Comparación de desenlaces a corto plazo de gastrectomía laparoscópica mínimamente invasiva en adultos mayores con cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado / Comparison of short-term outcomes of minimally invasive laparoscopic gastrectomy in older adults with locally advanced gastric cancer

Introducción. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los desenlaces a corto plazo de la gastrectomía laparoscópica en adultos vs. adultos mayores con cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado en una cohorte de un país occidental. Métodos. Estudio de cohorte prospectivo en pacientes sometidos a gastrectomía laparoscópica por cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado, en el Hospital Universitario Erasmo Meoz, de Cúcuta, Colombia, entre noviembre de 2014 y diciembre de 2018. Se realizó análisis descriptivo, de comparación de grupos y bivariado. Resultados. De un total de 116 pacientes, 51 pacientes (44 %) tenían 65 años o más y 63 pacientes (54 %) eran hombres. No se encontró diferencia estadísticamente significativa al comparar los pacientes menores de 65 años con los de 65 años o más. La mediana del tiempo operatorio fue de 240 minutos en ambos grupos (p>0,05), la mediana de los márgenes de resección macroscópica fue 6 cm vs. 5 cm (p>0,05), la mediana de los ganglios linfáticos disecados fue 25 vs. 19 (p>0,05), la mediana de ganglios linfáticos positivos fue 4 vs. 3 (p>0,05), la mediana de estancia fue de 7 días en ambos grupos (p>0,05). La tasa general de complicaciones posoperatorias no difirió significativamente entre adultos (7%) y adultos mayores (11 %) (p>0,05) y no se observaron diferencias significativas en las tasas de complicaciones menores (Clavien-Dindo grado II; 3-5 % vs. 6-12 %; p>0,05) y graves (Clavien-Dindo ≥ IIIa; 3-5 % vs. 4-8 %; p>0,05). Conclusiones. No se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en los resultados a corto plazo entre los pacientes adultos y adultos mayores con cáncer gástrico localmente avanzado tratados con gastrectomía laparoscópica. Esta técnica es segura en ancianos.

Introduction. The objective of this study was to compare the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy in adults vs. older patients with locally advanced gastric cancer from a Western country cohort. Methods. Prospective cohort study in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer at the Hospital Universitario Erasmo Meoz, de Cúcuta, Colombia, between November 2014 and December 2018. Descriptive, group comparison and bivariate analysis was performed. Results. Of a total of 116 patients, 51 patients (44%) were 65 years or older and 63 patients (54%) were men. No statistically significant difference was found when comparing patients under 65 years of age with those 65 years of age or older. The median operating time was 240 minutes in both groups (p>0.05), the median macroscopic resection margins were 6 cm vs. 5 cm (p>0.05), the median number of lymph nodes dissected was 25 vs. 19 (p>0.05), the median number of positive lymph nodes was 4 vs. 3 (p>0.05), the median stay was 7 days in both groups (p>0.05). The overall rate of postoperative complications did not differ significantly between adults (7%) and older adults (11%) (p>0.05) and no significant differences were observed in the rates of minor (Clavien-Dindo grade II; 3-5% vs. 6-12%; p>0.05) and severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ IIIa; 3-5% vs. 4-8%; p>0.05). Conclusions. No statistically differences were found in short-term outcomes between adult and older patients with locally advanced gastric cancer treated with laparoscopic gastrectomy. This technique is safe in the elderly.

Cáncer Gástrico Bifocal con Linfonodos Negativos en un Paciente con Cirrosis Hepática / Bifocal Gastric Cancer with Negative Lymph Nodes in a Hepatic Cirrhosis Patient

El cáncer gástrico (CG), es la primera causa de muerte por cáncer, en hombres, y la tercera en mujeres, en Chile. No obstante ello, el CG bifocal (CGB) es una situación poco frecuente. El objetivo de este manuscrito fue reportar un caso de CGB, con linfonodos negativos en un paciente con cirrosis hepática, que fue intervenido quirúrgicamente; y revisar la evidencia existente respecto de sus características morfológicas, terapéuticas y pronósticas. Caso clínico: Hombre de 74 años diabético, hipertenso, insuficiente cardíaco y cirrótico; portador de CGB (subcardial y antro-pilórico), diagnosticado por endoscopia y con confirmación histológica de ambas lesiones; operado en Clínica RedSalud Mayor Temuco en septiembre de 2023. En el intraoperatorio se verificó además la coexistencia de una lesión de aspecto metastásico en el segmento III del hígado, y adhesión de la región antro-pilórica a la vesícula biliar. Se realizó gastrectomía total, linfadenectomía D2, esófago-yeyuno anastomosis término-lateral, resección segmentaria hepática (segmento III) y colecistectomía. El paciente permaneció 6 días en la UCI debido a que desarrolló insuficiencia hepática (encefalopatía leve y ascitis). Se alimentó vía enteral por sonda naso-yeyunal. Posteriormente inició alimentación oral progresiva, la que fue bien tolerada. Completó 11 días de hospitalización en servicio médico-quirúrgico, donde mejoró actividad neurológica, hasta su alta domiciliaria. Actualmente, lleva dos meses desde su operación, se encuentra en buenas condiciones generales, y el Comité Oncológico decidió no dar quimioterapia adyuvante. Se presenta un caso inusual de CG de tipo bifocal, respecto de lo cual hay escasa información disponible. Se logró realizar cirugía con intención curativa en un paciente de alto riesgo, con un resultado exitoso.

SUMMARY: Gastric cancer (GC) is the first cause of death from cancer in men, and the third one in women, in Chile. However, a bifocal GC (BGC) is uncommon. The aim of this study was to report a case of CGB, with negative-lymph nodes in a patient with liver cirrhosis, who underwent surgery; and review the existing evidence regarding its morphological, therapeutic and prognostic characteristics. Clinical case: A 74-year-old male patient with a medical history of diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure, and cirrhosis underwent surgical intervention for GC located in subcardial and antro- pyloric regions. The diagnosis was established via endoscopy and confirmed histologically. Surgery was performed at the RedSalud Mayor Temuco Clinic in September 2023. During intraoperative assessment, the coexistence of a lesion with metastatic-like characteristics in segment III of the liver was also verified, along with adhesions between the antro-pyloric region and the gallbladder. Surgical approach encompassed total gastrectomy, D2 lymphadenectomy, esophago-jejunostomy, segmental hepatic resection, and cholecystectomy. Subsequently, the patient required a six-day stay in ICU due to the development of hepatic insufficiency, characterized by mild encephalopathy and ascites. Enteral nutrition was administered via a naso-jejunal tube, followed by a gradual transition to oral feeding, which was well-tolerated. The patient completed an 11-day hospitalization period in the medical-surgical ward, during which his neurological function improved significantly, resulting in his discharge. At present, 2 months post-surgery, the patient remains in satisfactory general health, and the Oncology Committee decided not to proceed with adjuvant chemotherapy. This case represents a rare instance of bifocal GC, for which there is limited available literature. Surgical intervention with curative intent was successfully carried out in a high-risk patient, yielding a positive outcome.

División ganglionar posquirúrgica y su efecto en el recuento ganglionar y la estadificación en pacientes con cáncer gástrico / Postoperative lymph node division and its effect on lymph node count and staging in patients with gastric cancer

Introducción. La gastrectomía y disección ganglionar es el estándar de manejo para los pacientes con cáncer gástrico. Factores como la identificación de ganglios por el patólogo, pueden tener un impacto negativo en la estadificación y el tratamiento. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar el recuento ganglionar de un espécimen quirúrgico después de una gastrectomía completa (grupo A) y de un espécimen con un fraccionamiento por grupos ganglionares (grupo B). Métodos. Estudio de una base de datos retrospectiva de pacientes sometidos a gastrectomía D2 en el Servicio de Cirugía gastrointestinal de la Liga Contra el Cáncer seccional Risaralda, Pereira, Colombia. Se comparó el recuento ganglionar en especímenes quirúrgicos con y sin división ganglionar por regiones anatómicas previo a su envío a patología. Resultados. De los 94 pacientes intervenidos, 65 pertenecían al grupo A y 29 pacientes al grupo B. El promedio de ganglios fue de 24,4±8,6 y 32,4±14,4 respectivamente (p=0,004). El porcentaje de pacientes con más de 15 y de 25 ganglios fue menor en el grupo A que en el grupo B (27 vs 57, p=0,432 y 19 vs 24, p=0,014). El promedio de pacientes con una relación ganglionar menor 0,2 fue mayor en el grupo B (72,4 % vs 55,4 %, p=0,119). Conclusiones. Los resultados de nuestro estudio mostraron que una división por grupos ganglionares previo a la valoración del espécimen por el servicio de patología incrementa el recuento ganglionar y permite establecer de manera certera el pronóstico de los pacientes, teniendo un impacto positivo en su estadificación, para evitar el sobretratamiento

Introduction. A gastrectomy and lymph node dissection is the standard of management for patients with gastric cancer. Factors such as the identification of nodes by the pathologist can have a negative impact on staging and treatment. The objective of this study was to compare the lymph node count of a surgical specimen after a complete gastrectomy (group A) and of a specimen with lymph node by groups (group B). Methods. Study of a retrospective database of patients undergoing D2 gastrectomy in the Risaralda section of the Liga Contra el Cancer Gastrointestinal surgical service, Pereira, Colombia. The lymph node count was compared in surgical specimens with and without lymph node division by anatomical regions, prior to sending them to pathology. Results. Of the 94 patients who underwent surgery, 65 were from group A and 29 patients were from group B. The average number of nodes was 24.4±8.6 and 32.4±14.4, respectively (p=0.004). The percentage of patients with more than 15 and 25 nodes was lower in group A than in group B (27 vs 57, p=0.432 and 19 vs 24, p=0.014). The average number of patients with a nodal ratio less than 0.2 was higher in group B (72.4% vs 55.4%, p=0.119). Conclusions. The results of our study showed that a division by lymph node groups prior to the evaluation of the specimen by the pathology service increases the lymph node count and allows the prognosis of patients to be accurately established, having a positive impact on their staging, to avoid overtreatment.

Clinical study on the combination of systemic immune inflammation index and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in guiding immunotherapy for advanced gastric cancer / 国际外科学杂志

Objective:To analyze the significance of systemic immune inflammatory index (SII) combined with neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.Methods:The clinical data of 90 patients with stage Ⅳ gastric adenocarcinoma who received immunotherapy from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 70 males and 20 females, aged from 36 to 80 years, with an average age of (53.76±15.58) years. The clinicopathological features and follow-up data were collected. SPSS 26.0 software was used to conduct statistical analysis. The critical values of NLR, SII, PLR and MLR were calculated, and the overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) of patients with different levels of markers were analyzed. The independent predictive factors of PFS and OS were determined, and the predictive value of risk factors for PFS and OS in patients with gastric cancer was evaluated.Results:The median follow-up time of all patients was 27.3 months, and the median PFS and OS were 10.0 months and 17.7 months, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of NLR and SII for predicting PFS and OS were>0.7, the critical values NLR were 4.75 and 3.85, and SII were 1154.67 and 887.90, respectively. PFS and OS in patients with high NLR, high MLR, high PLR and high SII were lower than those in patients with low levels. ECoG PS≥ 1, high NLR and high SII were independent influencing factors of disease progression or death. The AUC of the combination of NLR, ECoG PS and SII was 0.761, which was higher than that of any single factor. The fewer the number of risk factors, the longer the PFS and OS.Conclusions:NLR and SII are effective predictors of PFS and OS in patients with advanced gastric cancer receiving immunotherapy. Pre treatment detection of NLR and SII can provide reliable guidance for immunotherapy of advanced gastric cancer.

Clavien-Dindo grading and risk factor analysis of short-term complications after distal gastrectomy / 国际外科学杂志

Objectives:To explore the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classfication of short-term (within 30 days postoperative) complications of distal major gastrectomy (DG) and the associated risk factors affecting this classification.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 230 patients with gastric cancer who underwent DG completed by the same operator at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2016 to December 2021. There were 159 males (69.1%) and 71 females (30.9%), aged from 31 to 80 years, with an average age of (61.69±10.91) years, all patients average body mass index was (23.59±3.46) kg/m 2. Chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the count data between groups, and rank sum test was used to compare the rank data between groups. Multiple factors were analyzed by stepwise Logistic regression. Results:In this study, a total of 30 cases (13.0%) experienced CD grade Ⅱ or higher postoperative complications. Among them, 20 cases (66.7%) were grade Ⅱ, 8 cases (26.7%) were grade Ⅲ, and 2 cases (6.6%) were grade Ⅳ, Among the 30 patients with complications, there were 2 cases of simple anastomotic leakage, 2 cases of anastomotic bleeding, 3 cases of duodenal stump leakage, 2 cases of intra-abdominal infection, 6 cases of intestinal obstruction, 5 cases of pulmonary infection, 2 cases of incision infection, 2 cases of delayed gastric emptying, 3 cases of pulmonary infection combined with atelectasis, 2 cases of anastomotic leakage combined with intra-abdominal infection, and 1 case of pulmonary infection and intra-abdominal infection combined with intestinal obstruction. Pulmonary infection, intestinal obstruction, and anastomotic leakage were the main postoperative complications of DG. The surgical approach was an independent risk factor for postoperative complications ( P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in the grade of postoperative complications of patients with different surgical methods( P>0.05). Conclusions:Pulmonary infection, intestinal obstruction, abdominal infection, and anastomotic leakage are the main postoperative complications of DG. The independent risk factor for complications is the surgical approach, but the surgical approach does not affect the CD grading of complications.

Efficacy and safety of laparoscopic proximal subtotal gastrectomy and distal gastrectomy in the treatment of gastric cancer / 国际外科学杂志

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic technology in the treatment of gastric cancer which using proximal subtotal gastrectomy and distal subtotal gastrectomy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 98 gastric cancer patients admitted to the Department of General Surgery, General Hospital of Huainan Eastern Hospital Group from January 2016 to January 2020, including 71 males and 27 females with an average age of (62.03±10.6) years old(ranged from 32 to 80 years). All cases were divided into proximal group ( n=28) and distal group ( n=70) according to different surgical methods. The proximal group was treated with laparoscopic proximal subtotal gastrectomy, while the distal group was treated with laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomy. SPSS 20.0 software was used to analyze the differences in surgical related clinical indicators, postoperative complications, nutritional status, quality of life, and survival rate between two groups. Kaplan-Merier was used to draw survival curves, and Log-rank test was used to compare the survival differences between the two groups. Results:The number of lymph node dissection in the proximal group was less than that in the distal group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.02, P=0.045). The incidence rate of reflux esophagitis in the proximal group was higher than that in the distal group (57.14% vs 4.29%, χ2=35.75, P<0.001), the incidence rate of reflux gastritis was lower than that of the distal group, the difference was statistically significant(3.57% vs 22.86% P=0.035). The levels of red blood cells, hemoglobin, and albumin in the proximal group were lower than those in the distal group after surgery, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=2.62, P=0.010; t=2.12, P=0.036; t=3.54, P=0.001). One month after surgery, the Karnofsky functional status score in the proximal group was lower than that in the distal group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.27, P=0.025). The postoperative 1, 3, and 5-year survival rates of the proximal group were 85.71%, 64.29%, and 46.43%, respectively, while the postoperative 1, 3, and 5-year survival rates of the distal group were 88.57%, 71.43%, and 57.14%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the survival curves between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The incidence rate of reflux esophagitis after laparoscopic proximal subtotal gastrectomy is higher than that of distal subtotal gastrectomy, and the number of lymph nodes cleared during operation is less than that of distal subtotal gastrectomy. Compared with laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomy, the nutritional status of patients after proximal subtotal gastrectomy is significantly worse, but there is no significant difference in long-term survival rate between the two groups.

Research progress on immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of adverse reactions related to gastric cancer / 国际外科学杂志

Traditional chemotherapy is the cornerstone of comprehensive treatment for gastric cancer, but its recurrence and metastasis rates are high, and the overall prognosis is not ideal. The rise of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has brought new hope to gastric cancer patients and changed the current pattern of comprehensive treatment for gastric cancer. With the increasing use of ICI, immune related adverse reactions (irAEs) such as skin toxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity are becoming increasingly common. Scientific understanding, early diagnosis, and graded management are currently the main strategies for handling irAEs. This article aims to review the mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and prediction, treatment, and management of irAEs after ICI treatment of gastric cancer, in order to enhance the understanding of irAEs among clinical physicians, better manage immunotherapy related adverse reactions, and improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.

Mechanism of telomerase in affecting biological characteristics of gastric cancer / 国际外科学杂志

Gastric cancer is one of the major diseases threatening human health, with a high incidence and a low early diagnostic rate. There are many bottlenecks encountered during its treatment. Consequently, improving the early diagnostic rate and exploring new therapeutic targets are currently urgent challenges that need to be addressed. Telomerase is undetectable in normal tissues, but it exhibits high specificity and sensitivity in most cancers and has a definite correlation with prognosis. It may serve as a serum tumor marker and prognostic indicator. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene polymorphism can regulate the susceptibility of people to gastric cancer, and affect the occurrence, development, proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer through its target gene. Substances such as resistin, visfatin, G-quadruplex and methylenedioxyaniline can affect the occurrence and development of gastric cancer by regulating telomerase expression. The mechanism by which hTERT regulates tumor invasion and metastasis is currently unclear, so elucidating its mechanism is of great significance.This paper will review the research progress of this mechanism in recent years.

Prediction of efficacy of early-stage tumor markers combined with NLR and PLR for immunotherapy in gastric cancer / 国际肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To explore the predictive value of early serum tumor markers (STM) , neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) , platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) combination score on the efficacy of gastric cancer immunotherapy.Methods:A total of 76 patients with gastric cancer who received immunotherapy at Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022 were selected. Patients' leading STM, NLR, PLR were collected. Optimal cut-off value of NLR and PLR were determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The clinical efficacy and prognosis of different leading STM, NLR, PLR and combined scores in gastric cancer patients received immunotherapy were analyzed. ROC curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficiency of each index and the combined score. Cox regression model was used to analyze the factors affecting patients' survival.Results:The best truncation value for NLR was 2.75, and the best truncation value for PLR was 175.9. All patients completed at least 2 cycles of immunotherapy, the objective response rate (ORR) was 23.7% (18/76) , and the disease control rate (DCR) was 88.2% (67/76) . There were no significant differences in ORR [ (20.9% (9/43) vs. 27.3% (9/33) ], DCR [83.7% (36/43) vs. 93.9% (31/33) ] between the high NLR group ( n=43) and low NLR group ( n=33) ( χ2=0.42, P=0.519; χ2=1.02, P=0.313) . There were no significant differences in ORR [27.3% (12/44) vs. 18.8% (6/32) ], DCR [81.8% (36/44) vs. 96.9% (31/32) ] between the high PLR group ( n=44) and low PLR group ( n=32) ( χ2=0.75, P=0.388; χ2=2.71, P=0.555) . The ORR for the high combined score group ( n=39) and low combined score group ( n=37) was 17.9% (7/39) and 29.7% (11/37) , respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( χ2=1.46, P=0.230) ; the DCR was 79.5% (31/39) and 97.3% (36/37) , respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.19, P=0.041) . The median progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 76 patients were 8.0 and 12.0 months. The median PFS in the high NLR group and low NLR group was 7.0 and 10.0 months, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=7.95, P=0.005) ; the median OS was 12.0 and 14.0 months, respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( χ2=1.04, P=0.307) . The median PFS in the high PLR group and low PLR group was 8.0 and 10.0 months, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=3.90, P=0.048) ; the median OS was 13.0 and 13.0 months, respectively, with no significant difference ( χ2=0.02, P=0.896) . The median PFS in the high combined score group and low combined score group was 7.0 and 10.0 months, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=13.52, P<0.001) ; the median OS was 12.0 and 14.0 months, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( χ2=5.02, P=0.025) . ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) of leading STM, NLR, PLR and combined score to predict the efficacy of gastric cancer immunotherapy was 0.662, 0.697, 0.601 and 0.773. Univariate analysis showed that, surgery ( HR=0.59, 95% CI: 0.36-0.95, P=0.031) , leading STM ( HR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.34-0.93, P=0.026) , NLR ( HR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.34-0.87, P=0.011) , combined score ( HR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.26-0.68, P<0.001) were all influencing factors for PFS in gastric cancer patients received immunotherapy; tumor stage ( HR=0.30, 95% CI: 0.12-0.75, P=0.011) , leading STM ( HR=0.28, 95% CI: 0.15-0.50, P<0.001) , combined score ( HR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.31-0.96, P=0.036) were all influencing factors for OS in gastric cancer patients received immunotherapy. Multivariate analysis showed that, leading STM ( HR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.33-0.98, P=0.041) was an independent influencing factor for PFS in gastric cancer patients received immunotherapy; tumor stage ( HR=0.29, 95% CI: 0.11-0.76, P=0.012) , leading STM ( HR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.17-0.58, P<0.001) , combined score ( HR=0.46, 95% CI: 0.25-0.82, P=0.009) were all independent influencing factors for OS in gastric cancer patients received immunotherapy. Conclusion:The combined score of leading STM, NLR and PLR is an independent factor influencing OS in patients receiving immunotherapy for gastric cancer, and can predict the efficacy of immunotherapy for gastric cancer.

Advances in predicting efficacy and prognostic markers of immunotherapy for gastric cancer / 国际肿瘤学杂志

The high intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity of gastric cancer leads to a great difference in the immunotherapy efficacy and the prognosis among patients. Several biomarkers, including programmed death-ligand 1, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, the features of tumor microenvironment, the peripheral blood inflammatory markers and Claudin18.2 have predictive value in the immunotherapy efficacy and the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, which might help the clinicians find the potential patients who will benefit from immunotherapy, and achieve the goal of precision medicine.