Ultrasound-guided vs endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

AIM: To clarify the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC). METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic PC between February 2006 and September 2011 were selected for this retrospective study. FNA biopsy for pancreatic tumors had been performed percutaneously under extracorporeal ultrasound guidance until October 2009; then, beginning in November 2009, EUS-FNA has been performed. We reviewed the complete medical records of all patients who met the selection criteria for the following data: sex, age, location and size of the targeted tumor, histological and/or cytological findings, details of puncture procedures, time from day of puncture until day of definitive diagnosis, and details of severe adverse events. RESULTS: Of the 121 patients who met the selection criteria, 46 had a percutaneous biopsy (Group A) and 75 had an EUS-FNA biopsy (Group B). Adequate cytological specimens were obtained in 42 Group A patients (91.3%) and all 75 Group B patients (P = 0.0192), and histological specimens were obtained in 41 Group A patients (89.1%) and 65 Group B patients (86.7%). Diagnosis of malignancy by cytology was positive in 33 Group A patients (78.6%) and 72 Group B patients (94.6%) (P = 0.0079). Malignancy by both cytology and pathology was found in 43 Group A (93.5%) and 73 Group B (97.3%) patients. The mean period from the puncture until the cytological diagnosis in Group B was 1.7 d, which was significantly shorter than that in Group A (4.1 d) (P < 0.0001). Severe adverse events were experienced in two Group A patients (4.3%) and in one Group B patient (1.3%). CONCLUSION: EUS-FNA, as well as percutaneous needle aspiration, is an effective modality to obtain cytopathological confirmation in patients with advanced PC.

A transcatheter arterial chemotherapy using a novel lipophilic platinum derivative (miriplatin) for patients with small and multiple hepatocellular carcinomas.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Miriplatin is a platinum complex developed to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through administration into the hepatic artery as a sustained-release formulation suspended in lipiodol. A single-institute pilot study was conducted to investigate the antitumor efficacy of miriplatin infusion therapy for small and multiple HCCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Small HCCs sized 2 cm or less, judged to be inadequate for curative treatment, were indicated for transcatheter arterial miriplatin infusion therapy. We prospectively investigated the course of patients treated with miriplatin between March 2010 and September 2010. Efficacy was evaluated by computed tomography at 4-8 weeks and the overall evaluation was carried out more than 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: The study included 14 patients, of whom 13 were evaluable for efficacy. Of the 13 patients, one (8%) showed a complete response and three (23%) showed a partial response, with an overall response rate of 31%. Grade 3/4 hematological toxicity including thrombocytopenia was not seen. Increases to grade 3/4 in aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase were observed for nonhematological toxicity. Irreversible deleterious changes in hepatic function were not seen. CONCLUSION: Miriplatin infusion therapy showed safe and moderate effects on small HCCs. However, transarterial chemoembolization as a standard therapy cannot be replaced. We await the results of an ongoing study of transarterial chemoembolization with miriplatin.

A multicenter prospective study of the short-term outcome of a newly developed partially covered self-expandable metallic biliary stent (WallFlex(®)).

BACKGROUND: Self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement is a widely used, effective therapy for unresectable malignant stricture of the lower bile duct. AIMS: We evaluated the short-term outcome of the newly developed WallFlex(®) Biliary RX Partially Covered Stent in patients with malignant lower and middle biliary stricture in five tertiary referral centers. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 52 patients in whom WallFlex(®) Biliary RX Stents were inserted into the bile duct for malignant stenosis of the middle and lower bile duct at five medical facilities between April 2009 and November 2009. RESULTS: The stent placement success rate was 100%. Effective biliary decompression was achieved in all patients. The incidence of early complications was 7.7% (4/52). Stent occlusion occurred in two patients (3.8%) (one dislocation, one migration); cholecystitis occurred in two patients (3.8%). Neither acute pancreatitis nor stent kinking in the bile duct occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The present results revealed that the new WallFlex(®) Biliary RX Partially Covered SEMSs were useful for the short-term relief of biliary obstruction due to unresectable distal biliary malignancies.

Outcomes and tolerability of systemic chemotherapy for pancreatic or biliary cancer patients aged 75 years or older.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of pancreatic or biliary tract cancer is increasing in our aging population, but little is known of treatment outcomes in elderly patients with pancreatic or biliary tract cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with pancreatic or biliary tract cancer who received chemotherapy in our institute between September 2007 and August 2009 were retrospectively reviewed to compare treatment outcomes between the elderly (aged 75 years or older) and the younger patients. Data were collected of patient backgrounds, adverse events and dose intensity within the first two cycles and overall survival time. RESULTS: Of the 102 who met the inclusion criteria, 19 were elderly who were introduced to full dose chemotherapy. Medication for their comorbidities was required in 15 (79%) of the 19 elderly patients and in 27 (33%) of 83 younger patients. The frequencies of haematological adverse events of grades 3 or 4 were 42% and 39%, and those of non-haematological adverse events were 21% and 16%, for the elderly and younger, respectively. Similar dose intensities were delivered to the elderly and younger. Also, similar proportions of elderly and younger received dose reductions. There was no difference in overall survival between the elderly and the younger. CONCLUSION: No clear difference in treatment outcomes was seen between the elderly and the younger patients who received gemcitabine alone. Gemcitabine chemotherapy appears to be safe and the same treatment effect was seen even in older patients with pancreatic or biliary tract cancer.

Early esophageal cancer can be detected by screening endoscopy assisted with narrow-band imaging (NBI).

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Iodine staining of the esophagus has been shown to be useful in detecting esophageal cancer. Narrow band imaging (NBI), a new endoscopic lighting system, visualizes the microvasculature of the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa. To evaluate the detectability of early esophageal cancer by screening endoscopy assisted with NBI as compared with that assisted with iodine staining. DESIGN: A prospective comparative study. Setting A single endoscopy unit. PATIENTS: Forty-nine consecutive patients, consisting of 40 males and 9 females with a mean age of 67, most of whom were at high risks for esophageal cancer (heavy drinker and smoker, history of cancer especially of head and neck, etc.). INTERVENTION: Following conventional endoscopic observation, the esophagus was observed with NBI for possible cancerous lesions. Dark-brown areas on NBI were defined as NBI-positive areas. Esophageal mucosa was subsequently stained with 1.5% iodine, and both findings were compared. Finally, the areas discolored by iodine stain were biopsied for histological evaluation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of endoscopic detection of esophageal cancer. RESULTS: Squamous cell carcinoma was detected in 5 out of 118 areas. Esophageal cancers detected were all both NBI-positive and discolored by iodine staining. Sensitivity, specificity, and PPV of NBI-positive areas for cancer were 100%, 59%, and 9.8%, respectively. On the other hand, the discolored areas with iodine staining for cancer were 100%, 4.4%, and 4.4%, respectively. NBI observation was significantly superior to iodine staining for detecting esophageal cancer (p < 0.02). LIMITATION: In this study, the endoscopist engaged was not blinded and the assessment was not standardized. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal endoscopy assisted with NBI was more useful for detecting early esophageal cancer than that assisted with iodine staining.

Twenty-two metachronous multiple signet-ring cell carcinomas treated with repeated gastrectomies and repeated endoscopic mucosal resections: report of a case.

A 45-year-old Japanese woman underwent an endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for early gastric cancer at the Cancer Institute Hospital in July 1996. The patient then underwent a distal gastrectomy in 2002 because of a new early gastric cancer and repeated EMR for a total of six early gastric cancers in 2007. Finally, a total gastrectomy was performed in February 2008. The pathological examination of the resected specimen indicated 14 synchronous multiple early gastric cancers. Although the incidence of multiple gastric cancers has been reported to range from 5% to 15%, there is usually only a double or triple lesion. Moreover, multiple gastric cancer is typically observed in male elderly patients as differentiated adenocarcinomas. The present case was a young female patient and all of the lesions were intramucosal signet-ring cell adenocarcinomas. The carcinogenetic mechanism in this case may therefore be different from that in typical multiple gastric cancers. A thorough preoperative examination and regular postoperative follow-up are therefore essential for detecting multiple gastric cancers in their early stages.

Significance of (18)F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-glucose accumulation in the stomach on positron emission tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To explain the accumulation of (18)F-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-glucose ((18)FDG) on positron emission tomography (PET) in the stomach and differences in its pattern, we focus on the accumulation pattern in association with endoscopic findings of the gastric mucosa and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection. METHODS: Of 599 cases undergoing (18)FDG-PET examinations, we retrospectively analyzed the pattern of (18)FDG accumulation in the stomach, findings of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and Hp infection. The pattern of (18)FDG accumulation was classified into three groups: localized accumulation only in the fornix (Group A, 32 patients), diffuse accumulation throughout the entire stomach (Group B, 49 patients), and no accumulation (Group C, 191 patients). RESULTS: Regarding the relation between Hp infection and (18)FDG accumulation, Hp infection was positive in 56.3% of Group A, 73.5% of Group B, and 24.1% of Group C, with significant differences (p < 0.001). Regarding the relation between (18)FDG accumulation and gastric mucosal inflammation, when Groups A and B were compared with Group C, nearly half of the cases in the former groups had papular redness with a significantly higher frequency of redness and erosion. Three cases found to have malignant tumor were limited to the former groups. One MALT lymphoma case was also found in the same group. Accumulation of (18)FDG largely corresponded to mucosal inflammation including superficial gastritis and erosive gastritis, and therefore the main cause of non-specific (18)FDG accumulation was considered to be inflammatory mucosa (mainly redness). The accumulation pattern was not associated with atrophic changes of the gastric mucosa or with Hp infection, but with mucosal inflammatory changes, including redness and erosion localized to the fornix. CONCLUSIONS: Accumulation of (18)FDG in the stomach suggests a high probability of the presence of inflammatory change in the gastric mucosa forming a background for the development of cancer or malignant lymphoma, and thus requires further endoscopic examinations.

[A case of splenic inflammatory pseudotumor].

A 51-year-old woman who had undergone gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer was found to have a splenic tumor during the postoperative clinical observation. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) demonstrated solitary splenic tumor 15mm in diameter with delayed contrast enhancement. Abdominal ultrasonography (US) revealed low echoic mass with enhancement at vascular and perfusion image. We performed splenectomy to exclude the possibility of the metastatic tumor. The tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as inflammatory pseudotumor because of the presence of acidophilic fiber proliferation, hyalinized tissue and infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells.

[Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) using degradable starch microspheres (DSM) for metastatic liver tumors in patients with gastric cancer].

We reviewed the effects and complications of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), using degradable starch microspheres (DSM) in eight patients with hepatic metastases from gastric cancer. The rate of complete remission (CR) +partial remission (PR) was 62.5%, and the actual survival rates at one and two years post-treatment were 87.5%, and 52.5% respectively. The median survival time was 36.1 months. Almost all side effects were acceptable but in one case, we observed liver abscess. From this study, we suggest that DSM-TACE might be a safe and effective multimodal treatment for metastatic liver tumors in patients with gastric cancer.

[Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) using degradable starch microspheres (DSM) (DSM-TACE) for primary and metastatic liver neuroendocrine tumors from gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors].

We reviewed the efficacy and complications of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization using degradable starch microspheres (DSM) for primary neuroendocrine tumors of the liver or liver metastases from gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors in ten patients. The rate of complete and partial response was 70.0%. The one year and two year survival rate was 77.8% respectively, with a median survival time of 852 days (28.4 months). All symptoms and laboratory data related to treatment were acceptable. It is thought that DSM-TACE is an effective treatment for inoperable liver neuroendocrine tumors or liver metastases from gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with DSM for primary hepatic malignant carcinoid.

A 66-year-old male with multiple liver tumors was diagnosed as having malignant carcinoid. The case exhibited carcinoid syndrome with wheezing and high urine 5-Hydroxy-Indole Acetic Acid and serum serotonin concentrations. A search for the primary lesion failed to detect tumors except those in the liver, leading to the diagnosis of primary hepatic carcinoid. Repeated transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with degradable starch microspheres decreased the tumors in size and improved the subjective symptoms. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization with degradable starch microspheres is a useful treatment for unresectable malignant carcinoid of liver origin.