[Examination of the Usefulness of Palliative Self-Expanding Metallic Stents in Patients with Malignant Colorectal Obstruction].

Self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) are a useful palliative option in malignant colorectal obstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of SEMS used for palliation. Patients with malignant colorectal obstruction who underwent SEMS insertion in our hospital from April 2014 to March 2015 were enrolled in the study. Clinical outcomes and complications of palliative SEMS insertion were retrospectively analyzed. Nine patients were enrolled in the palliative SEMS group. The success rate was 100%, while the complication rate was 11%. Successful SEMS insertion may enable oral intake in a few days, but 3 patients required up to several weeks to resume oral intake. Palliative SEMS are effective and beneficial for malignant colorectal obstruction.

[A case of metastatic colorectal cancer that reduced in size after re-challenging with an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody].

A 58-year-old woman was confirmed as having multiple liver metastases after undergoing a high anterior resection for a sigmoid colon tumor. She was administered bevacizumab+FOLFOX as the first regimen and bevacizumab+FOLFIRI and S-1 and irinotecan (IRIS)therapy as the second regimen. During this treatment she also underwent hepatectomy 3 times and radiofrequency ablation once. She was administered panitumumab+irinotecan as the third regimen and, due to the presence of multiple pulmonary metastases, was subsequently considered to have had a partial response (PR). Because she subsequently developed progressive disease (PD), she received the fourth regimen as part of a clinical trial (TAS102) in another hospital. Cetuximab+irinotecan was administered as the fifth regimen after PD and the tumor was found to have reduced in size by 23%upon computed tomography (CT) 2 months later. Although stable disease (SD) was achieved, she was subsequently administered regorafenib for 8 months as a sixth regimen after the disease progressed a second time. In some cases of KRAS wild type metastatic colorectal cancer, re-challenging with an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody seems to be an effective strategy for reducing tumor mass.

[A case of curative surgery for HER2-positive gastric cancer after chemotherapy using paclitaxel combined with trastuzumab].

A 74-year-old man was diagnosed with unresectable HER2-positive gastric cancer due to metastases to distant lymph nodes. Paclitaxel combined with trastuzumab was administered as third-line chemotherapy. After 4 courses of therapy, the metastases to distant lymph nodes disappeared with no evidence of progressive disease. Downstaging by chemotherapy made curative treatment feasible and he underwent distal gastrectomy. The patient has been free from recurrent disease 13 months after surgery.

[A study of laparoscopic stoma creation for patients with malignant bowel obstruction].

UNLABELLED: We evaluated the efficacy of laparoscopic palliative stoma creation for patients with malignant bowel obstruction (MBO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients with MBO who underwent laparoscopic stoma creation between January 2009 and December 2012 were studied and their clinical outcome was evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Compared to the open approach, the laparoscopic approach led to significantly shorter operation times and a significantly lower incidence of surgical site infection( SSI). The rate of removal of the intestinal tube and intravenous drip after surgery was 100% and 88%, respectively, and the rate of oral intake was 100% after palliative stoma creation. The prognosis was 58% in 3 months and 29% in 1 year, and the median survival time was approximately 4 months. DISCUSSION: The quality of surgery by the laparoscopic approach was better than that by the open approach, and the quality of life( QOL) after stoma creation was better than that before surgery. Given the shorter operation time, lower incidence of SSI, and better QOL, laparoscopic stoma creation is a beneficial choice for palliative treatment in patients with MBO.

[A case of breast reconstruction with a rectus abdominis musculocutaneus flap following re-lumpectomy for local recurrence of breast cancer after breast conserving therapy].

A 42-year-old woman underwent breast conserving operation with irradiation for Stage I (T1 N0 M0) breast cancer at the 12 o'clock axis of her right breast. At six years after surgery, a solitary local recurrent tumor (1.2 cm in diameter) was found at the 2 o'clock axis of her right breast. No metastases were found at other sites. By the desire of the patient to conserve her breast, we performed re-lumpectomy with surgical margin (2 cm) and reconstructed with a rectus abdominis musculocutaneus flap to fill the large defect of breast tissue. One year and 5 months after surgery, the patient was doing well without recurrence, and was satisfied with the cosmetic effect.