[Long-Term Suppression with First-Line Chemotherapy(FOLFIRI plus BV)for Peritoneal Metastasis].

A 72-year-old man underwent right hemicolectomy for transverse colon cancer(pT4aN1aM0, Stage ⅢB), after which he received adjuvant chemotherapy(capecitabine plus oxaliplatin[CAPOX])for 6 months. Three years after the first surgery, FDG-PET/CT revealed a tumor in the abdomen. He underwent a tumorectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy(CAPOX plus bevacizumab[BV])performed for 6 months. Two years after a tumorectomy, the CEA level rose again. He was diagnosed peritoneal metastasis again. A central venous(CV)port was implanted for access to the right internal jugular vein, and he received systemic chemotherapy(fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and irinotecan[FOLFIRI]plus BV)as an outpatient. One year after this recurrence, no peritoneal dissemination was detected by CT. Thereafter, total 49 courses of FOLFIRI plus BV were introduced, but chemotherapy was discontinued due to CV port-related infection. Three months later, low back pain appeared and became a diagnosis of spondylodiscitis. He had surgery, but follow-up CT performed 8 years after the first surgery detected multiple liver metastasis. It was considered necessary to take infection control measures during long-term chemotherapy.

[Three Cases of Conversion Surgery Resulted in Pathological Complete Response for Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer].

Conversion surgery(CS)post chemotherapy for unresectable pancreatic cancer is often reported recently. Although it is still controversial about adaptation of CS, it could possibly be one of the useful choices of treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancer. We report 3 cases of CS which eventually turned out to be pathological complete response.

[A Case of Jejunal Ectopic Pancreas Incidentally Found in Laparoscopic Rectal Cancer Surgery].

In laparoscopic surgery, intraabdominal examination is occasionally difficult due to restriction of operative field and palpation. This is a case report of a jejunal ectopic pancreas which was incidentally found during laparoscopic surgery. A 49-year- old male underwent endoscopic mucosal resection for a rectal polyp which pathologically resulted in 5,000 µm invasion in submucosa and lymphatic invasion. Laparoscopic low anterior resection was planned for the patient as an additional treatment. During the surgery, irregular shaped tumor-like lesion was incidentally found in jejunum which was located 30 cm distal side from the ligament of Treitz. Partial resection of jejunum was also performed for pathological diagnosis. Resected jejunal lesion was pathologically diagnosed as an ectopic pancreas of Heinrich classification type Ⅰ. Ectopic pancreas is defined as pancreatic tissue which is discontinuous to pancreas, asymptomatic in most cases, but some reported cases of pancreatitis, forming fistula or cancerous change. Reporting with some literature review.

[A Case of Descending Colon Cancer with Virchow and Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis].

A 72-year-old man was referred to our department with suspected intestinal obstruction. CT showed irregular descending colon wall thickening. Lower endoscopy showed severe descending colon stenosis. Biopsy results were group 1. FDG accumulation of significant SUV was found in the lymph nodes on the left supraclavicular region, left axilla, right mediastinum, posterior part of the right diaphragmatic leg, around the abdominal aorta, and in the liver. The accumulation in the descending colon was not definitely neoplastic. Consequently of left axillary lymph node biopsy, axillary lymph node metastasis of colorectal cancer was suspected, and laparoscopic left semicolon resection was performed. Among the simultaneous distant colorectal cancer metastases, Virchow's and left axillary lymph node metastases are extremely rare(0.1%). We report a case of descending colon cancer with simultaneous Virchow's and left axillary lymph node metastases, with some literature discussion.

[A Case of Meningeal Carcinomatosis of Gastric Cancer Successfully Controlled with Nab-Paclitaxel].

We report a 76-year-old woman with meningeal carcinomatosis after gastric cancer surgery. During adjuvant chemotherapy, metastasis to the left axillary and Virchow's lymph node was suspected. A resection biopsy revealed gastric cancer metastasis, and PTX plus RAM therapy was started. Due to RAM adverse events, the treatment was changed to weekly nab- PTX, which was continued for about 6 months. During the 8th course, she was hospitalized due to worsening headache and lightheadedness. Meningeal carcinomatosis was diagnosed by cytology of CSF examination and MRI findings. She died on the 16th day after admission. Meningeal carcinomatosis has a rapidly progressive course with poor prognosis. This case shows nab-PTX may have been able to control the progression.

An ectopic thymoma arising in the middle mediastinum that was difficult to distinguish from a lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Ectopic thymomas often occur in the upper mediastinum; however, they rarely arise in the middle mediastinum, especially on the dorsal side of the innominate vein and superior vena cava in the peribronchial region. CASE PRESENTATION: Six years prior, a 27-year-old female presented to our department and was diagnosed with locally advanced left breast cancer. First, we administered chemotherapy including an anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 antibody. The size of the tumor was markedly reduced, and a radical operation involving mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection was then performed. The patient underwent radiotherapy after the mastectomy, followed by trastuzumab therapy; she continued to receive endocrine therapy thereafter. She underwent computed tomography once a year after the surgery, and a nodule in the middle mediastinum on the dorsal side of the innominate vein and superior vena cava in the parabronchial region was detected at 4 years. We speculated that the nodule was a solitary mediastinal lymph node metastasis from her breast cancer; therefore, we performed thoracoscopic resection of the tumor. We diagnosed the tumor as a thymoma. Currently, the patient visits our hospital to receive continuous hormone therapy for her breast cancer, and the latest computed tomography scan demonstrated no metastases from or recurrence of her breast cancer or thymoma. CONCLUSIONS: We report a case of ectopic thymoma in the middle mediastinum. The tumor, which was detected during systemic therapy for locally advanced breast cancer, was located on the dorsal side of the innominate vein and superior vena cava in the parabronchial region and was indistinguishable from a lymph node metastasis from breast cancer.

[A Case Report of Carcinoma of the Appendix Which Was Diagnosed with Ascites One Year after Appendicitis Operation].

A 68-year-old man visited our hospital in October 201X, giving abdominal bloating as his primary symptom. We found tenderness at McBurney's point, high WBC values from a blood test, and swelling of the appendix in a CT scan, so he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis. On the same day, he had an emergency laparoscopic appendectomy, and he made good progress and was discharged from the hospital on the fourth day after the surgery. In the histopathological examination, he was diagnosed with acute gangrenous appendicitis and examination was concluded. August of the following year, ascites accumulation was found by CT scan, and he was introduced to the department of gastroenterology of this hospital for further testing. Lower endoscopy showed swelling of the appendix root, and he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in the biopsy. A CT scan found increased granular concentration in the omentum. Because of a diagnosis of appendix cancer/peritoneal dissemination, he underwent laparoscopic examination in October. Nodules were found scattered in the small intestinal mesentery and the omentum, and peritoneal dissemination was suspected during intraoperative rapid diagnosis. The operation was concluded with only laparoscopic examination. Because of the diagnosis of appendix cancer/peritoneal dissemination, mFOLFOX6 plus bevacizumab was implemented. Primary appendix cancer is a relatively rare disease, often diagnosed after surgery for appendicitis, reported of here 0.03% to 0.5% of cases undergoing appendectomy. We report a case of primary appendix cancer diagnosed 1 year after appendectomy, with the discussion of the literature.

[A Case of Neuroendocrine Tumor of the Second Part of the Duodenum].

A 69-year-old woman was referred to our hospital when the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed by the previous physician for detailed examination of upper abdominal discomfort indicated a duodenal tumor. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor with a central depression in the descending part of the duodenum. Contrast- enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen revealed a 23 mm tumor with contrast effect in the descending part of the duodenum contralateral to the Vater papilla. There was no lymphadenopathy or distant metastasis. Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor was suspected, and localized duodenectomy was planned. Intraoperative findings showed that the tumor was located in the descending part contralateral to the Vater papilla with no evidence of surrounding invasion. Localized duodenectomy was performed, and on intraoperative rapid histopathological examination, an adenocarcinoma was suspected. As a result, the surgery was changed into pancreaticoduodenectomy. Based on the results of immunostaining, neuroendocrine tumor grade 2 was diagnosed. No lymph node metastasis was observed. The patient did not have recurrence of lesion 7 months after surgery.

[A Case of Long-Term Survival in a Patient with Advanced Gastric Cancer with Virchow's Lymph Node Metastasis Which Received Multidisciplinary Treatment].

We report a case of long-term survival in a 75-year-old male with advanced gastric cancer and Virchow's lymph node metastasis[cT3N3M1(LYM)H0P0, cStage Ⅳ]which received multidisciplinary treatment. Over 1 year and 6 months, 5 courses of S-1 plus CDDP, 14 courses of S-1 plus docetaxel, and 3 courses of S-1 plus CPT-11 were administered. Following chemotherapy, FDG-PET/CT showed FDG uptake only in the primary tumor and regional lymph nodes. Total gastrectomy and D2 dissection were performed. The pathological diagnosis was Type 5, 55×50 mm, L, Less, tub1>tub2, T3, int, INF b, ly2, v1, pPM0, pDM0, pN2(3/29), HER2(-). S-1 was used as adjuvant chemotherapy. Four years and 7 months after resection, cervical lymph node swelling was detected. The cervical lymph node was resected, followed by radiotherapy administration(56 Gy/28 Fr). No relapse occurred, and the patient has survived more than 7 years and 1 month and 8 years and 11 months after conversion surgery and diagnosis, respectively.

[A Case Report of Accessory Breast Cancer in the Right Axillary Region].

An 80-year-old woman visited a previous hospital complaining of a lump in the right axillary region. Because it was suspected of accessory breast cancer from the findings of image inspection, she was referred for surgery. Based on mammography and ultrasonography, both bilateral mammary glands were reported normal, but an irregular mass was found in the right axillary region. Resection biopsy showed adenocarcinoma like invasive ductal carcinoma. In addition, ER and PgR were positive. With a preoperative diagnosis of accessory breast cancer, she underwent wide local resection of the right axillary region with lymph-node dissection(Level Ⅰ), and local pedicle flap formation. Histopathological findings revealed that the tumor was composed of invasive ductal carcinoma. The center of tumor was consisted of ductal tissue discontinuous with normal mammary gland. So, a diagnosis of accessory breast cancer in the right axillary region was confirmed. She is currently in recurrence-free survival. Accessory breast cancer is relatively rare. We report a case of accessory breast cancer in the axillary region with some review of the literature.

[A Case Report of Long-Term Survival of Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Mohs Paste and Systemic Therapy].

The patient was a 75-year-old woman who had experienced left breast cancer(BT plus AX)in 1988. Local recurrences in the skin of the left chest wall appeared and were treated with operation, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy. Twenty-four years later, she developed continuous bleeding due to skin metastasis of the breast cancer and received Mohs chemosurgery and continued systemic therapy. After using Mohs paste 10 times, the skin surface healed and dried up. Improving the quality of life of patients with several symptoms such as skin cancer or metastatic skin lesions is essential in multidisciplinary therapy and Mohs paste was useful for the local control of the unresectable skin lesion.

An improvement in the quality of life after performing endoscopic balloon dilation for postoperative anastomotic stricture of the rectum.

A 55-year-old woman underwent a low anterior resection for rectal cancer 7 years earlier at a different hospital. Thereafter, she often had such symptoms as abdominal pain, frequent bowel movements, and constipation. We considered postoperative bowel adhesion to be the cause of these symptoms, and a laparoscopic adhesiotomy was therefore performed twice. However, the symptoms did not substantially improve thereafter. A colonoscope of conventional diameter could barely pass through the anastomotic site of the operation, but we initially judged the anastomotic stricture to not be severe. However, we finally determined the anastomotic stricture to be the cause of these symptoms; X-ray examinations frequently showed the blockage of feces or the collection of gas images in the colon when the symptoms occurred. We therefore performed endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) after performing electroincision of the scar tissue of the anastomotic ring. We dilated the area of the lesion to a diameter of 20 mm using the EBD technique, and thereafter the patient finally showed an improvement in quality of life. There have been some reports describing the usefulness of EBD for the treatment of colorectal anastomotic stricture. Past studies have reported the indications of EBD to include stricture, which is defined as a narrowed anastomosis through which a 12-mm-diameter colonoscope cannot be passed. Nevertheless, it seemed that when the clinical manifestations of anastomotic stricture are clear, such as those observed in our case, we should not too strictly adhere to this definition.

Identification of neovasculature using nestin in colorectal cancer.

CD34 is commonly used as an endothelial cell marker of tumor vessels. However, this marker detects not only newly formed, but also pre-existing large blood vessels. Nestin, a class VI intermediate filament protein, has recently received attention as a marker for detecting newly formed endothelial cells. In this study, whether nestin is a novel angiogenesis marker in colorectal cancer was examined. HCT-15, a human colon cancer cell line, was subcutaneously implanted into the dorsum of nude mice. After the tumor grew, the mice were perfused with fluorescent beads (Fluospheres). Then, the tumor tissues were used for immunofluorescence staining using nestin and the CD34 antibody. Immunohistochemistry was performed with nestin and CD34 on 101 human colorectal cancer tissue samples. Proliferating endothelial cells were detected immunohistochemically by a proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) antibody. Clinicopathological factors and prognosis were compared between two groups: that with a microvessel density (MVD) higher than the median MVD and that with MVD lower than the median MVD, as detected by nestin and CD34 labellings. Nestin was localized in endothelial cells in small blood vessels (median, 9.06 microm), whereas CD34 was localized in large blood vessels (median, 9.67 microm) in nude mice. The diameter of nestin-positive vessels was smaller than that of CD34-positive vessels in human colorectal cancer. The number ratio of PCNA-positive cells to nestin-positive vascular endothelial cells was higher than that of PCNA-positive to CD34-positive cells (p=0.002). There were no correlations between nestin-positive blood vessels and clinicopathological factors, but the prognosis was worse in the highly nestin-positive MVD group (p=0.071). Nestin is considered a novel angiogenesis marker of proliferating endothelial cells in colorectal cancer tissue.

Lumican expression in advanced colorectal cancer with nodal metastasis correlates with poor prognosis.

Lumican is a member of a small leucine-rich proteoglycan family, and it is reportedly overexpressed in human breast cancer. The expression of lumican in the extracellular matrix in breast cancer is associated with a high tumor grade, low estrogen receptor levels and young age. Lumican expression has been previously reported in colorectal cancer, but the role of lumican in the tumor is not well understood. In this study, we examined the expression and role of lumican in advanced colorectal cancer. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 158 patients who underwent curative surgery for advanced colorectal cancer with lymph node metastasis. In the normal colorectal tissues, lumican immunoreactivity was observed in the fibroblasts and neural cells, but not in the colorectal epithelial cells. Lumican was localized in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells and its overexpression was detected in 99 of the 158 (62.7%) colorectal cancer patients. Clinicopathologically, there was no association of lumican expression with age, sex, histological typing, or venous and lymphatic invasion. However, lumican expression tended to correlate with the spread of lymph node metastasis and the depth of tumor invasion (p=0.136 and 0.135, respectively). Furthermore, the survival rate was significantly lower in patients with a high lumican expression level than in those with a low lumican expression level (p=0.048). These results indicate that lumican expression is a potential prognostic factor in patients with advanced colorectal cancer with nodal metastasis.

Successful emergency enterectomy for bleeding ileal varices in a patient with liver cirrhosis.

We report a rare case of bleeding ileal varices successfully treated with emergency enterectomy. A 72-year old woman with hepatic cirrhosis due to hepatitis C was admitted to our hospital because of anemia and hematochezia. An endoscopic examination showed no evidence of bleeding in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts. Angiographic studies of portal hemodynamics revealed extravasation from the ileal varices and total occlusion of the portal vein due to portal thrombus. This made it difficult to remove the ileal varices using interventional radiology. Therefore, the patient underwent emergency enterectomy for the ileal varices. No further gastrointestinal bleeding occurred during the 1-year follow-up.

Neuroendocrine cell differentiation of poorly differentiated colorectal adenocarcinoma correlates with liver metastasis.

Poorly differentiated (PD) adenocarcinoma often retains the capacity for neuroendocrine (NE) cell differ-entiation; however, it is difficult to distinguish the NE cell differentiation by routine hematoxylin and eosin staining. It is important to detect the presence of NE cell differentiation in advanced colorectal carcinomas because these carcinomas have been shown to produce distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis and to have a particularly poor prognosis. In this study, the characteristics of PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation and its biological metastatic mechanisms were investigated. Forty-eight of 2204 colorectal cancer patients, diagnosed as having PD adenocarcinoma (2.2%) were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed with anti-chromogranin A anti-synaptophysin, anti-CD34, anti-D2-40, and anti-VEGF antibodies. The clinicopathological factors for PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation were compared with those for PD adenocarcinoma without NE cell differentiation. Microvessel density (MVD) was assessed using immunostained slides with anti-CD34 antibody and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation was confirmed by in situ hybridization. By immunohistochemical staining for chromogranin A and synaptophysin, NE cell differentiation was detected in eight of 48 patients (16.7%) with PD adenocarcinoma. The frequency of liver metastasis at the time of diagnosis was significantly higher in patients having PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation (p=0.03). Moreover, MVD and VEGF expression level tended to be higher in patients having PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation (p=0.13 and 0.068, respectively). NE cell differentiation in PD adenocarcinoma may produce liver metastasis through microvessel formation in the tumor induced by VEGF. In PD colorectal adenocarcinoma, immunohistochemical analysis of NE markers is important for establishing the presence of NE cell differentiation and further study is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-angiogenic drugs to PD adenocarcinoma with NE cell differentiation.

Inflammatory pseudotumor in the Spiegel lobe of the liver of an elderly woman.

We describe an inflammatory tumor in the Spiegel lobe of the liver of an 81-year-old woman. The patient was referred to our hospital for evaluation of a fever of over 39 degrees C and upper abdominal pain. Both conditions had persisted for five days in spite of antibiotic treatment. Initial laboratory tests revealed a serum C-reactive protein concentration of 20.9 mg/dL and white blood cell count of 15,500/microL. Abdominal ultrasound showed a hypoechoic lesion measuring 4 cm in diameter in the Spiegel lobe of the liver. A follow-up abdominal ultrasound revealed that the hypoechoic lesion was not decreased in size. Computed tomography showed a moderate-to-high-density area in the arterial phase and a low-density area in the Spiegel lobe on delayed phase. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a faint low-intensity lesion on T1-weighted imaging and moderate-to-high-intensity lesion on T2-weighted imaging in the Spiegel lobe. Angiography showed a slight hypervascularity in the area of the Spiegel lobe. Antibiotics and nu-globulin were commenced soon after admission and the fever gradually improved. Ultrasound-guided liver biopsy revealed that the hepatic parenchyma was almost completely replaced by dense hyalinized fibrous tissue and inflammatory cells. These findings were construed to indicate a benign lesion, but the tumor remained unchanged. Malignant disease could not be completely ruled out. Segment 1 of the liver was resected. Macroscopic examination of the resected specimen revealed a gray, fibrotic, solid tumor. The border of the tumor was well-circumscribed but not encapsulated. Microscopically, the tumor showed a marked fibrotic background with infiltration by a mixed population of lymphocytes, plasma cells, histiocytes, and reactive, plump spindle cells. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient has remained well in the 10 months since the resection without recurrence.