The Expression Patterns and Implications of MALAT1, MANCR, PSMA3-AS1 and miR-101 in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a malignant tumor with poorly understood molecular mechanisms. This study endeavors to elucidate how the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) MALAT1, MANCR and PSMA3-AS1, as well as the microRNA miR-101, exhibit specific expression patterns in the pathogenesis and prognosis of EAC. A total of 50 EAC tissue samples (tumors and lymph nodes) and a control group comprising 26 healthy individuals were recruited. The samples underwent quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses. The relative expression levels of MALAT1, MANCR, PSMA3-AS1, and miR-101 were ascertained and correlated with various clinicopathological parameters including TNM staging, tumor characteristics (size and grade of the tumor) lymphatic invasion, disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of EAC patients. Quantitative analyses revealed that MALAT1 and MANCR were significantly upregulated in EAC tumors and positive lymph nodes when compared to control tissues (p < 0.05). Such dysregulations correlated positively with advanced lymphatic metastases and a higher N stage. DFS in the subgroup of patients with negative lymph nodes was higher in the setting of low-MANCR-expression patients compared to patients with high MANCR expression (p = 0.02). Conversely, miR-101 displayed a significant downregulation in EAC tumors and positive lymph nodes (p < 0.05), and correlated negatively with advanced tumor stage, lymphatic invasion and the grade of the tumor (p = 0.006). Also, patients with low miR-101 expression showed a tendency towards inferior overall survival. PSMA3-AS1 did not demonstrate statistically significant alterations (p > 0.05). This study reveals MALAT1, MANCR, and miR-101 as putative molecular markers for prognostic evaluation in EAC and suggests their involvement in EAC progression.

Gastrectomy for Cancer: A 15-Year Analysis of Real-World Data from the University of Athens.

Background and Objectives: Encouraging data have been reported from referral centers following gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Our goal was to retrospectively review patient outcomes following gastrectomy for gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer at a high-volume unit of the University of Athens. Methods: The enrollment period was from June 2003 to September 2018. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to identify variables independently associated with time-to-event outcomes. Results: A total of 205 patients were analyzed. R0 resection was achieved in 183 (89.3%) patients and was more likely to occur following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.008). Recurrence developed in 46.6% of our cohort and the median disease-free survival was 31.2 months. On multivariate analysis, only staging (HR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.06-4.36) was independently associated with increased risk of recurrence. All-cause mortality was 57.2% and the median time of death was 40.9 months. On multivariate regression, staging (HR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11-1.65) and recurrence (HR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.32-6.22) predicted inferior prognosis. Conclusions: Gastrectomy at the University of Athens has yielded favorable outcomes for patients with GEJ cancer.

The Impact of Nutritional and Functional Status on Postoperative Outcomes following Esophageal Cancer Surgery.

Malnourished patients undergoing esophagectomy have increased risk of postoperative complications. The aim of the current study was to identify nutritional and functional risk factors for postoperative complications in patients with esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer who underwent esophagectomy. Seventy patients who were admitted at the First Department of Surgery, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece, were included in this study. Laboratory data and data regarding nutritional and functional status were recorded preoperatively. Postoperative complications were graded according to Clavien-Dindo classification. Thirty-seven patients (52.9%) developed postoperative complications. Albumin and Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) levels were lower in patients who developed major complications compared to patients who did not develop postoperative complications (3.90 ± 0.44 vs 4.18 ± 0.37 g/dL, p = 0.014 and 107.40 ± 15.76 vs 114.98 ± 12.26, p = 0.050 respectively). Major complications were associated with higher percentage of weight loss (12.1 ± 11.1 vs 6.2 ± 7.5%, p = 0.019) and with low handgrip strength (80 vs 16.9%, p = 0.006). Albumin (3.93 ± 0.18 vs 4.15 ± 0.41 g/dL, p = 0.019) and low muscle mass (22.6 vs 2.8%, p = 0.016) were significantly associated with anastomotic leakage occurence. The incorporation of patients' nutritional and functional status in the preoperative risk assessment might increase prognostic ability concerning postoperative complications of patients undergoing esophagectomy.

Postoperative Changes in Nutritional and Functional Status of Gastroesophageal Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Disease-related malnutrition is a debilitating condition frequently observed in patients with cancer. The aim of the current study was to prospectively examine postoperative changes in nutritional and functional status of patients undergoing surgery for gastric, esophageal, and gastroesophageal junction cancer. METHODS: Participants were prospectively recruited from September 2015 to September 2019. The assessment of malnutrition was based on the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment tool. The functional assessment included the evaluation of muscle strength and physical performance, while muscle mass assessment was based on Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI) derived from the analysis of computed tomography scans. The follow up of patients was scheduled at six months postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 98 patients were analyzed. Mean patient age was 60.79 ± 10.19 years and 80.6% were males. The mean unintentional weight loss at 6 months was 11.7 ± 8.0%. Patients who underwent McKeown esophagectomy reported the greatest weight loss postoperatively (16.2 ± 9.6%), whereas the lowest rate of weight loss was observed in patients who underwent partial gastrectomy (5.6 ± 6.7%). The rate of severe malnutrition declined at six months postoperatively (39.7% vs 27%). Muscle strength and physical performance were significantly deteriorated at 6 months postoperatively, except for the group of partial gastrectomy, while SMI significantly decreased in all groups of patients except for McKewon esophagectomy group. Finally, the prevalence of low muscle mass increased significantly from 43.5% in the preoperative period to 66.7% at the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed a significant deterioration in gastroesophageal cancer patient nutritional and functional status at six months postoperatively. The high prevalence of malnutrition and low muscle mass requires systematic follow-up and multidirectional monitoring in order to ensure the successful rehabilitation of these patients.

The role of miR-101 in esophageal and gastric cancer.

miR-101 is downregulated in various types of cancer, leading to the notion that miR-101 acts as a suppressor in cancer cell progression. The comprehensive mechanisms underlying the effects of miR-101 and the exact role of miR-101 dysregulations in esophagogastric tumors have not been fully elucidated. This review aims to summarize all current knowledge on the association between miR-101 expression and esophagogastric malignancies and to clarify the pathogenetic pathways and the possible prognostic and therapeutic role of miR-101 in those cancer types. miR-101 seems to play crucial role in esophageal and gastric cancer biology and tumorigenesis. It could also be a promising novel diagnostic and therapeutic target, as well as it may serve as a significant predictive biomarker in esophagogastric cancer.

Pathways and role of MALAT1 in esophageal and gastric cancer.

Esophageal cancer (EC) and gastric cancer (GC) often have an unfavorable prognosis. Therefore, research is being conducted to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis and progression of GC and EC, and to indicate novel therapeutic targets and clinically applicable biomarkers. The dysregulations and roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been widely reported, and current published literature has shown that lncRNAs play important regulatory roles in the carcinogenesis and progression of EC and GC. The lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) has been investigated in a number of studies with regard to its pathogenic pathways and association with the prognosis of gastric and esophageal malignancies. As literature on the topic of MALAT1 in EC and GC continues to emerge, the present review aims to summarize all current knowledge on the association between MALAT1 expression and esophagogastric malignancies and to describe the pathogenic pathways and possible prognostic role of MALAT1 in esophagogastric cancer. As research studies on MALAT1 pathways in esophagogastric malignancies are ongoing, new possibilities for the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of GC and EC are likely to be identified.

Dealing With Burn Patients in War Zones.

OBJECTIVE: Treating burn patients in the battlefield is one of the biggest challenges that military doctors and medical personnel can face. Wound patterns have been changed over time due to the introduction of new weapons, and many different aspects play a major role in the management of those burns nowadays. There is a potential gap in care of burn patients in war zones. METHODS: A thorough literature search in PubMed, scientific journals, and Internet sites was conducted in regard to burn patients and trauma in war zones. RESULTS: It is crucial for military surgeons to be able to stabilize burn patients during wartime conflicts, especially those patients who suffer from extreme burn injuries, as specialized treatment should be given. Medical personnel should be aware of all medication types used, the ways to minimize the risk of bacterial infection, and the ways to keep the injured safe. CONCLUSIONS: Injured civilians with burn trauma in the field of battle are deserving care, and special recognition should be given to the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that strive to ease human suffering in war zones. Proper management of burn patients in war zones is crucial, and military medical staff and NGOs can play a key role in that purpose.

GNRI as a Prognostic Factor for Outcomes in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Oncologic patients often suffer from malnutrition which in turn, might have negative impact on treatment outcomes. The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), as an index of impaired nutritional status, has emerged as a significant prognostic factor for short-and long-term outcomes in cancer patients. The aim of the current systematic review is to determine whether the GNRI is an independent prognostic factor of postoperative complications and survival in cancer patients. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies, published from 2005 to 2019, which assessed associations between GNRI and short- and long-term outcomes in cancer patients. Eighteen studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. Low scores of GNRI were associated with increased risk for developing postoperative complications and impaired survival of cancer patients in most studies. Our findings support the use of the GNRI in the clinical practice, since it is a simple and reliable tool for assessing nutritional status in oncologic patients. More prospective, multi-centered studies are warranted to confirm the current results, as well as the role of nutritional support in improving the prognosis of cancer patients.

Surgical Versus Conservative Treatment for Endometrial Cancer in Women of Reproductive Age: Incidence of Urinary Tract Symptoms.

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. The mainstay of treatment for endometrial cancer is total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Radiation and chemotherapy accompanied with progestins can also play a significant role in treatment. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) following therapy for endometrial cancer are an extremely difficult and challenging condition that deteriorates patients' quality of life. Current literature remains rather scarce regarding LUTS after therapy for endometrial cancer. This review aimed to investigate the incidence of LUTS in endometrial cancer treatment.

Prognostic factors affecting mortality in patients with esophageal GISTs.

PURPOSE: Esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) compose a very rare clinical entity, representing 0.7% of all GISTs. Therefore, the clinicopathological factors that affect mortality are currently not adequately examined. We reviewed individual cases of esophageal GISTs found in the literature in order to identify the prognostic factors affecting mortality. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched to identify clinical studies and case reports referring to esophageal GISTs. The clinicopathological features were recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: A total number of 105 patients were found. The median age of patients was 58 years (mean 52.4%). The majority of patients (71.6%) presented with tumor-associated symptoms. Tumors were mostly located at the lower esophagus (72.9%), and the median tumor size was 7 cm. Esophagectomy was the most common surgical approach (54.3%), followed by tumor enucleation (45.7%). The median follow-up period was 34 months; tumor recurrence occurred in 18 cases (18.9%) and 19 died of disease (19.2%). The overall survival rate was 75.8%. We found out that tumor size and high mitotic rate (>10 mitosis per hpf) were significant prognostic factors for survival. Presence of symptoms, ulceration, and tumor necrosis as well as tumor recurrence were also significant prognostic factors (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal GISTs' tumor size and mitotic rate are the most significant factors for survival. For dubious cases, a pre-operative biopsy can auspiciously establish the diagnosis of an esophageal GIST. Regarding surgical treatment, tumor enucleation can be safely and feasibly performed for relatively small, intact tumors, whereas large, aggressive tumors are resected with radical esophagectomy.

Consensus statement of the Hellenic and Cypriot Gastric Cancer Study Group on the diagnosis, staging and management of gastric cancer.

Gastric Cancer epidemics have changed over recent decades, declining in incidence, shifting from distal to proximal location, transforming from intestinal to diffuse histology. Novel chemotherapeutic agents combined with modern surgical operations hardly changed overall disease related survival. This may be attributed to a substantial inherent geographical variation of disease genetics, but also to a failure to standardize and implement treatment protocols in clinical practice. To overcome these drawbacks in Greece and Cyprus, a Gastric Cancer Study Group under the auspices of the Hellenic Society of Medical Oncology (HeSMO) and Gastrointestinal Cancer Study Group (GIC-SG) merged their efforts to produce a consensus considering ethnic parameters of healthcare system and the international proposals as well. Utilizing structured meetings of experts, a consensus was reached. To achieve further consensus, statements were subjected to the Delphi methodology by invited multidisciplinary national and international experts. Sentences were considered of high or low consensus if they were voted by ≥ 80%, or < 80%, respectively; those obtaining a low consensus level after both voting rounds were rejected. Forty-five statements were developed and voted by 71 experts. The median rate of abstention per statement was 9.9% (range: 0-53.5%). At the end of the process, one statement was rejected, another revised, and all the remaining achieved a high consensus. Forty-four recommendations covering all aspects of the management of gastric cancer and concise treatment algorithms are proposed by the Hellenic and Cypriot Gastric Cancer Study Group. The importance of centralization, care by a multidisciplinary team, adherence to guidelines, and individualization are emphasized.

Tissue-specific relaxin-2 is differentially associated with the presence/size of an arterial aneurysm and the severity of atherosclerotic disease in humans.

Circulating or tissue-related biomarkers are of clinical value for risk stratification in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Relaxin-2 (RL2) has been linked to the presence and size of arterial aneurysms, and to the extent of atherosclerosis in human subjects. Here, we assessed the expression levels of RL2 in aneurysmal (AA, n = 16) and atherosclerotic (ATH, n = 22) arteries, and established the correlation between RL2 levels and the presence/size of AA and the clinical severity of atherosclerosis. The expression levels of metalloproteinases (MMPs) and endothelial nitric oxide synthetase (eNOS) were also detected for correlations with different phenotypes of atherosclerosis and AA. Temporal artery biopsy specimens (n = 6) and abdominal aortic tissues harvested from accident victims during autopsy (n = 10) were used as controls. Quantitative tissue biomarker analysis revealed that tissue-specific RL2 was increased in patients with larger or symptomatic AA compared to subjects with atherosclerotic disease and healthy controls. In situ RL2 levels were proportional to the size and the severity of aneurysmatic disease, and were substantially elevated in patients with symptomatic aneurysm of any diameter or asymptomatic aneurysm of a diameter >350% of that of the normal artery. In contrast, tissue RL2 was inversely associated with the clinical severity of atherosclerotic lesions. Correlation between RL2 and MMP2 was different between ATH1 and ATH2, depending on atherosclerosis grade. Overall, tissue RL2 is differentially associated with discrete phenotypes of arterial disease and might exert multipotent biological effects on vascular wall integrity and remodeling in human subjects.

Oral Nutritional Supplementation Following Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgery: A Prospective Analysis Exploring Potential Barriers to Compliance.

Objective: Malnutrition is common in patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Our goal was to explore postoperative compliance with oral nutritional supplementation and define barriers to consumption in patients with esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric cancer.Methods: Participants were prospectively recruited from September 2015 to November 2018. Preoperative nutritional status was assessed using the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment. Malnourished patients and patients at risk for malnutrition were offered oral nutritional supplementation at the time of hospital discharge. Compliance was evaluated 1 month after hospital discharge.Results: A total of 78 patients were analyzed. Mean patient age was 62.8 ± 10.7 years and 83.3% were males. Εsophagectomy and gastrectomy were performed in 60.3% and 39.7% of the patients respectively. Twenty-eight (35.9%) participants reported consuming all prescribed supplements, whereas 50 (64.1%) patients were noncompliant with their prescribed oral nutritional supplementation regimen. The main barriers to oral nutritional supplementation compliance were bloating (compliant vs. noncompliant patients: 17.9% vs. 58%, p < 0.001), early satiety (compliant vs. noncompliant patients: 25% vs. 52.32%, p < 0.001), flavor or texture dislike (compliant vs. noncompliant patients: 7.1% vs. 34%, p < 0.001), and diarrhea (compliant vs. noncompliant patients: 10.7% vs. 24%, p < 0.001). No other statistically significant differences were identified between the two groups.Conclusions: Postoperative compliance to oral nutritional supplementation is low in patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Patient education and support as well as providing a range of oral nutrition supplement flavors, texture, and compositions may be useful in increasing adherence to oral nutritional supplementation regimens.

Associations between skeletal muscle mass index, nutritional and functional status of patients with oesophago-gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cancer patients frequently suffer from disease-related malnutrition and functional decline. The aim of the current study is to investigate the association between traditional methods of nutritional assessment (unintentional weight loss, Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment, anthropometric measurements), functional assessment and muscle mass assessment in oesophago-gastric cancer patients prior to surgery. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in 108 consecutive patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer who were admitted for surgery in the First Department of Surgery, Laikon General Hospital, Athens, Greece. The assessment of muscle mass was based on preoperative Skeletal Muscle Mass Index (SMI) values. The assessment of malnutrition was based on the Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment, whereas laboratory markers and anthropometric measurements were also recorded. Muscle strength and physical performance were evaluated by measuring patients' handgrip strength and gait speed respectively. RESULTS: 76.8% of the study sample were severely malnourished and moderately or suspected of being malnourished, while the prevalence of low muscle mass was 49.1%. Age was significantly higher in low SMI patients compared to normal SMI individuals (67.2 ± 9.2 vs 60 ± 10.8, p < 0.001). Albumin was significantly lower in low SMI compared to normal SMI patients, as well as BMI, mid-upper arm circumference, calf circumference and corrected mid arm muscle area. Moreover, malnourished patients exhibited higher rates of low muscle mass (57.8% vs 42.2%, p = 0.022) than well-nourished patients. SMI was also significantly correlated with patients' handgrip strength and gait speed. CONCLUSIONS: Low muscle mass is strongly correlated with malnutrition and should be taken into consideration when evaluating the nutritional status of patients with oesophago-gastric cancer.

Emergency inguinal hernioplasties in a tertiary public Hospital in Athens Greece, during the economic crisis.

BACKGROUND: Although the effect of the recent Greek economic crisis and austerity on the population's health and the health system effectiveness have been discussed a lot recently, data on common surgical conditions affecting large part of the population are missing. Using inguinal hernia as a model we investigated possible changes of citizens' attitude regarding the time of referral, the perioperative details and the intraoperative findings of the emergency hernioplasties. METHODS: The present retrospective study was conducted by a Department of Surgery in a tertiary public hospital of the Greek capital. We reviewed the records of all hernioplasties performed during two 5-year periods: 2005-2009 and 2012-2016, i.e. before and during the crisis focusing on the emergency ones (either incarcerated or strangulated). RESULTS: An equal number of hernioplasties was performed in both periods. During the crisis however, an emergency hernioplasty was significantly more probable (HR 1.269, 95% CI 1.108-1.1454, p = 0.001), at a younger age (p = 0.04), mainly in patients younger than 75 years old (p = 0.0013). More patients presented with intestinal ischemia (7 vs 18, p = 0.002), requiring longer hospitalization (5.2 vs 9.6 days, p = 0.04), with higher cost (560 ± 262.4€ vs 2125 ± 1180.8€ p < 0.001). In contrast the percentage of patients with intestinal resection, their hospitalization length and treatment-cost remained unchanged. During the crisis there was a non-significant increase of emergency patients requiring ICU postoperatively (0 vs 4, p = 0.07) and a non-significant 60% increase of emergency operations in migrants/refugees population (3.5% vs 5.8%, p = 0.28). Epidural anesthesia was significantly more frequent during the crisis. CONCLUSION: During the crisis: (i) the emergency hernioplasties increased significantly, (ii) more patients (exclusively Greek) presented with intestinal ischemia requiring longer hospitalization and higher treatment cost, (iii) the mean age of the urgently treated patients decreased significantly (iv) regional (epidural) anesthesia was more frequent. Although a direct causal relation could not be proven by the present study most observations can be explained by an increase of the patients who delayed the elective treatment of their hernia, and by a redistribution of the surgical workload towards big central hospitals. This can be prevented by adequately supporting the small district hospitals.

High versus low ligation of inferior mesenteric vessels in rectal cancer surgery: A retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the short-term and the long-term oncological outcome between two groups of patients who had undergone either high or low ligation of inferior mesenteric vessels (IMV) in rectal cancer surgery. METHODS: Between January 2009 and December 2014, 120 patients with rectosigmoid and rectal adenocarcinoma were operated with curative intent as first therapeutic option. Patients were divided in two groups depending on the level of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) ligation. High ligation was defined as the division of the IMA less than 2cm from the aorta followed by the ligation of the inferior mesenteric vein at its origin from the lower border of the pancreas (n=76), while low ligation was defined as the division of IMA immediately distal to the origin of the left colic artery (n=44). RESULTS: The median follow up was 51 months. Univariate analyses disclosed that low ligation was related to a higher postoperative complications rate, mainly related to the higher rate of urinary dysfunction but it was also related to a favorable 5-year overall survival (OS) rate. However, multivariate analyses among factors which might influence the short- and long-term outcomes did not disclose the level of ligation as a factor influencing the postoperative course, the recurrence, the disease free survival (DFS) and the 1-, 3- and 5-year OS rates. CONCLUSIONS: The present study disclosed no differences in surgical, histological, short-term and long-term oncological outcomes between patients treated with either high or low ligation of IMA.

Neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio as a useful prognosticator for stage II colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is expected to increase by 80% in year 2035. Even though advantages in treatment of CRC have being made over the last decades, the outcome remains poor. Recently, several inflammatory markers including pretreatment neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), have being used as prognostic factors, since host inflammatory response to cancer is believed to determine disease progression. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic significance of pretreatment NLR, in terms of overall survival (OS), 5-year survival, disease-free survival (DFS) and recurrence, in CRC patients who underwent curative resection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 296 patients, who were submitted to elective surgery as first therapeutic option in curative intent, between January 2010 and December 2015. Pretreatment NLR, as well as demographics, clinical, histopathologic, and laboratory data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify prognostic factors associated with OS, 5-year survival, DFS and recurrence. RESULTS: The cutoff point of NLR was calculated with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test to 4.7. Univariate and multivariate analyses disclosed elevated NLR as a significant dismal prognostic factor for DFS (HR 1.88; 95% CI 1.01-3.52; p = 0.048), 5-year survival (HR 2.14; 95% CI 1.12-4.10; p = 0.021) and OS (HR 2.11; 95% CI 1.11-4.03; p = 0.023). In a subgroup analysis, in patients with stage II CRC, NLR > 4.7 was a stronger poor predictor for DFS (HR 2.76; 95% CI 1.07-7.13; p = 0.036), 5-year survival (HR 3.84; 95% CI 1.39-10.63; p = 0.01) and OS (HR 3.62; 95% CI 1.33-4.82; p = 0.012). After adjusting stage for gender, age, location of the primary tumor, differentiation, as well as the presence of perineural, vascular, and lymphovascular invasion, the significance of NLR > 4.7 became more prominent for DFS (HR 2.85; 95% CI 1.21-6.73; p = 0.0176), 5-year survival (HR 4.06; 95% CI 1.66-9.93; p = 0.002) and OS (HR 4.07; 95% CI 1.69-9.91; p = 0.002) in stage II patients. CONCLUSION: Pretreatment NLR > 4.7 is a poor prognostic factor for DFS, 5-year survival and OS in CRC patients undergoing curative resection. The dismal prognostic effect of NRL is magnified in Stage II CRC patients.

Favoring D2-Lymphadenectomy in Gastric Cancer.

The role of extended lymphadenectomy in the surgical treatment of gastric cancer has been debated for many years. So far six prospective randomized trials and a number of meta-analyses comparing D1- to D2-lymphadenectomy in open surgery have been published with contradicting results. The possible oncologic benefit of radical lymphadenectomy has been blurred by a number of reasons. In most of the trials the strategies under comparison were made similar after protocol violations. Imperfect design of the trials could not exclude the influence of cofounding factors. Inappropriate endpoints could not detect evidently the difference between the two surgical strategies. On the other hand radical lymphadenectomy was characterized by increased morbidity and mortality. This was mostly caused by the addition of pancreatico-splenectomy in all D2-dissections, even when not indicated. A careful analysis of the available evidence indicates that D2-lymphadenectomy performed by adequately trained surgeons without resection of the pancreas and/or spleen, unless otherwise indicated, decreases Gastric Cancer Related Deaths and increases Disease Specific Survival. This evidence is not compelling but cannot be ignored. D2-lymphadendctomy is nowadays considered to be the standard of care for resectable gastric cancer.