Five-Year Survival Outcomes of Laparoscopy-Assisted vs Open Distal Gastrectomy for Advanced Gastric Cancer: The JLSSG0901 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence of implementation of laparoscopic gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer is currently insufficient, as the primary end point in previous prospective studies was evaluated at a median follow-up time of 3 years. More robust evidence is necessary to verify noninferiority of laparoscopic gastrectomy. Objective: To compare 5-year survival outcomes between laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) and open distal gastrectomy (ODG) with D2 lymph node dissection for locally advanced gastric cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a multicenter, open-label, noninferiority, prospective randomized clinical trial. Between November 26, 2009, and July 29, 2016, eligible patients with histologically proven gastric carcinoma from 37 institutes in Japan were enrolled. Two interim analyses and final analysis were performed in October 2014, May 2018, and November 2021, respectively. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the ODG or LADG group. The procedures were performed exclusively by qualified surgeons. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was 5-year relapse-free survival, and the noninferiority margin for the hazard ratio (HR) was set at 1.31. The secondary end points were 5-year overall survival and safety. Results: A total of 502 patients were included in the full-analysis set: 254 (50.6%) in the ODG group and 248 (49.4%) in the LADG group. Patients in the ODG group had a median (IQR) age of 67 (33-80) years and included 168 males (66.1%). Patients in the LADG group had a median (IQR) age of 64 (34-80) years and included 169 males (68.1%). No significant differences were observed in severe postoperative complications between the 2 groups in the safety analysis (ODG, 4.7% [11 of 233] vs LADG, 3.5% [8 of 227]; P = .64). The median (IQR) follow-up for all patients after randomization was 67.9 (60.3-92.0) months. The 5-year relapse-free survival was 73.9% (95% CI, 68.7%-79.5%) and 75.7% (95% CI, 70.5%-81.2%) for the ODG and LADG groups, respectively, and the HR was 0.96 (90% CI, 0.72-1.26; noninferiority 1-sided P = .03). Further, no significant difference was observed in overall survival time between the 2 groups, and the HR was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.57-1.21; P = .34). The pattern of recurrence was similar between the 2 groups. Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this study show that on the basis of 5-year follow-up data, LADG with D2 lymph node dissection for locally advanced gastric cancer, when performed by qualified surgeons, was proved noninferior to ODG. This laparoscopic approach could become a standard treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer. Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trial Registry: UMIN000003420.

[Eight mm Port-Site Hernia Following Robot-Assisted Abdominoperineal Resection for Rectal Cancer-A Case Report].

A 70s woman with a history of asthma and dyslipidemia underwent a robot-assisted abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer. The ports were placed as per the method of Shizuoka Cancer Center and no intraoperative complications were observed. The colostomy was constructed in the left lower abdomen by the retroperitoneal route. The 12-mm port part was closed in 2 layers, the fascia and dermis, and the 8-mm port part was closed only in the dermis. The postoperative course was good; however, the patient vomited 10 days after surgery. Abdominal computed tomography revealed an incarcerated small intestine in the 8-mm port of the left abdomen, and it was diagnosed as port-site hernia incarceration. Emergency laparotomy hernia repair was performed on the day. A part of the 8-mm port was incised to 30-mm and the fascia dilatation to 30-mm was observed. The color tone of the incarcerated small intestine was good. Only adhesion peeling was performed, the small intestine was returned, and the fascia was closed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged 17 days after the second surgery. At the 1 year postoperative follow-up, recurrence of hernia or rectal cancer was not observed.

[Long-Term Survival of a Patient with Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Surgical Resection of Metachronous Hilar Lymph Node Metastases].

The recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is primarily due to intrahepatic metastases. Additionally, extrahepatic HCC metastases most commonly occurs in the lungs, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, and bones. Systemic chemotherapy is the standard treatment for extrahepatic metastases. Although several reports on surgical resection of lymph node metastases (LNM) in patients with HCC have been published, its clinical benefits remain controversial. We report a case in which surgical resection of LNM was performed in a patient with HCC. The patient was a 74-year-old woman diagnosed with HCC and non-B non-C chronic hepatitis, for which she underwent a laparoscopic partial hepatectomy. The pathological diagnosis was St-A, 1.6×1.4 cm, confluent multinodular type, pT1N0M0, fStage Ⅰ. Nine months later, 2 LNM on the liver hilum were detected and managed with sorafenib. Sorafenib was discontinued after 2 months due to the development of Grade 3 hand-foot syndrome. Since no new lesions were detected on follow-up, lymph node resection was performed. The patient remains disease-free 4.5 years postoperatively.

A case of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct accompanied by intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas and hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 73-year-old man with mixed-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas body was followed up for 14 years. Based on imaging findings, the intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas met the high-risk stigmata, and new hepatic masses were suspected to be intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct. With a diagnosis of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct, the patient had undergone left lateral hepatectomy and distal pancreatectomy. Based on pathology, the pancreatic specimen was diagnosed as a high-grade intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas, and the hepatic specimen was diagnosed as an intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct and hepatocellular carcinoma. The intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct and hepatocellular carcinoma were adjacent to each other. Fifteen months after surgery, recurrence in the remnant pancreas was detected. The patient had undergone residual total pancreatectomy, with no recurrence thirty months after the second resection. This case demonstrates that second surgery for metachronous high-risk lesions in the remnant pancreas of patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct may also be considered to improve survival.

[A Case of Complete Resection Using the Liver-First Approach after Systemic Chemotherapy in a Patient with Synchronous Colorectal Liver and Lung Metastases].

Conversion surgery for patients with initially unresectable colorectal liver metastases is increasingly being performed because of effective systemic chemotherapy. Additionally, many studies have reported the benefit of the liver-first approach for advanced liver metastasis. We report a case of an initially unresectable advanced colon cancer with multiple liver and lung metastases that was successfully treated with the liver-first approach following chemotherapy. The patient was a 36-year- old woman who was diagnosed with advanced rectal cancer, cT4aN2aM1b, cStage Ⅳb. After a temporary transverse colostomy, she was administered systemic chemotherapy for 9 months. The primary tumor and liver metastases showed partial response while the lung metastases showed complete response. Since it was considered that liver metastases were the main prognostic factors, we performed a right hemihepatectomy plus S3 partial hepatectomy, followed by laparoscopic high anterior resection. A partial pneumonectomy was also performed because of the regrowth of the lung metastases, and we succeeded in complete resection. The liver-first approach was a beneficial treatment option for this patient with unresectable colorectal liver metastases.

Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in the extrahepatic bile duct wall: A case report.

We should know that hepatocellular carcinoma can progress as if it replaces the bile duct wall itself.

A case of laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer with duplication of the inferior vena cava using preoperative 3D computed tomography angiography.

We report the case of a patient with duplication of the inferior vena cava (DIVC) who underwent anterior laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer. A 66-year-old woman presented with abnormal lung shadows on a chest x-ray during a routine health checkup. She was diagnosed with rectal cancer and lung metastasis using colonoscopy and thoracoabdominal computed tomography (CT). In addition, a 3D CT angiography revealed double inferior vena cava, one on either side of the aorta. The preoperative diagnosis was rectal cancer cT3N0M1a(Lung) cStage IVA with DIVC, and a two-stage surgery was planned. The first stage was high anterior laparoscopic resection. This was safely performed because the pre-hypogastric nerve fascia was preserved and the left inferior vena cava was not visualized during the surgery. During the second stage of the surgery, video-assisted thoracoscopic left lower lobectomy was performed and no recurrence was observed for >6 months after the second surgery.

Correction to: Thoracic Duct Resection During Esophagectomy Does Not Contribute to Improved Prognosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matched-Cohort Study.

In the original article, there are errors in Fig. 1. Following is the corrected figure.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy for liver metastasis of lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Lung large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is an aggressive and a rare type of lung cancer, and the prognosis of LCNEC with distant metastasis is extremely poor, with a five-year survival rate of 0%. Here, we report a case of laparoscopic hepatectomy for liver metastasis of lung LCNEC. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 63-year-old man received a routine physical examination, and abnormal chest radiographic findings were observed; chest computed tomography (CT) in our hospital revealed that the patient had left pneumothorax and a lesion measuring 18 mm in the inferior lingular segment of the lung. The patient underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy, and the final pathological diagnosis was lung LCNEC. Four years after surgery, abdominal CT revealed a mass measuring 27 mm in the liver. The patient underwent laparoscopic partial hepatectomy, and postoperative pathological examination showed liver metastasis of LCNEC. There was no sign of recurrence 6 months after hepatectomy. DISCUSSION: LCNEC with distant metastasis has a poor response to systemic chemotherapy, and the median survival time of patients with distant metastasis is estimated to be approximately 6 months, with a five-year survival rate of 0%. Although the common site of metastasis from LCNEC is the liver, there are no previous reports of hepatectomy for liver metastasis of LCNEC. CONCLUSION: We report a case of laparoscopic hepatectomy for liver metastasis of lung LCNEC. It is suggested that surgical resection for solitary distant metastasis of LCNEC may improve prognosis.

Comparison of total versus subtotal gastrectomy for remnant gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Completion gastrectomy (CG) is a common procedure for remnant gastric cancer (RGC). However, partial gastrectomy for gastric cancer has several benefits compared to total gastrectomy in terms of the quality of life. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and advantage of subtotal resection of the remnant stomach (SR) for clinical stage IA RGC. METHODS: A total of 43 patients who underwent gastrectomy for clinical stage IA RGC were included. CG and SR were performed on 27 (62.8%) and 16 patients (37.2%), respectively. The short- and long-term outcomes, including the nutritional status, after CG and SR for clinical stage IA RGC were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in pathological stage or incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups. The decrease in body weight, body mass index, and serum albumin level was significantly lower in the SR group than in the CG group (P < 0.001, P = 0.025, and 0.008). In the SR group, there was no recurrence at the remaining lymph nodes or gastric stump. The 5-year overall survival rate was 87.8% in the CG group and 86.1% in the SR group, without a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.959). CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed the noninferiority of SR to CG based on surgical and oncological outcomes for clinical stage IA RGC. Furthermore, SR has an advantage over CG in terms of postoperative nutritional status. Therefore, SR could be an alternative elective treatment option for early RGC located around the anastomotic site.

Thoracic Duct Resection During Esophagectomy Does Not Contribute to Improved Prognosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matched-Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Esophagectomy with extended lymphadenectomy remains the mainstay of treatment for localized esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Thoracic duct (TD) resection has been recommended as part of extended lymphadenectomy, although its merits are unclear. The aim of this two-institutional, matched-cohort study is to clarify whether TD resection improves prognosis in esophagectomy for ESCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this two-institutional, matched-cohort study of 399 patients with ESCC who underwent McKeown esophagectomy between 2010 and 2014, the primary outcomes were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and cause-specific survival (CSS). Secondary outcomes were perioperative results and recurrence patterns. RESULTS: Based on a propensity score, 122 TD-resected or 122 TD-preserved patients in all stages were selected (median follow-up 4.5 years). The 5-year OS, DFS, and CSS rates in the TD-resected versus TD-preserved groups were 49% versus 60%, 53% versus 57%, and 58% versus 70%, respectively, without any significant differences. Operative time for the thoracic procedure was significantly longer and the number of retrieved mediastinal nodes was significantly higher in the TD-resected group (P = 0.009 and 0.005, respectively). The rates of chylothorax and left recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy were significantly higher in the TD-resected group (P = 0.041 and 0.018, respectively). There were no significant differences in rates of local or distant metastases between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: TD resection does not contribute to improve OS, DFS, or CSS in ESCC but increases incidence of chylothorax and left RLN palsy. Prophylactic TD resection should be avoided in esophagectomy for ESCC.

Laparoscopic anatomical segment 3 segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma accompanied by hypoplasia of the right hepatic lobe.

We report a case of laparoscopic anatomical segment 3 segmentectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accompanied by hypoplasia of the right hepatic lobe. An 80-year-old man was admitted with a suspicion of HCC diagnosed by computed tomography during follow-up for thyroid cancer. Dynamic computed tomography showed 40-mm HCC in segment 3 and hypoplasia of the right hepatic lobe with the Chilaiditi sign. We performed laparoscopic anatomical segment 3 segmentectomy. There were no postoperative complications, and the patient was discharged 6 days postoperatively. This procedure can be performed safely and is technically feasible, but special attention should be paid to anatomical alterations to avoid fatal surgical complications.

Prone position in thoracoscopic esophagectomy improves postoperative oxygenation and reduces pulmonary complications.

BACKGROUND: While thoracoscopic esophagectomy is a widely performed surgical procedure, only few studies regarding the influence of body position on changes in circulation and breathing, after the surgery, have been reported. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of body position, during surgery, on the postoperative breathing functions of the chest. METHODS: A total of 266 patients who underwent right-sided transthoracic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer from 2004 to 2012 were included in this study. Fifty-four of them underwent open thoracotomies in the left lateral decubitus position (Group O), 108 underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position (Group L) and 104 patients were treated by thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position (Group P). Two patients in Group P, who presented with intra-operative bleeding and underwent thoracotomy, were subsequently excluded from the pulmonary function analysis. RESULTS: Two patients in Group P had to be changed from the prone position to the lateral decubitus position and underwent thoracotomy in order to control intra-operative bleeding. Despite the significantly longer chest operation period in Group P, total blood loss was significantly lower in this group when compared to Groups O and L. Furthermore, patients in Group P presented with significantly lower water balance during the perioperative period and markedly higher SpO2/FiO2 ratio after the surgery. The incidence of respiratory complications was significantly higher in Group O when compared to the other two groups; however, no significant differences were observed between the Groups L and P. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrate that thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position improves postoperative oxygenation and is therefore a potentially superior surgical approach.

Liver Injury After Invariant NKT Cell Activation by Free Alpha-galactosylceramide and Alpha-galactosylceramide-loaded Dendritic Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Both free alpha-galactosylceramide (αGalCer) and αGalCer-loaded dendritic cells (DCG) activate invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells to varying degrees, with αGalCer inducing liver injury. We sought to evaluate liver injury by these two pathways. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were injected with αGalCer or DCG followed by analysis of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) activity levels, mortality and liver function. RESULTS: While ALT levels were elevated after DCG in a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-dependent manner, DCG did not cause lethal injury. More serious injury of liver CD31-positive endothelial cells (CD31(+) EC) was observed in mice treated with αGalCer than with DCG. Furthermore, liver CD31(+) EC of αGalCer-treated mice induced naïve liver lymphocytes to produce TNF-α. CONCLUSION: DCG treatment did not induce lethal liver injury. CD31(+) EC may play an antigen-presenting role to iNKT cells after αGalCer treatment and may be a cause of lethal injury.

Early-phase Treatment by Low-dose 5-Fluorouracil or Primary Tumor Resection Inhibits MDSC-mediated Lung Metastasis Formation.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The outcome of patients with malignant tumors is poor if they suffer from lung metastases. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a major player for tumor-induced immunosuppression, can be suppressed by certain chemotherapeutic agents, such as low-dose 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or surgical treatment. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that early-phase treatment by low-dose 5-FU or surgical resection of primary tumors would prevent lung metastasis formation by inhibiting MDSCs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: B16F10 melanoma-bearing C57BL/5 mice with lung metastases were treated with low-dose 5-FU or surgical resection of primary tumors. RESULTS: Low-dose 5-FU chemotherapy inhibited systemic and lung-accumulating MDSCs in tumor-bearing mice. The therapy inhibited lung metastasis formation and prolonged the survival of the animals. Consistently, early-phase resection of primary tumors improved survival, which was concomitant with a reduction of lung-accumulating MDSCs and lung metastases. CONCLUSION: Early-phase treatment may provide therapeutic values to prevent MDSC-mediated lung metastasis formation in tumor-bearing hosts.

[A case of erythema multiforme induced by regorafenib therapy for metastatic colon cancer].

A 47-year-old woman underwent colectomy for advanced colon cancer and thereafter received regorafenib therapy as fourth-line chemotherapy. On treatment day 12, the patient developed erythema multiforme (EM) induced by the regorafenib therapy. Immediately after regorafenib was withdrawn, the patient was treated with oral bepotastine and steroid ointment, which relieved the EM without progressing to Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). Regorafenib is used for third- or fourth-line chemotherapy. Progression of regorafenib-induced EM to SJS may cause critical dysfunction among patients. Before administering regorafenib therapy, the patient should be made aware of this potential adverse effect and be advised to withdraw the treatment and visit the hospital immediately if symptoms of EM are observed.

[Pathological complete response in a large gastric GIST that became resectable after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with imatinib mesylate].

We report a case of a large gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), which became resectable and achieved pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with imatinib mesylate. A 59-year-old man presented with left hypochondrial pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed gastric GIST invading the spleen and the diaphragm. Administration of imatinib mesylate was initiated as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Six months after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with imatinib mesylate, abdominal CT revealed a reduction in tumor size. We judged the tumor resectable and performed partial gastrectomy and splenectomy. Histologically, number of myofibroblasts increased, but no viable tumor cells were observed. Pathological complete response was obtained.