Three-year outcomes of a randomized phase III trial comparing adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 plus docetaxel versus S-1 alone in stage III gastric cancer: JACCRO GC-07.

PURPOSE: The second planned interim analysis (median follow-up 12.5 months) in a phase III trial of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III gastric cancer revealed significant improvement in relapse-free survival (RFS) for S-1 plus docetaxel over S-1 alone. Although enrollment was terminated on the recommendation of the independent data and safety monitoring committee, we continued follow-up and herein report on 3-year RFS, the primary endpoint. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed stage III gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy were randomly assigned to receive adjuvant chemotherapy with either S-1 plus docetaxel or S-1 alone. In the S-1 plus docetaxel group, S-1 was given orally for 2 weeks followed by 1 week of rest for seven courses, and docetaxel was given intravenously on day 1 of the second to seventh courses. The combination therapy was followed by S-1 monotherapy for up to 1 year. RESULTS: The 3-year RFS rate of the S-1 plus docetaxel group was 67.7%. This was significantly superior to that of 57.4% in the S-1 group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.715, 95% CI 0.587-0.871, P = 0.0008). This translated into a significant benefit in the 3-year overall survival (OS) rate in the S-1 plus docetaxel group (77.7% versus 71.2%, HR 0.742, 95% CI 0.596-0.925, P = 0.0076). CONCLUSION: On 3-year follow-up data, postoperative adjuvant therapy with S-1 plus docetaxel was confirmed to improve both RFS and OS and can be recommended as a standard of care for patients with stage III gastric cancer treated by D2 dissection.

Analysis of Recurrent Cases after Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although previous reports have shown similar recurrence rates and patterns between laparoscopic and open surgery for colorectal cancer, precise data regarding recurrent cases are lacking. METHODOLOGY: From January 2007 to December 2011, 137 Patients with colorectal cancer underwent laparoscopic surgery at our hospital. Of the 137 patients, 7 patients with recurrence were analyzed for oncological factors. Their outcomes were compared with those of 13 patients with recurrence of 160 patients who underwent open surgery for colorectal cancer between January 2005 and December 2006. RESULTS: In the laparoscopic group, 1 of 37 patients (2.7%) with pathological Stage II (pStage) and 6 of 37 (16.2%) with pStage III experienced recurrence; in the open surgery group, 4 of 56 patients (7.1%) with pStage II and 9 of 63 patients (14.3%) with pStage III experienced recurrence. Although majority of recurrent patterns was distant metastasis, peritoneal metastasis was observed in 2 patients with pT3 tumors in the laparoscopic group. In contrast, all 3 patients with peritoneal recurrence in the open surgery group had pT4 tumors. In the laparoscopic group, 2 patients with peritoneal metastasis were pT3N1M0, and 1 of them revealed peritoneal carcinomatosis 6 months after surgery and developed chylous ascites as a postoperative complication. CONCLUSIONS: Although the recurrence rates and sites were similar between the laparoscopic and open surgery groups, peritoneal recurrence developed only in patients with pT3 tumors in the laparoscopic group. Exfoliation of tumor cells from divided lymphatic vessels might lead to development of peritoneal recurrence after laparoscopic surgery.

[Successful ventilator weaning by trastuzumab in a HER2-positive breast cancer patient with multiple lung metastases].

We report a case of breast cancer with severe respiratory dysfunction due to multiple lung metastases, which was recovered by treatment with weekly trastuzumab administration. A 47-year-old woman with breast cancer had received a folk remedy from a general practitioner for 4 years. However, she was delivered to a hospital because of severe dyspnea, and intubation was found to be needed and performed. She was diagnosed with left breast cancer with skin and pleural wall invasion, and multiple lung metastases. Pathological examination showed invasive ductal carcinoma which was ER-postive, PgR-negative, and HER2-postive. After transfer to our hospital, treatment with trastuzumab(4mg/kg/weekly for the first course, and 2 mg/kg/weekly thereafter)was administered. Respiratory function improved gradually, and ventilator weaning was successful at 53 days after trastuzumab administration. CT examination also showed a remarkable reduction of lung and lymph node metastases and pleural effusion. She was discharged from our hospital 80 days after treatment, and her treatment with trastuzumab and capecitabine has been ongoing at an outpatient clinic.

Oncological outcome of laparoscopic surgery for advanced colon cancer: a community hospital's experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Similar oncological outcomes of laparoscopic and open surgery for advanced colon cancer have been reported by several large-scale studies. Whether those results are applicable to community hospitals is questionable. METHODOLOGY: From January 2007 to December 2010, 95 patients with colon cancer underwent laparoscopic surgery at Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital. Of these, 40 patients with pathological stage II/III colon cancer were subjected to this retrospective analysis (laparoscopic resection (LAP) group). Their outcomes were compared with those of 58 patients with pathological stage II/III colon cancer who underwent open surgery between January 2005 and December 2006 (open resection (OP) group). RESULTS: Surgical complications were significantly less frequent in the LAP group than in the OP group. Three-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for stage II colon cancer were 88.9% and 100% in the LAP group, and 90% and 86.7% in the OP group (p=0.976 and p=0.285), respectively. Three-year DFS and OS for stage III colon cancer were 85.4% and 86.9% in the LAP group, and 75.3% and 83.8% in the OP group (p=0.613 and p=0.837), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery for advanced colon cancer seems feasible and the oncological outcome is adequate in a community hospital setting.

Highly luminescent MAPbI3 perovskite quantum dots with a simple purification process via ultrasound-assisted bead milling.

Organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have various excellent optical properties, and they have drastically enhanced the field of light-emitting diode (LED) research. However, red-emissive CH3NH3 (MA) PbI3 QDs have worse optical properties compared with those of green-emissive MAPbBr3 QDs due to their instability under high-moisture and high-temperature conditions. Therefore, it is quite difficult to prepare MAPbI3 QDs with good optical properties via bottom-up methods using conditions involving high temperature and high-solubility solvents. On the other hand, top-down methods for preparing MAPbI3 QDs under an air atmosphere have attracted attention; however, there are issues, such as PL emission with a wide FWHM being obtained due to the wide particle-size distribution. In this research, red-emissive MAPbI3 QDs were prepared via an ultrasound-assisted bead milling (UBM) method, and the MAPbI3 QDs were purified using various carboxylate esters. As a result, we solved the issue of the wide particle-size distribution unique to top-down methods via purifying the MAPbI3 QDs, and they achieved the following excellent optical properties: a FWHM of 44 to 48 nm and a PLQY of over 60%. Notably, a fabricated LED device with MAPbI3 QDs purified using methyl acetate showed a PL peak at 738 nm and a FWHM of 49 nm, resulting in an excellent EQE value of 3.2%.

Chylous ascites as a complication of laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Until now, no data have been available on the incidence of chylous ascites after laparoscopic colorectal surgery. METHODS: From January 2007 to December 2011, 137 patients with colorectal cancer underwent laparoscopic surgery at our institution. The clinical data of the patients with postoperative chylous ascites were compared with those of the patients without chylous ascites. RESULTS: Chylous ascites developed in 9 of the 137 patients (6.5%). Blood loss, operative time, tumor location, and extent of lymph node dissection were not associated with postoperative chylous ascites. Mean postoperative hospital stay for patients with chylous ascites was significantly longer than that for patients without any complications (14 days vs 10 days; P < 0.001). Recurrence was observed in two of the nine patients with chylous ascites; it developed locally and in the liver in one patient, and peritoneal dissemination was seen in the other. The recurrence rate in the chylous ascites group (22.2%) was significantly higher than that in the non-chylous ascites group (3.9%; P = 0.016). The 3-year disease-free survival in the chylous ascites group (76.2%) was significantly lower than that in the non-chylous ascites group (93.4%; P = 0.020); however, the 3-year overall survival rates did not differ between the groups (87.5% vs 94.4%, respectively; P = 0.332). CONCLUSION: Chylous ascites are not a rare complication of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. It was managed conservatively in all cases but was associated with longer hospital stays. We recommend careful tissue dissection at a suitable plane and meticulous clipping during lymphadenectomy to prevent chyle leakage when lymphatic invasion is suspected.

Impact of adjuvant radiation therapy for microscopic residual tumor after resection of extrahepatic bile duct cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The effect of adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) in extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) cancer patients with microscopic-positive resection margins (R1 resection) is still controversial. METHODS: Between January 2000 and March 2010, 52 patients with EHBD cancer underwent surgery at our institution, of whom 36 were subjected to a retrospective analysis. Eleven patients received adjuvant RT after resection [surgery (S)+RT group], which included 9 patients with R1 resection and 2 with para-aortic lymph node metastasis. Their oncological outcomes were analyzed and compared with those of the 25 patients with R0 resection who did not receive adjuvant RT (S group). RESULTS: Patients in the S+RT group had significantly more advanced disease than those in the S group. However, there was no significant difference in disease-free survival or overall survival between the 2 groups. Median survival times for the S+RT and the S groups were 44 and 47 months, respectively, whereas the 5-year survival rates were 38.9% and 46%, respectively (P=0.707). Locoregional recurrence was less frequent in the S+RT group as compared with the S group, but the incidence of distant metastasis was unaffected by the adjuvant RT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the beneficial effect of adjuvant RT in EHBD cancer patients with R1 resection. This effect seems to result from an improved control of the locoregional tumor by adjuvant RT.

Clinical outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for transverse and descending colon cancers in a community setting.

INTRODUCTION: The feasibility, safety and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for transverse and descending colon cancers in a community hospital setting were evaluated. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with transverse or descending colon cancers who underwent laparoscopic surgery at our hospital were included in this retrospective analysis (group A). Their outcomes were compared with those of 71 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer at other tumor sites (group B). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of operative time, estimated blood loss, postoperative hospital stay and morbidity rate. Extended lymphadenectomy was performed more frequently and the number of harvested lymph nodes was significantly higher in group B than in group A. However, no recurrence developed in group A, while recurrence occurred in four patients from group B. The 3-year disease-free survival rates were 100% for group A and 93.5% for group B. The 3-year overall survival rates were 100% for group A and 91.6% for group B. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery for transverse and descending colon cancers can be performed safely with oncological validity in a community hospital setting, provided there is careful selection of the patients and adequate lymphadenectomy considering the clinical stage of their disease.