Modified Frailty Index is Useful in Predicting Non-home Discharge in Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer Who Undergo Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Development of laparoscopic gastrectomy and the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol enable early discharge to home of patients with gastric cancer (GC). However, a significant proportion of patients are still discharged to inpatient facilities after surgery. We aimed to identify predictive factors of non-home discharge in patients with GC who undergo gastrectomy. METHODS: We enrolled 517 patients with histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of GC who underwent gastrectomy. RESULTS: The number of patients with non-home discharge was 23 (4.4%), and non-home discharge was only observed in patients with GC aged ≥65 years. Patients were divided into the mFIHigh (≥0.272) and mFILow (<0.272) groups according to the cut-off value determined by ROC analysis. The mFIHigh classification was significantly more frequent in patients aged ≥75 years, who underwent either total or proximal partial gastrectomy, who underwent limited lymph node dissection, and with non-home discharge than in patients aged <75 years (p = 0.0002), those who underwent distal partial gastrectomy (p = 0.032), those who underwent standard lymph node dissection (p = 0.036), and those without non-home discharge (p = 0.0071). Multivariate analysis revealed mFI as an independent predictive indicator of non-home discharge, along with postoperative complications and surgical approach, in patients with GC aged ≥65 years. The frequency of patients with non-home discharge was significantly associated with the number of these three predictive factors in GC patients aged ≥65 years (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of mFI, postoperative complications, and surgical approach is useful for predicting non-home discharge in patients aged ≥65 years who underwent gastrectomy for GC.

Investigation of the Utility and Safety of Dynamic Computed Tomography with Vasodilators.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic computed tomography (CT) angiography is useful for evaluating of hepatic vascularity. Although vasodilators increase hepatic blood flow, the utility of dynamic CT with vasodilators is unclear. Here we investigated the utility and safety of dynamic CT with vasodilators. METHODS: A prospective case-control radiographic evaluation using abdominal dynamic CT with and without vasodilator was performed at a single center between October 2015 and September 2016. We compared the CT values in Hounsfield units of the aorta; celiac artery; and common, right, and left hepatic arteries in the arterial phase and the main trunk; right and left branches of the portal vein; and right, middle, and left hepatic veins in the portal phase with and without vasodilators. The region of interest was set in each element of the liver vasculature. Four radiological technologists independently and visually compared the scores of the portal vein (P-score) and hepatic vein (V-score) on a 5-point scale with and without vasodilators. RESULTS: The CT values of arteries and veins using vasodilators were significantly higher than those without vasodilators. With and without vasodilators, the P-scores were 3.1 ± 1.2 and 4.0 ± 1.1 (P < 0.05) and the V-scores were 3.3 ± 1.4 and 4.3 ± 1.0 (P < 0.05). Only one patient with vasodilator use had transient hypotension and recovered immediately without medication. CONCLUSION: Dynamic CT with vasodilators can provides better visualization of vascular structures.

Clinical importance of preoperative and postoperative prognostic nutritional index in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is based on the albumin concentration and absolute lymphocyte count and is designed to assess the nutritional and immunological status of patients. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic importance of the preoperative and postoperative PNI in patients who underwent curative resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: From 2006 to 2017, 50 patients with PDAC underwent curative resection at our hospital. We performed distal pancreatectomy (DP) with splenectomy in 15 patients, pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in 27 patients, PD combined with portal vein partial resection in 6 patients, and total pancreatectomy with splenectomy in 2 patients. We compared the preoperative PNI and postoperative PNI (1 and 2 months postoperatively) and analyzed the prognostic importance for these patients. RESULTS: The mean PNI significantly decreased from 45.5 preoperatively to 39.8 at 1 month postoperatively (p<0.001), but recovered to 42.7 at 2 months postoperatively. In 23 patients, the PNI at 2 months postoperatively recovered to the preoperative level (recovered group), but in the remaining 27 patients, the PNI at 2 months postoperatively did not reach the preoperative level (non-recovered group). The overall median survival time in the recovered group (29 months) was significantly longer than that in the non-recovered group (12 months, p=0.003). The multivariate overall analysis demonstrated that good recovery of the postoperative PNI was strongly correlated with a better prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Effective postoperative nutrition may have a prognostic benefit for patients with operable PDAC.

Median arcuate ligament syndrome and aneurysm in the pancreaticoduodenal artery detected by retroperitoneal hemorrhage: A case report.

Here, we report a case with successful treatment of inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm rupture due to celiac artery trunk compression caused by the median arcuate ligament. When clinicians see visceral aneurysms, the possibility of arcuate midline ligament compression syndrome (MALS) and ligamentectomy for MALS should be considered.

The attenuation value of preoperative computed tomography as a novel predictor for pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

PURPOSE: Pancreatic fistula (PF) is the most serious complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This study was performed to identify new clinical factors that may predict the development of PF after PD to improve perioperative management. METHODS: Seventy-five consecutive patients who underwent PD from 2012 to 2015 were evaluated. The patients' perioperative data including the computed tomography (CT) parameters were collected. The minimum, maximum, and mean CT attenuation values (HUmin, HUmax, and HUmean, respectively) were extracted from the pancreatic parenchyma (≥ 100 pixels), and the standard deviation of these values (HUSD) was determined from the slice in which the superior mesenteric and splenic veins were merged. PF was defined as grade B or C according to the International Study Group for Pancreatic Fistula criteria. RESULTS: The PF occurrence rate (grade B or C) was 25.3% in 75 patients. A multivariate analysis identified a larger HUSD (odds ratio 3.092; 95% CI 1.018-9.394) and higher amylase concentration in drainage fluid on postoperative day 1 (odds ratio 1.0001; 95% CI 1.00001-1.00022) as significant risk factors for PF. CONCLUSIONS: The HUSD of preoperative CT attenuation values in the pancreatic parenchyma was found to be an independent predictor for PF after PD and it might therefore positively contribute to the perioperative management of PD.

C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio and Prognostic Nutritional Index Are Strong Prognostic Indicators of Survival in Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: We evaluated the clinical importance, such as the occurrence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) or prognosis, of preoperative serum markers of chronic inflammation, nutrition, and immunity, as well as that of serum tumor markers after curative resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs). Methods: Between 2006 and 2015, 43 patients with PDACs underwent curative resection at Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital. We analyzed which preoperative indicators (i.e., C-reactive protein/albumin ratio [CAR], neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio [NLR], prognostic nutritional index [PNI], carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 [CA 19-9]) were the most relevant risk factors for occurrence of POPF and poor patient survival. Results: POPF was detected in 8/43 (18.6%) patients. One patient died of pancreatic fistula at 2 months postoperatively. Among nine candidate factors (operative procedure, operation time, tumor stage, preoperative serum amylase, preoperative CAR, NLR, PNI, CEA, and CA 19-9), we did not identify any significant risk factor for the occurrence of POPF. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the 43 patients was 22.4%, and the overall median survival time was 21 months. The multivariate OS analysis demonstrated that high CAR and low PNI were strong preoperative markers of poor prognosis independently of tumor stage. Conclusions: Preoperative CAR and PNI are useful prognostic markers for patients with operable PDACs.

Prognostic Significance of C-reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio in Patients with Locally Advanced Unresectable Colorectal Cancer.

Despite the poor prognosis of unresectable colorectal cancer (CRC), some patients survive after intensive chemotherapy followed by complete resection of the primary and metastatic tumors. The pretreatment C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) is a significant prognostic indicator in various carcinomas. Therefore, in this retrospective study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of pretreatment CAR in patients with unresectable CRC. The 61 patients were diagnosed as having initially unresectable disease between January 2004 and December 2013. We analyzed the clinical courses of these patients. Blood samples were taken routinely at their first visit to our hospital. C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (ALB), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were analyzed. The median survival time (MST) and 2-year overall survival (OS) of the patients was 9 months (range, 1-96 months) and 23%, respectively. The median CRP, ALB, CAR, and CEA levels of the patients were 2.2 mg/dL, 3.5 g/dL, 0.65, and 20.6 ng/mL, respectively. There was no correlation between CEA levels and the CAR. Patients were divided into two sub-groups using the median CAR level as the cut-off: high CAR (>0.65) and low CAR (≤0.65). Both MST and 2-year OS were significantly lower in the 30 high-CAR patients (4 months, 6.7%) than in the 31 low-CAR patients (13 months, 38.7%, p < 0.001). The primary tumors of three low-CAR patients could be removed after intensive chemotherapy. Thus, low-CAR patients with locally advanced CRC with or without distant metastasis may survive following intensive treatment, even if their tumors were previously deemed to be unresectable.

Isolated port-site metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma after laparoscopic liver resection.

Port-site metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is extremely rare, and only one case has been reported in the English-language literature. Contamination with malignant cells along the needle tract during percutaneous biopsy or radiofrequency ablation is a well-recognized cause of HCC recurrence. Here, we describe a case of port-site metastasis after laparoscopic liver resection of HCC. The patient, who had undergone laparoscopic partial resection of the left lateral segment of the liver 18 months earlier, was diagnosed with HCC. CT showed a nodule in the abdominal wall where the laparoscopic port had been inserted during resection. Local excision was performed, and histological examination revealed HCC consistent with recurrence after laparoscopic resection. The experience described in this report highlights the risk of port-site metastasis of HCC. Imaging for oncologic surveillance after laparoscopic resection must include all port sites.

Intra-Abdominal Complications after Curative Gastrectomies Worsen Prognoses of Patients with Stage II-III Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative complications have been shown to worsen prognoses of various cancer types. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 265 patients with stage II-III gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomies between 1991 and 2010 at Tottori University Hospital to determine the effect of postoperative intra-abdominal complication (IAC) on prognosis. RESULTS: Of the 265 patients, 38 (14.3%) developed postoperative IACs of grade ≥ 2, of whom significantly more patients were male. Patients in the IAC group were significantly older than patients in the non-complication (NC) group. The NC group had significantly better survival than did the IAC group (P < 0.0001). Within the IAC group, 5-year survival rates did not significantly differ between patients with infectious complication subgroup (24.6%) and the non-infectious subgroup (46.2%). Grade of complication was not related to prognosis. Lengths of time before starting adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) after surgery were significantly longer for the IAC group (55.3 ± 34.7 days) than for the NC group: (26.6 ± 11.9 days; P = 0.0023). Prognosis of patients who took AC within 6 weeks after surgery tended to be better than that of patients who took AC > 6 weeks after surgery (P = 0.071). In multivariate analysis, IAC was an independent predictor of prognosis, as were age, invasion depth, and lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: Postoperative IACs were related to poorer survival for patients with stage II-III gastric cancer.

Prognostic Benefits of Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy for Thoracic Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Thoracoscopic esophagectomy has been introduced to reduce postsurgical pulmonary complications in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs). However, the survival benefit of this procedure has not been well examined. In the present study, we retrospectively investigated the clinical outcomes of thoracoscopic esophagectomy in patients with operable thoracic ESCCs. METHODS: Eighty-four patients were enrolled in this study. They were diagnosed with resectable clinical stage I-III thoracic ESCCs and underwent thoracic esophageal resection with three-field lymph node dissection at Tottori University Hospital between January 2007 and December 2013. Occurrence of postoperative complications, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the open thoracotomy group and the thoracoscopic esophagectomy group. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients underwent the thoracoscopic method, while 38 underwent the open method. Morbidity was 42.9% and mortality was 2.4%. The thoracoscopic method showed a lower occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications. The 5-year DFSs of the two groups were not different. However, the 5-year OS of patients in the thoracoscopic method group was superior to that of those in the open method. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracoscopic esophagectomy for thoracic ESCCs is technically feasible and the low rate of postoperative pulmonary complications may prolong the OS of patients.

Predictive factors for recurrence in T2N0 and T3N0 gastric cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Adjuvant chemotherapy is an indispensable component of treatment for preventing recurrence in advanced gastric cancer patients after macroscopically complete tumor resection (R0). However, the efficacy of this treatment for patients with T2N0 and T3N0 gastric cancer is not well characterized. METHODS: This study examined 1019 T1, 126 T2N0, and 67 T3N0 gastric adenocarcinoma patients who underwent gastrectomies at our institution between 1975 and 2005 to determine the predictive factors for recurrence in T2N0 and T3N0 gastric cancer patients. RESULTS: Among 193 T2N0 and T3N0 patients, 14 patients (7.3 %) have recurred. The prevalence of ly2/3 and v2/3 was significantly higher in patients with recurrence compared with those without recurrence. The prognosis for either T2N0 or T3N0 gastric cancer patients was significantly worse than that for T1 gastric cancer patients. Multivariate analysis indicated that lymphatic and blood vessel invasion were independent prognostic indicators in T2N0 and T3N0 gastric cancer patients. Ten-year survival rates for T2N0 and T3N0 gastric cancer patients with both ly2/3 and v2/3, with either ly2/3 or v2/3, and without ly2/3 and v2/3 were 42.9, 86.1, and 96.7 %, respectively. T2N0 and T3N0 gastric cancer patients with both ly2/3 and v2/3 had a significantly worse prognosis than that of patients with either ly2/3 or v2/3 and those without ly2/3 and v2/3. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that T2N0 and T3N0 patients with both ly2/3 and v2/3 have a high risk of recurrence. Therefore, adjuvant chemotherapy should be administered to these patients.

Nicotine enhances the malignant potential of human pancreatic cancer cells via activation of atypical protein kinase C.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the most lethal malignancy among solid tumors, and the most common risk factor for its development is cigarette smoking. Atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) isozymes function in cell polarity, proliferation, and survival, and have also been implicated in carcinogenesis. However, the involvement of aPKC in PC progression and the effect of nicotine, a major component of cigarette smoke, on the biological activities of aPKC remain to be fully elucidated. METHODS: We investigated the effects of nicotine on the proliferation, migration and invasion of the human PC cell lines Panc1 and BxPC3. We analyzed aPKC localization and activity by immunohistochemistry and in vitro kinase assays, respectively, to assess their involvement in the regulation of PC progression. Moreover, we examined the effect of nicotine on implanted peritoneal tumors of PC cells in mice. RESULTS: Nicotine enhanced cell proliferation, migration and invasion in Panc1 and BxPC3 cells. In nicotine-treated PC cells, the aPKC was significantly activated. We also found that nicotine induced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signal activation, and a specific inhibitor of the nicotine acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) as well as knockdown of nAChR prevented nicotine-mediated Akt phosphorylation and aPKC activation. In a peritoneal dissemination model of PC, nicotine-treated mice had larger tumors and increased numbers of nodules. Immunohistochemistry showed enhanced expression levels of aPKC and phosphorylated Akt in nodules from nicotine-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS AND GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Nicotine induces aberrant activation of aPKC via nAChR/PI3K signaling in PC cells, resulting in enhancement of cellular proliferation, migration and invasion.

Glasgow prognostic score and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio are good prognostic indicators after radical neck dissection for advanced squamous cell carcinoma in the hypopharynx.

PURPOSE: Locally advanced carcinomas arising in the hypopharynx have been traditionally treated by resection of the hypopharynx, larynx, and cervical esophagus. However, the prognosis of these patients is still low. In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed the long-term survival of patients with locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) reconstructed by jejunal graft. METHODS: Between 2004 and 2014, 68 patients with HSCC were treated at Tottori University Hospital. Nine patients with synchronous esophageal cancer were excluded. We analyzed the overall survival of 59 patients with clinical stage III and IV HSCC who underwent pharyngo-laryngo-cervical esophagectomy with definitive tracheostomy followed by free jejunal graft reconstruction. Additionally, prognostic significances of preoperative patients' Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and prognostic nutritional index were analyzed. RESULTS: Postoperative complications occurred in 18.6 % of 59 patients. There were no cases of graft loss, and no patient died from complications. Preoperative poor performance status of patients was a risk factor for postoperative complications. The 5-year overall survival rate of the 59 patients was 46.1 %, and the median survival time was 28 months. In univariate and multivariate survival analyses, high GPS (1 or 2), and high NLR (≥5) were recognized as independent poor prognostic markers for patients with HSCCs. CONCLUSIONS: Pharyngo-laryngo-cervical esophagectomy followed by free jejunal reconstruction was performed safely. Additional treatment, such as chemoradiotherapy, should be introduced for patients with high preoperative GPS or NLR after curative operation.

Role of Surgery in the Management for Gastric Cancer with Synchronous Distant Metastases.

Optimal treatment of patients with gastric cancer with synchronous distant metastases is palliative chemotherapy. However, occasionally gastrectomy should be selected due to control bleeding from tumors, perforation, or obstruction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the survival benefits of non-curative gastrectomy for patients with synchronous distant metastasis. Total 78 gastric cancer patients with synchronous distant metastasis treated in our hospital between 2003 and 2012 were enrolled in this study. Of these, 74 patients (95 %) received S1 based chemotherapy. During the treatment, 37 patients (47.4 %) underwent palliative gastrectomy because of bleeding from tumors (n = 15), tumor perforation (n = 6), and obstruction (n = 16). Survival benefits were compared in resected and non-resected patients, retrospectively. The two groups were clinicopathologically similar. Palliative gastrectomy was performed safely (morbidity: 10.8 % and mortality: 0) in resection group. However, resection showed survival benefits only in 13 patients (16.7 %) with single metastasis and without peritoneal metastasis. Their 2-year survival rate was 40 % and their median survival was 19 months. Non-curative gastrectomy with precise surgical techniques followed careful postoperative nutrition management may improve survival only for patients with a single metastatic site, except for peritoneal dissemination.

A high number of IgG4-positive cells in gastric cancer tissue is associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis.

IgG4-related disease is a newly defined disease characterized by elevated serum IgG4 levels and infiltration of affected organs by IgG4-positive plasma cells. Recently, increased IgG4 levels were reported to be closely related with malignancy. To assess the relationship between IgG4 and the progression of gastric cancer, we immunohistochemically stained in this study gastric cancer tissue samples for IgG4-positive cells using an anti-IgG4 antibody. In addition, pre- and postoperative serum concentrations of IgG4 were measured, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In gastric cancer samples, the number of CD138-positive plasma cells was significantly lower and the number of IgG4-positive cells significantly higher than in non-cancerous gastric mucosa. The number of IgG4-positive cells was significantly correlated with gross tumor appearance, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, venous invasion, and lymphatic invasion. Prognosis was significantly poorer in patients with a high number of IgG4-positive cells than in those with a low number. Multivariate analysis indicated that both the number of IgG4-positive cells and the depth of tumor invasion were independently prognostic of survival. In conclusion, in gastric cancer, the number of IgG4-positive cells is increased and this is closely associated with gastric cancer progression.

Prognostic indicators based on inflammatory and nutritional factors after pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer.

PURPOSE: We evaluated prognostic indicators based on inflammatory and nutritional factors, namely, the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), to determine their efficiency and significance after pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 46 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer between October 2007 and December 2014. Patients were divided into preoperative mGPS (0/1 and 2), PNI (<40 and ≥40), NLR (<2.5 and ≥2.5), and PLR (<200 and ≥200) groups, to evaluate various perioperative outcomes. RESULTS: Hemoglobin concentrations were significantly lower (P = 0.019), whereas intra-abdominal bleeding was significantly higher (P = 0.040) in the PNI (<40) group than in the PNI (≥40) group. The incidence of postoperative pneumonia was significantly higher in the mGPS (2) group (P = 0.009), and surgical complications greater than grade 3 (Clavien-Dindo classification) were significantly increased in the NLR (≥2.5) group (P = 0.041). Overall survival rates in the PNI (<40) (P = 0.019), NLR (≥2.5) (P = 0.001), and PLR (≥200) (P < 0.001) groups were significantly lower than those in the other groups. The PLR was the only independent prognostic indicator (P = 0.002) according to multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The mGPS, PNI, and NLR were effective predictive indicators of postoperative complications. The PLR was the most useful prognostic indicator for pancreatic cancer patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

An increased number of PD-1+ and Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells is involved in immune evasion in gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: Co-signaling molecules play an important role in T cells. This study was designed to investigate PD-1 and Tim-3 expression on T cells and the relationships between PD-1 and Tim-3 expression and immune evasion in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: Using multicolor flow cytometry, we analyzed PD-1 and Tim-3 expression on CD8+ T cells obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and gastric cancer tissue. RESULTS: Significantly more PD-1+ and Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood were found in gastric cancer patients than in healthy controls. PD-1+ CD8+ T cells were significantly correlated with Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood from the gastric cancer patients (r = 0.29, p = 0.036). Furthermore, significantly greater numbers of PD-1+ and Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells were seen in the gastric cancer tissue samples than in the PBMCs. CD8+ T cells positive for both PD-1 and Tim-3 produced significantly less IFN-gamma than cells negative for both and cells positive for PD-1 and negative for Tim-3. CONCLUSION: An increased number of PD-1+ and Tim-3+ CD8+ T cells is closely related to impaired function of CD8+ T cells in gastric cancer patients.

Evaluation of prognostic markers for patients with curatively resected thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) are prognostic parameters for malignancies. Additionally, serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) and cytokeratin 19 fragments (CYFRA 21-1) are tumor markers for squamous cell carcinoma. In the present study, the prognostic importance of these markers in patients with resectable thoracic esophageal cancer was investigated. In this retrospective study, 84 enrolled patients diagnosed with resectable clinical stage I-III thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs) underwent thoracic esophageal resection and three-field lymph node dissection at Tottori University Hospital between January 2007 and December 2013. The correlations among preoperative patient markers (GPS, NLR, PNI, SCC-Ag and CYFRA 21-1) and the occurrence of postoperative complications and patient survival were analyzed. The operative mortality was 2.4%, and morbidity was 42.9%. Strong correlations between occurrence of postoperative complications and open thoracotomy (P=0.083) and high-serum CYFRA 21-1 (P=0.007) were observed. In 15 patients with high-serum CYFRA 21-1, postoperative complications were detected in 11 of them (73.3%); on the other hand, complications occurred in 25 of 69 (36.2%) with low-serum CYFRA 21-1. The 5-year disease-free survival rate and 5-year overall survival rate of all the patients were 52.2 and 50.8%, respectively. Among the prognostic parameters, preoperative high NLR was determined to be a poor prognostic factor, independent of the tumor stage in the multivariate analysis. These results may indicate that, in patients with preoperative high-serum CYFRA 21-1, more attention should be paid to the occurrence of postoperative complications. Therefore, in such cases, anastomosis between blood vessels of the substitute esophagus and cervical vessels would be recommended. Furthermore, in patients with high preoperative NLR, effective adjuvant chemoradiotherapy should be considered to prolong the patients' survival, even of stage I or II patients.

TSLP Expression and High Serum TSLP Level Indicate a Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays an important role in promoting tumor survival, by manipulating the immune response and angiogenesis. However, the clinical significance of TSLP in gastric cancer is unclear. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate TSLP expression in non-cancerous gastric mucosa and gastric cancer tissue from patients with gastric cancer. Serum TSLP levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Tumors with TSLP expression were significantly larger than those without TSLP expression. TSLP expression was observed more frequently in advanced (T2/T3/T4) than in early (T1) gastric cancer and in stage 3/4 than in stage 1/2. Lymph node metastasis, liver metastasis, positive peritoneal lavage cytology, lymphatic invasion, and vascular invasion occurred significantly more often in TSLP-expressing than in non-expressing tumors. The prognosis of patients with TSLP-positive tumors was significantly worse than that of patients with TSLP-negative tumors. Patients with high serum TSLP concentrations also had a significantly worse prognosis than those with low concentrations. Multivariate analysis identified serum TSLP level as an independent prognostic indicator. CONCLUSION: TSLP is closely related to the progression of gastric cancer and may predict survival in these patients.