Japanese D3 lymph node dissection in low rectal cancer with inferior mesenteric lymph node metastases.

BACKGROUND: There is currently no consensus on the significance of Japanese D3 lymph node dissection in low rectal cancer with inferior mesenteric lymph node (IMLN) metastasis. This is partly because, despite a number of studies on the subject, cases of IMLN metastasis are relatively rare, and there are few cases of curative resection because of metastasis to other organs. A retrospective study involving a large number of patients was conducted. METHODS: The subjects were 2,743 patients registered in the national registry of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum. The data were analyzed for (1) prognostic factors for IMLN metastasis, and (2) outcomes in R0 cases with IMLN metastasis. RESULTS: In the control group, 67 patients (2.7 %) were considered positive for IMLN metastasis. The outcomes in the 35 R0 cases with IMLN metastasis were 50.8 % for 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and 61.9 % for 5-year overall survival (OS), which were each better than for R1+R2 cases (5-year RFS 16.1 %, p = 0.0001; 5-year OS 26.7 %, p = 0.0002). The outcomes for R0 cases (total metastatic lymph nodes ≥7) with IMLN metastasis (5-year RFS 53.9 %, 5-year OS 68.8 %) did not differ significantly from those for IMLN(-) cases (5-year RFS 54.6 %, 5-year OS 57.1 %) (RFS: p = 0.9515, OS: p = 0.4621). CONCLUSIONS: It was confirmed that cases of IMLN metastasis in low rectal cancer tend to have a large total number of metastatic lymph nodes, but if curative resection can be performed, a good prognosis can be expected. These results demonstrate the value of radical Japanese D3 lymph node dissection in low rectal cancer with IMLN metastasis.

Importance of the Postoperative Carcinoembryonic Antigen Level during Follow-Up after Curative Resection in Patients with Liver Metastatic Colorectal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To validate the conventional Japanese grading of liver metastasis for no residual tumor resection in Stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) with liver metastasis and to identify risk factors for postoperative recurrence. METHODOLOGY: The subjects of this study were 1792 Stage IV CRC patients with liver metastasis. RESULTS: In 1792 cases, including unresectable cases, there was a significantly different prognosis by grade (P < 0.0001). In 421 R0 cases, there was no significant difference between Grade A and Grade B (P = 0.8527). In 381 cases without extra-hepatic metastasis, the prognosis was not significantly different among three grades. On multivariate analysis, carcinoembryonic antigen within 3 months from R0 operation (3M-CEA) was an independent risk factor regardless of extrahepatic metastasis. There was a significantly different prognosis (P < 0.0001) among Grade A', defined as a normal 3M-CEA level, Grade B', defined as Grade A or B and an abnormal 3M-CEA level, and Grade C', defined as Grade C and an abnormal 3M-CEA level. CONCLUSIONS: The postoperative CEA level is an important risk factor during follow-up after curative resection in patients with liver metastatic colorectal carcinoma. The combination of the 3M-CEA level and conventional grading of liver metastasis is useful for follow-up of R0 resection cases.

Treatment strategy for preventing pouchitis as a postoperative complication of ulcerative colitis: the significance of the management of cuffitis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the risk factors for and to evaluate strategies for preventing pouchitis as a postoperative complication of ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: A total of 119 cases of UC in which restorative proctocolectomy with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) was performed at our institution between 2000 and 2012 was investigated; nine patients in whom it was impossible to close the ileostomy due to an intractable anal fistula or pelvic abscess were excluded. RESULTS: The cumulative risk of developing pouchitis 5 years after IPAA with stoma closure was 31.0%. Significant relationships with pouchitis were found for the surgical indication (p = 0.0126) and surgical method (p = 0.0214). A significant correlation was found between pouchitis and cuffitis. Pouchitis was significantly more common in the cases with cuffitis than in those without (p = 0.0002). There was also a significantly different cumulative incidence observed between the cases with and without cuffitis (p < 0.0001). In addition, pouchitis had a greater tendency to recur in the cases with cuffitis than in those without (p = 0.2730). CONCLUSION: The cumulative incidence rate of pouchitis was 10.6% at 1 year, 15.1% at 2 years and 31.0% at 5 years. Controlling cuffitis is important to prevent pouchitis.

Radiation recall dermatitis occurring 6 years and 4 months after breast-conserving surgery: A case report.

Currently in Japan, breast-conserving therapy, consisting of breast-conserving surgery and post-operative radiation therapy, is performed frequently for the treatment of invasive breast cancer. It has been demonstrated that radiation therapy not only prevents recurrence in the preserved breast, but that it also contributes to improved patient survival. The present study describes the case of a 37-year-old woman with radiation recall dermatitis that occurred 6 years and 4 months after breast-conserving surgery. Erythema with a relatively distinct border was observed at the irradiated site on the left breast; eczema was diagnosed by a dermatologist. Inflammatory breast cancer was ruled out, since chest X-ray, abdominal ultrasound and bone scintigraphy were negative. Following ~1 month of topical corticosteroid application and oral second generation antihistamine treatment, the erythema was alleviated and the subjective symptoms also disappeared. Only a few cases of radiation recall dermatitis have been described in the fields of radiology and dermatology, but not yet in the surgical field. In the future, the incidence of radiation recall dermatitis is predicted to increase due to the increasing number of patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy. Whether in the surgical, radiological or dermatological field, if erythema is detected at the irradiated site during post-operative follow-up, routine care should be provided, keeping in mind the possibility of radiation recall dermatitis and inflammatory breast cancer.