[A Case of Advanced Gastric Cancer of an Elderly Patient Responding Effectively to Pembrolizumab].

A 96-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of dysphagia. After examination, he was diagnosed with type 3 advanced gastric cancer in the antrum with duodenal invasion. A gastrojejunostomy was performed because of dissemination in the pelvic floor. He was put on pembrolizumab after surgery because the microsatellite instability test showed positive results. The therapeutic response was PR. Pembrolizumab can improve the outcomes in elderly patients with unresectable advanced gastric cancer.

Nomogram for predicting anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer is a critical problem. Many risk factors have been suggested and surgical techniques have improved, but anastomotic leakage remains a major postoperative challenge. This study sought to create a nomogram for precise prediction of anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer. METHODS: We used data of 936 patients that had been prospectively collected by the Japanese Society for Colon and Rectal Cancer between June 2010 and February 2013. Risk factors for anastomotic leakage were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis and used to create a nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by using a bootstrapped-concordance index and calibration plots. RESULTS: Sex, preoperative serum albumin, tumor location and diameter, and simultaneous resection of other organs were identified as significantly associated factors that could be combined for accurate prediction of anastomotic leakage. We created a nomogram for anastomotic leakage by using these risk factors. The area under the curve was 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.67-0.76). The nomogram had a bootstrapped-concordance index of 0.72 and was well calibrated. CONCLUSIONS: Our nomogram was a useful tool for precise prediction of anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

Incidence and risk factors for rectovaginal fistula after low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The rectovaginal fistula (RVF) is a rare complication after low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for RVF after LAR for rectal cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective multi-institution study of 371 female rectal cancer patients who underwent LAR with anastomosis between January 2007 and December 2011. Patient-, tumor-, and surgery-related variables were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The overall RVF rate was 3.0 % (11/371). The RVF was diagnosed on median postoperative day 83 (15-766). In 81.8 % (9/11) of the patients, the diagnosis of RVF was made after hospital discharge. Multivariate analysis identified prognostic nutritional index (PNI; odds ratio (OR) 6.97; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.47-33.08; P = 0.015), preoperative chemotherapy (OR 27.31; CI 3.49-213.62; P = 0.002), tumor size (OR 5.90; CI 1.04-33.47; P = 0.045), intraoperative bleeding (OR 13.91; CI 1.34-144.42; P = 0.027), and lateral lymph node dissection (OR 4.92; CI 1.02-23.63; P = 0.045) as independent risk factors for RVF after LAR. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors of RVF were PNI (<45), preoperative chemotherapy, tumor size (≧ 50 mm), intraoperative bleeding (≧ 200 ml), and lateral lymph node dissection. Before an operation, obtaining the information about these risk factors is of great importance in LAR for rectal cancer.

The Effect of Pyridoxine for Prevention of Hand-Foot Syndrome in Colorectal Cancer Patients with Adjuvant Chemotherapy Using Capecitabine: A Randomized Study.

UNLABELLED: BACKGROUND/Aims: To determine the effect of the pyridoxine for prevention of hand-foot syndrome in colorectal cancer patients with adjuvant chemotherapy using capecitabine. METHODOLOGY: Colorectal cancer patients scheduled for capecitabine chemotherapy as adjuvant setting were randomly assigned to with or without concurrent oral pyridoxine (60 mg/d) groups. Patients were monitored whether being a development of National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria grade 2 or worse HFS until chemotherapy ended. RESULTS: Sixty patients were enrolled in this study. Relative dose intensity was 89.5% in total. The median number of chemotherapy cycles to grade 2 or worse HFS was four in both groups. Grade 2 or worse HES developed in 18 (60.0%) of 30 control patients and in 18 (60.0%) of 30 pyridoxine patients. The cumulative dose of capecitabine to grade 2 or worse HFS was not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Pyridoxine is not effective in prevention of capecitabine-associated HFS.

Solo surgery in laparoscopic colectomy: a case-matched study comparing robotic and human scopist.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent technical developments have enabled solo surgery in laparoscopic surgery. Our experience of solo surgery using the voice-guided robotic arm in laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal cancer was analyzed. METHODOLOGY: The colon-lifting method was used in this study. The laparoscope was handled by AESOP3000. The colon was retracted anteriorly by the thread that passed through the mesocolon. This method enables lymphadenectomy by stretching of feeding vessels and obviates the need for an assistant. The short-term outcomes and survival between robotic arm and human scopist in a series of laparoscopic colectomies were compared with a case-matched control study. RESULTS: The numbers of both group patients were 11 respectively. There was no conversion to open surgery in both groups. The operation time (Robotic vs. Human=269 min. vs. 265) and laparoscopic time (209 vs. 212) were not significant differences. There were also no significant differences in the bleeding, the morbidity rate and the numbers of dissected lymph nodes between the two groups. The five-year overall (81.8% vs. 72.7%) and disease-free (72.7% vs. 62.3%) survivals showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic solo-surgery in colectomy is safe and feasible, without any deterioration of the curative potential of the procedure.

A Y-shaped vinyl hood that creates pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery (Y-hood method.): a new technique for laparoscopic low anterior resection.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have focused on laparoscopic techniques for the treatment of colon cancer, but such work is more limited for the treatment of rectal cancer, largely because of concerns for safety issues. This report presents an effective method of anal lavage and excision in laparoscopic low anterior resection. METHODS: The authors developed clamp forceps for intestinal lavage and a Y-shaped vinyl hood that can be operated under pneumoperitoneum for airproof surgery. These devices enabled secure clamping and cleansing of the area and use of automatic suture instruments for open laparotomy through a minilaparotomy wound. The authors called this technique the Y-Hood method and compared its short-term results from May 2005 to October 2008 (n = 28) with those for double-stapling technique surgical cases between September 2000 and October 2008 in which automatic suture instruments were used more than once (n = 107). A multivariate analysis of risk factors for anastomotic leakage also was performed. RESULTS: No difference in background factors such as patient sex, age, and tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging were detected. Anastomotic leakage was found in 12 cases that used multiple stapling for rectal transection (11.2%) and 2 cases that used the Y-Hood (7.1%). The cost for rectectomy was 92,505 yen for multiple stapling and 53,107 yen for the Y-Hood (p < 0.0001). As risk factors for anastomotic leakage, multivariate analysis identified the number of times stapling for rectal transection was performed and the height of the anastomotic region. CONCLUSION: The Y-Hood method enables operations to be performed within the interior of the pelvis without reducing the number of ports because the instruments can be accessed using minilaparotomy. Because the use of stapling for rectal transection is minimized, this method is effective in avoiding anastomotic leakage and also cost efficient. The Y-Hood method allows for thorough intestinal lavage and safe laparoscopic low anterior resection.

Paraaortic lymph node metastasis showed CR to UFT/LV therapy in elderly rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Intravenous chemotherapy with a combination of several drugs is commonly used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer. However, the associated adverse events can be severe. Here we report a rare case of metastatic rectal cancer in an elderly patient who got complete response for metastatic rectal cancer with oral uracil-tegafur plus leucovorin therapy. METHODOLOGY: 77-year-old male. An abdominoperineal resection of the rectum was performed, but para-aortic lymph-node metastasis occurred. Uracil-tegafur plus leucovorin therapy was started on postoperative day 48. Each chemotherapy course comprised 400 mg/day uracil-tegafur and 75 mg/day leucovorin administered for 28 days every 35 days. RESULTS: After 10 courses, abdominal computed tomography indicated that a good partial response had been achieved. The para-aortic lymph-node swelling disappeared after 17 courses, indicating a complete response. During this period, no adverse events were noted. No recurrence had occurred 4 months after the complete response. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates that uracil-tegafur plus leucovorin therapy can be used safely even in elderly patients, and suggests that it is likely to be effective in treating metastatic colorectal cancer.

Allergic reactions to oxaliplatin in a single institute in Japan.

Allergic reactions to oxaliplatin can be severe and are an important cause of discontinuation of treatment. A retrospective review was performed for 105 patients who received FOLFOX regimens between May 2005 and June 2007. Twenty-five cases (23.8%) of allergic reactions were identified, including 9 late onset reactions (8.6%) and 16 immediate reactions (15.2%). Severe allergy (Grades 3 and 4) occurred in seven patients (6.7%). Re-introduction of FOLFOX was attempted for seven immediate onset patients with a severity grade of 1 or 2, and three of these patients (42.9%) showed relapse of allergy. In approximately 10% of the patients, FOLFOX had to be discontinued due to allergy before the disease became refractory to the regimen. Our experience indicates that allergy to oxaliplatin may be a significant concern and that methods are required for suppression of this allergy.

Reduction of postoperative abdominal adhesion and ileus by a bioresorbable membrane.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study examines the efficacy of a bioresorbable sodium hyaluronate-carboxy-methylcellulose-based membrane (HA/CMC membrane) in reducing postoperative abdominal adhesion and ileus after intestinal resection. Also, this study attempts to identify the possible factors that influence effectiveness through qualitative analysis of an individual patient case. METHODOLOGY: Bioresorable membranes were applied just prior to abdominal closure in 121 patients who underwent abdominal surgery. The incidence of adhesion-related postoperative ileus was compared between the treatment and control group. Severity and extent of adhesions were also examined in 27 patients who underwent follow-up laparotomy. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative ileus was low in the treatment group. For the partial colectomies with lymph node dissection for colorectal cancers, there was no difference between the treatment and control group in the incidence of postoperative ileus. In patients who underwent a second operation, the incidence and severity of adhesions were significantly lower for the treated area compared with the untreated area. CONCLUSIONS: HA/CMC membrane was effective in reducing postoperative abdominal adhesions. The incidence of adhesion-related postoperative ileus after colorectal cancer surgery was unchanged. The results of qualitative analysis imply that further improvement of application may allow HA/CMC membrane to be more effective in reducing postoperative ileus.

Total laparoscopic surgery for treatment of leiomyoma of the transverse colon in a patient with an abdominal mesh: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract; however, gastrointestinal leiomyomas are relatively rare. Surgical resection is recommended for leiomyomas and gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the colon. We present a case in which we performed laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with intraabdominal anastomosis for treating leiomyoma of the transverse colon in a patient with an abdominal mesh. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 64-year-old woman with a history of right subtotal adrenalectomy and right mastectomy was incidentally found to have an abdominal mass on a follow-up computed tomography (CT) scan, which was confirmed as a gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the mesentery following abdominal contrast-enhanced CT. We planned surgical resection for preoperative diagnosis because the tumor was >5 cm in diameter. However, she had undergone transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstruction after right mastectomy, in which the TRAM flap was replaced with an abdominal mesh; hence, total laparoscopic surgery was performed to avoid damaging the mesh owing to the risk of mesh infection. Laparotomy revealed that the tumor originated from the transverse colon; thus, transverse colectomy with intraabdominal anastomosis was performed. The total operative time and blood loss were 3 h 32 min and 5 mL, respectively. No postoperative leakage or mesh infection was observed. The resected specimen revealed a leiomyoma without malignancy. DISCUSSION: We successfully performed colectomy that minimized the resection range and intraabdominal anastomosis. CONCLUSION: Total laparoscopic surgery was effective for colonic leiomyoma with an abdominal mesh to avoid mesh-related complications.

Duodenojejunal intussusception secondary to primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in the third portion of the duodenum are rare. Intussusception and obstruction are rarely caused by GISTs because of their tendency to grow in an extraluminal manner. Herein, we report a case involving segmental duodenectomy in a patient with duodenojejunal intussusception secondary to a primary GIST. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 91-year-old woman with a history of iron-deficiency anemia presented with vomiting and anorexia. Preoperative imaging suggested duodenojejunal intussusception secondary to a GIST in the third portion of the duodenum. Segmental duodenectomy with end-to-end duodenojejunostomy without reduction of the intussusception was performed. At 6 months after the surgery, the patient's anemia had improved and she had no abdominal symptoms. DISCUSSION: Adult intussusception requires surgical resection because most of the patients have intraluminal lesions. The location in relation to the Vater papilla, tumor size, and resection margin should be considered when selecting the type of surgical resection for duodenal GIST. Limited resection appears to be better than pancreaticoduodenectomy with respect to postoperative complications. Considering the age and performance status of this patient, a less invasive maneuver was selected. CONCLUSION: Duodenal GISTs can be a rare cause of intussusception. Thus, a limited surgical resection procedure should be considered in such cases.

Preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen level as a predictive factor of recurrence after curative resection of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the prognostic value of the preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study group comprised 638 patients. The optimal cutoff value for the preoperative serum CEA level was determined. Predictive factors of recurrence were evaluated using multivariate analyses. The relapse-free time was investigated according to the CEA level. RESULTS: All patients underwent potentially curative resection for CRC without distant metastasis, classified as stage I, II, or III. The optimal cutoff value for preoperative serum CEA level was 10 ng/ml. Elevated preoperative serum CEA level was observed in 92 patients. Multivariate analysis identified tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and preoperative serum CEA level as independent predictive factors of recurrence. The relapse-free survival between CEA levels >10 ng/ml and <10 ng/ml significantly differed in patients with stage II and III. However, there was no significant difference in relapse-free survival between CEA levels >10 ng/ml and <10 ng/ml in patients with stage I. CONCLUSION: Preoperative serum CEA is a reliable predictive factor of recurrence after curative surgery in CRC patients and a useful indicator of the optimal treatment after resection, particularly for cases classified as stage II or stage III.

Usefulness of a selective neutrophil elastase inhibitor (sivelestat) in septic ARDS patients after gastrointestinal surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The usefulness of a neutrophil elastase inhibitor (sivelestat) was evaluated for treating septic acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after gastrointestinal surgery. METHODOLOGY: The subjects were 36 patients with septic ARDS after gastrointestinal surgery. ARDS was defined as acute lung injury associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Sivelestat was intravenously administered at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg/hr continuously for 3 days or more. The effectiveness of sivelestat was evaluated based on the lung injury score, P/F ratio, and ventilator free days (VFD). RESULTS: Marked responses were observed in 12 patients (33.3%), responses in 17 (47.2%), and no response in 7 (19.4%). In the patients with marked responses or responses (responders), the P/F ratio was significantly improved on day 3 of drug administration and at the end of administration compared with the pre-administration ratio. Comparison between the responders and non-responders showed significant differences on day 3 and at the end of drug administration. VFD significantly differed between the responders (18.8 days) and the non-responders (11.0 days). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, sivelestat may be effective against septic ARDS. The effectiveness of the drug could be determined based on improvement in oxygenation ability on day 3 of drug administration.

Magnitude of serosal changes predicts peritoneal recurrence of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal dissemination is the most frequent mode of recurrence in patients with gastric cancer. We tried to identify factors that predict peritoneal recurrence with high sensitivity. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical and pathologic data from 587 consecutive patients with gastric cancer were reviewed retrospectively. The stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the prognostic significance of the magnitude of serosal changes. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with peritoneal recurrence in 375 patients who underwent curative resection. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate of patients with S2 disease (greatest dimension of macroscopic serosal changes >/= 2.5 cm) was 18%, which was worse than S0 (no serosal changes) and S1 disease (macroscopic serosal changes < 2.5 cm)(p < 0.001). Patients with S0 tumors who underwent curative resection had the best 5-year survival rate. Multivariate analyses indicated that the magnitude of serosal changes was an independent prognostic factor for survival both overall and after curative resection. Logistic regression analysis showed that peritoneal recurrence was more than four times as likely with S2 than with S0 or S1 tumors. The sensitivity for predicting peritoneal recurrence was 79%; the sensitivity of cytologic examination was 38%. CONCLUSIONS: Magnitude of serosal changes is easy to measure intraoperatively and predicts peritoneal recurrence of gastric cancer with greater sensitivity than conventional peritoneal lavage cytology.