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Objective: To compare the results of the hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) + retrograde whole-body perfusion (RBP) technique with those of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA-only) approach., Methods: Limited data are available on cerebral protection techniques when distal arch repairs are performed through a lateral thoracotomy. In 2012, the RBP technique was introduced as adjunct to HCA during open distal arch repair via thoracotomy. We reviewed the results of the HCA + RBP technique compared with those of the DHCA-only approach. From February 2000 to November 2019, 189 patients (median age, 59 [IQR, 46 to 71] years; 30.7% female) underwent open distal arch repair via lateral thoracotomy to treat aortic aneurysms. The DHCA technique was used in 117 patients (62%, median age 53 [IQR, 41 to 60] years), whereas HCA + RBP was used in 72 patients (38%, median age 65 [IQR, 51 to 74] years). In HCA + RBP patients, cardiopulmonary bypass was interrupted when systemic cooling achieved isoelectric electroencephalogram; once the distal arch had been opened, RBP was then initiated via the venous cannula (flow of 700 to 1000 mL/min, central venous pressure <15 to 20 mm Hg)., Results: The stroke rate was significantly lower in the HCA + RBP group (3%, n=2) compared with the DHCA-only (12%, n=14) (P=.031), despite longer circulatory arrest times in HCA + RBP compared with the DHCA-only (31 [IQR, 25 to 40] minutes vs 22 [IQR, 17 to 30] minutes, respectively; P<.001). Operative mortality for patients undergoing HCA + RBP was 6.7% (n=4), whereas for those undergoing DHCA-only it was 10.4% (n=12) (P=.410). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year age-adjusted survival rates for the DHCA group are 86%, 81%, and 75%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year age-adjusted survival rates for the HCA + RBP group are 88%, 88%, and 76%, respectively., Conclusion: The addition of RBP to HCA in the treatment of distal open arch repair via a lateral thoracotomy is safe and provides excellent neurological protection., (Copyright © 2022 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Viscoelastic coagulation tests have been increasingly used for hemostasis management in cardiac surgery. The ClotPro system is a novel viscoelastic device based on principles of rotational thromboelastometry. We aimed to compare ClotPro with ROTEM and plasma coagulation assays in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) patients. Blood samples were collected from 25 CPB patients at (1) baseline, (2) start of CPB, (3) end of CPB, and (4) end of surgery. The EX-test, IN-test, HI-test, FIB-test parameters on ClotPro were compared with corresponding ROTEM assay (EXTEM, INTEM, HEPTEM, and FIBTEM). Standard plasma coagulation assays and endogenous thrombin generation (TG) were simultaneously evaluated. Pearson correlation analyses showed moderate correlations between clotting times (CTs) (r = 0.63-0.67; p < 0.001, respectively), and strong correlations with maximal clot firmness (MCF) (r = 0.93-0.98; p < 0.001, respectively) between ClotPro and ROTEM. EX-test and IN-test MCF parameters were interchangeable with acceptable percentage errors (EX-test MCF: 7.3%, IN-test MCF: 8.3%), but FIB-test MCF (27.0%) and CT results were not (EX-test CT: 44.7%, IN-test CT: 31.4%). The correlations of PT/INR or peak TG with EX-test CTs were higher than with EXTEM CTs (PT/INR: r = 0.80 and 0.41, peak TG: 0.43 and 0.18, respectively). FIB-test MCF has strong correlation with plasma fibrinogen and factor XIII level (r = 0.84 and 0.66, respectively). ROC analyses showed that ClotPro was capable of emulating well-established ROTEM thresholds (area under curves: 0.83-1.00). ClotPro demonstrated strong correlations in MCF parameters of ROTEM in CPB patients. It may be reasonable to modify ROTEM-based transfusion algorithm pertaining to MCF parameters to establish cut-off values for ClotPro device., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: This study analyzes the safety and outcomes of mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral valve regurgitation in patients 75 years of age or older., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical results of 343 patients aged ≥75 years who underwent mitral valve repair for degenerative mitral valve regurgitation as a primary indication between January 1998 and June 2017., Results: The median (interquartile range) age of the patients was 79.4 (76.9, 82.9) years, and 132 (38.5%) patients were women. Concomitant procedures were performed in 123 patients: tricuspid surgery in 68 (19.8%) and a maze procedure or pulmonary vein isolation in 55 (16.0%). Operative mortality was 1.2%. Operative complications included atrial fibrillation in 37.9%, prolonged ventilation in 7.0%, pacemaker implantation in 3.8, renal failure requiring dialysis in 1.5 and stroke in 3 (0.9%). The median follow-up was 7.4 years (interquartile range, 3.5-14.1 years). The cumulative incidence rates of mitral valve reoperation were 2.2%, 3.2% and 3.2% at 1, 5 and 10 years, respectively. Overall survival at 1, 5 and 10 years were 95%, 83% and 51%, respectively. Older age, smoking and over and underweight were associated with increased risk of mortality, while higher left ventricular ejection fraction and hypertension were associated with reduced risk., Conclusions: Mitral valve repair in elderly patients can be accomplished with low operative mortality and complications. Mitral valve repair in the elderly remains the preferred treatment for degenerative mitral regurgitation., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Background/aim: In our previous study, first-line eribulin (ERI) showed 25 weeks of progression-free survival (PFS). This study investigated the efficacy and safety of ERI re-administration in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients., Patients and Methods: HER2-negative MBC patients who had never received chemotherapy for MBC received first-line ERI for 18 weeks if they did not have disease progression, and then one cycle of S-1 before ERI re-administration., Results: Twelve patients received ERI re-administration. The PFS of re-administered ERI was 13 weeks. Total duration of ERI use was 30 weeks. The incidence and severity of adverse events were consistent with previous reports., Conclusion: In the first-line setting, the total PFS of eribulin was extended by S-1 administration before disease progression, compared with that of our previous report., (Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of the present study was to review the clinical outcomes of a staged approach using total arch replacement (TAR) with an elephant trunk or a frozen elephant trunk, followed by fenestrated-branched endovascular aortic repair (F-BEVAR) for patients with mega aortic syndrome., Methods: We reviewed the clinical data and outcomes of 11 consecutive patients (8 men; mean age, 71 ± 7 years) treated by staged TAR and F-BEVAR from January 2014 to December 2018. The F-BEVAR procedures were performed under a prospective, nonrandomized, physician-sponsored investigational device exemption protocol. All patients had had mega aortic syndrome, defined by an ascending aorta, arch, and extent I-II thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. The endpoints were 30-day mortality, major adverse events (MAE), patient survival, freedom from reintervention, and freedom from target vessel instability., Results: Of the 11 patients, 6 had developed chronic postdissection aneurysms after previous Stanford A (three A 11 , two A 10 , one A 9 ) dissection repair and 5 had had degenerative aneurysms with no suitable landing zone in the aortic arch. The thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms were classified as extent I in four patients and extent II in seven. One patient had died within 30 days after TAR (9.0%). However, none of the remaining 10 patients who had undergone F-BEVAR had died. First-stage TAR resulted in MAE in three patients (27%), including one spinal cord injury. The mean length of stay was 12 ± 6 days. The mean interval between TAR and F-BEVAR was 245 ± 138 days with no aneurysm rupture during the interval. Second-stage F-BEVAR was associated with MAE in two patients (20%), including spinal cord injury in one patient from spinal hematoma due to placement of a cerebrospinal fluid drain. The mean follow-up period was 14 ± 10 months. At 2 years postoperatively, patient survival, primary patency, secondary patency, and freedom from renal-mesenteric target vessel instability was 80% ± 9%, 94% ± 6%, 100%, and 86% ± 8%, respectively. No aortic-related deaths occurred during the follow-up period. Four patients had required reintervention, all performed using an endovascular approach., Conclusions: A staged approach to treatment of mega aortic syndrome using TAR and F-BEVAR is a feasible alternative for selected high-risk patients. Larger clinical experience and longer follow-up are needed., (Copyright © 2020 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remain unsolved complications post-heart transplant (Tx). The antioxidant transcription factor Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) has been suggested to inhibit reactive oxygen species-mediated NF-κB activation. We hypothesized that Nrf2 inhibits NF-κB activation post-Tx and suppresses IRI and the subsequent development of CAV. IRI and CAV were investigated in murine heterotopic Tx models, respectively. Nrf2 wild-type (WT) and KO mice were used as donors. Sulforaphane was used as an Nrf2 agonist. In saline-treated animals following 24 hours of reperfusion in isogenic grafts, Nrf2-KO showed significantly less SOD1/2 activity compared with WT. Nrf2-KO displayed significantly high total and phosphorylated p65 expressions and percentage of cells with nuclear p65. mRNA levels of NF-κB-mediated proinflammatory genes were also high. Graft dysfunction, apoptosis, and caspase-3 activity were significantly higher in Nrf2-KO. In the allograft studies, graft beating score was significantly weaker in Nrf2-KO compared with WT. Nrf2-KO also demonstrated significantly more coronary luminal narrowing. In WT animals, sulforaphane successfully augmented all the protective effects of Nrf2 with increase of SOD2 activity. Nrf2 inhibits NF-κB activation and protects against IRI via its antioxidant properties and suppresses the subsequent development of CAV., (© 2019 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.)

Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) show considerable promise for regenerating injured hearts, and we therefore tested their capacity to stably engraft in a translationally relevant preclinical model, the infarcted pig heart. Transplantation of immature hESC-CMs resulted in substantial myocardial implants within the infarct scar that matured over time, formed vascular networks with the host, and evoked minimal cellular rejection. While arrhythmias were rare in infarcted pigs receiving vehicle alone, hESC-CM recipients experienced frequent monomorphic ventricular tachycardia before reverting back to normal sinus rhythm by 4 weeks post transplantation. Electroanatomical mapping and pacing studies implicated focal mechanisms, rather than macro-reentry, for these graft-related tachyarrhythmias as evidenced by an abnormal centrifugal pattern with earliest electrical activation in histologically confirmed graft tissue. These findings demonstrate the suitability of the pig model for the preclinical development of a hESC-based cardiac therapy and provide new insights into the mechanistic basis of electrical instability following hESC-CM transplantation., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) plus trastuzumab followed by 5-fluorouracil/ epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (FEC) in a neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) setting for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive operable breast cancer., Patients and Methods: Each patient received four cycles of 260 mg/m 2 nab-paclitaxel with 6 mg/kg trastuzumab (8 mg/kg as the loading dose) every 3 weeks (q3w) followed by four cycles of FEC (500/100/500 mg/m 2 ) q3w. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate., Results: Twenty-nine patients were analyzed for the efficacy and safety of this treatment. All patients completed four cycles of nab-paclitaxel and trastuzumab, and 28 patients completed four cycles of FEC. Twenty-seven patients subsequently underwent surgery. The pCR rate was 74.0%. The most frequent toxicity was sensory neuropathy (96.6%), but grade 3 neuropathy rate was 3.4%., Conclusion: Nab-paclitaxel plus trastuzumab followed by FEC in patients with HER2-positive operable breast cancer is considerably effective and well tolerated., (Copyright© 2019, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To report the mid-term results of our surgical ventricular restoration procedure, called the endocardial linear infarct exclusion technique (ELIET), for ischaemic cardiomyopathy., Methods: From 2006 to 2015, 43 consecutive patients who underwent surgical ventricular restoration with ELIET for ischaemic cardiomyopathy were retrospectively analysed., Results: The mean age of patients at surgery was 65.3 ± 9.2 years and EuroSCORE II was 13.7 ± 12.0% (median 9.3%). The mean number of distal anastomoses of coronary artery bypass was 2.8 ± 1.5. A concomitant mitral procedure was performed in 58.1% of patients. The hospital mortality rate was 11.6% (5 patients). The ejection fraction was improved from 24.1 ± 9.2% to 31.7 ± 8.2% in 2 weeks after surgery. The end-systolic left ventricular volume index was effectively reduced, irrespective of performing a concomitant mitral procedure (reduction rate, ELIET: 35.6% vs ELIET + mitral: 39.2%). After ELIET, the sphericity index of the left ventricle did not worsen, and the conicity index was significantly improved. The 5-year estimated rates of survival and freedom from cardiac events were 71.3 ± 7.9 and 61.1 ± 8.3%, respectively. A concomitant mitral procedure was significantly associated with cardiac events based on univariate Cox hazard analysis., Conclusions: This study showed that ELIET can effectively reduce the ventricular volume and create an ellipsoidal left ventricle., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: Nab-paclitaxel (nab-PTX) is an albumin-bound paclitaxel formulation. Although nab-PTX has shown superior efficacy compared to conventional paclitaxel (PTX) in metastatic breast cancer (MBC), chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) was more frequently observed in nab-PTX. In this study, we aimed to estimate the feasibility of the nab-PTX 175 mg/m 2 /3weeks regimen., Patients and Methods: Patients having metastatic or inoperable HER2-negative breast cancer received 175 mg/m 2 of nab-PTX every three weeks. The primary endpoint was safety and the secondary endpoints were response and survival., Results: Seventeen patients were enrolled with a median age of 64 years. Ten patients had estrogen receptor positive disease and seven had triple-negative disease. CIPN was observed in seven patients (41%) however, grade 3 CIPN was only seen in one patient (6%). Objective response rate was 41% and progression-free survival was 23 weeks., Conclusion: Nab-PTX 175 mg/m 2 /3wks regimen has a good safety profile and less frequent CIPN. This regimen can contribute to the strategy of MBC treatment., (Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Phyllodes tumor is a rare breast mass. Most phyllodes tumors are benign, but occasionally some show malignancy. Even if the tumors are benign, they can easily show recurrence., Case Presentation: We report a case of a 48-year-old Asian woman, who had previously undergone a tumorectomy of her left breast 12 years before, with a pathological diagnosis of fibroadenoma. Five years after the initial tumorectomy, the patient presented with an abnormally enlarged left breast. A biopsy determined the growth to be a phyllodes tumor; subsequently, a partial mastectomy was conducted. However, the patient's left breast showed rapid enlargement in the next 5 months. The treating physicians suspected a relapse and subsequently consulted with our hospital. The breast mass was resected at our institution. After this surgery, the patient had repeated episodes of relapse and underwent four additional operations. Since then, the patient has not had any additional relapse so far., Conclusions: We present a case of a phyllodes tumor with multiple episodes of relapse. Although phyllodes tumors commonly show relapse, this case was unique because of the number of episodes of relapse. This case highlights the need to carry out tumorectomy with adequate margins with subsequent careful observation to check for relapse.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of right subclavian artery cannulation using computational fluid dynamics., Methods: Patient-specific models of the aortic arch were made with 4 patterns (1: normal aorta, 2: ascending aorta aneurysm, 3: distal arch aneurysm, 4: bovine arch) based on the computed tomography images. Right subclavian artery and ascending aorta cannulation models were created to simulate the physiologic pulsatile flow. Perfusion flow through the arterial cannula was set to 2.50 L/min (50% flow), 3.75 L/min (75% flow), and 5.0 L/min (100%), respectively, and a 3-dimensional movie was made of 1 cardiac cycle to evaluate the blood flow., Results: In both 50% and 75% flow simulation with right subclavian artery cannulation, the blood streamline from the right subclavian artery produced retrograde flow of the brachiocephalic artery and antegrade flow of the right common carotid artery throughout the cardiac cycle in all cases. Right subclavian artery flow deflected ascending aorta flow to the descending aorta. Left-side supra-aortic branches were perfused by blood flow from both the right subclavian artery cannula and the aortic valve. The ascending aortic cannulation model showed that blood flow from the aortic valve reached all 3 supra-aortic vessels in systole., Conclusions: Right subclavian artery cannulation was cerebroprotective, especially on the right side., (Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Although the results of cardiac surgery in patients with poor left ventricular function have been widely published, the outcomes in patients with end-stage heart failure who meet criteria for advanced therapies are not well investigated. As access to transplantation and ventricular assist device therapy remains limited, we explored the possibility of conventional surgery as an alternative option for highly selected patients with end-stage heart failure., Methods: We identified patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <20% and VO 2 max <14 mL/min/m 2 , who were initially referred for advanced therapies but were instead offered a conventional procedure from 2002 to 2012. We examined the short- and midterm outcomes and compared survival with that after our advanced therapies in the same era., Results: A total of 133 patients were identified; 68 were deemed to be transplant-eligible, whereas 65 were transplant-ineligible. Seventy-nine percent were in New York Heart Association class III/IV. In-hospital mortality was 12%. Actuarial survival at 5 and 10 years was 72% ± 4% and 39% ± 8%, respectively. Nonischemic etiology was identified as a predictor of late mortality. In the propensity-adjusted model, our transplant-eligible patients had comparable long-term survival to our transplantation patients (HR 1.48 [95% confidence interval, 0.66-3.2], P = .34), whereas the survival in our transplant-ineligible subset was comparable to the survival after our left ventricular assist device therapy (HR 0.49 [95% confidence interval, 0.16-1.50], P = .21)., Conclusions: Despite high perioperative risk, the midterm survival after conventional surgery in patients eligible for advanced therapies seems to be acceptable and may be an alternative option for highly selected patients with end-stage heart failure., (Copyright © 2017 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Although the concurrent use of anthracycline-containing chemotherapy and taxane with trastuzumab are considered the treatment of choice for the primary systemic therapy of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing early breast cancer, non-anthracycline regimens, such as concurrent administration of docetaxel and carboplatin with trastuzumab, exhibited similar efficacies in a previous study. In addition, tri-weekly treatment with nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) resulted in significantly higher response rates and a favorable safety profile compared with standard paclitaxel for metastatic breast cancer patients in another phase III study. Based on these results, a phase I study of combination therapy with nab-paclitaxel, carboplatin and trastuzumab was planned, in order to estimate its efficacy and safety for HER2-overexpressing locally advanced breast cancer. The present study was designed to determine the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), maximum tolerated dose and recommended dose of this combination treatment in women with HER2-overexpressing locally advanced breast cancer. The starting dose of nab-paclitaxel was 220 mg/m 2 (level 1), and the dose was escalated to 260 mg/m 2 (level 2). Nab-paclitaxel was administered with carboplatin (area under the curve, 6 mg/ml/min) and trastuzumab tri-weekly. A total of 6 patients were enrolled. Although no DLT was observed during the first cycle, 4 patients developed grade 4 thrombocytopenia, 2 had grade 4 neutropenia and 3 exhibited a grade 4 decrease in hemoglobin levels. In the present phase I study, although no patients experienced DLTs, this regimen was associated with severe hematological toxicities and it was not well tolerated. However, considering the high efficacy and lower risk of cardiotoxicity and secondary carcinogenesis with taxane, platinum and trastuzumab combination therapy, further evaluation of another regimen including weekly administration or a more accurate dose setting should be conducted.

We report a novel method of surgical ventricular restoration for an infarcted lateral wall: the endocardial linear infarct exclusion technique. First, transmural ventriculotomy is performed at the centre of the scar longitudinally along the coronary artery. Second, the inner layer is sutured in a longitudinal direction with 4-0 polypropylene continuous sutures to approximate the border between the normal and infarcted myocardium. Finally, the outer layer is closed with a combination of interrupted buttress and continuous over-and-over sutures with outer felt reinforcement. The advantages of endocardial linear infarct exclusion technique are as follows: the risk of bleeding is low; it is not technically demanding and is reproducible; the coronary artery can be preserved; approximation of the base of the anterior and posterior papillary muscles is possible in the case of ischaemic mitral regurgitation and it can also be applied to the anterior and inferior walls., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the outcomes of surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR) for ischaemic cardiomyopathy and to identify ideal candidates for this procedure using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies., Methods: We retrospectively examined 50 patients who underwent SVR and were preoperatively evaluated using cardiac MRI from 2004 to 2014. Cine MRI and gadolinium-enhanced MRI were performed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) volume and scarring. The midterm (median, 2.5 years) risk factors of cardiac death or major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were analysed. Patients were divided into three groups-those with preoperative indexed LV end-systolic volume (LVESVI) of ≤100 ml/m 2 (Group 1), those with LVESVI of >100 and ≤130 ml/m 2 (Group 2) and those with LVESVI of >130 ml/m 2 (Group 3)-and examined., Results: In total, 17 patients exhibited MACEs at follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 5-year rate of freedom from MACEs was 66%. The Cox hazard model indicated that preoperative LVESVI was the only significant predictor for MACEs (P = 0.006; hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.04). Moreover, a significant reduction in LVESVI and an increase in LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were observed early after SVR (preoperative versus postoperative: LVESVI, 110 ± 44 vs 68 ± 28 ml/m 2 , P < 0.001; LVEF, 24.3 ± 10.3 vs 32.0 ± 10.4%, P < 0.001) and at follow-up (LVESVI, 61 ± 28 ml/m 2 , P < 0.001; LVEF, 36.5 ± 11.5%, P < 0.001). Although no difference was observed between the groups at follow-up, LVEF and LVESVI primarily improved in Group 2. LVEF improvement was significantly greater in Group 2 than in Group 1 (%increase in LVEF: Group 1, 6%; Group 2, 18%; P = 0.008). In patients with a preoperative LVESVI of >130 ml/m 2 , the number of non-viable segments was a significant risk factor for MACEs., Conclusions: Patients with preoperative LVESVI ranging from 100 to 130 ml/m 2 had fairly better outcomes, and the percentage improvement in LVEF and the percentage reduction in LVESVI were more pronounced in these patients. Hence, accurate preoperative assessments of LV volume and viability testing using cardiac MRI studies are essential for better stratification of the SVR procedure., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study investigated short-term and long-term results of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with in situ sequential left internal thoracic artery (LITA) grafting to the left circumflex area., Methods: The study divided 452 patients who underwent CABG with bilateral ITA grafting to the left coronary artery into two groups: 191 in the sequential group and 261 in the individual group. The 147 pairs were matched by the propensity score., Results: In the matched pairs, the rates of off-pump, complete revascularization, and hospital death were comparable between the two groups. Early graft evaluation was performed in 78.6%. There was no occlusion of the sequential LITA graft itself, but 5 complications occurred involving the distal segment of the LITA graft (occlusion, 2; string, 2; and competition, 1), and 3 complications (occlusion, 2; and string, 1) developed in the individual group. Event-free anastomosis rates were 97.8% in the sequential group and 97.4% in the individual group (p = 0.847). Diamond anastomosis of proximal sequential grafting showed a better patency of the distal part of sequential anastomosis compared with a parallel anastomosis of proximal sequential grafting (98.4% vs 90.7%, respectively). The freedom from target lesion revascularization and overall survival at 8 years was 94.6% and 96.3% in the sequential and individual groups, respectively (log-rank p = 0.645) and 80.7% and 77.4% (p = 0.300), respectively., Conclusions: In situ sequential LITA grafting provides acceptable early graft patency and freedom from repeat revascularization, resulting in excellent survival. This technique is a useful strategy for multivessel revascularization including the left circumflex area., (Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The peripheral blood platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been proposed as an indicator for evaluating systemic inflammatory responses in cancer-bearing patients. While some reports suggest a correlation between PLR and prognosis, few studies have examined the relationship between PLR and sensitivity to chemotherapy. We conducted a study on whether PLR could serve as a predictor of the therapeutic effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC)., Methods: PLR was evaluated in 177 breast cancer patients treated with the NAC 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide, followed by weekly paclitaxel and subsequent curative surgery. The correlation between PLR and prognosis, and between PLR and the efficacy of NAC, were evaluated retrospectively., Results: The low PLR group had significantly more patients > 56 years old (p = 0.001) and postmenopausal women (p = 0.001) than the high PLR group. The low PLR group also had a higher pathologic complete response (pCR) rate (p = 0.019). On examining the correlation with prognosis, the low-PLR group was found to have significantly longer disease-free survival (p = 0.004) and overall survival (p = 0.032) than the high PLR group. Multivariate analysis also revealed that lymph node metastasis (p = 0.043, hazard ratio = 4.40) and a high PLR (p = 0.005, hazard ratio = 2.84) were independent, unfavorable prognostic factors., Conclusions: For patients with breast cancer treated with NAC, a low PLR indicated high chemotherapy sensitivity, suggesting that PLR could serve as a predictive marker of the therapeutic effect of NAC.

The treatment goals for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are prolonging survival and improving the quality of life. Eribulin, a non-taxane tubulin inhibitor, demonstrated improved survival in previous studies and also showed mild toxicity when used in late-line therapy for MBC. We conducted a phase II study to investigate the efficacy of eribulin mesylate as the first-line chemotherapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative MBC. This was a phase II, open-label, single-arm, multicenter trial conducted in Japan. Patients with HER2-negative MBC received intravenous eribulin (1.4 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle). The primary efficacy outcome was overall response rate (ORR). Secondary outcomes included time to treatment failure, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. A total of 35 patients were enrolled and received a median of 8 (range 1-21) cycles of eribulin therapy. ORR and clinical benefit rate were 54.3 and 62.9 %, respectively. Median PFS was 5.8 months and median OS was 35.9 months. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was observed in 63 % of patients. The majority of non-hematological adverse events were mild in severity. The present trial demonstrated that eribulin has antitumor activity comparable with other key established cytotoxic agents with acceptable safety and tolerability. Thus, eribulin as first-line chemotherapy might be beneficial for patients with HER2-negative MBC.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of CABG in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients according to eGFR., Methods and Results: A total of 573 DM patients receiving CABG between 1997 and 2012 were stratified according to preoperative eGFR: normal or mild chronic kidney disease (CKD), eGFR ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m(2); moderate CKD, eGFR 30-60 ml/min/1.73 m(2); severe CKD, eGFR <30 ml/min/1.73 m(2); and severe CKD requiring hemodialysis (HD). Off-pump and bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting rates were 83.4 and 62.3%, respectively. Mediastinitis and in-hospital mortality rates were both 1.4%. On logistic regression analysis, preoperative congestive heart failure and CKD severity were independent predictors of postoperative renal failure and major complications. The mean follow-up period was 5.7 years (range, 0-15.5 years). Estimated 5-year survival (92.9±1.6%, 82.8±3.3%, and 47.3±7.0%, respectively, P<0.001) significantly decreased with declining kidney function. On Cox hazard modeling, CKD severity was an independent predictor of major cerebrocardiovascular events (normal/mild: hazard ratio [HR], 1; moderate: HR, 1.35; severe: HR, 1.83; HD: HR, 2.0, P=0.016) and of overall survival (normal/mild: HR, 1; moderate: HR, 1.65; severe: HR, 5.96; HD: HR, 10.93, P<0.001). BITA grafting was a strong protective factor for overall survival (HR, 0.63; P=0.022)., Conclusions: In DM patients, early- and long-term outcomes after CABG are strongly influenced by CKD progression.

Background: Breast-preserving surgery (Bp) and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) are established as standard treatment for axillary lymph node-negative early breast cancer., Methods: A surgical technique using manual blunt dissection (MBD), in which use of electrocautery, an ultrasonically activated scalpel, and ligation is minimized, is described. This involves an approach from small incisions in the axilla or areola to avoid injury to skin flaps, and with adequate mobilization of the breast, so that regardless of the tumor site, surgical wounds are not noticeable. The usefulness and tolerability of this surgical technique were examined., Results: This surgical technique was evaluated in 233 patients. Surgery could be performed rapidly, with a mean operative time of 67 ± 21 min and a low mean blood loss of only 35 ± 28 ml. There was little need for postoperative analgesia, and surgery was well tolerated without postoperative bleeding or wound infection., Conclusion: Our proposed technique for partial mastectomy using MBD provides good curative and cosmetic results.

The protein nestin, a neuronal stem cell marker, has been reported to indicate a poor prognosis in various tumours. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies in humans, and its molecular background has not been identified. The present study evaluated the expression of nestin and its significance in ATC. Tissue samples from 23 patients with ATC were subjected to immunohistochemical staining and the staining intensity of nestin in the cytoplasm was evaluated. The expression of nestin in the tumour cytoplasm was confirmed in 6 of the 23 tissue samples (26.1%). Between the nestin-positive group (n=6) and the nestin-negative group (n=17), there were no significant differences in the clinicopathological factors of the patients. However, the nestin-positive group exhibited significantly worse prognoses than the nestin-negative group (median survival time, 86.5 vs. 306 days; P<0.01, log-rank test). The multivariate analysis indicated that nestin expression was a prognostic indicator for the ATC patients (hazard ratio, 5.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.63-19.50; P<0.01), which is independent of the known clinical indicators. Nestin expression has the potential to be an independent indicator of a poor prognosis for patients with ATC.

Background: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB)-oriented stepwise treatment under local anesthesia has been performed in the outpatient-ambulatory setting in patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). We retrospectively reviewed our preliminary experience of ambulatory SNB in breast cancer patients scheduled to undergo NAT to evaluate the usefulness and feasibility of this method as a minimally invasive, stepwise treatment protocol., Methods: We retrospectively identified 56 patients with breast cancer without obvious nodal involvement who were scheduled to receive NAT before breast surgery. SNB was performed under local anesthesia in an ambulatory outpatient setting before the initiation of NAT., Results: The average number of removed sentinel lymph nodes was 1.9. Identification of the sentinel node was possible in all cases, and macrometastasis was observed in six cases (10.7%). Micrometastasis was observed in five cases, while isolated tumor cells were noted in six cases. There were no delays in the initiation of NAT as a result of complications of SNB., Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the safety and feasibility of ambulatory SNB prior to NAT. Further studies are warranted to assess the strict indications, patient satisfaction, and medical economics of this procedure.

Introduction: Current guidelines recommend completion axillary lymph node dissection (cALND) in case of a sentinel lymph node (SN) metastasis larger than 2 mm (macrometastasis). However in many patients of those, the non-sentinel lymph nodes (NSN) contain no further metastasis, indicating that axillary lymph node dissection provides no benefit. To identify cases who could have undergone omission of the ALND with confidence, we have retrospectively evaluated the predictive factors of NSN metastasis with positive macrometastasis in the SN., Methods: This study was based on a retrospective database of 420 patients who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) for breast cancer, of whom 61 patients had SN macrometastasis intra- and postoperatively. We examined predictive factors of NSN involvement in 51 cases of these 61 patients who underwent cALND. All clinical and histological variables were analyzed according to NSN status, by using Mann-Whitney U test, univariate and multivariate logistic regression model., Results: T stage and the proportion of involved SNs among all identified SNs (SN ratio) were correlated with NSN metastasis. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that T stage and SN ratio were the independent predictive factor of NSN metastasis. The area under ROC curve for SN ratio was 0.71. The best cut off value of SN ratio was 0.667. Negative predictive value to NSN metastasis in cases with both T2 and more than 0.667 of SN ratio was 85.7%., Conclusion: In patients with invasive breast cancer and macrometastasis of SN, T stage and SN ratio were useful for prediction of NSN metastasis., (Copyright © 2015 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)