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Background Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most frequent mesenchymal tumors of the digestive tract. They have recently been recognized as a separate nosological entity and the literature on these stromal tumors has rapidly expanded. Materials and methods The surgical records of 50 patients with primary GISTs treated at the Digestive Surgery Department of the Catholic University of Rome from January 1993 to December 2010 were reviewed and the prognostic factors were analyzed. Results Surgery was performed in all patients with curative intent. The median age at presentation was 66.5 years (range, 28–81). Adjuvant therapy was administered in 26 (52%) cases. Median follow-up was 71 months (range, 5–208). There was an 8% recurrence rate. The actuarial 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 66.3% and 57.2%, respectively. High mitotic rate (P Conclusions The present study confirmed the important role of aggressive surgical management of GISTs to offer these patients the most appropriate treatment for long-term survival.

"Cancer stem cells" (CSC) have been identified as a minority of cancer cells responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance and spreading. Although a universal marker for CSC has not yet been identified, CD133 has been proposed as the hallmark of CSC in colon cancer. The aim of our study was to assess the presence of a CD133+ cell fraction in samples of colon cancer and liver metastasis from colon cancer and evaluate their potential as tumor-initiating cells.Tissue samples from 17 colon cancers and 8 liver metastasis were fragmented and digested using collagenase. Cell suspensions were characterized by flow cytometry using anti-CD133, CD45 and CD31 antibodies. CD133+ cells were also isolated by magnetic cell sorting and their tumor-initiating potential was assessed versus the remaining CD133- fraction by soft-agar assay.Our results confirmed the existence of a subset of CD133+ tumor cells within human colon cancers. Interestingly, CD133+ cells were detectable in liver metastasis at a higher percentage when compared to primary tumors. Soft-agar assay showed that CD133+ cell fraction was able to induce larger and more numerous colonies than CD133-cells.Our findings data that the CD133+ colon cancer cells might play an important role in both primary tumors as well as in metastatic lesions thus warranting further studies on the role(s) of this subset of cells in the metastatic process.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective multicenter randomized trial was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of postoperative protein-sparing therapy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The metabolic effect of postoperative protein-sparing therapy has been shown by several studies, but the clinical utility of this treatment has not been investigated by large prospective trials. METHODS: Six hundred seventy-eight patients undergoing major elective abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to receive either protein-sparing therapy after surgery (protein-sparing therapy group) or conventional therapy (control group). The patients were monitored for postoperative complications and mortality. RESULTS: The rate of major postoperative complications was similar in both groups (protein-sparing therapy group, 19.5%; control group, 20.9%; p=0.66) as were the overall postoperative mortality rates (4.7% and 3.5%, respectively; p=0.43). CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that routine protein-sparing therapy for patients normonourished or mildly malnourished undergoing major abdominal surgery is not clinically justified.

The authors report 5 cases of carcinoid tumor differently located. The typical carcinoid syndrome has been observed only in one case, presenting with high levels of urinary serotonin and 5-OH-HIAA. The remnant patients were completely asymptomatic and the correct diagnosis was obtained only by histologic examination of the surgical specimen. On the basis of their experience and of the literature, the authors evaluate the current diagnostic and therapeutic options for these neoplasms. The indication for surgical treatment, even in cases with local or distant metastases, is emphasized.

The EEA Stapler is widely employed in the rectal cancer surgery, particularly allowing a more frequent sphincteric preservation after low anterior resection. The authors rather employ the manual suture whenever possible and report their own experience on EEA Stapler employment in the surgical management of rectal cancer located 12 to 6 cm. from the anal verge. They emphasize this technique pointing out the necessity of further investigations which may confirm the possibility of obtaining a curative complete surgical removal as well as by abdomino-perineal resection.

BACKGROUND: Only a few, small, monocentric randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have compared routine vs. no placement of a nasogastric or nasojejunal tube decompression (NG/NJT) in patients undergoing partial distal gastrectomy (PDG) for gastric cancer. However, to our knowledge, no multicenter prospective RCT has analyzed the role of decompression after both the Billroth II (BII) procedure and Roux-en-Y (RY) gastrojejunostomy. The aim of this study was to determine whether NG/NJT prevents the consequences of postoperative ileus after PDG for gastric cancer after both BII reconstruction and RY. METHODS: Two hundred seventy patients undergoing PDG for gastric cancer were randomly assigned NG/NJT placement (NG/NJT group) or not (no-NG/NJT group) with either Billroth II gastrojejunostomy or Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy. The patients were monitored for postoperative complications, mortality, and postoperative course. RESULTS: By January 2010 to June 2012, among 270 patients undergoing PDG for gastric cancer, 134 were randomly assigned to NG/NJT placement (NG/NJT group) and 136 to no decompression (no-NG/NJT group). Time to passage of flatus was significantly shorter in the NG/NJT group than in the no-NG/NJT group, but only after RY reconstruction (3.3 ± 1.5 vs. 4.3 ± 1.6 days, P < 0.001, respectively). Postoperative abdominal distention was significantly lower in the NG/NJT group than in the no-NG/NJT group after both BII and the RY procedure (P < 0.001). No significant differences in postoperative mortality or morbidity, especially anastomotic leakage or intra-abdominal sepsis, were observed between the groups. CONCLUSION: Routine placement of an NG/NJT after BII and RY PDG is not necessary in elective surgery for gastric cancer.

Severe secondary peritonitis is diagnosed in only 20-30% of all patients, but studies to date have persisted in using a standard fixed duration of antibiotic therapy. This prospective, double-blind, multicenter, randomized clinical study compared the clinical and bacteriological efficacy and tolerability of ertapenem (1 g/day) 3 days (group I) vsor=5 days (group II) in 111 patients with localized peritonitis (appendicitis vs non-appendicitis) of mild to moderate severity, requiring surgical intervention. In evaluable patients, the clinical response as primary efficacy outcome were assessed at the test-of-cure 2 and 4 weeks after discontinuation of antibacterial therapy. Ninety patients were evaluable. In groups I and II, 92.9 and 89.6% of patients were cured, respectively; 95.3% in group I and 93.7% in group II showed eradication. These differences were not statistically significant. The most frequent bacteria recovered were Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis. A wound infection developed in seven patients (7.7%) and an intraabdominal infection in one patient (1.1%). There was a low frequency of drug-related clinical or laboratory adverse effects in both groups. Our study demonstrated that, in patients with localized community-acquired intraabdominal infection, a 3-day course of ertapenem had the same clinical and bacteriological efficacy as a standard duration.

Purpose: A joint analysis of data from five contributing centers within the ISIORT-Europe program was performed to investigate the main contributions of intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT) to the multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic cancer. Materials and methods: Patients with a histologic diagnosis of carcinoma of the pancreas, with an absence of distant metastases, undergoing surgery with radical intent and IORT were considered eligible for participation in this study. Results: From 1985 to 2006, a total of 270 patients were enrolled in the study from five European Institutions. Surgery was performed in 91.5% of cases and complicated by adverse events in 59 cases. External radiotherapy (ERT) preceded surgery in 23.9% of cases. One-hundred and six patients received further ERT. After surgery + IORT, median follow-up was 96 months (range 3-180). Median local control was 15 months, 5-year local control was 23.3%. Median overall survival was 19 months, while 5-year survival was 17.7%. A significantly greater local control and survival were observed in patients undergoing preoperative radiotherapy (LC: median not reached; OS: median 30 months) compared to patients treated with postoperative ERT alone (LC: median 28 months; OS: median 22 months), and to patients submitted to IORT exclusively (LC: median 8 months; OS: median 13 months) (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: From this joint analysis emerges the fact that preoperative radiotherapy increases the effects of IORT in terms of local control and overall survival. The 5-year local control of 23.3% confirms the beneficial "sterilizing" effect of IORT on the tumor bed. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Radiotherapy and Oncology 91 (2009) 54-59

Treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) has been revolutioned by the recently discovered molecular mechanism responsible for the oncogenesis of this disease. In addition, due to the rapid progress at molecular and clinical level observed in the last few years, there is a need to review the current state of the art in order to delineate appropriate guidelines for the optimal management of these tumors. A panel of experts from several specialities, including medical oncology, surgery, pathology, molecular biology and imaging, were invited to participate in a meeting to present and discuss a number of pre-selected questions, and to achieve a consensus according to the categories of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and the Standard Options Recommandations (SOR) of the French Federation of Cancer Centers. Generally, consensus points were from categories 2A of the NCCN and B2 of the SOR. Conventional histologic examination with immunohistochemistry for CD117, CD34, SMA, S-100 and desmin is considered standard. Molecular analysis for the identification of KIT and PDGFRA mutation may be indicated in CD117-negative GIST. Complete tumor resection with negative margins is the optimal surgical treatment. Adjuvant imatinib should be considered an experimental approach. Neoadjuvant imatinib is also experimental, although its use may be justified in unresectable or marginally resectable GIST. Imatinib should be started in metastatic or recurrent disease, and should be continued until progressive disease or drug intolerance. In these cases, sunitinib can be used. The optimal criteria for the assessment and monitoring of GIST undergoing imatinib therapy are not well known, but they should include reduction in tumor size and disease stabilization, as well as reduction of tumor density on CT scan and metabolic activity on PET scan.