Prognostic impact of thrombocytosis in gastric cancer-A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Solid tumors are a common cause of secondary thrombocytosis, which has been identified as a prognostic factor in various cancers. However, the impact of thrombocytosis on the prognosis of gastric cancer is not yet well defined. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and prognostic value of thrombocytosis in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with gastric carcinoma treated surgically, with curative intent, in our hospital, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, between January 2009 and December 2019. Clinical files were consulted and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: In the present sample (n = 352), the prevalence of pretreatment thrombocytosis was 16.5%. Thrombocytosis was associated with more advanced T stage, greater number of metastatic nodes, and more frequent lymphatic and venous permeation. The presence of thrombocytosis had a negative impact on disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 3.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.35-5.33, P < .001) and overall survival (HR 4.45, 95% CI 2.95-6.71, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of pretreatment thrombocytosis had a negative impact on overall survival and disease-free survival and thus could be used as an independent prognostic factor.

Subcentimetric papillary thyroid carcinoma with extensive lymph node and brain metastasis: case report and review of literature.

Summary: We report a 61-year-old male patient without personal history of thyroid carcinoma or radiation exposure. In 2011, he presented with a cervical mass whose biopsy diagnosed a papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) in a lymph node metastasis (LNM). Total thyroidectomy with lymphadenectomy of central and ipsilateral compartment was performed. Histopathology identified a 2 mm follicular variant of PTC and LNM in 25/25 lymph nodes. The patient was treated with 150 mCi of radioactive iodine (RAI), followed by levothyroxine suppressive therapy. In 2016, a retrotracheal mass was diagnosed, suggesting local recurrence; patient was submitted to surgical excision and RAI therapy (120 mCi). Due to seizures, in 2019, a brain CT was performed that diagnosed brain metastases. The patient underwent debulking of the main lesion. Histopathology analysis confirmed a metastatic lesion with variated morphology: classical PTC and follicular pattern and hobnail and tall cell features. Molecular analysis revealed BRAFV600E in LNM at presentation and BRAFV600E and TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations in the recurrent LNM and brain metastasis. Based upon this experience we review the reported cases of subcentimetric PTC with brain metastases and discuss the molecular progression of the present case. Learning points: Papillary microcarcinoma (PMCs) usually have very good prognosis with low impact on patient survival. PMCs presenting in elderly patients with LNM at diagnosis may carry a guarded outcome. Brain metastasis although rare indicate aggressive phenotypic features. Patient risk stratification of PMCs based on histopathological analysis and genetic testing may have a significant impact on prognosis providing therapeutic markers, that may predict disease progression and overall outcome.

Solitary fibrous tumour of caecum wall: an unlikely cause of low gastrointestinal haemorrhage.

Solitary fibrous tumour (SFT), previously denominated as haemangiopericytoma, is a rare, spindle cell neoplasm that was first described in the thoracic pleura. It is now known that this tumour may develop from almost any anatomic location. We report a case of SFT, in a 65-year-old man, which was located in the muscularis propria layer of the caecum with involvement of the serosa and the ileocecal appendix, location never described in the literature, and with an uncommon clinical presentation of hematochezia. A radical right hemicolectomy was performed, and the patient was asymptomatic without evidence of metastasis or relapse after 6 months of follow-up.

Occult Tumor Cells in Lymph Nodes of Patients with Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review on Their Prevalence and Predictive Role.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The presence of lymph node (LN) metastasis is a key prognostic factor for gastric adenocarcinoma. However, even among patients without LN metastasis (N0), recurrence may occur. In some of these cases, occult tumor cells (OTC) are thought to play an important role. We aimed to determine the prevalence of OTC and its clinical relevance. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of studies in English published until September 2013 that addressed OTC prevalence and/or its clinical relevance. The studies were retrieved from the MEDLINE database. RESULTS: We included 42 studies. The most frequently used methods for detecting OTC were immunohistochemical examination (IHC) and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with a wide range of markers. Using IHC for OTC detection, in patients and in LN, the prevalence varied from 9 to 88% and 0.4 to 42%, respectively. With PCR, it ranged from 17 to 46% in patients, and from 3 to 33% in LN. In the studies assessing the predictive role of OTC in gastric cancer recurrence (n=24), 8 studies found no statistical association, while 18 concluded that OTC presence was associated with poorer prognosis. However, only 6 studies presented a significantly different 5-year survival rate between patients with and without LN micrometastasis. CONCLUSIONS: OTC seems to occur in gastric cancer patients with a variable prevalence, depending on the definition, methods and setting. The majority of the retrieved studies (75%) evaluating the predictive role of OTC conclude that its presence is associated with a worse prognosis.

Conventional clinical and pathological features fail to accurately predict recurrence in patients with gastric cancer staged N0.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the medical-surgical advances, even after R0 gastric resections, some patients without apparent metastatic disease develop cancer recurrence and eventually die. AIMS: We aimed to define recurrence in patients with node-negative gastric adenocarcinoma and to determine whether any clinicopathological features are predictive for recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study on patients with gastric adenocarcinoma, consecutively diagnosed at our institution, staged as N0M0 between January 2000 and December 2008. RESULTS: We recruited 129 patients; 53% were men and 56% were older than 60 years. A total of 22% of the patients developed recurrence, with a mortality rate of 93%. Overall, 71% of the patients, N0, with recurrence presented lymphatic permeation. In univariate analysis, on comparing recurrent patients with those with no recurrence, age, size, T status, lymphatic, and venous permeation were factors that were associated significantly with recurrence, but in multivariate analysis, only age (odds ratio:19.5; 95% confidence interval: 2.3-168; P=0.008) and venous permeation (odds ratio: 6.34; 95% confidence interval: 1.8-22.8; P=0.005) were associated with recurrence. On the basis of only these two factors, the proportion of missed recurrent patients by age and venous permeation was 13 and 39%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A total of 22% of patients, N0, developed recurrence of their disease. Age and venous permeation were independent risk factors for recurrence, but on the basis of these factors, up to 40% of patients may be missed for recurrence. New methods to predict recurrence are needed.

Analysis of clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of gastric cancer in young and older patients.

BACKGROUND: The worldwide incidence of gastric cancer is gradually declining, however it remains the fourth highest in cancer incidence and the second leading cause of cancer death. Gastric cancer in young people is a disturbing problem and the routine screening does not include people less than 35 years. The clinicopathological features of gastric carcinoma are said to differ between young and elderly patients and it is thought that the prognosis of this disease is worse for younger patients. It is also suggested that the diagnosis is usually made later or have a more aggressive behaviour. Although, others report that tumor staging and prognosis for young patients is similar to older patients and depends on whether the patients undergo a curative resection. All these data need more investigation and studies. Although Portugal has a high incidence of gastric cancer, no studies have yet been performed comparing the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of young and elderly patients with gastric cancer. AIMS: This study intend to assess whether the clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients (YGC) is similar to older ones (OGC). METHODS: Between 2000 and 2005, 406 patients with histological diagnosis of primary gastric cancer, treated in the Departments of Surgery and Oncology at the Centro Hospitalar of Vila Nova de Gaia / Espinho, were regularly followed at least for five years after surgery. These were reviewed retrospectively. Several variables were analyzed in young patients and compared with the elder ones. We used the chi-square and Fisher to evaluate the statistical association between categorical variables and t-test for numeric variables. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and used the log-rank test to assess differences in survival among different subgroups of patients. The criteria for statistical significance was p < 0.05. Data analysis was performed using the SPSS 18. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: With regard to resectability, 78 % of the tumors were resected in the group of younger patients, the surgery more frequently achieved was total gastrectomy with anastomosis in Y of Roux. In the elder group, about 62 % of the tumors were resected and BII gastrectomy was the most frequent surgery. The diffuse adenocarcinoma was the most frequent histological type in younger patients, whereas in older patients was intestinal adenocarcinoma. With regard to the stage in the first group there was a predominance of stages: IA and IV (26.1 %) in the second: IV (25.8 %). The survival for stage III e IV was significantly worst in YGC compared with OGC.

Gastric GIST with synchronous neuroendocrine tumour of the pancreas in a patient without neurofibromatosis type 1.

The gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. These are rare tumours with an incidence of 15 new cases per million per year. The occurrence of neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas is rare, representing 1-5% of pancreatic cancers, and it is estimated that its incidence does not exceed five to one million. GISTs are common in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1); there are few reported cases of synchronous neuroendocrine tumours in these patients and most are pheochromocytomas. The case reports a 64-year-old woman referred to the General Surgery Outpatient for incidental finding of gastric and pancreatic tumours. She underwent a radical subtotal pancreatectomy + partial gastrectomy with jejunal transposition. The pathological examination revealed: gastric GISTs and a well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas. This is the second case published so far of a patient with both tumours and without NF1. Posterior studies must be performed to evaluate if some other genetic disorder is involved in these patients without NF1.

[Bariatric surgery: epidemic of the XXI century]. / Cirurgia bariátrica: do passado ao século XXI.

Obesity is a chronic and endemic disease in developed countries, there is an inverse relationship between the socio-economic level and the prevalence of this disease. Their costs are responsible from 2 to 7% of the total health costs. The prevalence of obesity in the world is so high that the World Health Organization considered this disease as the global epidemic of the XXI century. In Portugal it's estimated that around 16.5% of the population aged over 18 years, has obesity, and due to the morbidity and mortality associated with this pathology, this constitutes a serious public health issue. There are several ancient references to obesity and its consequences, with descriptions of different therapeutic attitudes. But only in 1965 the term bariatric was introduced and consequently the term bariatric surgery. Mason, the father of bariatric surgery, started its history in 1966. Several surgical techniques were subsequently developed, but currently the most used are the gastric bandoplastia, a restrictive surgery, and the gastric bypass, a combined surgery. Today, the bariatric surgery is not limited to the treatment of obesity, but the treatment of a syndrome associated with obesity, allowing a significant improvement in Quality of life of these patients. Thus, it's licit to think that the surgery that allows addressing the epidemic of the XXI century is the surgery of the century, with curative rates, of obesity and their comorbidities, which were never achieved by any other pharmacological treatment.