Trends in clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic predictors of survival outcome in black patients with gastric carcinoma: a single institution's experience.

BACKGROUND: Age, gender, and ethnic group-related differences influence the outcome of gastric cancer. Our aim was to analyze the trends and association of clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of gastric cancer in black patients over a period of 28 y. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all black patients treated for gastric cancer from 1979 to 2007 at Howard University Teaching Hospital. This period was divided into two time frames, 1979-1993 and 1994-2007. RESULTS: Of 286 patients in our study, there were 160 (55.9%) males versus 126 (44.1%) females. For the period 1979-1993, there were a total of 169 (59.1%) patients versus 117 (40.9%) for 1994-2007. A significant increase in the incidence of cardia/fundus tumors and stage IV tumors was noted between the two periods (P<0.02, P<0.004), 8.9% versus 12% and 71.4% versus 50.8%. The median survival time for the period 1979-1993 was 30.5 mo versus 39.2 mo for 1994-2007. The median survival time for males was 35.7 mo versus 34.9 mo for females. Significant independent predictors of a shorter gastric cancer-specific survival include tumor stage IV (HR 8.4 95% CI 2.0-35.0, P<0.003), female gender (HR 2.3 95% CI 1.0-4.9, P<0.02). CONCLUSION: Increased incidence of cardia/fundus tumors and stage IV disease may contribute to the sustained higher gastric cancer-specific mortality observed amongst black patients. Female gender emerged as an independent predictor of a shorter survival time.

Metastatic choriocarcinoma presenting as a bleeding duodenal ulcer.

We report a case of a young man with a rare disease, a choriocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract presenting as a common entity, a bleeding duodenal ulcer. Pathological findings and strongly positive immunostains of tissue specimens for beta human chorionic gonadotrophin confirmed the entire tumor to be a choriocarcinoma ruling out the possibility of an adenocarcinoma with focal components of choriocarcinoma or a beta human chorionic gonadotrophin producing adenocarcinoma. The pattern of tumor invasion in this case is more suggestive of metastatic than primary involvement of the gastrointestinal tract. The diagnosis of primary gastrointestinal choriocarcinoma is difficult because of the need to meticulously rule out the occurrence of a primary in other organs, which at times regresses spontaneously, a diagnosis made more difficult in this case in which no autopsy was performed.

Mondor's disease.

Mondor's disease, better known as superficial thrombophlebitis of the breast, is an uncommon disorder. Trauma and surgical biopsies head the top of the list of known causes. Over the past 25 to 30 years, various authors have proposed some new etiologies; however, the clinical course of the disease remains unchanged. This article describes three patients who presented for office visits and were diagnosed as having Mondor's disease. Although Mondor's disease is not a precancerous lesion, patients with atypical clinical courses should undergo close follow-up.

Preliminary survivorship report on combined intraoperative radiation and hyperthermia treatments for unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Five patients with unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma were treated with simultaneous intraoperative radiotherapy and intraoperative hyperthermia. Postoperative survivorship averaged 15.8 months, which compares favorably to a previous study in which 19 patients receiving intraoperative radiotherapy without intraoperative hyperthermia survived an average of 6.05 months. Three of the five patients following the experimental protocol of intraoperative radiotherapy and intraoperative hyperthermia with additional external beam radiotherapy are still alive, which may result in average postoperative survivorship exceeding 15.8 months.

Long-term intraventricular infusion of morphine for intractable pain in cancer of the head and neck.

The authors' experience with seven patients with intractable pain that was treated by continuous intraventricular infusion of morphine through an implanted Infusaid pump is reported. The pain was caused by head and neck cancer in six patients and was associated with postpolio syndrome in one. The average follow-up was 7 months. Pain was effectively managed through intraventricular administration of a combination of morphine and mild oral narcotic analgesics. Complications included one case of transient respiratory depression, one pump pocket infection, and one pump failure. The morphine dose required to maintain analgesia increased over time in all patients treated. This is a safe and effective method of pain management in patients with head and neck cancer. It is useful as well in patients who have intractable pain that cannot be managed through an intrathecal route because of a contraindication to lumbar puncture or an inaccessible subarachnoid space.

Intraoperative radiotherapy for patients with carcinoma of the pancreas. The Howard University Hospital experience, 1978-1986.

During the period from 1978 to 1986, 106 patients were diagnosed with carcinoma of the pancreas; 30 of these patients were excluded from this study. Of the remaining 76 patients, 40 did not receive intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) and were used as the nonrandomized control group for the 36 patients who did receive IORT after histologic confirmation of carcinoma of the pancreas. The records of 35 patients were available for review. The group receiving IORT ranged in ages from 43 to 89 years (20 males and 15 females). Seventeen patients had distant metastatic disease. The primary was located in the head of the pancreas in 32 and the body in three. No patient in this group had a curative resection. All patients were treated by a combination of biliary and gastric bypass prior to or concurrent with IORT. IORT was begun only after obtaining a histologic diagnosis and prior to the completion of any anastomosis. Necrotizing pancreatitis occurred in the treated group. There was no statistically significant difference in the survival of the nonrandomized control and treated groups.

Colorectal cancer in young black patients.

A higher percentage of young black patients are discovered with a more advanced stage of colorectal cancer than is reported for white patients. To evalute this phenomenon, various prognostic factors in young colorectal cancer patients at Howard University Hospital were studied.

The Infusaid pump in the management of intractable cancer pain.

At Howard University Hospital, nine terminally ill cancer patients with chronic pain have been treated with continuous intrathecal infusion of morphine delivered by the implantable Infusaid pump. The case of a patient treated at Howard University Hospital with this method of pain management is presented. Following Infusaid pump insertion, the patient lived for 22 months and obtained substantial relief of his cancer pain with no adverse side effects.

Vascular access in the cancer patient.

Patients requiring frequent blood sampling and/or frequent intravenous fluid administration can be difficult to manage clinically once peripheral veins become exhausted. Not only can peripheral vascular access be difficult in these patients, but patients begin to dread the attempts at blood sampling and intravenous line placement more than the chemotherapy regimen.At Howard University Hospital, several different types of commercial vascular access devices have been employed that afford reliable and dependable use in cancer patients requiring chemotherapy and blood monitoring. With the increased use of these devices, one unpleasant aspect in the management of the cancer patient, that of repeated attempts at vascular access, can be eliminated.

A follow-up study on familial polyposis coli in black patients.

We have updated our experience concerning eight families (24 patients) with FPC, 11 of whom had FPC with carcinoma and 13, FPC only. The importance of biopsy to prove the presence of an adenoma (tubular, villous or tubulovillous) was emphasized. Although we prefer total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis as definitive treatment, total proctocolectomy also has been recommended. The value of careful follow-up examination to detect carcinoma in the retained rectal segment and the periampullary region has been stressed. No racial differences were noted.

Familial polyposis coli in black patients.

We have presented our experience with 19 black patients who had familial polyposis coli, seven of whom had associated cancer. Four of the seven had multiple cancers. Seventeen of the 19 patients were female but most of the patients at risk in our series were female. Sixteen of the 19 had extracolonic manifestations which have been described as part of Gardner's syndrome. Although our series was quite small, larger series do not report as high an incidence of extracolonic manifestations. Follow-up was too short to make any statements concerning the development of cancer in the retained rectal stump.