Hemostatic Effect of Palliative Radiation Therapy in Preventing Blood Transfusions from Bleeding Occurring within Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: To report the hemostatic effects of palliative radiation therapy (RT) for the prevention of blood transfusions (BT) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Methods and Materials: Twenty-eight patients who received palliative three-dimensional conformal RT for hemostasis of gastric bleeding were retrospectively assessed in a study conducted in Japan. The median follow-up was 143.5 days. Changes in hemoglobin (Hb) levels were compared at the beginning of RT and four weeks later. Blood transfusion-free survival (BTFS) and overall survival (OS) were measured from the beginning of RT. Treatment toxicity was evaluated within 60 days of RT initiation. Results: No statistically significant decrease in Hb level was observed four weeks after RT. Twenty-eight patients did not receive BT within a month after RT, of whom three died within a month; 6/28 patients (21%) received BT at a median interval of 99.5 days following RT. The one-year BTFS and OS rates for all patients were 69% and 12%, respectively. The one-year BTFS was statistically significantly higher in 17 patients treated with a biologically effective dose (BED)10 of 39 Gy (30 Gy in 10 fractions) (78%) compared with six patients treated with a BED10 of 48 Gy (40 Gy in 20 fractions) (25%). Grade 1 and 2 nausea (n = 11) and a Grade 2 increase in alanine aminotransferase (n = 1) were observed. One patient died of Grade 5 hemorrhage. Conclusions: Palliative RT is an effective treatment to prevent BT for bleeding occurring within AGC. Specifically, a fractionation regimen of 30 Gy in 10 fractions (a BED10 of 39 Gy) has a more durable hemostatic effect and thus should be considered for better prognosis.

Twelve years survival with repeated hepatectomy and lung resection for metastasis from carcinoma of the papilla of Vater after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

We present a 60-year-old woman who underwent three times hepatectomy and lung resection for metastasis originating from a carcinoma of the papilla of Vater after pancreaticoduodenectomy with lymphadenectomy during 12 years. Pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed in 1980 and histological examination of original tumor revealed a stage IIA papillary adenocarcinoma (pT3, pN0, pM0). Repetitive hepatectomy underwent in 1986 (S7,8), 1988 (S2), 1991 (S4) and bilateral partial resection of lung (right S1, left S2.3) in 1990. She died from multiple skin, bone and lung metastases 12 years after pancreaticoduodenectomy. The current case is very rare, however, if patients with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater have localized liver metastases and no local recurrence, liver metastases should be resected to improve the chances for long-term survival.

Primary rectal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated with ulcerative colitis: a case report.

We need to be aware of primary intestinal lymphoproliferative disease (PILD) associated with ulcerative colitis (UC). We should carefully monitor UC patients, particularly patients who meet the following conditions; a previous Epstein-Barr virus infection, treatment duration ≧4 years, male, and age ≧50 years.

Nodal involvement as an indicator of postoperative liver metastasis in carcinoma of the papilla of Vater.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Although lymph node metastatic involvement is one of the most important prognostic factors for carcinoma of the papilla of Vater, a detailed analysis of this factor in relation to prognosis has not been conducted. METHODS: From 1985 to 2003, 29 patients with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and dissection of regional lymph nodes at Yamagata University Hospital. We analyzed clinicopathologic variables in relation to prognosis and precisely evaluated nodal involvement in each patient to determine lymphatic flow. Furthermore, the relationship between recurrent site and nodal involvement was investigated. RESULTS: The overall survival rate was 55% at 5 years. The significant prognostic factors were morphological ulcer formation (P = 0.04), histological type (P = 0.03), nodal involvement (P = 0.002), and lymphatic invasion (P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis indicated no independent factor, but nodal involvement may be the strongest prognostic factor. The overall rate of nodal involvement was 41.4% (12 of 29 patients). The metastatic rates in the superior posterior pancreaticoduodenal lymph nodes, the inferior posterior pancreaticoduodenal lymph nodes, the superior mesenteric lymph nodes, and paraaortic lymph nodes were high (31.0%, 20.7%, 17.2%, and 13.8%, respectively). Patients with nodal involvement had a significantly higher rate of liver metastasis after surgery than those without it (P = 0.02). Ulcer formation and histological type were significantly correlated with nodal involvement (P = 0.05 and P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Nodal involvement is the most important prognostic factor in patients with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater. Patients with nodal involvement are at high risk of liver metastasis; therefore, adjuvant therapy may be necessary for the control of liver metastasis. Preoperative ulcer formation and histological type in the biopsy specimen are good indicators for extended lymph node dissection and adjuvant therapy, because these variables are correlated with nodal involvement. However, our data revealed only the sites of the positive nodes, without addressing the effect of extended lymph node dissection and adjuvant chemotherapy. To date, there has been reporting of extended lymph node dissection and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with carcinoma of the papilla of Vater. Further studies will be necessary to resolve these problems.

The significance of intraoperative Doppler ultrasonography in evaluating hepatic arterial flow when assessing the indications for the Appleby procedure for pancreatic body cancer.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The Appleby procedure has been used in the surgical treatment of advanced gastric cancer. This procedure consists of a combined resection of the whole of the stomach, the body and tail of the pancreas, and the spleen, as well as resection of the celiac artery. This procedure can also be used for operative resection of cancer of the body of the pancreas. The hepatic arterial flow is supplied from the arcade of the supramesenteric artery. In the past, the extent of hepatic arterial flow after the celiac artery had been clamped was evaluated by finger palpation. However, this is not an objective method. METHODS: Here, we describe two patients with pancreatic body cancer, in one of whom the Appleby procedure was followed. However, in the other, this operation could not be performed because the residual blood supply to the liver would have been inadequate. The hepatic arterial flow was assessed using intraoperative Doppler ultrasonography (US) of the intrahepatic artery (arterial flow of segment 3). RESULTS: In case 1 (a 45-year-old man), the hepatic arterial flow prior to clamping of the celiac artery was 68.4 cm/s, and this flow was reduced to 22.1 cm/s after the clamping. The color and consistency of the liver surface remained good. Because there was adequate hepatic arterial flow after the celiac artery was clamped, the Appleby procedure was performed. However, in case 2 (a 65-year-old man), the hepatic arterial flow after the celiac artery had been clamped was reduced from 47.9 cm/s to 14.3 cm/s. The liver surface became dark and the liver shrank. In addition, there were various preoperative medical conditions in this patient. We decided not to proceed with the Appleby procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative Doppler US measurement of the hepatic arterial flow is a useful technique, particularly in combination with the assessment of the color and tension of the liver, the age of the patient, and the extent of preoperative comorbidity, in determining whether an Appleby procedure is feasible.

Intra- and postoperative radiation therapy for an alpha-fetoprotein-producing pancreatic carcinoma.

We describe an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing pancreatic cancer irradiated intra- and postoperatively. A 64-year-old man with a hypoechic lesion in the pancreatic head and body was referred to us. On admission, his serum AFP level was markedly elevated (441 ng/ml). Computed tomography showed a 65 x 35 mm diameter tumor in the pancreatic head and body. The tumor periphery was enhanced with contrast medium. Angiography revealed faint tumor staining. After laparotomy, curative resection was impossible, because several arteries were embedded in the metastatic lymph nodes. Core needle biopsy was performed. The tumor was irradiated intraoperatively (25 Gy; area, 8 cm(2)). The diagnosis was moderately to poorly differentiated pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining revealed AFP-positive cytoplasm in some cancer cells. The tumor shrunk significantly (longest axis, from 65 to 30 mm) after postoperative external beam radiation therapy (total, 40 Gy). The serum AFP level fell dramatically (from 441 to 2.5 ng/ml). However, distal gastrectomy for postradiation gastric ulceration was required. The patient did well without tumor regrowth or signs of liver or lymph node metastases 1 year 10 months after his first operation. In conclusion, we treated a rare AFP-producing pancreatic cancer with radiotherapy, which was effective. However, care is needed to avoid external beam radiation-induced gastrointestinal ulceration.