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Purpose: Despite marked recent advances in chemotherapy, few reports have focused on the prognosis for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) achieving complete response (CR) after systemic chemotherapy. This study investigated the clinical course of mCRC patients achieving CR and evaluated the role of chemotherapy in CR. Methods: This retrospective study searched a prospectively maintained database at the author's institute to identify medical records for mCRC patients achieving CR after systematic chemotherapy from January 2007 to March 2020. Results: The search yielded 23 patients with confirmed CR to systemic chemotherapy. Median time to CR from treatment initiation was 6.8 months. Maintenance chemotherapy was continued for 22 of 23 patients. Median duration of maintenance chemotherapy was 11.1 months. Disease progression occurred for 17 (73.9%) patients at a median 48.1-month follow-up. Median progression-free survival was 26.6 months. Median overall survival was 91.7 months. Conclusions: Patients with CR to chemotherapy had a high probability of disease progression, but a relatively long-term prognosis. Treatment strategies after achievement of CR should be based an understanding of the high potential that tumor cells will remain. Use of maintenance chemotherapy after achievement of CR is still unclear, and the recent data do not demonstrate a negative impact for continuing maintenance chemotherapy after CR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 72-year-old man had a chief complaint of anal pain and difficulty in defecation. He was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma by biopsy from a tumor of the anal canal. A computed tomography scan revealed neither regional lymph node metastasis nor distant metastasis. Hence, he was diagnosed with cT3N0M0, cStage Ⅱa anal canal cancer. Preoperative capecitabine- based chemoradiotherapy(CRT)(50.4 Gy in 28 fractions of 1.8 Gy each)was implemented. Digital rectal examination and imaging evaluation 8 weeks after preoperative CRT revealed that the tumor had shrunk. Fifteen weeks after preoperative CRT, laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection was performed. The pathological findings showed mucinous adenocarcinoma associated with anal fistula. At present, 12 months after the operation, no local recurrence and distant metastasis has been detected under follow-up evaluations.

A 72-year-old man was referred to our hospital for treatment for rectal cancer. Digital rectal examination and colonoscopy revealed a 4 cm tumor located at the anterior rectal wall 5 cm away from the anal verge, and pathological examination confirmed that the tumor was adenocarcinoma. A computed tomography scan detected neither regional lymph node metastasis nor distant metastasis. Hence, he was diagnosed with cT3N0M0, cStage Ⅱa rectal cancer. The preoperative general examination revealed bradyarrhythmia and severe emphysema, and he was considered to be high risk for general anesthesia. After placement of a pacemaker, preoperative capecitabine-based chemoradiotherapy(CRT)(50.4 Gy in 28 fractions of 1.8 Gy each)was implemented. The digital rectal examination and imaging evaluation 4 weeks after preoperative CRT revealed that the tumor disappeared, and pathological examination showed no malignant findings. Considering the risks of general anesthesia, the"watch and wait therapy"approach was adopted with sufficient informed consent. At present, 15 months after preoperative CRT, no evidence of regrowth or distant metastasis has been detected under rigorous follow- up evaluations.

Here, we report about a woman in her 30s who had peritoneal dissemination and multiple colon cancer with high-frequency microsatellite instability(MSI-H). Her father, paternal grandfather, and maternal grandmother had a history of colorectal cancer treatment. Thus, Lynch syndrome was suspected. We performed R0 resection for peritoneal dissemination and subsequent peritoneal dissemination. A 435-gene panel testing using a next-generation sequencer identified MSH2 and other mutations in the tumor. Hence, we speculated that she could have a germline mutation of MSH2, which causes Lynch syndrome. In the future, if she wishes to receive genetic counseling and undergo germline testing for variants to confirm the diagnosis of Lynch syndrome, we will perform them after receiving informed consent.

A 37-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for the treatment of familial adenomatous polyposis and rectal carcinoma. He underwent total colectomy with ileoanal anastomosis(pT3N1M0, pStage Ⅲa)followed by adjuvant therapy with S-1. Three months after primary surgery, CT and MRIrevealed liver metastases(S5, S6). Laparoscopic partial hepatectomy was performed. Two years after primary surgery, new liver metastases(S2, S8)were found and we performed open partial hepatectomy and administered mFOLFOX6. Three years and 5 months after primary surgery, right lung metastases(S6, S9) were detected and the patient underwent a thoracoscopic-assisted right lung wedge resection. Repeated resection of metastases might have contributed to the long-survival in our case.

A 65-year-old woman was referred for further examination following positive results on a fecal occult blood test. Colonoscopy revealed type 0-Ⅱa cancer, with a lesion measuring 2 cm in diameter in the rectosigmoid colon, and type 5 cancer, with a lesion measuring 6 cm in diameter in the upper rectum. Computed tomography(CT)and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT revealed mesorectal lymph node metastases. Therefore, she was diagnosed with rectosigmoid colon cancer(Stage Ⅰ)and upper rectal cancer(Stage Ⅲa). However, PET-CT also revealed slight fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the paraaortic and lateral lymph node lesions; hence, the possibility ofmetastasis could not be ruled out. Given that chemotherapy was restricted due to renal dysfunction, low anterior resection was performed as the first choice. Analysis of intraoperative frozen sections showed paraaortic and lateral lymph node metastases; thus, we performed lymph node dissection of these lesions. Pathological examination ofthe resected lymph nodes revealed that 21 of 37 lesions were cancer metastases. S-1 was administered as adjuvant chemotherapy for 5 months. Mediastinal lymph node metastases was suspected on chest CT 5 months and 3 years post-surgery; thus, panitumumab was administrated. These lymph nodes decreased in size immediately. Six years after the first surgery, the patient was well without any signs of recurrence.

Aim: This study aimed to determine surgical outcomes in patients with gynecological cancers for whom surgery was performed by gynecologists and digestive surgeons., Methods: Seventy-three patients who underwent surgery for a gynecological malignant tumor from January 2010 to December 2014 were included in this retrospective study. Data on the definitive diagnosis, operative procedures, postoperative complications, stoma settings, length of hospital stay, and prognosis was collected for each patient., Results: The median age of this female-only cohort was 60 years. Emergency surgery was performed in 8(11.0%)patients. Ovarian cancer was diagnosed in 56(76.7%)patients, and among these patients, the clinical disease Stage was Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ in 4, 4, 20, and 11 patients, respectively. Moreover, 17 patients had recurrent ovarian cancer. Intestinal resection with anastomosis was performed in 25(34.2%)patients. Stoma formation was performed in 22 (30.1%)patients, however no patient underwent stoma closure surgery in the current study. The median operative time was 252 minutes, and the median blood loss was 1,190 mL. Regarding postoperative complications, ileus, pelvic abscess, and anastomotic leakage developed in 6(8.2%), 4(5.5%), and 2(2.7%)patients, respectively. The postoperative median survival time in patients with ovarian cancer was 1,399 days., Conclusion: These results suggest that tumor debulking, including intestinal tract resection, may contribute to the prolonged prognosis of gynecological tumors, although stoma closure is difficult to perform.

A 62-year-old man was admitted with complaints of bloody stool. Colonoscopy revealed a 5 cm diameter type 2 tumor in the lower rectum close to the anal canal. Tumor biopsy indicated a well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography revealed locally advanced rectal cancer with mesorectal lymph node metastases(cT3N1P0M0, Stage Ⅲa, JSCCR 8th). The patient was treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)after transverse colostomy as an anus-preserving procedure. For the NAC, 12 courses of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin(CapeOX)and bevacizumab(BV)were administered. Colonoscopy after NAC revealed that the main tumor had considerably shrunk. No malignant tissues were found on biopsy. However, rectal wall thickness remained unchanged. Therefore, response evaluation for chemotherapy indicated partial response. Intersphincteric resection(ISR)with diverting loop ileostomy was performed as an anus-preserving surgical procedure. No remnant tumor in the rectum or lymph node metastases were found upon the pathological examination of resected specimens. Ileostomy closure was performed at 6 months post-ISR. At 12 months post-ISR, the patient was well and showed no signs of recurrence. This case demonstrated that NAC with CapeOX and BV can be a promising option for treating locally advanced lower rectal cancer and preserving the anus.

Aims: SMAD4 acts as a tumour suppressor, and the loss of SMAD4 is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Although next-generation sequencing (NGS) enabled us to detect numerous genetic alterations in a single assay, the clinical significance of SMAD4 alteration detected with NGS has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and clinical significance of SMAD4 alteration detected with NGS in CRC., Methods and Results: We retrospectively investigated 201 patients with stage I-IV CRC, by using a 415-gene panel. To analyse the relationship between SMAD4 alteration and other clinicopathological characteristics, we evaluated clinicopathological variables, including invasive-front pathological markers: tumour budding, poorly differentiated cluster, and Crohn-like lymphoid reaction. Fifty-six patients (28%) had SMAD4 alteration: 24 and 32 patients had SMAD4 mutation and deletion, respectively. SMAD4 alteration was significantly associated with T category (P = 0.027), N category (P = 0.037), M category (P = 0.028), and invasive-front pathological markers, such as poorly differentiated cluster grade 3 (P = 0.020) and absence of Crohn-like lymphoid reaction (P = 0.004). Immunohistochemistry revealed that SMAD4 alteration was significantly associated with loss of SMAD4 (P = 0.023). In 90 patients with stage I-III disease, SMAD4 alteration was significantly associated with poor prognosis for relapse-free and overall survival (P = 0.047; P = 0.022, respectively). Conversely, in 111 patients with stage IV disease, SMAD4 alteration was not significantly associated with overall survival., Conclusion: SMAD4 alteration is associated with invasive-front pathological markers and poor prognosis in stage I-III CRC patients., (© 2019 The Authors. Histopathology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Here, we reported a case of a 39-year-old woman having rectal cancer with multiple liver metastases who underwent staged laparoscopic resection. She was diagnosed with low rectal cancer and multiple liver metastases; thus, she underwent low anterior resection and diverting colostomy. Following the neoadjuvant chemotherapy, she underwent colostomy closure and subsequent hand-assisted laparoscopic partial hepatectomy using the operative site during the colostomy closure. The postoperative course was uneventful, and adjuvant chemotherapy with CapeOX was performed 3 weeks post-surgery. Minimally invasive surgery was performed using hand-assisted laparoscopy.

Carcinoma with elevated SRC expression is associated with distant metastasis and drug resistance. We report 2 cases of SRC amplification observed after retrospective comprehensive genomic sequencing. Case 1 was a 62-year-old man who had RAS wild-type stage IV carcinoma of the sigmoid colon with multiple liver metastases in both lobes. He underwent low anterior resection and systemic chemotherapy was initiated to treat the unresectable multiple liver metastases. Case 2 was a 73-yearold man who had RAS wild-type stage IV carcinoma of the descending colon with metastasis in the lateral segment of the liver. He underwent left hemicolectomy and lateral segmentectomy. He subsequently underwent open radiofrequency ablation and systemic chemotherapy to treat a hepatic recurrence. Several previous studies have found that molecular targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors is effective against colorectal cancer with elevated SRC expression. This suggests that the results of comprehensive genomic sequencing may support the implementation of new treatments.

We report three cases of esophageal carcinoma all of which achieved a pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (CF). All three patients were men with clinical stage II squamous cell carcinoma of the middle thoracic esophagus. We administered 2 courses of CF treatment as NAC and then performed radical esophagectomy. Pathologic examination revealed no viable tumor cells in the resected esophagus. The patients are currently alive with no evidence of disease.

A 69-year-old man with advanced rectal cancer and liver metastases was treated with 2 courses of chemotherapy with irinotecan and S-1 followed by low anterior resection and partial hepatectomy. Chemotherapy with S-1 was then administered for 22 months. However, lung metastases developed, for which partial pneumonectomy was performed. Seven months later, computed tomography (CT) revealed swelling of the left supraclavicular lymph node. Despite chemotherapy with 5- fluorouracil, Leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6); 5-fluorouracil, Leucovorin and irinotecan (FOLFIRI); and capecitabine plus bevacizumab, the lung metastases recurred and Virchow lymph node swelling was noted again. Accordingly, palliative therapy was administered. The patient died 3 years 1 month after Virchow lymph node resection. Herein, we describe a case of advanced rectal cancer, in which lung and Virchow lymph node metastases developed after liver metastasis. Surgical excision of the metastases resulted in long-term survival of 6 years following the first operation.