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When asked their preference between diagrammatic representations of Sabbagh[3] and Tanaka,[4] 60 (60%) surgeons chose Sabbagh and 40 (40%) Tanaka. In contrast, our survey confirms that the concept of LOD and its precise definition is poorly understood amongst individual surgeons performing VH repair. 4 Tanaka EY, Yoo JH, Rodrigues AJJ, Utiyama EM, Birolini D, Rassian S. A computerized tomography scan method for calculating the hernia sac and abdominal cavity volume in complex large incisional hernia with loss of domain. [Extracted from the article]

Complex ventral hernia (CVH) describes large, anterior, ventral hernias. The incidence of CVH is rising rapidly due to increasing laparotomy rates in ever older, obese and co-morbid patients. Surgeons with a specific interest in CVH repair are now frequently referring these patients for imaging, normally computed tomography scanning. This review describes what information is required from preoperative imaging and the surgical options and techniques used for CVH repair, so that radiologists understand the postoperative appearances specific to CVH and are aware of the common complications following surgery.Key Points: • Complex ventral hernia (CVH) describes large abdominal wall hernias (e.g. width ≥10cm). • CVH patients are being referred increasingly for preoperative and postoperative imaging. • Imaging is pivotal to characterise preoperative morphology and quantify loss of domain. • Postoperative imaging appearances are contingent on the surgical methods used for CVH repair. • Postoperative complications are depicted easily by imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the study presented by Edwin van Cutsem at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which shows the result of the Crystal trial, a randomized phase III study of irinotecan and 5-flouroucaril (5-FU)/folinic acid (FOLFIRI) with or without cetuximab as front-line therapy in 1217 patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Result suggests that a statistically significant difference in favor of cetuximab was seen in KRAS wild-type patients for progression-free survival.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in the UK. It is estimated that between 2 to 3 per cent of colorectal cancer occurs in patients younger than the age of 40 years. It remains unclear from the literature whether this group of patients has a worse prognosis from colorectal cancer than the population as a whole. There are no large series that report a 10-year survival in young patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The authors' objective was to assess patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer younger than the age of 40 years to determine whether the 5- and 10-year survival rates in a tertiary referral center compares favorably with survival rates obtained at other centers and the population as a whole. A retrospective observational study was conducted and an analysis of the patient's notes was made, specifically looking at age at diagnosis, nature and duration of symptoms, predisposing risk factors for colorectal cancer, the site within the bowel of the colorectal cancer, the type of curative resection performed, Dukes' stage, and details of 5- and 10-year follow-up to assess survival. Forty-nine patients age 40 years or younger received treatment for colorectal cancer at St. Mark's Hospital from 1982 to 1992. The overall 5- and 10-year survival was 58 per cent and 46 per cent respectively. The study provides more evidence to support the fact that young patients with colorectal cancer seem to present with more advanced disease. Despite this, the overall 5-year relative survival rate is comparable if not better than other studies, supporting recent evidence that the prognosis in this group of patients is no worse than for colorectal cancer in the population as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]