Timed­flat infusion of 5­fluorouracil with docetaxel and oxaliplatin as first­line treatment of gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma: A single institution experience with the FD/FOx regimen.

To date, there is no consensus regarding first­line chemotherapy for patients with HER2­negative, locally advanced/metastatic gastric cancer (a/m GC). In the present study we reported a retrospective case­series of patients treated with a weekly regimen containing timed­flat infusion of 5­fluorouracil (TFI/5­FU), docetaxel and oxaliplatin. From June 2007 to July 2017, 32 consecutive a/m GC patients were treated with first­line standard (st) or modulated (mod) 'FD/FOx' regimen: Weekly 12 h (from 10.00 p.m. to 10.00 a.m.) TFI/5­FU for two consecutive nights at 900 mg/m2/day, associated to weekly alternating docetaxel, 50 mg/m2 and oxaliplatin, 80 mg/m2. The median age of the patients was 60 years and their Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group­performance status (ECOG­PS) was as follows: i) ECOG­PS 0/1, (n=28, 87.5%); and ii) ECOG­PS 2 (n=4, 12.5%). Patient activity, efficacy and safety data were collected and subgroup analyses were conducted among patients treated with st and mod FD/FOx. In the intention­to­treat (ITT) analysis, the objective response rate (ORR) was 75% (95% CI, 53­90) and the disease control rate (DCR) was 87.5% (95% CI, 67.6­97.3). After a median follow­up of 16 months, median progression­free survival (PFS) and median overall survival (OS) were 14.0 and 19.0 months, respectively. The received dose­intensities were ~80% of the standard doses for each agent. The most relevant treatment­related grade 3 adverse events were: Neutropenia (40.6%), asthenia (18.7%) and diarrhea (18.7%). The only treatment­related grade 4 adverse event was neutropenia (9.3%). No febrile neutropenia was observed and none of the patients died as a result of adverse events. FD/FOx regimen appeared to be a feasible option as a first­line treatment of a/m GC patients, especially in case of high­tumor burden, with the need of rapid tumor shrinkage and disease­related symptoms palliation.

Low HtrA1 expression in patients with long­standing ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer.

The association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) is being increasingly investigated. HtrA1 overexpression inhibits cell growth and proliferation by influencing apoptosis, invasiveness and migration of tumour cells. In the present study, HtrA1 expression was analysed in 228 colon tissue samples from patients with CRC, adenoma with high-grade dysplasia (AHD), adenoma with low-grade dysplasia (ALD), ulcerative colitis of >10 year duration (UCL), ulcerative colitis of <5 year duration (UCS) and colonic diverticulitis (D), and was compared with its expression in normal colon tissues (NCTs) collected 5 cm from the CRC lesion and in healthy colon mucosa (HC), to establish whether HtrA1 can serve as a biomarker for these conditions. All tissue specimens came from Italian Caucasian subjects. The main finding of the present study was that HtrA1 expression was significantly reduced in CRC and UCL tissues compared with that observed in both NCT and HC samples and with tissues from the other patients. In particular, a similar HtrA1 expression was detected in the stromal compartment of UCL and CRC samples. In contrast, the HtrA1 level was significantly lower (p=0.0008) in UCL compared with UCS tissues, suggesting an inverse relationship between HtrA1 expression and ulcerative colitis duration. HtrA1 immunostaining in the stromal compartment of AHD and ALD tissues showed no differences compared with the HC tissues. No data are available on the immunohistochemical localization of HtrA1 in CRC or IBD. The present findings suggest that HtrA1 could serve as a marker to identify UCL patients at high risk of developing CRC.

Multimodal treatment for oesophageal primary cancer. A preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the role of chemoradiotherapy, surgical reconstructive techniques of the esophagus and lymphadenectomy in relation to morbidity and mortality. METHODS. From January 2005 to January 2008 we observed 18 patients with esophagus cancer. Eleven patients manifested a lesion of the middle third, 4 patients had a lesion of the upper third and 3 patients had a lesion of the lower third. Preoperative histological evaluation revealed 3 adenocarcinomas and 15 squamous carcinomas. Four patients with a lesion of the upper third received neoadjuvant chemotherapy RESULTS: In 13 patients reconstruction used stomach and 5 patients underwent reconstruction with the colon. Complications ensued in 3 of the latter: dehiscence of the anastomosis, anastomotic stenosis and chylothorax. Three patients highlighted a moderate malabsorption syndrome. A T3N1M0 patient received postoperative cisplatin/5-fluorouracil and radiation therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the stomach represents the therapeutic gold standard for minimized incidence of complications. Lymphadenectomy allows to establish a precise stage of cancer. Chemoradiotherapy is recommended in case of risk of relapse.

[Recurrences, testicular growth and semen parameters after laparoscopic Palomo varicocelectomy]. / La varicocelectomia secondo Palomo per via laparoscopica: risultati, complicanze e modificazioni degli indici di fertilità.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of laparoscopic Palomo varicocelectomy on testicular volume and sperm parameters. Laparoscopic Palomo varicocelectomy was performed on 91 patients for left-sided grade II and grade III varicoceles. Ultrasound-derived testicular volumes, semen volume, sperm concentration, percentage sperm motility and total motile sperm count were compared before and after the procedure. Postoperative complications and recurrence rate were also assessed. There were no surgical complications. Four patients (5%) had a mild hydrocele, but did not need hydrocelectomy. No patients presented signs of testicular atrophy and the left testicular volume increased in the adolescents (p < 0.05), but not in the adults. Our data suggest that laparoscopic high mass ligation of both the testicular artery and vein is a highly effective, reliable method for the treatment of varicocele. It is associated with very low complication and recurrence rates and with an objective improvement in fertility parameters.

Yersinia enterocolitica intestinal infection with ileum perforation: report of a clinical observation.

Yersinia enterocolitica infection is responsible in human beings for ileocolitis appearing with abdominal pain, diarrhoea and fever. This kind of disease usually heals spontaneously with no remarkable complication. Intestinal perforation is a rare complication of the disease. To date only eleven cases of surgical complications arising from abscess and intestinal perforation due to Yersinia enterocolitica have been reported in literature. In our clinical case the patient, who had previously undergone appendicectomy, required urgent surgery for pelvi-peritonitis due to intestinal perforation on necrotic-ulcerative ileitis with adenomesenteritis from Yersinia enterocolitica. The surgical treatment combined with intestinal resection and targeted antibiotic therapy have proved to be effective.

Video-assisted thoracoscopy in thoracic injury: early or delayed indication?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic role and therapeutic effectiveness of videothoracoscopy in chest trauma. Between 1st January 1993 and 30th September 2003, 112 traumatized patients underwent a videothoracoscopy. The origin of trauma was different: 60 road accidents, 42 accidental falls, 7 knife wounds and 3 firearm wounds. Seventy-six patients presented hemothorax, 21 hemopneumothorax, 10 suspected diaphragmatic injury and 5 pericardium effusion. All patients were hemodynamically stable and conscious. In suspected diaphragmatic rupture patients, videothoracoscopy confirmed the presence of 4 lesions with diameter from 7 to 10cm. The etiopathogenetic causes in the other clinical patterns were: 20 lung lacerations, 17 apical adhesion lacerations, 11 diaphragmatic lesions, 16 wall bleedings and 38 vessel lesions. Ninety patients (80.3%) were treated with video assisted thoracic surgery. The remaining procedures were : 17 drainage tube insertions, 4 thoracotomies and 1 laparotomy. Videothoracoscopy made the use of the primary intention drainage tube obsolete in stable traumatized patients with hemothorax or hemopneumothorax. It is a safe technique that allows the diagnostic and surgical management of the lesions.

Giant metastatic small bowel and mesentery localization and pleural metastases secondary to breast cancer. Case report.

The authors present a case of a patient with double metastatic abdominal and thoracic localization coming from breast cancer. Peculiarity of this case concerns both the considerable size of metastatic abdominal mass (11 centimetres of the major axis for a weight of almost half a kilogram) and the swift development of the relapses at distance, even in the presence of an original tumour at first stage. Both abdominal surgical operation of the removal of the mass and diagnostic video assisted thoracoscopy (VAT) are described.