Long-term activation of anti-tumor immunity in pancreatic cancer by a p53-expressing telomerase-specific oncolytic adenovirus.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive, immunologically "cold" tumor. Oncolytic virotherapy is a promising treatment to overcome this problem. We developed a telomerase-specific oncolytic adenovirus armed with p53 gene (OBP-702). METHODS: We investigated the efficacy of OBP-702 for pancreatic cancer, focusing on its long-term effects via long-lived memory CD8 + T cells including tissue-resident memory T cells (TRMs) and effector memory T cells (TEMs) differentiated from effector memory precursor cells (TEMps). RESULTS: First, in vitro, OBP-702 significantly induced adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is important for memory T cell establishment. Next, in vivo, OBP-702 local treatment to murine pancreatic PAN02 tumors increased TEMps via ATP induction from tumors and IL-15Rα induction from macrophages, leading to TRM and TEM induction. Activation of these memory T cells by OBP-702 was also maintained in combination with gemcitabine+nab-paclitaxel (GN) in a PAN02 bilateral tumor model, and GN + OBP-702 showed significant anti-tumor effects and increased TRMs in OBP-702-uninjected tumors. Finally, in a neoadjuvant model, in which PAN02 cells were re-inoculated after resection of treated-PAN02 tumors, GN + OBP-702 provided long-term anti-tumor effects even after tumor resection. CONCLUSION: OBP-702 can be a long-term immunostimulant with sustained anti-tumor effects on immunologically cold pancreatic cancer.

Perioperative and Postoperative Continuous Nutritional Counseling Improves Quality of Life of Gastric Cancer Patient Undergoing Gastrectomy.

Post-gastrectomy syndrome (PGS) and body weight loss (BWL) decrease quality of life (QOL) and survival of the patient undergoing gastrectomy. We have introduced perioperative and post-discharge continuous nutritional counseling (CNC) to prevent BWL and improve QOL after gastrectomy. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of CNC on QOL using the Post-gastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale-45 (PGSAS-45). Eighty-three patients with gastric cancer (GC) who underwent curative gastrectomy between March 2018 and July 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients received either pre-discharge nutritional counseling alone (control group, n = 45) or CNC (CNC group, n = 38) after gastrectomy. QOL at 12 months after gastrectomy was compared between the two groups. In QOL assessment, change in body weight (-7.98% vs. -12.77%, p = 0.0057), ingested amount of food per meal (7.00 vs. 6.07, p = 0.042) and ability for working (1.89 vs. 2.36, p = 0.049) were significantly better in CNC group than control group. Multiple regression analysis showed that CNC was a significantly beneficial factor for abdominal pain subscale (p = 0.028), diarrhea subscale (p = 0.047), ingested amount of food per meal (p = 0.012), Ability for working (p = 0.031) and dissatisfaction at the meal (p = 0.047). Perioperative and postoperative CNC could improve QOL in the patient undergoing gastrectomy in addition to preventing postoperative BWL.

A Case Report of Non-typical Annular Pancreas Diagnosed during Laparoscopic Gastric Surgery.

An annular pancreas is a rare anomaly of the pancreas, defined as pancreatic tissue that totally or partly encircles the duodenum, usually the descending portion. A 76-year-old man who was diagnosed with gastric cancer cT3N0M0 Stage IIB underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection. Intraoperatively, the dorsal half of the duodenal bulb was seen to be half surrounded by the pancreas, and a non-typical annular pancreas was diagnosed. Because of the risk to the pancreas, it was considered impossible to perform anastomosis by a linear stapler as in the usual laparoscopic procedure. Therefore, we performed laparoscopically assisted distal gastrectomy and Billroth-I reconstruction using a circular stapler, and the surgery was completed without difficulties. His postoperative course was good despite the development of a pancreatic fistula, which was an International Study Group for Pancreas Fistula biochemical leak. Some APs can be diagnosed preoperatively, but the rarer subtypes such as ours are more difficult to visualize on imaging. In gastrectomy, it is both oncologically important and technically challenging to perform lymph node dissection around the pancreas. In this case with an especially proximal pancreas, a circular stapler was considered better suited for gastroduodenal anastomosis and required a broader field than that afforded by laparoscopy. A case of non-typical annular pancreas diagnosed during laparoscopic gastric surgery is described.

Omental Abscess after Laparoscopic Proximal Gastrectomy Successfully Treated with Percutaneous Drainage.

We report the case details of a 65-year-old Japanese man with an omental abscess that was discovered 43 days after he underwent a laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. His chief complaint was mild abdominal pain that had persisted for several days. The abscess was diagnosed as a rare postoperative complication. We hesitated to perform a reoperation given the invasiveness of general anesthesia and surgery, plus the possibility of postoperative adhesions and because the patient's general condition was stable and he had only mild abdominal pain. Percutaneous drainage using a 10.2-F catheter was performed with the patient under conscious sedation and computed tomography-fluoroscopy guidance, with no complications. After the procedure, the size of the abscess cavity was remarkably reduced, and 23 days later the catheter was withdrawn.

Local oncolytic adenovirotherapy produces an abscopal effect via tumor-derived extracellular vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play important roles in various intercellular communication processes. The abscopal effect is an interesting phenomenon in cancer treatment, in which immune activation is generally considered a main factor. We previously developed a telomerase-specific oncolytic adenovirus, Telomelysin (OBP-301), and occasionally observed therapeutic effects on distal tumors after local treatment in immunodeficient mice. In this study, we hypothesized that EVs may be involved in the abscopal effect of OBP-301. EVs isolated from the supernatant of HCT116 human colon carcinoma cells treated with OBP-301 were confirmed to contain OBP-301, and they showed cytotoxic activity (apoptosis and autophagy) similar to OBP-301. In bilateral subcutaneous HCT116 and CT26 tumor models, intratumoral administration of OBP-301 produced potent antitumor effects on tumors that were not directly treated with OBP-301, involving direct mediation by tumor-derived EVs containing OBP-301. This indicates that immune activation is not the main factor in this abscopal effect. Moreover, tumor-derived EVs exhibited high tumor tropism in orthotopic HCT116 rectal tumors, in which adenovirus E1A and adenovirus type 5 proteins were observed in metastatic liver tumors after localized rectal tumor treatment. In conclusion, local treatment with OBP-301 has the potential to produce abscopal effects via tumor-derived EVs.

Surgical technique of suprapancreatic D2 lymphadenectomy focusing on the posterior hepatic plexus for advanced gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Although D2 lymphadenectomy is currently considered a standard procedure for advanced gastric cancer (GC) worldwide, there is room for discussion about the appropriate range of suprapancreatic D2 lymphadenectomy. Focusing on the posterior hepatic plexus (PHP), which is not well recognized, we developed a surgical technique of suprapancreatic D2 lymphadenectomy, which we have called PHP-D2, and its short-term and long-term efficacies were evaluated in comparison with non-PHP-D2. METHODS: GC patients who underwent distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy between July 2006 and May 2013 were enrolled, from which patients who had peritoneal metastasis and/or were peritoneal cytology-positive during surgery were excluded. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Ninety-two patients (non-PHP-D2: 48, PHP-D2: 44) were enrolled. Shorter operation time (330 min vs 275 min, p < 0.0001) and less blood loss (290 mL vs 125 mL, p < 0.0001) were observed in PHP-D2, and no pancreatic fistulas were observed in PHP-D2. More lymph nodes of #11p (1 vs 1.5, p = 0.0328) and #12a lymph nodes (0 vs 1, p = 0.0034) were retrieved in PHP-D2, with no significant differences in #8a and #9 lymph nodes. Lymphatic recurrence was significantly less in PHP-D2 (p = 0.0166), and univariate and multivariate analyses showed that non-PHP-D2 was a significant risk factor for lymphatic recurrence (p = 0.0158), although there were no significant differences between non-PHP-D2 and PHP-D2 in 5-year overall survival and 5-year relapse-free survival. CONCLUSION: PHP-D2 was a safe and feasible procedure that had the potential to reduce lymphatic recurrence, and it can be a standard procedure of D2 lymphadenectomy for advanced GC.

Involvement in the tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cell expression by the initial disease of remnant gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Remnant gastric cancer (RGC) has been increasing for various reasons such as a longer life span, medical progress, and others. It generally has a poor prognosis, and its mechanism of occurrence is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological features of and clarify the oncological features of RGC. METHODS: Between January 2002 and January 2017, 39 patients with RGC following distal gastrectomy underwent curative surgical resection at the Okayama University Hospital; their medical records and immunohistochemically stained extracted specimens were used for retrospective analysis. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, initial gastric disease, pathological lymph node metastasis, and pathological stage were the significant factors associated with poor overall survival (p=0.014, 0.0061, and 0.016, respectively). Multivariate analysis of these 3 factors showed that only initial gastric disease caused by malignant disease was an independent factor associated with a poor prognosis (p=0.014, hazard ratio: 4.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-13.0). In addition, tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells expression was higher in the benign disease group than in the malignant group (p=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: Initial gastrectomy caused by malignant disease was an independent poor prognostic factor of RGC, and as one of the causes, lower level of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells in RGC may involve in.

[Telomerase-Specific Oncolytic Adenovirus Expressing p53 Gene Stimulating CD8+ Memory T Cells in Pancreatic Cancer].

Pancreatic cancer has poor prognosis despite the various developed multimodal treatment strategies. Currently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy have attracted substantial attention as effective treatment strategies. However, amplifying immune response with existing treatments is difficult. We developed telomerase-specific oncolytic adenoviruses (OAs), including OBP-301 that is currently tested in a clinical trial of combined anti-PD-1 antibody and p53-armed OBP- 301 variant(OBP-702). OAs have immune-modulation functions and induce CD8+ T cells into tumors by releasing immunogenic cell death markers, such as extracellular adenosine triphosphate. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of OBP- 702 in pancreatic cancer treatments, focusing on the influence on CD8+ memory T cells.

Immune Modulation by Telomerase-Specific Oncolytic Adenovirus Synergistically Enhances Antitumor Efficacy with Anti-PD1 Antibody.

The clinical benefit of monotherapy involving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as anti-programmed death-1 antibody (PD-1 Ab) is limited to small populations. We previously developed a telomerase-specific oncolytic adenovirus, Telomelysin (OBP-301), the safety of which was confirmed in a phase I clinical study. Here, we examined the potential of OBP-502, an OBP-301 variant, as an agent for inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) and synergistically enhancing the efficacy of OBP-502 with PD-1 Ab using CT26 murine colon cancer and PAN02 murine pancreatic cancer cell lines. OBP-502 induced the release of ICD molecules such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) from CT26 and PAN02 cells, leading to recruitment of CD8-positive lymphocytes and inhibition of Foxp3-positive lymphocyte infiltration into tumors. Combination therapy involving OBP-502 intratumoral administration and PD-1 Ab systemic administration significantly suppressed the growth of not only OBP-502-treated tumors but also tumors not treated with OBP-502 (so-called abscopal effect) in CT26 and PAN02 bilateral subcutaneous tumor models, in which active recruitment of CD8-positve lymphocytes was observed even in tumors not treated with OBP-502. This combined efficacy was similar to that observed in a CT26 rectal orthotopic tumor model involving liver metastases. In conclusion, telomerase-specific oncolytic adenoviruses are promising candidates for combined therapies with ICIs.

Accreditation as a qualified surgeon improves surgical outcomes in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

PURPOSE: The Endoscopic Surgical Skill Quantification System for qualified surgeons (QSs) was introduced in Japan to improve surgical outcomes. This study reviewed the surgical outcomes after initial experience performing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) and evaluated the improvement in surgical outcomes following accreditation as a QS. METHODS: Eighty-seven consecutive patients who underwent LDG for gastric cancer by a single surgeon were enrolled in this study. The cumulative sum method was used to analyze the learning curve for LDG. The surgical outcomes were evaluated according to the two phases of the learning curve (learning period vs. mastery period) and accreditation (non-QS period vs. QS period). RESULTS: The learning period for LDG was 48 cases. Accreditation was approved at the 67th case. The operation time and estimated blood loss were significantly reduced in the QS period compared to the non-QS period (230 vs. 270 min, p < 0.001; 20.5 vs. 59.8 ml, p = 0.024, respectively). Furthermore, the major complication rate was significantly lower in the QS period than in the non-QS period (0 vs. 10.6%, p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Experience performing approximately 50 cases is required to reach proficiency in LDG. After receiving accreditation as a QS, the surgical outcomes, including the complication rate, were improved.

HER2-targeted gold nanoparticles potentially overcome resistance to trastuzumab in gastric cancer.

An issue of concern is that no current HER2-targeted therapeutic agent is effective against Trastuzumab (Tmab)-resistant gastric cancer. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are promising drug carriers with unique characteristics of a large surface area available for attachment of materials such as antibodies. Here, we created HER2-targeted AuNPs (T-AuNPs) and examined their therapeutic efficacy and cytotoxic mechanisms using HER2-postive Tmab-resistant (MKN7) or Tmab-sensitive (NCI-N87) gastric cancer cell lines. In vitro, T-AuNPs showed stronger cytotoxic effects than controls against MKN7 and NCI-N87 cells although Tmab had no effect on MKN7 cells. Autophagy played an important role in T-AuNP cytotoxic mechanisms, which was considered to be driven by internalization of T-AuNPs. Finally, T-AuNPs displayed potent antitumor effects against NCI-N87 and MKN7 subcutaneous tumors in in vivo mouse models. In conclusion, HER2-targeted AuNPs with conjugated Tmab is a promising strategy for the development of novel therapeutic agents to overcome Tmab resistance in gastric cancer.

[A Patient with Gastric Cancer with Peritoneal Dissemination Who Survived for Five Years after Sequential Chemotherapy with S-1 Followed by Paclitaxel].

A 76-year-old man complained of hematemesis and melena, and consulted the doctor. An endoscopic examination revealed type 3 advanced gastric cancer and a gastric ulcer with a visible vessel. We performed total gastrectomy with peritoneal metastasis dissection. After surgery, he received sequential chemotherapy with S-1 followed by paclitaxel. He continued the adjuvant chemotherapy without severe adverse events. He was treated successfully in spite of risk factors such as old age and postoperative body weight loss. We report herein a rare case of gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination who achieved 5- year survival after surgery along with the literature review.

Epidural versus patient-controlled intravenous analgesia on pain relief and recovery after laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Epidural analgesia (EDA) is a main modality for postoperative pain relief in major open abdominal surgery within the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocol. However, it remains unclear whether EDA is an imperative modality in laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG). This study examined non-inferiority of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) to EDA in terms of postoperative pain and recovery in patients who underwent LG. METHODS: In this open-label, non-inferiority, parallel, individually randomized clinical trial, patients who underwent elective LG for gastric cancer were randomized 1:1 to receive either EDA or PCIA after surgery. The primary endpoint was pain score using the Numerical Rating Scale at rest 24 h after surgery, analysed both according to the intention-to-treat (ITT) principle and per protocol. The non-inferiority margin for pain score was set at 1. Secondary outcomes were postoperative parameters related to recovery and adverse events related to analgesia. RESULTS: Between 3 July 2017 and 29 September 2020, 132 patients were randomized to receive either EDA (n = 66) or PCIA (n = 66). After exclusions, 64 patients were included in the EDA group and 65 patients in the PCIA group for the ITT analysis. Pain score at rest 24 h after surgery was 1.94 (s.d. 2.07) in the EDA group and 2.63 (s.d. 1.76) in the PCIA group (P = 0.043). PCIA was not non-inferior to EDA for the primary endpoint (difference 0.69, one side 95% c.i. 1.25, P = 0.184) in ITT analysis. Postoperative parameters related to recovery were similar between groups. More EDA patients (21 (32.8%) versus 1 (1.5%), P < 0.001) developed postoperative hypotension as an adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: PCIA was not non-inferior to EDA in terms of early-phase pain relief after LG.Registration number: UMIN000027643 (https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index-j.htm).

A multi-center, prospective, clinical study to evaluate the anti-reflux efficacy of laparoscopic double-flap technique (lD-FLAP Study).

Background: Double-flap technique (DFT) is a reconstruction procedure after proximal gastrectomy (PG). We previously reported a multi-center, retrospective study in which the incidence of reflux esophagitis (RE) (Los Angeles Classification ≥Grade B [LA-B]) 1 year after surgery was 6.0%. There have been many reports, but all of them were retrospective. Thus, a multi-center, prospective study was conducted. Methods: Laparoscopic PG + DFT was performed for cT1N0 upper gastric cancer patients. The primary endpoint was the incidence of RE (≥LA-B) 1 year after surgery. The planned sample size was 40, based on an estimated incidence of 6.0% and an upper threshold of 20%. Results: Forty patients were recruited, and 39, excluding one with conversion to total gastrectomy, received protocol treatment. Anastomotic leakage (Clavien-Dindo ≥Grade III) was observed in one patient (2.6%). In 38 patients, excluding one case of postoperative mortality, RE (≥LA-B) was observed in two patients (5.3%) 1 year after surgery, and the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval was 17.3%, lower than the 20% threshold. Anastomotic stricture requiring dilatation was observed in two patients (5.3%). One year after surgery, body weight change was 88.9 ± 7.0%, and PNI <40 and CONUT ≥5, indicating malnutrition, were observed in only one patient (2.6%) each. In the quality of life survey using the PGSAS-45 questionnaire, the esophageal reflux subscale score was 1.4 ± 0.6, significantly better than the public data (2.0 ± 1.0; p = 0.001). Conclusion: Laparoscopic DFT showed anti-reflux efficacy. Taken together with the acceptable incidence of anastomotic stricture, DFT can be an option for reconstruction procedure after PG.

Exosomes as a drug delivery tool for cancer therapy: a new era for existing drugs and oncolytic viruses.

INTRODUCTION: Exosomes are cell-derived nanovesicles involved in cell-to-cell communications. These nanovesicles are generally considered to contain important carriers of information such as DNA and RNA, and show specific tropism. AREAS COVERED: The combination of existing therapeutic agents with exosomes enhances therapeutic effects by increasing uptake into the tumor. Induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) may also be triggered more strongly than with the drug alone. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are even more effective as a drug in combination with exosomes. Although OVs are more likely to cause immune activity, combination with exosomes can exert synergistic effects. OVs have potent anti-tumor effects, but many limitations, such as being limited to local administration and vulnerability to attack by antibodies. Incorporation into exosomes can overcome these limitations and may allow effects against distant tumors. EXPERT OPINION: Novel therapies using exosomes are very attractive in terms of enhancing therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects. This approach also contains elements overcoming disadvantages in OVs, which have not been used clinically until now, and may usher in a new era of cancer treatments.

Prognostic nutritional index is a prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer and esophagogastric junction cancer undergoing proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastrostomy by the double-flap technique: A secondary analysis of the rD-FLAP study.

PURPOSE: Although proximal gastrectomy (PG) is commonly used in patients with upper gastric cancer (GC) and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) cancer, long-term prognostic factors in these patients are poorly understood. The double-flap technique (DFT) is an esophagogastrostomy with anti-reflux mechanism after PG; we previously conducted a multicenter retrospective study (rD-FLAP) to evaluate the short-term outcomes of DFT reconstruction. Here, we evaluated the long-term prognostic factors in patients with upper GC and EGJ cancer. METHODS: The study was conducted as a secondary analysis of the rD-FLAP Study, which enrolled patients who underwent PG with DFT reconstruction, irrespective of disease type, between January 1996 and December 2015. RESULTS: A total of 509 GC and EGJ cancer patients were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival demonstrated that a preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) < 45 (p < 0.001, hazard ratio [HR]: 3.59, 95% confidential interval [CI]: 1.93-6.67) was an independent poor prognostic factor alongside pathological T factor ([pT] ≥2) (p = 0.010, HR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.22-4.30) and pathological N factor ([pN] ≥1) (p = 0.001, HR: 3.27, 95% CI: 1.66-6.46). In patients with preoperative PNI ≥45, PNI change (<90%) at 1-year follow-up (p = 0.019, HR: 2.54, 95%CI: 1.16-5.54) was an independent poor prognostic factor, for which operation time (≥300 min) and blood loss (≥200 mL) were independent risk factors. No independent prognostic factors were identified in patients with preoperative PNI <45. CONCLUSIONS: PNI is a prognostic factor in upper GC and EGJ cancer patients. Preoperative nutritional enhancement and postoperative nutritional maintenance are important for prognostic improvement in these patients.

Dual antiplatelet therapy inhibits neutrophil extracellular traps to reduce liver micrometastases of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

The involvement of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in cancer metastasis is being clarified, but the relationship between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) and NETs remains unclear. The presence of NETs was verified by multiple fluorescence staining in clinically resected specimens of iCCA. Human neutrophils were co-cultured with iCCA cells to observe NET induction and changes in cellular characteristics. Binding of platelets to iCCA cells and its mechanism were also examined, and their effects on NETs were analyzed in vitro and in in vivo mouse models. NETs were present in the tumor periphery of resected iCCAs. NETs promoted the motility and migration ability of iCCA cells in vitro. Although iCCA cells alone had a weak NET-inducing ability, the binding of platelets to iCCA cells via P-selectin promoted NET induction. Based on these results, antiplatelet drugs were applied to these cocultures in vitro and inhibited the binding of platelets to iCCA cells and the induction of NETs. Fluorescently labeled iCCA cells were injected into the spleen of mice, resulting in the formation of liver micrometastases coexisting with platelets and NETs. These mice were treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) consisting of aspirin and ticagrelor, which dramatically reduced micrometastases. These results suggest that potent antiplatelet therapy prevents micrometastases of iCCA cells by inhibiting platelet activation and NET production, and it may contribute to a novel therapeutic strategy.

Prognostic risk factors for postoperative long-term outcomes in elderly stage IA gastric cancer patients.

Background: The number of gastric cancer (GC) patients with other diseases is increasing due to the aging of the population. In particular, in stage IA GC patients who have multiple diseases, surgical indications should be considered after identifying prognostic factors. We therefore investigated prognostic factors for stage IA GC in the elderly. Methods: Patient characteristics were collected and analyzed retrospectively for elderly patients with stage IA GC who underwent curative surgical treatment at Okayama University Hospital between 2010 and 2015, and an elderly group (EG; 75-79 years old) and very elderly group (VEG; ≥80 years old) were compared. Results: Fifty-three patient in the EG and 31 patients in the VEG were compared. No factors associated with clinicopathological characteristics or surgical or postoperative short-term outcomes differed significantly between groups. Although no factors in the EG appeared significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS), severe comorbidity [Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥2; P=0.019], open gastrectomy (P=0.012), high volume of blood loss (≥300 mL; P=0.013) and long postoperative hospital stay (≥14 days; P=0.041) were significantly associated with poor OS. Furthermore, only CCI ≥2 [hazard ratio (HR) =9.2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-68.9; P=0.032] was an independent prognostic factor associated with poor OS. Five-year OS was 88.9% for CCI 0/1 patients and 62.3% for CCI ≥2 patients, representing very impressive results. Conclusions: CCI ≥2 is an important prognostic factor in clinical decisions in stage IA GC patients ≥2, so careful determination of surgical indications is desirable.

Efficacy and safety of short-term (3 days) enoxaparin in preventing venous thromboembolism after gastric cancer surgery: A single-center, prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacologic prophylaxis such as enoxaparin for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is rarely used in Japan, even following abdominal cancer surgery, for which it is recommended in relevant guidelines (at least 7 days of use) along with mechanical prophylaxis with intermittent pneumatic compression. Reasons for enoxaparin's unpopularity include concerns over postoperative bleeding and its inconvenience in clinical practice. Here, we conducted a prospective clinical study of short-term (3 days) use of enoxaparin, which is considered to minimally impact postoperative management without increasing bleeding risk. METHODS: Gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy received enoxaparin for 3 days from postoperative day (POD) 1-4. The primary endpoint was the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which was examined primarily via Doppler ultrasonography of the lower limbs between POD 8 and 14. The planned sample size was 70, which was calculated based on an estimated incidence rate of 9% and an upper limit of incidence rate of 20%, with alpha of 0.05 and beta of 0.2. RESULTS: A total of 70 gastric cancer patients were enrolled, and ultimately, 68 patients received the protocol intervention and DVT evaluation. Sixty-seven patients completed 6 enoxaparin injections, but 1 patient did not complete the course due to abdominal bleeding after initiation. The incidence of DVT was 4.4% (3/68), and the 95% upper confidence interval was 12.2%, lower than the 20% threshold we set as the upper limit of DVT incidence. DVT was detected only in the peripheral veins of the lower extremities in all 3 affected patients. The incidence of bleeding-related complications, which were not severe, was 1.5% (1/68). CONCLUSIONS: Short-term (3 days) use of enoxaparin was shown to be effective and safe for VTE prophylaxis, comparable to regular use (at least 7 days), in postoperative management of gastric cancer surgery.

Intracorporeal semi-hand-sewn Billroth I reconstruction in total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Intracorporeal Billroth I (B-I) reconstruction using an endoscopic linear stapler (ELS) is widely performed in total laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. However, conventional procedures require many ELSs for anastomosis. Here, we introduce the novel intracorporeal semi-hand-sewn (SHS) B-I reconstruction. MATERIALS AND SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: After the transection of stomach and duodenum using ELS following adequate lymph node dissection, small entry holes were made on the anterior wall in the greater curvature of the stomach and the duodenal stump. The posterior walls of both the remnant stomach and the duodenum were attached with the ELS and fired to create the posterior wall of the B-I anastomosis. All the transection line of the duodenum and one-third of the transection line of the stomach were dissected; finally the anterior wall suturing at the anastomotic site was performed by the laparoscopic hand-sewn technique. DISCUSSION: SHS procedure was performed for 17 gastric cancer patients. There were no intraoperative complications or conversions to open surgery. One intra-abdominal abscess was observed although there was no anastomotic leakage. The median reconstruction time was 48 minutes (32-63). The SHS procedure was safe, feasible, and economical, although it requires sufficient laparoscopic suturing and ligation skill.