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Background: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is used to assess immune and nutritional status, and is a prognostic factor for several malignant tumors. However, little evidence exists regarding the predictive impact of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) after local ablation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of PNI to predict recurrence and survival after operative microwave ablation in patients with early-stage HCC. Methods: This retrospective study included 341 patients who underwent operative microwave ablation for HCC in Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0-A at our institute between 2007 and 2015. We analyzed overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), and evaluated factors related to prognosis in multivariate Cox regression analyses. Results: The OS rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after microwave ablation were 100%, 92.7%, 85.1%, and 57.5% in patients with high-PNI levels, and 96.5%, 78.2%, 59.7%, and 20.7% in patients with low-PNI levels, respectively (P

Background Little is known about the survival outcomes of and predictive factors for survival in hemodialysis patients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer. Methods We performed a multicenter retrospective study from 9 institutions to investigate the survival outcomes of 75 hemodialysis patients with gastric cancer. Patient characteristics included demographic data, hemodialysis- and gastric cancer-related variables. Multivariate Cox hazards models were applied to determine independent predictors of poor overall survival and non-gastric cancer related death. Results Stage I disease was predominant (58.7%) in our series. The overall morbidity and the 30-day mortality rates were 25.3% and 1.3%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates of patients with pStages I, II, III, and IV disease were 59.2%, 42.9%, 32.3%, and 0%, respectively. Eleven (14.7%) patients died of gastric cancer, whereas many more (40.0%) died owing to causes other than gastric cancer. Non-gastric cancer-related death was especially prevalent in patients with pStages I (95.2%) and II (75.0%) disease. Multivariable analysis revealed advanced age, long duration of hemodialysis (> 5 years), total gastrectomy, and pStage IV disease to be independently associated with poor overall survival. Notably, advanced age, long duration of hemodialysis, and the presence of cardiovascular disease were all independent predictors of non-gastric cancer-related death. Patients with all 3 factors had very poor survival outcomes (3-year overall survival; 14.3%). Conclusion The survival outcomes of hemodialysis patients with gastric cancer, especially those with early-stage gastric cancer, were clearly poor, largely owing to the increased risk of non-gastric cancer-related death. Preoperative comorbidities and hemodialytic features were useful for predicting long-term outcomes of this vulnerable population.

Background Pancreatic trauma is a rare condition with a wide presentation, ranging from hematoma or laceration without main pancreatic duct involvement, to massive destruction of the pancreatic head. The optimal diagnosis of pancreatic trauma and its management approaches are still under debate. The East Association of Surgery for Trauma (EAST) guidelines recommend operative management for high-grade pancreatic trauma; however, several reports have reported successful outcomes with nonoperative management (NOM) for grade III/IV pancreatic injuries. Herein, we report a case of grade IV pancreatic injury that was nonoperatively managed through endoscopic and percutaneous drainage. Case presentation A 47-year-old Japanese man was stabbed in the back with a knife; upon blood examination, both serum amylase and lipase levels were within normal limits. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed extravasation of the contrast medium around the pancreatic head and a hematoma behind the pancreas. Abdominal arterial angiography revealed a pseudo aneurysm in the inferior pancreatoduodenal artery, as well as extravasation of the contrast medium in that artery; coil embolization was thus performed. On day 12, CT revealed a wedge-shaped, low-density area in the pancreatic head, as well as consecutive pseudocysts behind the pancreas; thereafter, percutaneous drainage was performed via the stab wound. On day 22, contrast radiography through the percutaneous drain revealed the proximal and distal parts of the main pancreatic duct. The injury was thus diagnosed as a grade IV pancreatic injury based on the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma guidelines. On day 26, an endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage tube was inserted across the disruption; on day 38, contrast-enhanced CT showed a marked reduction in the fluid collection. Finally, on day 61, the patient was discharged. Conclusions Although the EAST guidelines recommend operative treatment for high-grade pancreatic trauma, NOM with appropriate drainage by endoscopic and/or percutaneous approaches may be a promising treatment for grade III or IV trauma.

BACKGROUND Intersphincteric resection (ISR) has been increasingly used as the ultimate sphincter-preserving procedure in extremely low rectal cancer. The most critical complication of this technique is anastomotic leakage. The incidence rate of anastomotic leakage after ISR has been reported to range from 5.1% to 20%. AIM To investigate risk factors for anastomotic leakage after ISR based on clinicopathological variables and pelvimetry. METHODS This study was conducted at Department of Colorectal Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan, with a total of 117 patients. We enrolled 117 patients with extremely low rectal cancer who underwent laparotomic and laparoscopic ISRs at our hospital. We conducted retrospective univariate and multivariate regression analyses on 33 items to elucidate the risk factors for anastomotic leakage after ISR. Pelvic dimensions were measured using three-dimensional reconstruction of computed tomography images. The optimal cutoff value of the pelvic inlet plane area that predicts anastomotic leakage was determined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS We observed anastomotic leakage in 10 (8.5%) of the 117 patients. In the multivariate analysis, we identified high body mass index (odds ratio 1.674; 95% confidence interval: 1.087-2.58; P = 0.019) and smaller pelvic inlet plane area (odds ratio 0.998; 95% confidence interval: 0.997-0.999; P = 0.012) as statistically significant risk factors for anastomotic leakage. According to the receiver operating characteristic curves, the optimal cutoff value of the pelvic inlet plane area was 10074 mm2. Narrow pelvic inlet plane area (≤ 10074 mm2) predicted anastomotic leakage with a sensitivity of 90%, a specificity of 85.9%, and an accuracy of 86.3%. CONCLUSION Narrow pelvic inlet and obesity were independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage after ISR. Anastomotic leakage after ISR may be predicted from a narrow pelvic inlet plane area (≤ 10074 mm2).

Background Gastroenteric neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) account for 6.2% of gastroenteric neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), and only 1% or less of gastroenteric NETs occur in the ampulla of Vater (AoV). Clinical features of NEC of the AoV remain obscure. Case presentation A 65-year-old man visited a general practitioner because of jaundice, and an abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed a tumor of 11 mm in diameter, which was enhanced in the arterial phase at the duodenal papilla, with dilation of the upstream bile duct. Gastrointestinal scope revealed an unexposed tumor of the AoV. Based on a biopsy of the site, a moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma was suspected, and pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histopathological examination revealed dysplasia and highly proliferative small tumor cells, with solid and nodular formation at the AoV. Histological analysis showed a high mitotic count, and immunohistochemical staining revealed a Ki-67 index of 40–50% and cells positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and p53. Small cell-type NEC was finally diagnosed. Four months post pancreatoduodenectomy, multiple liver metastases developed, and systemic chemotherapy was administered. Salvage liver resection for liver metastases was performed 14 months after the pancreatoduodenectomy. Unfortunately, multiple liver metastases developed 2 months after liver resection, and the patient died 18 months after the pancreatoduodenectomy. Conclusions Neuroendocrine carcinoma originating from the bile duct is very rare; therefore, in this article, we provide a review of the literature and a case report.

A 73-year-old male was initially treated with sorafenib for advanced stage HCC. However, the disease progressed 2 months after starting sorafenib. Progressive disease (PD) was confirmed by radiological examination, which revealed mediastinal and abdominal lymph node metastasis, pulmonary metastasis, and intrahepatic recurrence. The patient was enrolled in the REACH-2 (NCT02435433) trial and randomized to receive ramucirumab (8 mg/kg div. every 2 weeks). The patient had a Child–Pugh score of 6A and his AFP level was found to be 1,256.8 ng/mL at initiation. Radiological examination revealed PD, 5 months after starting ramucirumab. Ramucirumab treatment was continued after the confirmation of radiological PD, not but clinical progression, as allowed by the study protocol. His AFP level increased after continuous ramucirumab treatment, however, it suddenly decreased from 7,653 ng/mL to within normal limits 10 months after initiation of ramucirumab treatment. Radiological evaluation revealed a significant decrease in the size of the tumors, which constituted a partial response (PR). We reported a rare case of advanced HCC with PR to a continuous ramucirumab treatment after radiological PD.

Background Little evidence exists regarding postrecurrence survival after microwave ablation for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative hepatectomy; we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of surgical microwave ablation. Methods In this retrospective review, we enrolled patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for primary HCC in our department and had intrahepatic recurrence. We analyzed overall survival according to treatment modality to clarify the prognostic factors for survival. Results Of 257 patients, 119 had intrahepatic recurrence. Three patients underwent repeat hepatectomy; 75 patients underwent surgical microwave ablation, and 34 patients underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization or hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy. The median postrecurrence survival time and 5-year postrecurrence survival after surgical microwave ablation were 37.4 months and 55.4%, respectively. The major complication rate (Clavien–Dindo classification IIIa or above) after surgical microwave ablation was 5.3% with no mortality. Multivariate analysis showed that microvascular invasion at primary tumors, and recurrent tumors within 3 cm and 3 nodules were independent prognostic factors for overall survival after surgical microwave ablation for recurrent HCC. Conclusion Our results suggested that surgical microwave ablation is safe and feasible for recurrent intrahepatic HCC after curative hepatectomy. Close follow-up and further curative treatment could be important for improving postrecurrence survival.

This study retrospectively compared the perioperative bleeding, hemodynamics, and clinical outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed with and without a tourniquet between two age groups. We grouped 103 patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent primary TKA based on age at surgery: &lt, 76 years and ≥76 years. Tourniquet was used for TKA until March 2010 and stopped thereafter, hence, the patients were further classified according to TKA performed with or without a tourniquet. The differences in the operation time, perioperative bleeding, estimated bleeding, and hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht) levels immediately, 1 day, and 7 days postoperatively were evaluated. The clinical outcomes for range of motion, and Knee Society Knee Scores preoperatively and at 4 weeks postoperatively were assessed. Operation time was longer in the ≥76-year-old non-tourniquet group. No difference was observed in estimated bleeding among the groups. Changes in the Hb and Ht levels at postoperative days 1 and 7 were negatively correlated with age but were not different for TKA performed with or without a tourniquet in the ≥76-year-old-patient group. There were no differences in clinical outcomes among the groups. TKA can be performed with or without a tourniquet in patients aged ≥ 76 years with careful assessment of postoperative anemia.

Vaccine confidence reflects social, individual, and political factors indicating confidence in vaccines and associated health systems. In Japan, the government ceased proactive recommendation of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in June 2013, only several months after the recommendation had begun. Seven years later, as of October 2020, the suspension persists and vaccine coverage has precipitously declined, resulting in many young women being continually exposed to the risk of preventable HPV-related diseases. Accordingly, understanding stakeholder opinions on HPV vaccination issues is critical for informing strategies to improve HPV vaccine confidence and acceptance. In October 2019, we performed a nationwide, web-based survey of 1646 mothers of HPV-vaccination-eligible girls, 562 female adolescents aged 15-19 years, and 919 healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Japan. This survey captured key elements of vaccine confidence (i.e., importance, effectiveness, and safety of the HPV vaccine), awareness, and the willingness to receive (in HPV-vaccination-eligible girls) or recommend (in HCPs) the HPV vaccine, and the factors responsible for these decisions. HPV vaccine confidence was generally higher among HCPs than among mothers or female adolescents. Nearly half of all stakeholders were neutral regarding their willingness to receive/recommend the HPV vaccine. The seriousness of cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine's effectiveness or safety were important deciding factors for receiving/recommending the HPV vaccine. Besides these factors, sufficient information and free vaccination were crucial. Our results suggest several factors that could help shape public policy and communication strategies to improve HPV vaccine confidence and acceptance in Japan. ispartof: HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS vol:17 issue:9 pages:3102-3112 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Background Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater with distant metastases is regarded as unresectable. Systemic chemotherapy is basically the treatment of choice for such tumors. Case presentation A 68-year-old woman was referred to our hospital and diagnosed with carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater with lymph node and multiple liver metastases. She underwent systemic chemotherapy with a combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin. After 19 months of treatment, the primary tumor and liver metastases were difficult to detect on follow-up images. Shrinkage of the enlarged lymph nodes was also confirmed. Surgical resection was performed with curative intent after a multidisciplinary meeting. Pathological examination of the resected specimen showed no residual tumors. Systemic chemotherapy achieved a pathological complete response. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient remained free of recurrent disease at 10 months of follow-up. Conclusion This case shows the possibility of conversion surgery after systemic chemotherapy for carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.

The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) is widely used for nutritional assessment in older inpatients and is associated with postoperative complications and cancer prognosis. We investigated the use of GNRI to predict long-term outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma of all etiologies after hepatectomy. Overall, 346 patients were examined after propensity score matching. We dichotomized the GNRI score into high GNRI (> 98: N = 173) and low GNRI (≤ 98: N = 173) and evaluated recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) between both groups. Clinicopathological characteristics between the low- and high-GNRI groups were similar after propensity score matching except for the components of the GNRI score (body mass index and serum albumin level), Child–Pugh score (comprising serum albumin level), and preoperative alpha-fetoprotein level (p p p = 0.0030, and p = 0.0007, respectively). High GNRI was associated with significantly better RFS and OS (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0211, respectively; log-rank test). Multivariate analysis revealed that GNRI is an independent prognostic factor of RFS and OS (low vs. high; hazard ratio [HR], 1.8284; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3598–2.4586; p p = 0.0335, respectively). GNRI is an objective, inexpensive, and easily calculated assessment tool for nutritional status and can predict prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

BackgroundGlomus tumors (GTs) are mesenchymal neoplastic lesions arising from the glomus bodies and generally occur in the fingers and toes. Gastrointestinal GTs are rare, and most of them originate from the stomach; however, GT arising from the duodenum is exceedingly rare.Case presentationA 68-year-old man was admitted due to abdominal pain. Endoscopy showed a round, smooth, elevated mass in the second portion of the duodenum with central ulceration. Abdominal contrast computed tomography showed a hypervascular tumor measuring 26 mm in diameter in the second portion of the duodenum, and pancreatic invasion was suspected. Endoscopic ultrasonography of the lesion confirmed a hypoechoic mass arising from the fourth layer of the duodenal wall. A biopsy was performed for central ulceration, and immunochemical studies showed positive results for smooth muscle actin (SMA) and negative results for S100, C-Kit, and CD34. Leiomyoma or gastrointestinal stromal tumor was suspected and pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. The specimen exhibited a vascular-rich tumor, 24 × 24 × 19 mm in size, with deep ulceration in the duodenum. Histological examination showed uniform small round cells with central nuclei and a pale cytoplasm (glomus cell) with perivascular proliferation. Immunochemical studies showed that the tumor was positive for SMA and collagen type IV, and negative for C-Kit, CD34, desmin, and S100. We diagnosed the tumor as a GT of the duodenum.ConclusionGTs of the duodenum are exceedingly rare, but should be considered in the differential diagnoses of duodenal submucosal lesions.

Background It remains to be clarified whether combined hepatectomy and microwave ablation for multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is feasible. This aim of this study was to examine the perioperative and oncological outcomes after combined hepatectomy and microwave ablation for multifocal HCC. Methods This retrospective study included 81 patients who underwent combined hepatectomy and microwave ablation for multifocal HCC in our institute between June 1998 and December 2017. We analyzed overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), and evaluated factors related to prognosis. Results Median follow-up time was 45.6 months for the entire cohort. OS rates were 1-year: 96%, 3-year: 72%, and 5-year: 54%; RFS rates were 1-year: 77%, 3-year: 37%, and 5-year: 22%. The major complication rate (Clavien–Dindo classification IIIa or above) after surgery was 10%, with one patient of in-hospital mortality. Multivariate analysis revealed that des-γ-carboxy prothrombin level >200 mAU/mL and >5 tumors were independent risk factors for OS, and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin level >200 mAU/mL, > 5 tumors, and maximum tumor size >5 cm were independent risk factors for RFS. Conclusions Our results indicate that combined hepatectomy and microwave ablation is safe and feasible for selected patients with multifocal HCC.

Background Some literature has reported on endovascular treatment for very early hepatic artery stenosis (HAS; within 2 weeks after liver transplantation, and has deemed endovascular treatment to be a contraindication because out of serious complications associated with the procedure. We report on 2 cases of very early HAS successfully treated with endovascular treatment after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Case 1 A 54-year-old woman underwent LDLT with a left liver graft. The native right gastric artery and left hepatic artery (LHA) of the donor were anastomosed. On postoperative day (POD) 13, HAS was suspected and multidetector computerized tomographic angiography (MDCTA) was performed, which revealed 90% stenosis of the arterial anastomosis and 50% stenosis of the LHA in the graft. We performed percutaneous balloon arterioplasty (PBA) without any complications. The artery was patent with a postoperative follow-up of 60 months without the need for repeat intervention. Case 2 A 67-year-old woman with a history of repeated transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma underwent LDLT with a left liver graft. The native A4 and LHA of the donor were anastomosed. We performed MDCTA on POD 11, which revealed 70% stenosis of the native hepatic artery. We performed PBA followed by stent placement on POD 11 without complication. The artery was patent with a postoperative follow-up of 40 months without the need for repeated intervention. Conclusions Endovascular treatment has the potential to avoid the need for repeated surgical interventions or retransplantation, and it can be safely performed in carefully selected patients.

Highlights • We present an rare case of complete spontaneous necrosis of HCC with gross PVTT. • Immune response was thought to be the main cause of total necrosis of our case. • Surgery should be considered for patients with suspected tumor necrosis., Introduction We report a rare case of complete spontaneous necrosis of a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accompanied by portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), as confirmed by resection. Case presentation A 64-year-old man was referred to our hospital for suspected HCC. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) findings before admission revealed a 53-mm tumor in the posterior segment of the liver and were suspicious for PVTT in the right posterior PV. Both alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and proteins induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) were elevated at 17,562 ng/mL and 153 mAU/mL, respectively. We diagnosed the findings as HCC with PVTT. Seven days after the first CECT scan, we performed CECT volumetry, which revealed that the tumor had regressed to 30 mm, along with regression of the PVTT. We performed portal vein ligation (PVL), and 10 days later, CECT revealed that the tumor had shrunk to 20 mm. AFP and PIVKA-II levels were 643 ng/mL and 14 mAU/mL, respectively. We suspected spontaneous regression of the patient’s HCC, but performed a hepatectomy. Histopathology revealed a 22-mm tumor with a thin fibrous capsule and a tumor thrombus in the PV. Trabecular and pseudoglandular structures consisting of denucleated HCC epithelial cells made up both the tumor and thrombus, and the finding confirmed the spontaneous necrosis of HCC. Conclusions We present an extremely rare case of complete spontaneous necrosis of HCC with PVTT. When spontaneous necrosis is suspected, surgery should be considered because of the potential risk of residual viable cancer cells.

This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase I/II study conducted in a Japanese cohort to assess the safety and immunogenicity of Clostridium difficile vaccine (the same formulation as that used in the ongoing global Phase III study). Healthy Japanese adults aged 40–75 years were randomized to receive either C. difficile vaccine (N = 67) or placebo (N = 34) by intramuscular injection on Days 0, 7, and 30. Serum IgG specific for toxins A and B was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and in vitro functional activity by toxin neutralizing assay (TNA). The seroconversion rate (percentage of participants with a ≥4-fold rise in antibody levels from baseline) was high for both toxin A (ELISA and TNA) and toxin B (ELISA), approaching 100% for each by Day 60. For toxin B assessed by TNA, however, the response was lower, with the seroconversion rate not rising significantly beyond the value of 42.9% seen on Day 14 (44.4% at Day 60). Although the response in the participants who were seronegative at baseline was slower than that in those who were seropositive, seroconversion was seen in nearly all (100%) subjects by Day 60, with the exception of the response to toxin B evaluated using TNA (16–18% on Days 14–60). The proportion of participants with solicited local reactions, solicited systemic reactions, and vaccine-related unsolicited reactions were 67.6%, 19.1%, and 20.6%, respectively. Most of the adverse reactions were mild to moderate in intensity, occurring within 3 days post-vaccination, and resolving by 3–6 days post-vaccination. There were no withdrawals due to adverse events and no serious adverse events. These data confirm the safety and immunogenicity of C. difficile vaccine in Japanese adults.

BACKGROUND We previously identified discoidin-domain receptor 2 (DDR2) as a promising driver gene of peritoneal dissemination (PD) in gastric cancer. In the present study we explored the clinical significance of DDR2 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined DDR2 expression in CRC specimens by immunohistochemistry. We analyzed the association of DDR2 expression with clinicopathological factors in CRC. We divided 63 CRC cases into two groups according to their level of DDR2 expression and compared several clinicopathological factors and their overall survival. RESULTS The group with high DDR2 expression had significantly higher frequencies of T4, lymph node metastasis, and PD compared to the group with low DDR2 expression. Furthermore, the prognosis of the group with high DDR2 expression was significantly poorer than the group with low DDR2. CONCLUSION DDR2 is a powerful biomarker that can predict poor prognosis as well as PD, and might be an effective therapeutic target for CRC.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) has the worst prognosis among all types of metastases, but is difficult to diagnose. This study investigated whether preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level can predict synchronous PC in patients with primary CRC. PATIENTS AND METHODS The cases of 395 CRC patients who underwent primary lesion resection were retrospectively reviewed. Risk factors were evaluated by uni- and multivariate analyses from clinicopathological data. RESULTS In the univariate analysis, tumor invasion (p

Background Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a histopathological response pattern to lung inflammation. It is clinically classified into cryptogenic OP and secondary OP, which is associated with various clinical conditions. Rapid resolution with corticosteroids and frequent relapses are common in OP. However, few studies have investigated the factors associated with OP relapse. Methods The medical records of 75 patients with biopsy-proven OP, diagnosed between January 2010 and August 2015, who underwent corticosteroid therapy were retrospectively reviewed. Initially, the patients were all treated successfully; however, 31 patients experienced relapse thereafter (R group), whereas the others did not (NR group; 44 patients). The clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics and administered corticosteroid doses were compared between the two groups. Results The neutrophil percentage in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and the level of fibrin deposition in lung biopsy specimens were higher in the R group than in the NR group ( P =0.01 and P =0.002, respectively). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that both factors were statistically significant predictors of OP relapse. Conclusions A high neutrophil percentage in the BAL and the level of fibrin deposition in lung biopsy specimens are considered predictive factors of OP relapse during the tapering or after the cessation of steroid therapy. Patients without these findings may be treated with low-dose corticosteroids.

Background: Routine gargling with tap water prior to bronchoscopy for the prevention of infection has been performed in our hospital since 2017. Objectives: To study the preventive effect of gargling against bronchoscopy-related infection. Methods: A total of 2,044 patients underwent transbronchial biopsy under X-ray fluoroscopy between January 2014 and December 2018 at our hospital. We selected patients who were considered to have bronchoscopy-related infection through an examination of symptoms, chest x-ray images, computed tomography findings, and blood test findings among those treated with antibiotics (excluding prophylaxis) within 14 days after bronchoscopy. The rate of bronchoscopy-related infection was retrospectively compared between the periods prior to and after the introduction of pre-bronchoscopy gargling (i.e., 2014–2016 and 2017–2018, respectively). There was no change in the bronchoscopy procedure during the entire examined period. Results: Twenty patients (0.98%) experienced a bronchoscopy-related infection. Among those, 16 patients had lung cancer (12 adenocarcinomas and four squamous cell carcinomas), two patients had Mycobacterium avium complex disease, and two patients had other diseases. The rate of infection in the periods prior to and after the introduction of gargling, was 1.36% (17/1,253 patients) and 0.38% (3/791 patients), respectively (p=0.0358). Computed tomography revealed the presence of a low-density area or cavity in 17 patients (85%), which was suspected to be necrosis in the lesion. Conclusions: This retrospective analysis showed that pre-bronchoscopy gargling with water may contribute to the reduction of bronchoscopy-related infection.

Little evidence exists regarding long-term survival after microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study is to determine actual 10-year survival and clarify the clinicopathological features of patients surviving ≥ 10 years after surgical microwave ablation. This retrospective study identified 459 patients who underwent surgical microwave ablation for HCC with curative intent between 2001 and 2008. We compared 100 patients who survived ≥ 10 years with 321 patients who died within 10 years. Median overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates were 5.5 and 2.4 years, respectively. The actual 10-year overall survival rate was 23.8%, and the actual 10-year recurrence-free survival rate was 8.1%. Multivariate analysis showed that age > 70 years [odds ratio 1.87, P = 0.029], hepatitis C virus positivity (OR 2.30, P = 0.004), Child–Pugh class B (OR 3.28, P = 0.003), and platelet count

Background Little evidence exists regarding the perioperative and oncologic benefits of microwave ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of hepatic resection and operative microwave ablation (microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy) for single hepatocellular carcinoma ≤5 cm. Methods Between 1994 and 2015, a total of 551 patients with a single hepatocellular carcinoma ≤5 cm were treated in our institution (hepatic resection: n = 128; microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy: n = 423). We compared overall survival and recurrence-free survival between hepatic resection and microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy. Propensity score matching analysis identified 94 matched pairs of patients to compare outcomes. Results After propensity score matching, baseline variables, including liver function and tumor size, were well-balanced between the 2 groups. The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 76% and 47% for hepatic resection and 77% and 48% for microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy, respectively (P = .865). The 5- and 10-year recurrence-free survival rates were 55% and 41% for hepatic resection and 47% and 32% for microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy, respectively (P = .377). In the subgroup analysis, the hepatic resection group had better recurrence-free survival than the microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy group in patients with tumor size >3 cm, with 5-year recurrence-free survival rates of 56.5% and 32.4% in the hepatic resection and microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy group, respectively (P = .029). Conclusion Our propensity score matching study confirmed no statistically significant differences in both overall survival and recurrence-free survival between hepatic resection and microwave coagulo-necrotic therapy for single hepatocellular carcinoma ≤5 cm; however, hepatic resection is recommended for hepatocellular carcinoma with tumor size >3 cm when patients have good liver function.

Background Liver is a common location of colorectal metastasis, but intrabiliary growth of liver metastasis is not well recognized. Furthermore, intrabiliary metastasis that discovered over 10 years after excision has rarely been described. Case presentation An 80-year-old man was admitted due to the presence of a liver mass in segment 5 (S5) concomitant with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19–9. He underwent right hemicolectomy for colon cancer 12 years prior. Enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed dilated bile ducts with periductal enhancement in S5; hence, cholangiocarcinoma was suspected. Upon anterior segmentectomy, we observed that the cut surface of the specimen exhibited a yellowish-white tumor within the bile ducts. Histologically, the tumor formed within the papillary process, extended along the lumen, and replaced the normal bile duct epithelium. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the liver tumor and primary colon cancer were negative for cytokeratin (CK) 7 and positive for CK20 and Caudal-type homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX-2). In addition, both tumors showed a same KRAS mutation. We diagnosed the liver tumor as liver metastasis recurrence from colon cancer. Conclusion Intrabiliary growth type of metastasis (IGM) is difficult to distinguish from cholangiocarcinoma, and sometimes develops long after surgery; thus, careful examination of a patient’s history is needed in such cases.

Background Acute fibrinous and organizing pneumonia (AFOP) is a rare histologic pattern of acute lung involvement with intra-alveolar fibrin deposition. However, the clinical significance of the pathological findings of AFOP remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the clinical significance of AFOP through a comprehensive clinical examination. Methods The medical records of patients with lung diseases accompanied by the pathological finding of intra-alveolar organization between January 2010 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical and radiological findings were compared between the groups with and without the histologic pattern of AFOP. Results We identified 34 patients with AFOP (AFOP group) and 143 without AFOP (non-AFOP group). The underlying diseases of the AFOP group were as follows: 19 patients had cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (OP), 5 had connective tissue diseases, 3 had radiation pneumonitis, 3 had chronic eosinophilic pneumonia, 2 had myelodysplastic syndromes, and 2 had drug-induced pneumonia. Fever was more common, the time from symptom onset to biopsy was shorter, and the serum C-reactive protein level was higher in the AFOP group than in the non-AFOP group. On high-resolution computed tomography, 85% of patients had OP pattern, and halo sign was more common in the AFOP group. Corticosteroids were effective in 94% of the patients in the AFOP group; however, recurrences were more frequent, and a higher corticosteroid dose was needed during recurrence. Conclusions AFOP might be an early phase of a histologic pattern associated with known etiologies. In addition, it could be a marker indicating intense inflammatory diseases with a tendency of recurrence.

59 Background: As previously reported (Sunami E, et al. Clin Colorectal Cancer. 2020), the ACTS-CC 02 trial demonstrated that S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX) was not superior to UFT/leucovorin (LV) in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) as adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk stage III colon cancer (any T, N2, or positive nodes around the origin of the feeding arteries). We now report the final overall survival (OS) after a median follow-up of more than 6 years. Methods: A total of 966 patients with high-risk stage III colon cancer were randomly assigned to receive either UFT/LV (300–600 mg/day of UFT according to body surface area [BSA] and 75 mg/day of LV on days 1-28, every 35 days, 5 courses) or SOX (100 mg/m2 of oxaliplatin on day 1 and 80–120 mg/day of S-1 according to BSA on days 1-14, every 21 days, 8 courses). The primary endpoint was DFS. Patients’ data were updated in February 2020. Results: The subjects of this final efficacy analysis were 955 patients (478 in the UFT/LV group and 477 in the SOX group). Totally, Stage IIIA/IIIB/IIIC were 1.3%/50.2%/48.6% and T1/2/3/4 were 1.5%/4.0%/61.8%/32.7%. With median follow-up time of 74.3 months, the 5-year OS rate was 78.3% in the UFT/LV group and 79.1% in the SOX group (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.76-1.24; p = 0.8175). The 5-year DFS rate was 55.2% in the UFT/LV group and 58.1% in the SOX group (HR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.76-1.11; p = 0.3973). In an exploratory analysis, the 5-year OS rate in patients with T4 disease was 65.2% and 70.8% in the UFT/LV group and SOX group, respectively (HR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.56-1.17), and the 5-year DFS rate was 45.4% and 50.5% (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.65-1.19), respectively. Notably, in patients with T4N2b disease, the 5-year OS rate was 51.0% and 64.1% in the UFT/LV group and SOX group, (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.40-1.31) and the 5-year DFS rate was 31.1% and 37.2% (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.50-1.31), respectively. Conclusions: In Japanese patients with high-risk stage III colon cancer, the 5-year OS rate was similar in the UFT/LV group and SOX group. However, the oxaliplatin-based regimen was suggested to be more effective for DFS and OS in patients with advanced disease, such as T4N2b. Clinical trial information: JapicCTI-101073.

We thank the J-PARC staff for superb accelerator performance. We thank the CERN NA61/SHINE Collaboration for providing valuable particle production data. We acknowledge the support of MEXT, Japan; NSERC (Grant No. SAPPJ-2014-00031), NRC and CFI, Canada; CEA and CNRS/IN2P3, France; DFG, Germany; INFN, Italy; National Science Centre (NCN) and Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland; RSF, RFBR, and Ministry of Education and Science, Russia; MINECO and European Regional Development Fund, Spain; SNSF and SERI, Switzerland; STFC, UK; and DOE, U.S. We also thank CERN for the UA1/NOMAD magnet, DESY for the HERA-B magnet mover system, NII for SINET4, the WestGrid and SciNet consortia in Compute Canada, and GridPP in the United Kingdom. In addition, participation of individual researchers and institutions has been further supported by funds from ERC (FP7), H2020 Grant No. RISE-GA644294-JENNIFER, European Union; JSPS, Japan; Royal Society, United Kingdom; and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the DOE Early Career program, U.S.

Background The health utility score in patients with stroke relates to physical, psychological, and various other factors. However, the relationship between the health utility score in patients with stroke and objective physical activity has not been clarified. Objective To clarify the relation between the health utility score and objective physical activity in community-dwelling ambulatory patients with stroke. Design A cross-sectional study. Method Patients who received outpatient consultation from a stroke certified nurse after discharge were recruited. We assessed health-related quality of life with the EuroQoL 5-Dimension 3-Level questionnaire and calculated the health utility score. We measured the daily number of steps taken as the index of objective physical activity using an accelerometer. Results Twenty-two patients (72.7% men, 69.5 years old) were included. The health utility score was 0.78 ± 0.14. The physical activity value as indicated by the number of steps taken was 6276.3 ± 4640.7 steps. The health utility score showed a significant positive correlation with the number of steps taken (r = 0.466, p = 0.029). Conclusions The present study showed that the health utility score correlated significantly with objective physical activity in community-dwelling ambulatory patients with stroke. The more the patients with stroke walked, the higher their health utility score was. Further studies should assess other domains of health-related quality of life to comprehensively verify this relationship.

Background: We previously disclosed the evolutionary principle shaping intratumor heterogeneity shifts from Darwinian to neutral evolution in primary colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. Here, we focused on the role of copy number aberrations (CNAs) in impairment of the host tumor immune response, which is characterized by the level of neoantigen (NAG) and diversity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, and in fostering postoperative recurrence. Methods: We compared single nucleotide variants (SNVs), NAG, and CNAs between primary tumors from eight cases of early CRC with postoperative recurrence (CRCR) and from eight cases of precancerous CRC lesions without recurrence (PCRC) by whole-exome sequencing. Then, we compared tumor immune response-related factors, such as NAG, cytolytic activity (CYT), and TCR repertoire diversity, between eight primary and 12 metastatic sites from eight CRCR cases. Findings: In comparison of 10 primary CRC tumors with recurrence (CRCR) and eight precancerous tumors of CRC (PCRC), neoantigens were fewer in CRCR than in PCRC, and CNAs at the arm level were significantly more frequent in CRCR than in PCRC. SNVs and copy numbers (CNs) were inversely associated. In TCGA analysis, cytotoxic T lymphocyte-related genes CD8A, CD4G, and PD-1 in 48 primary tumors with recurrence were downregulated relative to those in 242 tumors without recurrence. In CRCR cases, the frequency of CNAs and mutated driver genes with clonality in primary sites were equal to those in recurrent sites; however, the recurrence-free period was significantly extended under low NAG level and diverse TCR repertoire in metastatic but not primary sites. Interpretation: During the evolution of CRC toward recurrence, CNAs determine the metastatic capability with diminished levels of NAG in primary tumors, and impaired NAG and diminished TCR repertoire diversity predominantly determine the recurrence-free survival period. Funding Statement: This project was supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (16K19107, 15H05707), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (15H0912), and Priority Issue on Post-K computer (hp170227, hp160219) and partially supported by the Project for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Evolution (P-CREATE) and Practical Research for Innovative Cancer Control from Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, AMED. The Takamatsunomiya Cancer Research Funding. This research used the supercomputing resource provided by the Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo. Declaration of Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: The study design was approved by the institutional review boards and ethics committees of the hospitals to which the patients were admitted (Kyushu University Hospital Institutional Review Board: protocol number 486–01; Cancer Institute Hospital Institutional Review Board: protocol number 12–27). The study was conducted according to the principles expressed in the Declaration of Helsinki. We obtained written informed consent from all participants in this study.

A 67‐year‐old man with a history of asbestos exposure and rounded atelectasis complained of cough and swelling in the left submandibular region. Computed tomography showed an increase in size of the right lower lung lobe lesion, which was recognized as the pre‐existing rounded atelectasis, as well as swelling of the pancreas and submandibular glands. Biopsy from a submandibular gland and the pulmonary lesion led to a diagnosis of immunoglobulin G4‐related disease (IgG4‐RD). IgG4‐RD is a recently recognized disease that was first reported as an autoimmune disease; however, some reports have indicated another pathogenesis of an allergic nature that is characterized by type 2 helper T cell (Th2) inflammation. Additionally, it is recognized that long‐term exposure to asbestos can cause immune dysregulation. Here we present a case of IgG4‐RD associated with asbestos‐related pleural disease. Asbestos‐induced immune dysregulation may be one etiology of IgG4‐RD.

High-resolution CT showed areas of airspace consolidation with a twisted appearance of the airways, along with areas of peribronchial ground-glass attenuation and traction bronchiectasis, in five patients with interstitial pneumonia. These areas of airspace consolidation were termed "twisted consolidation" (TwC). The five patients included two patients receiving treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one patient with newly diagnosed RA, and one patient who subsequently showed RA. Three patients showed improvement after steroid administration. An association of TwC with RA is suspected, but further studies are necessary.

We herein report the case of a 68-year-old male who presented with a few years' history of swelling at the scar of an appendectomy, which he had undergone nearly 40 years earlier, and which was associated with radiating pain towards the penis when he pushed on the swelling. The scar was located in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. Abdominal sonography and a computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated the presence of an incisional bladder hernia, and surgery was performed. The herniated bladder was successfully replaced into the preperitoneal space, and the orifice was covered with a polypropylene mesh. Most bladder hernias develop in the inguinal and/or femoral region, and an incisional bladder hernia is extremely rare, especially after abdominal surgery. To our knowledge, this is the fourth report of an incisional bladder hernia following abdominal surgery.

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma in never-smoker patients often expresses mutations including EGFR or ALK, which leads to better prognosis in never-smoker patients with indication of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). But little is known about the influence of smoking on prognosis in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma excluding positive mutations. Objective: This study examined the influence of smoking on overall survival of patients with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma excluding those treated with TKI on the basis of positivity of mutations. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 129 consecutive stage IV lung adenocarcinoma cases with wild-type EGFR and without positive ALK mutations treated in our hospital between January 2011 and December 2014. Results: Out of 129 patients, 104 (81%) had a smoking history. Median age (range) and male-to-female ratio were 64 years (40-89) and 94:10 in the smoker group and 71 years (42-80) and 3:21 in the never-smoker group. PD-1 inhibitor was administrated in one smoking patient. Overall survival rate was significantly higher in never-smoker patients (p=0.031, log-rank), and median survival of patients with smoking history was 9.3 months, and 19.1 months in never-smoker patients. Conclusions: These data suggest that smoking history was a poor prognostic factor in advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients excluding positive mutations.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial occlusion (BO) using silicon spigots (SSs) has been reported to be effective for intractable bronchopleural fistula. Here, a new BO method using a guide sheath (GS) and curette was devised. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the usefulness of BO using a GS and curette. METHODS: The study enrolled 12 consecutive patients who underwent BO (under mild sedation) between October 2014 and January 2016. The devices used were an 1T-260 bronchoscope, and an SG-201C GS, which was customized by cutting it 30 mm from the proximal end to make it compatible with a CC-4CR-1 curette (all Olympus Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). The SS attached to the curette tip was inserted into the target bronchus. Then, the SS was left in position by pulling the curette back through the GS, while holding the SS with the GS. The success rate and procedural time were investigated. RESULTS: BO with SSs was performed on 74 target bronchi (3 to 9 bronchi/patient). The success rate of target BO was 97.3%(72/74). The required time for BO per SS ranged from 5.0 to 12.3 (mean 7.3) min. This method enabled easy insertion of the SS, even in the upper lobe bronchus, in which it was difficult to completely insert the bronchoscope tip, and the SSs were clearly visible during placement. No complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: BO using a GS and curette was a useful technique, in particular, when approaching the upper lobe bronchus.

Background: Bronchial occlusion therapy using silicon spigots is effective for intractable pneumothorax. However, sometimes the pneumothorax is refractory to bronchial occlusion because of collateral ventilation. For such difficult pneumothoraces, we attempted an intrabronchial infusion of autologous blood plus thrombin to control collateral ventilation and stop air leaks. Methods: We performed bronchial occlusions using silicon spigots in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax secondary to emphysema and refractory to chest drainage, but which was inoperable owing to each patient’s poor surgical candidacy and poor overall health condition. When bronchial occlusion proved ineffective, we undertook intrabronchial infusion of autologous blood plus thrombin, 2 to 4 days after bronchial occlusion. A catheter was inserted into the subpleural area, through a gap between the silicon spigot and the bronchial wall, using a flexible bronchoscope under fluoroscopic guidance. Autologous blood, followed by a thrombin solution, was infused using the catheter. We repeated the same infusion a total of 4 to 6 times while changing the target bronchi. All interventions were performed under local anesthesia. Results: The subjects were 9 men, aged from 61 to 88 years, with smoking histories. Three patients also had interstitial pneumonia, and 6 patients had undergone pleurodesis in vain before bronchial occlusion. For 4of the 9 patients, autologous blood plus thrombin infusions successfully stopped air leaks, and in 3 patients, intrabronchial infusions and pleurodesis halted leaks altogether. Conclusion: Intrabronchial infusion of autologous blood plus thrombin was effective for intractable pneumothoraces that could not be clinically managed, even by bronchial occlusion using silicon spigots.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of underweight status on the survival of elderly patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC). A total of 113 patients aged ≥75 years who underwent curative surgery for CRC were included. In addition to standard perioperative variables, body mass index (BMI) was assessed. The patients were categorized as underweight (BMI