Impact of preoperative prealbumin levels on long-term prognosis in patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between preoperative prealbumin levels and long-term prognoses in patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy has not been fully investigated. This study clarified the effect of preoperative prealbumin levels on the long-term prognosis of patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for primary pStage I-III gastric cancer and whose preoperative prealbumin levels were measured between May 2006 and March 2017. Participants were categorized according to their preoperative prealbumin levels into high (≥22 mg/dL), moderate (15-22 mg/dL), and low (<15 mg/dL) groups. The overall survival (OS) in the three groups was compared using the log-rank test, and prognostic factors were identified using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 66 months. Of 4732 patients, 3649 (77.2%) were classified as high, 925 (19.6%) as moderate, and 158 (3.3%) as low. Lower prealbumin levels were associated with poorer prognoses (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that prealbumin levels of 15-22 mg/dL [hazard ratio (HR): 1.576, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.353-1.835, P < 0.001] and <15 mg/dL (HR: 1.769, 95% CI: 1.376-2.276, P < 0.001) were independent poor prognostic factors for OS. When analyzed according to the cause of death, prealbumin levels were associated with other-cause survival, but not cancer-specific survival. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative prealbumin levels correlated with OS in patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy; the lower the prealbumin level, the worse is the prognosis. Prealbumin levels may be associated with other-cause survival.

Equal short-term outcomes of intracorporeal mechanical gastrogastrostomy in laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for cT1N0 gastric cancer in the middle stomach compared with the extracorporeal hand-sewing method.

BACKGROUND: Intracorporeal mechanical gastrogastrostomy (IMG) techniques have recently been developed and their short-term safety was presented in their initial evaluation. However, whether they are comparable to extracorporeal hand-sewing gastrogastrostomy (EHG) remains unclear. The aim of the study is to establish the safety of IMG in totally laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (TLPPG) compared to EHG in laparoscopy-assisted pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (LAPPG). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the short-term outcomes of patients with middle-third early gastric cancer who underwent LAPPG or TLPPG between 2005 and 2022. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the non-inferiority of IMG to EHG in terms of safety, with the primary endpoint being the risk difference in anastomosis-related complications (ARCs). The sample size required to achieve a statistical power of 80% for the non-inferiority test was 971 with a one-sided alpha level of 5% and non-inferiority of 5%. RESULTS: The analysis included a total of 1,021 patients who underwent LAPPG or TLPPG during the study period. Among them, 488 patients underwent EHG, while 533 underwent IMG. The incidences of ARCs were 11.3% and 11.4% in EHG and IMG, respectively. The observed difference in incidence was 0.0017 (90% confidence interval - 0.0313 to 0.0345), which statistically demonstrated the non-inferiority of IMG to EHG in the incidence of ARCs. Among other complications, the incidence of wound infection in IMG was lower than that in EHG. CONCLUSION: IMG is safe regarding ARCs compared with EHG. These results will encourage surgeons to introduce IMG for patients with early middle gastric cancer.

CRP as an early indicator for anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy for cancer: a single tertiary gastro-esophageal center study.

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) as an early indicator of anastomotic leakage (AL) after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. METHODS: We reviewed patients diagnosed with esophageal or esophagogastric junctional cancer who underwent esophagectomy between 2006 and 2022 at the Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated relative risk for AL by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The cut-off values for CRP were based on the maximum Youden's index using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: In total, 612 patients were included, with 464 (75.8%) in the non-AL (N-AL) group and 148 (24.2%) in the AL group. Preoperative body mass index and the proportion of patients with the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification 3 were significantly higher in the AL group than in the N-AL group. The median day of AL occurrence was the postoperative day (POD) 8. Trends in CRP levels from POD 2 to 3 and POD 3 to 4 were significantly higher in the AL than in the N-AL group. An increase in CRP of ≥ 4.65% on POD 2 to 3 was an independent risk factor for AL with the highest OR of 3.67 (95% CI 1.66-8.38, p = 0.001) in patients with CRP levels on POD 2 above 211 mg/L. CONCLUSION: Early changes in postoperative CRP levels may help to detect AL early following esophageal cancer surgery.

Effects of the preoperative use and dosage of steroids on postoperative complications of gastric cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of preoperative steroid administration, including dosage, on complications after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHODS: We reviewed patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric and esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma between 2013 and 2019 at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The University of Tokyo. RESULTS: Among the total 764 patients eligible for inclusion in the study, 17 were on steroid medication preoperatively (SD group) and 747 were not (ND group). The hemoglobin, serum albumin levels, and respiratory functions were significantly lower in the SD group than in the ND group. The incidence of postoperative complications classified as Clavien-Dindo (C-D) ≥ 2 was significantly greater in the SD group than in the ND group (64.7% vs. 25.6%, p < 0.001). Intra-abdominal infection (35.2% vs. 9.6%, p < 0.001) and anastomotic leakage (11.8% vs. 2.1%, p < 0.001) occurred more frequently in the SD group than in the ND group. On multiple logistic regression analysis for C-D ≥ 3 postoperative complications, the odds ratio for oral steroid use ≥ 5 mg per day as prednisolone had the highest value, of 13.0 (95% confidence interval 2.46-76.2, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Preoperative oral steroid use was identified as an independent risk factor for postoperative complications after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Furthermore, the complication rate appears to increase as the oral steroid dosage is increased.

Human abdominal abscess caused by Necropsobacter rosorum and tips for its identification: A case report.

Necropsobacter rosorum is a gram-negative facultative anaerobe, which was reclassified from the family Pasteurellaceae in 2011. It has been detected in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts of mammals; however, reports of infection in humans are scarce. We report a case of an abdominal abscess in which N. rosorum was detected; it was successfully treated with drainage and antimicrobial therapy. Routine laboratory testing such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and an identification system using biochemical phenotypes could not identify N. rosorum. Instead, it was misidentified as other Pasteurellaceae species, including Aggregatibacter spp. or Pasteurella spp. Sequencing of 16S rRNA was required to identify N. rosorum. We suggest the application of simple methods, such as indole production, oxidase, and catalase tests, to differentiate N. rosorum from genetically similar species.

Lymphatic invasion is a prognostic factor of pathological N0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Adjuvant treatment after upfront esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is indicated only for patients with lymph node metastasis in Japan. However, the recurrence rate after curative resection is high even for node-negative patients; thus, understanding the prognostic factors for patients with node-negative ESCC, which still remains unidentified, is important. Here, we aimed to reveal the prognostic factors for the long-term outcomes of patients with node-negative ESCC. Moreover, we compared the long-term outcomes among high-risk node-negative and node-positive patients. This single-institution retrospective study included 103 patients with pT1b-3N0 ESCC who underwent upfront surgery to identify the population at a high risk of recurrence. To compare overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) between high-risk node-negative and node-positive patients, 51 node-positive ESCC patients with pStage IIIA or less who had undergone upfront surgery were also included. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model. OS and RFS were compared using the log-rank test. Only lymphatic invasion (Ly+) was associated with worse 3-year OS (hazard ratio, 8.63; 95% confidence interval, 2.09-35.69; P = 0.0029) and RFS (hazard ratio, 4.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.69-14.02; P = 0.0034). The node-negative and Ly+ patients showed significantly worse OS (P = 0.0242) and RFS (P = 0.0114) than the node-positive patients who underwent chemotherapy. Ly+ is the only independent prognostic factor in patients with node-negative ESCC. Patients with node-negative and Ly+ ESCC may benefit from adjuvant treatment.

Optimal criteria for predicting lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by anatomical location using preoperative computed tomography: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is critical for selecting appropriate treatments despite the low accuracy of computed tomography (CT) for detecting LNM. Variation in potential nodal sizes among locations or patients' clinicopathological background factors may impact the diagnostic quality. This study explored the optimal criteria and diagnostic ability of CT by location. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed preoperative CT scans of 229 patients undergoing curative esophagectomy. We classified nodal stations into six groups: Cervical (C), Right-upper mediastinal (UR), Left-upper mediastinal (UL), Middle mediastinal (M), Lower mediastinal (L), and Abdominal (A). We then measured the short-axial diameter (SAD) of the largest lymph node in each area. We used receiver operating characteristics analyses to evaluate the CT diagnostic ability and determined the cut-off values for the SAD in all groups. RESULTS: Optimal cut-offs were 6.5 mm (M), 6 mm (C, L, and A), and 5 mm (UR and UL). Diagnostic abilities differed among locations, and UR had the highest sensitivity. A multivariate analysis showed poor differentiation to be an independent risk factor for a false-negative diagnosis (p = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Optimal criteria and diagnostic abilities for predicting LNM in ESCC varied among locations, and poor differentiation might contribute to failure to detect LNM.

Comparison of short-term outcomes between transthoracic and robot-assisted transmediastinal radical surgery for esophageal cancer: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to assess the lower invasiveness of robot-assisted transmediastinal radical esophagectomy by prospectively comparing this procedure with transthoracic esophagectomy in terms of perioperative outcomes, serum cytokine levels, and respiratory function after surgery for esophageal cancer. METHODS: Patients who underwent a robot-assisted transmediastinal esophagectomy or transthoracic esophagectomy between April 2015 and March 2017 were included. The perioperative outcomes, preoperative and postoperative serum IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 levels, and respiratory function measured preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively were compared in patients with a robot-assisted transmediastinal esophagectomy and those with a transthoracic esophagectomy. RESULTS: Sixty patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled. The transmediastinal esophagectomy group had a significantly lower incidence of postoperative pneumonia (p = 0.002) and a significantly shorter postoperative hospital stay (p < 0.0002). The serum IL-6 levels on postoperative days 1, 3, 5, and 7 were significantly lower in the transmediastinal esophagectomy group (p = 0.005, 0.0007, 0.022, 0.020, respectively). In the latter group, the serum IL-8 level was significantly lower immediately after surgery and on postoperative day 1 (p = 0.003, 0.001, respectively) while the serum IL-10 level was significantly lower immediately after surgery (p = 0.041). The reduction in vital capacity, percent vital capacity, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume at 1.0 s 6 months after surgery was significantly greater in the transthoracic esophagectomy group (p < 0.0001 for all four measurements). CONCLUSIONS: Although further, large-scale studies are needed to confirm our findings, robot-assisted transmediastinal esophagectomy may confer short-term benefits in radical surgery for esophageal cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered in the UMIN Clinical Trial Registry ( UMIN000017565 14/05/2015).

Safety and feasibility of laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery for duodenal neoplasm: a retrospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: A delayed perforation can often occur after endoscopic treatment for duodenal neoplasms and may be fatal due to leakage of pancreatic and bile juices. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery for duodenal neoplasms (D-LECS) in a multicenter, retrospective study. METHODS: The clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of 206 patients with duodenal neoplasms in whom D-LECS had initially been attempted at one of 14 institutions were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of the 206 patients, 63 (30.6 %), 128 (62.1 %), and 15 patients (7.3 %) had lesions at the bulb, second portion, and third portion of the duodenum, respectively. The rates of en bloc and R0 resections during D-LECS were 96.1 % and 95.1 %, respectively. Intraoperative and delayed perforations occurred in 10 (4.9 %) and 5 patients (2.4 %), respectively. No cases of recurrence were observed. Surgical duration of ≥ 180 minutes was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that D-LECS was performed with oncological safety and technical feasibility.

Favorable Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Limited Para-Aortic Lymph Node Dissection for Advanced Gastric Cancer with Para-aortic Lymph Node Metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Although para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis from gastric cancer is a non-curative lesion, gastrectomy with complete PALN dissection (PAND) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a tentative standard treatment in Japan, based on the results of a small-scale phase II clinical trial. However, whether complete PAND (C-PAND) is always necessary for such diseases is open to debate. METHODS: Patients who received NAC followed by R0 gastrectomy for gastric cancer with clinical PALN metastasis at the Cancer Institute Hospital in Tokyo from 2005 to 2017 were reviewed in the present study. We assessed surgical findings and long-term outcomes. RESULTS: In total, 44 patients receiving gastrectomy with C-PAND (n = 22) or limited PAND (L-PAND; n = 22) were included. Operation time was significantly longer in the C-PAND than in the L-PAND groups (363 min vs. 271 min, P = 0.037). There was no difference between the two groups in the ypStage classification and pattern of recurrence. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) curves were higher in the L-PAND group than the C-PAND group, without reaching a significant difference. The 5-year OS (42.9% vs. 75.7%, p = 0.017) and RFS (14.3% vs. 48.6%, p = 0.002) were significantly worse in the group of three or more, than in the group of less than three pathological PALN metastasis, whereas increasing numbers of harvested PALN were not associated with improved survival. CONCLUSIONS: Curative gastrectomy with L-PAND following NAC for gastric cancer involving PALN may be an alternative treatment to C-PAND.

Duodenal stump reinforcement might reduce both incidence and severity of duodenal stump leakage after laparoscopic gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although duodenal stump leakage (DSL) is a relatively rare complication after gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y (R-Y) reconstruction, it is difficult to treat and can be fatal. We investigated the impact of duodenal stump reinforcement on DSL after laparoscopic gastrectomy with R-Y reconstruction for gastric cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study of 965 patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic distal or total gastrectomy (LDG or LTG) with R-Y reconstruction compared surgical outcomes between two groups, the duodenal stump reinforcement group (reinforcement group) (n = 895) and that without duodenal stump reinforcement (non-reinforcement group) (n = 70). RESULTS: Mean operative duration was significantly longer in the reinforcement than in the non-reinforcement group (LDG; 291 min versus 258 min, p < 0.001, LTG; 325 min versus 285 min, p < 0.001). DSL occurred less frequently in the reinforcement than in the non-reinforcement group (0.67% vs. 5.71%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, non-reinforcement was an independent risk factor for DSL in multiple logistic regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounding factors. Patients with DSL in the non-reinforcement group all required re-operation, while all but one patient with DSL in the reinforcement group recovered with conservative management. CONCLUSIONS: Duodenal stump reinforcement in laparoscopic gastrectomy with R-Y reconstruction may reduce the risk of DSL development and minimize its severity.

Cystine and Theanine Improve Survival after Gut Ischemia-Reperfusion.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Oral administration of cystine and theanine (CT) may modulate antioxidant glutathione (GSH) metabolism, thereby improving outcomes after gut ischemia reperfusion. METHODS: Experiment 1: Institute of Cancer Research mice (n = 35) were assigned to a Vehicle (n = 11), a CT140 (n = 14), or a CT280 (n = 10) group. The CT140 and 280 groups were given CT at respective dosages of 140 and 280 mg/kg (cystine: theanine = 5: 2) once daily via gavage for 5 days. All mice underwent 75-min occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). Survival after reperfusion was observed. Experiment 2: Mice (n = 67) were pretreated for 5 days (Vehicle: n = 24, CT280: n = 20, vehicle/sham: n = 23). The Vehicle and CT280 groups underwent 60-min SMA occlusion. Levels of GSH, the oxidized form of GSH, Glutathione-S-S-Glutathione (GSSG), and GSH-related amino acids (cysteine and glutamic acid) in the small intestine, and plasma cytokine (IL-6, IL-1ß, TNFα) levels, were evaluated before (0 h), 3, 6, or 9 h after reperfusion. RESULTS: Experiment 1: The CT280 group showed significantly better survival than the Vehicle group. Experiment 2: Gut GSSG, cysteine, and glutamic acid levels were higher in the CT280 than in the Vehicle group after reperfusion. Plasma IL-6 and TNFα levels rose more rapidly in the CT280 than in the Vehicle group. CONCLUSION: Oral administration of CT improves survival after gut I/R, possibly through the modulation of the GSH-redox cycle and cytokine responses.

Effects of body mass index (BMI) on surgical outcomes: a nationwide survey using a Japanese web-based database.

PURPOSE: To define the effects of body mass index (BMI) on operative outcomes for both gastroenterological and cardiovascular surgery, using the National Clinical Database (NCD) of the Japanese nationwide web-based database. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 288,418 patients who underwent typical surgical procedures between January 2011 and December 2012. There were eight gastroenterological procedures, including esophagectomy, distal gastrectomy, total gastrectomy, right hemicolectomy, low anterior resection, hepatectomy of >1 segment excluding the lateral segment, pancreaticoduodenectomy, and surgery for acute diffuse peritonitis (n = 232,199); and five cardiovascular procedures, including aortic valve replacement, total arch replacement (TAR), descending thoracic aorta replacement (descending TAR), and on- or off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 56,219). The relationships of BMI with operation time and operative mortality for each procedure were investigated, using the NCD. RESULTS: Operation times were longer for patients with a higher BMI. When a BMI cut-off of 30 was used, the operation time for obese patients was significantly longer than that for non-obese patients, for all procedures except esophagectomy (P < 0.01). The mortality rate based on BMI revealed a U-shaped distribution, with both underweight and obese patients having high mortality rates for almost all procedures. CONCLUSIONS: This Japanese nationwide study provides solid evidence to reinforce that both obesity and excessively low weight are factors that impact operative outcomes significantly.

Clinical Impact of Polyglycolic Acid Mesh to Reduce Pancreas-Related Complications After Minimally Invasive Surgery for Gastric Cancer: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

PURPOSE: Prevention of pancreas-related complications after gastric cancer surgery is critical. Polyglycolic acid (PGA) mesh reduces postoperative pancreatic fistula formation following pancreatic resection. However, the clinical efficacy of PGA mesh in gastric cancer surgery has not been adequately investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study compared the short-term outcomes between two groups: patients who underwent minimally invasive R0 gastrectomy for gastric cancer with the use of a PGA mesh (PGA group) and those without the use of a PGA mesh (non-PGA group) at the Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, between January 2019 and May 2023. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for the possible confounding factors. RESULTS: A total of 834 patients were initially included, of whom 614 (307 in each group) remained after PSM. The amylase levels in the drained abdominal fluid on postoperative days 1 and 3 were similar between the PGA and non-PGA groups. The PGA group had a significantly lower incidence of pancreas-related complications of Clavien-Dindo grade ≥2 than that in the non-PGA group (6.8% vs. 2.9%, P=0.025). In subgroup analyses, the odds ratio for pancreas-related complications appeared to be better in the PGA group than in the non-PGA group in patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification score of 2 or 3, those operated via a laparoscopic approach, and those undergoing procedures other than proximal gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: The use of PGA mesh significantly reduced pancreas-related complications after minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer and might thus benefit patients at risk of such complications.

Comparison of the survival outcomes between retrocolic and antecolic Roux-en-Y reconstruction after gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Background: There are two methods of Roux-en-Y (RY) reconstruction after gastrectomy: the antecolic route (ACR) and retrocolic route (RCR). There is no evidence to support that the ACR achieves comparable long-term survival. Methods: This was a multi-center historical cohort study. Patients diagnosed with clinical T3/4a and any N stage who underwent open gastrectomy and R0 resection for gastric adenocarcinoma between January 2006 and December 2012 were enrolled. The primary outcome was the hazard ratio of ACR for overall survival, with adjustment for confounding factors by propensity score matching, and a Cox proportional hazards model. Results: A total of 1758 eligible patients were identified from the database. After matching, 410 patients in the ACR and RCR groups were included in the final analysis. The adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) for ACR was 1.148 (0.870-1.492). The five-year survival rates in the ACR and RCR groups were 74.3% (69.5-78.4) and 77.3% (72.3-81.2), respectively. The short-term surgical outcomes of the two groups did not differ to a statistically significant extent. Conclusion: The route used to lift the jejunum in RY reconstruction did not affect the incidence of long-term survival or postoperative complications. The ACR and RCR are both acceptable options for RY reconstruction during gastric cancer surgery.

Prediction of Anastomotic Leakage in Esophageal Cancer Surgery: A Multimodal Machine Learning Model Integrating Imaging and Clinical Data.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Surgery in combination with chemo/radiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Even after the introduction of minimally invasive techniques, esophagectomy carries significant morbidity and mortality. One of the most common and feared complications of esophagectomy is anastomotic leakage (AL). Our work aimed to develop a multimodal machine-learning model combining CT-derived and clinical data for predicting AL following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 471 patients were prospectively included (Jan 2010-Dec 2022). Preoperative computed tomography (CT) was used to evaluate celia trunk stenosis and vessel calcification. Clinical variables, including demographics, disease stage, operation details, postoperative CRP, and stage, were combined with CT data to build a model for AL prediction. Data was split into 80%:20% for training and testing, and an XGBoost model was developed with 10-fold cross-validation and early stopping. ROC curves and respective areas under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and F1-scores were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients (24.8%) exhibited post-operative AL. The XGboost model achieved an AUC of 79.2% (95%CI 69%-89.4%) with a specificity of 77.46%, a sensitivity of 65.22%, PPV of 48.39%, NPV of 87.3%, and F1-score of 56%. Shapley Additive exPlanation analysis showed the effect of individual variables on the result of the model. Decision curve analysis showed that the model was particularly beneficial for threshold probabilities between 15% and 48%. CONCLUSION: A clinically relevant multimodal model can predict AL, which is especially valuable in cases with low clinical probability of AL.

Long-term impact of sarcopenia in older patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Sarcopenia is an inevitable problem in older patients. After gastrectomy, patients often have an inadequate dietary intake and easily fall into sarcopenia. However, the impact of preoperative sarcopenia on long-term outcomes after gastrectomy has not been analyzed. Methods: A systematic review was conducted for all relevant articles identified on PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov until April 2023. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the fixed or random effects model according to the heterogeneity. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to quantify study quality. Results: Seven studies involving 1,831 patients aged ≥65 years who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer were analyzed. Four hundred twelve patients (22.5%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The analysis showed that preoperative sarcopenia was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR =1.93; 95% CI:1.60-2.34; P<0.001). Two of the included studies also showed that preoperative sarcopenia was significantly correlated with disease-related survival: one with disease-specific survival (DSS) (HR =4.00; 95% CI: 1.20-13.3, P=0.024) and the other with non-cancer specific survival (HR =3.27; 95% CI: 1.61-6.67; P=0.001). Furthermore, sarcopenic patients experienced more severe complications than non-sarcopenic patients (OR =1.80; 95% CI: 1.10-2.95; P=0.019). Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggested that preoperative sarcopenia is useful as a prognostic factor of impaired OS in older patients after gastrectomy. Preoperative evaluation and intervention for skeletal muscle loss should be considered. Further studies of sarcopenic impact on disease-related survival are required.

Identifying multiple swollen lymph nodes on preoperative computed tomography is associated with poor prognosis along with pathological extensive nodal metastasis in locally advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Advanced gastric cancer with extensive lymph node (LN) metastasis is associated with poor outcomes even after R0 gastrectomy. Although multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) is the basis of preoperative LN staging, the diagnostic accuracy of pathologically extensive LN metastasis detection by MDCT remains unsatisfactory. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated diagnostic accuracy for pN2/3 disease by size and number of depicted LNs on MDCT in a single-center cohort of 421 patients with pT2-4 gastric carcinoma. The positive predictive value (PPV) was determined based on the number and short-axis diameter (SAD) of identified LNs, and oncological outcomes were also evaluated according to clinical LN status and pN categories. RESULTS: The PPV for detecting pN2/3 disease rose with the SAD value cut-off for one LN, reaching 84.6% at 10 mm with no further increase at 15 mm. However, the SAD cut-off value plateaued at 8 mm (91.3%) when at least two measurable LNs were identified on MDCT. Patients with two measurable LNs with SAD≥8 mm had significantly poorer 5-year overall and recurrence-free survival than patients with fewer than two measurable LNs in the pN2-3 disease. On multivariate analysis, two measurable LNs with SAD≥8 mm was an independent prognostic factor for overall and relapse-free survivals. CONCLUSION: Locally advanced gastric cancer with two measurable LNs with SAD≥8 mm on preoperative MDCT is highly associated with pN2/3 disease and poorer outcomes with upfront surgery. This criterion might be a reasonable indicator for identifying candidates for neoadjuvant treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

Is laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) for gastric subepithelial tumor at the esophagogastric junction safe?

INTRODUCTION: With technique improvements, indications for laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) for gastric subepithelial tumor (SET) are gradually expanding for tumors technically difficult to resect. However, surgical outcomes of LECS, including for esophagogastric junction (EGJ) tumors requiring advanced skills, remain unknown. METHODS: We reviewed patients in whom LECS had initially been attempted for gastric SET at the Cancer Institute Hospital in Tokyo from June 2006 to May 2018. Indications for LECS at the EGJ have gradually expanded during the study period to include tumors with esophageal invasion up to 2 cm, or less than half the EJG circumference, preoperatively. Surgical outcomes and risk factors for conversion to other procedures were investigated. RESULTS: Twenty (9.3%) of the 214 total patients had EGJ tumors. Four patients (20%) with EGJ tumors developed postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ II). Among 12 patients in whom LECS could be completed for EGJ tumors, only one non-serious complication occurred. Eight patients required conversion to another operation for EGJ tumors (two laparotomy, six proximal gastrectomy). Among conversion cases with EGJ tumors, anastomotic leakage occurred in both patients undergoing laparotomy after LECS, necessitating additional defect closure. There was only one non-serious complication in six proximal gastrectomy patients. On multivariate analysis, EGJ tumor was an independent risk factor for conversion to another operation. CONCLUSION: LECS at the EGJ may be a risk factor for conversion operation, and when performing LECS at the EGJ is difficult, conversion to proximal gastrectomy, which can be performed safely, should be considered.

Preliminary prospective study of real-time post-gastrectomy glycemic fluctuations during dumping symptoms using continuous glucose monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Although dumping symptoms constitute the most common post-gastrectomy syndromes impairing patient quality of life, the causes, including blood sugar fluctuations, are difficult to elucidate due to limitations in examining dumping symptoms as they occur. AIM: To investigate relationships between glucose fluctuations and the occurrence of dumping symptoms in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHODS: Patients receiving distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I (DG-BI) or Roux-en-Y reconstruction (DG-RY) and total gastrectomy with RY (TG-RY) for gastric cancer (March 2018-January 2020) were prospectively enrolled. Interstitial tissue glycemic profiles were measured every 15 min, up to 14 d, by continuous glucose monitoring. Dumping episodes were recorded on 5 patient-selected days by diary. Within 3 h postprandially, dumping-associated glycemic changes were defined as a dumping profile, those without symptoms as a control profile. These profiles were compared. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled (10 DG-BI, 10 DG-RY, 10 TG-RY). The 47 early dumping profiles of DG-BI showed immediately sharp rises after a meal, which 47 control profiles did not (P < 0.05). Curves of the 15 late dumping profiles of DG-BI were similar to those of early dumping profiles, with lower glycemic levels. DG-RY and TG-RY late dumping profiles (7 and 13, respectively) showed rapid glycemic decreases from a high glycemic state postprandially to hypoglycemia, with a steeper drop in TG-RY than in DG-RY. CONCLUSION: Postprandial glycemic changes suggest dumping symptoms after standard gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Furthermore, glycemic profiles during dumping may differ depending on reconstruction methods after gastrectomy.