[A Case of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor-Associated Aortitis during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer].

A 71-year-old man with middle thoracic esophageal cancer was treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy using docetaxel plus 5-FU plus cisplatin therapy and was also administered pegfilgrastim. Blood tests showed elevated white blood cell counts and C-reactive protein levels before the start of the third course. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed wall thickening of the aortic arch. We diagnosed this as aortitis due to pegfilgrastim. Inflammation was improved with conservative treatment. We then performed video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy. Drug-induced vasculitis should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with elevated inflammation markers of unknown cause following the administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor preparations.

[New Classification for Advanced Colorectal Cancer Using CancerPlex®Genomic Tests].

Recently, targeted drugs have been developed for the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC). Among targets, it is well known that KRAS mutations are associated with resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)monoclonal antibodies. However, response rates using anti-EGFR monotherapy for CRC were less than 20-30% in previous clinical studies. Thus, because the RAS/MAP2K/MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways are associated with CRC resistance to chemotherapy, we analyzed gene mutations in Stage IV CRC patients using a genomic test(CancerPlex®). Medical records were reviewed for 112 patients who received treatment for CRC between 2007 and 2015 in Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital or Niigata Cancer Center Hospital. There were 66 male and 46 female patients, and their median age was 62.5(range, 30-86) years. Cluster analyses were performed in 110 non-hypermutated Japanese CRC patients using Euclidean distance and Ward's clustering method, and 6 typical groups were identified. Among these, patients with all wild-type actionable genes benefited from anti-EGFR therapies. The expense of targeted drugs warrants consideration of cost-effectiveness during treatment decision-making for advanced CRC patients. To this end, based on the genetic information on CRC, it is possible to develop precision medicine using CancerPlex®.

Feasibility of restorative proctocolectomy in patients with ulcerative colitis-associated lower rectal cancer: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Restorative proctocolectomy (RP) may improve quality of life in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC)-associated lower rectal cancer to a greater extent than total proctocolectomy. However, patients with UC-associated cancer often have flat mucosal lesions that make it extremely difficult to endoscopically delineate the tumor margins. Therefore, there is a potential risk of residual tumor and local recurrence after RP in patients with UC-associated lower rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of RP in patients with UC-associated cancer of the lower rectum. METHODS: We retrospectively identified nine patients who had undergone RP for UC-associated lower rectal cancer at the Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital between January 2000 and December 2016. The incidence of flat mucosal cancer, distal margin status, and oncologic outcomes were evaluated in the nine patients. RESULTS: Eight (89%) of the nine patients had flat mucosal cancer in the lower rectum. The median length of the distal margin was 22 mm (range 0-55 mm). No patient developed local or distant recurrence during follow-up. One patient had a positive distal margin. This patient underwent annual pouchoscopy, but had no local recurrence and died of pancreatic cancer 81 months after RP. The remaining eight patients were alive at the final observation. Five-year and 10-year overall survival rates in the nine patients were 100% and 66.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with UC-associated lower rectal cancer often have lesions of the flat mucosal type. However, RP is feasible and not necessarily contraindicated in such patients.