[A Case of Resection of Advanced Pancreatic Adenosquamous Carcinoma in which Multidisciplinary Treatment Was Effective].

A 72-year-old man with general fatigue was referred, and CT and MRI revealed a pancreatic mass with necrosis that was suspected of invading the stomach, splenic artery, celiac artery, liver, and portal vein. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed an extrinsic mass with ulcer formation in the posterior wall of the upper gastric corpus and irregular mucosa in the lower esophagus incidentally. Biopsy showed squamous cell carcinoma from both lesions, leading to the diagnosis of pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma and early esophageal cancer. We performed distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy, total gastrectomy, partial hepatectomy, superior mesenteric-portal vein resection, and reconstruction. The pathological results revealed pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma and infiltration of cancer cells at the dissected peripancreatic margin. Therefore, we administered radiotherapy(50.4 Gy to the retroperitoneal region)in postoperative month 2. Endoscopic mucosal resection was performed for the early stage esophageal cancer lesion in postoperative month 5. Three courses of S-1 were administered as adjuvant therapy since postoperative month 7, and he is currently alive without recurrence 1 year and 8 months after surgery. Multidisciplinary treatment can be effective for locally advanced pancreatic adenosquamous carcinoma.

[A Case of Double Cancer of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Gastric Carcinoma with Difficult Diagnosis of the Primary Tumor with Peritoneal Metastasis].

Double cancer of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and gastric cancer is rare. A 62-year-old man underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer. The pathological findings were tub1>tub2, m, ly0, v0, n0, Stage I A. Two years and a month later, a liver tumor(diameter of 3 cm)and a pelvic mass(diameter of 2.5 cm)were observed. Metastasis from gastric cancer was suspected and chemotherapy(SOX)was administered. However, after 5 courses, CT revealed worseningof the liver tumor (diameter of 12 cm)and pelvic mass(diameter of 3 cm). Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and its peritoneal metastasis were also suspected. There was a limit to treatment with chemotherapy, and it was difficult to judge whether to target gastric cancer or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma for chemotherapy. In addition, the lesions were localized in the right lobe of the liver and the pelvis. Therefore, we decided to perform resection. As a second-stage operation, pelvic mass extraction and portal vein embolization were performed first. The pathological result of the pelvic mass assessment was mucinous carcinoma. Subsequently, expansive right hepatectomy was performed. The pathological findings were also suggestive of mucinous carcinoma, which was finally diagnosed as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and peritoneal dissemination. Six months after the surgery, several recurrent nodules were observed in the pelvis and GEM plus CDDP was initiated. Currently, 1 year after surgery, there are no restrictions in the activities of daily life of the patient and he is treated on an outpatient basis.

Modified enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are now well-known to be useful for elective colorectal surgery, as they result in shorter hospital stays without adversely affecting morbidity. However, the efficacy and safety of ERAS protocols for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer have yet to be clarified. METHODS: We evaluated 122 consecutive resections for obstructive colorectal cancer performed between July 2008 and November 2012 at Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital. Patients with rupture or impending rupture and those who received simple colostomy were excluded. The first set of 42 patients was treated based on traditional protocols, and the latter 80 according to modified ERAS protocols. The main endpoints were length of postoperative hospital stay, postoperative short-term morbidity, rate of readmission within 30 days, and mortality. Differences in modified ERAS protocols relative to traditional care include intensive preoperative counseling (by both surgeons and anesthesiologists), perioperative fluid management (avoidance of sodium/fluid overload), shortening of postoperative fasting period and early provision of oral nutrition, intraoperative warm air body heating, enforced postoperative mobilization, stimulation of gut motility, early removal of urinary catheter, and a multidisciplinary team approach to care. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) postoperative hospital stay was 10 (10-14.25) days in the traditional group, and seven (7-8.75) days in the ERAS group, showing a 3-day reduction in hospital stay (p < 0.01). According to the Clavien-Dindo classification, overall incidences of grade 2 or higher postoperative complications for the traditional and ERAS groups were 15 and 10% (p = 0.48), and 30-day readmission rates were 0 and 1.3% (p = 1.00), respectively. As for mortality, one patient in the traditional group died and none in the ERAS group (p = 0.34). CONCLUSION: Modified ERAS protocols for obstructive colorectal cancer reduced hospital stay without adversely affecting morbidity, indicating that ERAS protocols are feasible for patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

[Resection of Adrenal Metastasis after Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy for a Patient with Stage IV B Hepatocellular Carcinoma].

In the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, atypical, off guideline multidisciplinary approaches are sometimes effective. A 70-year-old man was diagnosed with multiple hepatocellular carcinomas, multiple bone metastases, and a right adrenal metastasis. Sunitinib was started and the primary hepatic lesions and bone metastases disappeared. However, his adrenal metastasis worsened. Sorafenib, radiotherapy, and some investigational agents were administered, but the adrenal metastasis did not respond. There were no other new lesions except the adrenal lesion 4 years after the initial treatment, so we decided to perform a resection. In the left half lateral decubitus position, the adrenal mass was removed with right thoracolaparotomy. After the surgery, his tumor markers quickly returned to normal. Seven years after the initial treatment(2 years and 4 months after the last surgery), he is alive without any recurrence. Multidisciplinary treatment with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery may result in long term survival even for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with multiple extra-hepatic lesions.

[A Case of Solitary Metastasis to the Small Intestine from Sigmoid Colon Cancer after Treatment of Seven Multiple Cancers].

A 75-year-old woman who had undergone a Hartmann's operation for sigmoid colon cancer 2 years ago was hospitalized because she experienced small bowel obstruction several times. She had a treatment history of 6 other cancers, including 5 gastrointestinal tract cancers. However, the obstruction was relieved by conservative therapy each time. In September 2015, she was hospitalized for ileus. Abdominal computed tomography revealed that the lumen of intestine was partially dilated. Subsequently, a long tube was inserted, but the dilatation of the small intestine was not fully recovered. She was diagnosed with small intestinal obstruction due to adhesion, and she underwent an operation in October 2015. During the laparotomy, she was diagnosed with adhesion due to an intestinal tumor, and a partial intestinal resection, including the entire tumor, was performed. Because the tumor appearance and histological findings were very similar to those of sigmoid colon cancer, the tumor was diagnosed as a solitary metastasis of sigmoid colon cancer to the small intestine. Generally, peritoneal dissemination causes metastasis of colon cancer to the small intestine. However, this is a rare case because the lymphatic system or extra-wall invasion was the most likely cause of metastasis. Ileus repeating the improvement exacerbation, an examination must be performed while considering possible intestinal tumors, especially for a patient previously treated for multiple gastrointestinal cancers.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for colorectal cancer in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Japan has one of the highest five-year relative survival rates for colorectal cancer in the world, with its own traditions of perioperative care and a unique insurance system. The benefits of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in the Japanese population have yet to be clarified. METHODS: We evaluated 352 consecutive cases of colorectal cancer resection at Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital between July 2009 and November 2012. Of these, 95 cases were performed according to traditional protocols (traditional group), and 257 according to ERAS protocols (ERAS group), which were introduced to the hospital in July 2010. Primary endpoints included length of postoperative hospital stay, postoperative short-term morbidity, and rate of readmission within 30 days. Intensive pre-admission counselling, no pre- and postoperative fasting (provision of oral nutrition), avoidance of sodium/fluid overload, intraoperative warm-air body heating, enforced postoperative mobilization, and multimodal team care were among the main changes brought about by the introduction of ERAS protocols. RESULTS: The median (interquartile range) length of postoperative hospital stay was 10 (10-12.75) days in the traditional group and seven (6-8) days in the ERAS group, i.e., a three-day reduction (p < 0.05) in the ERAS group. Moreover, the proportion of patients discharged within one week dramatically increased from 1 % to 77 % in the ERAS group. The overall incidence of grade 2 and 3 postoperative complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification was 9.5 % in the traditional group and 9.3 % in the ERAS group, and 30-day readmission rates were 8.3 % and 6.6 % in the traditional and ERAS groups, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups. Although operative time and blood loss did not differ significantly between the two groups, the volume of intraoperative infusion was significantly decreased in the ERAS group (p < 0.05), possibly due to ERAS recommendations to avoid dehydration (i.e., avoidance of sodium/fluid overload, no preoperative fasting). CONCLUSION: ERAS protocols for colorectal surgery helped reduce the length of postoperative hospital stay without adversely affecting morbidity, indicating that ERAS protocols are feasible and effective in Japanese settings as well.

[Long Term Survival in a Case of Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma Treated with Chemotherapy and Surgery].

A 67-year-old man with elevated hepatobiliary enzymes was referred to our hospital for further examination. Computed tomography indicated hilar cholangiocarcinoma of Bismuth type Ⅳ and revealed invasion of the right hepatic artery and the left portal vein. We diagnosed locally advanced unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma, and performed 5 courses of chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus S-1. After chemotherapy, the tumor was significantly reduced in size and vascular invasions were alleviated, so we decided to perform surgical resection. An extended left hepatectomy with caudate lobe and extrahepatic bile duct resection was performed. Although the intraoperative pathological examination was positive for cancer at the hepatic margins, we did not perform further bile duct resection because of the difficulty. After the surgery, we administered adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine for 5 courses. Another 8 courses of gemcitabine plus S-1 therapy were given because of elevation of CA19-9. The tumor marker levels normalized, and the patient is still alive without findings of recurrence 4 years after the first treatment. Multidisciplinary treatment with chemotherapy and surgery may suggest the possibility of increasing long term survival even for patients with locally advanced unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.

[Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma with multiple liver metastases successfully treated by cetuximab/CPT-11 chemotherapy followed by curative resection - a case report].

A 73-year-old man underwent laparoscopy-assisted partial resection of the rectum to treat rectal cancer diagnosed in September 2011 at a previous hospital. Lymph node dissection was not performed and the vertical margin was positive. When multiple liver tumors were detected 10 months later, the patient was referred to our hospital. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed local recurrence of the rectal cancer, lymph node metastasis, and 9 liver metastases, which had a maximum diameter of 10 cm, and where curative resection would have been difficult. The rectal cancer expressed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and wild type K-ras gene, and we initiated cetuximab/irinotecan (CPT-11) chemotherapy. After 2 courses of chemotherapy, the liver tumors had markedly decreased in size and anterior resection of the rectum with regional lymph node dissection was performed. The pathological diagnosis of the rectal tumor was mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma ( MANEC). Extended right hepatectomy was performed four months later. The liver tumors were also diagnosed as metastases of MANEC of the rectum. The therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapy was assessed as Grade 1b. The patient is alive without recurrence 34 months since the initial rectal surgery and 15 months after the liver resection. Thus, an anti-EGFR antibody agent might be effective against MANEC of the colon and rectum.

[Third-line therapy in a patient with recurrent colon cancer undergoing hemodialysis].

A 68-year-old man undergoing hemodialysis (HD) was diagnosed with recurrence of colon cancer and liver metastasis. He was treated with oxaliplatin, folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX4), folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan (FOLFIRI), FOLFIRI+bevacizumab (BV), and cetuximab+irinotecan (CPT-11) as third-line therapy. Each drug was adequately reduced over time, but cetuximab was administered at the standard dose. The patient died of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) meningitis during the course of cetuximab+CPT-11 therapy, but there was no relation between the meningitis and the therapy. Therefore, each regimen can be safely performed, and cetuximab+CPT-11 therapy showed a significant anti-tumor effect and hence may be an effective regimen.

Metachronous colonic metastasis from pancreatic cancer seven years post-pancreatoduodenectomy.

Colonic metastasis from other organs is very rare. Here we report the case of a 62-year-old man with a history of pancreatoduodenectomy for stage IIB pancreatic head cancer performed seven years back. He presented with abdominal distension and pain. Under the preoperative diagnosis of bowel obstruction, surgical treatment was performed, and a circumferential lesion causing bowel obstruction of the ascending colon was detected. A right hemicolectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. The specimen showed a 5-cm wall thickening with a cobble-stone like appearance of the ascending colon, which morphologically appeared scirrhous. Histological examination revealed cancer nests invading from the subserosa to the muscular and submucosal layers of the colon. Immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor cells demonstrated positive staining for cytokeratin 7, but negative for cytokeratin 20, which was the same as the previous pancreatic cancer specimen. These pathological and immunohistochemical features strongly supported the diagnosis of colonic metastasis from the pancreas. Thereafter, the patient received systemic chemotherapy, but unfortunately, he died 14 mo after the surgery.

Continuous ultrasound navigation for safe and precise anatomic resection of the liver.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Anatomic resection of the liver is one of the essential techniques in liver surgery. However, parenchymal transection precisely along intersegmental planes is still a technically demanding procedure, and an optimal navigation method is required. METHODOLOGY: Real-time ultrasound monitoring with a probe applied from behind the liver was tried as a means of locating the site where resection was proceeding in the liver and confirming the direction of hepatic parenchymal transection to facilitate anatomic resection of the liver. RESULTS: The ultrasound navigation technique was performed during 11 hepatectomies in 10 patients in whom adequate retrohepatic space could be obtained to position the ultrasound probe. Continuous monitoring of the site in the liver where the resection was being performed was feasible, and the optimal direction of parenchymal transection was easily determined on the basis of the ultrasound images without interrupting the surgical maneuvers. The mean speed of parenchymal transection was faster (2.4cm2/min vs. 1.2cm2/min, p=0.009) and the amount of blood loss per transected area was smaller (4.4mL/cm2 vs. 7.2mL/cm2, p=0.05) in patients treated with the current technique. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous ultrasound monitoring of the liver facilitates the safe and precise parenchymal transection during anatomic resections of the liver.

[Treatment strategy for patients with multiple liver metastases of colorectal origin in the era of adjuvant chemotherapy].

A treatment strategy that includes adjuvant chemotherapy needs to be developed for the treatment of patients with multiple liver metastases of colorectal origin. Of the 91 patients who underwent initial hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastases, we reviewed the clinical courses of 10 patients who had 7 or more metastatic liver nodules. Twenty-one, 19, 17, and 9 metastases were initially resected in each of the 4 patients, and 7 metastases were resected in each of the remaining 6 patients. Portal vein embolization was performed in 3 patients, 2 of whom underwent two-stage hepatectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to all the 10 patients. Recurrence was detected in all the 10 patients; however, in 6 of these patients, liver was the only site of recurrence. Repeated hepatic resection was performed in 5 of the 6 patients. As of the mean follow-up period of 25 months, 4 patients were alive and cancer-free, 4 were undergoing chemotherapy, and 2 had died of their cancer. Improvement in the survival outcome of patients with 7 or more colorectal liver metastases can be expected by treating them with adjuvant chemotherapy in addition to aggressive surgical procedures, including extended hemihepatectomy, portal venous embolization, two-stage hepatectomy, and repeated resection.

[A case of small intestinal cancer with peritoneal metastases treated with FOLFOX regimen].

A38 -year-old man complaining of abdominal pain was diagnosed with small intestinal cancer. Small intestinal endoscopy and PET-CT showed a primary jejunal cancer and five peritoneal metastases. Partial resection of the jejunum with three metastases was performed, but the others were unresectable. After surgery, FOLFOX chemotherapy was adapted. Follow-up pelvic CT showed a remarkable reduction of tumor size during FOLFOX chemotherapy after 4 courses, and follow-up PET-CT showed no tumor intake FDG after 10 courses. We judged him to be a complete response and stopped chemotherapy. After 7 months, the patient's level of tumor markers elevated, and there was recurrence. We resumed FOLFOX, and the chemotherapy for this patient is still being continued.

[A case of elder gastric cancer patient who relapsed at the local stomach wall and the regional lymph node at the time of six months after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)].

A case is a woman of 81-year-old. She was admitted to our hospital for a close examination of anemia from her family doctor. Gastroscopy revealed a 15 mm diameter of the type 0-IIa+IIc lesion at the posterior wall to the lesser curvature of the gastric body. And the biopsy of the lesion revealed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (tub2). In consideration of the gastrectomy at this point, but firstly, an endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was planned to perform for gaining the total pathological diagnosis of the lesion. Pathological findings revealed that the cancer cell invaded massively to submucosa (sm2), and that lymphatic permeation and venous permeation were also presented (ly2, v2). We explained it to the patient about the necessity of additional gastric resection, but she rejected the operation. So we had no choice but to observe the patient closely. Two months after the ESD, gastroscopy revealed no recurrent signs. But six months after the ESD, the local area of the stomach was revealed type 2 advanced gastric cancer, and computed tomography (CT) revealed a lymphoid swelling at the side of lesser curvature. We performed distal gastrectomy and D2 lymphoid dissection at this point. The final pathological diagnosis was T2 (ss) N2H0P0M0, Stage IIIA, based on the Japanese classification of gastric cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy (oral fluoropylimidine) was interrupted in short period because of the side effects such as nausea, appetite loss, and diarrhea. There has been no recurrence for 1 year and six months since the operation. ESD is a minimally invasive technique and it is safe, convenient, and efficacious from the gastric functional point of view. However, the therapeutic strategies of the early gastric cancer, especially submucosally invasive gastric cancer, must be decided carefully and individually, considering the risk factors and the postoperative quality of life (QOL).

[A case of advanced right colonic cancer successfully treated by surgery and post operative chemotherapy].

A 45-year-old male patient with right colonic cancer, of which clinical finding was SIM1 (No.216), Stage IV, underwent extended right hemicolectomy with paraaortic lymph node resection as surgical treatment. However, CY1 was detected and a final finding was SIM1 (No.216) H0CY1, Stage IV. After the operation, we administered 3-course of FOLFOX4 plus bevacizumab protocol, 3-course of FOLFOX4, 6-course of FOLFIRI, and 6-course of IRIS for one year. The patient is presently alive with no sign of recurrence after 22 months.

[A case of recurrent colon cancer patient who gained a long-term survival by repeated and aggressive surgical resection].

A case is a woman of 55-years-old. We performed right hemicolectomy with liver S7 partial excision (a postoperative diagnosis of the hepatic lesion, adenoma) for ascending colon carcinoma of type 2 with hepatic metastasis. Postoperative diagnosis was ss, n2, ly2, v2, Stage IIIb, based on the Japanese classification of colon cancer. Twelve months after the first operation, she was developed intestinal atresia by an abdominal wall recurrence, and we performed the operation of abdominal wall mass resection with a partial resection of small bowel. Afterwards she developed a recurrence three times in the abdominal wall or intra-abdominal lymph nodes during the next 1 year and six months, and we performed a local excision each time. The pathological findings in reoperations were all metastasis from ascending colon carcinoma of primary operation. After the final operation, we did not perform chemotherapy because the patient wished not to have it. There has been no recurrence for 6 years since the first operation, or 3 years since the last operation. Recently, the therapy for recurrent colon cancer has been shifted to more effective chemotherapy such as FOLFOX or FOLFIRI regimen, and a surgical resection is becoming rare. However, we experienced a case of recurrent colon cancer treated with four aggressive surgical resections that was beneficial for a long-term survival.