Rosai-Dorfman disease mimicking craniopharyngioma: a challenging differential diagnosis. Illustrative case.

BACKGROUND: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare non-Langerhans histiocytic disorder with less than 5% central nervous system involvement and is often mistaken for meningioma given the similarity in imaging features. The authors present the unique case of a 44-year-old female who presented with ongoing visual impairment. OBSERVATIONS: A purely suprasellar mass was noted on magnetic resonance imaging and was initially diagnosed as craniopharyngioma. Unexpectedly, the pathology report revealed RDD. LESSONS: To date, only six cases of sellar RDD have been reported, and our case is the first reported with a purely suprasellar presentation. No standard treatment has been established for RDD, and next-generation sequencing may be a promising therapeutic option.

Continuous intrathecal saline infusion for treating refractory spontaneous intracranial hypotension: A case report.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a poorly understood condition that presents with a wide variety of symptoms, ranging from mild headaches to coma. It is typically caused by continuous spontaneous leakage of spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), resulting in orthostatic headaches. However, the appropriate management of refractory SIH remains unclear. A 50-year-old man presented with orthostatic headache followed by a rapid decline in mental status. The imaging findings were consistent with the diagnosis of SIH, with bilateral cerebral subdural hematomas and abnormal fluid collection in the posterior epidural space from the T2 to T12 levels. Computed tomography myelography of the whole spine revealed multiple high-flow CSF leakages at the T6 to T8 levels. Despite treatment with bilateral burr hole drainage for subdural hematomas and repeated lumbar epidural blood patch (EBP) three times, the patient's condition worsened and he developed stupor. A lumbar intrathecal saline bolus (90 ml) was administered to restore CSF depletion. The patient's verbal function improved immediately, and continuous intrathecal saline infusion was administered at a rate of 10 ml/h for two days. The patient's stupor gradually resolved, and after his symptoms improved, the EBP injection was repeated at the T8 level. The patient recovered completely, and during the six-year follow-up, there were no signs of recurrence. SIH may cause a refractory decline in mental status, and lumbar intrathecal saline infusion may help arrest or reverse an impending central (transtentorial) herniation. This case demonstrates an appropriate bolus and continuous infusion of normal saline, and documents the resolution of SIH. This maneuver may change the CSF flow pattern and aims to seal the CSF fistula. Further studies are needed to better understand the mechanism of intrathecal saline infusion and establish effective treatment strategies for refractory cases of SIH.

Manganese(III) porphyrin oligomers as high-relaxivity MRI contrast agents.

Manganese(III) porphyrins (MnIIIPs) as MRI contrast agents (CAs) have drawn particular attention due to their high longitudinal relaxivity (r1) and unique biodistribution. In this work, two MnIIIP-based oligomers, MnPD and MnPT, were designed to further improve the relaxivity with ease of synthesis. The two compounds were fully characterized and their nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) profiles were acquired with a fast field cycling NMR relaxometer. Both of the compounds exhibited extended high molar r1 at high fields, higher than that of Gd-DTPA, the first clinical gadolinium(III)-based MRI CA. The r1 value of per manganese atom increased with the increasing number of MnIIIP building blocks, suggesting rotational correlation time (τR) played dominant role in the r1 dispersion. The toxicity of the two MnIIIPs and the imaging effectiveness were estimated in vitro and in vivo. With good biocompatibility, significant contrast enhancement, and complete excretion in 24 h, MnPD and MnPT are both promising for high field clinical applications. The applied strategy also potentially provided a facile approach for creation of more MnIIIP oligomer as efficient T1 MRI CAs.

S-1 plus cisplatin versus fluorouracil plus cisplatin in advanced gastric or gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma patients: a pilot study.

The safety and efficacy of S-1 plus cisplatin in Chinese advanced gastric cancer patients in first line setting is unknown. In this pilot study, patients with advanced gastric or gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive S-1 plus cisplatin (CS group) or 5-FU plus cisplatin (CF group). The primary endpoint was time to progression (TTP). Secondary end points included overall survival (OS) and safety. This study was registered on ClinicalTrials. Gov, number NCT01198392. A total of 236 patients were enrolled. Median TTP was 5.51 months in CS group compared with 4.62 months in CF group [hazard ratio (HR) 1.028, 95% confidential interval (CI) 0.758-1.394, p = 0.859]. Median OS was 10.00 months and 10.46 months in CS and CF groups (HR 1.046, 95%CI 0.709-1.543, p = 0.820), respectively. The most common adverse events in both groups were anemia, leukopenia, neutropenia, nausea, thrombocytopenia, vomiting, anorexia and diarrhea. We find that S-1 plus cisplatin is an effective and tolerable option for advanced gastric or gastro-esophageal junction adenocarcinoma patients in China.

[Efficacy and safety of sunitinib on patients with imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumor].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of sunitinib on the management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) patients with imatinib resistance. METHODS: Clinical data of 48 patients with imatinib-resistant GIST received sunitinib therapy from May 2008 to April 2012 in the Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. Eighteen patients received 50 mg/d of sunitinib in a protocol of 4/2 (4 weeks on and 2 weeks off) [50 mg/d (4/2)], and 30 patients received a protocol of 37.5 mg of sunitinib continuous daily dose (37.5 mg/d CDD). RESULTS: The median duration of sunitinib administration of all the 48 patients was 56 weeks, and the short-term efficacy was evaluated at 24 weeks after the initial treatment according to the Choi criteria. The response rate was 27.1% (13/48), including 1 case with complete response (CR), 12 cases with partial response (PR), and 21 cases with stationary disease (SD). The disease control rate was 70.8% (34/48). The mean follow-up time of 48 patients was 89 weeks. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 48 weeks and 92 weeks respectively. Stratified analyses indicated that the median PFS of patients previously treated by imatinib 400 mg/d and >400 mg/d were 53 weeks and 35 weeks respectively (P=0.018), and the median OS of these two groups were 157 weeks and 71 weeks respectively (P=0.003). Patients with exon 11 mutations had a significantly shorter OS compared with those with exon 9 mutations (71 weeks vs 157 weeks, P=0.008). Hand-foot syndrome was the most common adverse effect (25/48, 52.1%), followed by nausea (24/48, 50.0%), fatigue (23/48, 47.9%), neutropenia(21/48, 41.7%). The sub-group analysis of two protocols of sunitinib administration showed that the incidence of diarrhea and hand-foot syndrome were higher in 50 mg/d (4/2) group than those in 37.5 mg/d CDD group (P=0.027, P=0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Sunitinib is effective for the patients with imatinib-resistant GIST. After 400 mg/d imatinib treatment failure, sunitinib should be prescribed instead of increased dosage of imatinib. Patients with KIT exon 9 mutations present better prognosis than those with KIT exon 11 mutations. The protocol of sunitinib 37.5 mg/d CDD possesses better safety.

[Research on preprocessing method of near-infrared spectroscopy detection of coal ash calorific value].

The calorific value of coal ash is an important indicator to evaluate the coal quality. In the experiment, the effect of spectrum and processing methods such as smoothing, differential processing, multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) and standard normal variate (SNV) in improving the near-infrared diffuse reflection spectrum signal-noise ratio was analyzed first, then partial least squares (PLS) and principal component analysis (PCR) were used to establish the calorific value model of coal ash for the spectrums processed with each preprocessing method respectively. It was found that the model performance can be obviously improved with 5-point smoothing processing, MSC and SNV, in which 5-point smoothing processing has the best effect, the coefficient of association, correction standard deviation and forecast standard deviation are respectively 0.9899, 0.00049 and 0.00052, and when 25-point smoothing processing is adopted, over-smoothing occurs, which worsens the model performance, while the model established with the spectrum after differential preprocessing has no obvious change and the influence on the model is not large.

Long-term results of a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled phase III trial: Endostar (rh-endostatin) versus placebo in combination with vinorelbine and cisplatin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: : Phase II-III trials in patients with untreated and previously treated locally advanced or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) suggested that Endostar was able to enhance the effect of platinum-based chemotherapy (NP regimen) with tolerable adverse effects. METHODS: Four hundred and eighty six patients were randomized into two arms: study arm A: NP plus Endostar (n = 322; vinorelbine, cisplatin, Endostar), and study arm B: NP plus placebo (n = 164; vinorelbine, cisplatin, 0.9% sodium chloride). Patients were treated every third week for two to six cycles. RESULTS: : Overall response rates were 35.4% in arm A and 19.5% in arm B (P = 0.0003). The median time to progression was 6.3 months for arm A and 3.6 months for B, respectively (P < 0.001). The clinical benefit rates were 73.3% in arm A and 64.0% in arm B (P = 0.035). Grade 3/4 neutropenia, anemia, and nausea/vomiting were 28.5%, 3.4%, and 8.0%, respectively, in Arm A compared with 28.2%, 3.0%, and 6.6%, respectively, in Arm B (P > 0.05). There were two treatment related deaths in arm A and one in arm B (P > 0.05). The median overall survival was longer in arm A than in arm B (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: : Long-term follow-up revealed that the addition of Endostar to an NP regimen can result in a significant clinical and survival benefit in advanced NSCLC patients, compared with NP alone.

Survivin expression in human lung cancer and the influence of its downregulation on the biological behavior of human lung cancer cells.

The aim of the present study was to detect the expression of survivin in human lung cancer and to investigate the influence of its downregulation on the biological behavior of A549 lung cancer cells. The high expression of survivin in human lung cancer was verified by immunohistochemistry. Survivin small interfering RNA (siRNA) and unrelated sequence were synthesized and the siRNA lentiviral vector was constructed. The vector was transfected into A549 lung cancer cells, in which the clone with stable expression was screened out. We blocked the expression of survivin mRNA and protein by RNA interference (RNAi) technique. The downregulation of survivin mRNA and protein expression was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting. The proliferative activity and growth rate of A549 cells were determined by colony formation assay and mononuclear cell direct cytotoxicity assay (MTT assay). The reconstituted basement membrane (RBM) penetrating capacity was determined by cell invasion assay. The cell movement and migratory capacity were detected by wound-healing repair assay. The results showed that the sequence-specific siRNA significantly downregulated the expression of survivin at both the mRNA and protein levels. Downregulation of survivin expression dramatically decreased the invasive and metastatic capacities of the cells, suppressed the proliferation, decelerated the rate of growth, reduced the number of clones on soft agar and decreased the capacity of RBM penetration and migration. In conclusion, survivin, which plays an important role in carcinogenesis and development of lung cancer, can be effectively downregulated using the RNAi technique.

Effects and mechanism of downregulation of survivin expression by RNA interference on proliferation and apoptosis of lung cancer cells.

The survivin protein, a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) family, has gained popularity as a therapeutic target for cancer due to its selective expression in tumor cells and its significant involvement in tumor cell viability. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the survivin-small interfering RNA (siRNA) plasmid on survivin expression in the human lung cancer cell line, A549, and to observe its effects on apoptosis and proliferation of A549 cells. A549 human lung cancer cells were transfected with survivin-targeting siRNA. The downregulation of survivin expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The proliferation of A549 cells was determined by MTT assay. The apoptotic rate and cell cycle distribution were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Caspase-9 activity was also detected to study the apoptosis of lung cancer cells induced by siRNA against survivin. The sequence-specific siRNA efficiently and specifically downregulated the expression of survivin at both the mRNA and protein levels. Downregulation of survivin expression dramatically suppressed the proliferation of A549 cells and arrested the cells at the G (1)/G (0) phase. Caspase-9 activity was significantly increased in A549 cells transfected with siRNA against survivin. In this study, we found that survivin-specific siRNA can efficiently suppress the expression of survivin, increase apoptosis and inhibit A549 cell proliferation. Our findings further indicate the possibility that the antitumor effects of survivin-siRNA are mediated through the activation of caspase-9.

Expression of midkine and vascular endothelial growth factor in gastric cancer and the association of high levels with poor prognosis and survival.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of midkine (MK) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in gastric cancer and its relationship with gastric cancer prognosis and survival rate. We recruited 107 patients with complete clinical data and available tissue samples [gastric cancer tissue (n=107); adjacent normal gastric mucosa (n=31)]. MK and VEGF expression in these tissues were assayed by immunohistochemistry. The association of MK or VEGF expression with various prognostic factors in gastric cancer and the 5-year survival of gastric cancer patients were analyzed. MK and VEGF immunoreactivity were detected in 69.2% (74 out of 107 cases) and 66.4% (71 out of 107 cases) of gastric cancer tissues, but not in normal gastric tissues (P=0.00). MK and VEGF expression was correlated with tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and pathological stage (P<0.01), but not with age and gender (P>0.05). MK expression was positively correlated with VEGF expression (r=0.681, P<0.01). In addition, MK or VEGF expression was negatively correlated with the 5-year survival rate (P<0.01). The 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in patients with MK- or VEGF-immunonegative tumors than in patients with immunopositive ones (P<0.01). Co-expression of MK and VEGF was an independent predictor of gastric cancer prognosis. Expression of MK and VEGF is increased in gastric cancer and increased expression is closely correlated with poor prognosis and survival.

Adjuvant imatinib treatment after R0 resection for patients with high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a median follow-up of 44 months.

BACKGROUND: The optimal duration of Imatinib adjuvant treatment for patients with high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is uncertain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 90 patients with high-risk GISTs after curative resection were recruited into this non-randomized case-control study, including 35 having Imatinib adjuvant therapy and 55 having follow-up alone. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) was compared. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 44.0 months, a significantly reduced recurrence rate was observed in the treatment group than the control group (17.1% vs. 78.2%, P = 0.000). One-year, 2-year, and 3-year RFS rates were 100% vs. 70.9%, 88.0% vs. 37.8%, and 88.0% vs. 27.5%, respectively; with a significant advantage for Imatinib adjuvant therapy versus the surgery only (P = 0.000, HR 0.122, 95% CI 0.041-0.363). Continuation Imatinib treatment further improved RFS by comparison with the interruption treatment (both 2-year and 3-year RFS were 95.8% vs. 63.6%, P = 0.011, HR 0.103, 95% CI 0.012-0.883). There were no serious adverse events in the adjuvant therapy group. CONCLUSIONS: Imatinib Adjuvant therapy could significantly prolong the RFS of patients with high-risk GISTs. Extended Imatinib adjuvant treatment strategy may further reduce the risk of relapse with a low drug resistance rate and toxicity profile.

Outcome of palliative total gastrectomy for stage IV proximal gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: A few studies have investigated the outcome of palliative total gastrectomy (PTG) in stage IV proximal gastric cancer. In this study, we tried to summarize the outcome of PTG in stage IV proximal gastric cancer. METHODS: Between January 1991 and January 2005, complete clinical data of 197 patients with stage IV proximal gastric cancer undergoing PTG, 642 patients undergoing curative total gastrectomy (CTG), 152 nonsurgical patients, 102 patients undergoing explorative laparotomy, and 78 patients undergoing jejunostomy were enrolled in this study. Survival rates, median survival, complication rates, and mortality were analyzed. RESULTS: The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates were 61.3%, 8.9%, and 6.4% in the PTG group, respectively, and 92.3%, 58.5%, and 48.9% in the CTG group, respectively (P < .05). The median survival periods in the PTG, no surgery, laparotomy, and jejunostomy groups were 16.4, 5.5, 4.7, and 5.8 months, respectively. The median survival in the PTG group was significantly longer than that in the other 3 groups (P < .05). The postoperative complication rate and mortality rate were, respectively, 24.3% and 3.0% in the PTG group and 13.5% and 2.3% in the CTG group (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: PTG for stage IV proximal gastric cancer when compared with no surgery, laparotomy, and jejunostomy is associated with prolonged survival time and improved quality of life. However, despite the feasibility and safety of PTG, patients with stage IV proximal gastric cancer who are suitable for this treatment should be selected, and thoughtful preparation should be made in the perioperative period.

[Short-term efficacy of laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy with D3 lymph node dissection in colon cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and short-term efficacy of laparoscopic-assisted D3 lymph node dissection for right colon cancer with a medial-to-lateral approach. METHODS: Clinical data of 61 patients with right colon cancer undergoing D3 lymph node dissection from March 2006 to June 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them,29 underwent laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy (LARH group) and 32 underwent open right hemicolectomy (ORH group). The number of lymph node harvest, operative details, and complication rate were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean number of lymph node harvest did not differ significantly between the two groups (16.9±3.8 vs. 15.4±3.6). As compared to ORH group, although the operative time was significantly longer [(214.4±37.9) min vs. (193.3±28.8) min] in LARH group, the mean blood loss [(83.4±38.0) ml vs. (192.7±43.6) ml], time to first flatus [(44.6±20.8) h vs. (70.4±80.0) h], time to resumption of soft diet[(32.5±10.6) h vs. (59.7±10.4) h], and postoperative hospital stay [(11.2±2.2) d vs. (13.8±2.8) d] were more favorable(all P<0.05). Complication rate was lower in LARH group(10.4% vs. 9.4%), however the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: LARH with D3 lymph node dissection is oncologically comparable with ORH for right colon cancer. It is a safe and feasible procedure associated with rapid postoperative recovery.

[Effect of number of resected lymph nodes on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients without lymphatic metastasis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term correlation between the number of resected lymph nodes (LNs) and the prognosis of patients with node-negative gastric cancer. METHODS: From January 1995 to December 2004, 221 patients with gastric cancer underwent D2 radical resection and were proved with no nodal involvement. The clinical records of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. The relationships of the dissected LNs number to 5-year survival rate and post-operative complication rate were analyzed respectively. RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival rate of this group was 83.5%. The total number of dissected LNs was one independent prognostic factors in this group. Among patients with the same depth of tumor invasion, the more the number of dissected LNs, the better the survival would be (P < 0.05). The patients had better long-term survival outcomes with dissected LNs counts of more than 15 for cases with pT1-2 tumor, and more than 20 for cases with pT3 tumor. The post-operative complication rate was 10.8% and it was not significantly correlated with the number of dissected lymph nodes (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The number of dissected LNs is an independent prognostic predicting factor for lymph node-negative gastric cancer. Sufficient dissection of LNs is recommended to improve the patients' long-term survival. Suitable increment of dissected LNs count would not increase the post-operative complication rate.

[Efficiency of laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy in gastric cancer: experiences of 218 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: The clinical data of 529 patients with gastric cancer underwent D2 radical resection from January 2007 to March 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Among the patients, 218 cases underwent laparoscopic D2 gastrectomy (LAG group) and 311 cases received open gastrectomy (OG group). The patients' operation, number of retrieved lymph nodes, recovery, postoperative morbidity and mortality were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The operative time in LAG group was (237 +/- 42) min, and was significantly longer than that in OG group [(229 +/- 42) min, P < 0.05]. However, the mean blood loss [(81 +/- 100) ml vs. (171 +/- 211) ml], number of patients needed blood transfusion (7 vs. 44 cases), first flatus time [(4.1 +/- 2.3) d vs. (5.0 +/- 1.4) d], time to resume soft diet [(4.5 +/- 2.2) d vs. (5.5 +/- 1.4) d] and postoperative hospital stay [(12 +/- 4) d vs. (14 +/- 4) d] in the two groups were all different statistically (P < 0.05), and all were better in LAG group. In LAG group, the operative time of patients with total gastrectomy was (250 +/- 46) min, and was significantly longer than that with distal gastrectomy (228 +/- 37) min (P < 0.05), but there was no significant differences in other aspects of patients' recovery between the two operation types. The postoperative morbidity of LAG group and OG group were 11.9% and 19.0%, respectively (P < 0.05). For all patients, the mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was (29 +/- 10) and the median number was 28. The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was not significantly different between the two groups [(28 +/- 10) in LAG group vs. (29 +/- 9) in OG group, P > 0.05]. Thirteen patients (6.0%) converted to open surgery in LAG group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy is a safe and feasible procedure with quick recovery, and it is comparable with open gastrectomy in lymph node dissection.

[Association of microvessel density and blood vessel invasion with the prognosis in rectal carcinoma at stages I to II].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility of microvessel density (MVD) and blood vessel invade (BVI) as the indexes in predicting prognosis of rectal carcinoma at stages I to II. METHODS: Tumor tissues from 380 patients who underwent resection of stage I or II rectal cancer were analyzed for MVD and BVI by immunohistochemical S-P method with anti-CD105 and anti-CD 34 antibody. Binary and multivariable Cox regression was applied to indicate independent factors associated with overall survival. RESULTS: CD105 was present in the neovascularity of the cancer tissue but not in the normal tissue, while CD34 was present in the tumor tissue and the normal tissue. BVI on CD34 staining was significantly higher than that on HE staining. Multivariable analysis revealed that TNM stage, CD34-BVI, histologic type, and CD105-MDV were independent risk factors to predict the possibility of poor prognosis of stage I or II rectal cancer. CD34-BVI or CD105-MVD positivity had a hazard ratio of 4.483 (95% confidence interval 2.861-7.026) for mortality. CONCLUSION: The expressions of CD34-BVI and CD105-MVD are independent factors to predict the possibility of poor survival of stage I or II rectal carcinoma. Detection of CD105-MVD combined with CD34-BVI may help predict clinical outcome and design further individualized adjuvant treatment.

[Impact of solitary lymph node metastasis on the prognosis of gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of solitary lymph node (LN) metastasis on the prognosis of gastric cancer. METHODS: Clinical data of 280 patients with gastric cancer who underwent D(2) radical resection from January 1995 to December 2003 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, solitary LN metastasis was proven pathologically in 83 cases(solitary LN metastasis group), while node-negative metastasis proven in 197 cases (node-negative group). The 5-year survival rate was compared between two groups and between patients with and without skipping LN metastasis. The prognostic factors were evaluated by uncaria and multivaria analyses. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rates in the solitary LN metastasis group and the node-negative group were 62.3% and 83.5% respectively with significant difference (P<0.05). The solitary LN metastasis was one of the independent prognostic factors. Logistic regression revealed that the invasion depth was an independent covariate for solitary LN metastasis. The proportion of skip metastasis was 22.9% in gastric cancer patients with solitary LN metastasis. The 5-year survival rates of the patients with and without skipping LN metastasis were 50.0% and 66.1% respectively, which was not significantly different (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients with solitary LN metastasis is significantly poorer than those without lymph node metastasis. Due to the high incidence of skip LN metastasis in gastric cancer, D(2) radical resection should be performed to ensure oncological clearance.

[Laparoscopic versus conventional open resection for early distal gastric cancer: a meta-analysis on the number of retrieved lymph nodes].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the number of retrieved lymph nodes (LN) between laparoscopic resection and conventional open resection for early distal gastric cancer with meta-analysis. METHODS: Original articles published from January 2000 to December 2008 were searched in the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register. According to the criterion, 14 articles were identified which compared the number of retrieved lymph nodes between laparoscopic resection and conventional open resection for early distal gastric cancer. Data were extracted from these trials by 3 reviewers independently and analyzed by Rev Man 5.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 1454 patients with early gastric cancer were enrolled, including 815 patients in the laparoscopic group and 630 patients in the conventional group. The mean number of dissected lymph nodes per patient was 3.26 less in the laparoscopic group as compared to the conventional group (WMD -3.26,95% CI -6.24~-0.27,P=0.03). The differences were not statistically significant in the articles published during 2005-2008 years (WMD -2.84, 95% CI -6.79~1.11, P=0.16), in D(1)(+)alpha/beta lymph node dissection (WMD -2.80, 95% CI -7.57~1.97, P=0.25), and in retrospective non-randomized trials (WMD -2.89, 95% CI -6.48~0.70,P=0.11). CONCLUSION: With the improvement in surgical skills, laparoscopic surgery and open surgery do not differ significantly in the number of retrieved lymph nodes for early distal gastric cancer with D(1)(+)alpha/beta lymph node dissection.

Prognostic impact of splenectomy on advanced proximal gastric cancer with No. 10 lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the prognostic impact of D2 lymphadenectomy combined with splenectomy in patients with advanced proximal gastric cancer and lymph node metastasis at the splenic hilum (No. 10 lymph nodes). METHODS: The clinical records of 216 patients with advanced proximal gastric cancer and No. 10 lymph node metastasis who underwent D2 curative resection were retrospectively analyzed. Seventy-three patients underwent simultaneous splenectomy (splenectomy group), while 143 patients did not (spleen-preserving group). Five-year survival rates, mean numbers of dissected No. 10 lymph nodes and metastatic No. 10 lymph nodes, and operative morbidity and mortality were calculated and compared between the two groups. Potential prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rate was 30.0% for the splenectomy group and 19.7% for the spleen-preserving group (chi(2) = 14.73, P < 0.05). The mean numbers of dissected No. 10 lymph nodes and metastatic No. 10 lymph nodes in the splenectomy group were significantly greater than in the spleen-preserving group (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that the depth of invasion, splenectomy, and type of gastrectomy were independent prognostic factors. The survival rate for T3 patients with and without splenectomy was 38.7% and 18.9%, respectively (chi(2) = 15.03, P < 0.05). For patients undergoing total gastrectomy, survival rates were 33.4% and 20.7%, respectively (chi(2) = 13.63, P < 0.05). Operative morbidity and mortality in splenectomy group was 24.7% and 4.1%, respectively, and in the spleen-preserving group was 17.5% and 3.5%, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Splenectomy is beneficial for No. 10 lymph node dissection in patients with advanced proximal gastric cancer. To improve patient prognosis, total gastrectomy with splenectomy is recommended for patients with T3 proximal gastric cancer who have No. 10 lymph node metastasis.

[Short-term efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with lymph node dissection in distal gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and short-term efficacy of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with D(2) lymph node dissection. METHODS: Clinical data of 241 patients of distal gastric cancer undergone D(2) lymph node dissection from January 2007 to December 2008 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 93 underwent laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG group), while 148 underwent open distal gastrectomy (ODG group). The number of removal lymph node, recovery, complication rate and mortality were compared between two groups. RESULTS: The mean number of removal lymph node were not significantly different between two groups (27.5+/-9.1 in the LADG group vs 27.3+/-8.5 in the ODG group, P>0.05), and there were also no significant difference between two groups in T(1), T(2), T(3) patients according to the subgroup analysis of depth invasion (P>0.05). As compared to ODG group, although the operative time was significantly longer,the mean blood loss and transfused patient number were less, ground activity time, first flatus time, resume soft diet time and postoperative hospital stay were shorter, and complication rate was significantly lower in LADG group (all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: LADG with D(2) lymph node dissection is oncologically compatible with open gastrectomy, and it is a safe and feasible procedure which leads to quick postoperative recovery.