Prognostic significance of the Naples prognostic score in colorectal cancer patients undergoing curative resection: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation is recognized as a hallmark of cancer that contributes to tumor development and progression in various malignancies. The Naples prognostic score (NPS) was established as a prognostic indicator for colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aims to examine the predictive value of the NPS for survival in CRC patients undergoing curative resection by a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. METHODS: A total of 533 CRC patients were enrolled in this study. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between high-NPS and low-NPS groups. A time-dependent receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to calculate the area under curve (AUC) of the NPS for OS. A multivariable Cox-proportional hazards regression analysis and PSM analysis were used to identify independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS. We compared the predictive value of the NPS to that of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), Onodera prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and controlling nutritional status score (CONUT) for OS. RESULTS: High-NPS was significantly associated with worse OS and DFS. After PSM, 123 patients were included in each group. A multivariate analysis revealed that Age ≥ 68, ASA-PS ≥ 3, high NPS and undifferentiated tumor type were independently associated with OS, while high NPS, advanced T and N stage were independently associated with DFS after PSM. The NPS had the greatest AUC for OS in comparison to the NLR, LMR, PNI and CONUT. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully validated the prognostic utility of the NPS for CRC patients after curative resection.

Impact of a circular powered stapler on preventing anastomotic leakage in patients with left-sided colorectal cancer: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The powered circular stapler, which was developed with the aim of providing reliable and reproducible anastomosis, provides complete anastomosis, resulting in a reduced risk of anastomotic leakage. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of anastomotic leakage between a conventional manual circular stapler (MCS) and the ECHELON CIRCULAR™ Powered Stapler (ECPS) in patients with left-sided colorectal cancer who underwent anastomosis with the double stapling technique. METHODS: A total of 187 patients with left-sided colorectal cancer who underwent anastomosis with the double stapling technique with a conventional MCS or the ECPS during surgery at Osaka City University Hospital between January 2016 and July 2022 were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: The incidence of anastomotic leakage in the ECPS group was significantly lower than that in the MCS group (4.4% versus 14.3%, p = 0.048). Furthermore, even after propensity score matching, an association was found between the use of the ECPS and a reduced incidence of anastomotic leakage. CONCLUSION: The ECPS has the potential to help reduce the rate of anastomotic leakage in left-sided colorectal surgery.

[A Case of Robot-Assisted Abdominoperineal Resection Alongside En Bloc Prostatectomy and Vesico-Urethral Anastomosis for Local Recurrence].

A 66-year-old man presenting with cStage Ⅲc rectal cancer underwent laparoscopic low anterior resection(D3 lymph node dissection and R0 resection)following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(capecitabine, 45 Gy/25 Fr)and received adjuvant chemotherapy(CAPOX). A year after surgery, abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed recurrence near the rectal anastomosis with prostate invasion. The patient underwent robot-assisted abdominoperineal resection alongside en bloc prostatectomy and vesico-urethral anastomosis after 12 courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy(FOLFIRI and panitumumab). He exhibited a good postoperative course and was discharged on the 12th postoperative day. After 7 months of surgery, no recurrence was observe; and urinary incontinence seen immediately after surgery gradually improved.

[A Case of Late Recurrence of Anal Canal Carcinoma after Surgery, Discovered following the Diagnosis of a Subcutaneous Tumor in the Perineal Region].

We present an 82-year-old male patient who underwent laparoscopic abdominal perineal rectal amputation and D3 lymph node dissection, including left inguinal lymph node dissection for anal canal carcinoma. Left inguinal lymph node metastasis was positive, and pT1bN2aM0, pStage Ⅲa was the final pathological diagnosis. He underwent 8 courses of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin therapy as adjuvant chemotherapy. He was examined without recurrence for 5 years postoperatively. However, he awared a perineal subcutaneous tumor and was transferred to our hospital for further examination and treatment 6 years postoperatively. Recurrence after anal canal carcinoma surgery was diagnosed based on a needle biopsy, and perineal subcutaneous tumor resection was performed. This is a rare case of late postoperative recurrence of anal canal carcinoma, which was detected due to a perineal subcutaneous tumor 6 years after surgery for anal canal carcinoma.

[A Case of Sigmoid Colon Cancer with Simultaneous Solitary Adrenal Metastasis Refractory to Preoperative Diagnosis].

A 72-year-old man was referred to our urology department due to a giant adrenal tumor detected by computed tomography( CT). Endocrine screening showed that cortisol, renin, aldosterone, adrenaline, and noradrenaline levels were all normal, and there was no evidence of adrenal hyperfunction. The adrenal tumor was so large that we suspected malignancy. Contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen was performed for qualitative diagnostic purposes, and showed wall thickening of the sigmoid colon extending for approximately 6 cm. Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed and revealed a full circumferential type 2 tumor in the sigmoid colon. Biopsy results showed intermediate differentiated ductal adenocarcinoma. Tumor markers were as follows: CEA 23.1 ng/mL, CA19-9 962 U/mL. The adrenal tumor was suspected of being malignant due to its size, but imaging examinations did not lead to a diagnosis of primary or metastatic disease. There were no tumors other than those in the sigmoid colon and adrenal glands. Since complete resection was deemed possible, sigmoid colon resection and combined left adrenalectomy were performed for both a diagnosis and treatment. A histopathological examination revealed that the histology of the adrenal tumor resembled that of colorectal cancer, leading to a diagnosis of left adrenal metastasis from sigmoid colon cancer.

[Radiation-Induced Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma after Breast-Conserving Surgery-A Case Report].

The patient was a 73-year-old woman who had undergone breast-conserving surgery followed by irradiation (50 Gy/25 Fr)to the residual breast for left breast cancer 4 years before. Computed tomography for routine examination revealed a soft tissue mass on her left chest wall. Ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic mass with heterogeneous internal echo, 3.5×3.0×1.5 cm in size. Core-needle biopsy was performed, and histological examination revealed proliferation of spindle-shaped or pleomorphic and highly atypical cells. On immunohistochemistry, the tumor was negative for AE1/AE3, CD34, SMA, desmin, and S-100 and focally positive for CD68. Based on these findings, undifferentiated sarcoma was suspected. The patient underwent wide local excision of the chest wall with a surgical margin of 3-4 cm from the tumor edge. The histological diagnosis was undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Judging from the clinical course, this tumor was radiation-induced sarcoma. The patient remains disease-free 54 months after the operation.

[A Case of Effective Endovascular Treatment for Recurrent Bleeding from Advanced Breast Cancer].

A-58-year-old woman was diagnosed with breast cancer 8 years ago at another hospital, but refused surgical treatment. From 2 years ago, her skin invasion of cancer lesions began bleeding. The patient required frequent blood transfusions due to anemia associated with repeated bleeding. She was referred to our department for local treatment and palliative care. Diagnostic imaging revealed multiple lung, bone and liver metastasis. The patient refused to receive systemic chemotherapy, and she was recommended radiation therapy for repeated massive bleeding, but her consent was not obtained. She agreed to receive arterial embolization from the tumor-bearing vessels plus intravenous anti-cancer drug therapy. The hemostatic effect was observed for 4 to 5 weeks per treatment, and tumor reduction was also observed. She received a total of 6 treatments during 8 months until her death. These treatments were effective in maintaining quality of life at the end of life.

CD9-positive exosomes from cancer-associated fibroblasts stimulate the migration ability of scirrhous-type gastric cancer cells.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/bjc.2017.85.

Pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 and glutaminase might be promising molecular targets for the treatment of gastric cancer.

The aim of this study was to analyze the significance of glucose metabolism-related enzymes in the proliferation of gastric cancer under hypoxia. Four hypoxia-resistant gastric cancer cell lines and four parent cell lines were used. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to evaluate the mRNA expression levels of the following metabolism-related enzymes: pyruvate kinase isozyme M2 (PKM2), glutaminase (GLS), enolase 1 (ENO1), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), and PKM1. The effects of these enzymes on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells were examined using siRNAs, shikonin as a PKM2 inhibitor, or BPTES as a GLS inhibitor, in vitro and in vivo. Levels of both PKM2 and GLS mRNA were significantly high in all hypoxia-resistant cell lines, compared with those of their parent cells. Knockdown of PKM2 and GLS significantly decreased the proliferation of all hypoxia-resistant cells. The combination of siPKM2 and siGLS significantly decreased proliferation compared with treatment by siPKM2 or siGLS alone. The knockdown of ENO1, G6PDH, or PKM1 did not decrease the proliferation of all hypoxia-resistant cells. Combination treatment using shikonin and BPTES inhibited the proliferation of all hypoxia-resistant cancer cells more than that by either agent alone. The in vivo study indicated that the tumor size treated by the combination of shikonin and BPTES was significantly smaller than that of vehicle-treated group. These findings suggested that PKM2 and GLS might play important roles in the proliferation of hypoxic gastric cancer cells. A combination of PKM2 and GLS inhibitors could be therapeutically promising for the treatment of gastric cancer.

A case of bilateral pheochromocytoma during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Pheochromocytoma is a disease where catecholamines are secreted. If pheochromocytoma occurs during pregnancy, it can be difficult to diagnose because it is similar to pregnancy-induced hypertension. Furthermore, bilateral pheochromocytoma during pregnancy is even rarer than unilateral pheochromocytoma. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old primigravida, who was 12 weeks' pregnant, was aware of right abdominal discomfort. Masses in both adrenal glands were observed by abdominal ultrasonography. She was diagnosed with pheochromocytoma. Bilateral adrenalectomy was undertaken at 15 weeks' gestation and she continued pregnancy. At 39 weeks' gestation, a healthy male neonate was delivered. She was discharged on the 4th postpartum day. CONCLUSIONS: We present a case of bilateral pheochromocytoma during pregnancy that was diagnosed in the first trimester. Differentiating pheochromocytoma from pregnancy-induced hypertension is important. Early diagnosis and appropriate blood pressure management with medical treatment followed by surgical removal of the tumor results in good maternal and fetal outcomes.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer responding to S-1/CDDP neoadjuvant chemotherapy, leading to a pathological complete response].

A 66-year-old man with cStage III B (cT4aN2H0P0M0) advanced gastric cancer in the cardia with esophageal invasion was treated with S-1/CDDP as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After 3 courses of chemotherapy, a significant reduction in tumor burden was observed. Total gastrectomy and splenectomy with lymph node dissection (D2) were performed. Pathological specimens showed no cancer cells in the stomach and lymph nodes, indicating a pathological complete response.

[A case of rectal cancer with brain metastasis successfully treated with combined modality therapy - a case report].

The authors report their experience in a patient with brain metastasis from rectal cancer who has survived without recurrence after multidisciplinary treatment. A 60-year-old man presented to the Department of Neurosurgery with the primary complaint of spasm of the left side of the face. Examination revealed a tumor 2 cm in diameter in the right frontal lobe. The tumor was suspected to be metastatic, and brain metastasis from rectal cancer was diagnosed. The brain tumor was removed by a neurosurgeon, and the patient was transferred to the Department of Surgery. Removal of the primary lesion in the rectum was attempted, but only colostomy could be performed due to extensive anterior invasion. Postoperatively, 5 courses of capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX) + bevacizumab were administered. The rectal tumor shrank in size, while another mass, suspected to be a lung metastasis, remained unchanged. Therefore, a second surgery on the rectum was scheduled, and abdominoperineal resection of the rectum and lateral lymphadenectomy were performed. Postoperatively, 4 courses of XE LOX therapy were administered. The patient is currently alive without recurrence at 1 year after surgery. Treatment (including timing) for brain metastasis from rectal cancer has not been established and prognosis is poor. However, multidisciplinary treatment may provide the possibility of cure.

An 8-mm port site hernia after robotic-assisted ileocecal resection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Robotic-assisted surgery is steadily becoming more prominent. The majority of reports regarding port site hernias (PSHs) have involved laparoscopic procedures. Currently, it is common to suture the fascia at port sites that are 10 mm or larger; however, the closure of 5-mm port sites is not considered mandatory. The da Vinci® surgical system (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA) utilizes a distinctive 8-mm port. We report a case of an early-onset PSH at an 8-mm port site after robotic-assisted ileocecal resection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old male patient with a body mass index of 19.7 kg/m2 was diagnosed with cecal cancer and underwent robotic-assisted ileocecal resection. A 3-cm midline incision was made at the umbilicus for insufflation. Under laparoscopic visualization, three ports (12 mm, 8 mm, and 8 mm) were inserted in the lower abdomen. An 8-mm port was inserted in the left subcostal region, and a 5-mm port was inserted in the left lateral abdomen. The procedure was performed without significant intraoperative complications. The fascia was closed only at the umbilicus and 12-mm port site; the fascia at the 8-mm port sites was not closed. The patient was initially discharged without complications; however, on postoperative day 11, the patient was urgently hospitalized again because of PSH incarceration. After manual reduction, the fascia was sutured closed under local anesthesia. The hernial defect was small and barely allowed the insertion of a little finger. There was no evidence of compression or significant damage to the fascia. On postoperative day 27, the patient was discharged after experiencing good recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic-assisted colectomy could contribute to the risk of PSHs because of its surgical characteristics. Although routine closure of the fascia at 8-mm port sites is not mandatory, it may be beneficial in certain cases.

Prognostic Role of Preoperative D-dimer Levels in Patients With Stage I-III Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: As D-dimer levels have been reported to reflect cancer activity, preoperative D-dimer levels may serve as a prognostic marker in patients with colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperative D-dimer levels in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer who underwent curative surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 264 patients who underwent curative surgery for stage I-III colorectal cancer between January 2015 and December 2019 were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: The median preoperative D-dimer level was 0.8 µg/ml (range=0.4-42.5 µg/ml). Based on the results of a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we set 1.45 as the cut-off value and classified patients into the low (n=215) and high D-dimer (n=49) groups. The high D-dimer group had significantly lower relapse-free and overall survival in comparison to the low D-dimer group (p<0.0001, p<0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Preoperative D-dimer levels can serve as a prognostic marker for stage I-III colorectal cancer.

Examination of cancer cells exposed to gastric serosa by serosal stamp cytology plus RT-PCR is useful for the identification of gastric cancer patients at high risk of peritoneal recurrence.

BACKGROUND: We sought to clarify the clinical value of the examination of cancer cells exposed to gastric serosa by our novel method of serosal stamp cytology and a real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. METHOD: A total of 70 patients who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled. Stamp cytology specimens were obtained by stamping the gastric serosa at the primary gastric tumor lesion, followed by Papanicolaou's staining. Samples obtained by brushing the serosa at the primary gastric tumor were analyzed by our RT-PCR of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 20 (CK20). RESULTS: Among the 70 patients, 11 patients were diagnosed as stamp cytology-positive. Eight and five patients were found to be CEA-positive and CK20-positive, respectively. Since 21 of the 70 patients were either stamp cytology-positive or RT-PCR analysis-positive, these 21 patients were considered to be positive for cancer cells exposed to serosa of primary gastric tumor. The 3-year recurrence-free survival rate of the patients with a single positive result by our method (41.7%) was significantly (log rank p = 0.0002) worse than that of the patients with both negative results (81.0%). Our method showed 58.8% sensitivity and 79.2% specificity. A multivariate analysis revealed that a stamp cytology and/or RT-PCR result was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence. CONCLUSION: The examination of cancer cells exposed to gastric serosa by our serosal stamp cytology and RT-PCR system will be useful for the identification of patients at high risk for peritoneal recurrence after curative surgery for gastric cancer.

Clinicopathological Correlations of Autophagy-related Proteins LC3, Beclin 1 and p62 in Gastric Cancer.

AIM: This study evaluated the clinicopathological significance of autophagy, an intracellular degradation system, in gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression levels of three autophagy-related proteins, namely light chain 3 (LC3), Beclin 1 and p62, were analyzed by immunohistochemistry using samples from 510 patients with primary gastric cancer. RESULTS: LC3, Beclin 1, and p62 expression was positive in 79 (15.5%), 126 (24.7%) and 251 (49.2%) out of 510 carcinomas, respectively. Autophagy was defined when samples were positive for at least two out of the three proteins. Autophagy-positive cases were 113 (22.1%) out of the 510. Autophagy determined by LC3, Beclin 1, and p62 significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, vessel invasion, and hepatic metastasis. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that autophagy was significantly associated with poor survival of patients with gastric cancer, especially for those with disease at stage I. Multivariate analysis indicated that autophagy was an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: Autophagy promotes the progression of gastric cancer at an early clinical stage.