Absolute Neutrophil Count Predicts Postoperative Prognosis in Mass-forming Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) is characterized by poor prognosis, and postoperative recurrence remains a problem. Thus, prognostic markers for IHCC are greatly needed. Recently, inflammatory factors were reported to be related to tumor progression and recurrence in various cancers. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic ability of inflammatory factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four patients with mass-forming IHCC (m-IHCC) were retrospectively evaluated and the correlations between inflammatory markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and, modified Glasgow prognostic score, and patient survival were assessed. RESULTS: The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was significantly higher in the recurrence group than in the non-recurrence group (p=0.00568) and the most significant prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. Poor recurrence-free survival (RFS; p=0.00452) and cancer-specific survival (CSS; p=0.0323) were associated with high neutrophil levels. Moreover, neutrophil infiltration in the tumor site was positively correlated with ANC. CONCLUSION: ANC is associated with poor RFS, and could be used to predict recurrence in patients with m-IHCC.

D-dimer predicts postoperative recurrence and prognosis in patients with liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is common, and its incidence is increasing throughout the world. The liver is a major metastatic site, and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) has a poor prognosis. Although liver resection is the most effective therapy for CRLM, postoperative recurrence is common. Thus, prognostic markers for CRLM are greatly needed. D-dimer, a fibrin cleavage product, has been shown to be related to colorectal tumor progression, and is also associated with malignant progression and recurrence in various cancers. Therefore, we evaluated the value of D-dimer in predicting the prognosis in CRLM. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 90 cases of resected CRLM to determine the correlation between D-dimer and patient survival. The cut-off value for D-dimer levels was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: Significant differences occurred in the recurrence group with higher D-dimer levels (P = 0.00736*), while the optimal cut-off value was 0.6 µg/mL. High D-dimer levels (≥ 0.6 µg/mL) were associated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS; P = 0.0000841*) and cancer-specific survival (CSS; P = 0.00615*). In the multivariate analysis, D-dimer correlated with CRLM prognosis and independently predicted RFS (P = 0.0179*). CONCLUSION: High D-dimer levels were associated with poor RFS and CSS. D-dimer was an independent prognostic factor of RFS. Therefore, D-dimer may help predict recurrence and prognosis in patients with CRLM.

High STMN1 Expression Is Associated with Tumor Differentiation and Metastasis in Clinical Patients with Pancreatic Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Stathmin 1 (STMN1) suppression was reported to reduce cellular viability and migration potential. However, no previous studies have addressed whether STMN1 overexpression is associated with malignant potential in PDAC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To clarify the clinical significance of STMN1 in PDAC, the STMN1 expression in 104 PDAC samples was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, we evaluated the proliferative potential and migration ability of pancreatic cancer cell line Suit2 cells highly expressing STMN1. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic STMN1 were higher levels in PDAC than in corresponding non-cancerous tissues. PDAC patients with high STMN1 (n=29) were significantly associated with poor differentiation and distant metastasis compared to those with low STMN1 (n=75). The proliferation rates and migration ability in Suit2-STMN1 were higher than those of Suit2-mock. CONCLUSION: STMN1 evaluation could be a useful progression marker, and STMN1 may be a promising candidate for targeted therapies in PDAC.

Recurrence 11 years after complete response to gemcitabine, 5-Fluorouracil, and Cisplatin chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy in a patient with advanced pancreatic cancer: a case report.

A 63-year-old man diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC; stage IIa) was treated with chemotherapy (gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin) followed by radiotherapy. He had complete response by imaging and relapse-free survival for 11 years. However, he subsequently presented with local tumor recurrence and underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy followed by chemotherapy; a partial response was achieved. As in liver metastasis of colonic cancer, complete response by imaging in PDAC may not mean pathological complete response. We would propose the importance of adjuvant surgery for a patient with PDAC with complete response by imaging after chemoradiotherapy.