Search

Introduction Clinical use of an adhesion barrier made of oxidized, regenerated cellulose, Interceed®, has been reported in the field of obstetrics and gynecology to help prevent adhesions between the peritoneum and the bowel in various types of operations. In gastrointestinal surgery, sodium hyaluronate/carboxymethylcellulose has been reported as an absorbable membrane to reduce postoperative adhesions. The present study was a prospective randomized controlled study to investigate the safety and usefulness of Interceed in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods We analyzed 99 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery from 2013 to 2014. The patients were randomly allocated to the group that used Interceed (Interceed group) or the group that did not (Non-Interceed group). Results Fifty cases used Interceed, and 49 cases did not. The incidence of adverse events was 12.0% in the Interceed group and 16.3% in the Non-Interceed group ( P = 0.58). There were no significant differences, and no adhesive bowel obstructions were observed in the Interceed group. Conclusion We have shown that using Interceed in laparoscopic colorectal surgery is valid and technically safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop software for smooth dose management based on the Japan diagnostic reference levels (DRLs 2020) in the field of nuclear medicine., Method: Using the programming language Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), we implemented a function for calculating actual doses, a function for comparing doses at one's own facility with those of DRLs 2020, a function for calculating appropriate doses for pediatric nuclear medicine examinations, and so on. In addition, we evaluated actual doses before and after the software implementation., Result: The software enabled easy calculation of actual doses and comparison with DRLs 2020 for smooth dose management. Furthermore, we were able to use the results of dose evaluation to determine the dosage at our facility and to use them as a reference for optimization., Conclusion: In the field of nuclear medicine, it is possible to manage doses in accordance with DRLs 2020 by introducing own software into our clinical practice.

Surgery continues to play an important role in the curative treatment of gastrointestinal cancer. Recently, considerable progress has been made in chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In particular, chemotherapy with FOLFIRI and FOLFOX has prolonged survival in patients with colorectal cancer. Molecular-targeted agents have also enhanced the effectiveness of chemotherapy. However, radical resection offers the potential for a cure and is unsurpassed by any other treatments. Nonetheless, further improvement in survival is unlikely to be achieved by surgery alone. Studying how treatment regimens highly effective against unresectable or recurrent colorectal cancer can be adapted to patients with resectable disease is thus an important issue.

Background/aims: In Japan, the safety and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for advanced colorectal cancer remains a matter of debate. We studied the safety and outcomes of laparoscopic surgery in patients with pathological stage II and III colon cancer., Methodology: The study group comprised 253 patients with colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery from January 1998 through December 2006. We studied surgical outcomes, invasiveness, safety, recurrence rates, recurrence patterns, and long-term outcomes., Results: Median follow-up was 67 months (range, 7-149). Laparoscopic surgery was converted to open surgery in 5 patients (2%). Postoperative complications occurred in 23 patients (9%); wound infections were most common (11 patients, 4.3%), followed by ileus (5 patients, 1.9%). Recurrence developed in 66 patients (26%). Liver and lung metastases were the most common types of recurrence; there was no port-site recurrence. The 10-year recurrence-free survival rate and the overall survival rate were respectively 92.9% and 93.3% in stage II disease, 82.7% and 82.9% in stage IIIA and IIIB disease, and 70.3% and 68.6% in stage IIIC disease., Conclusions: In patients with pathological stage II and III colon cancer, laparoscopic surgery is safe, minimally invasive, and has good surgical outcomes, overall survival rates and recurrence-free survival rates. Our results suggest that laparoscopic surgery is a viable treatment option for pathological stage II and III colon cancer.

Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer must follow the same basic principles as open surgery. However, the special approach used for laparoscopic surgery differs essentially from the one used for conventional open surgery. Within the narrow working space permitted by laparoscopy, precluding an understanding of the entire picture, it is most important to secure an adequate field of vision. Lymph-node dissection performed with a forceps providing no sense of touch requires extreme caution and a bloodless procedure. Recently, remarkable progress has been made in devices designed to overcome the shortcomings of laparoscopic surgery. We present the current status and problems of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer and discuss future developments.