Clinicopathological features of appendiceal goblet cell adenocarcinoma in Japan: a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: In the 5th edition of the World Health Organization classification, appendiceal goblet cell adenocarcinoma (GCA) is categorized separately from neuroendocrine tumors and other appendiceal adenocarcinomas. We clarified the clinicopathological characteristics of Japanese appendiceal GCA. METHODS: We designed a retrospective multicenter cohort study and retrieved the data of patients with appendiceal neoplasms and histologically diagnosed appendiceal goblet cell carcinoid (GCC) treated from January 2000 to December 2017 in Japan. The available GCC slides were reviewed and diagnosed with a new grading system of GCA. RESULTS: A total of 922 patients from 43 institutions were enrolled; of these, 32 cases were patients with GCC (3.5%), and 20 cases were ultimately analyzed. The 5-year survival rate was 61.4% (95% confidence interval: 27.4-83.2), and the median survival time was 93.1 months. For peritoneal metastasis, regional lymph node metastasis was a significant factor (p = 0.04), and Grade 3 was a potential factor (p = 0.07). No peritoneal metastasis was observed in either T1/2 patients (n = 2) or Grade 1 patients (n = 4). We were unable to detect any significant factors associated with regional lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: For peritoneal metastasis, regional lymph node metastasis was a significant factor, and Grade 3 was a potential factor.

[A Case of Rectal Neuroendocrine Carcinoma with Iris Metastasis].

A 62-year-old man with anal pain was diagnosed with rectal neuroendocrine carcinoma. There were multiple metastases in the liver, lung, paraaortic lymph node, and bone of the patient. After performing a diverting colostomy, irinotecan and cisplatin were administered. Partial response was obtained after 2 courses, and anal pain improved. However, after 8 courses, multiple skin metastases were found on his back. At the same time, the patient also complained of redness, pain, and impaired vision in the right eye. Iris metastasis was diagnosed clinically by ophthalmologic examination and with contrast- enhanced MRI. Iris metastasis was treated with 5 doses of 4 Gy irradiation, ameliorating the eye symptoms. The patient died of the original disease 13 months after the initial diagnosis; however, multidisciplinary treatment appeared effective for palliating cancer symptoms.

[A Case of Jejunal Cancer Treated by Laparoscopic Partial Jejunectomy].

The patient was a 30s male visited our hospital with the complaints of abdominal pain and melena. The internal medicine physician could not detect the cause of the melena by upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy. Although the patient resolved with a fast as conservative management so he left our hospital once, he relapsed nausea and abdominal pain. He visited our department. We performed surgery under a preoperative diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. The histopathological diagnosis was moderate differentiated jejunal adenocarcinoma(Stage ⅡA). At present, 1 year 7 months since surgery, the patient survives although with lymphnode recurrence.

Pre-emptive oral clarithromycin reduces the skin toxicity of panitumumab treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy with panitumumab is expected to be well tolerated and improve survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). However, skin toxicities are its most common adverse events. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pre-emptive antibiotic treatment with clarithromycin (CAM) to prevent panitumumab skin toxicities. METHODS: We conducted a phase lll, multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial on mCRC patients treated with panitumumab. Eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to pre-emptive antibiotic and control groups. In the pre-emptive group, CAM administration (200 mg twice per day) continued daily through the panitumumab treatment period. The control regimen consisted of skin care only. The primary end point was the incidence of grade ≥ 2 skin toxicities during the 6-week skin treatment period. RESULTS: Of 156 enrolled patients, 78 received pre-emptive antibiotic treatment, and 78 received reactive treatment. The number and incidence of grade ≥ 2 skin toxicities during the 6-week skin treatment period were 16 (21.3%) and 41 (54.7%) for the pre-emptive and control groups, respectively (HR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.17-0.56). There was almost no difference in the rate of other adverse events between the two groups, but the incidence of grade ≥ 3 diarrhea in the pre-emptive group was high, at 8% vs. 1.3% in the control group. There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic oral CAM together with relatively simple skin care was found to be effective in suppressing the development of grade ≥ 2 skin toxicities induced by panitumumab. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000011485 DATE OF REGISTRATION: Sep 1st, 2013.

Open versus laparoscopic surgery for primary appendiceal tumors: a large multicenter retrospective propensity score-matched cohort study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for primary appendiceal tumors compared to that of open surgery has not been demonstrated to date because primary appendiceal tumors are rare. This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes between laparoscopic and open surgeries for primary appendiceal tumors. METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, the data of patients who had been histologically diagnosed with primary appendiceal tumors at 43 tertiary hospitals in Japan between 2000 and 2017 were analyzed. In total, 922 patients were assessed, and 679 cases were eligible for analysis. Using propensity scores, the baseline characteristics were matched for 114 open surgery cases and 114 laparoscopic surgery cases. The primary endpoints were recurrence-free survival (excluding patients with stage IV disease with distant metastasis) and overall survival. RESULTS: The rate of conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery was 1.5%. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 80.4% (95% confidence interval: 71.0-89.7) and 78.2% (95% confidence interval: 69.0-87.3) in the laparoscopic and open surgery groups, respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.57). No significant difference was observed in the 5-year overall survival rates between the laparoscopic [83.5% (95% confidence interval: 74.4-92.7)] and open surgery [72.7% (95% confidence interval: 62.3-83.0); p = 0.09] groups. In multivariate analysis, laparoscopic surgery was not identified as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival [hazard ratio: 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.23-1.06), p = 0.0707]. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery is comparable to open surgery and can be considered a treatment option for primary appendiceal tumors.

3D Vessel Image Reconstruction by MDCT for Surgical Indication and Timing of Strangulating Small Bowel Obstructions.

BACKGROUND: Patients with strangulating small bowel obstructions (SBOs) can rapidly deteriorate, in condition; therefore, immediate and appropriate diagnosis is required. However, some cases of SBO are difficult to diagnose using axial computed tomography (CT) images alone. The impact of 3D vessel imaging for the diagnosis, surgical indication, and timing of strangulating SBOs was investigated, prospectively. METHODS: Clinical data were collected for 111 strangulating SBOs and 48 simple SBOs from patients receiving surgical interventions from January 2009 to March 2018. The accuracy of preoperative diagnoses for the type of SBO was evaluated. Among 159 patients, 27 underwent contrast-enhanced CT imaging as well as prospectively reconstructed 3D vessel imaging of the superior mesenteric artery, vein, and branches. The concordance rate of operative findings and preoperative diagnoses of the type of SBO were compared between axial CT imaging alone and combination of axial and 3D vessel imaging. RESULTS: Overall concordance rate of diagnosis for the type of SBO by axial imaging was 93.1% and that of strangulating and simple SBOs was 92.8% and 93.8%, respectively. Combined axial and 3D vessel imaging resulted in 100% accuracy of preoperative diagnoses for both types of SBO. In addition, abnormalities could be classified from 3D vessel images as central twists or peripheral twists, and deteriorated vascular flow could also be detected. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of axial imaging and 3D vessel imaging can be used to accurately diagnose SBOs, and this imaging technique may be useful for determining the surgical indication and suitable timing of strangulating SBOs.

Analysis of anatomical variations of intrapelvic vessels for advanced pelvic surgery.

BACKGROUND: In pelvic surgery, it is important to anticipate potential anatomic variations, which may be unknown, and inter-relationships among intrapelvic vessels. Here, we comprehensively analyzed intrapelvic vessel patterns. METHOD: This retrospective analysis included 81 patients that underwent colorectal surgery in our institution in 2016. A total of 162 half-pelvises were imaged with contrast-enhanced computed tomography. We scrutinized thin-slice images. RESULTS: We found variations in the number of internal iliac veins. In 47.5% of cases, one internal iliac vein drained into the ipsilateral common iliac vein in both halves of the pelvis. In the other cases, several internal iliac veins were observed in one or both halves of the pelvis. We analyzed the inter-relationships between the superior gluteal artery and the sacral nerve plexus in pelvic halves. Superior gluteal arteries ran between the 5th lumbar nerve and 1st sacral nerves, in 82% of halves, and lateral to the 5th lumbar nerve, in 17% of halves. Dorsally, the superior gluteal artery ran on the medial side of the internal iliac vein in 15% of halves. In 28% of half-pelvises, two superior gluteal veins were observed. Superior gluteal veins passed through the sacral nerve plexus lateral to 5th lumbar, between 5th lumbar and 1st sacral, and between 1st and 2nd sacral nerve, in 42.0, 47.5, and 37.7% of halves, respectively. We evaluated the rate of symmetric pelvic anatomies, and found that all anatomic variations formed symmetrically, except the number of internal iliac veins. CONCLUSION: This study clarified the anatomical variations of intrapelvic vessels and their inter-relationships. These findings will benefit our understanding of pelvic anatomy and enhance the safety of radical surgery for treating pelvic diseases.

Distinct Clinical Factors in Hospitalized Patients with Diverticular Bleeding and Diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is unclear why colonic diverticular bleeding and diverticulitis rarely coexist. This study compared the characteristics of these conditions. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study examined 310 consecutive patients hospitalized with an episode of diverticular disease (cases) and outpatients without a diverticular episode (controls) from January 2012 to December 2015. We investigated distinct clinical factors in hospitalized patients with diverticular bleeding and diverticulitis. RESULTS: We identified 183 patients with 263 episodes of diverticular bleeding and 127 patients with 135 episodes of diverticulitis during the study period. Patients with diverticular bleeding were significantly older than those with diverticulitis (median age 76 vs. 56 years) and had more cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, lipid disorder, or a poorer performance status. Significantly more diverticular bleeding patients were taking antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulant drugs, proton pump inhibitors, or laxative agents. Multivariate analysis revealed that an age > 65 years (OR 5.42), and antiplatelet agent use (OR 7.29) were more significant risk factors for diverticular bleeding than for diverticulitis. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly people using antiplatelet drugs may be more susceptible to diverticular bleeding than diverticulitis.

Indocyanine green fluorescence-guided laparoscopic surgery, with omental appendices as fluorescent markers for colorectal cancer resection: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Currently, we lack tools that can reliably guide laparoscopic surgeons to a target anatomical destination for dissection. We aimed to develop and evaluate a fluorescent destination marker (FDM), composed of a resected omental appendix injected with indocyanine green (ICG), for real-time navigation in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer in this pilot study. METHODS: This study included ten patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. To prepare FDMs, we laparoscopically harvested omental appendices attached to the colon we planned to resect. The harvested appendices were injected with diluted ICG, and a gauze tag was attached. The FDMs were placed at target intra-abdominal sites with a ligation clip. RESULTS: Patient diagnoses included 1 cecal, 2 ascending colon, 3 transverse colon, 2 sigmoid colon, and 2 rectal cancers. No conversion to open surgery was required and no intraoperative complications occurred. We created 12 sets of FDMs, which were placed at a total of 13 sites in abdominal cavities. FDM fluorescence was successfully detected in all cases. Furthermore, FDMs could be detected earlier than the gauze tags at 12 points, and they were detected at the same time at 1 point. CONCLUSIONS: All FDMs facilitated laparoscopic surgery by allowing the surgeon to find the tissue to be dissected, particularly in procedures that required the dissection of lymph nodes around middle colic vessels and mobilization of the splenic flexure. FDMs showed potential for guiding the laparoscopic surgeon to a target anatomical destination. This marker represents a contribution to the evolution of real-time navigation surgery.

Benefits of using a self-expandable metallic stent as a bridge to surgery for right- and left-sided obstructive colorectal cancers.

PURPOSE: To assess the benefit of placing a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) as a bridge to surgery for obstructive colorectal cancer (OCRC) according to the tumor site. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective multicenter cohort study were 201 patients with OCRC, but without initial bowel perforation, who were treated either with a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) as a bridge to surgery (n = 109) or with primary surgery (PS; n = 92) between 2014 and 2016. The cohort consisted of 68 patients with right-sided and 133 left-sided OCRC. We evaluated the short-term surgical outcomes for each side. RESULTS: The SEMS group of patients with left-sided OCRC had significantly higher rates of primary resection, primary resection with anastomosis, stoma-free surgery, and laparoscopic surgery than the PS group of patients with left-sided OCRC. In contrast, the SEMS group of patients with right-sided OCRC had only a significantly higher rate of laparoscopic surgery than the PS group of patients with right-sided OCRC, but they had a longer overall hospital stay. There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups in the rates of morbidity or mortality, for either right-sided or left-sided OCRC. CONCLUSION: The benefit of a SEMS as a bridge to surgery may be less for right-sided than for left-sided obstructions in colon cancer patients.

[The Current Status of Palliative Care for Cancer on a Questionnaire Survey].

We evaluated the current status of palliative care for cancer by questionnaire survey in 34 medical institutions belonging to the Hyogo Society for Oncology of the Colon and Rectum. Although 29 institutions(85%)had palliative care teams, the profiles of team members differed between the institutions. The inclusion rates of psychiatrists, nutritionists, medical social workers, clinical psychologists, and rehabilitation therapists was half or less. Ten institutions had some positive screening systems for objective patients. Consultation from a surgical or medical oncologist to a palliative care doctor was most frequently performed at the end of chemotherapy(46%)but was widely distributed from the beginning of chemotherapy to the period of best supportive care. Most institutes positively adopted surgical palliation and palliative radiotherapy as non-pharmacological options. While palliative care teams were prevalent in this survey, the systematic supply of palliative care may be under development with limited resources.

[A Case of Successful Surgical Treatment for Paraaortic Lymph Nodes Recurrence of Gallbladder Cancer].

Cholecystectomy with gallbladder bed resection and regional lymphadenectomy was performed in a 75-year-old man with advanced gallbladder cancer. Pathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma in the gallbladder with regional lymph node metastases. Cancer recurrence was found in paraaortic lymph nodes behind the duodenum 9 months after the surgery. Although chemotherapy using S-1 was initiated, the lymph nodes remained the same size after 2 courses without any new recurrent regions. Lymphadenectomy was then performed as a curative surgery. The patient has remained alive without recurrence for 46 months after the second surgery.

Analysis of the Vascular Interrelationships Among the First Jejunal Vein, the Superior Mesenteric Artery, and the Middle Colic Artery.

BACKGROUND: The technical difficulty of laparoscopic surgery for transverse colon cancer is partly due to the vascular variability around the middle colic vessels. Although individual variations in the arteries or veins in this area were previously investigated, the vascular interrelationships between these vessels remain unknown. This study was designed to investigate the vascular interrelationships between the arteries and veins around the middle colic vessels and to provide practically useful classifications. METHODS: This study included 105 consecutive patients who underwent colorectal surgery for colorectal tumors in our institution in 2016. Patients with a history of colectomy were excluded. Vascular anatomical classifications were analyzed by evaluating thin-slice images of preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography. RESULTS: Vascular anatomical patterns were classified according to whether the first jejunal vein ran behind (type A) or in front (type B) of the superior mesenteric artery. Type B was subclassified into two subtypes, depending on whether the middle colic artery originated cephalad (type B1) or caudad (type B2) to the first jejunal vein. We identified 83 (79.0%) cases of type A, 11 (10.5%) of type B1, and 11 (10.5%) of type B2. In 17 cases, the middle colic vein drained into the inferior mesenteric vein, and all of these were type A (P = 0.0202). Furthermore, in eight cases, the middle colic vein drained into the first jejunal vein, and all of these were type B (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This study elucidated the vascular interrelationships around the middle colic vessels. Our findings provided important knowledge for laparoscopic surgery in treating transverse colon cancer.

Surgical Apgar score for predicting complications after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Surgical Apgar score (SAS) was recently proposed as a simple predictor of postoperative complications. A few studies have shown the utility of the SAS in some kinds of surgeries, but it has not been investigated in patients undergoing hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: This study included 158 patients undergoing hepatectomy for HCC. The association between SAS and postoperative complications was examined. The patients had postoperative morbidities classified as Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors that significantly influenced the development of postoperative complications. RESULTS: Postoperative complications developed in 28 (17.7%) of the 158 patients. The proportion of cases with complications was significantly inversely correlated with SAS (Spearman rank correlation 0.829). The SAS was significantly lower in cases with complications than those without complications (5.6 ± 1.3 points versus 6.6 ± 1.3 points, P = 0.0004). Comparisons between patients with and without complication showed that preoperative serum albumin level and operation time, as well as SAS, were associated with complications. Multivariate analysis revealed that postoperative complications significantly correlated with the SAS. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the clinical utility of SAS in predicting the development of postoperative complications after hepatectomy for HCC.

Is Intraoperative Blood Loss Underestimated in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Hepatectomy?

BACKGROUND: Less intraoperative blood loss is frequently reported as an advantage of laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) over open hepatectomy (OH). However, the small work space during laparoscopic surgery could lead to insufficient blood suction from the abdominal cavity, with possible underestimation of intraoperative blood loss. This study compared estimated blood loss (E-BL) with intraoperatively counted blood loss (IC-BL) in patients undergoing LH. METHODS: This study included 110 consecutive patients undergoing partial hepatectomy for solitary liver tumors (59 had OH and 51 had LH). IC-BL and E-BL were determined, and the difference between them was calculated based on the surgical approach. Factors affecting the difference were investigated. IC-BL was quantified from the suction fluid volume and weight of surgical gauzes used for blood and fluid collection. E-BL was calculated with the total blood volume and change in hematocrit. RESULTS: Although there were no significant differences between IC-BL and E-BL in the OH group (292 ± 198 vs. 259 ± 167 mL, p = 0.1239), E-BL was significantly greater than IC-BL in the LH group (273 ± 166 vs. 128 ± 177 mL, p < 0.0001). Percentage of patients with E-BL > IC-BL in the LH group was significantly greater than in the OH group (86.3 vs. 42.4%, p < 0.0001). The surgical approach (OH/LH) was the only significant independent factor determining E-BL > IC-BL status. CONCLUSIONS: E-BL was significantly greater than IC-BL only in patients undergoing LH, and the surgical approach (OH/LH) was the only factor affecting E-BL > IC-BL status. These results suggest that intraoperative blood loss may be underestimated during LH.

[A Case Report of SOX Treatment for Primary Duodenal Carcinoma with Liver Metastasis].

We report a case of effective S-1 plus oxaliplatin (SOX) treatment for duodenal cancer with liver metastases. The patient was a 70-year-old female diagnosed with duodenal carcinoma that was unresectable because of liver metastasis(cT4N1M1, cStage IV in UICC 7th). She received SOX treatment(100mg/m / 2 of oxaliplatin on day 1 combined with 40 mg/day of S-1 twice daily on days 1-14, was repeated every 3 weeks). After 4 courses, a partial response was confirmed by computed tomography and no severe adverse events were observed. However, during the 5th courses, several new liver metastases were observed, so we changed to weekly paclitaxel treatment. This case suggests that SOX treatment may be an effective chemotherapy for advanced primary duodenal carcinoma.

[A Case of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer Treated with Chemoradiotherapy before Surgical Resection].

A 70-year-old woman presented to our hospital because of stomach pain. She was diagnosed as having clinical Stage ⅢC gastric cancer with invasion into the pancreas and treated with S-1+oxaliplatin(SOX)as neoadjuvant therapy, after palliative radiotherapy for tumor bleeding. After 4 courses of SOX therapy and 7 courses of S-1 therapy, the tumor size reduce and the invasion into the pancreas disappeared. Subsequently, she underwent distal gastrectomy. The pathological diagnosis was ypStage ⅢB, with no findings of tumor invasion into the pancreas. As of 1 year 9 months after the surgery, no metastasis or recurrence was observed.

[A Case of Successful Control of Advanced Duodenal Cancer with Liver Metastasis Receiving Paclitaxel Chemotherapy and Potential Radical Resection].

We report a case of successful control of advanced duodenal cancer with paclitaxel chemotherapy. A woman in her 70s with epigastralgia was diagnosed with hemorrhagic duodenal ulcer upon upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. A type 3 tumor was found in the duodenal bulb upon upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy at our hospital. By contrast CT, we found wall hypertrophy of the duodenal bulb, lymph node metastasis, and liver metastasis and started chemotherapy. Four courses of SOX therapy were first administered. The wall hypertrophy of the duodenal bulb worsened, and new lesions appeared in the liver, so we diagnosed progressive disease. Next, 4 courses of wPTX therapy were administered. The wall hypertrophy of the duodenal bulb improved, and all liver metastatic lesions shrunk and became obscure. The reduction rate was 75%, so we diagnosed partial response. Accumulation in the primary tumor was observed on PET-CT, and the lymph node and liver metastases disappeared, so we considered radical curative resection. The patient underwent subtotal stomach preserving pancreatoduodenectomy, D2 lymph node dissection, reconstruction of the digestive tract by the modified CHILD method, partial hepatectomy, and Brawn's anastomosis. No cancer cells were found in the hepatectomized area. Paclitaxel chemotherapy may be useful for advanced duodenal cancer.

[A Case of Small-Sized Acinar Cell Carcinoma of the Pancreas Resected by Laparoscopic Distal Pancreatectomy].

A 81-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for a stomach pain. Abdominal enhanced CT scan showed a pancreatic hypovascular tumor 10mm in size. Abnormal FDG uptake was found on the tumor at FDG/PET-CT examination. The tumor was identified also at endoscopic ultrasonography, and the endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of this tumor gave the diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Under the preoperative diagnosis, laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy was performed. There were no postoperative complications. Histopathological examination of the resected tumor revealed acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas, not pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The patient is alive without any postoperative recurrences 1 year after the pancreatectomy.

[A Case in Which S-1/Oxaliplatin(SOX)/Trastuzumab Therapy Was Effective for Unresectable HER2 Positive Advanced Gastric Cancer and Radical Resection Could Be Performed].

The case was a 70s-year-old man. In July 2016, he was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of epigastralgia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed type 3 advanced gastric cancer in the vestibule, directly infiltrating the pancreas and the left lobe of the liver to form an abscess, and swelling of the aortic lymph node and multiple liver metastases were observed. The cancer was diagnosed as cT4b(liver/pancreas), N2M1(H1P0CYX), cStage IV and diagnosed it as a chemotherapy policy. We initiated SOX plus trastuzumab therapy from August 2016. After 4 courses, the primary tumor shrunk significantly and invasion to the pancreas/liver had disappeared. Furthermore, the periarterial lymph node and multiple liver metastases were obscured(chemotherapy effect judgment: PR). With a diagnosis of ycT4aN1MX(HXP0CYX), in December 2016, we performed a pyloric side gastrectomy D2(+No.16)dissection and partial resection of the liver(S3, S4, S6), liver RFA(S4, S6, S7). Due to recent progress in chemotherapy and multidisciplinary therapy, there is a possibility that radical resection may be carried out for advanced gastric cancer, which was previously unresectable, by performing a treatment with surgery in mind.