3D Vessel Image Reconstruction by MDCT for Surgical Indication and Timing of Strangulating Small Bowel Obstructions.

BACKGROUND: Patients with strangulating small bowel obstructions (SBOs) can rapidly deteriorate, in condition; therefore, immediate and appropriate diagnosis is required. However, some cases of SBO are difficult to diagnose using axial computed tomography (CT) images alone. The impact of 3D vessel imaging for the diagnosis, surgical indication, and timing of strangulating SBOs was investigated, prospectively. METHODS: Clinical data were collected for 111 strangulating SBOs and 48 simple SBOs from patients receiving surgical interventions from January 2009 to March 2018. The accuracy of preoperative diagnoses for the type of SBO was evaluated. Among 159 patients, 27 underwent contrast-enhanced CT imaging as well as prospectively reconstructed 3D vessel imaging of the superior mesenteric artery, vein, and branches. The concordance rate of operative findings and preoperative diagnoses of the type of SBO were compared between axial CT imaging alone and combination of axial and 3D vessel imaging. RESULTS: Overall concordance rate of diagnosis for the type of SBO by axial imaging was 93.1% and that of strangulating and simple SBOs was 92.8% and 93.8%, respectively. Combined axial and 3D vessel imaging resulted in 100% accuracy of preoperative diagnoses for both types of SBO. In addition, abnormalities could be classified from 3D vessel images as central twists or peripheral twists, and deteriorated vascular flow could also be detected. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of axial imaging and 3D vessel imaging can be used to accurately diagnose SBOs, and this imaging technique may be useful for determining the surgical indication and suitable timing of strangulating SBOs.

[A Case of Successful Surgical Treatment for Paraaortic Lymph Nodes Recurrence of Gallbladder Cancer].

Cholecystectomy with gallbladder bed resection and regional lymphadenectomy was performed in a 75-year-old man with advanced gallbladder cancer. Pathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma in the gallbladder with regional lymph node metastases. Cancer recurrence was found in paraaortic lymph nodes behind the duodenum 9 months after the surgery. Although chemotherapy using S-1 was initiated, the lymph nodes remained the same size after 2 courses without any new recurrent regions. Lymphadenectomy was then performed as a curative surgery. The patient has remained alive without recurrence for 46 months after the second surgery.

[The Current Status of Palliative Care for Cancer on a Questionnaire Survey].

We evaluated the current status of palliative care for cancer by questionnaire survey in 34 medical institutions belonging to the Hyogo Society for Oncology of the Colon and Rectum. Although 29 institutions(85%)had palliative care teams, the profiles of team members differed between the institutions. The inclusion rates of psychiatrists, nutritionists, medical social workers, clinical psychologists, and rehabilitation therapists was half or less. Ten institutions had some positive screening systems for objective patients. Consultation from a surgical or medical oncologist to a palliative care doctor was most frequently performed at the end of chemotherapy(46%)but was widely distributed from the beginning of chemotherapy to the period of best supportive care. Most institutes positively adopted surgical palliation and palliative radiotherapy as non-pharmacological options. While palliative care teams were prevalent in this survey, the systematic supply of palliative care may be under development with limited resources.

[A Case of Metachronous Liver Metastases of Gall Bladder Cancer Successfully Treated by Liver Resection].

A 73-year-old woman was diagnosed with gall bladder cancer by contrast enhanced CT images.The tumor was detected at the fundus of the gall bladder and enhanced heterogeneously.She underwent radical cholecystectomy including Japanese D2 lymph node dissection for gall bladder cancer.After 4 courses of oral S-1(80mg/m2 administered for 4 weeks and then stopped for 2 weeks)as adjuvant chemotherapy, a liver metastasis at segment 5 appeared 11 months postoperatively.It showed a ring enhanced tumor on contrast enhanced CT images.FDG accumulated in a similar lesion on PET-CT images.The patient successfully underwent partial hepatectomy of segment 5 of the liver.However, another liver metastasis at segment 7 appeared 5 months after the second operation, but it was resected successfully.The primary lesion and both liver metastases showed similar microscopic appearances.Seven courses of gemcitabine therapy(gemcitabine 1,000mg/m2 once every week for 3 weeks and then stopped for 1 week)were administered as adjuvant chemotherapy.She is now doing well without any sign of recurrence 2 years after the initial operation and 14 months after the secondary liver resection.

[A Case of Gastric Cancer with Multiple Liver Metastases Treated with XP Chemotherapy and RFA Resulting in a Complete Response for a Long Time].

A 60-year-old man underwent total gastrectomy with Japanese D2 lymph node dissection for advanced gastric cancer. The resected specimen was diagnosed as well-differentiated tubular carcinoma, pT3, pN1, cM0, and the final stage was considered as ⅡB. During adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 (120 mg/day, administered for 4 weeks and then stopped for 2 weeks), multiple liver metastases were detected by contrast-enhanced CT images 6 months after the operation. Eight courses of XP therapy (capecitabine 1,600 mg/m2/day: day 1-14, cisplatin 70 mg/m2/day: day 1, then stopped until days 15-21) were administered in consideration of the recurrence during adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1, resulting in a partial response. Adverse events such as grade 1-2 abdominal pain, general fatigue, and the resultant deterioration of ADL led to discontinuation of chemotherapy. The residual liver metastasis was treated with RFA therapy, causing it to disappear completely. Serum CEA level was 5.5 ng/mL postoperatively, elevated to 13.9 ng/mL at the time of recurrence and 2.4 ng/mL after XP and RFA therapy. He is doing well without any recurrence 2 years and 6 months later.

[A Case of Pancreatic Cancer with Multiple Liver Metastases That Developed Postoperatively and Showed a Complete Response with S-1 Monotherapy].

We encountered a case of pancreatic cancer with multiple liver metastases that developed postoperatively and showed a complete response with S-1 monotherapy for a long time. A pancreaticoduodenectomy was successfully performed on an 80- year-old man. Multiple liver metastases developed 6 months postoperatively. Microscopically, the primary lesion was diagnosed as adenosquamous carcinoma with anaplastic carcinoma component, and the final diagnosis was considered to be Stage Ⅲ disease. S-1monotherapy (80 mg/day, administered for 4 weeks and then stopped for 2-weeks) was effective. A partial response was noted after 3 months, and 9 months after the initial administration of S-1, a complete response was achieved, which persisted for more than 12 months, according to contrast-enhanced CT evaluations.Serum CEA and CA19-9 levels, which became slightly elevated at the time of liver metastasis development, normalized promptly and remained within normal limits. Adverse effects of chemotherapy of more than grade 2 severity were not apparent, and the patient tolerated the 11th course of S-1 administration, consistently. A standard therapeutic strategy and its outcomes in cases of pancreatic cancer recurrence are not clearly outlined in the Japanese Guideline for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. A case of pancreatic cancer with multiple liver metastases that developed postoperatively and showed a complete response with S-1 monotherapy is reported in this paper.

[A Case of Unresectable Rectal Cancer Associated with Hemorrhage of the Primary Tumor after Chemotherapy].

A 47-year-old man visited our hospital with complaints of abdominal pain and hematuria.He was diagnosed with unresectable rectal cancer invading the urinary bladder with multiple liver metastases. Systemic chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 and panitumumab was started soon after sigmoid colostomy. Three months later, both the primary tumor and the liver metastases had partially responded. Another 2 months later, he complained of terrible abdominal pain. CT images revealed a huge primary tumor and hemorrhage in the sigmoid mesocolon occupying the pelvic cavity. A salvage operation was performed and the primary tumor was palliatively resected. Soon after the operation, a local recurrence appeared and grew rapidly. He died 8 months after diagnosis. Rapid growth of the primary tumor seemed a limiting factor for the prognosis.

[A Case of Recurrence of Rectal Cancer with Para-Aortic Lymph Node Metastases Successfully Resected Resulting in Long Term Survival].

Laparoscopy-assisted low anterior resection (Japanese D3 lymph node dissection) was performed to treat a 68-year-old man for rectal cancer. Microscopically, the resected specimen was diagnosed as a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and the final stage was considered as pT3, pN1, cM0, pStage Ⅲa. He was administered capecitabine for 6 months as adjuvant chemotherapy. Then, enlarged para-aortic lymph nodes, indicated by follow up CT at 1 year and 11 months postoperatively developed behind the left renal artery. FDG accumulated in it, consistent with the CT images. Para-aortic lymph node dissection was performed after the diagnosis of solitary lymph node metastases. Microscopically, the resected lymph nodes showed features similar to the primary lesion. He is doing well without recurrence for 4 year and 6 months, without any adjuvant chemotherapy. Para-aortic lymph node metastases are frequently associated with other distant metastases; if not, a complete cure may be possible by curative resection for solitary metastases.

[A case of locally advanced rectal carcinoma treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy resulting in pathologically complete response].

An 84-year-old woman presented with the chief complaint of melena. Colonoscopy revealed a type 2 tumor that circumferentially occupied the lumen of the lower rectum about 6 cm from the anal verge. A biopsy specimen was obtained from the tumor and the patient was diagnosed with moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography revealed that the rectal cancer had invaded the marginal fatty tissue, accompanied by several regional lymph node metastases with no distant metastasis. On the basis of this evidence, the tumor was staged as cT4a, cN2b, cM0 according to the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors (7th Edition, UICC). Preoperative radiotherapy combined with an oral chemopreventive agent (RT 1.8 Gy × 25 frames; total 45 Gy, S-1 80 mg/day) was administered with trivial adverse effects. Laparoscopy-assisted low anterior resection with Japanese D3 dissection was performed successfully. The patient is doing well without recurrence after 14 months of surgery. Histological examination revealed that both the primary lesion and regional lymph nodes had no residual cancer; that is, the histological effect of the preoperative chemoradiotherapy was a pathologically complete response (pCR).

[A case of colon cancer with multiple liver metastases showing a long-term response following first-line therapy].

A 71-year-old man presented with sigmoid colon cancer and multiple unresectable liver metastases. As the sigmoid colon cancer caused anemia, we performed laparoscopic-assisted sigmoidectomy prior to the administration of systemic chemotherapy. Bevacizumab (Bv) plus modified Leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6) was administered as first line therapy.At 3 months from the start of chemotherapy, computed tomography revealed that the size of the liver metastases reduced by 49.45%, as evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) guidelines (version 1.1). The only adverse event observed was Grade 1 peripheral neuropathy after the eighth dose of oxaliplatin.As the progression of peripheral neuropathy was observed at the ninth dose of oxaliplatin, oxaliplatin was omitted from further therapy; the patient was converted to maintenance therapy with simplified biweekly Leucovorin and fluorouracil (sLV5FU2). Bv plus mFOLFOX6 followed by sLV5FU2 for first-line therapy was effective for disease management over 23 months, but a partial response (PR) was the best overall response achieved.