The intentional oblique transection double stapling technique in anterior resection for rectal cancer.

The double stapling technique (DST) is an intestinal reconstruction technique that has been widely adopted in anterior resection (AR) for rectal cancer. However, anastomotic leakage (AL) after the operation remains a major concern for colorectal surgeons. The sharp-angled corner of the remnant rectum that is often created by the ordinary DST can be a risk factor for AL. We have developed a new method of performing intentional oblique transection DST (IOT-DST). Using this technique, the anal side of the rectum is intentionally obliquely transected with linear staplers, and the area of the sharp-angled edge is totally punched out with a circular stapler. Between September 2015 and March 2016, we used the IOT-DST technique in the treatment of 15 consecutive rectal cancer patients and experienced no anastomosis-related complications, including leakage and stenosis. IOT-DST is easy to use and less stressful to perform than other techniques. IOT-DST has the potential to become the standard technique for AR in rectal cancer surgery.

Predictive factors of pathological vascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma within 3 cm and three nodules without radiological vascular invasion.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the predictive factors of pathological vascular invasion as contra-indicators for ablation therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within 3 cm and three nodules without radiological vascular invasion. METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen patients with HCC within 3 cm and three nodules without radiological vascular invasion who underwent hepatic resection were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS: Pathological vascular invasion was positive in 46 patients, consisting of 38 portal vein invasions, three hepatic vein invasions, two hepatic artery invasions, one hepatic duct invasion and two with portal and hepatic vein invasions. In univariate analysis, patients with α-fetoprotein (AFP) of more than 100 ng/mL had higher rates of pathological vascular invasion than those without. In addition, patients with protein induced by vitamin K absence (PIVKA-II) of more than 100 mAU/mL had higher rates of pathological vascular invasion than those without. Multivariate analysis revealed that AFP of more than 100 ng/mL and PIVKA-II of more than 100 mAU/mL were independent predictive factors for pathological vascular invasion. As these patients were treated with hepatic resection, cumulative 5-year recurrence-free and overall survivals were not significantly different between the pathological vascular invasion negative and positive cases. CONCLUSION: AFP of more than 100 ng/mL and PIVKA-II of more than 100 mAU/mL can predict pathological vascular invasion in patients with HCC within 3 cm and three nodules without radiological vascular invasion. In treating such cases, hepatic resection rather than local ablation therapy is recommended.

The effect of extensive intraoperative peritoneal lavage therapy (EIPL) on stage III B + C and cytology-positive gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of extensive intraoperative peritoneal lavage (EIPL) therapy on stage III B + C and CY1/P0 gastric cancer patients after potentially curative surgery. METHODS: The study included 37 patients with CY1/P0 and 23 patients with stage III B + C gastric cancer who were treated with potentially curative gastrectomy and EIPL therapy between March 1995 and May 2013. D2 lymphadenectomy, R0 resection, and EIPL therapy were performed for all cases. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis revealed that male gender (P = 0.01) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.03) were independent prognostic factors, while positive cytology was not (P = 0.21). There was no significant difference in overall survival rates between the CY1/P0 and stage III B + C groups (P = 0.93). There was also no significant difference in peritoneal recurrence rates, i.e., 13 (35.1%) in the CY1/P0 group and 5 (21.7%) in the stage III B + C group (P = 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: EIPL therapy combined with complete resection and sufficient (D2) lymphadenectomy could improve the prognosis of CY1/P0 gastric cancer and, to a similar extent, that of stage III B + C.

Recombinant soluble thrombomodulin for postoperative disseminated intravascular coagulation.

BACKGROUND: Thrombomodulin is a thrombin receptor on the endothelial cell surface that plays an important role in the regulation of intravascular coagulation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment with recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhTM) for patients with septic-disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) associated with gastroenterological surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2011-September 2013, 201 patients with DIC associated with gastroenterological surgery were treated in 16 institutions in Kumamoto, Japan. The patients were diagnosed according to the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine DIC scoring system. The clinical course, mortality rate at 28 d, and adverse events were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were excluded because they did not meet the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine DIC criteria or had an insufficient duration of drug administration. Thus, 156 patients were analyzed. Of these patients, 107 received rhTM at the discretion of the attending surgeon and 49 did not. The most common reason for surgery in both groups was peritonitis due to perforation of the colon. Within 7 d, the platelet count, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio, DIC score, neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein level significantly improved in the rhTM group compared with those in the control. Treatment with rhTM was significantly associated with reduced inhospital mortality at 28 d. The incidence of adverse events did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy with rhTM may be associated with reduced inhospital mortality in patients with septic DIC associated with gastroenterological surgery without increasing adverse events.

[Efficacy and safety of TS-1 monotherapy for advanced/metastatic breast cancer - an observational study by the Kumamoto Breast Cancer Cooperative Group(KBCCG)].

TS-1, an oral fluoropyrimidine, is known to be effective for the treatment of various carcinomas including advanced/metastatic breast cancer.The Kumamoto Breast Cancer Cooperative Group(KBCCG)conducted an observational study, wherein, the efficacy and safety of TS-1 monotherapy was analyzed in 35 patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.The median time to cancer progression was 3.7 months, overall response rate was 12%, and clinical benefit rate was 32%. Adverse events were observed in 27 patients(77%), and adverse events of Grade >3 were observed in 7 patients(20%). The rate of treatment-related Grade 3 and 4 adverse events increased, and was associated with poor levels of creatinine clearance(Ccr)ie <60mL/min.This study suggests that TS-1 monotherapy can potentially be used as a salvage treatment for advanced/metastatic breast cancer owing to its safety and efficacy.Measuring the level of Ccr before TS-1 therapy should be considered to avoid severe adverse events.

Chemotherapy with bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer: a retrospective review of 181 Japanese patients.

BACKGROUND: There has so far been little information on the clinical effect of bevacizumab against colorectal cancer in Japan. Hence, this study was conducted to retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of bevacizumab in clinical practice. METHODS: A total of 181 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) received bevacizumab in combination with chemotherapy at 18 hospitals in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan. We surveyed the medical records of all patients regarding the patient characteristics, objective tumor responses, and adverse events. We analyzed their overall survival and the survival benefit when continuing the administration of bevacizumab beyond disease progression (progressive disease; PD) in patients who received bevacizumab-containing 1st line therapy. RESULTS: The response rate (RR) in all lines of therapy was 42 %. The 1st line patients showed significantly better survival in comparison to the patients who received further lines of treatment (P = 0.005). There were no significant differences in survival between the group with post-PD treatment with bevacizumab and the group with post-PD treatment without bevacizumab (P = 0.13). The most common grade 3 or greater adverse event associated with bevacizumab was hypertension (12.2 %). Especially, a high incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) perforation was shown in this study (4.4 %) and most of the patients with GI perforation had some risk factors for this complication. CONCLUSION: Although the survival benefit of bevacizumab in Japanese patients with mCRC was similar to that observed in previous clinical trials, this study showed a high incidence of GI perforation in comparison to previous studies. Therefore, the careful selection of patients with few risk factors for this complication is likely to lead to a greater benefit from bevacizumab treatment.

[Reduction of angialgia during peripheral administration of oxaliplatin mixed with dexamethasone].

Seven patients who had been receiving capecitabine+oxaliplatin±bevacizumab(CapeOX±BV)therapy at our hospital between February 2010 and March 2011, had complained of angialgia during oxaliplatin(L-OHP)administration. Therefore, 3. 3 mg of dexamethasone(DEX)was added to their infusion solution. The patients were then asked to rate their angialgia severity using a numerical rating scale(NRS), when L-OHP in a 5% dextrose solution was administered with or without DEX. By changing the L-OHP in 5% dextrose solution without DEX to the solution containing 3. 3 mg of DEX, the mean NRS was improved to 2. 4 from 7. 1. These findings indicate that L-OHP in 5% dextrose solution mixed with 3. 3 mg of DEX seems to be useful in reducing angialgia during peripheral administration of L-OHP.

Extensive intraoperative peritoneal lavage as a standard prophylactic strategy for peritoneal recurrence in patients with gastric carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective randomized multicenter study aims to evaluate the efficacy of extensive intraoperative peritoneal lavage followed by intraperitoneal chemotherapy (EIPL-IPC) on the overall 5-year survival of advanced gastric cancer patients with intraperitoneal free cancer cells without overt peritoneal metastasis (CY+/P-). The study also aims to determine the merit and reliability of EIPL-IPC therapy as a prophylactic strategy for peritoneal metastasis. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Although the prognosis of advanced gastric cancer patients with CY+/P- is extremely poor, a suitable standard regimen for treating such patients has not yet been established. METHODS: A total of 88 patients with CY+/P- from 1522 patients with advanced gastric cancer at multicenters were enrolled in this study and were randomly allocated to 3 groups: surgery alone group, surgery plus intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) group, and surgery plus EIPL and IPC (EIPL-IPC) group. Prognostic significance of EIPL-IPC therapy was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curves, and its value as an independent prognostic factor was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The overall 5-year survival rate of the patients with EIPL-IPC was 43.8%, and this data were significantly better than that of the IPC group (4.6%, P < 0.0001) and the surgery alone group (0%, P < 0.0001). Among various recurrent patterns, the EIPL-IPC group had a significantly lower incidence of peritoneal recurrence than both of the other groups (P < 0.0001). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that EIPL was the most significant impact factor. CONCLUSIONS: The present study clearly revealed that EIPL-IPC therapy significantly improved the 5-year survival span of advanced gastric cancer patients with CY+/P-. Thus, EIPL-IPC therapy is strongly recommended as a standard prophylactic strategy for peritoneal dissemination.

Ascending colon cancer with synchronous external iliac and inguinal lymph node metastases but without regional lymph node metastasis: a case report and brief literature review.

Lymph node metastasis to the iliac or inguinal region of colon cancer is extremely rare. We experienced a case of ascending colon cancer with synchronous isolated right external iliac and inguinal lymph node metastases but without any regional lymph node metastasis. An 83-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital due to anemia. Colonoscopy and computed tomography revealed an ascending colon cancer and also right external iliac and inguinal lymph node swelling. Further examination by F-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography strongly suggested that these lymph nodes were metastatic. Right hemicolectomy with lymph node dissection along the superior mesenteric artery, and right external iliac and inguinal lymph node dissection were performed. Histological examination revealed that both lymph nodes were metastasized from colon cancer, and there was no evidence of regional lymph node metastasis. The patient has shown no sign of recurrence at 27 months after surgery.

[A case of unresectable non-small cell lung cancer with pleural dissemination successfully treated with DIF].

A 68-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with an abnormal shadow on her chest CT, which showed a mass lesion 3.5 cm in diameter at segment 7 in the right lung. At thoracotomy, a curative operation could not be performed because of pleural dissemination, so a partial resection was done for the histopathological examination. It showed papillary adenocarcinoma and clinical Stage IIIB. Her family hoped not to inform her that a curative operation was impossible. We explained the necessity of adjuvant chemotherapy to her, and she consented to UFT. However, the level of CEA gradually elevated, and pleural effusion on the right side appeared 2 years after operation. We converted UFT into TS-1. The level of CEA gradually reduced, and pleural effusion disappeared. We conclude that oral administration of UFT or TS-1 is useful as palliative chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer without serious adverse events and worsening of quality of life.

Intraoperative baseline oxygen consumption as a prognostic factor in emergency open abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: A new anesthesia system, the E-CAIOVX (GE Healthcare) enables the continuous monitoring of oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide elimination (VCO2) during the surgical operation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic role of intraoperative baseline VO2 and VCO2 in an emergency open abdominal operation. METHODS: A total of 103 patients who had an emergency open abdominal operation were enrolled in the study. VO2 and VCO2 were continuously measured from the induction of anesthesia to the end of the operation. RESULTS: There were significant correlations between intraoperative baseline VO2 and body surface area (BSA; P < .001, r = 0.68), VO2 and tidal volume (P < .001, r = 0.59), and VO2 and baseline body temperature (P < .0001, r = 0.49). Also, there were significant correlations between intraoperative baseline VCO2 and BSA (P < .001, r = 0.70), VCO2 and tidal volume (P < .001, r = 0.70), and VCO2 and body temperature (P < .001, r = 0.41). Fifteen (14.6%) of the 103 patients died within 4 months after the operation without having been discharged from hospital. Baseline VO2/BSA was higher in surviving patients (123.7 ± 23.6 mL/min ∙ m(2)) than the deceased (103.8 ± 15.6 mL/min ∙ m(2); P = .002). There was no significant difference in baseline VCO2/BSA levels between surviving (106.2 ± 20.1 mL/min ∙ m(2)) and deceased patients (99.4 ± 21.4 mL/min ∙ m(2)). In multivariate analysis, baseline body temperature lower than 36.2°C (P = .02), serum albumin less than 3.0 g/dL (P = .002), and baseline VO2/BSA less than 111.9 mL/min ∙ m(2) (P = .03) were independent factors. CONCLUSION: Baseline low VO2/BSA less than 111.9 mL/min ∙ m(2) was one of the poor predictors for the prognosis of an emergency open abdominal surgery.

Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation in elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The number of elderly patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increased in Japan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 280 patients with HCC treated with endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) were enrolled in the present study. The patients were divided into two groups, an elderly group (≥ 70 years) and a non-elderly group (<70 years) and their clinical and survival data were compared. RESULTS: The cumulative overall survival rates in the elderly and non-elderly groups were equivalent: 73% and 70% at three years and 57% and 52% at five years, respectively (p=0.900). The disease-free survival rates were 21% and 23% at three years and 17% and 14% at five years, respectively (p=0.628). No significant effects were observed between the two groups due to any of the covariates in the survival analysis (all p-values for interaction ≥ 0.19). The complication rates were also comparable: 5.1% in the elderly group and 8.6% in the non-elderly group. CONCLUSION: ERFA is safe and provides excellent therapeutic effects in elderly as well as non-elderly patients with HCC.

Second-line chemotherapy with combined irinotecan and low-dose cisplatin for patients with metastatic gastric carcinoma resistant to 5-fluorouracil.

Although 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is still the mainstay of systemic treatment for patients with metastatic gastric cancer, many patients do not show satisfactory response to this drug. We treated patients with metastatic gastric cancer resistant to 5-FU with a combination of irinotecan hydrochloride (I) and low-dose cisplatin (P). Twenty-one consecutive patients with advanced metastatic gastric cancer and performance status of 0-2, who had received prior chemotherapy with S-1, but had nonetheless shown unrelenting tumor progression, were treated with 60 mg/m(2) of I combined with 6 mg/m(2) of P, administered by intravenous infusion over 90 min following premedication with azasetron (I/low-P). I/low-P was repeated weekly for 3 weeks with the patient admitted to hospital, and thereafter, fortnightly on an outpatient basis. Seven, eight and six of the total of 21 patients had liver metastases, lymph node metastases and peritoneal dissemination, respectively. Objective response was observed in 11 of the 21 patients (52%; 95% confidence interval: 31-78%). Two (18%) and nine (82%) of these 11 patients exhibited complete and partial response, respectively. The median duration of the response was 7.9 months. The treatment regimen under study was tolerated very well by the patients. Thirteen of the 21 patients (62%) developed grade 1 or 2 leucopenia, which was the most common adverse reaction recorded. Diarrhea and nausea, grade I in all of the cases, occurred in five (22%) and nine (43%) patients, respectively. Based on its remarkable effectiveness, marked improvement in the quality of life of the patients, and the convenience of its administration, the I/low-P regimen is recommended as a promising second-line chemotherapeutic regimen for patients with metastatic gastric cancer resistant to 5-FU.

Outpatient therapy with irinotecan and low-dose cisplatin for metastatic colorectal cancer resistant to 5-fluorouracil.

Chemotherapy with irinotecan hydrochloride and low-dose cisplatin was tested for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer showing resistance to 5-fluorouracil. Eleven consecutive patients with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (performance status: 0 to 2), who had shown tumor progression on chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin, were treated with irinotecan (60 mg/m2) plus cisplatin (6 mg/m2) by 90-min intravenous infusion. Treatment was repeated weekly for 3 weeks during admission and then fortnightly on an outpatient basis. Objective responses were observed in four patients (36%; 95% confidence interval: 11%-69%). The median duration of response was 5.5 months and six patients are still alive. The time to disease progression was longer in the no change group (7.0+/-3.6 months: mean +/- SD) than in the responder group (5.5+/-1.9 months), and there was no difference of median survival between the two groups (10.0 versus 10.3 months). The overall median survival was 8.2 months (range: 4 to 12+ months). This treatment was well tolerated. Six patients experienced grade 1 or 2 leucopenia, while grade I diarrhea and nausea occurred in three and five patients, respectively. Based on the good response, excellent quality of life, and convenience, the present regimen seems to be reasonable second-line outpatient chemotherapy for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer showing resistance to 5-fluorouracil.

Splanchnicectomy for pancreatic cancer pain.

Persistent pain is a serious problem that often contributes to a poor quality of life in pancreatic cancer patients. Medical management by opioid analgesics is often accompanied by side effects and incomplete pain relief. A celiac plexus block is a simple treatment which relieves pain, but the procedure demands a certain degree of proficiency and the duration of the effects obtained can be rather limited. Transhiatal bilateral splanchnicectomy achieves a certain denervation of splanchnic nerves, but it requires a laparotomy. Unilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to cause definite denervation. Bilateral thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy is recommended for unsatisfactory cases or recurrent pain occurring after the initial unilateral splanchnicectomy. It is important to select the most suitable treatment depending on patients' actual medical state and the predicted outcomes.

Liver resectability of advanced liver-limited colorectal liver metastases following mFOLFOX6 with bevacizumab (KSCC0802 Study).

BACKGROUND/AIM: The Kyushu Study group of Clinical Cancer (KSCC) conducted phase II trials (KSCC0802-UMIN000001308) concerning liver resectability after first-line treatment of advanced liver-limited colorectal metastases (CRLM) by a prospective, multi-center study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received 6 cycles of mFOLFOX6 with bevacizumab followed by evaluating liver resectability. The primary end-point was liver resection rate. RESULTS: The 40 patients enrolled from September 2008 to August 2010. The median number of administration cycles was 6 (range=1-7). The liver resectability cases were 16/40 (40.0 %) and the number of R0 cases was 10 patients (25.0%). An overall response rate was 30.0% (95% CI=15.2%-44.8%). Median progression-free and overall survival of all patients was 9.7 months and 33.0 months), respectively. CONCLUSION: mFOLFOX6 with bevacizumab regimen is safe and effective for advanced liver-limited CRLM and might lead to high liver resectability.

Pancreaticojejunostomy by reinforcing the pancreas without covering the anastomotic line reduces pancreatic fistula.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is the most common and an intractable complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Many efforts have been made to lessen POPF, but nevertheless its incidence still remains high. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of reinforcing the pancreatic remnant, but the non-reinforcement of the anastomotic line, by using a modified polyethylene glycolic acid (PGA) felt pasting method after PD, especially in cases with a soft pancreas. METHODS: Pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) anastomosis was performed with the end-to-side 2-layer manner in which the cut end of the pancreatic remnant was pasted with PGA felts using a fibrin sealant in 31 patients (PGA group). The postoperative outcome was then compared with historical control subjects (control group, 33 patients). RESULTS: Incidences of overall, Grade A and Grade B of POPF in the PGA group were 29.0, 22.6 and 6.5%, respectively, and tended to be lower than that in the control group (48.5, 33.3 and 15.2%), although no statistical significance was observed. There was no Grade C of POPF in this study. Referring only to the soft pancreas, however, the overall incidence of POPF in the PGA group was significantly lower than that in the control group (39.1 vs. 70.0%, p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Applying PGA felt pasting to PJ anastomosis could be one effective measure for reducing POPF after PD.

A proposal of a practical and optimal prophylactic strategy for peritoneal recurrence.

Peritoneal metastasis, which often arises in patients with advanced gastric cancer, is well known as a miserable and ill-fated disease. Once peritoneal metastasis is formed, it is extremely difficult to defeat. We advocated EIPL (extensive intraoperative peritoneal lavage) as a useful and practical adjuvant surgical technique for those gastric cancer patients who are likely to suffer from peritoneal recurrence. In this paper, we review the effect of EIPL therapy on prevention of peritoneal recurrence on patients with peritoneal free cancer cells without overt peritoneal metastasis (CY+/P-) through the prospective randomized study, and we verified its potential as an optimal and standard prophylactic therapeutic strategy for peritoneal recurrence.

Adopting extensive intra-operative peritoneal lavage (EIPL) as the standard prophylactic strategy for peritoneal recurrence.

EIPL (extensive intra-operative peritoneal lavage) therapy was developed as a prophylactic strategy for peritoneal recurrence, with the goal of improving the quality of life and survival span for advanced gastric cancer patients with peritoneal free cancer cells. The purpose of this article is to review the therapy's contribution to a remarkable improvement in the 5-year survival for patients with positive lavage cytology on prospective randomized controlled clinical trials. We also advocate for the adoption of the EIPL as the optimal treatment protocol for advanced gastric cancer.

Acute fulminant necrotizing colitis caused by amebiasis: report of a case.

Fulminating colitis rarely develops as a complication of amebiasis; however, it is difficult to diagnose and treat, and associated with a very high mortality rate. We report herein the case of a 62-year-old man with superacute fulminant necrotizing amebic colitis who, despite treatment with aggressive surgery and antiamebic agents, died of multiple organ failure following sepsis on the 25th day after onset. The patient had no immmunosuppressive disorders and claimed that he had never had homosexual intercourse, or traveled to the tropics in recent years. Since the incidence of amebiasis is increasing in developed countries, including Japan, more attention should be focused on the fulminating nature of this disease.