[Adenocarcinoma in the Lung Detected Due to the Development of Perforative Peritonitis Caused by Small Intestinal Metastasis-A Case Report].

Previous studies have reported that perforations of the small intestine caused by metastatic tumors prior to the diagnosis of primary lung cancer are very rare. A 79-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with acute lower abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography revealed intraperitoneal free air around the bowel wall thickening in the small intestine. The patient was diagnosed with acute peritonitis caused by perforation of the small intestine, and an emergency operation was performed. Laparotomy revealed perforation in the jejunum without any palpable tumor in the abdomen. Partial resection of the jejunum revealed an ulcerating lesion at the perforation site. Histological examination indicated small intestinal metastasis secondary to lung adenocarcinoma. Positron emission tomography performed after discharge showed a small reticular opacity with intense accumulation of FDG in the left lung. The patient was diagnosed with perforation of the small intestine metastasis secondary to lung adenocarcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful; the patient received chemotherapy, and is alive 6months after the operation.

[A Case of Trousseau Syndrome Complication during Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer].

The pathological condition which causes cerebrovascular disease through hypercoagulability associated with malignant tumors is known as Trousseau syndrome. Here, we report the case of a patient with Trousseau syndrome which developed as a complication during chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer. A 70-year-old woman with multiple lymph node metastases of gastric cancer underwent TS-1 plus CDDP chemotherapy before surgery. She had symptoms of left hemiparesis during the first course of chemotherapy. She was diagnosed with acute cerebralinfarction using brain MRI, and blood tests indicated hypercoagulability. Therefore, it was strongly suspected that she had Trousseau syndrome. A total of 2 courses of chemotherapy were administered, along with anticoagulation therapy with edoxaban. She exhibited improved paralysis and received a totalgastrectomy after chemotherapy. According to recent reports, more than 90% of patients with malignant tumors have hypercoagulability, and more than 50% of them have thromboembolisms. It is therefore essential to obtain early diagnosis and provide anticoagulation therapy for cerebral infarction, and to provide treatment against malignant diseases in patients with Trousseau syndrome.

[A Case That Was Complicated with Pulmonary Artery Thrombosis during Chemotherapy of the Regimen of CapeOX plus Bevacizumab against Recurrence of Colon Cancer].

An 80-year-old woman with peritoneal dissemination after laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for appendicular carcinoma (mucinous adenocarcinoma, pT4aN1M0, stage Ⅲa)underwent CapeOX plus bevacizumab chemotherapy. The patient achieved stable disease over 5 courses of the treatment. Subjective and objective symptoms were not observed; however, chest computed tomography findings revealed a thrombus in the pulmonary artery that was considered to be associated with bevacizumab. Chemotherapy was discontinued, and anticoagulation therapy was initiated with heparin and then switched to apixaban. The thrombus resolved with treatment, but the patient died following an increase in peritoneal dissemination. CapeOX plus bevacizumab is a recommended colon cancer treatment, and even though it is generally considered safe, the side effects of bevacizumab include relatively rare occurrences of gastrointestinal perforation or thrombosis. The frequency of pulmonary embolism associated with bevacizumab is approximately 0.1%, and fatalities have been reported. The possibility of asymptomatic thrombosis warrants regular monitoring of this serious side effect in patients receiving bevacizumab. Early detection and prompt antithrombotic treatment are necessary to ensure patient safety and continued disease management.

[A Case of a Laparoscopically Resected Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Stomach].

During treatment for sigmoid colon diverticulitis, a 72-year-old man underwent abdominal computed tomography, which revealed a gastric tumor that was approximately 40mm in diameter. He then underwent a detailed examination after the remission of diverticulitis. The gastric mucosa was found to be unremarkable on gastrointestinal endoscopy. On ultrasonic endoscopy, however, a hypoechoic mass of approximately 40mm in diameter was detected in the fourth layer of the gastric fornix and was believed to be a gastric submucosal tumor(SMT). The tumor was laparoscopically resected, and histological analysis of the tumor revealed a high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST, modified-Fletcher classification). In many cases, when subgastric SMTs are approximately 2-5 cm in diameter and are without obvious malignant findings on endoscopic or computed tomographic examinations, they are followed-up. However, some recent case reports describing treatments for high- or medium-risk groups of patients with small GISTs have been published. When a small submucosal gastric tumor is suspected to be GIST, we believe that laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive and effective method for the diagnosis and treatment of the tumor.

[A Giant Malignant Lymphoma of the Ileocecum Treated with Laparoscopic Surgery].

We experienced a case ofa giant malignant lymphoma ofthe ileocecum treated with laparoscopic surgery. A 78-year-old man presented with right flank pain. Lower endoscopy and abdominal computed tomography revealed a giant tumor in ileocecum. Biopsy results suggested malignant lymphoma or adenocarcinoma. We performed a laparoscopic ileocecal resection for definite diagnosis and treatment. The postoperative course was uneventful. The pathological diagnosis was malignant diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient underwent chemotherapy and is being followed. Laparoscopic surgery can be considered useful to resect gastrointestinal malignant lymphoma.

[A Giant Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasm Treated with Laparoscopic Surgery].

We encountered a case of giant appendiceal mucinous neoplasm that was treated with laparoscopic surgery. The patient was a 77-year-old man with constipation. Lower endoscopy demonstrated a giant SMT-like tumor in the cecum, and abdominal computed tomography revealed a giant appendiceal mucinous neoplasm and nearby lymph nodes swelling. Hematological examination showed an elevated serum CEA level. We performed laparoscopic ileocecal resection for a definite diagnosis and treatment. The postoperative course was uneventful. The pathological diagnosis was low-grade appendicealmucinous neoplasm(LAMN). Laparoscopic surgery can be considered safe for the resection of appendicealmucinous neoplasm when it is performed with a carefulsurgicalapproach.

Case involving long-term survival after esophageal cancer with liver and lung metastases treated by multidisciplinary therapy: report of a case.

A 57-year-old male with lower esophageal cancer underwent subtotal esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy. The histopathological diagnosis was poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, pT2N1M0 pStageIIB. After one course of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy involving low-dose CDDP/5FU, a PET-CT scan obtained 12 months after surgery revealed a solitary liver metastasis in the S2 area. The patient then underwent five courses of docetaxel chemotherapy (80 mg/body, tri-weekly), and a partial response was observed. We also performed radiofrequency ablation (RFA), after which a complete response was observed. Twenty months after surgery, we detected local liver recurrence in the same position and performed additional RFA. Twenty-four months after surgery, a solitary lung metastasis was detected in the left S2 area and the patient was administered five additional courses of docetaxel therapy. Subsequently, PET-CT revealed growth of lung and liver tumors without recurrence in other areas. Twenty-nine months after surgery, we partially excised metastatic liver and lung tumors, and no subsequent recurrence has since been detected. The prognoses of patients who suffer from esophageal cancer organ recurrence are known to be extremely poor, and optimal therapeutic strategies for treating these patients have not been established. This long-term survival case suggests that multidisciplinary therapy for the treatment of liver and lung recurrence after esophagectomy is effective.

Evaluation of lymph node metastasis in patients with gastric cancer: a comparison of the directionality of lymph node metastasis and the total number of metastatic lymph nodes.

PURPOSE: The clinical impact of the directionality of lymph node (LN) metastasis was assessed in comparison with the staging by the Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma (JCGC), a numerical LN staging system. METHODS: Two hundred forty-one gastric cancer patients who were diagnosed pathologically to have LN metastasis, and 54 patients who underwent preoperative multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) with an image thickness of 1 mm were classified into three groups (unidirectional [Uni-], bidirectional [Bi-], and tridirectional [Tri-] groups) depending on the directionality of their LN metastasis. RESULTS: The prognosis of the Uni-group was better than that of the Bi- or the Tri-group when assessed on the basis of the pathological findings of metastatic LN and also the preoperative MDCT findings. The exact preoperative evaluation was 70.2 % for the directionality system and 61.7 % for the JCGC system, respectively. The stages were less frequently underestimated by the directionality system than the JCGC system (P < 0.02, 19.1 vs. 34.0 %), and the staging could be more precisely performed by both systems in combination. CONCLUSIONS: More precise preoperative evaluation of disease stage could be obtained by the directionality system and the JCGC system in combination.

Clinicopathologic features and risk factors for extrahepatic recurrences of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to clarify the clinicopathologic features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with extrahepatic metastasis after the removal of primary HCC, and the risk factors of extrahepatic recurrence. METHODS: Clinicopathologic data were available for 264 HCC patients who underwent an R0 resection for HCC. Twenty-six patients who developed extrahepatic recurrence during the follow-up period (EXT group) were compared with patients who remained free from recurrence for at least 5 years after resection (n = 46) (No R group) or had only intrahepatic recurrences (n = 193) (INT group). We also estimated the risk factors of extrahepatic recurrence and survival in these 26 patients. RESULTS: There were significant differences in primary tumor size, patient's age, findings in the noncancerous portion, macroscopic type, ductal invasion, intrahepatic metastasis, hepatic involvement and curability of primary tumor, treatment for recurrent tumor, and prognosis between the EXT group and the other groups. Extrahepatic recurrence was significantly associated with six factors by univariate analyses: age, indocyanine green (ICG) 15-min retention rate, tumor size, hepatic involvement of primary tumor, type of hepatectomy, and TNM stage, of which tumor size was an independent risk factor. Resection of recurrent tumor was the only independent favorable factor for survival of patients with extrahepatic recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: HCC patients with extrahepatic recurrence had advanced primary tumors and poor prognosis. HCC patients with primary tumors larger than 60 mm were predicted to develop extrahepatic recurrence. Resection of recurrent tumor can improve the prognosis of HCC patients with extrahepatic recurrence.

Use of multidetector-row computed tomography to evaluate branch duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: influence on surgical decision-making.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors predictive of the malignant grade associated with branch duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (BD-IPMN) using multidetectorrow computed tomography (MDCT). METHODOLOGY: We reviewed the morphological features of 26 BDIPMNs using MDCT. Tumor size, caliber of the main pancreatic duct, number of mural nodules, diameter of the largest mural nodule and volume of the largest mural nodule were assessed and correlated with the pathological findings. RESULTS: By multiple- and single-regression analyses and Mann-Whitney U test, significant differences in the caliber of the main pancreatic duct and number of mural nodules were observed between adenoma and non-invasive carcinoma and in the number of mural nodules between adenoma and invasive carcinoma. No significant differences were observed between non-invasive carcinoma and invasive carcinoma. Based on the differential diagnostic criterion of 1 or more mural nodules for distinguishing adenoma from non-invasive carcinoma and invasive carcinoma, the sensitivities were 60% and 100%, respectively, and the specificity was 93% for both. CONCLUSIONS: Although it was impossible to distinguish non-invasive carcinoma from invasive carcinoma, MDCT was reliable for distinguishing adenoma from non-invasive carcinoma and invasive carcinoma.

Total pancreatectomy for pancreatic carcinoma: evaluation of safety and efficacy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To determine the safety and the efficacy of total pancreatectomy for the curative treatment of pancreatic carcinoma. METHODOLOGY: Retrospective analysis was performed using 10 patients receiving total pancreatectomy. RESULTS: The median duration of the operative procedure was 8.7 hours and the median estimated blood loss was 2,700mL. Seven patients developed postoperative complications, including infections in 5 cases. There was no death associated with the operative procedure itself. Median period of postoperative hospital stay was 55 days. Anastomotic ulcer was prevented by administration of proton- pump inhibitors. Blood glucose level was well controlled by subcutaneous injection of sliding scale insulin during the postoperative period and the dosage of insulin required was 0.45±0.13units/kg body weight/ day at the time of discharge. The mean HbA1c level at 3 months after the operation was 6.1%. Four patients needed medication with anti-diarrheal drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Total pancreatectomy could be performed safely and postoperative daily performance was reasonable with effective medication. We suggest that total pancreatectomy should be considered for the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma when the patient status is appropriate for this procedure.

A case of a superficial carcinoma of the esophagus with isolated lymph node metastasis around the abdominal aorta.

Superficial carcinoma of the esophagus with isolated para-aortic lymph node metastasis is quite rare. A 56-year-old female demonstrated a type 0-IIa+IIb lesion in the middle thoracic esophagus on endoscopic examination. Enhanced computed tomography and positron emission tomography demonstrated two swollen lymph nodes on the right side of the inferior vena cava, but did not demonstrate either a primary lesion or regional lymph node metastasis. A retroperitoneal videoscopic lymph node biopsy was thus performed, and the histopathological diagnosis was metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma. Induction chemotherapy was administered with cisplatin/5-FU, and followed by definitive chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin/5-FU plus 60 Gy radiation. The patient showed satisfactory responses in both the primary and metastatic lesions. This is the first case report describing superficial carcinoma of the esophagus with isolated lymph node metastasis around the abdominal aorta. A precise histological diagnosis of the lymph node is quite important in such cases, and an adequate curative effect can be expected.

Video-assisted surgery for gastric carcinoma arising in a gastric tube reconstructed retrosternally.

Advances in diagnostic and surgical techniques have improved the prognosis of esophageal cancer, but there is growing concern about gastric tube cancer after esophagectomy. Gastric carcinoma arising in tubes that were reconstructed retrosternally is usually resected through a median sternotomy; however, this is invasive and carries a risk of osteomyelitis after suture-line failure. We performed video-assisted gastric tube resection, eliminating the need for sternotomy by using a sternal lifting method, on a 71-year-old man who had previously undergone esophagectomy and reconstruction retrosternally. The tumor was a Borrmann type 1 advanced cancer located near the esophagogastric anastomosis. Neck collar and upper abdominal incisions were made, and the sternum was lifted using a Kent retractor to extend the retrosternal space. Under videoscope assistance, we stripped the adhesions around the gastric tube carefully and performed total gastric tube resection. For the reconstruction, the ileocolon was lifted through the retrosternal space, and an ileoesophagostomy and Roux-en-Y reconstruction were performed. Despite leakage from an esophago-ileoanastomosis on postoperative day 6, the patient recovered well without mediastinitis or osteomyelitis of the sternum. Thus, our surgical procedure provides a good surgical view, decreases surgical stress, and reduces the risk of fatal postoperative complications.

Elevated serum CRP levels after induction chemoradiotherapy reflect poor treatment response in association with IL-6 in serum and local tumor site in patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Elevated serum CRP levels are associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis of esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical significance of CRP in relation to response to chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS: The relationship between serum CRP levels and response to chemoradiotherapy and prognosis was analyzed in 34 patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent induction chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. The relationship between response to chemoradiotherapy and interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in sera and tumor tissues was also analyzed. RESULTS: Although elevated serum CRP levels were associated with poor response to chemoradiotherapy, significant difference in CRP levels between pathological responders (n = 18) and non-responders (n = 16) was observed after chemoradiotherapy, but not before. Patients with elevated CRP levels had shorter cause-specific survival, but significant difference was observed only after chemoradiotherapy. In addition, serum levels of IL-6 were also associated with poor treatment response following chemoradiotherapy and were correlated with residual tumor volume. IL-6 expression was detected in residual tumor tissues by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated serum CRP levels after chemoradiotherapy may predict poor response to chemoradiotherapy more accurately than before chemoradiotherapy, and IL-6 may be a possible target associated with chemoradiotherapy resistance.

Risk factors and management of postoperative bile leakage after hepatectomy without bilioenteric anastomosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Bile leakage frequently causes major complications after hepatic resection. We investigated perioperative risk factors and management of postoperative bile leakage after hepatic resection without extrahepatic biliary resection and reconstruction. METHODS: We included 247 consecutive patients who underwent elective hepatic resection without bilioenteric anastomosis at our institution between 2002 and 2009. Perioperative risk factors, including patient and surgical variables, were evaluated using univariate and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Postoperative bile leakage occurred in 26 patients (10.5%). The surgical drain was retained in 6 patients (23%); 9 (35%) underwent drain salvage and 11 (42%) underwent percutaneous puncture under computed tomography or ultrasound guidance. Eight patients underwent endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) for postoperative bile leakage, and bile leakage healed at a median interval of 19.5 days after ENBD. By univariate analysis, postoperative bile leakage was associated with central bisectionectomy, surgical time and intraoperative blood loss. Logistic regression analysis identified central bisectionectomy as an independent risk factor for postoperative bile leakage (p = 0.0003, odds ratio 16.724). CONCLUSION: Meticulous procedures are necessary during parenchymal hepatic resection, especially during central bisectionectomy. Drain management should be precise in the case of postoperative bile leakage. We believe ENBD may rapidly cure postoperative major bile leakage.

Risk factors for postoperative pancreatic fistula in distal pancreatectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors related to severe pancreatic fistula in patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy (DP). METHODOLOGY: From 2000 to 2008, 63 patients underwent DP. We retrospectively identified the risk factors for Grade B or C postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) occurring after DP. POPF was classified according to the International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula definition. RESULTS: Postoperative mortality and morbidity rate were 0% and 61%, respectively. POPF developed in 32 patients (51%); 21 of fistulas were classified as Grade A, nine as Grade B and two as Grade C. The incidence of severe POPF (Grade B or C) was significantly associated with two factors by univariate analyses: polyethylene glycolic acid (PGA) felt with fibrin sealant and blood loss during operation. To clarify the useful manner in DP, multivariate analysis was performed using 5 surgery-related factors. The use of polyethylene glycolic acid felt (PGA) with fibrin sealant and blood loss during operation were the significant factors for severe POPF (p=0.026 and 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Using PGA felt with fibrin sealant for the pancreatic stump could reduce the risk of severe POPF.

Long-term survivors of esophageal carcinoma with distant lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Clinical extra-regional lymph node metastasis, M1 lymph node metastasis (M1 LYM), has been recognized as a far advanced condition in esophageal cancer. However, some patients with M1 LYM survive long-term. The purpose of this study was to identify the clinicopathological features of those patients with M1 LYM achieving long-term survival. METHODOLOGY: Between 2002 and 2008, 31 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus with M1 LYM were treated at our institution. Of the 31 patients, four survived for more than three years. These four patients were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: Cervical lymph node metastasis was the cause of M1 LYM and no regional nodal metastasis was detected in any of the four patients. Primary lesions were non-T4 and located at the middle or lower thoracic esophagus in these patients. Two patients underwent radical esophagectomy with three-field lymphadenectomy and complete resection was confirmed by pathological examination. The other two patients underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy and complete response was confirmed. Three patients are alive without recurrence but one, who underwent definitive CRT, died of local recurrence. CONCLUSION: Solitary metastasis localized at the cervical node might be targeted specifically in an effort to improve the prognosis of M1 LYM patients with esophageal cancer.

Optimal surgical treatment for patients with pT2 gallbladder cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Wall invasion is one of the significant prognostic factors of gallbladder cancer (GBC). Even extended surgery associated with hepatectomy does not always improve the prognosis of pathological T2 (pT2) (the tumor invades perimuscular connective tissue pathologically) GBC patients. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with long-term survival of pT2 GBC patients. METHODOLOGY: Fifty-three patients with GBC had undergone radical resection from 1995 to 2009 in our institution. Among them, there were 23 pT2 patients. We reviewed clinico-pathologic features of the pT2 GBC patients and evaluated prognostic factors. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rates for pT1, pT2, pT3, and pT4 in TNM classification by the International Union against Cancer (UICC) were 100%, 55.2%, 38.5% and 25.0%, respectively. In the 23 patients with pT2 GBC, the absence of lymph node metastasis and a periductal cancer-free surgical margin were significant favorable factors by univariate analysis. The 5-year survival rate of pT2 GBC patients with a periductal cancer-free surgical margin was 65.8% and that of pT2 GBC patients who did not have lymph node metastasis was 71.2%. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of pT2 GBC patients, radical resection to achieve RO including surgical margins and lymph nodes in spite of surgical procedures contributes to a better survival.

Prognostic impact of cancer-related symptoms in recurrent gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although routine postoperative follow-up is generally performed for early detection of recurrences, there is no evidence that the periodic follow-up improves survival in patients with gastric cancers. This study aimed to assess the prognostic impact of cancer-related symptomatic status during postoperative followup in gastric cancer patients. METHODOLOGY: A total of 81 gastric cancer patients, who developed recurrences after curative surgery, were retrospectively evaluated for clinicopathological findings with regard to the relationship to cancer-related symptoms at the time recurrences were diagnosed. RESULTS: Undifferentiated tumor type, advanced T-stage (T3/4) and peritoneal recurrence were more common in symptomatic patients groups, whereas differentiated tumor type and both locoregional and hematogenous recurrences were more common in asymptomatic patients (p = 0.02, 0.03 and 0.03, respectively). Disease-free survival showed that there were no significant differences between the asymptomatic and symptomatic patient group. However, the post-recurrence survival in patient with symptoms was significantly worse than that in those without symptoms (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Cancer-related symptomatic status at the time recurrences are diagnosed might provide prognostic information predicting post-recurrence survival. However, we have to conclude that even intensive follow-up did not contribute to the early detection of recurrences in patients with gastric cancers.

Clinical evaluation of JCGC and TNM staging on multidetector-row computed tomography in preoperative nodal staging of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) has emerged as a new diagnostic technology in various cancers. The aim was to evaluate its clinical compatibility with the 13th Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma (JCGC), the 6th TNM and the new 14th JCGC/ 7th TNM systems in preoperative nodal staging (N-stage) of gastric cancer. METHODOLOGY: Between January 2005 and December 2007, 92 consecutive patients with gastric cancer underwent preoperative MDCT at a slice thickness of 1.0 mm. RESULTS: The 13th JCGC N-stage on MDCT demonstrated the potential correlation with pathological findings (p=0.057). However, preoperative 6th TNM and the new 14th JCGC/7th TNM N-stage on MDCT from N1 to N3 did not significant correlate with pathological findings (p=0.979, 0.847) because the number of metastatic lymph nodes detected preoperatively on MDCT was significantly smaller than that detected on pathological diagnosis (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Nodal staging in the 13th JCGC staging system correlates with histological examination better than the 6th TNM and 14th JCGC/7th TNM staging systems. The optimal preoperative nodal staging using the current 14th JCGC/7th TNM staging system on MDCT needs further investigation.