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For small-amplitude semilinear wave equations with power type nonlinearity on the first-order spatial derivative, the expected sharp upper bound on the lifespan of solutions is obtained for both critical cases and subcritical cases, for all spatial dimensions $ n>1 $. It is achieved uniformly by constructing the integral equations, deriving the ordinary differential inequality system, and iteration argument. Combined with the former works, the sharp lifespan estimates for this problem are completely established, at least for the spherical symmetric case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case in which a 74-year-old man suffering from esophageal achalasia complicated with epiphrenic esophageal diverticulum was successfully treated with a simultaneous laparoscopic surgery. The gentleman was referred with symptoms suggestive of a passage disorder in the lower esophagus for the past 5 years. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy demonstrated an epiphrenic diverticulum at the left wall of the lower esophagus, and esophagography led to the suspicion of a combined esophageal achalasia. A simultaneous laparoscopic surgery with an abdominal approach was performed in which, following the opening of the esophageal hiatus, the diverticular wall was separated from the mediastinal organs and diverticulectomy was performed with linear staplers. After Heller's myotomy, Dor's fundoplication was subsequently performed in which both the incisional line of muscle layer and the suturing line of diverticulectomy were wrapped by the fornix of the stomach to make up for the wall strength and avoid the suture leakage. It was theoretically considered logical and effective to reinforce this vulnerable site with Dor's fundoplication. He had an uneventful recovery and a rapid relief from symptoms following surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Distant metastasis develops in approximately one-third of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who undergo radical surgery, and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is the most common form of distant metastasis in CRC. Hepatectomy is the only potentially curative treatment for CRLM, but few patients with metastatic CRC meet the criteria for this radical resection, and the 5-year survival rate is poor. Identifying risk factors for CRLM is critical. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an independent risk factor for CRC. However, the effect of NAFLD on CRC liver metastasis after radical surgery remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the impact of NAFLD-associated hepatic fibrosis on liver metastasis after radical surgery for CRC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 388 patients who underwent curative surgery for CRC at our hospital between April 2008 and March 2015. The patients' clinical results, surgical procedures, postoperative course, and pathological and survival data were collected from the hospital records. The NAFLD fibrosis score was calculated and used to divide the patients into two groups (NAFLD and non-NAFLD). Results: Recurrence was observed in 83/388 (21.4%) patients after a mean follow-up of 65.6 ± 15.1 months. Twenty-five patients had liver metastasis: 8 in the NAFLD group (8/45; 17.8%) and 17 in the non-NALFD group (17/343; 5.0%) (p = 0.004). Liver metastasis-free survival was significantly worse in the NAFLD than non-NAFLD group (p < 0.001). NAFLD and cancer stage were independent risk factors for liver metastasis recurrence. Conclusion: NAFLD may be a risk factor for liver metastasis in patients with CRC who undergo curative surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an extremely rare and aggressive tumor, and its clinical characteristics are poorly defined because of its rarity. Case Presentation: We report a 64-year-old man who presented with upper abdominal pain and weight loss. Computed tomography revealed a 15 cm left adrenal tumor compressing the pancreas ventrally and a tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC) originating from the left renal vein. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake only in the tumor and tumor thrombus, and radical surgery was planned. Intraoperatively, the tumor was visible on the posterior stomach wall, and the tumor adhered to the pancreas and left kidney. We excised the tumor with part of the pancreas and the left kidney and excised the thrombus from the IVC after clamping. The final diagnosis was ACC, tumor-node-metastasis grade T3N1M0, stage III. The patient received chemotherapy and radiotherapy postoperatively; however, two liver metastases appeared 6 months after surgery. Chemotherapy was continued, and no exacerbation of the liver metastases was observed. Posterior segment resection of the liver was performed 16 months after the initial surgery. Conclusion: This report of a rare case of ACC involving the pancreas with tumor thrombus extension to the IVC stresses that this combination of conditions does not preclude radical surgery. However, more data are needed regarding chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as relapse treatment, and further research on ACC is essential for a favorable prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a weakly coupled system of a wave and damped Klein–Gordon equation with nonlinearities of derivative type. We prove a blow-up result for the Cauchy problem associated with this system for nonnegative and compactly supported data by means of an iteration argument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The degree of difficulty in the overall procedure and forceps handling encountered by surgeons is greatly influenced by the positional relationship of intrathoracic organs in minimally invasive esophagectomy. This study aimed to identify the anatomical factors associated with the difficulty of minimally invasive esophagectomy assessed by intraoperative injuries and postoperative outcomes. Methods: Minimally invasive esophagectomy in the left-decubitus position was performed in 258 patients. We defined α (mm) as the anteroposterior distance between the front of the vertebral body and aorta, β (mm) as the distance between the center of the vertebral body and center of the aorta, and γ (degree) as the angle formed at surgeon's right-hand port site by insertion of lines from the front of aorta and from the front of vertebrae in the computed tomography slice at the operator's right-hand forceps hole level. We retrospectively analyzed the correlations among clinico-anatomical factors, surgeon- or assistant-caused intraoperative organ injuries, and postoperative complications. Results: Intraoperative injuries significantly correlated with shorter α (0.2 vs. 3.9), longer β (33.0 vs. 30.5), smaller γ (3.0 vs. 4.3), R1 resection (18.5% vs. 8.3%), and the presence of intrathoracic adhesion (46% vs. 26%) compared with the non-injured group. Division of the median values into two groups showed that shorter α and smaller γ were significantly associated with organ injury. Longer β was significantly associated with postoperative tachycardia onset, respiratory complications, and mediastinal recurrence. Furthermore, the occurrence of intraoperative injuries was significantly associated with the onset of postoperative pulmonary complications. Conclusions: Intrathoracic anatomical features greatly affected the procedural difficulty of minimally invasive esophagectomy, suggesting that preoperative computed tomography simulation and appropriate port settings may improve surgical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI), an ischemic bowel disease without a disruption of the mesenteric blood flow or strangulation of the mesentery or intestine, may cause a lethal clinical course. We report a very rare case of jejunal necrosis caused by NOMI in the pedicled mesentery of the reconstructed jejunum after remnant gastric tube resection for heterochronous gastric tube cancer after esophagectomy. Case presentation: An 80-year-old man visited our department with chief complaints of fever and appetite loss after 4 months from gastric tube resection and digestive reconstruction with pedicled jejunum. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed impaired blood flow without torsion of the mesentery, severe wall thickness, and micro-penetration in the reconstructed jejunum and combined pyothorax in the right thoracic cavity. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy demonstrated extensive mucosal necrosis confined to the jejunum, which was elevated in the thoracic cavity. The jejunal necrosis due to NOMI occurring in the reconstructed jejunum was suspected, and lifesaving small bowel resection with right thoracotomy was considered necessary. However, radical operation with right thoracotomy was considered to be excessively invasive and not valid due to the patient's poor physical status, advanced age, and presence of left adrenal metastasis from the remnant gastric cancer. Therefore, we selected the conservative treatment with fasting, transnasal drainage, and administration of antibiotics due to the patient's intention. CT-guided right thoracic drainage for the intrathoracic abscess was needed 10 days after starting treatment and the inflammatory response rapidly improved. Follow-up CT and esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed the improvement in the ischemic changes in jejunal mucosa without perforation. Intake was initiated at 20 days after symptom onset, and the patient was discharged at 40 hospital days without any complications and sequelae. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of NOMI occurring in the reconstructed jejunum after remnant gastric tube resection that was successfully treated with a conservative treatment. For NOMI, it is important to make appropriate diagnosis based on imaging findings and perform proper assessment of the patient's condition. Conservative treatments may be also useful depending on the patient's condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare and poor prognosis disease, is seldom treated surgically, especially for recurrence. However, early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of primary and recurrent tumors can achieve long‐term patient survival. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive tumor, and rarely indicated for surgery, especially for recurrence. In the present case, we report a rare case who could survive long‐term after two surgeries in 4 years for MPM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show the so-called 'combined effect' of two different kinds of nonlinear terms for semilinear wave equations in one space dimension. This effect means that the lifespan, the maximal existence time, of the classical solution is shorter than the minimum of ones for each term. Such a special phenomenon has been observed in all space dimensions except for one space dimension. We succeed to pick up the combined effect in one space dimension by classifying the lifespan estimates according to whether the total integral of the initial speed is zero, or not, and it is obtained only in the first case. It is also remarkable that, including the combined effect, our results on the lifespan estimates are partially better than those of the general theory for nonlinear wave equations which was considered completed about 30 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous paper has a wrong citation of the result on the general theory for nonlinear wave equations which causes a slightly different conjecture on a possibility to improve the theory, related to the title of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells at the invasive front are believed to be responsible for invasion/metastasis. This has led to examining various morphological features and protein expressions at the invasive front. However, accurate assessment of the pathological section requires long‐time training, and inter‐observer disagreement is problematic. Immunohistochemistry and digital imaging analysis may mitigate these problems; however, the choice of which proteins to stain and the best analysis method remains controversial. We used the "go‐or‐grow" hypothesis to select markers with the greatest prognostic relevance. Importantly, nonproliferating cells can migrate. We used Ki67 as a proliferation marker, with p16 and p21 designating nonproliferating cells. We established a semi‐automated quantification workflow to study protein expression in serial pathological sections. A total of 51 patients with completely resected colorectal cancer (stages I–IV) were analyzed, and 44 patients were followed up. Patients with cancer cells with p16‐high/p21‐low or p21‐low/Ki67‐low at the deepest invasive front demonstrated a significantly worse prognosis than those who did not display these characteristics. These results suggest that the nonproliferating cancer cells at the invasion front possess invasion/metastatic property with heterogeneity of senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we prove the blow-up in finite time for local solutions of a semilinear Cauchy problem associated with a wave equation in anti-de Sitter spacetime in the critical case. According to this purpose, we combine a result for ordinary differential inequalities with an iteration argument by using an explicit integral representation formula for the solution to a linear Cauchy problem associated with the wave equation in anti-de Sitter spacetime in one space dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaplastic carcinoma of the pancreas (ACP) is an aggressive pancreatic tumor that grows rapidly, and its clinical characteristics are poorly defined because of its rarity. Thus, preoperative diagnosis is difficult and most definitive diagnoses are generally made by surgery, highlighting the importance of collecting more cases of ACP. We report a case of a 79-year-old woman with ACP that was difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Abdominal enhanced computed tomography revealed a large and expansive tumor in the spleen containing multilocular cystic and solid components. The first preoperative diagnosis was splenic angiosarcoma, and the tumor could be resected by distal pancreatectomy, total gastrectomy and partial transverse colectomy. ACP was first diagnosed based on postoperative histopathological findings. ACP that spreads to the spleen and forms an intrasplenic mass is rare. However, ACP should be included in the differential diagnosis of such patients, and further research of ACP is essential for a favorable prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallbladder torsion is a rare and potentially fatal condition presenting with acute abdominal pain. Gallbladder torsion requires early diagnosis and treatment; however, preoperative diagnosis is difficult. In the present case, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography provided definitive imaging findings and was very useful in making the preoperative diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stomach exhibits abundant lymphatic flow, and metastasis to lymph nodes is common. In the case of gastric cancer, there is a regularity to the spread of lymph node metastasis, and it does not easily metastasize outside the regional nodes. Furthermore, when its extent is limited, nodal metastasis of gastric cancer can be cured by appropriate lymph node dissection. Therefore, identifying and determining the extent of lymph node metastasis is important for ensuring accurate diagnosis and appropriate surgical treatment in patients with gastric cancer. However, precise detection of lymph node metastasis remains difficult. Most nodal metastases in gastric cancer are microscopic metastases, which often occur in small-sized lymph nodes, and are thus difficult to diagnose both preoperatively and intraoperatively. Preoperative nodal diagnoses are mainly made using computed tomography, although the specificity of this method is low because it is mainly based on the size of the lymph node. Furthermore, peripheral nodal metastases cannot be palpated intraoperatively, nodal harvesting of resected specimens remains difficult, and the number of lymph nodes detected vary greatly depending on the skill of the technician. Based on these findings, gastrectomy with prophylactic lymph node dissection is considered the standard surgical procedure for gastric cancer. In contrast, several groups have examined the value of sentinel node biopsy for accurately evaluating nodal metastasis in patients with early gastric cancer, reporting high sensitivity and accuracy. Sentinel node biopsy is also important for individualizing and optimizing the extent of uniform prophylactic lymph node dissection and determining whether patients are indicated for function-preserving curative gastrectomy, which is superior in preventing post-gastrectomy symptoms and maintaining dietary habits. Notably, advancements in surgical treatment for early gastric cancer are expected to result in individualized surgical strategies with sentinel node biopsy. Chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer has also progressed, and conversion gastrectomy can now be performed after downstaging, even in cases previously regarded as inoperable. In this review, we discuss the importance of determining lymph node metastasis in the treatment of gastric cancer, the associated difficulties, and the need to investigate strategies that can improve the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (SISMAD) is a rare and potentially fatal cause diagnosis presenting with acute abdominal; however, because of its rarity, the pathogenic factors of SISMAD remain unknown and no clear cause has been found. Moreover, there is a lack of evidence‐based treatment guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 73‐year‐old woman presented to our hospital because of painful bulging in the right lower abdomen, and developed a 17 × 12 cm incisional hernia after kidney transplantation using right oblique incision. Laparoscopic intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) repair was performed. Since a transplanted kidney is close to the abdominal wall defect, the space between the transplanted kidney and the abdominal wall was peeled off to secure enough space for the mesh to be place. After that the fascial defect was detected precisely, and the polypropylene‐polyglycolic acid composite mesh was fixed with 3 cm overlapping of the hernia ring by non‐absorbable tacks. The patient was discharged 9 days after surgery. In general, abdominal incisional hernias after kidney transplantation are relatively large with boundary defect of abdominal wall ensuing between the abdominal and allograft. However, laparoscopic IPOM repair of incisional hernia after kidney transplantation can be performed safely and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The correlation between tumor location and lymphatic flow distribution in gastric cancer has been previously reported, and PTD (Proximal - Transitional - Distal) classification was proposed. Our group updated and developed the nPTD classification.Method: We retrospectively studied gastric cancer patients who underwent the dye method sentinel node biopsy from 1993 to 2020. The inclusion criteria were a single lesion type 0 cancer of ≤5 cm in the long axis, clinically node-negative, and invasion within the proper muscle layer pathologically. In this study, the distribution of dyed lymphatic flow was evaluated for each occupied area of the tumor.Results: We included 416 patients in this study. The tumors located in the watershed of the right and left gastroepiploic arteries near greater curvature had extensive lymphatic flow; therefore, a newly circular region with a diameter of 5 cm is set on the watershed of the greater curvature between P and T zone as the 'n' zone. In addition, for cancers located in the lesser P curvature, lymphatic flow to the greater curvature was not observed. Therefore, the P zone was divided into two: the lesser curvature side (PL) and the greater curvature side (PG).Conclusions: The advantage of the nPTD classification is that it provides not only proper nodal dissection but also adequate function-preserving gastrectomy. If the tumor is localized within the PL, the proximal gastrectomy resection area can be further reduced. In contrast, for cancers located in the 'n' zone, near-total gastrectomy is required because of the extensive lymphatic flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperglycemia associated with insulin resistance is common in surgical patients with and without diabetes and is associated with poor surgical outcomes. Several studies have recently shown that a closed‐loop blood glucose monitoring system in the form of an artificial pancreas is safe and effective for surgical patients. In this study, we analyzed the risk factors for insulin resistance in patients using an artificial pancreas. We investigated 109 patients who underwent surgical management by an artificial pancreas for 24 hours from the start of surgery during either major hepatectomy (MH), defined as resection of more than two liver segments, or pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). The target glucose range was from 80 to 110 mg/dL using an artificial pancreas. We analyzed the risk factors for and predictors of a high insulin dose, including sarcopenia markers, according to the median 24‐hour total insulin infusion. The median total insulin dose and glycemic control rate (GCR), which is the rate of achieving the target blood glucose range, per 24 hours were 78.0 IU and 30.4% in the MH group and 82.6 IU and 23.5% in the PD group, respectively. The muscle volume was the only independent factor in the high‐dose subgroup, and the GCR was significantly lower in the high‐dose subgroup despite a high insulin dose in both the MH and PD groups. The results of this study suggest that preoperative sarcopenia is closely associated with insulin resistance in the perioperative period. Clinicians must effectively manage sarcopenia, which may result in improved perioperative glycemic control and reduced postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between chronological nutritional changes and development of fatty liver after total gastrectomy (TG) in gastric cancer (GC) patients is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate relationship between development of fatty liver and chronological changes of nutritional parameters during 12 months after TG.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 59 patients with GC who underwent TG at the Kanazawa Medical University Hospital between January 2009 and December 2017. We defined fatty liver change as a mean liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio (L/S ratio) of less than 1.2 in the computed tomography images at 12 months after TG and divided the patients into fatty liver (FL) and non-FL groups from the L/S ratio. We analyzed serum levels of total protein and albumin, and psoas muscle index (PMI) before TG and at 6 and 12 months after TG in the non-FL and FL groups.Results: Six patients showed an L/S ratio of less than 1.2 at 12 months after TG and were included into FL group. There was no significant difference between the groups in serum parameters, L/S ratio, and PMI before TG. In the FL group, the mean levels of total protein and albumin decreased after TG and were significant lower at 6 months, compared with the non-FL group. And then, these levels in the FL group recovered at 12 months. In contrast, the mean levels of total protein and albumin in the non-FL group did not decrease below the preoperative levels throughout the year after surgery. As with laboratory parameters, all patients in the FL group showed decrease of PMI at 6 months after TG. This proportion was significantly higher than that in the non-FL group (100% vs. 40.8%, P = 0.006).Conclusions: We evaluated that the patients with fatty liver occurring after TG had significantly lower levels of serum nutritional parameters and skeletal muscle index at 6 months, not but 12 months, after TG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We encountered three cases with incidental penetration of a straight Amsterdam-type bile duct plastic stent into the duodenal papilla. All patients had undergone insertion of a biliary plastic stent due to common bile duct stones. However, in all three cases, we observed penetration of the biliary plastic stent into the duodenal papilla just before the elective surgery or at the time of plastic stent replacement. We, therefore, performed stent dissection using a bipolar snare and were able to safely remove the plastic stents in all three cases. We believe that this is the first report of plastic stent dissection using a bipolar snare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In patients with gastric cancer, 6-27% of patients are diagnosed with T4b disease that invades adjacent organs, and curative resection can improve the prognosis of these patients.Case Presentation: A 70-year-old Japanese man presented with an abdominal tumor and was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer (L-Circ type 3 T4b N2 M0 H0 stage IVA, based on the 15th edition of the Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma) with extensive abdominal wall invasion. We performed open gastrojejunal bypass for gastric obstruction and initiated a chemotherapeutic regimen comprising S-1 (120 mg/day) and oxaliplatin (100 mg/m2). Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed after the administration of six courses of the S-1 and oxaliplatin regimen revealed a persistent primary lower gastric wall lesion; however, the diameter of the abdominal wall invasion and metastatic lymph nodes was significantly reduced, in addition to decreased serum carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels. Subsequently, the patient underwent distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy combined with transverse colon and abdominal wall resection. We performed radical en bloc resection and achieved a tumor-free resection margin. Simple abdominal wall closure was performed without mesh or musculocutaneous flap placement. Histopathological examination of the resected tumor specimen showed direct invasion of the mesocolon and rectus abdominis muscle. The patient was postoperatively diagnosed with L Gre-Ant type5 T4b (SI: rectus abdominis muscle) N2 PM0 DM0 Stage IIIA R0 Grade 2a gastric cancer based on histopathological findings and received S-1 as adjuvant chemotherapy, 2 months postoperatively. No recurrence was detected 6 months postoperatively.Conclusions: We report a case of advanced gastric cancer with extensive abdominal wall invasion that was successfully treated with gastrectomy combined with resection of adjacent organs showing tumor invasion after effective systemic chemotherapy. A therapeutic approach comprising curative surgery combined with perioperative chemotherapy is useful in patients with T4b gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we consider the blow-up of solutions to a weakly coupled system of semilinear damped wave equations in the scattering case with nonlinearities of mixed type. The proof of the blow-up results is based on an iteration argument. We find as critical curve for the pair of exponents (p, q) in the nonlinear terms the same one found for the weakly coupled system of semilinear wave equations with the same kind of nonlinearities. In the critical and not-damped case we combine an iteration argument with the so-called slicing method to show the blow-up dynamic of a weighted version of the functionals used in the subcritical case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extravasated platelet aggregation (EPA) serves an important role in the cancer microenvironment during cancer progression, and has been demonstrated to interact with tumor cells in several types of cancer. EPA induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via transforming growth factor-β, and also recruits immunosuppressive cells, including regulatory T (Treg) cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). However, the role of EPA in gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis remains unknown. The present study analyzed the association between EPA and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. The present study evaluated 62 patients diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis between 2001 and 2016. EPA, EMT, Treg cells and MDSCs in peritoneal metastatic lesions were detected by immunohistochemical evaluation of CD42b, SNAIL, FOXP3 and CD33, respectively. CD42b expression was observed in 56.5% (35/62) of peritoneal metastatic lesions. CD42b expression in peritoneal metastatic lesions was associated with poor overall survival compared with lower frequencies (hazard ratio, 2.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.12–3.69; P=0.018). SNAIL, FOXP3 and CD33 expression were not associated with overall survival, but CD33 expression was markedly higher in CD42b-positive patients (P=0.022). These results indicated that EPA affects immunosuppression by recruiting MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment via the secretion of soluble factors, resulting in tumor progression. EPA may be a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has previously been suggested that postgastrectomy syndrome (PGS) is more severe in patients after surgery for advanced gastric cancer than in patients with early gastric cancer. Using the postgastrectomy syndrome assessment scale-45 (PGSAS-45), the present study aimed to determine whether PGS for postgastrectomy patients, in Kanazawa Medical University Hospital, with advanced gastric cancer was more severe than for patients with early gastric cancer. A questionnaire survey was conducted using PGSAS-45 for curative gastric cancer gastrectomy cases at Kanazawa Medical University Hospital. The questionnaire data were combined with patient background data, anonymized and moved to an unlinked file for patient privacy. Using this dataset, non-recurrent cases of distal partial gastrectomy were extracted and divided into two groups, stage IA or IB patients (group E), and stage IIA or higher (group A). The main outcome measures (MOMs) of PGSAS-45 were compared between the two groups. The participants in the present study included 35 cases in group E and 22 cases in group A. The results of a univariate analysis to compare the MOMs between the two groups showed that only the dumping subscale was significantly different in group A and was judged to be caused by the underlying bias of the background factor. There were no MOMs with significant differences in the pathological stage based on multiple regression analyses. In cases of distal partial gastrectomy, the PGS and quality of life (QoL) of patients following advanced gastric cancer surgery were similar to those of patients with early gastric cancer. The standardized treatment for advanced gastric cancer did not induce notable postoperative failures, and QoL was not impaired. In contrast, for early-stage gastric cancer cases, the present study suggests that it is necessary to distinguish metastasis-negative cases to indicate an appropriate, function-preserving curative gastrectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 48-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of upper abdominal pain. Computer tomography showed an enhancing mass in the pancreatic body, dilation of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) and a filling defect within the splenic vein. On the basis of the preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic body cancer, distal pancreatectomy was scheduled. The pancreas was divided along the left edge of the gastroduodenal artery; however, frozen pathological examination of the pancreatic stump was tumor positive, and therefore a total pancreatectomy was performed. The lesion was a white expansive nodular mass that had spread into the MPD and protruded into the splenic vein. A pathological diagnosis of non-functioning neuroendocrine tumor (NET) was made. In general, imaging findings of disruption of the MPD and tumor vein thrombus are characteristics of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, but are uncommon in NET. However, NET should be included in the differential diagnosis for such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 71-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced gastroesophageal junction cancer with bulky lymph nodes along the cardiac region and the lower mediastinum (GE-Circ type 3 T3 N3 M0 H0 stage III) and received treatment with S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX) as first-line chemotherapy. After 3 cycles of SOX, severe anorexia and diarrhea were observed. We converted from this regimen of systemic chemotherapy to ramucirumab (RAM) monotherapy as second-line chemotherapy. This treatment resulted in a reduction in size of the metastatic lymph nodes along the cardiac region and the lower mediastinum. However, progression of lymph node metastasis and the primary tumor was observed following 7 months of RAM monotherapy. Therefore, nivolumab was initiated as third-line chemotherapy 14 months after the initial treatment. After 3 months of nivolumab administration, a 47% reduction in metastatic lymph nodes was achieved and a regression of the primary gastric tumor as seen on an enhanced computed tomography scan. After 7 months of nivolumab monotherapy, the diameter of the target lymph nodes had reduced by 81% from baseline, and there was no evidence of malignancy upon pathological assessment of the primary tumor site biopsy. The patient survived with nivolumab monotherapy for approximately 2 years after her first visit, without any adverse reaction to nivolumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conversion surgery (CS) following a response to chemotherapy occasionally leads to prolonged survival in patients with stage IV gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for the success of CS in patients with stage IV GC.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of 50 patients with stage IV GC who received systemic chemotherapy between January 2009 and December 2017 at the Kanazawa Medical University Hospital. The successful CS group included the patients who underwent R0 or R1 resection with CS, and the failed CS group included the patients who did not undergo CS after chemotherapy or those who, despite undergoing CS, had to additionally undergo R2 resection. Clinicopathological characteristics were examined in both groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify pretherapeutic parameters that were independently associated with the achievement of successful CS.Results: The number of patients in the successful and failed CS groups were 12 and 38, respectively. On univariate analysis, gender (P = 0.01), NLR (P = 0.003), albumin levels (P = 0.004), and absence of peritoneal metastasis (P = 0.004) were found to be significantly correlated with a successful CS. On multivariate analysis, NLR < 4 and absence of peritoneal metastasis were independently correlated with a successful CS (P = 0.02 and P = 0.002, respectively). In patients without peritoneal metastasis, successful CS rates in patients with NLR < 4 were significantly higher than those in patients with NLR ≥ 4 (61.1% vs. 10.0%, P = 0.005).Conclusions: The NLR was a significant independent predictor of the achievement of successful CS in stage IV GC patients, especially among the patients without peritoneal metastasis. Patients with a low NLR could have higher possibility of achieving successful CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the blow-up for solutions to a weakly coupled system of semilinear damped wave equations of derivative type in the scattering case. The assumption on the time-dependent coefficients for the damping terms means that these coefficients are summable and nonnegative. After introducing suitable functionals proposed by Lai-Takamura for the corresponding single semilinear equation, we employ Kato's lemma to derive the blow-up result in the subcritical case. On the other hand, in the critical case, an iteration procedure based on the slicing method is employed. Let us point out that we find as critical curve in the p - q plane for the pair of exponents (p, q) in the nonlinear terms the same one as for the weakly coupled system of semilinear not-damped wave equations with the same kind of nonlinearities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gastric inlet patch (GIP) is an ectopic gastric mucosal lesion usually arising at the cervical esophagus that may rarely cause esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a GIP-derived EAC that was successfully treated using a multidisciplinary treatment approach. A 64-year-old man was referred to the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Kanazawa University Hospital (Kanazawa, Japan) for surgical treatment of refractory recurrent cervical EAC derived from GIP who had previously been treated with induction chemotherapy, definitive chemoradiotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a stenotic tumor at the GIP site in the cervical esophagus and submucosal tumors with suspected multiple intramural metastases in the anal side of the thoracic esophagus. The patient underwent robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy with laryngopharyngectomy and cervical lymphadenectomy as radical salvage surgery 4 months after the last PDT procedure. After postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy using oral administration of tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (oral 5-fluorouracil prodrug) for 1 year; at present, the patient is alive without recurrence 3 years after the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Segmental gastrectomy, mini-distal gastrectomy and local resection of the stomach are function-preserving curative gastrectomies (FPGs), which are used to treat gastric cancer in specialized centers. These surgical options are less invasive and can alleviate postgastrectomy symptoms more than standard gastrectomy; however, their association with prognosis remains to be fully elucidated. The present study aimed to compare the survival prognosis of patients diagnosed as node-negative by sentinel node biopsy (SNB) treated via FPG with reduced lymph node dissection with that of patients who underwent guideline gastrectomy (GL). This retrospective study was conducted between April 1999 and March 2016. The inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of gastric cancer type 0, of ≤5 cm, located in L or M areas, and pT1N0. Patients who underwent distal gastrectomy and pylorus-preserving gastrectomy were included as controls in the GL group. Among the 146 and 300 patients in the FPG and GL groups, respectively, only 1 patient in the GL group experienced recurrence. The overall survival (OS) of the FPG group was 96.6% at 5 years and 92.5% at 10 years, which was significantly higher than that of the GL group (P<0.05). In addition, the cumulative incidence of non-cancer-related deaths, especially pulmonary diseases, was lower in the FPG group than that in the GL group (P<0.05). Notably, the OS and non-cancer death rate in the FPG group remained significantly better after propensity score-matching analysis. In conclusion, for early gastric cancer located in M or L areas, patients treated via FPG guided by SNB have a better prognosis and fewer deaths caused by respiratory disease than those treated via GL. The present clinical trial was registered under the following trial registration numbers: UMIN000010154 (2013/3/4), UMIN000023828 (2016/8/29), jRCTs041180006 (2018/10/9). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Totally implantable vascular access devices (TIVADs) are often used to administer chemotherapy by prolonged intravenous infusion. The objective of the present study was to investigate the incidence of long-term complications and identify risk factors associated with TIVAD placement in patients with gastric cancer. A total of 121 patients with gastric cancer who had undergone 150 TIVAD placement procedures for chemotherapy or supportive care were enrolled in the present retrospective cohort study. A number of risk factors were analyzed, including age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, history of thrombosis, body mass index, disease stage, and site and purpose of TIVAD. In total, 40 TIVADs (26.7%) developed long-term complications, of which 27 (18.0%) were infections, seven (4.7%) were catheter-related deep vein thrombosis (CR-DVT), and six (4.0%) were obstructions. Chemotherapy was associated with an increased rate of infectious adverse events (odds ratio 2.925; 95% CI, 1.104–7.750; P=0.031) according to the multivariate analysis. CR-DVT occurred more frequently in upper arm ports than in chest wall ports; however, this difference was not statistically significant (7.5 vs. 0.0%; P=0.084) according to the univariable analysis. All CR-DVTs developed in the upper arm sites. Chemotherapy and the upper arm site were associated with long-term complications in patients with TIVAD. However, further studies are needed to confirm the findings of the present study and to determine the reasons for the high incidence of long-term complications in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gastrointestinal–airway fistula (GAF) after esophagectomy is a very serious postoperative complication that can cause severe respiratory complications due to digestive juice inflow. Generally, GAF is managed by invasive surgical treatment; less-invasive treatment has yet to be established. We performed esophageal stent placement (ESP) in three cases of GAF after esophagectomy. We assessed the usefulness of ESP through our clinical experience. All GAFs were successfully managed by ESP procedures. After the procedure, the stent positioning and expansion were appropriately evaluated by radiological assessments over time. The stent was removed after endoscopic confirmation of fistula closure on days 8, 23, and 71. Only one patient with a long-term indwelling stent developed a manageable secondary gastrobronchial fistula as a procedure-related complication. In conclusion, ESP was shown to be a less-invasive and effective therapeutic modality for the treatment of GAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of preoperative (neoadjuvant) chemotherapy (NAC) for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. The present study retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of NAC with gemcitabine (GEM)-based regimens or GEM monotherapy for resectable PDAC. Between 2006 and 2015, NAC with GEM was performed in 52 cases (head 31, and body and tail 21) and compared with 34 resection-only cases serving as controls (head 20, and body and tail 14). According to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors guidelines, the treatment effect was a partial response in 5 cases, stable disease in 45 cases, and progressive disease in 2 cases. Maximum standardized uptake values and carbohydrate antigen (CA19-9) values were significantly reduced after preoperative chemotherapy. Using the Evans grading system, the treatment effect was grade I in 31 patients, grade IIa in 8, and grade IIb in 3 cases. There were significant differences in the overall survival rate between the NAC and control groups, only in the patients with node-positive pancreatic head cancer. Significantly higher CA19-9 values in peripheral blood and higher lymph node metastasis and plexus invasion rates were observed in early-recurring cases within a year. The preoperative CA 19-9 cutoff value as an early recurrence risk factor was calculated as 30 U/ml in the NAC group and 88 U/ml in the control group. NAC with GEM prolonged survival in patients with node-positive pancreatic head cancer. High CA19-9 values before operation, lymph node metastases and plexus invasion were risk factors for early tumor recurrence after surgery. Preoperative chemotherapy would be necessary for resectable pancreatic head cancer as lymph node metastasis was observed in >60% with resectable PDAC. Moreover, if normalization of CA19-9 values is not achieved with NAC, extension of preoperative chemotherapy should be considered as for borderline resectable PDAC cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chemotherapy, including preoperative chemotherapy, plays an important role in the treatment of esophageal cancer. However, although docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil (DCF) therapy has a powerful antitumor effect, the associated adverse events make it difficult to maintain the patient's general condition. Oral mucositis is an important adverse effect of chemotherapy, and its severity, frequency, and impact on patient quality of life should not be underestimated. This study evaluated the role of oral cryotherapy for prophylaxis of oral mucositis caused by DCF therapy. Methods: We retrospectively examined the incidence and severity of adverse events, including mucositis, in 72 patients with esophageal cancer treated with DCF. Fifty-eight patients received cryotherapy during docetaxel administration and 14 received no cryotherapy. Results: The incidence of mucositis of all grades and grade 3 was significantly lower in the cryotherapy group compared with the no-cryotherapy group (24.1% vs. 71.4%, P < 0.001 and 0% vs. 28.6%, P = 0.001, respectively). The incidence of anorexia of all grades and grade 3 was also significantly lower in the cryotherapy group (22.4% vs. 57.1%, P = 0.037 and 0% vs. 28.6%, P = 0.010, respectively). Conclusion: Adjunctive oral cryotherapy is effective for the prophylaxis and relief of oral mucositis and anorexia caused by chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was performed to clarify the optimal therapeutic strategy for recurrent disease after esophagectomy.Methods: We investigated the prognosis of 37 patients who developed recurrence among 128 patients who underwent curative thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) at Kanazawa University Hospital. The prognostic factors after recurrence were examined by univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: Of these 37 recurrences, 29 patients underwent local therapy (surgery, 10 patients; surgery followed by radiation, 2 patients; radiation, 17 patients). Radiation includes intensity-modulated radiation therapy, chemoradiation, and simple radiation therapy. Seventeen patients (58.6%) were considered to have undergone successful therapy by disappearance or diminishment of the targeted region without regrowth. Eleven of 17 patients (64.7%) showed repeat recurrence at another site. Multiple local therapy was performed for repeat recurrence or uncontrollable first therapy. Finally, 57 local therapies were performed. Using multimodal local therapy, 37 (64.9%) of 57 recurrences were successfully managed. The 12 patients treated by surgery as the initial therapy showed the most favorable survival. Seventeen patients who underwent successful initial therapy showed better survival than others. Multiple or miscellaneous organ metastasis, abdominal lymphatic recurrence and best supportive care at recurrence were statistically significant negative variables for survival after recurrence. Performance of surgery and successful therapy as the initial recurrence were statistically significant positive variables for survival after recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that successful therapy at the initial recurrence was the only independent variable for survival after recurrence.Conclusions: Multimodal local therapy for repeat recurrence after TE contributes to the improvement of survival after recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognosis of patients with unresectable or recurrent pancreatic cancers is very poor. Prior to development of nab-paclitaxel (PTX) plus gemcitabine (GEM) therapy and FOLFIRINOX therapy, there was no recommended third-line chemotherapy after 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and GEM-based regimens. The present study conducted a Phase I clinical trial of weekly low-dose PTX as a third-line palliative chemotherapy for patients with pancreatic cancer. PTX was administered on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 of each cycle, repeated twice as follows: Level 1, 40 mg/m2 (n=6); Level 2, 50 mg/m2 (n=4). During the two cycles, three patients developed Grade 3 neutropenia in level 2; thus, the recommended dose was defined as 40 mg/m2. The disease control rate was 40.0% (stable disease, n=4). Median time to treatment failure of the four patients with stable disease was 5.5 months. In conclusion, palliative chemotherapy with low-dose PTX after failure of GEM and 5-FU is well tolerated and safe for unresectable or recurrent pancreatic cancer patients. The unique ID issues by UMIN: 000008148. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and Aim: Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a serious drug‐induced liver injury. However, the pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of cilostazol (CZ), a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor, in a monocrotaline (MCT)‐induced rat model of SOS. Methods: Male Wistar rats were administrated MCT to induce SOS. Rats were divided into control, MCT, and MCT + CZ groups. In the MCT + CZ group, CZ was administered at 48 h, 24 h, and 30 min prior to and 8 h and 24 h after MCT administration. The MCT group was treated with water instead of CZ. At 48 h after MCT administration, blood and liver samples were collected to assess biochemistry and liver histology. Expression of rat endothelial cell antigen, CD34, CD41, P‐selectin, and caspase‐3 in the liver were analyzed. Plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1) in hepatocytes was analyzed using western blotting and polymerase chain reaction. Results: In the MCT group, macroscopic findings showed a dark‐red liver surface. Histological findings showed sinusoidal dilatation, coagulative necrosis of hepatocytes, and endothelial damage of the central vein. These changes were attenuated in the MCT + CZ group. Elevated serum transaminase and decreased platelet counts were observed in the MCT + CZ group compared with those in the MCT group. Treatment with CZ reduced MCT‐induced damage to the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, inhibited extravasated platelet aggregation, and suppressed hepatocyte apoptosis around the central vein. CZ attenuated hepatic PAI‐1 protein and mRNA levels. Conclusions: Cilostazol attenuated MCT‐induced SOS by preventing damage to liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and extravasated platelet aggregation. Hepatic PAI‐1 levels were suppressed with CZ treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study is to clarify the correlation of the co‐activation of β‐catenin and hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)4α with the findings of gadoxetic acid‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B3 expression, and histological findings in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: One hundred and ninety‐six HCCs surgically resected from 174 patients were enrolled in this study. The HCCs were classified into four groups by immunohistochemical expression of β‐catenin, glutamine synthetase (GS), and HNF4α: (i) β‐catenin/GS (positive [+]) HNF4α (+); (ii) β‐catenin/GS (+) HNF4α (negative [−]); (iii) β‐catenin/GS (−) HNF4α (+); and (iv) β‐catenin/GS (−) HNF4α (−). We compared the four groups in terms of the enhancement ratio on the hepatobiliary phase of gadoxetic acid‐enhanced MRI, immunohistochemical organic anion transporter polypeptide (OATP)1B3 (a main uptake transporter of gadoxetic acid) expression and histological features, overall survival, and no recurrence survival. The Kruskal–Wallis test, Steel–Dwass multiple comparisons test, Fisher's exact test, and log–rank (Mantel–Cox) test were used for statistical analyses. Results: Enhancement ratio on gadoxetic acid‐enhanced MRI in HCC with β‐catenin/GS (+) HNF4α (+) was significantly higher than those of the other three groups (P < 0.001). The OATP1B3 grade was also significantly higher in HCC with β‐catenin/GS (+) HNF4α (+) (P < 0.001). Hepatocellular carcinoma with β‐catenin/GS (+) HNF4α (+) showed the highest differentiation grade as compared to the other groups (P < 0.004). There were no significant differences in portal vein invasion, macroscopic growth pattern, or prognosis analyses between the four groups. Conclusion: Co‐activation of β‐catenin and HNF4α would promote OATP1B3 expression, and consequently higher enhancement ratio on gadoxetic acid‐enhanced MRI and higher differentiation grade in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aim of the present study was to compare the prognostic impact of anatomic resection ( AR) versus non-anatomic resection ( NAR) on patient survival after resection of a single hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC). Methods To control for confounding variable distributions, a 1-to-1 propensity score match was applied to compare the outcomes of AR and NAR. Among 710 patients with a primary, solitary HCC of <5.0 cm in diameter that was resectable by either AR or NAR from 2003 to 2007 in Japan and Korea, 355 patients underwent NAR and 355 underwent AR of at least one section with complete removal of the portal territory containing the tumor. Results Overall survival ( OS) was better in the AR than NAR group (hazard ratio 1.67, 95% confidence interval 1.28-2.19, P < 0.001) while disease-free survival showed no significant difference. Significantly fewer patients in the AR than NAR group developed intrahepatic HCC recurrence and multiple intrahepatic recurrences. Patients with poorly differentiated HCC who underwent AR had improved disease-free survival and OS. Conclusions Anatomic resection decreases the risk of tumor recurrence and improves OS in patients with a primary, solitary HCC of <5.0 cm in diameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) is widely performed as a minimally invasive technique in the management of esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to estimate the efficacy of intrathoracic carbon dioxide (CO) insufflation during TE in the left lateral position. Methods: From January 2010 to April 2016, 58 patients with esophageal cancer underwent TE without intrathoracic CO insufflation (Group N) and 37 patients with esophageal cancer underwent TE with intrathoracic CO insufflation (Group C). The operation results and respiratory parameters during the thoracic procedure were compared in both groups. Results: A satisfactory surgical field was obtained by CO insufflation. There was no difference in the duration of the thoracic procedure or number of dissected mediastinal lymph nodes between the two groups. The amount of thoracic blood loss in Group C was significantly less than that in Group N ( P < 0.05). Intrathoracic CO insufflation did not affect oxygenation during single-lung ventilation. However, both end-tidal CO (ETCO) 1 h after single-lung ventilation and maximum ETCO in Group C were significantly higher than those in Group N. Intraoperative hypercapnia in Group C was permissive. The rate of extubation in the operation room, mortality and morbidity were not different between the two groups. Conclusions: Intrathoracic CO insufflation is beneficial to make satisfactory surgical field and to reduce thoracic blood loss in TE. Application of intrathoracic CO insufflation may contribute to the widespread adoption of TE in the left lateral position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effect of gemcitabine (GEM), a key drug for pancreatic cancer treatment, on the expression of cell surface MICA/B in pancreatic cancer cells and resulting cytotoxicity of γδ T cells. We assessed the effect of GEM on the upregulation of cell surface MICA/B expression by flow cytometry, utilizing six pancreatic cancer cell lines. MICA and CD16 expressions from resected pancreatic cancer patient specimens, which received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with GEM, were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. GEM could increase MICA/B expression on cell surface in pancreatic cancer cell lines (in 2 of 6 cell lines). This effect was most effectively at concentration not affecting cell growth of GEM (0.001 μM), because MICA/B negative population was appeared at concentration at cytostatic and cytotoxic effect to cell growth (0.1 and 10 μM). The cytotoxic activity of γδ T cells against PANC-1 was detected and functions through interactions between NKG2D and MICA/B. However, the enhancement of NKG2D-dependent cytotoxicity with increased MICA/B expression, by GEM treatment, was not observed. In addition, soluble MIC molecules were released from pancreatic cancer cell lines in culture supernatant with GEM treatment. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated that MICA expression in tumor cells and CD16 positive cells surrounding tumors were significantly higher in the NAC group compared to that of the control group. There was a significant correlation between NAC and MICA expression, as well as NAC and CD16 positive cell expression. The present results indicate that low-dose GEM-induced MICA/B expression enhances innate immune function rather than cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer. In addition, our result suggests that the inhibition of cleavage and release of MIC molecules from the tumor surface could potentially improve NKG2D-dependent cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paclitaxel (PTX) which easily elutes into ascites is widely used to treat gastric cancer patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), but clinical outcomes are suboptimal. Increased concentrations of α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), an important drug-binding protein, have been reported in the plasma and ascites of cancer patients. This study sought to clarify whether AGP binds to PTX and alters its anticancer effects. AGP concentrations were measured in the serum and ascites of gastric cancer patients with PC and in the serum of healthy volunteers. The in vitro effects of AGP and AGP plus erythromycin (EM) on PTX were evaluated by MTT assays in the gastric cancer cell lines. We also measured AGP concentrations in the ascites of PC model mice and examined the effects of EM plus PTX on PC. The mean AGP concentrations in the serum and ascites of gastric cancer patients with PC were 1524 and 834 μg/mL, respectively, higher than the mean AGP concentration of 650 μg/mL observed in the sera of healthy volunteers. AGP > 400 μg/mL significantly suppressed the cell growth inhibitory effect of PTX in vitro, but the co-administration of EM restored it. Elevated AGP concentrations were observed in the ascites of PC model mice. Administration of PTX alone did not markedly diminish PC, whereas co-administration of PTX and EM significantly reduced PC ( p = 0.011). AGP is an important regulatory factor modulating the anticancer activity of intraperitoneal PTX. The co-administration of PTX and EM may be effective in treating gastric cancer patients with PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy plays a central role in the treatment of patients with colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). This treatment, however, has been associated with hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), a clinically important adverse effect characterized by a bluish hue of the liver, splenomegaly and thrombocytopenia, resulting in liver dysfunction. The significant association between the sinusoidal endothelium and platelets has suggested that oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy affects platelets in the liver. This study compared platelet counts in patients who did and did not receive oxaliplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). The peripheral blood platelet count was significantly lower in the NAC group (n=17) compared to that in the non-NAC, or control group (n=15) (P<0.05). The spleen index was also higher in the NAC group, although the difference was not significant. However, the spleens of the patients in the NAC group were significantly enlarged following treatment (P<0.01). Immunostaining for the platelet surface marker CD42b (glycoprotein Ib), revealed more platelets in the liver in the NAC compared to the control group, particularly in the centrilobular zone III, adjacent to the hepatic central vein and in contact with hepatocytes (P<0.01). The platelets present in the spaces of Disse, referred to as extravasated platelet aggregation (EPA), secrete a number of growth factors, including transforming growth factor-β, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and thromboxane A2. In conclusion, EPA may play an important role in the development of hepatic SOS. Moreover, antiplatelet drugs may prevent the onset of SOS and hepatic injury in patients treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for CRLM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentinel node (SN) navigation surgery is expected to realize organ- and function-preserving surgery with SN mapping, and has been applied in operations for breast cancer and melanoma. But there has been no definite evidence for the SN concept in gastric cancer. A prospective multicenter trial to confirm the SN concept for gastric cancer conducted by the Japan Society of Sentinel Node Navigation Surgery reported that the SN detection rate, sensitivity of positive SNs, and accuracy of nodal status are 97.5 % (387/397), 93 % (53/57), and 99 % (383/387), respectively. A detailed analysis of the trial suggested that strictly the 'lymphatic basin concept' rather than the 'SN concept' was confirmed in early gastric cancer. The Japan Society of Sentinel Node Navigation Surgery started a new trial of function-preserving gastrectomy with lymphatic basin dissection (LBD) for early gastric cancer without metastasis in SNs on the basis of this promising outcome of the trial. It is supposed that LBD guarantees curability in SN navigation surgery for early gastric cancer. Full-thickness resection or endoscopic submucosal dissection in combination with laparoscopic LBD will soon be a new treatment option for early gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Determination of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status of gastric cancer patients is indispensable in clinical practice. However, the clinical value of serum HER2-extracellular domain (ECD) in gastric cancer has not yet been defined. Methods: The serum level of HER2-ECD was measured using the chemiluminescence immunoassay method, and its relationship with tissue HER2 status and clinicopathologic features was examined. Transition of serum HER2-ECD level was examined in patients during chemotherapy to clarify the correlation between changes in the level of HER2-ECD in serum and response to chemotherapy. Results: A total of 150 gastric cancer patients were enrolled in this study; changes in HER2-ECD level were examined in 36 of these patients during chemotherapy. Serum levels of HER2-ECD ranged from 4.8 to 180.0 ng/ml (median 9.2 ng/ml) and were positive (cutoff value 15.2 ng/ml) in ten patients (6.7 %). There was a significant correlation between serum HER2-ECD level and tissue HER2 status ( P < 0.001); however, no correlation with TNM stage was found. Change in serum HER2-ECD level during chemotherapy was significantly correlated with response to chemotherapy in patients with HER2-positive tumor tissue. Conclusions: Serum HER2-ECD is a potential biomarker of gastric cancer and could be used as a diagnostic marker with regard to tissue HER2 status, and also as a monitoring marker in relation to response to chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) has theoretical advantages for curative resection of adenocarcinomas of the left pancreas. The anterior renal fascia is a key structure, and resection planes should run posterior to this fascia. However, it is difficult to delineate this fascia and set a precise dissection plane. We modified RAMPS to achieve such a precise dissection plane with ease. Methods: After clamping the splenic artery, the third duodenal portion was mobilized from the left to the right to locate the inferior vena cava, which was covered by the anterior renal fascia. Here, the anterior renal fascia was incised while approaching the dissection plane. Dissection then continued cephalad, with this plane along the inferior vena cava, and then turned along the left renal vein at the confluence of the left renal vein toward the renal hilum. At this point, dissection continued along the coronal plane to the superior edge of the pancreas. Results: Between July 2007 and December 2012, a total of 24 pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients underwent modified RAMPS. Tumor extension beyond the pancreatic parenchyma (T3) and lymph node metastases was confirmed in 17 and 13 cases, respectively. Histologically clear surgical margins were achieved (R0 resection) in 21 patients (88 %). The 5-year overall survival rate was 53 %. Six patients survived for over 5 years without recurrence. Conclusions: This modification of RAMPS is advantageous for en bloc resection while actually including removal of the anterior renal fascia. It is associated with satisfactory survival rates for patients with distal pancreatic carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic schwannoma is a very rare tumor that tends to be confused with other pancreatic tumors preoperatively. We report a case of schwannoma of the pancreatic head. A 40-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for treatment of a pancreatic tumor which was found by medical checkup. It was a well-defined solid tumor exhibiting heterogeneous enhancement with some necrotic foci on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Angiography and CT during arteriography revealed the main feeding arteries of the tumor to be the posterior and anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) showed accumulation of FDG in the tumor with a maximum standardized uptake value of 3.6. We diagnosed a solid pseudopapillary neoplasm or a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor preoperatively and performed pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. The tumor had well a well-defined capsule and was composed of a large solid portion containing spindle cells and a smaller hemorrhagic portion containing hypocellular stroma, and diagnosed as pancreatic schwannoma by immunohistochemistry. In this case, CT during arteriography was useful in determining the origin of the tumor. MRI reflected the pathological features of the tumor. The most important finding was that FDG-PET showed abnormal accumulation of FDG in the benign pancreatic schwannoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]