[A Resected Case of Intraperitoneal Foreign Body Granuloma Mimicking Peritoneal Dissemination].

Foreign body granuloma(FBG)is a granuloma that occurs due to chronic inflammation caused by various residual foreign objects. In the field of gastrointestinal surgery, intraperitoneal foreign body granulomas(IPFBGs)are often caused by sutures materials or residual gauzes, but those caused by food residue are extremely rare. We present an IPFBG case of food residue caused by anastomotic leakage, which was difficult to be distinguished from peritoneal dissemination. The patient is a 74- year-old male. Anastomotic leakage occurred following low anterior resection for rectal cancer, peritoneal drainage and ileostomy were performed. 1.5 years after rectal resection, liver metastasis was diagnosed by CT and peritoneal dissemination was diagnosed by PET-CT. Both lesions were resected at the same time. The pathological findings were liver metastasis and FBG. It was presumed to be an FBG formed by food residue left behind after anastomotic leakage. It has reported that FBG caused by residual gauzes were shown a ring-shaped uptake by PET-CT, but that was not observed in our case. In addition, since a nodule suspected of liver metastasis was observed simultaneously, we considered no differential diagnosis other than peritoneal dissemination. IPFBG resembling peritoneal dissemination, occurred after anastomotic leakage. A food residue can cause IPFBG, it is necessary to consider IPFBG in decision making treatment strategy for peritoneal nodule.

[A Strategy of Treatment for Perforated Gastric Cancer].

In past reports, the incidence of gastric perforation accounts for 0.08 to 3.6% of all gastric cancers, and the proportion of perforated gastric cancer(PGC)in gastric perforations is 26 to 32%. In the treatment of PGC, critical care for peritonitis, diagnosis of gastric cancer and curability for gastric cancer are required simultaneously, so it is not easy to decide the treatment strategies. Therefore, for the purpose to consider treatment strategies for PGC, we conducted a clinicopathological study on PGC in our hospital for the past 12 years. There were 22 cases of PGC, and we analyzed clinicopathologically 19 cases excluding perforation during endoscopic resection and perforation during chemotherapy. The R0 surgery group tended to have a good prognosis even in PGC cases, and there was surgery-related death in the one-stage gastrectomy group. So it was considered desirable to perform radical surgery after the general condition was stable by the treatment of peritonitis was given priority in the PGC.

[Clinicopathological Examination of 81 Cases Added Gastrectomy for Early Gastric Cancer after ESD].

As a general rule, our department has performed additional gastrectomy with lymph node dissection(radical surgery: RS) for non-curative endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)cases. This time, we performed a clinicopathological study on 81 patients who underwent RS after ESD for 10 years from May 2009 to April 2019. Lymph node metastasis(LNM)was observed in 5 cases and local cancer residue(LCR)was observed in 8 cases. Examination of the presence or absence of LNM and LCR by clinicopathological factors(histopathological type, tumor size, lymphatic invasion[ly], venous invasion[v], horizontal margin[HM], vertical margin[VM], submucosal invasion, ulceration[scar])revealed no significant risk factor for LNM, however, tumor size and HM were significant risk factors for LCR. The relationship between the eCura system and the case rate associated with LNM in our hospital was similar to that in the original report. Regarding the prognosis, there was one local recurrence and no death from the primary disease.

Impact of preoperative chemotherapy as initial treatment for advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis limited to positive peritoneal lavage cytology (CY1) or localized peritoneal metastasis (P1a): a multi-institutional retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) patients with peritoneal metastasis are defined as stage IV in the Japanese classification of GC. For patients with peritoneal metastasis limited to positive peritoneal lavage cytology (CY1) and/or localized peritoneal metastasis (P1a), gastrectomy followed by S1 monotherapy is one of the most widely accepted therapeutic strategy in Japan. This study investigated the efficacy of preoperative chemotherapy as initial treatment in GC patients with CY1 and/or P1a. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed GC patients diagnosed with CY1 and/or P1a at 34 institutions in Japan between 2008 and 2012. Selection criteria were: adenocarcinoma, no distant metastasis except CY1 or P1a, and no prior treatment. The subjects were divided into an Initial-Chemotherapy group and an Initial-Surgery group, according to the initial treatment. RESULTS: A total of 824 patients were collected and 713 eligible patients were identified for this study. As the initial treatment, 150 patients received chemotherapy (Initial-Cx), and 563 patients underwent surgery (Initial-Sx). Initial-Cx regimens were cisplatin plus S1/docetaxel plus cisplatin plus S1/others (n = 90/37/23). Both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were similar between the Initial-Cx and Initial-Sx groups (median OS 24.8 and 24.0 months, HR 1.07, 95% CI 0.87-1.3; median PFS 14.9 and 13.9 months, HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.85-1.27). The 5-year OS rates were 22.3% in the Initial-Cx group and 21.5% in the Initial-Sx group. CONCLUSIONS: Although, the preoperative chemotherapy did not show a survival benefit for GC patients with CY1 and/or P1a, initial-Cx showed favorable survival in patients who converted to P0 and CY0.

[A Case of Primary Gastric Adenocarcinoma with Enteroblastic Differentiation(GAED)].

Gastric adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation(GAED)is a rare disease that is classified as a special type in the 15th edition Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma. GAED is considered to have a poor prognosis. We report about a 76-year-old man with GAED who presented with complaints of poor appetite and weight loss. He was suspected of having gastric cancer based on ultrasonography and computed tomography findings and was referred to our hospital by his home doctor. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a gastric cancer in the lesser curvature of the gastric antrum. Distal gastrectomy was performed. Histopathology showed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with a clear cytoplasm. Immunostaining was positive for Sal-like protein 4(SALL4)and negative for α-fetoprotein(AFP). The patient was diagnosed as having GAED. Vascular and lymphatic invasion were not observed. He was discharged on the 9th day after surgery. At 5 months postoperatively, he was treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, and no recurrence was noted. GAED is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. We report this case and discuss relevant literature.

[Cases of Oncologic Emergency Associated with Colorectal Cancer].

The clinical condition of oncologic emergency associated with colorectal cancer includes hemorrhage, perforation and obstruction. Obstructive colorectal cancer is an oncologic emergency commonly observed in our daily clinical practice. Colonic stent placement for obstructive colorectal cancer is relatively easy and safe and may be considered as an effective treatment method that enables favorable intestinal decompression preoperatively and one-stage resection. Colonic stent use can be a bridge to surgery, enabling shorter duration of hospitalization, and reduced postoperative complications, and colostomy rates, as compared to emergency surgery. From January 2009 to December 2016, this study was designed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of 68 patients who underwent surgery for obstructive colorectal cancer. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 32 cases receiving colonic stent placement(the S group), 36 cases receiving ileus tube and emergency surgery(the NS group). There was no significant difference in terms of morbidity or survival rate between the 2 groups. For the S group, 31 out of 32 could one-stage resection(94%). The colostomy rate in the S group was significantly lower than that in the NS group(3% vs 33%). In the S group, number of dissected lymph nodes was significantly larger and the duration of postoperative stay was shorter than that in the NS Group.

[A Case of Early Gastric Cancer with Multiple Lymph Node Metastases Revealed by Additional Surgical Resection after ESD].

A 74-year-old man was referred to our hospital for further investigation of a cystic lesion in the pancreatic body, which had been detected by ultrasonography at a local hospital. He was diagnosed as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm(IPMN) and further preoperative examinations were conducted. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy demonstrated a type 0-II c tumor of the greater curvature in the upper third of the stomach. Endoscopic ultrasonography showed no sign of submucosal invasion. Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)was carried out and pathological examination of a specimen revealed well differentiated adenocarcinoma with submucosal invasion, which fulfilled the indication for additional gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. Laparoscopy-assisted proxymal gastrectomy with D1 plus lymph node dissection and distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy was performed. Pathological examination demonstrated intraductal papillary mucious adenoma(IPMA)in the pancreatic body and no residual gastric cancer in a specimen, however 7lymph node metastases from gastric cancer was confirmed(pN3a), including 3 metastatic lymph nodes incidentally-detected adjacent to the pancreatic parenchyma. We report a rare case of early gastric cancer with N3 lymph node metastases, with a brief literature review.

A Soup Service for Advanced Digestive Cancer Patients with Severe Anorexia in Palliative Care.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The palliative care team (PCT), nutrition support team (NST), and department of nutrition in our hospital developed a special soup service for patients with terminal cancer. We evaluated the usefulness of this soup service for improving the mood in patients with advanced digestive cancer with severe anorexia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 18 patients with advanced cancer originating in digestive organs who received soup service at our institution between 2015 and 2016. Members of the PCT, NST, and a licensed cook visited the bedside of each patient and served them a cup of soup twice a week. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (83%) were able to taste the soup with no adverse events, and 11 (73%) of them enjoyed the taste of the soup. In the five patients who died in our hospital during the service, the time between their last soup intake and death ranged from two to seven days (median three days). CONCLUSION: Even terminally ill patients suffering from advanced digestive cancer with severe anorexia were able to enjoy the taste of the soup served to them. The establishment of special meal service, such as this soup service, may not only relieve their stress but also support the strength of living and help improve their spiritual quality of life.

Surgery for gastric cancer patients of age 85 and older: Multicenter survey.

AIM: To investigate the surgical therapies for gastric cancer (GC) patients of age 85 or older in a multicenter survey. METHODS: Therapeutic opportunities for elderly GC patients have expanded in conjunction with extended life expectancy. However, the number of cases encountered in a single institution is usually very small and surgical therapies for elderly GC patients have not yet been standardized completely. In the present study, a total of 134 GC patients of age 85 or older who underwent surgery in 9 related facilities were retrospectively investigated. The relationships between surgical therapies and clinicopathological or prognostic features were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-nine of the patients (66%) presented with a comorbidity, and 26 (19% overall) presented with more than two comorbidities. Radical lymphadenectomy was performed in 59 patients (44%), and no patient received pre- or post-operative chemotherapy. Forty of the patients (30%) experienced perioperative complications, but no surgical or perioperative mortality occurred. Laparoscopic surgery was performed in only 12 of the patients (9.0%). Univariate and multivariate analyses of the 113 patients who underwent R0 or R1 resection identified the factors of pT3/4 and limited lymphadenectomy as predictive of worse prognosis (HR = 4.68, P = 0.02 and HR =2.19, P = 0.05, respectively). Non-cancer-specific death was more common in cStage I patients than in cStage II or III patients. Limited lymphadenectomy correlated with worse cancer-specific survival (P = 0.01), particularly in cStage II patients (P < 0.01). There were no relationships between limited lymphadenectomy and any comorbidities, except for cerebrovascular disease (P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Non-cancer-specific death was not negligible, particularly in cStage I, and gastrectomy with radical lymphadenectomy appears to be an effective treatment for cStage II elderly GC patients.

Monitoring the HER2 copy number status in circulating tumor DNA by droplet digital PCR in patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated the potential of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) for the amplification of detecting HER2 in patients with gastric cancer (GC). In the present study, we focused on the clinical courses of patients who developed recurrence with GC, and investigated the potential clinical utility of the ddPCR-based HER2 copy number (CN) as a marker for the temporal and/or spatial heterogeneities of GC during treatment progress. METHOD: We enrolled 30 healthy volunteers and 60 patients with GC who underwent surgery, including 17 patients who developed recurrence. Using ribonuclease P RNA component H1 (RPPH1) as a reference gene, plasma HER2 to RPPH1 ratios (the HER2 ratio) were determined using ddPCR. RESULTS: The preoperative plasma HER2 ratio correlated with the tumor HER2 status (p < 0.001), and sensitivity and specificity were 0.733 and 0.933, respectively. Analyses of plasma samples during the postoperative follow-up periods revealed that high plasma HER2 ratios were detected at the time of recurrence in 7 of 13 cases, which were diagnosed as being HER2 negative at the time of surgery. These results were supported by continuously increasing HER2 ratios thereafter with the progression of recurrent cancer. CONCLUSION: The plasma HER2 ratio determined by ddPCR is a repeatable and noninvasive approach for real-time evaluations of the HER2 status to monitor the effects of treatments for patients with HER2-positive GC and enable treatment options for patients with HER2-negative GC but positive conversion of the HER2 status after recurrence.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer found to be remaining by gastrectomy after a clinically complete response to chemotherapy].

The patient was a 72-year-old woman diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer, hepatic portal lymph node and para-aortic lymph node metastases. After five courses of S-1/CDDP combination therapy, both the primary tumor and lymph node metastases disappeared clinically. She wished to continue chemotherapy instead of having a resection. After three more courses of S-1/CDDP therapy, gastric cancer and lymph node metastases were still completely regressed, but complications of carcinoma of the gallbladder were suspected. Gastrectomy was performed with cholecystectomy, and a histopathological examination revealed cancer cells remaining in the gastric submucosa and xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis. We consider surgical therapy for clinically completely disappearing advanced gastric cancer by chemotherapy, in addition to case report.

Multicenter phase II study of weekly paclitaxel plus S-1 combination chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: A multicenter phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination regimen of weekly paclitaxel plus S-1 in patients with advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: Patients with previously untreated metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer received intravenous paclitaxel 50 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, and 15, plus oral S-1 40 mg/m(2) b.i.d. on days 1 to 14 followed by 2 weeks off, in a 28-day cycle. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients were registered. All of them had measurable disease and were determined to be eligible for the present study. Two complete responses and 23 partial responses were confirmed, giving an overall response rate of 46.3%. At a final follow up of 3 years, the median progression-free survival and median overall survival were 6.0 and 14.3 months, respectively. Grade 3 neutropenia occurred in 14 patients, and grade 4 in 1 patient (total, 27.8%). The most serious nonhematological toxicity was diarrhea, where grade 3 occurred in 5 patients (9.3%). There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: A combination of weekly paclitaxel plus S-1 was found to be well tolerated and effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Further investigation with comparative trials is needed for confirmation.

[Efficacy of the combined use of taurine for hyperbilirubinemia caused by UFT therapy after surgery for colonic cancer].

For postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, UFT was administered to 69 cases of stage II and III colonic cancer following surgery with a radical curability of A. Among these patients, 8 developed hyperbilirubinemia. UFT administration was discontinued for those who developed overt jaundice or dermatological symptoms, experienced a relapse of an earlier asthmatic respiratory difficulty, or for those who were found with multiple hepatic metastases. For the 4 who had developed subclinical jaundice with a total bilirubin level of 1.6 to 2.2 mg/dl, UFT was combined with taurine. The combination successfully eliminated hyperbilirubinemia. All 4 are currently alive with no recurrence at this writing. Taurine ameliorates one's capacity to excrete bile, blood flow, and augments the actions of hepatocytes. It is effective in treating the hyperbilirubinemia that develops during UFT therapy.

Phase I study of a combination of s-1 and weekly paclitaxel in patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: A phase I study of weekly intravenous paclitaxel combined with a fixed dose of S-1, a dihydropyrimidine-dehydrogenase-inhibitory oral fluoropyrimidine, was conducted for patients with advanced or recurrent gastric cancer (ARGC). Endpoints of this study were to examine the toxicity profile OF this regimen and to determine the recommended dose (rd) of paclitaxel. METHODS: S-1 was fixed at a dose of 80 mg/m(2) per day and was administered for 2 weeks (days 1--14) followed by a 2-week rest. Two dose levels of paclitaxel (level 1: 60 mg/m(2), level 0: 50 mg/m(2)) were studied. Paclitaxel was infused over 1 h on days 1, 8, and 15. Plasma sampling was performed to characterize the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of paclitaxel in some patients. Fifteen patients were enrolled (6 patients in level 1, and 9 patients in level 0). Dose-limiting toxicities were defined as grade 4 hematological (including grade 3 febrile neutropenia) and grade 3 non-hematological (except anorexia, nausea, vomiting and depilation) toxicities. RESULTS: Three of 6 patients in level 1 developed grade 4 neutropenia or grade 3 febrile neutropenia, and 1 of them also showed grade 3 diarrhea, which settled the maximum-tolerated dose at this level. At level 0, 2 of 9 patients developed grade 4 neutropenia or grade 3 febrile neutropenia, and the RD of paclitaxel for this protocol was set at this level. Pharmacologic studies demonstrated the persistence of significant serum paclitaxel levels over 24 h after drug administration at both levels. Objective responses according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors were observed in 3 of 6 patients who had measurable disease. CONCLUSION: A combination of S-1 and weekly paclitaxel was feasible and well tolerated, and is suggested to produce a worthwhile response in ARGC. These results warrant further investigation, and a phase II study has already been started.

[Nobel genes improve accuracy in detection of peritoneal micro-metastasis of gastric cancer to decide indication for chemotherapy].

Peritoneal metastasis is the most frequent form of recurrence for advanced gastric cancer. We previously performed a global analysis of the gene expression of gastric cancer cell lines established from peritoneal metastasis with cDNA microarray. One of the up-regulated genes is L-3 phosphoserine phosphatase (L3-PP). We have examined its potential as a novel marker for the detection of peritoneal micrometastasis of gastric cancer. L3-PP mRNA in peritoneal wash in 93 gastric cancer patients was quantified for comparison of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA by means of real-time RT-PCR to predict peritoneal recurrence. The quantity of L3-PP and CEA correlated with wall penetration. Eleven out of 18 cases with peritoneal dissemination were L3-PP+ (61% sensitivity). For three out of 18 cases of peritoneal dissemination, only L3-PP could detect micrometastasis of gastric cancer. Consequently, free cancer cells that cannot be detected by CEA mRNA could be detected using L3-PP mRNA. Although CEA alone was not sufficient, L3-PP and CEA in combination can attain a higher accuracy of detection.