Postoperative adjuvant treatment for gastric cancer improves long-term survival after curative resection and D2 lymphadenectomy. Results from a Latin American Center.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of adjuvant treatment in the context of a D2 lymph node dissection are controversial. The aim was to investigate the effects of postoperative adjuvant treatment on the survival of patients with a curative resection for gastric cancer and a D2 lymph node dissection. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study. Patients operated from 1996 to 2013 were selected. We compared long term survival of patients treated with surgery alone and those with surgery plus postoperative adjuvant treatment. A multivariate analysis for survival was applied in every stage. RESULTS: The study included 580 patients. Two-hundred and four patients received postoperative adjuvant treatment (AD) and 376 patients were treated only with surgery (SU). Patients in the AD group were younger (60 versus 68, p < 0.001), had a lower rate of multiple organ resection (21% versus 39%, p < 0.001) and had less postoperative complications (14% versus 32%, p < 0.001). In the AD group, patients had more advanced disease (stage III; 77% versus 66%, p < 0.001). No difference was found in lymph nodes resected (31 versus 30, p = ns). The median survival with adjuvant treatment was 33 months (39% 5 year survival) and 22 months (31% 5 year survival) for patients without adjuvant treatment (p = 0.003). On multivariate analysis, patients with stage IIIB and IIIC had significantly better overall and disease specific long-term survival with adjuvant treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that there is a long-term survival benefit for patients treated with postoperative adjuvant treatment for stages IIIB and IIIC gastric cancer after D2 lymph node dissection.

Factores pronósticos en carcinoma de células renales: ¿son adecuadas las variables definidas por el actual TNM? / Prognosis factors in renal cells carcinoma: are the variables defined by TNM adequate?

Objetivo: Identificar aquellos factores pronósticos que influyen de manera independiente en la sobrevida y en caso de ser significativo el tamaño de la lesión, determinar cuál es el mejor punto de corte para esta variable. Materiales y métodos: Se revisaron los registros de 420 pacientes con diagnóstico de carcinoma de células renales estudiados entre enero de 1994 y junio de 2004 en dos centros. El análisis de sobrevida se efectuó a través de curvas de Kaplan-Meier. Se realizó estudio univariado y multivariado para determinar qué factores, clínicos e histológicos, tienen un impacto directo en la sobrevida de los pacientes con cáncer renal. El mejor punto de corte para el tamaño tumoral se determinó por medio de curvas ROC. Resultados: La sobrevida global de la serie fue 76,4 por ciento, con un seguimiento promedio de 30,8 meses (DS±24,5). El análisis demostró una tasa de sobrevida de 95,7 por ciento para T1, 58,5 por ciento para T2, 65,2 por ciento, 49,4 por ciento, 35,4 por ciento para T3 a, b y c, respectivamente y 44,4 porciento para T4. El análisis univariado mostró que la edad, al momento del diagnóstico, el valor del hematocrito y VHS preoperatorios, la presencia de fosfatasas alcalinas elevadas y el tamaño de la lesión influyen en la sobrevida (p <0,05). El análisis multivariado reveló que la presencia de fosfatasas alcalinas elevadas, el tamaño, la invasión de la vena renal (p <0,01) y la invasión de la cápsula renal (p <0,05) son variables con significativo valor pronóstico. El mejor punto de corte para el tamaño entregado por la curva ROC fue 6 cm, tanto para recidiva como para muerte por cáncer, alcanzado una sensibilidad de 80,6 por ciento y una especificidad de 68,1 por ciento.Conclusión: La actual etapificación TNM no se correlaciona certeramente con las sobrevidas obtenidas en esta serie de pacientes. En contraste con lo mencionado en la literatura internacional, el grado de Fuhrman, la invasión de la glándula suprarrenal y el tipo histológico...

The role of HTLV-I in tropical spastic paraparesis in Jamaica.

We report clinical and laboratory investigations of 47 native-born Jamaican patients with endemic tropical spastic paraparesis and of 1 patient with tropical ataxic neuropathy. Mean age at onset was 40 years, with a female-male preponderance (2.7:1). Neurological features of endemic tropical spastic paraparesis are predominantly those of a spastic paraparesis with variable degrees of proprioceptive and/or superficial sensory impairment. Using enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), IgG antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) were present in 82% of sera and 77% of cerebrospinal fluids. On Western blot analysis, IgG antibodies detected the p19 and p24 gag-encoded core proteins in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Titers were tenfold higher by ELISA in serum than in cerebrospinal fluid, and some oligoclonal bands present in fluid were not seen in serum. Serum-cerebrospinal fluid albumin ratios were normal, and IgG indexes indicated intrathecal IgG synthesis. Histopathological changes showed a chronic inflammatory reaction with mononuclear cell infiltration, perivascular cuffing, and demyelination that was predominant in the lateral columns. In 1 patient, a retrovirus morphologically similar to HTLV-I on electron microscopy was isolated from spinal fluid. Our investigations show that endemic tropical spastic paraparesis in Jamaica is a retrovirus-associated myelopathy and that HTLV-I or an antigenically similar retrovirus is the causal agent.

Tropical spastic paraparesis: clinical, immunological, and virological studies in two patients from Martinique.

Two patients from Martinique with tropical spastic paraparesis had antibodies to human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in serum and spinal fluid but no antibodies to other retroviruses tested. They presented with spastic weakness of both lower extremities, hyperreflexia with upgoing toes, sphincteric dysfunction, and normal sensation. By means of agarose isoelectric focusing and selective immunoblotting we demonstrated an increased intrathecal synthesis of IgG antibodies to HTLV-I in the spinal fluid. Unique oligoclonal bands of IgG antibodies to HTLV-I were present in the cerebrospinal fluid. Using a battery of monoclonal antibodies we also found in these patients an increased number of circulating T cells that expressed activation markers. We conclude that the HTLV-I retrovirus associated with tropical spastic paraparesis has both lymphocytotropic and neurotropic properties.

Pathological and immunological observations on tropical spastic paraparesis in patients from Jamaica.

The neuropathological examination of the spinal cord of 2 Jamaican patients with classical tropical spastic paraparesis disclosed an intense chronic meningomyelitis with demyelination. In the 1 case in which serum and cerebrospinal fluid were available, antibodies to the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 were found.