Is there a role for palliative gastrectomy in patients with stage IV gastric cancer?

Patients with metastatic gastric cancer are currently not considered operative candidates and are most often offered systemic therapy. Palliative resection of the primary tumor has been considered irrelevant to the outcome and has been recommended only for palliation of symptoms. We have examined the role of palliative gastrectomy and its impact on survival in patients with stage IV gastric cancer at initial diagnosis between 1990 and 2000. A total of 105 patients with stage IV disease were identified during this period; 81 of them (77.1%) had no resection, and 24 (22.9%) underwent palliative gastric resection. Mean survival in those without resection who received chemotherapy (with or without radiation) treatment was 5.9 months (95% confidence interval 4.2-7.6). For those with resection and adjuvant therapy, mean survival time was 16.3 months (95% confidence interval 4.3-28.8 months). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed significantly better survival in those with resection and adjuvant therapy (log-rank test, P = 0.01). Mortality and morbidity rates associated with palliative resection were 8.7% and 33.3%, respectively, which did not differ statistically from the 3.7% and 25.3% in patients who underwent curative gastrectomy during same period of time. However, the length of hospitalization (22 versus 16 days) was significantly higher compared with those without stage IV disease. These data suggest that palliative resection combined with adjuvant therapy may improve survival in a selected group of patients with stage IV gastric cancer. Palliative gastrectomy plus systemic therapy should be compared with systemic therapy alone in a randomized trial.

Technical complications and durability of hepatic artery infusion pumps for unresectable colorectal liver metastases: an institutional experience of 544 consecutive cases.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic arterial infusion pump chemotherapy is an important component in the treatment of patients with hepatic metastases. Successful use of a hepatic arterial infusion pump requires a low technical complication rate. We evaluated the complications and longterm durability of these devices at our institution. STUDY DESIGN: Between April 1986 and March 2001, 544 patients underwent hepatic arterial infusion pump placement for treatment of unresectable colorectal liver metastases. Patient- and pump-related data were collected by chart review. Pump-related complications, duration of pump function, and overall patient survival were recorded. RESULTS: Median patient survival was 24 months after pump placement. The incidences of pump failure were 9% at 1 year and 16% at 2 years. Pump complications occurred in 120 (22%) of the patients. Complications that occurred early after operation (< 30 days) were more likely to be salvaged than those occurring late (70% versus 30%, p < 0.001). Increased pump complication rates occurred in the setting of variant arterial anatomy (28% versus 19%, p = 0.02), when the catheter was inserted into a vessel other than the gastroduodenal artery (42% versus 21%, p = 0.004), if the pump was placed during the first half of the study period (1986 to 1993, 25% versus 1994 to 2001, 18%; p = 0.05), and if the surgeon had performed fewer than 25 earlier procedures (< 25, 31% versus > or = 25, 19%; p < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In this large single institution experience, pump-related complications were low, the majority of early pump complications were salvaged, and pump complication rates improved as institutional experience accumulated. Longterm durability of pump function was excellent.

Surgical resection for gastric cancer in elderly patients: is there a difference in outcome?

BACKGROUND: Early and long-term outcome of gastrectomy for gastric cancer in elderly adults has been a subject of controversy and debate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical information was reviewed for patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer during an 11-year period (1990-2000) at the University of Tennessee Medical Center at Knoxville. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, operative mortality and morbidity, survival, and length of hospitalization were reviewed. RESULTS: Of 48 patients who underwent gastric resection for gastric adenocarcinoma, 24 were older than 70 and 24 younger than 70. There were no differences between the two groups regarding tumor characteristics, including location, tumor size, grade, gross pathology, lymph node involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and stage. In the elderly group, 75% underwent subtotal gastrectomy and 25% had total gastrectomy with or without resection of adjacent organs. In the younger patients, these numbers were 66.6% and 33.3%, respectively, which was statistically insignificant (P = 0.5). Five-year survival was 16.6% among elderly patients compared to 20.8% in the younger patients (P = 0.45). Half of the elderly patients and 39% of young patients had other comorbidities (P = 0.45). Postoperative mortality and morbidity was 8.33% and 33.3% in elderly patients, compared to 4.2% and 33.3%, respectively, in the younger group. These results were statistically insignificant (P = 0.4). The median postoperative length of stay was 15 days (95 percent confidence interval, 11-19 days) in younger patients compared to 18 days (95 percent confidence interval, 13-22 days) in the elderly group (P = 0.3). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that gastrectomy can be carried out safely in elderly patients. The early and long-term outcomes in elderly patients (over age 70) are comparable to younger patients (under age 70). Age alone should not preclude gastric resection in elderly patients.

Nonsentinel lymph node status after positive sentinel lymph node biopsy in early breast cancer.

Axillary dissection is the current standard of care for patients with breast cancer who are diagnosed with metastasis to axillary sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). Recently, that concept has come under increasing scrutiny because not all women with a positive SLN will need further dissection. The purpose of this study was to look at nonsentinel lymph node status in patients with breast cancer and axillary SLN metastasis in an effort to determine tumor variables that can guide further treatment if there are additional axillary nodes involved. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with breast cancer who underwent SLN biopsy between July 1998 and April 2003. Chi2 analysis, Student t test, and multivariate analysis were used to determine the significance of tumor size, grade, location, estrogen receptor (ER) and progestrone receptor (PR) receptor status, angiolymphatic invasion, stage, and number and size of SLNs in predicting the status of nonsentinel lymph nodes. During the study interval, 116 patients were identified who underwent SLN biopsy and 34 (29.3%) had positive SLNs. All of these patients underwent complete axillary node dissection and 11 patients (32.3%) had non-SLN metastasis. The presence of palpable breast mass (P = 0.03), tumor size (P = 0.04), angiolymphatic invasion (P = 0.03), and extracapsular extension of SLN metastasis (P = 0.001) were the variables that predicted non-SLN involvement. Micrometastasis was inversely related to non-SLN involvement. In patients with breast cancer and SLN metastasis, the presence of a palpable breast mass, tumor size, angiolymphatic invasion, and extracapsular node extension increase the likelihood of identifying additional node metastasis on subsequent axillary dissection.

Solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas: two cases in male patients.

Solid-pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is a rare lesion with low malignant potential occurring predominantly in young women. This is a report of two cases in young male patients. Clinical data were retrieved retrospectively from a prospective database of patients with pancreatic tumors. The two patients were caucasian males, ages 34 years (Pt1) and 41 years (Pt2) at the time of diagnosis. Pt1 presented with intermittent epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 9-cm mass involving the pancreatic head. He underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, with en bloc segmental colectomy due to mesocolon involvement. Pt2 was asymptomatic, diagnosed with abdominal mass by screening ultrasound. He had an 11-cm tumor involving the pancreatic tail encasing the splenic vessels on CT. He underwent distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy en bloc. Pathology in both cases was reviewed by staff pathologists as well as outside consultants. SPT is a rare tumor of the pancreas that is diagnosed primarily in young women. The cases presented here demonstrate SPT of the pancreas in two men. In both cases, the clinical presentation was relatively unremarkable. Both have had benign late postoperative courses, consistent with the low malignant potential of this lesion.

In vitro inhibition of growth and induction of apoptosis in cancer cell lines by thymoquinone.

Thymoquinone (TQ) is likely responsible for the chemotherapeutic effects of N. sativa extract; however, the cellular mechanisms remain ill-defined. TQ-induced cytotoxicity was investigated using canine osteosarcoma (COS31), its cisplatin-resistant variant (COS31/rCDDP), human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7), human ovarian adenocarcinoma (BG-1) and Madin-Darby canine (MDCK) cell lines. TQ-induced cytotoxicity was determined using a proliferation assay (MTT assay) and apoptosis assays. Effects of TQ on the cell cycle were determined using flow cytometry. COS31/rCDDP resistant cells were the most sensitive cell line to TQ and MDCK cells were the least sensitive. TQ (25 micro M) induced apoptosis of COS31 cells 6 h after treatment and decreased the number of COS31 cells in S-phase and increased cells in G1-phase, indicating cell cycle arrest at G1. These results suggest that TQ kills cancer cells by a process that involves apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Non-cancerous cells are relatively resistant to TQ.