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TPS4646 Background: Standard surgery for resectable advanced gastric cancer is D2 (standardized extended lymph node dissection) gastrectomy with omentectomy. The reason why omentectomy has been performed is as follows; (1) principal surgery for gastrointestinal cancers is en-block resection of mesothelium including regional lymph nodes. Omentum is a part of the mesothelium of the stomach. (2) Cancer cells implanted into the peritoneal cavity aggregated in the milky-spot of the omentum and formed peritoneal dissemination in an animal model. (3) By special staining, micrometastasis detected in the omentum. There is some arguments for this theory. (1) no prospective study showed survival benefit of omentectomy as compared with omentum preservation. (2) anatomically, milky-spot is found not only in the omentum but also in other mesothelium or Douglas pouch. (3) JCOG1001 phase III study showed no survival benefit of bursectomy against non-bursectomy although bursa is a part of mesothelium of the stomach. (4) Anti-immunity is accelerated by antigen presentation by macrophage in the milky-spot of the omentum. Preservation of the omentum may have several benefits; (1) decrease in blood loss and operation time, (2) preservation of physical function by omentum such as reaction to peritonitis and prevention of adhesion, and (3) overcoming difficulties in laparoscopic omentectomy and avoidance of organ injury during surgery. Methods: The study is multicenter randomized phase III trial designed to confirm non-inferiority of omentum preservation to omentectomy for resectable advanced gastric cancer. Patients aged 20-79 years, histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma, clinical subserosal/serosal invasion, and expected R0 (curative) resection are randomly assigned (1:1) during surgery to either omentum preservation or omentectomy. Total or distal gastrectomy with D2 dissection is performed in both arms. Laparoscopic gastrectomy is not allowed. Intraoperative photographs of the dissected field are centrally reviewed for all patients for quality control. The primary endpoint is relapse-free survival (RFS) and the secondary endpoints are overall survival, blood loss, operation time, and adverse events. Sample size was set at 1050 considering expected 3-year RFS of 77% in both arms with non-inferiority margin of 5%, one-sided alpha of 5%, and power of 80%. Planned accrual and follow up period are 6.5 years and 3 years respectively. The trial was activated in March 2019, and 177 patients are enrolled as of January 2020. Clinical trial information: UMIN000036253 .

4562 Background: There are three major reconstruction methods after gastrectomy for distal gastric cancer; Billroth-I (B-I), Roux-en-Y (RY) and pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG). These procedures can affect postoperative health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL), but the method is often selected due to physician’s preference or each institutional policy without solid evidence. We aimed to explore differences in HRQoL after each reconstruction procedure selected in JCOG0912, a phase III noninferiority trial comparing open and laparoscopic distal gastrectomies for stage I gastric cancer. Methods: Among 33 institutions participated in JCOG0912, 4 major cancer centers were selected for HRQoL assessment. HRQoL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and STO22 before (baseline) and at 1, 3, 12, and 36 months after surgery as preplanned exploratory analysis. Results: Excluding 2 patients who didn’t answer the questionnaire, 590 patients were analyzed in this study. For reconstruction, B-I was performed for 222 patients (37.7%), RY for 178 (30.2%) and PPG for 189 (32.1%). Proportion of the opted reconstruction procedures was not different in open and laparoscopic gastrectomies. Global health status (GHS) scores of QLQ-C30 were not different among 3 groups at any time point. In comparison of B-I and RY, B-I was better than RY in constipation, while RY was better than B-I in diarrhea and reflux symptoms. In comparison of B-I and PPG, B-I was better than PPG in constipation and reflux symptoms, while PPG was better than B-I in diarrhea. When comparing RY and PPG, RY was better than PPG in constipation and reflux symptoms, while PPG was better than RY in taste (table). Conclusions: GHS scores were similar regardless of the reconstruction procedure, however postoperative symptoms including reflux, constipation, and diarrhea were various according to reconstruction methods. [Table: see text]

302 Background: The preoperative stage and intraoperative stage of gastric cancer were unified as the clinical stage in the 8th edition of the TNM classification (UICC). Although there are some reports about the relationship between preoperative stage and prognosis, the relationship between intraoperative stage and prognosis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the impact of intraoperative diagnosis and staging on long-term survival. Methods: Overall survivals were examined in 915 patients who underwent curative resection for gastric adenocarcinoma between April 2011 and March 2019 in our hospital. Results: The median age of the patients was 69 years (27-90 years), including 585 male and 330 female. The median follow-up period was 33.6 months (0.1-86.7 months). The number of the patients according to intraoperative stage were 641(70.1 %) in stageI, 15(1.6%) in stageIIA, 135(14.8%) in stageIIB, 111(12.1%) in stageIII, 12(1.3%) in stageIVA and 1(0.1%) in stageIVB. The hazard ratios of intraoperative stage for overall survival were as follows (ref: StageI); StageIIA, 6.990 (95% CI: 2.473-19.760, p < 0.001), StageIIB, 2.234 (95% CI: 1.220-4.092, p = 0.009), StageIII, 4.091 (95% CI: 2.416-6.928, p < 0.001), StageIVA, 6.061 (95% CI: 2.150-17.080, p < 0.001), StageIVB, 14.92 (95% CI: 2.035-109.3, p = 0.008). Conclusions: The survival of intraoperative StageIIA was poorer than StageIIB/III. Intraoperative positive lymph node metastasis could be negative impact of survival, even if tumor invasion was T1 or T2.

293 Background: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) was non-inferior to open (ODG) in patients with stage I gastric cancer in randomized phase 3 non-inferiority trial (JCOG0912). Here, we present the results of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) which was a secondary endpoint in JCOG0912. Methods: Among 33 institutions participated in JCOG0912, 4 major cancer centers were selected for HRQOL assessment. HRQoL was assessed using EORTC QLQ-C30 and the EORTC-STO22 before (baseline) and at 1, 3, 12, and 36 months after surgery. The primary HRQOL scale was QLQ-C30 global health status. We defined clinically meaningful decrease of HRQoL as decrease in 10 points or more from the baseline. Missing data were regarded as decrease. Assuming that expected %decrease of global health status at 3 months was 61% in ODG and 45% in LADG with 80% power and two-sided alpha of 0.05, sample size for HRQOL assessment was calculated to be 304. When this hypothesis at 3 months was confirmed, statistical comparison was tested in turn at 12 and 36 months. Results: Among 921 enrolled patients in JCOG0912 from Mar 2010 to Nov 2013, 592 were enrolled from the 4 centers in this HRQoL study. The %decrease of global health status at 3 months was different between ODG and LADG (37.2% (109/293) in ODG vs 29.2% (86/295) in LADG, odds ratio [OR] 0.65 (95% CI: 0.45-0.93, p = 0.020)), but was not different in 1 month (56.0% (164/293) vs 55.3% (163/295), OR 0.92 (0.61-1.32)), 12 months (26.3% (77/293) vs 27.8% (82/295) (OR 1.07 (0.73-1.56))and 36 months (31.4% (91/293)vs 30.8% (91/295) (odds ratio, 0.96 (0.67-1.37))). Among the other subscales, LADG had significantly better symptom scores for pain at 1 and 3 months, constipation at 3 and 12 months, and eating restrictions at 3 months. Conclusions: Decrease of HRQoL was less frequently observed in LADG than ODG especially in the early phase after surgery. Considering non-inferiority and better HRQoL of LADG, LADG is strongly recommended for stage I gastric cancer. However, we have to be careful to expand the indication of LADG for advanced gastric cancer until a solid evidence is obtained. Clinical trial information: UMIN000003319.

336 Background: Esophageal cancer treatment, especially esophagectomy, is highly invasive, so treatment strategies are considered in view of existing double cancers. On the other hand, in Japan, 90% of esophageal cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, and it is known that there are a large proportion of head and neck cancers for double cancers as field cancerization. Methods: The aim of this study is to investigate the types of double cancer, simultaneous/metachronous, and the frequency and treatment policy of head and neck cancer as a particularly high coexistence rate for esophageal cancer surgery patient. The subjects were 304 patients who underwent esophagectomy performed from April 2010 to December 2017. All patients were examined with high-definition endoscopy with NBI by certificated endoscopist at the first visit as a search for simultaneous double cancer from the pharynx to the stomach. And after esophagectomy, endoscopy was also performed to check for metachronous double cancers in the remaining esophagus, gastric tube, and pharynx at least every 2 years. Results: The number of double cancer cases was found in 94 cases (30.9%), and the total number of double cancer cases was 122. Head and neck cancer(33 cases), stomach cancer(16 cases), and colon cancer(12 cases) were observed as the main course of double cancers. In double cancer cases, 47cases(50.0%) were metachronous, 35cases(37.2%) were simultaneous, and 12cases(12.8%) were both synchronous. The most common double cancer was head and neck cancer(33 cases:35.1%), and 23 cases were simultaneous, 10 cases were metachronous. As treatment strategy for head and neck cancer, endoscopic laryngo-pharyngo surgery(ELPS) were 19 cases. 10 cases(52.7%) were synchronous cancers, and 9 cases (47.3%) were metachronous cancers which were detected during follow-up after esophagectomy. Conclusions: Head and neck cancer associated with esophageal cancer surgery is the most common type of double cancer, and 1/3 of ELPS cases have been detected by follow-up endoscopy after esophagectomy, so endoscopic surveillance was also considered important.

285 Background: A complete resection of the omentum has been believed as a standard procedure for advanced gastric cancer. However, there was no evidence for survival significance of omentectomy. Therefore, we conduct the Phase II trial (TOP-G trial) comparing gastrectomy with omentectomy and omentum preserving gastrectomy. Here, we present the short-term outcomes which was a secondary endpoint of TOP-G trial. Methods: Enrollment criteria included histologically confirmed cT2-4a and N0-2 gastric adenocarcinoma. The extent of nodal dissection was performed based on the Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines in Japan. All procedure was performed through laparotomy. Laparoscopic approach was not accepted. Surgical outcomes morbidity, and mortality were compared between gastrectomy with omentectomy group (group A) and omentum preserving gastrectomy group (group B). Postoperative complication was evaluated with Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: A total of 251 patients were randomly assigned to group A (n = 125) or group B (n = 126) between April 2011 and October 2018. After excluding patients who received bypass or no surgery, 246 patients were analyzed as actual treatment group. There was no difference between two groups in patient characteristics and pathological findings. There was no difference in operation time (median 244 vs 204 min, p = 0.156) and in blood loss (median 260 vs. 210 ml, p = 0.371). Median number of totally retrieved lymph nodes was similar (median 36 vs. 37, p = 0.758). There was no difference in the incidence of any postoperative complication (28.9% vs. 25.8%, p = 0.584). There was no mortality in both groups. Conclusions: Omentum preserving gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer was similar short-term outcomes with gastrectomy with omentectomy. Clinical trial information: UMIN000005421.

338 Background: Postgastrectomy vitamin B12 deficiency is common metabolic sequel and worsens the quality of life of gastric cancer survivors. Recently, oral vitamin B12 replacement is reported. Therefore, we investigated retrospectively the efficacy of oral vitamin B12 replacement for gastric cancer patients with vitamin B12 deficiency after total gastrectomy. Methods: We reviewed 73 patients with gastric cancer who underwent total gastrectomy and were treated vitamin B12 replacement. Patients were consisted of 56 males and 17 females and median age was 70 y/o. We investigated initial treatment of vitamin B12 replacement and improvement of vitamin B12 deficiency. Results: Initial treatment of vitamin B12 replacements were intramuscular injection for 42 patients, per oral replacement for 28 patients and intravenous injection for 3 patients. Finally, all patients were treated with per oral replacement and the serum vitamin B12 levels became within normal range. Final vitamin B12 doses of replacement therapy were 500 µg of 20 out of 73 pts, respectively. Conclusions: Vitamin B12 replacement therapy should be necessary and continued. According to our results, one vitamin B12 tablet a day is enough. The vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms could be prevented. 500 micrograms vitamin B12 replacement orally is maybe effective and necessary. Our prospective clinical protocol (UMIN000030727): In this study, an oral vitamin B12 preparation (1500 μg/day, administered daily) was set as the control treatment, and a specific clinical trial was started to determine whether 500 μg/day daily administration would be sufficient for replacement therapy. Clinical trial information: UMIN000030727.

320 Background: Postoperative complications increased recurrence in gastric cancer (GC) patients. However, there was no study evaluating impact of postoperative complication among patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of present study was to investigate the impact of postoperative complications in pStage II/III GC patients who received adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy. Methods: The present study retrospectively examined GC patients who received curative gastrectomy followed by adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy between January 2000 and December 2011 at Kanagawa Cancer Center. The patients with postoperative complications were classified into PC group, and those without postoperative complications were into NC group. Clinicopathological characteristics and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared between the groups. Results: 226 patients were included in this study. Postoperative complication occurred in 30 patients (13.3%). Age (Median, range) is significantly higher in NC group (64, 24-86) than in PC group (59, 36-82) (p = 0.033). Total gastrectomy was predominant type of surgery in the PC group (73.3%) than in NC group (52.0%) (p = 0.031). There was no difference in gender, ASA score, tumor location, pathological stage (TNM 7th) and pathological type between two groups. Conclusions: Postoperative complications were an independent risk factor for RFS in pStage II/III GC patients who received curative gastrectomy followed by adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy.

428 Background: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) of malignant tumor is regarded as an initial state of metastasis, including the lymph nodes, and therefore may be a prognostic factor in many malignancies. However, in gastric cancer, according to the current Japanese guidelines, LVI is not clinically useful information, except for in predicting the curability of endoscopic resection, and its clinicopathological characteristics and biological behavior remain unclear. The present study explored the histopathological significance of LVI in gastric cancer and clarified its correlation with the prognosis. Methods: From January 2000 to December 2013, a total of 2090 cases of gastric cancer undergoing radical gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. The correlation of LVI and other histopathological factors with the prognosis was evaluated. Lymphatic vessel invasion (ly) and venous invasion (v) were diagnosed followed the current Japanese classification. LVI positivity (LVIP) and LVI negativity (LVIN) were defined as the presence of lymphatic vessel and/or venous invasion and the absence of LVI, respectively. Results: LVIP was noted in 894 cases (42.8%). The age (p < 0.001), depth of tumor invasion (pT) (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (pN) (p < 0.001), and maximum tumor size (p < 0.001) were significantly correlated with the presence of LVI. A multivariate analysis showed that pT (p < 0.001), pN (p < 0.001), and LVI (p = 0.03) were independent risk factors for the prognosis of all patients. On analyzing the significance of every T factor and N factor for the overall survival of LVIP and LVIN cases, no significant difference was recognized in the prognosis among all pT1 patients and pT2-4 patients without nodal metastasis. However, in pT2-4 patients with nodal metastasis, a significant difference was revealed, and the 5-year overall survival rates in LVIP cases were lower than those in LVIN (60.9% [95% confidence interval: 56.3-65.3] vs. 76.7% [95% confidence interval 65.2-84.8], p = 0.005). Conclusions: LVI in gastric cancer is an independent prognostic factor, and its effect tends to be particularly strong in advanced cancer with lymph node metastasis. These patients may therefore require more effective adjuvant therapy.

Background Body weight, especially lean body mass, significantly decreases after gastrectomy. Postoperative surgical complications are a major risk factor for changes in body weight and body composition after gastrectomy. However, the influence of postoperative surgical complications after gastrectomy on body weight and body composition changes remains unclear. Patients and methods This retrospective study examined patients who underwent curative surgery for gastric cancer between May 2010 and February 2017. Their body weight and composition were evaluated by a bioelectrical impedance analyzer within 1 week before surgery, and at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months after surgery. Patients were classified as those with surgical complications and those without. Results Eight hundred and eighty-eight patients (156 in the group with complications and 732 in the group without) were entered in the present study. When comparing the two groups, the patients' background and surgical factors significantly differed, while the pathological findings were similar. The body weight losses at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery were 3.8%, 7.0%, and 10.4%, respectively, in those with complications, and 3.3%, 5.6%, and 6.8%, respectively, in the group without, with p-values of 0.001, 0.002, and 0.001, respectively. The corresponding lean body mass losses were 3.7%, 6.5%, and 6.8%, and 3.2%, 4.2%, and 3.5%, respectively, with p-values of 0.001, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively. Conclusion Decreases in body weight and lean body mass after gastrectomy were more serious in the patients with surgical complications than in those without. To maintain body weight and lean body mass in patients with surgical complications, additional care or treatments are needed.

Background/aim Laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG) for gastric cancer may prevent the loss of body weight or lean body mass after surgery due to its reduced surgical stress compared with open total gastrectomy (OTG). Patients and methods A total of 303 patients were examined in this study. All patients received the same perioperative care via fast-track surgery. The body weight and composition were evaluated using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer within 1 week before and at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after surgery. Results Two hundred and eight patients received OTG, and 95 received LATG. Although the clinical T factor and N factor were significantly different between these two groups, other clinical factors were similar. The respective body weight loss (1 week/1 month/3 months) was -4.7%/-8.0%/-11.9% in the OTG group and -4.7%/-8.2%/-11.6% in the LATG group, that were not significantly different between the two groups at any time point of measurement (p=0.698/0.528/0.534, respectively). The respective lean body mass loss (1 week/1 month/3 months) was -4.2%/-6.4%/-7.4% in the OTG group and -4.0%/-5.8%/-6.2% in the LATG group, that were not significantly different between the groups (p=0.503/0.588/0.946, respectively). Conclusion The body composition changes were similar between the OTG and LATG groups using the same perioperative care of fast-track surgery. Adopting a laparoscopic approach would not help in reducing loss of body weight or lean body mass after gastric cancer surgery.

Although chemotherapy is the standard treatment for unresectable advanced gastric cancer, its prognosis is poor and the median survival time is only around 10 months. With some literature consideration, we report that ovarian metastasis triggered the diagnosis of unresectable advanced gastric cancer with long-term survival through multidisciplinary treatment. This is the case of a 69-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with ovarian tumor and underwent right extracorporectomy and omentum resection in 2011. Pathological diagnosis suspected adenocarcinoma. In February 2012, EGD found a type 4 tumor in the upper portion of the pyloric area of the stomach. She was diagnosed with gastric cancer with Stage IV(T4aN0M1 [ovary])ovarian metastasis. Because the primary tumor was HER2 positive, XP plus HER therapy(capecitabine 1,000mg/m2 twice a day for 14 days, CDDP 80mg/m2 every 3 weeks on the first day, and trastuzumab 8 mg/kg every 3 weeks on the first day)was administered since March 2012. No metastasis was found in the imaging examination after 8 courses of chemotherapy, and we also confirmed the reduction of the primary tumor in the EGD. Based on the images, primary resection was already possible. In December 2012, after a diagnostic laparoscopy, total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection was performed. Postoperative pathology was diagnosed as Stage IV(pT4aN0M1). To control postoperative micrometastasis, capecitabine therapy(1,000mg/m2 twice a day for 14 days)was administered for 12 months starting from February 2013. Then, recurrence and metastasis were not observed during follow-up. However, in January 2017, a circumstellar stenotic tumor was found in the rectum and was diagnosed as recurrence of peritoneal dissemination through images. In February 2017, artificial ostomy(in the sigmoid colon, double-mouth type)was made. Then, the patient underwent an outpatient chemotherapy, with hospital visits, and she survives.

Several efforts have been made to alleviate harms and symptoms after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. We previously conducted a randomized controlled trial (CCOG1101) to compare quality of life (QOL) and nutritional status between Roux-en-Y (RY) and aboral pouch (AP) reconstructions for up to 1 year after total gastrectomy. However, long-term outcomes after AP reconstruction remain unclear. A prospective multicenter observational study was conducted to compare QOL, body composition, and nutritional indicators between the RY and AP reconstructions at 5 years after surgery among patients who were enrolled in the CCOG1101 trial. QOL was assessed by the PGSAS-37 questionnaires as well as the EORTC QLQ-C30 and STO22. Sixty patients (31 for RY and 29 for AP) were recruited for analysis. There were no significant differences in baseline and perioperative characteristics between the two groups. No significant differences were found in the EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status and functional scales. Regarding symptom scales in the QLQ-C30 and STO22, a more favorable score for the diarrhea scale was observed in the AP group. Diarrhea was also the only item in the PGSAS-37 questionnaires in which significant benefit of AP was observed. Body weight and lean body mass continued to decrease throughout the postoperative 5 years in both groups. None of the conventional nutritional indicators using the serum samples showed significant difference between the two groups. Long-term observation suggested little benefit of AP reconstruction after total gastrectomy other than in alleviating diarrhea.

Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) has an advantage of earlier recovery after surgery due to having lower invasiveness and wound pain than open distal gastrectomy (ODG). However, whether the same enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program for LADG is equally feasible and safe for ODG remains unclear. We retrospectively extracted the clinical data of the patients enrolled in JCOG0912 from the medical record system of our hospital and compared the treatment process and short-term surgical outcomes between LADG and ODG. Our ERAS program consisted of 13 elements (4 preoperative, 4 intraoperative, and 5 postoperative elements). The morbidity was defined as complications of grade 2 or more. One hundred and sixty-three patients were entered from our hospital and randomized to undergo ODG (82 patients) or LADG (81 patients). The patient’s backgrounds, surgical outcomes, and pathological outcomes were similar between the ODG and LADG groups. The rate of completing the clinical pathway was 95.1% in both groups, and the rates of completing each ERAS element were similar. However, the additional use of acetaminophen was significantly more frequent in the ODG group than in the LADG group (18.3% vs. 6.2%, p = 0.03). The median hospital stay after surgery was 9 days in both groups. Morbidity, defined as Clavien–Dindo classification > grade 2, was observed in 6.1% of the ODG group and 11.1% of the LADG group. No mortality occurred in either group. This study showed that the regimen of perioperative care performed by the ERAS program for LADG was equally feasible and safe for ODG with additional pain control. Less pain observed in LADG was not so apparent advantage for completion and safety of ERAS care.

The patient is a 51-year-old man.Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed gigantic type 3 gastric cancer.Enhanced abdominal CT demonstrated a gigantic mass of 15×7 cm in the stomach, and a large number of peritoneal dissemination with moderate amount of ascites.The patient was diagnosed with cT4aN3bM1(peritoneal dissemination), Stage IV gastric cancer(JPN ver8)and was treated by chemotherapy with docetaxel(40mg/m / 2 day 1)plus cisplatin(60mg/m2 day 1)plus S-1(80mg/m2 day 1-14).After 7 courses of chemotherapy, peritoneal dissemination was disappeared.The patient received total gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy as a conversion surgery.The pathological findings revealed a T0N0M0, stage 0; the tumor was determined to be Grade 3 owing to the chemotherapeutic effect.Without postoperative adjuvant therapy, the patient is alive without recurrence at the 5 years follow-up after operation.

The standard therapy for Stage IV gastric cancer is chemotherapy. It is not certain, but conversion surgery is expected to be effective. We report the cases of 3 patients who achieved long-term survival after conversion surgery. Case 1 was of a 59- year-old woman. The tumor was classified as L-Less Post, Type 2, tub1, cT3N2M1(#16a2lat), Stage IV. Then, we initiated S-1 plus cisplatin and the LN achieved PRafter 4 courses. We performed distal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection in February 2011. It was classified as ypT2N2 and the primary lesion was histologically classified as Grade 1a. Case 2 was of a 74- year-old man. The tumor was classified as UM-Less Ant, Type 3, por1, cT3N2H0P1CY1, Stage IV. Then, we initiated docetaxel plus cisplatin plus S-1 and the primary tumor achieved PRafter 6 courses. There were no new tumors and we conducted a laparoscopic examination. After the decision of P0CY0, we performed total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection in April 2012. It was classified as ypT3N1 and the primary lesion was histologically classified as Grade 2. Case 3 was of a 64-yearold woman. The tumor was classified as UM-Less, Type 3, por1, cT3N2H1M0(liver), Stage IV. Then, we initiated capecitabin plus cisplatin and liver metastasis achieved PRafter 6 courses. We performed total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection in July 2012. It was classified as ypT3N1 and the primary lesion was histologically classified as Grade 1b. All postoperative chemotherapy courses were of only S-1. In case 1, the para aortic LN exhibited recurrence 6 months postoperatively. We initiated weekly paclitaxel as second-line therapy. It achieved CRafter 6 courses, and the same trend was maintained. In cases 2 and 3, no therapy was administered after 8 S-1 courses, but no recurrences occurred. All patients survived after 62-77 months postoperatively. A new clinical trial is needed to prove the improvement in prognosis for Stage IV gastric cancer after conversion surgery.

A 63-year-old man underwent a laparoscopic partial gastrectomy for GIST on September, 2001. Three years and 2 months after the gastrectomy, an abdominal CT showed multiple recurrences in S5 and S6 in the liver and peritoneum. After 4 months from the start of imatinib treatment(400mg/day), peritoneal tumors disappeared and the patient maintained stable disease by imatinib treatment for 8 years. However, on December, 2012, an abdominal CT scan revealed the regrowth of the tumor in S6 in the liver, and PET-CT showed focal progression of only the S6 lesion. Although the lesion was resectable, the patient did not request surgical intervention. So, we initiated sunitinib treatment(50mg/day), and the residual liver metastasis has been well controlled with favorable response of sunitinib for 4 years without severe side effects.

A 65-year-old female received distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.The pathological diagnosis was well differentiated adenocarcinoma(tub1), type 2, pT3, ly: 1, v: 1, N0, H0, P0, M0, CY0, pStage II A.She had been observed without adjuvant chemotherapy.Five years after the resection, umbilical tumor and intraperitoneal nodules were detected by computed tomography. Needle biopsy cytology of umbilical tumor revealed metastasis from gastric cancer.Based on the diagnosis of umbilical metastasis and peritoneal dissemination, S-1(80mg/m / 2, day 1-21)and CDDP(60mg/m2, day 8)were administered for 7 courses.Because of diarrhea(Grade 3), chemotherapy was changed to paclitaxel(80mg/m2, day 1, 8, 15).To date, the patient has undergone 33 courses of paclitaxel.The response evaluation is complete response and no other metastases are detected.She has survived more than 3 years from recurrence of gastric cancer.We report a long-surviving case of umbilical metastasis from post operative gastric cancer with chemotherapy.

Background: Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 for 1 year (corresponding to 8 courses) is a standard care for pathological stage II gastric cancer. It remains unclear whether duration of S-1 for 1 year could be shortened to 6 months (corresponding to 4 courses) without worsening the survival. Methods: We conducted a phase 3, open-label, randomized controlled non-inferiority trial at 59 hospitals in Japan. Patients with pathological stage II adenocarcinoma of the stomach were randomly assigned (1:1) to 4 courses S-1 or 8 courses S-1. 80 mg/m2/day of S-1 was administered for 4 weeks with a rest for 2 weeks as one course. Primary endpoint was relapse-free survival (RFS), analyzed by intension to treat. Total sample size was determined to be 1,000, expecting 3-year RFS of 85% with non-inferiority margin of hazard ratio (HR) of 1·37, one-sided alpha of 5% and 80% power. Findings: Between Feb 2012 and Mar 2017, 590 patients were enrolled (8-courses, 295; 4-courses, 295). Among them, 528 patients were analyzed at the first planned interim analysis in Mar 2017. The point estimate of HR of the 4- courses group compared with the 8-courses group was 2·52 (95% CI: 1·11- 5·77), which was greater than 1·37 and met the prespecified criteria for early termination, associated with predictive probability of 2·9% for showing non-inferiority at the final analysis. Updated 3-year RFS analyzed in May 2017 were 93·1% (95% CI 87·8%-96·1%) for the 8-courses group and 89·8% (95% CI 84·2%-93·5%) for the 4-courses group (HR 1·84, 95% CI 0·93-3·63). Interpretation: Postoperative S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy for p-stage II gastric cancer should be continued for 1 year. Clinical Trial Number: This study is registered at UMIN-CTR, number UMIN000007306. Funding Statement: Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development; the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; the National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund. Declaration of Interests: TYo had received reports grants from Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) during the conduct of the study, lecture fees from Taiho Pharmaceutical, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical, Bristol, MSD, Daiichi Sankyo, Yakult Honsha, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Nippon Kayaku, Kaken Pharmaceutical, Abbott Japan, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and Olympus, and grant supports from Taiho Pharmaceutical, Chugai Pharmaceutical, and Yakult Honsha outside the submitted work. JM had received grants from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, grants from Japan Agency for Medical Research andÝevelopment (AMED) during the conduct of the study. KY had received grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Taiho Pharm. Co. during the conduct of the study, grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Sanofi, grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Chugai Pharm. Co., Ltd., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Eli Lilly Japan K.K., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Merck Serono Co., Ltd., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Novartis Pharma, grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from EA Pharma Co., Ltd., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Johnson & Johnson K.K., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Covidien Japan, grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., grants, personal fees, and non-financial support from Ono Pharm. Co.,Ltd, grants and personal fees from Nippon Kayaku Co.,Ltd., grants and personal fees from Otsuka Pharma Co., Ltd., grants from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, grants from Bristol Myers Japan, grants from Tsumura, grants from Kyowa Hakko Kirin, grants from Astellas, grants from Toyama Chemical, grants from KCI, grants from Abbott Japan, grants from Asahi Kasei, personal fees from Olympus, personal fees from Terumo, personal fees from Denka, personal fees from MSD K.K., personal fees from Bayer Yakuhin, Ltd, outside the submitted work. SI had received grants from MSD, grants from Ono Pharmaceutical, personal fees from Chugai Pharmaceutical, personal fees from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory outside the submitted work. HK had received grants from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, grants from Japan Agency for Medical Research and Ýevelopment (AMED) during the conduct of the study and personal fees from Johnson & Johnson outside the submitted work. HF had received grants from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, grants from National Cancer Center, Japan during the conduct of the study, personal fees from Taiho Pharma, and personal fees from Chugai Pharmaceutical outside the submitted work. NB had received honorarium from Taiho, Ono, Chugai, Shionogi, Yakult, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Merck Serono, and study grant from Taiho, Ono and Bristol Myers Squibb outside of the submitted work. TS had received personal fees from Taiho Pharma outside the submitted work. MS had received personal fees from Taiho Pharmaceutical during the conduct of the study. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was done in accordance with the international ethical recommendations stated in the Declaration of Helsinki, Japanese Ethical Guidelines for Clinical Research. All patients were required to provide written informed consent prior to enrollment.

Background Some authors have suggested that the immunological response to postoperative infectious complications (ICs) enhances the viability of undetectable residual tumor cells after surgery, thereby inducing disease recurrence. We hypothesize that recurrence might not occur if neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) treatment of micrometastases can prevent residual cancer cell growth. We evaluated whether or not NAC exerted prophylactic effects against the negative prognostic impact induced by postoperative ICs and assessed its interaction among subgroups of histological response. Methods We retrospectively examined 111 patients who received NAC followed by radical esophagectomy between January 2011 and September 2015. Risk factors for the recurrence-free survival (RFS) were examined by Cox proportional hazard analyses. Pathological responders to NAC were defined as those with a tumor disappearance of more than one-third of the initial tumor. Postoperative ICs were defined using the Clavien–Dindo classification. Results A pathological response to NAC was observed in 54 (48.6 %) patients. Forty-five patients (40.5%) developed postoperative ICs. The 3-year RFS were 68.8% in the patients who developed ICs and 38.6% in the patients who did not developed ICs (p = 0.001). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that postoperative ICs were a significant independent risk factor for the RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.368; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.256-4.465, p = 0.008). In the subset analysis, in responders, the 3-year RFS were 63.2% in the patients who developed ICs and 71.5% in the patients who did not developed ICs (p = 0.524). In non-responders, the 3-year RFS were 29.3% in the patients who developed ICs and 65.4% in the patients who did not developed ICs (p = 0.006). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that postoperative ICs were a significant independent risk factor for RFS in the non-responders (HR, 2.632; 95% CI, 1.072-6.467, p = 0.035) but not in the responders (HR, 1.480; 95% CI, 0.469-4.667, p = 0.503). Conclusions These results suggested that response to NAC can eliminate the poor prognosis induced by postoperative ICs in esophageal cancer patients. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Introduction When esophagojejunostomy is performed using a circular stapler after laparoscopic total gastrectomy, fixing the anvil to the end of the esophagus is challenging. We describe an easy method for fixation of the anvil using a one-handed sliding-knot technique after the anvil has been inserted into the esophagus. Materials and Surgical Technique After removing the stomach, the main operator makes a whip stitch at the end of the esophagus using a long piece of monofilament string. Both ends of the string are pulled out from the port. A knot is then made and brought close the esophagus twice (sliding granny knots). After inserting the anvil into the esophagus, the main operator pulls the main standing string with one hand, applying vibration only. This causes the knots to tighten the anvil. Then, one or two knots are added to make sure that the anvil is firmly fixed in place. In addition, we routinely add one more ligation with a ready-made ligating loop. Discussion This method is easy and reliable, and does not require special devices or skills when performing reconstruction after laparoscopic total gastrectomy. Because of these factors, it has the potential to be widely used to perform esophagojejunostomy.

Curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard treatment for Stage II/III gastric cancer, and S-1 is widely used for adjuvant chemotherapy. The type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R) is involved in cell proliferation and prevention of apoptosis in many tumors. We evaluated the relative expression of the IGF1R gene to determine whether such expression correlates with outcomes in patients with Stage II/III gastric cancer. We measured the expression levels of the IGF1R gene in specimens of cancer and adjacent normal mucosa obtained from 134 patients with Stage II/III gastric cancer who received curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1. We then evaluated whether the IGF1R gene expression levels correlate with clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes. IGF1R mRNA expression levels tended to be higher in cancer tissue than in the normal adjacent mucosa (P = 0.078). Multivariate analysis showed that high IGF1R gene expression was a significant independent predictor of poor survival in Stage II/III gastric cancer after curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 (HR 3.681, P = 0.007). The overall survival rate was significantly lower in patients with high IGF1R gene expression than in those with low expression (P = 0.012). IGF1R overexpression is considered a useful independent predictor of outcomes in Stage II/III gastric cancer after curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1.

A significant body weight loss (BWL) is observed during 1 month after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. However, it remains unclear which body component mainly accounts for the weight loss.Two-hundred forty-four patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer between May 2010 and October 2013 were examined. Body weight and composition were evaluated by a bioelectrical impedance analyzer within 1 week before surgery (first measurement), at 1 week after surgery (second measurement), and at 1 month after surgery (third measurement). The changes in the early period were defined as the differences until the second measurement, and those in the late period were defined as the differences from the second to the third measurement.Total BWL within 1 month was -3.4 kg, and the rate of body weight at 1 month to the preoperative body weight was 94.1 %. BWL was significantly greater in the early period than in the late period (-2.1 kg vs -1.2 kg, p0.001). In the early period, loss of lean body mass was significantly greater than loss of fat mass (-1.5 kg vs -0.6 kg, p0.001). The same trend was observed when the subset of patients who had surgical morbidities was excluded.BWL during the first week after surgery was significantly greater than that during the subsequent 3 weeks. Furthermore, loss of lean body mass accounted for a significant part of the BWL during the first week.

Background Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level can be an indicator of the early stage of infectious complications. However, its utility in advanced esophageal cancer patients who receive radical esophagectomy with two- or three-field lymph node dissection with perioperative steroid therapy and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) care is unclear. Methods The present study retrospectively examined 117 consecutive esophageal cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical esophagectomy. All patients received perioperative steroid therapy and ERAS care. The utility of the CRP value in the early detection of serious infectious complications (SICs) was evaluated based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for SICs. Results SICs were observed in 20 patients (17.1%). The CRP level on postoperative day (POD) 4 had superior diagnostic accuracy for SICs (AUC 0.778). The cut-off value for CRP was determined to be 4.0 mg/dl. A multivariate analysis identified CRP ≥ 4.0 mg/dl on POD 4 (odds ratio, 18.600; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.610–75.200) and three-field lymph node dissection (odds ratio, 7.950; 95% CI, 1.900–33.400) as independent predictive factors. Conclusions CRP value on POD 4 may be useful for predicting SICs in esophageal cancer patients who receive radical esophagectomy with perioperative steroid therapy and ERAS care. This result may encourage the performance of imaging studies to detect the focus and thereby lead to the early medical and/or surgical intervention to improve short-term outcomes.

A 72-year-old woman had undergone laparoscope-assisted distal gastrectomy with D1 plus lymph node dissection and antecolic Roux-en-Y reconstruction for early gastric cancer. She visited our department outpatient clinic with left upper abdominal pain 1 year and 9 months after the surgery. CT revealed a spiral sign of the superior mesenteric arteriovenous branch. An internal hernia was suspected on hospitalization. Although abdominal symptoms were relieved by conservative treatment, the hernia persisted. Laparoscopic surgery was performed and revealed that almost entire small intestine had been affected due to Petersen's defect. Since no ischemic changes were observed, the defect was repaired laparoscopically with suture closure. There has been no recurrence of internal hernia after the laparoscopic surgery. Internal hernia after distal gastrectomy is relatively rare. However, the risk of internal hernia is high due to the gap between the elevated jejunum and transverse colon mesentery in Roux-en-Y reconstruction and can lead to intestinal necrosis. Since an internal hernia can occur in patients who have undergone gastric resection with Roux-en-Y reconstruction, suture closure of Petersen's defect should be performed to prevent this occurrence.

We describe an easy technique to connect the anvil and center rod of the EEA™ OrVil™.The bulb tip of EEA OrVil was orally inserted slowly until the valve tip reached the esophageal stump. The surgeon inserted forceps while grasping the anvil from the right abdomen trocar. The circular stapler (EEA XL) was inserted via the cut-off stump of the lifted jejunum or remnant stomach through the intraumbilical incision. Then, the circular stapler was held with the shaft convex. When the automated stapler and center rod were confirmed to be completely aligned, the anvil and the main unit were connected, and the device was fired.Although we only reversed the direction of the circular stapler's shaft, this method improved the ease of the operation.

The therapeutic efficacy of dissection of the splenic hilar lymph nodes (#10) has not been fully evaluated in locally advanced proximal gastric cancer (LAGC) invading the greater curvature of the stomach. Patients with LAGC invading the greater curvature who underwent D2 total gastrectomy with splenectomy between January 2000 and May 2015 were retrospectively examined. The therapeutic value index was calculated by multiplying the metastatic rate of a station and the 5-year survival of patients with metastasis to that station; the metastatic rate and the index of each lymph node station were then compared. In total, 82 patients were eligible for the present study. The most frequent metastatic node was #3, followed by #1, #4d and #7, #2, #4sa and #10, and #4sb and #9. These lymph nodes had a metastatic rate of more than 10%. The node station with the highest index was #3, followed by #7, #4d, #1, #4sb, #4sa, #2, and #9. The index of #10 was lower, but exceeded those of #8a and #11p. The metastatic rate of #10 was relatively high at 13%, and the therapeutic value index was as high as those of other suprapancreatic nodes. D2 dissection for proximal cancer located in the greater curvature should include removal of node #10.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGF) system is involved in tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis in cancer. The current study investigated the association of IGF-1, IGF-2 and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), IGF binding proteins type 3 (IGFBP-3) mRNA expression levels with clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of 202 patients with untreated colorectal cancer (CRC). IGF-1, IGF-2, IGF-1R and IGFBP-3 mRNA expression levels were analyzed in surgical specimens of cancer tissues and adjacent normal mucosa cells using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The IGF-1R gene expression level was significantly higher in cancer tissue compared with adjacent normal mucosa. By contrast, IGF-1 gene expression levels were reduced in cancer tissue compared with normal mucosa. IGF-2 and IGFBP-3 gene expression levels did not differ significantly between cancer tissue and adjacent normal mucosa. As for the association of gene expression and clinicopathological characteristics, IGFBP-3 gene expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis. High IGFBP-3 gene expression was associated with poor 5-year overall survival compared with patients with low IGFBP-3 expression. Furthermore, IGFBP-3 gene expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor using multivariate analysis. Overexpression of the IGFBP-3 gene is considered an effective independent predictor of outcomes in patients with CRC.

A 63-year-old man underwent low anterior resection for rectal cancer.A synchronous liver metastasis located in segment 8 was 12 cm in diameter and unresectable due to its proximity to the inferior vena cava(IVC).The postoperative pathological findings revealed a T3(SS), N0, M1(liver)Stage IV tumor, and wild type K-RAS was expressed.We chose FOLFIRI plus cetuximab(Cmab)for first-line chemotherapy.After 6 courses, we changed the molecular target drug from Cmab to bevacizumab( Bmab)because the liver metastasis remained unresectable.The patient had long-term stable disease(SD)for approximately 30 months with the FOLFIRI-based regimen.We then changed the regimen to mFOLFOX6 plus Bmab for second-line, Cmab for third-line, and trifluridine/tipiracil hydrochloride for fourth-line chemotherapy to treat progressive disease(PD).After treatment with these chemotherapies, the patient wished to continue treatment.We restarted FOLFIRI plus Bmab for fifth-line chemotherapy as his general condition was still good.Consequently, his tumor markers levels decreased with stabilization of the disease on CT scans, and he continued therapy for 6 months while maintaining a good quality of life.This case suggested that rechallenge with anti-cancer agents could be effective and improve the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients after using all key drugs.

The aim of this study is to evaluate complications of gastrectomy for gastric cancer in patients aged over 85 years.Thirteen patients received curative gastrectomy between April 2007 and March 2008. The surgical complications were evaluated using the Clavien-Dindo classification.There were 11 patients aged 85-89 years and 2 who were over 90 years old. The median body mass index was 18. Nine patients underwent distal gastrectomy and 4 underwent total gastrectomy. The median operation time was 142 minutes and the median blood loss was 148 mL. Complications greater than Grade 2 were observed in 5 patients(38.5%). All complications were Grade 2. No surgical mortality was observed.The morbidity rate in elderly patients over 85 years of age may be higher than in patients aged 75 and lower. Our results suggest that gastrectomy for patients aged over 85 years is acceptable.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of gastrectomy in elderly patients aged over 80 years.A total of 393 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer were assigned to 2 groups: those aged over 80 years(n=48; elderly group)and those less than 80 years(n=345).Clinicopathological features, operative factors, post-operative complications(Clavien-Dindo Grade II or higher), and mortality were retrospectively analyzed.Rates of distal gastrectomy(73% vs 59%, p=0.043)and D1 or D1+dissection(73% vs 58%, p=0.046)were significantly higher in the elderly group.There were no significant differences in post-operative complication rates(23% vs 20.3%, p=0.255)or mortality rates(2.1% vs 0.6%).Our results indicate that gastrectomy in elderly patients aged over 80 years may be safe and feasible.

A 74-year-old man admitted with dysphagia was found to have advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, clinical stage IV (T4N2M0). We initiated definitive chemoradiotherapy(dCRT)with combined 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin chemotherapy( FP therapy)and 50.4 Gy irradiation, followed by boost FP therapy, to which the patient showed confirmed complete response(CR). Local recurrence was detected in the scar of the primary lesion at 4 months after the boost FP therapy. Photodynamic therapy(PDT)for this lesion resulted in CR. Thirteen months later, right hilar and right pericardial lymph node metastases were found. The right hilar lymph node metastases were not visible on CT after triweekly docetaxel therapy, but the pericardial lesions remained. The patient underwent salvage lymphadenectomy without further chemotherapy, and at 5 months after surgery, he was alive and recurrence-free.

Upfront surgery and subsequent S-1 chemotherapy is frequently selected for peritoneal cytology-positive (CY1) gastric cancer patients without other distant metastases (CY1-only). The objective of this study was to confirm the efficacy of this strategy in clinical practice and to identify the risk factors associated with survival. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were examined in 36 CY1-only patients who underwent macroscopic curative resection followed by postoperative S-1 chemotherapy between January 2000 and June 2015. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazards model to identify risk factors. The median OS was 22.3 months (95% confidence interval 18.7–31.0). When the OS was compared by a log-rank test, significant differences were observed in the status of lymph node metastasis of pathological N3b (pN3b). Moreover, the univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that the status of pN3b was a significant independent risk factor for OS and RFS. The median OS in patients with pathological N0–N3a (pN0–N3a) was 31.0 months, while that in patients with pN3b was 18.2 months (P = 0.002). The median RFS in patients with pN0–N3a was 16.4 months, while that in patients with pN3b was 7.9 months (P = 0.007). The present study confirmed the efficacy of postoperative S-1 chemotherapy for CY1-only gastric cancer patients who received upfront surgery. This strategy might be recommended as clinical practice for patients with CY1 disease but a more effective treatment should be established for CY1-positive patients, especially for those who are diagnosed with CY1 and pN3b disease.

Compliance with S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy is not satisfactory, and the aim of the present study was to clarify risk factors for the continuation of S-1 after gastrectomy.This retrospective study selected patients who underwent curative D2 surgery for gastric cancer, were diagnosed with stage II/III disease, had a creatinine clearance 60 ml/min, and received adjuvant S-1 at our institution between June 2010 and March 2014. The time to S-1 treatment failure (TTF) was calculated.Fifty-eight patients were selected for the present study. When the TTF curves stratified by each clinical factor were compared using the log-rank test, lean body-mass loss (LBL) of 5 % was regarded as a critical cutoff point. Univariate Cox's proportional hazard analyses demonstrated that LBL was a significant independent risk factor for continuation. The 6-month continuation rate was 91.7 % in patients with an LBL 5 %, and 66.3 % for patients with an LBL 5 % (p = 0.031).The present study demonstrated that LBL might be an important risk factor for a decrease in compliance to adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 in patients with stage II/III gastric cancer who underwent D2 gastrectomy. A multicenter, double-blinded, prospective cohort study is necessary to confirm whether LBL would affect adjuvant S-1 continuation.

The aim of the present study was to explore the unfavorable subset of patients with Stage II gastric cancer for whom surgery alone is the standard treatment (T1N2M0, T1N3M0, and T3N0M0). Recurrence-free survival rates were examined in 52 patients with stage T1N2-3M0 and stage T3N0M0 gastric cancer between January 2000 and March 2010. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors using a Cox proportional hazards model. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates of the patients with stages T1N2, T1N3, and T3N0 cancer were 80.0, 76.4, and 100% at 5 years, respectively. The only significant prognostic factor for the survival rates of the patients with stage pT1N2-3 cancer measured by univariate and multivariate analyses was pathological tumor diameter. The 5-year RFS rates of the patients with stage pT1N2-3 cancer were 60.0%, when the tumor diameters measured 30 mm (P = 0.0248). These data may suggest that pathological tumor diameter is associated with poor survival in patients with small T1N2-3 tumors. Because our study was a retrospective single-center study with a small sample size, a prospective multicenter study is necessary to confirm whether small tumors are risk factor for the RFS in T1N2-3 disease.

This study investigates the economic and environmental performance of a photovoltaic (PV) and microgas turbine trigeneration system (MGT-TGS) based hybrid energy system with various operation strategies. The hybrid system covers power, heating and cooling load of a selected building under a tropical region. A case of MGT-TGS without PV was also studied for comparison. Each system had an MGT with electrical output capacity of 30 kW or 65 kW as the core prime mover. Economic performance was analyzed using life cycle cost analysis and environmental performance was analyzed based on the actual emissions of MGT reported in literatures. It was found that all operation strategies can only generate Net Profit when subsidy for electricity was eliminated. Combination of photovoltaic and MGT-TGS with power-match operation strategy had the highest Net Profit and was the simplest hybrid system. This was mainly because this system did not require battery that has high cost. However, this system had low environmental performance especially when they are compared to a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) because larger MGTs in this system operated frequently under partial load. Operation strategy that had smaller MGT that operated under full load can still generate Net Profit but at lower degree because it needs larger PV and battery. However, it was the only operation strategy that can reduce all emissions even when compared to a CCGT. Thus, this is the best operation strategy when economic and environmental performance are fairly considered.

Background and Objectives Sushi repeat-containing protein X-linked 2 (SRPX2) was first described as a downstream target gene for E2A-HLA, which causes pro-B acute leukemia. SRPX2 is considered to promote cellular migration and adhesion in cancers. Our objective was to evaluate the relative expression of the SRPX2 gene and to determine whether such expression correlates with outcomes in patients with gastric cancer. Methods Surgical specimens of cancer tissue and adjacent normal mucosa obtained from 227 patients with previously untreated gastric cancer were examined. SRPX2 mRNA expression levels of cancer tissue and adjacent normal mucosa were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We evaluated the clinicopathological significance of the relative expression of SRPX2 in patients with gastric cancer. Results SRPX2 expression was higher in cancer tissue than in adjacent normal mucosa (P

An all-solid-state lithium-ion battery (ASSB) using non-flammable solid electrolytes is a candidate for a next-generation battery. Although the excellent cycle performance and its high energy density are suggested in the literature, a practical size battery has not been appeared yet. In this paper, we have adopted a sulfide based electrolyte, Li2S–P2S5 (80:20 mol%) to a rocking chair type lithium ion battery. The electrochemical cell consists of a Li2O–ZrO2 coated LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) cathode, an artificial graphite anode and the sulfide based electrolyte without any organic and inorganic liquids. The cathode charge transfer resistance is significantly reduced by the Li2O–ZrO2 coating. The total cell resistance of the Li2O–ZrO2 (LZO) coated NCA adopted cell is approximately one quarter of non-treated one. A standard type single cell with the nominal capacity of 100 mAh at 25 °C is fabricated by wet printing process, and its capacity retention is approximately 80% at 100 cycles. Also, a 1 Ah class battery was constructed by stacking the single cells, and demonstrated.