The effects of robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy on short-term outcome and long-term prognosis based on propensity score matching / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To compare the short-term and long-term outcomes between robotic-assisted and laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy in patients with adenocarcinoma of the right colon. Methods: Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database identified 288 right colon cancer patients who underwent either robotic-assisted (n=57) or laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy (n=231) between October 2014 and October 2020 at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. There were 161 males and 127 females, aging (60.3±12.8) years (range: 17 to 86 years). After propensity score matching as 1∶4 between robotic-assisted and laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy, there were 56 cases in robotic group and 176 cases in laparoscipic group. Perioperative outcomes and overall survival were compared between the two groups using t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ2 test, Fisher exact test, Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test, respectively. Results: The total operative time was similar between the robotic and laparoscopic group ((206.9±60.7) minutes vs. (219.9±56.3) minutes, t=-1.477, P=0.141). Intraoperative bleeding was less in the robotic group (50 (20) ml vs. 50 (50) ml, Z=-4.591, P<0.01), while the number of lymph nodes retrieved was significantly higher (36.0±10.0 vs. 29.0±10.1, t=4.491, P<0.01). Patients in robotic group experienced significantly shorter hospital stay, shorter time to first flatus, and defecation (t: -2.888, -2.946, -2.328, all P<0.05). Moreover, the overall peri-operative complication rate was similar between robotic and laparoscopic group (17.9% vs. 22.7%, χ²=0.596,P=0.465). The 3-year overall survival were 92.9% and 87.9% respectively and the 3-year disease-free survival rates were 83.1% and 82.6% with no statistical significance between the robotic and laparoscopic group (P>0.05). Conclusions: Compared to laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy, robot-assisted right hemicolectomy could improve some short-term clinical outcomes. The two procedures are both achieving comparable survival.

Expression of farnesyltransferase in primary liver cancer / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a common malignant tumor. Over the past decade, although farnesyltransferase (FTase) has emerged as a significant target for anticancer therapies and has become a hotspot of cancer research, its exact mechanism of action remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of FTase in PLC and its role in the development of PLC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expression of FTase was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) in cancer and surrounding normal tissues from 32 patients with PLC.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Expression of FTase mRNA in PLC was significantly higher than that in normal hepatic tissues (P < 0.001). Overexpression of FTase was as high as 87.5%. The positive rate for FTase mRNA in the high tendency to metastatic recurrence group was obviously higher than that in the low tendency to metastatic recurrence group (P = 0.02). The positive rate for FTase mRNA in patients with metastatic recurrence during postoperative follow-up was also significantly higher than that in those without metastatic recurrence (P = 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The level of FTase mRNA expression in cancer tissues is much higher than in normal tissues. FTase may play an important role in the genesis and development of PLC and may be one of the reliable markers for the metastatic activity gained by liver tumor cells. FTase could be used clinically in predicting metastatic recurrence of PLC.</p>

Study on metastasis and micrometastasis in No.14v lymph nodes of patients with lower third gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the metastasis and micrometastasis in No.14v lymph nodes in patients with lower third gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study was performed. A total of 53 patients undergoing radical resections by a single surgeon for lower third gastric cancer in the Department of General Surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao Medical College were included. Conventional pathological section was used to detect lymph nodes metastasis and telomere TRAP-ELISA was used to identify the micrometastasis in No.14v lymph nodes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 96 lymph nodes were dissected from the No.14v group and lymph nodes metastasis were discovered in 9 patients by conventional pathological section. Forty-four patients had no metastasis on conventional pathological examination, of whom 13(29.6%) were found to have micrometastasis. The overall metastatic rate was 41.5%(22/53). Metastasis and micrometastasis in the No.14v lymph nodes were associated with Borrmann types, depth of invasion, No.6 lymph nodes metastasis, tumor diameter, and TNM staging(P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>No.14v lymph nodes in patients with lower third gastric cancer is associated with a high incidence of metastasis and micrometastasis. The status of No.6 lymph nodes may be used as an useful indicator for No.14v lymph nodes metastases during the operation.</p>

Effect of intensive insulin therapy on resting energy expenditure in postoperative patients underwent radical distal gastrectomy / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of intensive insulin therapy on resting energy expenditure in postoperative patients underwent radical distal gastrectomy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-four patients with gastric neoplasms in the middle or lower part of stomach from January to October 2010 were enrolled and underwent radical distal gastrectomy, then were randomized to intensive insulin therapy (IIT) group to keep glucose levels from 4.4 to 6.1 mmol/L or conventional insulin therapy (CIT) group to keep levels from 4.4 to 10.0 mmol/L. Resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory quotient (RQ), resting energy expenditure per kilogram (REE/kg) and lipid oxidation ratio (LOR) were monitored by indirect energy metabolic system on preoperative and postoperative 1(st), 3(rd) and 7(th) day. Fasting blood glucose and insulin concentration were measured for HOMA-IR assessment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with preoperative baseline, postoperative REE, REE/kg, LOR, Ln-HOMA-IR increased dramatically (P < 0.05, respectively). RQ decreased markedly (P < 0.05). Compared with group CIT, IIT reduced the REE/kg level [(27.2 ± 1.3) kcal/kg vs. (30.0 ± 1.5) kcal/kg, P = 0.008; (24.7 ± 1.4) vs. (25.7 ± 1.6) kcal/kg, P = 0.013]; and decreased the Ln-HOMA-IR score (P = 0.019 and 0.028) on postoperative 1(st) and 3(rd) day; IIT could decrease obviously the level of C-reaction protein level on postoperative 1(st) and 3(rd) day (P = 0.017, 0.006). The total protein and albumin concentration in IIT group were more than its levels in group CIT (P = 0.023, 0.009).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There are some benefits of IIT in reducing mean energy expenditure and the consumption of proteins, decreasing postoperative insulin resistance level in this small population underwent radical distal gastrectomy.</p>

Multivariate logistic regression analysis of postoperative severe complications and discriminant model establishment in gastric cancer post gastrectomy / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the main risk factors for postoperative severe complications, and establish Logistic regression model to predict severe complications in gastric cancer following gastrectomy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of 1728 gastric cancer patients underwent gastrectomy between June 2001 and June 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for postoperative severe complications in those patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Postoperative severe complications were associated with extent of lymph node dissection (D(2)(+)-D(3)), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), invasion to the adjacent organ, combined organ resection, extent of lymph node dissection (D(2)), diabetes mellitus (DM), TNM staging IV, heart diseases, malnutrition, surgeon's operative volume, operative time, blood loss and age. The Logistic regression model was P = 1/[1+e((14.806-2.523X1-1.792X2-1.558X3-1.551X4-1.270X5-1.150X6-1.101X7-0.981X8-0.817X9-0.657X10-0.578X11-0.542X12-0.309X13))]. A testing sample showed that the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the Logistic model were 72.5%, 70.0% and 75.0%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The extent of nodal dissection (D(2)(+)-D(3)), COPD, invasion to the adjacent organ, combined organ resection, extent of nodal dissection (D(2)), diabetes mellitus, TNM staging IV, heart diseases, malnutrition, surgeon's operative volume, operative time, blood loss and age are the independent risk factors associated with severe complications in gastric cancer post gastrectomy. The Logistic regression model based on these factors is reliable in predicting the severe complications.</p>