Minimally invasive esophagectomy in the semi-prone position for corrosive esophagitis: a case report.

Treatment strategies for corrosive esophagitis include conservative treatment, such as balloon dilatation at the stenosis site, and surgical treatment. Esophagectomy for corrosive esophagitis is usually performed through the transthoracic or transhiatal approaches. Herein, we report a case of corrosive esophagitis treated with thoracoscopic esophagectomy with the patient in the semi-prone position. The patient was a 48-year-old woman who developed corrosive esophagitis due to accidental ingestion of an alkaline agent. Surgical intervention was required for esophageal stenosis. Therefore, thoracoscopic esophagectomy was performed with the patient in the semi-prone position with bilateral pulmonary ventilation. In our hospital, good operative outcomes have been obtained using thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with the patient in the semi-prone position with bilateral pulmonary ventilation. This technique is also considered effective for the treatment of corrosive esophagitis.

Cancer-related FGFR2 overexpression and gene amplification in Japanese patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) has been proposed as a novel druggable target in unresectable gastric cancer. FGFR2 alteration has been reported as associated with poor prognosis even in patients with gastric cancer who received systemic chemotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of FGFR2 overexpression and gene amplification in clinical specimens from Japanese patients with recurrent or unresectable gastric cancer. METHODS: This observational study enrolled patients who were histologically or cytologically confirmed with unresectable HER2-negative or unknown gastric or gastroesophageal junctional adenocarcinoma treated with at least one previous chemotherapy. FGFR2 overexpression and gene amplification in the specimens were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization methods, respectively. RESULTS: In a total of 173 eligible cases, FGFR2 immunohistochemistry score was evaluated as 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 for 20, 80, 35, 28 and 10 cases, respectively. In 151 evaluable cases with FGFR2 immunohistochemistry scores of 1-4, FGFR2 copy number expressed as fluorescence in situ hybridization signals were detected as <4, ≥4 < 10 and ≥10 copies for 123, 16 and 12 cases, respectively. FGFR2 copy number showed an increasing tendency along with higher FGFR2 immunohistochemistry scores in the corresponding specimen. The response rate and time to treatment failure for first line chemotherapy did not have any obvious relationship to FGFR2 immunohistochemistry score and FGFR2 copy number. CONCLUSIONS: Although FGFR2 overexpression and gene amplification were shown in Japanese patients with unresectable gastric cancer, these alterations did not impact the effects of cytotoxic agents as first line chemotherapy.

A case of corrosive esophagitis causing extensive cicatricial esophageal stenosis treated by esophageal bypass with supercharged pedicled jejunal pull-up.

INTRODUCTION: Swallowing a corrosive substance causes delayed gastrointestinal stenosis due to scar formation. Here, we report on our use of esophageal bypass using a supercharged pedicled jejunal flap to treat cicatricial esophageal stenosis caused by corrosive esophagitis. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Nineteen years before presentation, a 57-year-old man had swallowed a chemical cleaning agent, which caused extensive corrosive cicatricial stenosis from the thoracic upper esophagus to the gastric fornix. An enterostomy had been created, and the patient had since been subsisting on enteral nutrition. However, he wanted to be able to eat through his mouth again and was referred to our department for treatment. With the exception of the cervical esophagus, circumferential cicatricial stenosis was present throughout the esophagus and gastric fornix, with severe adhesions to the surrounding tissue. It was decided not to perform esophagectomy but to perform esophageal bypass surgery using a supercharged pedicled jejunal flap. DISCUSSION: Despite the extremely high risk of cancer in the stenotic esophagus due by corrosive esophagitis, indicating that esophagectomy should be performed if possible, we chose to perform bypass surgery because the severe adhesions posed a high risk of early injury to the surrounding organs. CONCLUSION: We suggest that esophageal bypass using pedicled jejunal pull-up "supercharging" by creating anastomoses between the jejunal and internal thoracic vessels is the optimal procedure for patients with extensive cicatricial esophageal stenosis caused by corrosive esophagitis.

Morphological response contributes to patient selection for rescue liver resection in chemotherapy patients with initially un-resectable colorectal liver metastasis.

Morphological response is considered an improved surrogate to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) model with regard to predicting the prognosis for patients with colorectal liver metastases. However, its use as a decision-making tool for surgical intervention has not been examined. The present study assessed the morphological response in 50 patients who underwent chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab for initially un-resectable colorectal liver metastases. Changes in tumor morphology between heterogeneous with uncertain borders and homogeneous with clear borders were defined as an optimal response (OR). Patients were also assessed as having an incomplete response (IR), and an absence of marked changes was assessed as no response (NR). No significant difference was observed in progression-free survival (PFS) between complete response/partial response (CR/PR) and stable disease/progressive disease (SD/PD), according to RECIST. By contrast, PFS for OR/IR patients was significantly improved compared with that for NR patients (13.2 vs. 8.7 months; P=0.0426). Exclusion of PD enhanced the difference in PFS between OR/IR and NR patients (15.1 vs. 9.3 months; P<0.0001), whereas no difference was observed between CR/PR and SD. The rate of OR and IR in patients treated with bevacizumab was 47.4% (9/19), but only 19.4% (6/31) for patients that were not administered bevacizumab. Comparison of the survival curves between OR/IR and NR patients revealed similar survival rates at 6 months after chemotherapy, but the groups exhibited different survival rates subsequent to this period of time. Patients showing OR/IR within 6 months appeared to be oncologically stable and could be considered as candidates for surgical intervention, including rescue liver resection. Comparing the pathological and morphological features of the tumor with representative optimal response, living tumor cells were revealed to be distributed within the area of vascular reconstruction induced by bevacizumab, resulting in a predictive value for prognosis in the patients treated with bevacizumab. The present findings provided the evidence for physicians to consider patients with previously un-resectable metastatic colorectal cancer as candidates for surgical treatment. Morphological response is a useful decision-making tool for evaluating these patients for rescue liver resection following chemotherapy.

Herpes simplex virus-1 encephalitis induced by chemoradiotherapy and steroids in an esophageal cancer patient: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Systemic chemotherapy combined with steroids used as prophylactic antiemetics have been reported to induce immunosuppression. Further, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection has been reported to occur in patients with small cell carcinomas after chemoradiotherapy that includes brain irradiation. Here, we report a case of HSV-1 encephalitis that occurred in a patient undergoing chemoradiotherapy for advanced esophageal cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 77-year-old woman received chemoradiotherapy (5-fluorouracil, 700 mg/m(2); cisplatin, 70 mg/m(2); and radiotherapy, 60 Gy in total) for stage III esophageal cancer. The total radiation dose was administered concurrently with the first two courses of chemotherapy, together with dexamethasone as a prophylactic antiemetic. Two days before completion of the fourth course of chemotherapy, the patient developed acute neurological symptoms of disorientation, clouding of consciousness, and fever. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed a high intensity area in the bilateral temporal lobes and insular cortex. Furthermore, DNA PCR testing of cerebrospinal fluid showed clear positivity for HSV-1 DNA, and the patient was diagnosed with herpetic encephalitis. Intravenous administration of acyclovir for 3 weeks led to gradual improvement of consciousness, and the patient was able to respond to verbal cues. CONCLUSION: In advanced esophageal cancer patients, standard treatment involves chemoradiotherapy and surgery. However, primary infection with or reactivation of endogenous latent HSV-1 in the brain cortex during chemoradiotherapy combined with administration of a steroid may compromise the benefits of treatment.

A rare case of primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the esophagus.

A 67-year-old female with heartburn presented to a local clinic. She underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and was then referred to our hospital for further treatment. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a slightly depressed lesion with a wall deformity at the middle thoracic esophagus, 32 cm from the incisor. A biopsy specimen showed adenocarcinomatous change. She underwent subtotal esophagectomy with 3-field lymph node dissection. A pathological examination revealed a15-mm diameter tumor that had invaded the submucosal layer. The histological type was mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC). No recurrence has been identified at 24 months postoperatively. The incidence of MEC of the salivary glands is high, but the incidence of MEC of the esophagus is extremely low. Here, we report a case of esophageal MEC treated in the early stage.

Laparoscopic wedge resection of the stomach for gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST): non-touch lesion lifting method.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery for GIST carries a risk of intraoperative tumor dissemination. To avoid tumor dissemination, we have utilized a "non-touch" method for surgical resection of GIST since 2000. METHODS: Forty-two patients with gastric GIST were treated at our institution between 2000 and 2012. Laparoscopic wedge resection of the stomach was used as the standard procedure for tumors that were 2-5 cm in size. Tumors larger than 5 cm were treated with open surgery. Our non-touch procedure included a lesion-lifting method using traction sutures at the normal stomach wall around the tumor. Intraoperative gastroscopy was utilized to confirm the location of the tumor with laparoscopy. After lifting of the tumor, tumors with a clear operative margin were resected using a linear stapler. Tumors located at the posterior wall of the stomach or located near the esophagogastric junction were resected using traction sutures. RESULTS: Median operative time was 140 min and median blood loss was 0 ml. Postoperative course was uneventful excepting one patient who experienced postoperative bleeding. The median postoperative stay was 7 days. One patient developed liver metastasis after surgery. None of the patients had local recurrence or peritoneal recurrence case. CONCLUSION: This non-touch lesion-lifting method was useful for the surgical management of gastric GIST.

Treatment of stage IV gastric cancer with induction chemotherapy using S-1 and cisplatin followed by curative resection in selected patients.

BACKGROUND: The standard treatment for stage IV gastric cancer is chemotherapy, but outcomes remain poor. The effectiveness of induction chemotherapy followed by surgery in selected patients who had a good response to chemotherapy is unclear. METHODS: A total of 59 patients with stage IV gastric cancer received induction chemotherapy with S-1 and cisplatin. In each cycle, oral S-1 (80 mg/m2) was administered for 3 weeks, followed by a 2-week drug holiday. Intravenous cisplatin (60 mg/m2) was administered on day 8 after adequate premedication and hydration. If unresectable features resolved after chemotherapy, patients underwent curative (R0) resection. The safety and outcomes of this treatment combination were evaluated, and predictive factors for survival were determined. RESULTS: Thirteen of 59 patients (22%) were eligible for R0 resection after induction chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed an overall median survival time of 13 months and a 3-year survival rate of 18.2%. Among patients who underwent R0 resection, the median survival time was 53 months and the 3-year survival rate was 53.8%. Multivariate analyses showed that negative para-aortic lymph nodes and undergoing R0 resection were independent predictors of survival. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of stage IV gastric cancer with S-1 and cisplatin induction chemotherapy followed by R0 resection is safe and may improve survival compared with chemotherapy alone. Further study of this dual-modality therapy is warranted.

The accumulation of DNA demethylation in Sat α in normal gastric tissues with Helicobacter pylori infection renders susceptibility to gastric cancer in some individuals.

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection is widely recognized as a risk factor for gastric cancer, but only a minority of infected individuals develop gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to determine whether DNA demethylation in non-cancerous gastric mucosa (NGM) significantly enhances susceptibility to gastric cancer. A total of 165 healthy volunteers, including 83 HP-positive and 82-negative individuals, as well as 83 patients with single and 18 with synchronous double gastric cancer (GC) were enrolled in this study. The relative demethylation levels (RDLs) of repetitive sequences, including Alu, LINE-1 and Sat α, were quantified by real-time methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. The Alu RDL did not exhibit any differences within each respective group, whereas LINE-1 RDL was significantly elevated in cancer tissues compared with the NGM in the other groups (P<0.001). Our results indicated that a gradual increase in Sat α RDL correlated with HP infection and cancer development. Sat α RDL was significantly elevated in the NGM in HP-positive compared with HP-negative (P<0.001), and significantly elevated in cancer tissues (P<0.001). Although the Sat α RDL of the NGM in the total population increased in an age-dependent manner, it was significantly increased in a fraction of younger GC patients (<45 years) compared with all of the others (45 years or older, P=0.0391). In addition, double GC exhibited a significantly higher Sat α RDL in the NGM compared with single GC (P=0.0014). In these two fractions, Sat α RDL in the NGM exhibited an inverse correlation with age. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the accumulation of DNA demethylation in Sat α RDL in the NGM with HP infection potentially renders susceptibility to gastric cancer in a fraction of GC patients younger than 45 years or in patients with multiple cancers.

Lymphatic invasion in small differentiated-type mucosal gastric cancer.

Endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer is indicated for patients who are at negligible risk of lymph node metastasis. A 71-year-old female underwent endoscopic resection for a 15-mm differentiated-type mucosal gastric tumor, as recommended in the Japanese treatment guidelines. A histological examination revealed lymphatic invasion. Therefore, we performed laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy and D1+ lymph node dissection. A histological examination detected no.3 lymph node metastasis, but no residual cancer cells were observed at the site of the endoscopic resection. This case is rare as lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis are highly unusual in small differentiated-type mucosal gastric cancer. Having experienced this case, we consider that en-bloc endoscopic resection of such lesions is extremely important, as it allows precise histological examinations to be performed, which can determine the necessity of additional treatment.

Early gastric cancer combined with multiple metachronous osteosclerotic bone and bone marrow metastases that responded to chemoradiotherapy.

We report a 75-year-old woman who suffered multiple metachronous osteosclerotic bone metastases 4 years after a distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer (EGC). The primary tumor was a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, which had invaded the submucosal layer, and only one lymph node metastasis was noted. To the best of our knowledge, cases of EGC combined with metachronous osteosclerotic multiple bone and bone marrow metastases that respond to chemoradiotherapy are very rare. In this case, the multiple bone metastases were diagnosed 4 years after surgery. The patient's metastatic tumor was successfully treated using S-1, paclitaxel, and camptothecin, with subsequent irradiation. The patient survived for 24 months after the treatment, without having any major symptoms.

Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor-producing gastric metastasis from large cell type lung cancer.

We report a case of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-producing gastric metastasis from large cell type lung cancer. A 73-year-old man presented with severe anemia and leukocytosis that appeared 8 months after surgery for early lung cancer. Gastroendoscopy demonstrated a protruding circumscribed tumor with blood clot in the middle part of the stomach. The pathological finding from biopsy specimens revealed gastric metastasis of large cell carcinoma of the lung. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography demonstrated uptake in the bone; however, myeloid metastasis was negative with bone marrow biopsy. Serum level of G-CSF was elevated. We performed partial gastrectomy for hemostasis. After surgery, the hemoglobin, leukocyte count and serum level of G-CSF were within the expected normal limit. Immunohistological examination of G-CSF was positive in the resected specimen. The patient was discharged 22 days after the operation and has been followed up from 3 months after surgery to the present time. G-CSF-producing tumors have been reported to cause remarkable peripheral leukocytosis and neutrophil production in bone marrow. They have been reported in various types of malignancies and are usually associated with a poor prognosis.

Cecal perforation with an ascending colon cancer caused by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Colonic perforation caused by upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy is extremely rare. A 69-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of abdominal fullness. Colonoscopy could be performed only up to the hepatic flexure due to an elongated colon and residual stools. Because her symptoms improved, upper GI endoscopy was performed 11 days later. The patient developed severe abdominal pain two hours after the examination. Abdominal X-ray and computed tomography showed massive free air. Immediate laparotomy was performed for the intestinal perforation. After removal of stool, a perforation site was detected in the cecum with an invasive ascending colon cancer. Therefore, a right hemicolectomy, ileostomy, and transverse colostomy were performed. Although she developed postoperative septicemia, the patient was discharged 38 days after admission. Seven months postoperatively, the patient died of lung, liver, and brain metastases. Even in cases with a lesion that is not completely obstructed, it is important to note that air insufflations during upper GI endoscopy can perforate the intestinal wall in patients with advanced colon cancer.

Parathyroid adenoma without hyperparathyroidism.

A 45-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital presenting with a right anterior cervical tumor that was elastic, hard, painless and 3.5 x 3.5 cm in size. Laboratory data including serum calcium level, thyroid and parathyroid hormonal functions revealed no abnormalities. Further examination, consisting of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonography (US) and radioisotope (RI)-imaging demonstrated that it was a solid tumor located behind the right thyroid lobe. The tumor, whose origin was unclear, was successfully removed with right thyroid lobectomy. Macroscopically, it appeared as reddish solid tumor consisting of small cystic lesions storing chocolate-colored mucous. Immunohistology confirmed that there was proliferation of chief cells with positive parathyroid hormone (PTH) staining. Thus the tumor was diagnosed as parathyroid adenoma despite a lack of clinical evidence for hyperparathyroidism. The reason for the lack of clinical features of hyperparathyroidism in this adenoma still remains unclear, however, there might be inactivation of hormone excretion, possibly due to insufficiency of blood supply. This was a very rare case of parathyroid adenoma exhibiting no clinical evidence of hyperparathyroidism.

Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) as a delayed complication of continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP): report of a case.

A 47-year-old woman underwent curative resection of advanced gastric cancer, followed by continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP). She was readmitted to our hospital 6 months after the operation with a diagnosis of postoperative adhesional ileus. An exploratory laparotomy revealed that the small intestine, which had normal serosa, was folded and enveloped in thickened peritoneum like a "cocoon," suggesting sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP). Because of tight adhesion in the ileocecal region, resection of the membrane was performed only in the feasible areas, followed by side-to-side anastomosis between the ileum and ascending colon. The patient has remained well for 15 months since this operation with no radiological signs or laboratory findings of recurrence. When small bowel obstruction does not show improvement with conservative treatment, and if the possibility of peritoneal cancer recurrence is excluded by thorough examinations, it is important to perform laparotomy early to resolve the symptoms of bowel obstruction and restore the patient's quality of life.