How Does Omitting Additional Surgery After Local Excision Affect the Prognostic Outcome of Patients With High-risk T1 Colorectal Cancer?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how omitting additional surgery after local excision (LE) affects patient outcomes in high-risk T1 colorectal cancer (CRC). BACKGROUND: It is debatable whether additional surgery should be performed for all patients with high-risk T1 CRC regardless of the tolerability of invasive procedures. METHODS: Patients who had received LE for T1 CRC at the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum institutions between 2009 and 2016 were analyzed. Those who had received additional surgical resection and those who did not were matched one-on-one by the propensity score-matching method. A total of 401 propensity score-matched pairs were extracted from 1975 patients at 27 Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum institutions and were compared. RESULTS: Regional lymph node metastasis was observed in 31 (7.7%) patients in the LE + surgery group. Comparatively, the incidence of oncologic adverse events was low in the LE-alone group, such as the 5-year cumulative risk of local recurrence (4.1%) or overall recurrence (5.5%). In addition, the difference in the 5-year cancer-specific survival between the LE + surgery and LE-alone groups was only 1.8% (99.7% and 97.9%, respectively), whereas the 5-year overall survival was significantly lower in the LE-alone group than in the LE + surgery group [88.5% vs 94.5%, respectively ( P = 0.002)]. CONCLUSIONS: Those who had decided to omit additional surgery at the dedicated center for CRC treatment presented a small number of oncologic events and a satisfactory cancer-specific survival, which may suggest an important role of risk assessment regarding nononcologic adverse events to achieve a best practice for each individual with high-risk T1 tumors.

Long-term outcomes of additional surgery after endoscopic resection versus primary surgery for T1 colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: There is considerable concern about whether endoscopic resection (ER) prior to additional surgery (AS) for T1 colorectal cancer (CRC) has oncologically potential adverse effects. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes, including overall survival (OS), of patients treated with AS after ER versus primary surgery (PS) for T1 CRC using a propensity score-matched analysis from a large observational study. METHODS: This study investigated 6105 patients with T1 CRC treated with either ER or surgical resection between 2009 and 2016 at 27 high-volume Japanese institutions, with those undergoing surgery alone included in the PS group and those undergoing AS after ER included in the AS group. Propensity score matching was used for long-term outcomes of mortality and recurrence analysis. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 1219 of 2438 patients were identified in each group. The 5-year OS rates in the AS and PS groups were 97.1% and 96.0%, respectively (hazard ratio: 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49-1.08), indicating the non-inferiority of the AS group. Moreover, 32 patients (2.6%) in the AS group and 24 (2.0%) in the PS group had recurrences, with no significant difference between the two groups (odds ratio: 1.34, 95% CI: 0.76-2.40, p = 0.344). DISCUSSION: ER prior to AS for T1 CRC had no adverse effect on patients' long-term outcomes, including the 5-year OS rate. ER is a viable first-line treatment option for endoscopically resectable T1 CRC.

Treatment Decision for Locally Resected T1 Colorectal Carcinoma-Verification of the Japanese Guideline Criteria for Additional Surgery Based on Long-Term Clinical Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: To verify the value of the pathological criteria for additional treatment in locally resected pT1 colorectal carcinoma (CRC) which have been used in the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) guidelines since 2009. METHODS: We enrolled 4,719 patients with pT1 CRC treated at 27 institutions between July 2009 and December 2016 (1,259 patients with local resection alone [group A], 1,508 patients with additional surgery after local resection [group B], and 1,952 patients with surgery alone [group C]). All 5 factors of the JSCCR guidelines (submucosal resection margin, tumor histologic grade, submucosal invasion depth, lymphovascular invasion, and tumor budding) for lymph node metastasis (LNM) had been diagnosed prospectively. RESULTS: Any of the risk factors were present in 3,801 patients. The LNM incidence was 10.3% (95% confidence interval 9.3-11.4) in group B/C patients with risk factors, whereas it was 1.8% (95% confidence interval 0.4-5.2) in those without risk factors ( P < 0.01). In group A, the incidence of recurrence was 3.4% in patients with risk factors, but it was only 0.1% in patients without risk factors ( P < 0.01). The disease-free survival rate of group A patients classified as risk positive was significantly worse than those of groups B and C patients. However, the 5-year disease-free survival rate in group A patients with no risk was 99.2%. DISCUSSION: Our large-scale real-world multicenter study demonstrated the validity of the JSCCR criteria for pT1 CRC after local resection, especially regarding favorable outcomes in patients with low risk of LNM.

Histological differentiation between sporadic and colitis-associated intestinal cancer in a nationwide study: A propensity-score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Colitis-associated intestinal cancer (CAC) can develop in patients with inflammatory bowel disease; however, the malignant grade of CAC may differ from that of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, we compared histological findings distinct from cancer stage between CAC and sporadic CRC to evaluate the features of CAC. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical and histological data collected from a nationwide database in Japan between 1983 and 2020. Patient characteristics were compared to distinguish ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), and sporadic CRC. Comparisons were performed by using all collected data and propensity score-matched data. RESULTS: A total of 1077 patients with UC-CAC, 297 with CD-CAC, and 136 927 with sporadic CRC were included. Although the prevalence of well or moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (Tub1 and Tub2) decreased according to tumor progression for all diseases (P < 0.01), the prevalence of other histological findings, including signet ring cell carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma, poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, or squamous cell carcinoma, was significantly higher in CAC than in sporadic CRC. Based on propensity score-matched data for 982 patients with UC and 268 with CD, the prevalence of histological findings other than Tub1 and Tub2 was also significantly higher in those with CAC. At pT4, mucinous carcinoma occurred at a significantly higher rate in patients with CD (45/86 [52.3%]) than in those with sporadic CRC (13/88 [14.8%]) (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CAC, including early-stage CAC, has a higher malignant grade than sporadic CRC, and this difference increases in significance with tumor progression.

Postoperative Early Body Weight Loss Is a Risk Factor for Recurrence in Patients with pStage III Gastric Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to determine whether postoperative early body weight loss (EWL) after radical gastrectomy is a risk factor for recurrence in patients with pathological stage III (pStage III) gastric cancer who received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, which included tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1). METHODS: Patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer were identified from a prospectively managed gastric cancer database. We analyzed 58 consecutive patients who underwent radical gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection for confirmed pStage III gastric cancer treated postoperatively with adjuvant chemotherapy including S-1 between 2010 and 2019. Clinical and pathologic characteristics, baseline body mass index (BMI), and postoperative weights were extracted. Weight changes were evaluated from the preoperative period to the start of adjuvant chemotherapy. EWL was defined as % BMI change = (preoperative BMI - postoperative BMI at the start of adjuvant chemotherapy) × 100/preoperative BMI. RESULTS: Of the 58 consecutive patients who underwent radical resection for gastric cancer, 72.4% were male, with a mean age of 65.5 years, and a mean preoperative BMI of 21.2 (range: 15.4-29.1) kg/m2. The degree of EWL was found to be closely correlated to compliance with adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis by Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed that EWL was an independent factor for relapse-free survival (RFS), and patients with an EWL of 15.9% or more severe had poorer RFS. CONCLUSION: EWL above a certain rate at the start of adjuvant chemotherapy was a predictor of poor compliance with adjuvant chemotherapy and a high risk of disease recurrence in patients with pStage III gastric cancer.

Nomogram as a novel predictive tool for lymph node metastasis in T1 colorectal cancer treated with endoscopic resection: a nationwide, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Since 2009, the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum guidelines have recommended that tumor budding and submucosal invasion depth, in addition to lymphovascular invasion and tumor grade, be included as risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with T1 colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, a novel nomogram was developed and validated by usirge-scale, real-world data, including the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum risk factors, to accurately evaluate the risk of LNM in T1 CRC. METHODS: Data from 4673 patients with T1 CRC treated at 27 high-volume institutions between 2009 and 2016 were analyzed for LNM risk. To prepare a nonrandom split sample, the total cohort was divided into development and validation cohorts. Pathologic findings were extracted from the medical records of each participating institution. The discrimination ability was measured by using the concordance index, and the variability in each prediction was evaluated by using calibration curves. RESULTS: Six independent risk factors for LNM, including submucosal invasion depth and tumor budding, were identified in the development cohort and entered into a nomogram. The concordance index was .784 for the clinical calculator in the development cohort and .790 in the validation cohort. The calibration curve approached the 45-degree diagonal in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first nomogram to include submucosal invasion depth and tumor budding for use in routine pathologic diagnosis based on data from a nationwide multi-institutional study. This nomogram, developed with real-world data, should improve decision-making for an appropriate treatment strategy for T1 CRC.

Development of a Diagnostic Artificial Intelligence Tool for Lateral Lymph Node Metastasis in Advanced Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic lateral lymph node dissection can improve survival in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma, with or without chemoradiotherapy. However, the optimal imaging diagnostic criteria for lateral lymph node metastases remain undetermined. OBJECTIVE: To develop a lateral lymph node metastasis diagnostic artificial intelligence tool using deep learning, for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent radical surgery and lateral lymph node dissection. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTINGS: Multicenter study. PATIENTS: A total of 209 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma, who underwent radical surgery and lateral lymph node dissection at 15 participating hospitals, were enrolled in the study and allocated to training (n = 139), test (n = 17), or validation (n = 53) cohorts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: In the neoadjuvant treatment group, images taken before pretreatment were classified as baseline images and those taken after pretreatment as presurgery images. In the upfront surgery group, presurgery images were classified as both baseline and presurgery images. We constructed 2 types of artificial intelligence, using baseline and presurgery images, by inputting the patches from these images into ResNet-18, and we assessed their diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: Overall, 124 patients underwent surgery alone, 52 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 33 received chemoradiotherapy. The number of resected lateral lymph nodes in the training, test, and validation cohorts was 2418, 279, and 850, respectively. The metastatic rates were 2.8%, 0.7%, and 3.7%, respectively. In the validation cohort, the precision-recall area under the curve was 0.870 and 0.963 for the baseline and presurgery images, respectively. Although both baseline and presurgery images provided good accuracy for diagnosing lateral lymph node metastases, the accuracy of presurgery images was better than that of baseline images. LIMITATIONS: The number of cases is small. CONCLUSIONS: An artificial intelligence tool is a promising tool for diagnosing lateral lymph node metastasis with high accuracy. DESARROLLO DE UNA HERRAMIENTA DE INTELIGENCIA ARTIFICIAL PARA EL DIAGNSTICO DE METSTASIS EN GANGLIOS LINFTICOS LATERALES EN CNCER DE RECTO AVANZADO: ANTECEDENTES:Disección de nódulos linfáticos laterales metastásicos puede mejorar la supervivencia en pacientes con adenocarcinoma del recto, con o sin quimiorradioterapia. Sin embargo, aún no se han determinado los criterios óptimos de diagnóstico por imágenes de los nódulos linfáticos laterales metastásicos.OBJETIVO:Nuestro objetivo fue desarrollar una herramienta de inteligencia artificial para el diagnóstico de metástasis en nódulos linfáticos laterales mediante el aprendizaje profundo, para pacientes con adenocarcinoma del recto que se sometieron a cirugía radical y disección de nódulos linfáticos laterales.DISEÑO:Estudio retrospectivo.AJUSTES:Estudio multicéntrico.PACIENTES:Un total de 209 pacientes con adenocarcinoma del recto, que se sometieron a cirugía radical y disección de nódulos linfáticos laterales en 15 hospitales participantes, se inscribieron en el estudio y se asignaron a cohortes de entrenamiento (n = 139), prueba (n = 17) o validación (n = 53).PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:En el grupo de tratamiento neoadyuvante, las imágenes tomadas antes del tratamiento se clasificaron como imágenes de referencia y las posteriores al tratamiento, como imágenes previas a la cirugía. En el grupo de cirugía inicial, las imágenes previas a la cirugía se clasificaron como imágenes de referencia y previas a la cirugía. Construimos dos tipos de inteligencia artificial, utilizando imágenes de referencia y previas a la cirugía, ingresando los parches de estas imágenes en ResNet-18. Evaluamos la precisión diagnóstica de los dos tipos de inteligencia artificial.RESULTADOS:En general, 124 pacientes se sometieron a cirugía solamente, 52 recibieron quimioterapia neoadyuvante y 33 recibieron quimiorradioterapia. El número de nódulos linfáticos laterales removidos en los cohortes de entrenamiento, prueba y validación fue de 2,418; 279 y 850, respectivamente. Las tasas metastásicas fueron 2.8%, 0.7%, y 3.7%, respectivamente. En el cohorte de validación, el área de recuperación de precisión bajo la curva fue de 0.870 y 0.963 para las imágenes de referencia y antes de la cirugía, respectivamente. Aunque tanto las imágenes previas a la cirugía como las iniciales proporcionaron una buena precisión para diagnosticar metástasis en los nódulos linfáticos laterales, la precisión de las imágenes previas a la cirugía fue mejor que la de las imágenes iniciales.LIMITACIONES:El número de casos es pequeño.CONCLUSIÓN:La inteligencia artificial es una herramienta prometedora para diagnosticar metástasis en los nódulos linfáticos laterales con alta precisión. (Traducción-Dr. Aurian Garcia Gonzalez ).

Hybrid esophagogastric tube anastomosis after minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy to prevent stenosis in patients with esophageal cancer.

PURPOSE: The use of a small circular stapler has been reported to increase the incidence of benign anastomotic stenosis in reconstruction. In circular stapling anastomosis after esophagectomy, the anastomotic lumen is dependent on the size of the esophagus and the replacement organ. We developed a new and foolproof method to prevent stenosis in esophagogastric tube anastomosis for patients with esophageal cancer that is not dependent on operator skill. METHODS: Seven patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy in our hospital. Esophagogastric tube anastomosis was tried for all patients using the novel "hybrid esophagogastric tube anastomosis" technique. A 21-mm circular stapler was applied to perform an end-to-side anastomosis between the cervical esophagus and the posterior wall of the gastric tube. Then, a 30-mm linear stapler was positioned in the esophagogastric anastomosis formed by the 21-mm circular stapler with the anvil fork inserted into the esophagus and the cartridge fork inserted into the gastric tube. A supplementary side-to-side anastomosis of appropriately 15 mm was created. Afterward, the entry hole was closed with a linear stapler. RESULTS: The hybrid esophagogastric tube anastomosis was successful in all seven patients receiving it between June 2020 and March 2022. No postoperative complications related to this anastomosis were observed in any of the patients. Five patients underwent follow-up gastrointestinal endoscopy at 6 months after esophagectomy. No patient had an anastomotic stenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid esophagogastric tube anastomosis can be performed easily and safely and can reduce the complications associated with anastomosis.

Development of an artificial portal vein using bioabsorbable polymers.

PURPOSE: During surgical resection of malignant tumors in the hepatobiliary pancreatic region, portal vein resection and reconstruction may be needed. However, there is no alternative to the portal vein. We therefore developed an artificial portal vein that could be used in the abdominal cavity. METHODS: In the experiments, hybrid pigs (n = 8) were included. An artificial portal vein was created using a bioabsorbable polymer sheet (BAPS). Subsequently, the portal vein's anterior wall was excised into an elliptical shape. A BAPS in the form of a patch was implanted at the same site. At 2 weeks (n = 3) and 3 months (n = 5) after the implantation, the BAPS implantation site was resected and evaluated macroscopically and histopathologically. RESULTS: Immediately after the implantation, blood leakage was not detected. Two weeks after implantation, the BAPS remained, and endothelial cells were observed. Thrombus formation was not observed. Three months after implantation, the BAPS had been completely absorbed and was indistinguishable from the surrounding portal vein. Stenosis and aneurysms were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: BAPS can replace a defective portal vein from the early stage of implantation to BAPS absorption. These results suggest that it can be an alternative material to the portal vein in surgical reconstruction.

[A Case of pagetoid Carcinoma of the Breast with Pathological Complete Response by Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy].

We herein report a 63-year-old woman who presented with about 20 mm-sized mass in the right breast and the right nipple with erosion. Preoperative examinations revealed a diagnosis of HER2-type pagetoid carcinoma with axillary lymph node metastasis. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy(pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel, followed by adriamycin and cyclophosphamide), a pathological complete response was achieved. The patient was treated with anti-HER2 therapy without recurrence.

[A Case of Robotic Abdominoperineal Resection for Rectal Cancer with Leriche Syndrome].

We report a case of robotic abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer with Leriche syndrome. Case: A 75-year-old male. Colonoscopy, which was performed due to persistent diarrhea, revealed type 2 lower rectal circumferential tumor. Pathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography revealed no distant metastasis, and incidentally complete occlusion from the abdominal aorta to both common iliac arteries. He was diagnosed to rectal cancer(RbRaP, cT3N0M0, cStage Ⅱa)with Leriche syndrome. Therefore, robotic abdominoperineal resection(D3 dissection)was performed. There was no complication, and he was discharged 15 days after surgery. Postoperative pathological examination revealed pT3N1asM0, pStage Ⅲb.

[A Case of Perforated Rectal Cancer with Laparoscopic Low Anterior Resection].

We report a case of perforated rectal cancer with laparoscopic low anterior resection. Case: A 60-year-old man was transported to the hospital with a chief complaint of sudden lower abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed wall thickening of the upper rectum and free air localized around the rectum and fecal mass in the mesorectum. He was diagnosed with perforated rectal cancer. Because of the early onset, young age, and ascites confined to the pelvic floor, we decided to perform laparoscopic low anterior resection(D3 dissection). Intraabdominal observation revealed tumor in the upper rectum with a large rectal perforation 3 cm proximal to the tumor. By using gauze and suction, we were able to complete the surgery with ingenuity laparoscopically. The postoperative course was good, and he was discharged 9 days after surgery. Postoperative pathological examination revealed pT4apN0sM0, pStage Ⅱb. Adjuvant chemotherapy of 8 courses of capecitabine was performed. There has been no recurrence 3 years after surgery.

[A Case of Long-Term Survival Achieved by Multimodal Treatments for Postoperative Lung Metastasis and Mediastinal Lymph Node Metastasis after Surgery for Ascending Colon Cancer].

A 52-year-old male patient with Stage Ⅲc ascending colon cancer underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with D3 lymph node dissection. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered for 6 months, and no recurrence was observed during the follow-up period. Left lung metastasis was detected and surgically removed 7 years after the initial surgery. He underwent open partial small bowel resection with lymph node dissection when mesenteric lymph node metastasis was identified 2 years later. Although chemotherapy was conducted on the identification of mediastinal lymph node metastasis 2 years later, the mediastinal lymph nodes increased. Although attempted, lymph node dissection was impossible because of the strong adhesion to the trachea. Subsequently, chemotherapy and radiation therapy were administered. However, an infiltration of the mediastinal lymph nodes into the trachea was observed. The patient underwent bronchoscopic laser tumor ablation. The patient died 4 months after the resumption of chemotherapy(18 years after the initial surgery). Mediastinal lymph node recurrence after curative resection for colon cancer is a rare clinical condition. Nevertheless, long-term survival could be achieved by multimodal treatments in such patients.

Oncologic Status of Obturator Lymph Node Metastases in Locally Advanced Low Rectal Cancer: A Japanese Multi-Institutional Study of 3487 Patients.

BACKGROUND: The American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor-node-metastasis staging system for rectal cancer defines lateral pelvic lymph nodes (LPLNs) only in the internal iliac region as regional. However, the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) staging system, also considers obturator lymph nodes (LNs) as regional. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the oncologic status of obturator LNs in low rectal cancer. METHODS: The study identified 3487 patients with pT3-T4 low rectal cancer who had undergone curative resections without preoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy between 2003 and 2011 in the JSCCR database and divided them into six groups. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were analyzed by groups. RESULTS: Histologic LPLN metastases were identified in 8% (279/3487) of all the patients and in 18.2% (279/1530) of the patients who underwent lateral pelvic node dissection. The 5-year OS and RFS rates of the obturator-LPLN group (P = 0.095) were worse than those of the internal-LPLN group (P = 0.075), but the difference was not significant. The OS of the obturator-LPLN group was similar to that of the resectable liver metastasis group (P = 0.731), and the RFS of the obturator-LPLN group was significantly better than that of the other-LPLN group (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: The prognosis for obturator LN metastases in low rectal cancer was not significantly worse than for internal iliac LN metastases, defined as regional by the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, and the oncologic status of obturator LNs warrants more studies.

Validity and safety of laparoscopic gastrectomy with D1+ lymphadenectomy for very elderly advanced gastric cancer patients; retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether laparoscopic gastrectomy with optimal lymphadenectomy is appropriate for very elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer. This study aimed to assess the validity of laparoscopic gastrectomy with D1+ lymphadenectomy performed for advanced gastric cancer in patients aged 80 years or more. METHODS: Included in this retrospective study were 122 patients who underwent curative laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer between 2013 and 2018. All patients over 80 years old underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy with D1+ lymphadenectomy. We divided patients by age between those who were very elderly (age ≥ 80 years; very elderly group [n = 57]) and those who were non-very elderly (age < 80 years; control group [n = 65]), and we compared patient and clinicopathological characteristics, intraoperative outcomes, and short- and long-term outcomes between the two groups. We also performed multivariate analyses to identify predictors of postoperative prognosis. RESULTS: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of grade 2 or higher and mean Charlson comorbidity index score and body mass index were significantly different between the very elderly group and the control group. Adjuvant chemotherapy was used in relatively few very elderly group patients. Operation time, blood loss volume, and postoperative morbidity and mortality did not differ between the two groups. The overall survival and disease-specific survival rate of very elderly group patients with the Charlson comorbidity index score of <3 was not significantly different from that of the control group patients. CONCLUSION: The treatment of advanced gastric cancer by laparoscopic gastrectomy with D1+ lymphadenectomy to be both safe and effective in the very elderly group patients with the Charlson comorbidity index score of <3.

Double tract-like gastric tube reconstruction decreases the incidences of delayed gastric emptying and bile reflux after esophagectomy: results of a pilot study of an experimental technique.

PURPOSE: Esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction is often complicated postoperatively by duodenogastric reflux and/or delayed gastric emptying and the accompanying symptoms, leading to patients being dissatisfied with their quality of life (QOL). Medical interventions to relieve patients of their symptoms are rarely effective. We began, in 2018, performing double tract-like gastric tube reconstruction, and, in a pilot study, we compared postoperative QOL between patients in whom this experimental reconstruction was performed and those in whom conventional reconstruction was performed. METHODS: Included in the study were 33 patients who underwent thoracoscopic McKeown esophagectomy with two- or three-field lymph node dissection for thoracic esophageal cancer between April 2015 and March 2020. A gastric tube about 4 cm in width was created in all patients, and in 14 of the patients (DT group), a double tract was appended by anastomosing the elevated jejunum to the anterior wall of the gastric tube, QOL was assessed 10-14 months later by means of the DAUGS-32 questionnaire, and bile reflux and the presence or absence of food residue were assessed by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. RESULTS: DAUGS-32 food passage dysfunction, nausea and vomiting, and reflux symptoms scores were significantly lower in the DT group than in the conventional reconstruction group. There was no significant between-group difference in the incidence of postoperative complications. No food residue was seen in DT patients' gastric tube, and no reflux esophagitis was observed. CONCLUSION: Double tract-like gastric tube reconstruction shows promise as an effective means of improving patients' post-esophagectomy QOL.

Index of estimated benefit from lymph node dissection for stage I-III transverse colon cancer: an analysis of the JSCCR database.

PURPOSE: Main lymph node metastasis (LNM) dissection of transverse colon (TC) cancer is a difficult surgical procedure. Nonetheless, the main LNM ratio and the benefit of main lymph node (LN) dissection in TC cancer were unclear. This study aimed to identify high-risk patients for LNM and to evaluate the benefit of LN dissection in TC cancer. METHODS: Data for 26,552 colorectal cancer patients between 2007 and 2011 were obtained from the JSCCR database. Of these, 871 stage I-III TC cancer patients underwent surgery with radical LN dissection. These patients were evaluated using the index of estimated benefit from lymph node dissection (IEBLD), where IEBLD = (LNM ratio of each LN station) × (5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the patients with LNM) × 100. RESULTS: None of the patients with depth of invasion pT1-2 had main LNM. The presence of main LNM was associated with depth of invasion pT4, CEA-4H (carcinoembryonic antigen 4 times higher than preoperative cutoff value), or type 3, and 323 patients (37.1%) who had these factors were high-risk patients for main LNM. In these high-risk patients, the LNM ratio, 5-year OS rate of patients with LNM and IEBLD values, respectively, were 43.9%, 70.3%, and 30.5 for the pericolic LN; 20.3%, 66.0%, and 15.1 for the intermediate LN; and 9.6%, 58.5%, and 5.6 for the main LN. CONCLUSION: Main LNM is associated with depth of invasion pT4, CEA-4H, or type 3. The IEBLD for the main LN of high-risk TC cancer patients was over 5.

[A Case of Successful Collective Treatment of Rectal Cancer Diagnosed by Liver Abscess].

A 67-year-old woman was found to have multiple liver abscess and pneumonia. Liver abscess was improved after percutaneous transhepatic abscess drainage(PTAD). A diagnosis of rectal cancer was made by colonoscopy and the patient underwent colostomy for rectal cancer on February 2018. Laparoscopic low anterior resection was performed on July 2019 after mFOLFOX plus bevacizumab(BEV)14 courses. Lower leaf partial lung resection was performed on September 2019 and upper leaf partial resection was performed on September 2020 for lung metastasis. The patient is currently alive without relapse after 21 months. Liver abscess was caused by portal vein infection of rectal cancer. Effective chemotherapy with surgery was successful.

[A Case in Which a Laparotomy Transition, in a Patient with Sigmoid Colon Cancer, Prevented Peritoneal Metastasis from Being Missed].

We report a case of laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer where a laparotomy transition prevented peritoneal metastasis from being missed. Case: A 64-year-old woman was diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer. Computed tomography revealed a large bowel obstruction and a 12 mm wide basal bulge in the gallbladder. A laparoscopic sigmoidectomy( D3 dissection)was first performed, and intra-abdominal observation revealed no disseminated nodules. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed continuously but, due to strong adhesions, a laparotomy was administered. Three disseminated nodules were observed in the omentum during the laparotomy and a postoperative pathological examination revealed pT4aN1b(2/23)M1c1(P2), pStage Ⅳc. Adjuvant chemotherapy of 8 courses of CAPOX was performed and there has been no recurrence 20 months after surgery.

[A Case of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Treated Successfully with TNT].

Local control is important in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer(LARC). In Western countries, the standard therapy for LARC is preoperative chemoradiotherapy(CRT)followed by total mesorectal excision. Recently, addition of intensive chemotherapy to CRT known as total neoadjuvant therapy(TNT)is increasing. We herein report a 69-year-old woman who developed LARC(cT3N3M0, cStage Ⅲc). She was diagnosed as clinical complete response after TNT, and she chose"watch and wait". She did not have a recurrence for 16 months.