Single-port transumbilical laparoscopic excision of retroperitoneal schwannoma mimicking a nonfunctional endocrine tumor in the body of the pancreas: a case report.

Schwannomas are benign tumors that arise from neural sheath Schwann cells. Solitary benign schwannoma is generally located in the head and neck and is a rare neoplasm among the tumors of the retroperitoneal space. Reports of laparoscopic excision of retroperitoneal schwannomas have recently been on the increase. However, few cases of single-port laparoscopic excision of these tumors have been reported. Moreover, there are no reports of single-port excision of schwannomas attached to the body of pancreas and around the splenic vessels. This is the first report of a schwannoma lying adjacent to the body of the pancreas between the splenic artery and vein that was excised by single-port laparoscopic surgery. The most notable aspect of our procedure is the use of bipolar forceps. Single-port laparoscopic excision using bipolar forceps is a feasible and safe procedure for retroperitoneal solitary tumors, even when they are close to the splenic artery and vein.

[Effective cetuximab monotherapy for a case of recurrence rectal cancer after multiple previous chemotherapy treatment (FOLFOX, FOLFIRI)].

Cetuximab is an agent approved as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive for unresectable advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer. A 58-year-old man with liver metastasis had relapsed after resection of rectal cancer. We treated him with cetuximab monotherapy as third-line chemotherapy after treatment failures with infusional 5-FU, LV and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX4 regi- men); and infusional 5-FU, LV and irinotecan(FOLFIRI regimen). The patient was administered cetuximab (400 mg/m² initial dose and 250 mg/m²/ week thereafter). After sixteen weeks of treatment, a computed tomography scan revealed reduced sizes of the liver metastases. The tumor response has still been maintained after thirty courses of treatment, and the chemotherapeutic response was evaluated as a partial response according to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumor guidelines. The main toxicity was a grade 2 rash, but was manageable by topical steroid and moisturizing agent. We have added some review of the literature, and the cetuximab therapy is reported.