Adjuvant chemotherapy in completely resected gastric cancer: a randomized phase III trial conducted by GOIRC.

BACKGROUND: Complete surgical resection of gastric cancer is potentially curative, but long-term survival is poor. METHODS: Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the stomach of stages IB, II, IIIA and B, or IV (T4N2M0) and treated with potentially curative surgery were randomly assigned to follow-up alone or to intravenous treatment with four cycles (repeated every 21 days) of PELF (cisplatin [40 mg/m(2), on days 1 and 5], epirubicin [30 mg/m(2), days 1 and 5], L-leucovorin [100 mg/m(2), days 1-4], and 5-fluorouracil [300 mg/m(2), days 1-4] in a hospital setting. Frequencies and severity of adverse events were determined. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between the treatment arms using Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox proportional hazards regression model. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: From January 1995 through September 2000, 258 patients were randomly assigned to chemotherapy (n = 130) or surgery alone (n = 128). Patient characteristics were well balanced between the two arms. Among those who received chemotherapy, grade 3 or 4 toxic effects including vomiting, mucositis, and diarrhea were experienced by 21.1%, 8.4%, and 11.8% of patients, respectively. Leucopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia of grade 3 or 4 were experienced by 20.3%, 3.3%, and 4.2% of patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 72.8 months, 128 patients (49.6%) experienced recurrence and 139 (53.9%) deaths were observed, one toxicity-related. Relative to treatment with surgery alone, adjuvant chemotherapy did not increase disease-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] of recurrence = 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.66 to 1.27) or overall survival (HR of death = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.64 to 1.26). CONCLUSIONS: Our results failed to provide proof of an effect of adjuvant chemotherapy with PELF on overall survival or disease-free survival. The estimated effect of chemotherapy (10% reduction in the hazard of death or relapse) is modest and consistent with the results of meta-analyses of adjuvant chemotherapy without platinum agents.

Endometriosis in an episiotomy scar: a case report.

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of functioning endometrial tissue in an anatomical location other than the uterine cavity. The episiotomy scar is a fairly rare site for endometriosis. The authors present the case of a 42-year-old woman referred 7 years ago for the development of a tender perianal mass at the episiotomy site associated with perianal pain and pruritus which varied in relation to menses, becoming most intense just before and immediately after the onset of menstrual bleeding. Anal endosonography performed with a B&K mechanical probe rotating through 360 degrees with a frequency of 7 and 10 Mhz showed a hypoechoic area with a diameter of 3 cm not involving the external sphincter and extending from the perianal skin to the mid third of the anal canal. Proctosigmoidoscopy findings were normal. A complete local excision was performed. Complete surgical excision of perineal endometriomas should be curative. Recurrence, supposedly due to incomplete removal, usually appears within one year.

[Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC): a double cancer in the non-cirrhotic liver]. / Carcinoma epatocellulare (HCC) e colangiocarcinoma intraepatico (IHCC): doppio tumore su fegato non cirrotico. Presentazione di un caso.

The authors report a case of a large tumour, located in the right hepatic lateral segments, (size: 15 cm), consisting of a hepatocellular carcinoma (size: 10 cm) and an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (size: 5 cm). The mass was detected by ultrasonography during an examination for abdominal pain in an 80-year-old female. After tumour biopsy and histological examination, hepatic resection was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged 6 days after surgery. The rarity of this double cancer is stressed.