Preoperative difficulty factors in delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Tokyo Guidelines 2018 surgical difficulty score analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Tokyo Guidelines 2018 (TG18) recommend early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for low-risk acute cholecystitis (AC); however, some patients undergo delayed LC (DLC) after conservative treatment. DLC, influenced by chronic inflammation, is a difficult procedure. Previous studies on LC difficulty lacked objective measures. Recently, TG18 introduced a novel 25 findings difficulty score, which objectively assesses intraoperative factors. The purpose of this study was to use the difficulty score proposed in TG18 to identify and investigate the predictors of preoperative high-difficulty cases of DLC for AC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 100 patients with DLC after conservative AC treatment. The surgical difficulty of DLC was evaluated using a difficulty score. Based on previous studies, the highest scores in each category were categorized as grades A-C. RESULTS: The severity of AC was mild in 51 patients and moderate in 49. Surgical outcomes revealed a distribution of difficulty scores, with grade C indicating high difficulty, showing significant differences in operative time, blood loss, achieving a critical view of safety, bailout procedures, and postoperative hospital stay compared with grades A and B. Regarding the preoperative risk factors, multivariate analysis identified age >61 years (p = .008), body mass index >27.0 kg/m2 (p = .007), and gallbladder wall thickness >6.2 mm (p = .001) as independent risk factors for grade C in DLC. CONCLUSION: The difficulty score proposed in TG18 provides an objective framework for evaluating surgical difficulty, allowing for more accurate risk assessments and improved preoperative planning in DLC for AC.

[Two Cases of Stage â £ Colorectal Cancer with Long-Term Survival following Single-Agent Chemotherapy with Capecitabine-A Case Reports].

We experienced 2 cases of Stage Ⅳ colorectal cancer obtained long-term survival by chemotherapy with only capecitabine. Case 1: Seventy-one-years-old male was performed open sigmoid colectomy, D2 dissection for sigmoid colon cancer. Pathological diagnosis was pT4aN2aM0, pStage Ⅲc. Capecitabine plus oxaliplatin(CAPOX)was performed as adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 months consequently. Two-years after operation, peritoneal dissemination was found, and CAPOX plus bevacizumab(BEV)was started. Due to appearance of renal disfunction and proteinuria, only capecitabine was continued. Since then, 60 months have been passed without disease progression. Case 2: Seventy-six-years-old female was diagnosed as ascending colon cancer with multiple lung metastases. She had initially given systematic chemotherapy with CAPOX plus BEV. Grade 2 adverse effect(numbness and diarrhea)appeared, then the chemotherapy was discontinued. Seven months later, bowel obstruction due to tumor growth was appeared, and open right-hemi colectomy, with D3 dissection was performed for relief of symptoms. Pathological diagnosis was pT3N1bM1a, pStage Ⅳa. With her request, chemotherapy was performed with only capecitabine. Although lung metastasis was slowly progressed, for 72 months she has maintained good general condition since the chemotherapy with only capecitabine was started.

[Two Cases of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer and Lower Rectal Cancer Resected Successfully That Enabled Anus Preservation after Preoperative Chemotherapy].

We reported 2 cases of colorectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)with the aim of curative resection or anal preservation. Case 1: A 50-year-old man was diagnosed with locally advanced rectal cancer with sacral invasion. Because of the sacral invasion, we performed preoperative chemotherapy. He was treated with 12 courses of CapeOX plus Bmab and 3 courses of capecitabine plus radiation therapy(45 Gy in total). After chemoradiation therapy, a lower anterior resection was performed. The pathological finding was pT3pN0pM0, pStage Ⅱ. Case 2: A 69-year-old man was diagnosed with lower rectal cancer. Colonoscopy revealed a tumor near the dentate line. Because the patient desired anal preservation, we performed preoperative chemotherapy. He was treated with IRIS plus Bmab. After 3 courses of chemotherapy, the tumor had reduced in size. The pathological findings were no residual tumor cell, pN0. In our hospital, we have preserved the anus in 2 patients after NAC. Including the above 2 cases, we have performed curative resection in 7 cases. The mean observation period after surgery was 30 months; 1 case died from cancer recurrence(41 months after resection)and other 6 cases lived without cancer relapse.

[A Case of Histological Complete Remission after Chemotherapy for Paraaortic Lymph Node Recurrence after Colon Cancer Surgery].

In September 2013, a 50-year-old woman presented to our hospital with right abdominal pain as the main complaint. Careful examinations led to the diagnosis of ascending colon cancer. In October 2013, resection of the right half colon and removal of the D3 lymph nodes were performed. As postoperative adjunctive chemotherapy, 6 courses of CAPOX therapy were initiated. PET-CT conducted 17 months after the surgery revealed an enlarged right para-aoric lymph nodes and abnormal FDG accumulation. Lymph node recurrence was diagnosed. In April 2015, 10 courses of CAPOX plus BEV therapy, followed by 12courses of capecitabine single agent, were initiated. PET-CT revealed complete remission of the right para-aoric lymph nodes. However, abnormal FDG accumulation was detected in the right ovary and uterine corpus. After careful examinations in March 2017, we performed expanded total hysterectomy, bilateral resection of the appendicular organs, resection of body reticular region, and removal of the lymph nodes and those at the right side of the aorta for the ovarian and uterine cancer. Pathologically, intimal cancer in the right ovary and uterine corpus was diagnosed. Examination of the right para-aoric lymph nodes resected at the same time showed complete remission on images, although histological complete remission was found with scarring. Currently, 63 months after the initial surgery, the patient is alive without recurrence.

[Two Cases of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Skin Metastasis].

Case 1: A7 2-year-old man, during diabetes medical treatment, was introduced at our hospital for liver cancer treatment. He had a subcutaneous mass 4 cm in size in the right precordial region, and subsequently underwent an operation. Histopathological findings indicated subcutaneous metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Case 2: A6 0-year-old man presented with a subcutaneous mass noted in the right shoulder during hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. It was diagnosed as metastasis of the hepatocellular carcinoma to the dermis. Metastasis to the skin of internal organ-related tumors is relatively rare and is reported with approximately a 1.4-6.7%frequency of all dissection cases. Hepatocellular carcinoma is infrequent and it is reported that hypodermal and skin metastasis is 0.3-0.7% in autopsy cases. In addition, metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma to the skin is a relatively terminal symptom.

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma inhibits tumor growth by negatively regulating nuclear factor-κB activation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is poor because of its rapid progression. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) is known to inhibit tumor growth in vitro; however, the behavior of PPARγ in clinical cases of HCC remains uncertain. METHODS: Surgical specimens were collected from 104 HCC patients. The anti-neoplastic effects of PPARγ were evaluated. RESULTS: PPARγ and its ligand expression were increased in some cases of HCC. When HCC patients were divided into two groups, tumor size was larger in patients with low PPARγ expression. Moreover, low PPARγ expression in HCC was an independent predictor of poorer prognosis. PPARγ expression was positively correlated with PPARγ activation and negatively correlated with NF-κB activation in HCC. PPARγ activation inhibited cell proliferation by inducing cell cycle arrest, through increased expression of p27(kip1) and decreased expression of cyclin D1 and interleukin-8. When HCC cells were treated with PPARγ ligands, PPARγ activation was increased and cell proliferation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, PPARγ ligands negatively regulated NF-κB activation. CONCLUSIONS: Activation of PPARγ induces cell cycle arrest and inhibits tumor progression by negatively regulating NF-κB activation in HCC. Therefore, PPARγ is an important endogenous regulator of HCC progression, and is a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Pin1 facilitates NF-κB activation and promotes tumour progression in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: NF-κB promotes HCC progression; however, therapies targeting NF-κB are not used due to severe adverse reactions. Pin1 is reported to induce tumour progression in vitro. However, the role of Pin1 in HCC is unclear. Moreover, little is known about the mechanism of Pin1-mediated NF-κB activation. METHODS: Fresh surgical specimens were collected from 144 HCC patients. Pin1 and NF-κB-p65 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and western blotting. NF-κB activation was assessed by EMSA. RESULTS: Pin1 was increased in HCC compared to adjacent liver tissue. The multivariate analysis revealed that high Pin1 expression was an independent factor for poor prognosis. In HCC with high Pin1 expression, tumour size was larger and portal vein invasion was increased. Pin1 expression was correlated with phosphorylated (p-) NF-κB-p65(Thr254) and p-NF-κB-p65(Ser276), and thereby NF-κB activation. Pin1-induced NF-κB activation accelerated cell cycle progression, induced angiogenesis, and inhibited apoptosis. Pin1 knockdown in HCC cells inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-κB-p65(Ser276), and reduced NF-κB activation, which resulted in inhibiting tumour cell progression. When HCC cells were treated with the Pin1 inhibitors, p-NF-κB-p65(Ser276) expression and NF-κB activation was reduced, and cell proliferation was inhibited. CONCLUSIONS: Pin1 is associated with aggressive tumour progression and poor prognosis in HCC by mediating NF-κB activation.

[A Case Report--A Synchronous Liver Metastasis from Gastric Cancer Treated with Chemotherapy, Surgical Resection of the Gastric Cancer, and RFA of the Liver Metastasis].

A 71-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of abdominal pain. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a type 3 tumor in the lesser curvature of the gastric body. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed synchronous liver metastasis in liver S6 and S8, and a large 8a lymph node that could be encased within the common hepatic artery. The patient was diagnosed with gastric cancer with liver metastasis, Stage Ⅳ, and treated with chemotherapy (S-1 plus CDDP). After 3 courses, a CT scan showed that the liver metastasis in S8 was reduced in size.The one in S6 completely disappeared. The 8a lymph node was also reduced in size and revealed to be separated from the common hepatic artery. Total gastrectomy (D2) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the S8 lesion were performed. The postoperative course was favorable and the patient was treated with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of S-1. No recurrence has been observed for 17 months after diagnosis. After chemotherapy, if R0 resection is performed, surgical resection and RFA for liver metastasis may be a useful option for gastric cancer with liver metastasis.