstruction by NSAIDs. However, it is desirable to determine the course of treatment based on small bowel endoscopic dilatation cases in the future.

Usefulness of laparoscopic posterior rectopexy for complete rectal prolapse: A cohort study

BACKGROUND

Transabdominal rectopexy for complete rectal prolapse reportedly yields more definitive results than transperineal surgery. Recently, minimally invasive laparoscopic rectopexy has become a popular treatment option for patients with rectal prolapse. Herein, we describe our surgical procedure for correction of rectal prolapse. We further aimed to perform a comparative assessment between perioperative outcomes achieved with open and laparoscopic applications of this technique.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cohort study, 65 patients underwent posterior rectopexy (laparoscopic, 50; open, 15) between April 2008 and December 2015. The basic procedure consisted of posterior rectopexy using mesh fixation (modified Wells' method). We assessed and compared perioperative outcomes (duration of surgery and hospitalization, complication rates, blood-loss, degree of fecal incontinence) of laparoscopic and open rectopexy. Furthermore, pre- and post-operative urinary incontinence was measured (using pad test, questionnaire) and compared to determine the effects of the procedure on pelvic organ function. A p-value <0.05 indicated statistical significance.

RESULTS

The mean operative time of the laparoscopic and open procedures was 127 and 83.6 min, respectively. The amount of blood-loss was negligible and 77 (range, 18-200) g with the laparoscopic and open approaches, respectively. The mean duration of hospitalization was 4.2 and 7.2 days for the former and latter procedures, respectively (p < 0.05). Rectal prolapse and fecal incontinence (evaluated using Wexner's score) diminished in all patients. Urinary incontinence also decreased postoperatively. There were no recurrences of rectal prolapse.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic rectopexy can be safely performed in older patients to achieve early postoperative ambulation and significantly shorten the hospital-stay. It may therefore be considered an effective treatment for complete rectal prolapse and urinary dysfunction.

Transperineal abdominoperineal resection for anorectal melanoma: A case report

•

Anorectal malignant melanoma is rare and prone to metastasis.

•

An anorectal melanoma was resected via transperineal abdominoperineal resection (TpAPR).

•

The patient remained disease-free until the 24-month follow-up.

•

TpAPR/total mesorectal excision (TME) for anorectal melanoma appears to be a feasible approach.

Introduction

Anorectal melanoma is a rare type of cancer characterized by frequent metastasis. We report our experience with a case of anorectal melanoma resected via transperineal abdominoperineal resection and total mesorectal excision.

Presentation of case

A 77-year-old woman visited our hospital with the complaint of melena. Colonoscopic examination revealed a black type 1 tumor measuring 5 mm in size on the dentate line of the anal canal circumference. Tumor biopsy revealed malignant melanoma, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed tracer accumulation within the mass but not at other sites. We performed a two-stage abdominoperineal resection surgery with lymphadenectomy via transperineal abdominoperineal resection, and pathological diagnosis indicated submucosal tumor depth. The patient was diagnosed with T2 N0 M0 stage I malignant melanoma and was followed on an outpatient basis. A 24-month follow-up computed tomography revealed multiple liver metastases.

Discussion

Anorectal melanoma is associated with a very poor prognosis because of its association with early lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis. The tumor may spread beyond the main lesion and involve the surrounding mucosa and draining lymph nodes. Transperineal abdominoperineal resection is a minimally invasive procedure that can be used to achieve curative tumor resection with lymphadenectomy.

Conclusion

Transperineal abdominoperineal resection appears to be a feasible approach for the treatment of anorectal melanoma.

Hepatic anisakiasis mimicking metastatic liver tumour

•

Anisakiasis is a parasitic disease caused by anisakid nematode larvae in raw fish.

•

Anisakiasis may increase with growing consumption of raw fish around the world.

•

Hepatic anisakiasis presents as small, low density tumours in the liver margin.

•

The lesions resemble recurrent carcinoma, and can lead to unnecessary surgery.

•

Dietary investigation is warranted when liver tumour malignancy is not certain.

Introduction

Anisakiasis is a parasitic disease caused by anisakid nematode larvae, which are found in raw or undercooked fish. It occurs more frequently in the digestive tract, but has also been reported outside the gastrointestinal tract. This report details a case of rare hepatic anisakiasis that was initially diagnosed as metastatic rectal cancer.

Presentation of case

A 60-year-old male underwent radical resection for stage III rectal cancer followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for six months. Seven months after surgery, a new, 10 mm diameter area of low density was seen in segment 4/8 margin of the liver on enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan. Metastatic liver tumour from rectal cancer was suspected. Laparoscopic partial hepatectomy was performed. The diagnosis was revised to hepatic anisakiasis when pathological examination revealed anisakis simplex larvae in the necrotic tissue.

Discussion

Anisakiasis outside of the gastrointestinal tract is a rare finding, but may be seen more frequently with the recent increase in the consumption of raw fish around the world. Hepatic anisakiasis may mimic tumours in the liver. Clinicians should consider dietary inquiry and further evaluation in patients with liver margin tumours less than 20 mm in size that are not positively malignant, as hepatic anisakiasis may be a possible diagnosis.

Conclusion

We report a rare case of hepatic anisakiasis which initially presented as suspected metastatic cancer. Hepatic anisakiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of low density liver tumours less than 20 mm, where the patient’s diet includes raw fish.

Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis B virus reactivation in patients with solid tumors with resolved HBV infection

BACKGROUND

Reports of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in solid tumors are very limited, and their frequencies and risk factors were previously unknown.

AIM

To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of HBV reactivation in patients with solid tumors with resolved HBV infection.

METHODS

All 1088 patients with solid tumors were assessed for eligibility; 251 patients had resolved HBV infection (negative for HBs antigen and positive for anti-HBc antibody and/or positive for anti-HBs antibody), and HBV-DNA was assessed for 243 of these patients in whom we analyzed the prevalence of HBV reactivation. Risk factors for HBV reactivation were exploratorily evaluated by analysis of a case-control study.

RESULTS

The prevalence of HBV-DNA reactivation was 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3-3.9%). We did not observe any exacerbation of HBV-DNA by early intervention. A low anti-HBs antibody titer (<10.0 mIU/mL) and high average daily dexamethasone dose (>1.0 mg/day) were high risk factors, with odds ratios of 5.94 (95% CI, 1.15-30.6, P = 0.03) and 8.69 (95% CI, 1.27-58.8, P = 0.02), respectively.

CONCLUSION

HBV reactivation in solid tumor patients was relatively rare. Therefore, risk factors that can identify targets for HBV screening must be determined in future studies.

Laparoscopic appendectomy during the third trimester: Case presentation and literature review

Acute appendicitis is the most common general surgical problem encountered during pregnancy. Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is widely accepted as a minimally invasive procedure for acute appendicitis. However, LA during the third trimester is associated with problems, including technical difficulty, risk of preterm delivery, and fetal loss. We successfully managed three cases of LA during the third trimester between 2011 and 2016. None of the cases required conversion to an open procedure, and none of the patients had postoperative complications and/or fetal loss. We reviewed the literature using the PubMED database from 2007 to 2016 to acquire further evidence and identified 6 reports and 17 cases. The conversion rate was 11.8% (2 cases), the complication rate was 6.67% (1 case), and the preterm delivery rate was 20% (3 cases); no fetal loss was observed. Our study and literature review highlights the role of LA as a potentially feasible treatment approach for appendicitis during the third trimester.

Fistula Formation Secondary to Mucinous Appendiceal Adenocarcinoma May Be Related to a Favorable Prognosis: A Case Report and Literature Review

A 90-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a positive fecal occult blood test. Colonoscopy revealed a lesion with multiple nodules covered with abundant mucus at the hepatic flexure. Computed tomography showed a dilated appendix attached distally to the hepatic flexure. Right hemicolectomy was performed, and the pathological examination revealed a mucinous appendiceal adenocarcinoma infiltrating the hepatic flexure without pseudomyxoma peritonei. The patient is doing well without recurrence 12 months postoperatively. Extraperitoneal drainage of the malignant ascites caused by the fistula may allow for an early diagnosis, while also making it possible to successfully resect the lesion, thus resulting in a favorable outcome.

Technique and surgical outcomes of mesenterization and intra-operative neural monitoring to reduce recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis after thoracoscopic esophagectomy: A cohort study

BACKGROUND

Because the thoracic esophageal carcinoma has a high metastatic rate to the upper mediastinal lymph nodes, especially along the recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLN), it is crucial to perform a complete lymphadenectomy along the RLN without complications. Although intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) during thyroid surgery has gained widespread acceptance as a useful tool for visual nerve identification, utilization of IONM during esophageal surgery has not become common. Here, we describe our procedures, focusing on a lymphadenectomy along the RLN utilizing the IONM.

METHODS

Eighty-seven patients who underwent prone esophagectomy between December 2009 and September 2017 were included in this study. We divided patients into two groups: neural monitoring group (Nm, n = 31) and conventional method group without IONM (Cm, n = 56). We first dissect around the esophagus, preserving the membranous structure; mesoesophagus, which contains tracheoesophageal artery; RLN; and lymph nodes (mesenterization). In Nm group, we next identify the location of the RLN, which runs in the mesoesophagus using IONM before visual contact. Next, we perform lymphadenectomy around the RLN, preserving the nerve itself. Early surgical outcomes were retrospectively compared between two groups.

RESULTS

In all 31 cases in the Nm group, we detected the location of the RLN before the visual contact. The sensitivity and specificity of the IONM to detect the RLN paralysis were 67% and 96%, respectively. Postoperative RLN paralysis was observed in 3 cases in the Nm group (9.7%), which was lower than that in the Cm group (32.1%, p = 0.03). Clavien-Dindo grade 2 and over aspiration were seen in 2 (Nm, 6.5%) and 16 (Cm, 28.6%) cases (p = 0.01), respectively. The postoperative hospital stay was shorter in the Nm group (22 days, median) than in the Cm group (39 days, median, p = 0.0002). The number of dissected mediastinal lymph nodes was similar in both groups (25 vs. 20, median, p = 0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of IONM and the concept of the mesoesophagus have substantial advantages in allowing accurate and safe mediastinal lymphadenectomy during prone esophagectomy.

IMIA Presidential Retrospectives on Medical Informatics

The International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2007. Three IMIA Presidents from three continents were invited to give their personal retrospectives on the world’s largest organization in medical informatics.

Reports, based on personal reminiscenses.

IMIA was established in the 1970s by individuals already active in medical informatics in their home countries. It has evolved into a strong international organization based on the mutual trust and friendship of members throughout the world. IMIA serves as a ‘bridge’ organization both within an inter organizational context and within the broader context of IMIA’s professional aims. Being a driving motor for successive waves of change in the field, IMIA helps to significantly improve health care by building bridges across regions, disciplines, and professions, to bridge the distances around the globe.

Geissbuhler A, Haux R, Kulikowski C, editors. IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics 2007.

Hospital Information Systems in Japan

Hospital information systems have been in use in Japan since 1968. Yet, riot much is known in Western literature about Japanese HIS. This paper traces the historical development of HIS in e that country and discusses the strong influence of the Japanese social system. An attempt is e made to classify some of the existing varieties of HIS into four general models with examples given of each kind. Results of evaluations of some of these systems in terms of acceptance by doctors and of hospital and patient management efficiency are also discussed. ment, Japan

Methodology for the Construction of a Disease Nomenclature and Classification System for Clinical Use

The nature and problems of the linguistic representation of clinical data are discussed, using the linguistic theory of Ferdinand de Saussure. Based on the conclusions, a methodology for the construction of a disease nomenclature and a classification system, suitable for use in clinical information systems, is developed using set theory.

A Method for Estimating Prognosis Based on Physician’s Decision-Making Process

Different diagnostic rules for computer-aided diagnosis are based on different mathematically precise statistical models. In practice, however, the medical data cannot meet the requirements set for the models and, in some cases, the model precision loses its advantages. On the other hand, physicians make their decisions without mathematical precision according to some statistics based on their own experiences.

In this study, the physician’s process of estimating prognosis of diseases was analyzed and a method for estimating prognosis based on the physician’s decision-making process was proposed. Problems such as collection of informative symptoms, their estimation and weighting, and physician’s decision were considered. The decisionmaking function obtained from the analysis was applied for estimating the prognosis of cerebrovascular diseases. The choice of informative symptoms was based on Kullback’s information measure. Error estimation was made by using the minimum empirical risk method. The proposed method seemed to provide a smaller error rate, as compared to discriminant analysis under identical conditions (same sample, same informative symptoms).

Using a WWW-based Mail User Agent for Secure Electronic Mail Service for Health Care Users

WWW-based user interface is presented for secure electronic mail service for healthcare users. Using this method, communications between an electronic mail (WWW) server and users (WWW browsers) can be performed securely using Secure Socket Layer protocol-based Hypertext Transfer Protocol (SSL-HTIP). The mail can be encrypted, signed, and sent to the recipients and vice versa on the remote WWW server. The merit of this method is that many healthcare users can use a secure electronic mail system easily and immediately, because SSL-compatible WWW browsers are widely used and this system can be made available simply by installing a WWW-based mail user agent on a mail server. We implemented a WWWbased mail user agent which is compatible with PEM-based secure mail and made it available to about 16,000 healthcare users. We believe this approach is effective in facilitating secure network-based information exchange among medical professionals.

Object-oriented Analysis and Design of an ECG Storage and Retrieval System Integrated with an HIS

For a hospital information system, object-oriented methodology plays an increasingly important role, especially for the management of digitized data, e.g., the electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyogram, spirogram, X-ray, CT and histopathological images, which are not yet computerized in most hospitals. As a first step in an object-oriented approach to hospital information management and storing medical data in an object-oriented database, we connected electrocardiographs to a hospital network and established the integration of ECG storage and retrieval systems with a hospital information system. In this paper, the object-oriented analysis and design of the ECG storage and retrieval systems is reported.

Quantitative Evaluation of English-Japanese Machine Translation of Medical Literature

Although many machine-translation programs are currently available, few evaluation methods of such translation exist for any given application area. It is difficult to evaluate machine-translation systems objectively because the quality of a translation depends on the combination of three factors: the translation program, the dictionary, and the original document. In this study, we developed a quantitative evaluation method for assessing machine translation, which evaluates these three factors separately. We applied this method to the translation of English to Japanese for medical literature and the method proved to be a good indicator for further system improvement. Using this method we also discovered other important points for machine translation, such as the examination of target documents for the construction of a better application dictionary.

Survival results of hepatectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with three months of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin for colorectal cancer liver metastases: A multicenter phase II study

866

Background: Hepatic resection is one of the treatment strategies for resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLM). The role of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy in the management of initially resectable CLM is still unclear. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CapeOx) appears to be equivalent to FOLFOX in patients with stage III colon cancer. Furthermore, the IDEA collaboration reported that adjuvant chemotherapy with the three months of CapeOx after curative resection for stage III colon cancer has equivalent efficacy to adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 months. We conducted a multi-institutional, single-arm, phase II trial to confirm the feasibility of the three months of adjuvant CapeOx for post curative resection of CLM. Methods: Patients received one course of capecitabine followed by four courses of CapeOx for a total five courses (15 weeks) as adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection of CLM. Oral capecitabine was given with 1,000 mg/m2 twice daily for 2 weeks in a 3-week cycle, and CapeOx consisted of oral capecitabine plus oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 on day 1 in a 3-week cycle. The primary endpoint was completion rate of adjuvant chemotherapy. We set a threshold completion rate of protocol treatment of 45% and an expected completion rate of 70%. Given a one-sided α of 0.1 and statistical power of 80%, a minimum of 25 patients was required. Results: From May 2013 to November 2015, Twenty-eight patients were enrolled from six institutions: median age 69.5y, 54% male, 78.5% left-sided primary. Of the patients, 15 were synchronous metastases and 13 were metachronous. The locations of the metastases were unilobar in 20 patients and bilobar in 8. The mean number of lesions resected was two (range, 1 to 4). Among the 28 patients, 20 (71.4%: 95% CI, 53.6 to 89.3%) completed the protocol treatment. The most common grade 3/4 toxicities were neutropenia (29%). No treatment related death was observed. With a median follow-up period of 36 months (range 15-53months), 3 year-relapse free survival was 75.3%. Conclusions: The three months of adjuvant CapeOx is tolerable for post curative resection of CLM. Clinical trial information: 000011164.

Phase I Study of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer

AIM

To determine the recommended dose of neoadjuvant chemotherapy of combined capecitabine and oxalipatin (G-XELOX) for locally advanced gastric cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin on day 1 and capecitabine (2,000 mg/m²/day, b.i.d.) on days 1-14, repeated every 3 weeks. They then underwent gastrectomy with curative D2/3 lymph-node dissection followed by adjuvant therapy with S-1 for 1 year. De-escalation of oxaliplatin dose was planned (starting at level 1, oxalipatin 130 mg/m²).

RESULTS

Six patients were enrolled. The maximum tolerated dose was not reached at level 1. Oxaliplatin at 130 mg/m² combined with capecitabine at 2,000 mg/m²/day, b.i.d. had acceptable toxicity. No treatment-related death occurred. Most frequent drug-related adverse events during neoadjuvant G-XELOX were nausea and peripheral sensory neuropathy. One patient declined surgical resection, leaving five undergoing resection with curative intent, of whom four achieved pathological down-staging after neoadjuvant G-XELOX.

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant G-XELOX was feasible in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.

Hepatectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine plus oxaliplatin for three months for colorectal cancer liver metastases: A multicenter phase 2 study

e15015

Background: Hepatic resection is one of the treatment strategies for resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLM). The role of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy in the management of initially resectable CLM is still unclear. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CapeOx) appears to be equivalent to FOLFOX in patients with stage III colon cancer. Furthermore, some studies suggest that adjuvant chemotherapy for three months after curative resection for stage II/III colorectal cancer has equivalent efficacy to adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 months. We initiated a multi-institutional, single-arm, open label, phase II trial to confirm the feasibility of adjuvant CapeOx for three months for post curative resection of CLM. Methods: Patients received one course of capecitabine followed by four courses of CapeOx for a total five courses (15 weeks) as adjuvant chemotherapy after curative resection of CLM. CapeOx consisted of a 2-hour intravenous infusion of oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 on day 1 plus oral capecitabine 1,000 mg/m2 twice daily for 2 weeks in a 3-week cycle. The primary endpoint was completion rate of adjuvant chemotherapy. We set a threshold completion rate of protocol treatment of 45% and an expected completion rate of 70%. Given a one-sided α of 0.1 and statistical power of 80%, a minimum of 25 patients was required. Results: From May 2013 to November 2015, Twenty-eight patients were enrolled from six institutions: median age 69.5y, 54% male, 78.5% left-sided primary. Of the patients, 15 were synchronous metastases and 13 were metachronous. The locations of the metastases were unilobar in 20 patients and bilobar in 8. The mean number of lesions resected was two (range, 1 to 4). The mean size of largest tumor was 31 mm (range, 2 to 112 mm). Among the 28 patients, 20 (71.4 %: 95% CI, 53.6 to 89.3%) completed the protocol treatment. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicities were neutropenia (29%). No treatment related death was observed. Conclusions: Adjuvant CapeOx for three months for post curative resection of CLM was feasible. Clinical trial information: UMIN000011164.

Prospective registry for laparoscopic liver resection

INTRODUCTION

Laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) has been widely performed throughout the world. Although prospective registry studies to clarify the safety of LLR have been feasible, no prior multicenter prospective study has addressed this issue. We have conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study to reveal the current status of LLR in Japan.

METHODS

From April 2015 to March 2016, candidates for LLR were preoperatively enrolled at 12 institutions. The primary end-point was surgical safety, which was evaluated based on surgical factors and on short-term and midterm outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 102 patients were enrolled. Planned laparoscopic procedures included 96 pure laparoscopies, 1 hand-assisted laparoscopy, and 5 hybrid techniques. Non-anatomical partial resection or left lateral sectionectomy were performed in almost all cases. The median duration of surgery was 221 min. The median blood loss was 80.5 mL. Conversion was required for four patients (3.9%). The 90-day postoperative morbidities with grades more severe than II in the Clavien-Dindo classification were observed in six patients (5.9%). The median postoperative hospital stay was 9.5 days. No cases involved reoperation or mortality.

CONCLUSION

Minor resection of LLR has been performed safely. To ensure the safe dissemination of LLR, including for major resection, a larger multicenter prospective study is required.

Phase I study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 and oxaliplatin for locally advanced gastric cancer (Neo G-SOX PI)

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of locally advanced gastric cancer, such as clinical T4 disease, bulky nodal involvement, type 4 and large type 3 gastric cancer, remains unsatisfactory, even with D2 gastrectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. One promising approach is neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Combination chemotherapy with S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX) is recognised as a potentially promising regimen for gastric cancer. However, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of SOX for locally advanced gastric cancer has not been reported. The aim of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose of preoperative chemotherapy combined with SOX for locally advanced gastric cancer.

METHODS

Patients received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin on day 1, as well as S-1 (80 mg/m²/day, twice daily) for 14 days, repeated every 3 weeks. They then underwent gastrectomy with curative D2/3 lymph node dissection followed by adjuvant S-1 (80 mg/m²/day, twice daily) for 1 year. Escalation of oxaliplatin dose was planned (starting at level 0, oxaliplatin 100 mg/m²; level 1, 130 mg/m²).

RESULTS

Six patients were enrolled. MTD was not reached at level 1. Oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² in combination with S-1 80 mg/m²/day twice daily could be administered with acceptable toxicity. Peripheral neuropathy was observed in all patients but with no functional disorders. No treatment-related death was observed and the incidence of operative morbidity was tolerable. Resection with curative intent was undertaken in all patients with R0 resection performed in five (83%) and R1 in one. Two of the six patients had a pathological complete response (33%).

CONCLUSION

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with an SOX regimen was feasible in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. The recommended phase II dose was determined to be oxaliplatin 130 mg/m² in combination with S-1 80 mg/m²/day, twice daily.

A Complete Response Case in a Patient with Multiple Lung Metastases of Rectal Cancer Treated with Bevacizumab plus XELIRI Therapy

It has been reported that many patients with lung metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) underwent chemotherapy with fluorouracil, folinic acid, oxaliplatin, irinotecan, or capecitabine. There is a small number of reports about the capecitabine and irinotecan (XELIRI) plus bevacizumab (BV) therapy for patients with metastatic CRC in Japan. We report a case of successful BV+XELIRI therapy for rectal cancer with multiple lung metastases as first-line chemotherapy. A 53-year-old female presented with advanced rectal cancer and metastatic lung tumors. Following surgery, the patient was treated with XELIRI+BV. After 6 courses, a computed tomography scan showed complete response of the lung metastases. No recurrence has occurred for 3 years after chemotherapy was stopped.

Phase I study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with xeloda and oxaliplatin (G-XELOX) for locally advanced gastric cancer

149

Background: Prognosis for locally advanced gastric cancer, such as clinical T4 disease, bulky nodal involvement, type 4 and large type 3 gastric cancer, remains unsatisfactory, even with D2 gastrectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a promising approach, and combination chemotherapy with Xeloda and oxaliplatin (G-XELOX) is recognized as a potentially promising regimen for gastric cancer. However, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of G-XELOX for locally advanced gastric cancer has not been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) during the neoadjuvant chemotherapy and to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended dose of preoperative chemotherapy combined with oxaliplatin with a fixed Xeloda dose for locally advanced gastric cancer. Methods: Patients received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin on day 1, as well as Xeloda (2000 mg/m2/day, b.i.d.) for 14 days, repeatedly every 3 weeks. They then underwent gastrectomy with curative D2/3 lymph-node dissection followed by adjuvant S-1 (80 mg/m2/day, b.i.d.) for one year. A decrease of oxaliplatin dose was planned (starting at level 1, 130 mg/m2). Results: Six patients (5 male, 1 female) with a median age of 72 (range 68-79) were enrolled. MTD was not reached at level 1. Oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 in combination with Xeloda 2000 mg/m2/day, b.i.d. could be administered with acceptable toxicity. No treatment-related death was observed. Most frequent drug-related AEs during the neoadjuvant chemotherapy period were G1 anemia, G1/2 thrombocytopenia and G1 peripheral neuropathy. One patient refused surgical resection, therefore five received resection with curative intent. Of the five patients, all achieved a pathological downstaging after neoadjuvant G-XELOX therapy. The incidence of operative morbidity was tolerable. Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with G-XELOX regimen was feasible by patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. Clinical trial information: UMIN000015950.

The preventive surgical site infection bundle in patients with colorectal perforation

Background

Incisional surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most frequent complications that occur after colorectal surgery. Surgery for colorectal perforation carries an especially high risk of incisional SSI because fecal ascites contaminates the incision intraoperatively, and in patients who underwent stoma creation, the incision is located near the infective origin and is subject to infection postoperatively. Although effectiveness of the preventive SSI bundle of elective colorectal surgery has been reported, no study has focused exclusively on emergency surgery for colorectal perforation.

Methods

Patients with colorectal perforation who underwent emergency surgery and stoma creation from 2010 to 2015 at our center were consecutively enrolled in the study. In March 2013, we developed the preventive incisional SSI bundle for patients with colorectal perforation undergoing stoma creation. The effectiveness of the bundle in these patients was determined and the rates of incisional SSI between before and after March 2013 were compared.

Results

We enrolled 108 patients with colorectal perforation who underwent emergency operation during the study period. Thirteen patients were excluded because they died within 30 days after surgery, and 23 patients without stoma were excluded; thus, 72 patients were analyzed. There were 47 patients in the pre-implementation group and 25 patients in the post-implementation group. The rate of incisional SSI was significantly lower after implementation of preventive incisional SSI bundle (43 % vs. 20 %, p = 0.049). Postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter after implementation of the bundle (27 vs. 18 days respectively; p = 0.008).

Conclusions

The preventive incisional SSI bundle was effective in preventing incisional SSI in patients with colorectal perforation undergoing emergency surgery with stoma creation.

Prediction of mortality in patients with colorectal perforation based on routinely available parameters: a retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

Even after surgery and intensive postoperative management, the mortality rate associated with colorectal perforation is high. Identification of mortality markers using routinely available preoperative parameters is important.

METHODS

We enrolled consecutive patients with colorectal perforation who underwent operations from January 2010 to January 2015. We divided them into a mortality and survivor group and compared clinical characteristics between the two groups. Additionally, we compared the mortality rate between different etiologies: malignant versus benign and diverticular versus nondiverticular. We used the χ (2) and Mann-Whitney U tests and a logistic regression model to identify factors associated with mortality.

RESULTS

We enrolled 108 patients, and 52 (48 %) were male. The mean age at surgery was 71 ± 13 years. The postoperative mortality rate was 12 % (13 patients). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a high patient age (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.020-1.181) and low preoperative systolic blood pressure (OR, 0.98; 95 % CI, 0.953-0.999) were independent risk factors for mortality in patients with colorectal perforation. In the subgroup analysis, there was no significant difference between the malignant and benign group (11.8 % vs. 23.9 %, respectively; p = 0.970), while the diverticular group had a significantly lower mortality rate than the nondiverticular group (2.6 % vs. 17.1 %, respectively; p = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

Older patients and patients with low preoperative blood pressure had a high risk of mortality associated with colorectal perforation. For such patients, operations and postoperative management should be performed carefully.

Conversion to complete resection with mFOLFOX6 with bevacizumab or cetuximab based on K-ras status for unresectable colorectal liver metastasis (BECK study)

BACKGROUND

Patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) might be down-staged by chemotherapy from an initially unresectable stage to a resectable stage. Because the tumor response to preoperative chemotherapy has been correlated with resection rate, the improved efficacy from the concept that only the patients without K-ras mutations receive an anti-EGFR antibody might be expected to increase the conversion rate. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the conversion rate from unresectable CRLM to complete resection.

METHODS

We conducted a multi-institutional phase II trial for unresectable CRLM. Patients received mFOLFOX6 with either bevacizumab (bev) or cetuximab (cet) based on K-ras status (UMIN000004310). Planned treatment was for six cycles during which tumors were assessed for resectability every three cycles. Patients whose disease was unresectable after six cycles switched their chemotherapy regimen from mFOLFOX6 to FOLFIRI. The primary endpoint was R0 resection rate.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients with unresectable CRLM were enrolled. A total of 22/12 patients with K-ras wild-type/mutant (wt/mt) were treated with mFOLFOX6 plus cet/bev, respectively. The overall response rate was 64.7% (wt/mt; 77.3%/41.7%, P = 0.04). In 20 patients (58.8%), hepatectomy was performed according to protocol treatment, and the conversion rate was 72.7%/33.3% in wt/mt patients, respectively (P = 0.03). Finally, 23 patients (67.6%) underwent hepatectomy, and the conversion rate was 77.2%/50.0% in wt/mt patients (P = 0.09). The overall R0 resection rate was 47.1% (wt/mt; 50.0%/41.7%, P = 0.36).

CONCLUSIONS

This prospective study showed that combined chemotherapy based on K-ras status can facilitate conversion to resection in patients with unresectable CRLM.

Comparison between anatomical subsegmentectomy and nonanatomical partial resection for hepatocellular carcinoma located within a single subsegment: a single-center retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND/AIMS

For hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within a single subsegment, the superiority of anatomical subsegmentectomy over non-anatomical partial resection is still controversial. In this study, we assessed the potential benefit of subsegmentectomy.

METHODOLOGY

We selected 44 patients with a single HCC lesion within one subsegment who had undergone anatomical subsegmentectomy or non-anatomical partial resection from among 173 patients who underwent hepatectomy in our hospital from August 2003 to May 2013. We compared the results following anatomical subsegmentectomy (Group A; n = 16) and non-anatomical partial resection (Group N; n = 28).

RESULTS

One- and two-year survival rates were 92.5% and 89.3%, respectively; 1- and 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 88.9% and 69.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference in overall survival or RFS between the groups. However, among HBV-positive patients, RFS was significantly better for Group A than Group N (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

For HBV-positive HCC within a single subsegment, we recommend subsegmentectomy.

Long-term survival after resection of pancreatic cancer: A single-center retrospective analysis

AIM: To retrospectively analyze factors affecting the long-term survival of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatic resection.

METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2011, 195 patients underwent pancreatic resection in our hospital. The prognostic factors after pancreatic resection were analyzed in all 195 patients. After excluding the censored cases within an observational period, the clinicopathological characteristics of 20 patients who survived ≥ 5 (n = 20) and < 5 (n = 76) years were compared. For this comparison, we analyzed the patients who underwent surgery before June 2008 and were observed for more than 5 years. For statistical analyses, the log-rank test was used to compare the cumulative survival rates, and the χ² and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare the two groups. The Cox-Hazard model was used for a multivariate analysis, and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. A multivariate analysis was conducted on the factors that were significant in the univariate analysis.

RESULTS: The median survival for all patients was 27.1 months, and the 5-year actuarial survival rate was 34.5%. The median observational period was 595 d. With the univariate analysis, the UICC stage was significantly associated with survival time, and the CA19-9 ≤ 200 U/mL, DUPAN-2 ≤ 180 U/mL, tumor size ≤ 20 mm, R0 resection, absence of lymph node metastasis, absence of extrapancreatic neural invasion, and absence of portal invasion were favorable prognostic factors. The multivariate analysis showed that tumor size ≤ 20 mm (HR = 0.40; 95%CI: 0.17-0.83, P = 0.012) and negative surgical margins (R0 resection) (HR = 0.48; 95%CI: 0.30-0.77, P = 0.003) were independent favorable prognostic factors. Among the 96 patients, 20 patients survived for 5 years or more, and 76 patients died within 5 years after operation. Comparison of the 20 5-year survivors with the 76 non-survivors showed that lower concentrations of DUPAN-2 (79.5 vs 312.5 U/mL, P = 0.032), tumor size ≤ 20 mm (35% vs 8%, P = 0.008), R0 resection (95% vs 61%, P = 0.004), and absence of lymph node metastases (60% vs 18%, P = 0.036) were significantly associated with the 5-year survival.

CONCLUSION: Negative surgical margins and a tumor size ≤ 20 mm were independent favorable prognostic factors. Histologically curative resection and early tumor detection are important factors in achieving long-term survival.

[A case of mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma of the transverse colon]

A 7 1-year-old man presented to our hospital with constipation and abdominal pain. Computed tomography of the abdomen and colonoscopy revealed advanced cancer of the transverse colon. The biopsy specimen indicated a highly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent extended right hemicolectomy with regional lymph node dissection. Pathological examination showed a neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) with concurrent adenocarcinoma of the transverse colon and regional lymph node metastases of the NEC and adenocarcinoma. The histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) in accordance with the 2010 WHO Classification of Tumors of the Digestive System. Liver and lung metastases were identified 8 months after the surgery. We administered chemotherapy including 5-fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX) plus bevacizumab, with limited therapeutic effect, as the disease progressed despite treatment. The patient chose best supportive care 13 months after the surgery. Several studies have reported that most patients with adenoendocrine cell carcinoma, including MANEC, experience relapse within 1 year after surgery, and few patients remain disease-free for long periods after surgery. The optimal strategy for the management of MANEC is variable owing to its rarity; only 2 cases of MANEC in the colon, including the present case, have been reported in Japan. It is thus important to gather more evidence on this disease and its management.