Western-Style Diet, pks Island-Carrying Escherichia coli, and Colorectal Cancer: Analyses From Two Large Prospective Cohort Studies.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Evidence supports a carcinogenic role of Escherichia coli carrying the pks island that encodes enzymes for colibactin biosynthesis. We hypothesized that the association of the Western-style diet (rich in red and processed meat) with colorectal cancer incidence might be stronger for tumors containing higher amounts of pks+E coli. METHODS: Western diet score was calculated using food frequency questionnaire data obtained every 4 years during follow-up of 134,775 participants in 2 United States-wide prospective cohort studies. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we measured pks+E coli DNA in 1175 tumors among 3200 incident colorectal cancer cases that had occurred during the follow-up. We used the 3200 cases and inverse probability weighting (to adjust for selection bias due to tissue availability), integrated in multivariable-adjusted duplication-method Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. RESULTS: The association of the Western diet score with colorectal cancer incidence was stronger for tumors containing higher levels of pks+E coli (Pheterogeneity = .014). Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (with 95% confidence interval) for the highest (vs lowest) tertile of the Western diet score were 3.45 (1.53-7.78) (Ptrend = 0.001) for pks+E coli-high tumors, 1.22 (0.57-2.63) for pks+E coli-low tumors, and 1.10 (0.85-1.42) for pks+E coli-negative tumors. The pks+E coli level was associated with lower disease stage but not with tumor location, microsatellite instability, or BRAF, KRAS, or PIK3CA mutations. CONCLUSIONS: The Western-style diet is associated with a higher incidence of colorectal cancer containing abundant pks+E coli, supporting a potential link between diet, the intestinal microbiota, and colorectal carcinogenesis.

Clinicopathological Characteristics of Anastomotic Recurrence After Curative Resection for Colorectal Cancer: Comparison With Nonanastomotic Local Recurrences.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic recurrence is thought to be caused by implantation of tumor cells to the anastomotic line; however, its risk factors and prognostic significance remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to clarify the risk factors for anastomotic recurrence in colorectal cancer and assess the prognosis in comparison to nonanastomotic local recurrence. DESIGN: A single-center retrospective observational study. SETTINGS: The medical records of the study participants were retrospectively collected from the Department of Surgical Oncology at the University of Tokyo Hospital database. PATIENTS: This study included 1584 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection between January 2005 and December 2017. We focused on 15 patients who had an anastomotic recurrence. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measures were the risk factors of anastomotic recurrence at the primary resection and prognosis data in comparison to that of nonanastomotic local recurrence. RESULTS: There were 15 patients (0.95%) with anastomotic recurrence and 35 (2.21%) with nonanastomotic local recurrence. Univariate analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis and advanced T stage are the risk factors for anastomotic recurrence. The prognosis of patients with anastomotic recurrence was similar to that of those with nonanastomotic local recurrence who underwent resection. LIMITATIONS: The small number of patients with anastomotic recurrence is a major limitation of this study. Additionally, the retrospective study design may have increased the risk of selection bias. CONCLUSIONS: Lymph node metastasis and advanced T stage were associated with anastomotic recurrence. The prognosis of patients with anastomotic recurrence was similar to that with resected nonanastomotic local recurrence. Thus, surveillance should be carefully continued while considering the poor prognosis of patients with anastomotic recurrence. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/C92 . CARACTERSTICAS CLINICOPATOLGICAS DE LA RECURRENCIA ANASTOMTICA DESPUS DE LA RESECCIN CURATIVA DEL CNCER COLORRECTAL COMPARACIN CON LAS RECURRENCIAS LOCALES NO ANASTOMTICAS: ANTECEDENTES:Se cree que la recurrencia anastomótica es causada por la implantación de células tumorales en la línea anastomótica; sin embargo, los factores de riesgo asociados y el significado en cuanto a pronóstico siguen sin estar claros.OBJETIVO:Este estudio tuvo como objetivo aclarar los factores de riesgo para la recurrencia anastomótica en el cáncer colorrectal y evaluar el pronóstico en comparación con la recurrencia local no anastomótica.DISEÑO:Un estudio observacional retrospectivo de un solo centro.ESCENARIO:Los registros médicos de los participantes del estudio se recopilaron retrospectivamente de la base de datos del Departamento de Cirugía Oncológica del Hospital de la Universidad de Tokio.PACIENTES:Este estudio incluyó a 1584 pacientes con cáncer colorrectal que se sometieron a resección quirúrgica entre enero de 2005 y diciembre de 2017. Nos enfocamos en 15 pacientes que tuvieron recurrencia anastomótica.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:Las principales medidas de resultado fueron los factores de riesgo de recurrencia anastomótica en la resección primaria y los datos de pronóstico en comparación con la recurrencia local no anastomótica.RESULTADOS:Hubo 15 pacientes (0.95%) con recurrencia anastomótica y 35 (2.21%) con recurrencia local no anastomótica. El análisis univariable reveló que la metástasis en los ganglios linfáticos y el estadio T avanzado son los factores de riesgo para la recurrencia anastomótica. El pronóstico de los pacientes con recidiva anastomótica fue similar al de aquellos con recidiva local no anastomótica sometidos a resección.LIMITACIONES:El pequeño número de pacientes con recurrencia anastomótica es una limitación importante de este estudio. Además, el diseño retrospectivo del estudio puede haber aumentado el riesgo de sesgo de selección.CONCLUSIONES:La metástasis en los ganglios linfáticos y el estadio T avanzado se asociaron con recurrencia anastomótica. El pronóstico de los pacientes con recidiva anastomótica fue similar al de la recidiva local no anastomótica resecada. Por lo tanto, la vigilancia debe continuarse cuidadosamente considerando el mal pronóstico de los pacientes con recurrencia anastomótica. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/C92 . (Traducción-Dr. Jorge Silva Velazco ).

Prognoses in Pathologically Confirmed T1 Lower Rectal Cancer Patients with or without Preoperative Therapy: An Analysis Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database.

INTRODUCTION: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard therapy for downstaging in locally advanced lower rectal cancer. However, it remains unclear whether rectal cancers downstaged by preoperative therapy show similar prognoses to those of the same stage without preoperative therapy. We previously demonstrated that preoperative CRT did not affect prognosis of rectal cancer with pathological T1N0 (pT1N0) stage in a single institute. Here, using a larger dataset, we compared prognoses of (y)pT1 rectal cancer stratified by the use of preoperative therapy and analyzed prognostic factors. METHODS: Cases of pT1N0 rectal cancer, registered between 2004 and 2016, were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Patients were categorized as the "ypT1 group" if they had undergone preoperative therapy before surgery or as the "pT1 group" if they had undergone surgery alone. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) between these groups of patients were compared. Factors associated with CSS and OS were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Among 3,757 eligible patients, ypT1 and pT1 groups comprised 720 and 3,037 patients, respectively. While ypT1 patients showed poorer CSS than ypT1 patients, there was no significant difference in OS. Preoperative therapy was not an independent prognostic factor for CSS or OS. Multivariate analysis identified age and histological type as significant factors associated with CSS. Sex, age, race, and number of lymph nodes dissected were identified as significant factors associated with OS. CONCLUSIONS: Prognosis among patients with (y)p T1N0 rectal cancer was similar irrespective of whether they underwent preoperative therapy, which is consistent with our previous observations.

Poor nutrition and sarcopenia are related to systemic inflammatory response in patients with rectal cancer undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, the changes that the patient's physical status during CRT, such as host systemic inflammatory response, nutritional status, and muscle depletion, are still unclear. We evaluated the clinical significance of malnutrition and sarcopenia for patients with LARC undergoing CRT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with LARC treated with CRT following radical surgery at our institution between 2006 and 2016 (N = 225) were retrospectively analyzed. A new prognostic score (PNSI) was devised based on the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and the psoas muscle mass index (PMI): patients with malnutrition/sarcopenia were scored 2; patients with one and neither abnormality were scored 1 and 0, respectively. RESULTS: Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, monocyte/lymphocyte ratio, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio increased, whereas PNI and PMI decreased after CRT. There were 130, 73, and 22 patients in the PNSI 0, 1, and 2 groups, respectively. Patients with higher PNSI had higher residual tumor size (p = 0.003), yT stage (p = 0.007), ypStage (p < 0.001), post-CRT platelet/lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.027), and post-CRT C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (p < 0.001). Post-CRT PNSI was associated with overall survival and was an independent poor prognosis factor (PNSI 1 to 0, hazard ratio 2.40, p = 0.034, PNSI 2 to 0, hazard ratio 2.66, p = 0.043) together with mesenteric lymph node metastasis, lateral lymph node metastasis, and histology. CONCLUSION: A combined score of post-CRT malnutrition/sarcopenia is promising for predicting overall survival in LARC.

Preoperative sarcopenia is a poor prognostic factor in lower rectal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effect of sarcopenia on the prognosis of advanced lower rectal cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Sarcopenia has been recognized as an adverse factor for surgical outcomes in several malignancies. However, the impact of preoperative sarcopenia on rectal cancer patients receiving CRT is still unknown. METHODS: This retrospective study included cT3-T4 anyN M0 lower rectal cancer patients who underwent CRT followed by R0 resection at our institution between October 2003 and December 2016. CRT consisted of 5-fluorouracil-based oral chemotherapy and long course radiation (50.4 Gy/28 fr). The psoas muscle area at the third lumbar vertebra level was evaluated by computed tomography before and after CRT, and was adjusted by the square of the height to obtain the psoas muscle mass index (PMI). Sarcopenia was defined as the sex-specific lowest quartile of the PMI. We assessed the association between pre- and post-CRT sarcopenia and postoperative prognosis. RESULTS: Among 234 patients, 55 and 179 patients were categorized as sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia patients, respectively. Although post-CRT sarcopenia correlated with residual tumor size, it had no association with other pathological features. The median follow-up period was 72.9 months, and the 5-year DFS and OS were 67.0% and 85.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that post-CRT sarcopenia was independently associated with poor DFS (HR: 1.76; P = 0.036), OS (HR: 2.01; P = 0.049), and recurrence in the liver (HR: 3.01; P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Sarcopenia is a poor prognostic indicator in lower advanced rectal cancer patients treated with CRT.

Predictive factors of survival of colorectal cancer patients after para-aortic lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis is an ominous manifestation indicating a poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients; however, some treatments prolong survival. In this study, we investigated predictors of prolonged survival in CRC patients after PALN metastasis. METHODS: We examined 141 patients with CRC that metastasized to the PALNs from CRC with or without extra-PALN metastasis. Among clinicopathological parameters, factors associated with survival after PALN metastasis were identified by multivariate analyses using Cox's proportional hazard models. RESULTS: The mean hemoglobin and albumin values at diagnosis were 12.3 g/dL and 3.7 g/dL, respectively. Rectal cancer was predominant (n = 81). Mutated RAS was detected in 43%. One hundred and four patients had differentiated adenocarcinoma. Patients underwent PALN dissection (n = 11), radiotherapy (n = 6), and systemic therapy (n = 120). Biologics were administered to 95 patients. The median survival time was 29.1 months. On multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with reduced survival after PALN metastasis were low albumin (hazard ratio [HR] 2.33 per -1 g/dL), mutated RAS (HR 2.55), other than differentiated adenocarcinoma (HR 2.75), rectal cancer (HR 3.38 against right-sided colon, and 3.48 against left-sided colon), the presence of extra-PALN metastasis (HR 6.56), and no use of biologics (HR 3.04). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that hypoalbuminemia as well as RAS mutation, undifferentiated histology, rectal cancer, other site metastasis, and no use of biologics contribute to poor prognosis in CRC patients with PALN metastasis. Nutritional management may be important for improving survival of these patients.

Vascular anatomy of the splenic flexure: a review of the literature.

Surgical treatment of the transverse colon is difficult because of the many variations of blood vessels. We reviewed the patterns of vascular anatomy and the definition of the vessels around the splenic flexure. We searched the PubMed database for studies on the vascular anatomy of the splenic flexure that were published from January 1990 to October 2020. After screening of full texts, 33 studies were selected. The middle colic arteries were reported to arise independently without forming a common trunk in 8.9-33.3% of cases. The left colic artery was absent in 0-7.5% of cases. The accessory middle colic artery was present in 6.7-48.9% of cases and was present in > 80% of cases without a left colic artery. The reported frequency of Riolan's arch was 7.5-27.8%. The frequency was found to vary widely across studies, partially due to the ambiguous definition of Riolan's arch. A comprehensive preoperative knowledge of the branching patterns of the middle colic artery and left colic artery and the presence of collateral arteries would be helpful in surgery for colon cancer in the splenic flexure.

Women are predisposed to early dose-limiting toxicities during adjuvant CAPOX for colorectal cancer.

AIM: Oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy was demonstrated to be beneficial for stage III or high-risk stage II colorectal cancer (CRC). Moreover, a recent international collaborative trial suggested 3-months CAPOX as an alternative regimen for low-risk stage III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Thus, it is important to clarify the frequency and predictive markers of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) developed within the short-course CAPOX cycles. METHODS: We investigated CRC patients who underwent radical surgery and adjuvant CAPOX therapy at our hospital between December 2010 and February 2021. Patients who received initially reduced doses of CAPOX and those who had early recurrence were excluded. We reviewed the age, sex, comorbidities, physical, laboratory and oncological data and other perioperative factors. The associations between these variables and early DLTs within four cycles of CAPOX were examined by multivariate analyses using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Among 168 patients (96 men, mean age: 58.3 years), 120 (71%) developed early DLTs. Patients with early DLTs were predominantly women and sarcopenic and habitual alcohol consumers. On multivariate analyses, only the female sex was an independent predictive factor for early DLTs (odds ratio: 2.61, P = .027). CONCLUSION: Women were prone to early DLTs during adjuvant CAPOX in the current study. Doctors should be aware of the sex difference in the incidence of early DLTs, adjust the CAPOX dosage and provide supportive care for female CRC patients.

LGR5 expression predicts peritoneal recurrence after curative resection of primary colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to clarify whether a cancer stem cell marker could be an indicator of post-operative peritoneal recurrence of colon cancer. METHODS: Expression of four putative markers (CD133, CD44 variant 6, aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 and leucine-rich repeating G-protein-coupled receptor-5 (LGR5)) was evaluated immunohistochemically in primary tumour samples from 292 patients who underwent curative resection for non-metastasised pT4 colon cancer at the University of Tokyo Hospital between 1997 and 2015. RESULTS: Peritoneal recurrence was significantly higher in LGR5-negative cases (5-year cumulative incidence: 27.5% vs. 14.4%, p = 0.037). Multivariable analysis confirmed that negative LGR5 expression was an independent risk factor for peritoneal recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) 2.79, p = 0.005) in addition to poor differentiation, positive lymph node metastasis, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen > 5 ng/mL and anastomotic leakage. The addition of LGR5 significantly improved the predictive value of the multivariable model (net reclassification improvement: 0.186, p = 0.028: integrated discrimination improvement: 0.047, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Negative LGR5 expression was a significant predictor of peritoneal recurrence in patients with pT4 colon cancer. Therefore, LGR5 might be a promising biomarker to identify patients at high risk of post-operative peritoneal metastasis.

Results of a 36-year surveillance program for ulcerative colitis-associated neoplasia in the Japanese population.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Surveillance colonoscopy has been carried out for patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis who have an increased risk for colorectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine the incidence of and the risk factors for neoplasia. METHODS: We evaluated 289 ulcerative colitis patients who underwent surveillance colonoscopy between January1979 and December 2014. Cumulative incidence of neoplasia and its risk factors were investigated. Clinical stage and overall survival were compared between the surveillance and non-surveillance groups. RESULTS: Cumulative risk of dysplasia was 3.3%, 12.1%, 21.8%, and 29.1% at 10, 20, 30 and 40 years after the onset of ulcerative colitis, respectively. Cumulative risk of colorectal cancer was 0.7%, 3.2%, 5.2%, and 5.2% at 10, 20, 30 and 40 years from the onset of ulcerative colitis, respectively. Total colitis was a risk factor for neoplasia (P = 0.015; hazard ratio, 2.96). CONCLUSIONS: Our surveillance colonoscopy program revealed the incidence and risk factors of ulcerative colitis-associated neoplasias in the Japanese population. Total colitis is a risk factor for neoplasia.

Pouchitis after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in ulcerative colitis: Diagnosis, management, risk factors, and incidence.

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis has been the surgical treatment of choice for patients with ulcerative colitis who require surgery. Quality of life after this procedure is satisfactory in most cases; however, pouchitis is a troublesome condition involving inflammation of the ileal pouch. When a patient presents with symptoms of pouchitis, such as increased bowel movements, mucous and/or bloody exudates, abdominal cramps, and fever, endoscopy is essential for a precise diagnosis. The proximal ileum and rectal cuff, as well as the ileal pouch, should be endoscopically observed. The reported incidence of pouchitis ranges from 14% to 59%, and antibiotic therapy is the primary treatment for acute pouchitis. Chronic pouchitis includes antibiotic-dependent and refractory pouchitis. Intensive therapy including antitumor necrosis factor antibodies and steroids may be necessary for antibiotic-refractory pouchitis, and pouch failure may occur despite such intensive treatment. Reported risk factors for the development of pouchitis include presence of extraintestinal manifestations, primary sclerosing cholangitis, non-smoking, and postoperative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage. In the present review, we focus on the diagnosis, endoscopic features, management, incidence, and risk factors of pouchitis in patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

CD133 Expression at the Metastatic Site Predicts Patients' Outcome in Colorectal Cancer with Synchronous Liver Metastasis.

BACKGROUND: CD133 is a transmembrane protein that is proposed to be a stem cell marker of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the correlation between CD133 expression and survival of CRC patients with liver metastasis has not been fully examined. METHODS: CD133 expression was evaluated immunohistochemically, both in primary tumors and synchronous liver metastases of 88 consecutive CRC patients, as well as recurrent lesions in the remnant liver of 27 of these 88 patients. The relationship between CD133 expression and clinicopathological characteristics, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. RESULTS: CD133 expression in liver metastases (mCD133) was detected in 50 of 88 patients (56.8 %), and had significant correlation with CD133 expression in primary lesions (pCD133) (p < 0.001). CD133 expression in liver recurrent lesions (recCD133) also had a significant correlation with mCD133 (p < 0.001). mCD133+ patients had significantly longer disease-free survival (p = 0.043) and OS (p = 0.014) than mCD133- patients. In addition, mCD133+ patients had a significantly lower rate of extrahepatic recurrence (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients without CD133 expression in liver metastasis had significantly shorter survival, perhaps because mCD133- patients had a significantly higher rate of extrahepatic recurrence.

Ulcerative colitis with hepatitis B virus infection treated successfully by granulocyte monocyte apheresis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a major type of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Immunosuppressive therapies are used to treat IBD patients. Clinicians have strong concerns about using immunosuppressive therapies for IBD patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection because aggressive immunosuppressive therapy can promote reactivation of HBV. For that reason, physicians hesitate to use steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs for IBD patients with HBV infection. Granulocyte monocyte apheresis (GMA) is a safe and effective therapy for UC patients. In Japan, a maximum of 11 sessions of GMA are allowed for moderate-to-severe, steroid-resistant UC patients. However, the effects of GMA on HBV remain unclear. This case report describes a 39-year-old man with active UC complicated by HBV infection. Although his symptoms improved with steroid treatment while under entecavir therapy, clinical remission could not be maintained after the steroid dosage was decreased, so GMA was started. After GMA initiation, the frequency of diarrhea decreased and his symptoms improved, and the steroid dosage could be decreased. During the course of GMA, the patient did not experience deterioration in his hepatitis and the HBV DNA level gradually decreased, although GMA itself did not affect the HBV DNA level during each session of GMA. Results show that GMA is a safe and efficacious strategy against UC complicated by HBV without affecting hepatitis because GMA had no remarkable effect on HBV activity. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:584-586, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Incidence of neoplasias and effectiveness of postoperative surveillance endoscopy for patients with ulcerative colitis: comparison of ileorectal anastomosis and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of neoplasia after surgery has not been sufficiently evaluated in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), particularly in the Japanese population, and it is not clear whether surveillance endoscopy is effective in detecting dysplasia/cancer in the remnant rectum or pouch. The aims of this study were to assess and compare postoperative development of dysplasia/cancer in patients with UC who underwent ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) and to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative surveillance endoscopy. METHODS: One hundred twenty patients who received postoperative surveillance endoscopy were retrospectively reviewed for development of dysplasia/cancer in the remnant rectal mucosa or pouch. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-nine endoscopy sessions were conducted for 30 patients after IRA, while 548 pouch endoscopy sessions were conducted for 90 patients after IPAA. In the IRA group, 5 patients developed dysplasia/cancer during postoperative surveillance and in all cases, neoplasia was detected at an early stage. In the IRA group, no patient developed neoplasia within 10 years of diagnosis; the cumulative incidence of neoplasia after disease onset was 7.2, 12.0, and 23.9% at 15, 20, and 25 years, respectively. In one case after stapled IPAA, dysplasia was found at the ileal pouch; a subsequent 9 endoscopy sessions in 8 years did not detect any dysplasia. Neoplasia was found more frequently during postoperative surveillance in the IRA group than in the IPAA group (p = .0028). The cumulative incidence of neoplasia after IRA was 3.8, 8.7, and 21.7% at 10, 15, and 20 years, respectively, and that after IPAA was 1.6% at 20 years. CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative incidence of neoplasia after IPAA was minimal. Those who underwent IRA had a greater risk of developing neoplasia than those who underwent IPAA, although postoperative surveillance endoscopy was able to detect dysplasia/cancer at an early stage. IRA can be the surgical procedure of choice only in selected cases in which it would be of benefit to the patient, with more careful surveillance.

Hereditary gastrointestinal cancer.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, including gastric and colorectal cancer, is a major cause of death worldwide. A substantial proportion of patients with GI cancer have a familial history, and several causative genes have been identified. Gene carriers with these hereditary GI syndromes often harbor several kinds of cancer at an early age, and genetic testing and specific surveillance may save their lives through early detection. Gastroenterologists and GI surgeons should be familiar with these syndromes, even though they are not always associated with a high penetrance of GI cancer. In this review, we provide an overview and discuss the diagnosis, genetic testing, and management of four major hereditary GI cancers: familial adenomatous polyposis, Lynch syndrome, hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, and Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Surveillance colonoscopy for colitis-associated dysplasia and cancer in ulcerative colitis patients.

Long-standing ulcerative colitis patients are known to be at high risk for the development of colorectal cancer. Therefore, surveillance colonoscopy has been recommended for these patients. Because colitis-associated colorectal cancer may be difficult to identify even by colonoscopy, a random biopsy method has been recommended. However, the procedure of carrying out a random biopsy is tedious and its effectiveness has also not yet been demonstrated. Instead, targeted biopsy with chromoendoscopy has gained popularity in European and Asian countries. Chromoendoscopy is generally considered to be an effective tool for ulcerative colitis surveillance and is recommended in the guidelines of the British Society of Gastroenterology and the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Although image-enhanced endoscopy, such as narrow-band imaging and autofluorescence imaging, has been investigated as a potential ulcerative colitis surveillance tool, it is not routinely applied for ulcerative colitis surveillance in its present form. The appropriate intervals of surveillance colonoscopy have yet to be determined. Although the Japanese and American guidelines recommend annual or biannual colonoscopy, the British Society of Gastroenterology and the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation stratified their guidelines according to the risks of colorectal cancer. A randomized controlled trial comparing random and targeted biopsy methods has been conducted in Japan and although the final analysis is still ongoing, the results of this study should address this issue. In the present review, we focus on the current detection methods and characterization of dysplasia/cancer and discuss the appropriate intervals of colonoscopy according to the stratified risks.

Differences in the Difficulty of Accessing Various 3-Dimensional Locations Under Mirror-Image Conditions During Laparoscopic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic colon surgery frequently requires performing maneuvers under mirror-images conditions; the complexity differs depending on the surgical site location in the abdominal cavity. However, no previous reports have examined this. METHODS: Eleven surgeons participated in this study. Operations were performed on 25 points placed at the bottom and sides of a laparoscopic training box under mirror-image conditions. The mean time-point required to operate at each point and variation between surgeons were evaluated. RESULTS: When the right hand was used, time-points to touch the right side-superficial ends were 0.50 to 0.58 and 0.27 to 0.45 for the other sites. With the left hand, time-points to touch the left side-superficial ends were 0.58 to 0.63 and 0.28 to 0.51 for the other sites, indicating that the most difficult manipulation was at the proximal site of the surgical port. The variation in the difficulty according to the spots increased with a decrease in the surgeon's experience (right hand, r =-0.248; left hand, r =-0.491). CONCLUSIONS: In performing laparoscopic surgery under mirror-image conditions, the technical difficulty varies by location, and operating in locations close to the forceps port is the most difficult.

Antitumor effect and pharmacokinetics of intraperitoneal NK105, a nanomicellar paclitaxel formulation for peritoneal dissemination.

The intraperitoneal administration of paclitaxel has been shown to be a promising treatment strategy for peritoneal malignancy. The present study evaluated the effects of intraperitoneal administration of NK105, a paclitaxel-incorporating micellar nanoparticle, which has been shown to have a remarkable effect in a mouse model of gastric cancer. Intraperitoneal NK105 significantly reduced peritoneal tumors in vivo compared with the conventional paclitaxel formulation of paclitaxel solubilized in Cremophor EL and ethanol (PTX-Cre). Moreover, intraperitoneal NK105 significantly reduced the size of subcutaneously inoculated tumors, whereas no such effect was seen with PTX-Cre. Similar systemic toxic effects were observed following the intraperitoneal administration of both NK105 and PTX-Cre. Although NK105 disappeared rapidly almost within a day from the peritoneal cavity, the paclitaxel concentration in peritoneal nodules 4 h after intraperitoneal administration was significantly higher in the NK105 group than in the PTX-Cre group (P < 0.05), whereas there were no significant differences in liver paclitaxel concentrations between the two groups. We also evaluated the pharmacokinetics following intraperitoneal administration of NK105 and PTX-Cre. Serum paclitaxel concentrations 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after the intraperitoneal administration of the drugs were significantly higher in the NK105 than the PTX-Cre group. Furthermore, the peak serum concentration was higher in the NK105 than PTX-Cre group (24 100 ± 3560 vs 108 ± 25 ng/mL, respectively; P < 0.001), as was the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 48 h (191 000 ± 32 100 vs 1500 ± 108 ng·h/mL, respectively; P < 0.001). Therefore, intraperitoneal chemotherapy with nanoparticulate paclitaxel NK105 may offer a novel treatment strategy for improving drug delivery in gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination because of enhanced drug penetration into peritoneal nodules and its prolonged presence in the systemic circulation.

Changes in Lysophospholipid Components in Ulcerative Colitis and Colitis-associated Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, it has become clear that, in addition to normal cytokines, phospholipid mediators play an important role in the development, growth, infiltration, and metastasis of cancer and in the cancer microenvironment. A phospholipid analysis method using tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with high detection sensitivity has enabled quantification of phospholipids, even when using a very small sample. To date, we had applied this MS technology to colorectal cancer tissue. Therefore, in this study, this mass spectrometry technique was applied to ulcerative colitis (UC) and UC-related colorectal cancer, and an analysis was conducted with the aim of clarifying which lysophospholipids specifically change in each type of tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: UC-associated colorectal cancer tissue and UC mucosa were collected from surgical specimens of colitic cancer (n=3). Cancerous and non-cancerous tissues were collected from surgical specimens from patients with sporadic colorectal cancer (n=11). After extraction from these tissues, the amounts of lysophospholipids were quantified by LC-MS/MS. In addition, lysophosphatidylserine (LPS) and lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) were quantified for each molecular species of fatty acids. RESULTS: Compared to normal mucosa, LPI was increased 3.8-fold (p<0.001) and LPS 3.5-fold (p<0.001) in UC-related colorectal cancer. Molecular species of LPI which were increased in UC-related colorectal cancer were 18:0 (p=0.001), 16:0 (p=0.03) and 20:4 (p=0.004), and of LPS were 18:0 (p<0.001) and 22:6 (p=0.014). CONCLUSION: Lysophospholipids increased in colorectal cancer and in UC-associated colorectal cancer. In particular, LPI may have contributed significantly to colitis-associated carcinogenesis.

Preoperative diagnosis of obstructive colitis in colorectal cancer patients who underwent self-expandable metallic stent insertion as a bridge to surgery.

PURPOSE: Obstructive colitis (OC) is a risk factor of anastomotic leakage in colorectal cancer resection. We aimed to clarify the relationship between the severity of OC and clinicopathological findings and to detect predictive factors of OC. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 43 cases of colectomy after self-expandable metallic stent placement for left-sided colorectal cancer. Preoperative diagnosis of OC was made by multiple modalities (initial computed tomography (CT), presurgical CT, and colonoscopy). We classified OC macroscopically in resected specimens into five groups (Grade 0: none, 1: mild [mild edema], 2: moderate [severe edema, redness, erosion], 3: severe [ulceration, bleeding], 4: very severe [necrosis, perforation]), and investigated the relationship between the preoperative assessment, surgical findings and the severity of OC. RESULTS: OC of Grade 2 or more (53.5%) was significantly correlated with severe edema in initial CT. There was no significant correlation between OC and anastomosis rate. The creation of covering stoma was significantly higher in the Grade 2 or more OC group. No leakage was observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Initial CT may be most useful for prediction of OC. It is important to make a preoperative diagnosis of OC by combining multiple modalities, which enables to determine the appropriate location for resection, anastomosis, and construction of a covering stoma.