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Background/aims: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) with lymphadenectomy has been revealed to be a useful treatment for early gastric cancer but oncological adequacy is controversial., Methodology: To assess the quality of lymphadenectomy, we evaluated the number of dissected lymph nodes and the non-compliance rate (defined as an absence of nodal tissue at a node station that should have been resected) and compared the data obtained from 102 patients treated by LDG with those from 90 patients treated by open distal gastrectomy (ODG)., Results: The numbers of nodes of Categories 1 and 2, which correspond respectively to perigastric and retroperitoneal nodes, did not differ significantly between the LDG group and the ODG group. In the LDG group compared to the ODG group, there were significantly more right paracardial nodes (No. 1) but there were significantly fewer infrapyloric nodes (No. 6). However, the difference in infrapyloric nodes (No. 6) became insignificant when we re-analyzed and compared the ODG group and the patients (n=42) whose LDGs were performed by two experienced laparoscopic surgeons., Conclusions: The curability of gastric cancer on LDG was almost equivalent to that of ODG from the viewpoint of lymph node dissection, if the LDG is performed by two experienced laparoscopic surgeons. These data suggested that LDG with lymphadenectomy could possibly be adopted for advanced gastric cancer treatment under proper quality control, such as that provided by an experienced laparoscopic team.

Objectives: The present study was designed to evaluate the advantages of qigong walking, a mild and slow exercise that uses all the muscles of the body, in comparison with conventional walking in patients with diabetes., Interventions: Ten inpatients with diabetes mellitus and associated complications were studied on 3 different days. Either qigong walking (30-40-minute duration) or conventional walking was performed by the patients 30 minutes after lunch on 1 of the 3 study days. Plasma glucose levels and pulse rates were measured 30 minutes after lunch and again 20 minutes after exercising; that is, 90 minutes after lunch. These data were compared to those obtained on a day with no exercise after lunch., Results: Plasma glucose levels decreased during both exercises (from 228 mg/dL before to 205 mg/dL after conventional walking) and (from 223 mg/dL before to 216 mg/dL after qigong walking). In both situations the results after exercise decreased more than those in the group with no exercise (229 mg/dL; p < 0.025). The pulse rates increased after conventional walking (from 77 to 95 beats per minute; p < 0.025) and were higher than those in the group with no exercise (70 beats per minute; p < 0.01) and those after qigong walking (79 beats per minute; p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Qigong walking reduced plasma glucose after lunch without inducing a large increase in the pulse rate in patients with diabetes.