Elevated Plasma Tryptophan in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa Compared with Hypotrophic Controls.

Introduction: We hypothesized that anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with pathological amino acid metabolism. This study aimed to identify amino acids exhibiting abnormal metabolism in patients with AN compared with those in low-nutrient controls. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective, observational study that compared patients with AN with a low-nutrient control group. All participants were admitted to the Kitasato University Hospital Emergency Center between January 1, 2018, and January 31, 2021. Both the AN and low-nutrient control groups had five patients each. Plasma amino acid category testing was conducted at the same institution for both groups. Patient sex, age, height, weight, and comorbidities were retrospectively extracted. Plasma amino acid fractions, total amino acids, total essential amino acids, total nonessential amino acids, branched-chain amino acids (sum of valine, isoleucine, and leucine), and amino acid concentrations and ratios were compared between the two groups. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Body mass index was lower in the AN group (p = 0.00794). Tryptophan levels were significantly higher in the AN group (p = 0.00794). Other amino acid values, the sum of amino acid values, and amino acid ratios were not significantly different between both groups. Conclusions: Serum tryptophan levels were higher in the AN group than in the low-nutrient group, and AN may be associated with abnormal amino acid metabolism.

Factors for unsuccessful endoscopic hemostasis in patients with severe peptic ulcer bleeding.

OBJECTIVES: Although the first approach for peptic ulcer bleeding is endoscopic hemostasis, quick determination of a hemostatic strategy is important in patients with vitals indicating shock. However, the unsuccessful factors for endoscopic treatment have yet to be sufficiently examined. We aimed to investigate the factors for unsuccessful endoscopic hemostasis in severe peptic ulcer bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Unsuccessful factors were retrospectively investigated in 150 eligible patients who underwent endoscopic hemostasis for shock-presenting peptic ulcer bleeding at our critical care center between April 2007 and March 2021. RESULTS: There were 123 and 27 cases of successful and unsuccessful endoscopic hemostasis, respectively. Causative diseases included gastric ulcer bleeding in 124 patients (82.7%) and duodenal ulcer bleeding in 26 patients (17.3%). Shock index (SI) (1.46 vs. 1.60) (p = .013), exposed blood vessel diameter (1.4 mm vs. 3.1 mm) (p < .001) identified on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT), duodenal ulcer bleeding (p = .012), and Forrest classification Ia (p = .004) were extracted as independent factors for unsuccessful endoscopic hemostasis. In receiving operating curve analysis, when the cut-off value for the SI was set at 1.53, the sensitivity and specificity were 70.4% and 63.4%, respectively. When the cut-off value for the exposed blood vessel diameter was set at 1.9 mm, these were 88.9% and 83.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: When these factors (SI ≥ 1.53, exposed blood vessel diameter ≥1.9 mm identified on CE-CT, duodenal ulcer bleeding, and Forrest Ia) are present in patients with severe peptic ulcer bleeding, non-endoscopic hemostasis, such as interventional radiology (IVR) and surgery, should be considered.

A case of intestinal obstruction due to inflammatory changes in the small intestine from alkaline ingestion.

CASE: Alkaline ingestion frequently causes corrosive esophagitis but rarely causes lower digestive tract injury. In this case, a 79-year-old man accidentally drank kitchen detergent. After 3 h, lower abdominal pain occurred and gradually worsened. He was taking a proton pump inhibitor after proximal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. He had local tenderness in the left lower abdomen. Abdominal computed tomography showed expansion of the small intestine, thickening of the intestinal wall, and inflammatory changes. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed no obvious injury to the esophagus or stomach. OUTCOME: Conservative treatment with an ileus tube was undertaken for intestinal obstruction caused by alkaline ingestion. There were no complications, such as gastrointestinal perforation, and he was discharged on day 17. CONCLUSION: Alkaline ingestion may cause injuries not only to the upper but also to the lower digestive tract in patients who are taking proton pump inhibitors or have had gastrectomy.

Argon plasma coagulation for superficial esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in high-risk patients.

AIM: To evaluate the usefulness and safety of argon plasma coagulation (APC) for superficial esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (SESC) in high-risk patients. METHODS: We studied 17 patients (15 men and 2 women, 21 lesions) with SESC in whom endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), and open surgery were contraindicated from March 1999 through February 2009. None of the patients could tolerate prolonged EMR/ESD or open surgery because of severe concomitant disease (e.g., liver cirrhosis, cerebral infarction, or ischemic heart disease) or scar formation after EMR/ESD and chemoradiotherapy. After conventional endoscopy, an iodine stain was sprayed on the esophageal mucosa to determine the lesion margins. The lesion was then ablated by APC. We retrospectively studied the treatment time, number of APC sessions per site, complications, presence or absence of recurrence, and time to recurrence. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up was 36 mo (range: 6-120 mo). All of the tumors were macroscopically classified as superficial and slightly depressed type (0-IIc). The preoperative depth of invasion was clinical T1a (mucosal cancer) for 19 lesions and clinical T1b (submucosal cancer) for 2. The median treatment time was 15 min (range: 10-36 min). The median number of treatment sessions per site was 2 (range: 1-4). The median hospital stay was 14 d (range: 5-68 d). Among the 17 patients (21 lesions), 2 (9.5%) had recurrence and underwent additional APC with no subsequent evidence of recurrence. There were no treatment-related complications, such as bleeding or perforation. CONCLUSION: APC is considered to be safe and effective for the management of SESC that cannot be resected endoscopically because of underlying disease, as well as for the control of recurrence after EMR and local recurrence after chemoradiotherapy.

A multicenter phase II study of combined chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer (KDOG 0601).

PURPOSE: We conducted a phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a triplet regimen of docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 in patients with unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. METHODS: Docetaxel (40 mg/m(2)) and cisplatin (70 or 60 mg/m(2)) were given on day 1 of a 28-day cycle. S-1 (40 mg/m(2)) was given twice daily on days 1-14. Treatment with this regimen was continued for a maximum of 6 cycles. Subsequently, patients with no disease progression received a combination of docetaxel and S-1. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were enrolled. The median number of administered cycles was 8 (range, 1-25). Because some patients had serious myelosuppression and renal dysfunction with 70 mg/m(2) of cisplatin, dose of cisplatin was reduced to 60 mg/m(2) after 19 patients had been treated. Common severe toxic effects of grade 3 or 4 were leukocytopenia (44%), neutropenia (72%), anemia (15%), and febrile neutropenia (14%). The overall response rate of this group was 81% (95% confidence interval (CI), 71-91%). The median overall survival and progression-free survival were 18.5 (95% CI, 15.6-21.5) and 8.7 (95% CI, 6.7-10.7) months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Triplet of docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1 is a well-tolerated and highly active regimen for advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. A 60 mg/m(2) of cisplatin is as effective as 70 mg/m(2) of cisplatin.

Clinical significance of evaluating primary lesions in patients with gastric cancer who receive chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: In Western countries, the response of gastric cancer to chemotherapy is evaluated by assessing measurable metastatic lesions (MMLs) according to the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). In Japan, the response of primary lesions is assessed according to local Japanese criteria. We compared the response to chemotherapy as evaluated by these two sets of criteria. METHODS: Patients with unresectable, advanced gastric cancer who had primary lesions and had received first-line chemotherapy were studied. Responses of MMLs were evaluated with RECIST. Responses of primary lesions were evaluated with the Japanese criteria. Median survival times (MSTs) were compared according to treatment response by each set of criteria. RESULTS: Data from 341 patients were analyzed. Of the 242 patients with MMLs, 108 were MML responders and 134 were MML nonresponders. MST was significantly longer in MML responders (293 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 244-342) than in MML nonresponders (159 days; 95% CI, 127-191; P < 0.0001). According to the Japanese criteria, there were 128 primary-lesion responders and 213 primary-lesion nonresponders. MST was significantly longer in responders (304 days; 95% CI, 266-342) than in nonresponders (168 days; 95% CI, 143-193, P < 0.0001). Of the 99 patients without MMLs, 26 were primary-lesion responders and 73, primary-lesion nonresponders; MST was significantly longer in the former (300 days; 95% CI, 266-334) than in the latter group (173 days; 95% CI, 111-235; P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: The responses of primary lesions according to the Japanese criteria and the responses of MMLs according to the RECIST were both significantly related to the MST. Use of the RECIST alone might bias the evaluation of treatment response because response cannot be evaluated in patients without an MML.

Impacts of fluorouracil-metabolizing enzymes on the outcomes of patients treated with S-1 alone or S-1 plus cisplatin for first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer.

A phase III trial of S-1 plus cisplatin (SP) versus S-1 alone, for first-line treatment of advanced gastric cancer (SPIRITS trial), has shown that overall survival was better in patients treated with SP than with S-1 alone. In the present retrospective biomarker study, we aimed to develop a methodology to identify the patients with advanced gastric cancer who would respond better to S-1 alone than SP. We studied 120 patients who received S-1 alone or SP for first-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer, and quantitatively evaluated mRNA levels of thymidylate synthase (TS), thymidine phosphorylase (TP), orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, and epidermal growth factor receptor in paraffin-embedded specimens of primary tumors. Multivariate survival analysis in patients who received S-1 monotherapy (66 patients) demonstrated that low TP expression (hazard ratio: 2.55 (95% CI: (1.33 to 4.89)), low TS (2.71 (1.36 to 5.37)), and high OPRT (0.33 (0.13 to 0.86)) were significant predictors of long overall survival. In patients with lower expression of both TP and TS (n = 23) than their cutoff values, the S-1 alone group (n = 15) had longer overall survival than the SP group (n = 8; median overall survival, 18.2 months vs. 9.4 months), whereas the frequency of overall adverse events in the S-1 alone group tended to be lower than that in SP group. Our results suggest that these biomarkers are useful for selection of patients with advanced gastric cancer in whom treatment with S-1 alone will yield survival benefit.

Current management of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma in Japan and other countries.

The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or esophagogastric junction has increased considerably in Western countries during the past 3 decades, whereas the incidence of squamous-cell carcinoma has decreased slightly. In Japan, most esophageal cancers are squamous-cell carcinomas. Endoscopic examinations are more frequently performed in Japan for routine screening and diagnosis and treatment than in other countries, thereby increasing the detection rate of superficial esophageal carcinomas. In Europe and North America, many clinical trials have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery in patients with resectable, advanced esophageal cancer. In Japan, surgical resection had been the mainstay of treatment for esophageal cancer. Since the results of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) 9907 study were reported, neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil followed by surgery has emerged as a new standard treatment. As for definitive chemoradiotherapy, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and concurrent radiotherapy dosed to 50.4 Gy are used as standard treatment in a randomized clinical trial performed in North America. In patients who have T4 tumors and/or M1 lymph-node metastasis, chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil is considered standard treatment, but docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil plus concurrent radiotherapy is also being studied. Controlled studies have not shown that palliative chemotherapy is superior to best supportive care, but cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil is still considered standard therapy. Clinical trials of targeted agents are in progress. It is hoped that targeted agents will be effective for esophageal cancer.

A multicenter, phase I dose-escalating study of docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 for advanced gastric cancer (KDOG0601).

OBJECTIVE: This dose-escalation study of a combination of docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 investigated the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), recommended dose (RD) and antitumor activity in advanced gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received docetaxel (40 mg/m(2)), cisplatin (DIV on day 1) and S-1 (40 mg/m(2) p.o., twice daily, on days 1-14 every 28 days). The starting dose of cisplatin was 60 mg/m(2) (level 1); the dose was escalated to 70 (level 2) and 80 mg/m(2) (level 3) in a stepwise fashion. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were enrolled. The MTD of cisplatin was 80 mg/m(2) (level 3). DLT was grade 3 diarrhea, febrile neutropenia and delayed resumption of treatment. The RD of cisplatin was considered to be 70 mg/m(2) (level 2). DLT was liver dysfunction, occurring in only 1 patient at level 2. The response rate was 69.2% (9/13). CONCLUSIONS: For combined treatment with docetaxel, cisplatin and S-1 in patients with advanced gastric cancer, RD were docetaxel 40 mg/m(2), cisplatin 70 mg/m(2) and S-1 80 mg/m(2)/day. This regimen yields a high rate of tumor response and can be administered safely. Phase II studies of this regimen are under way.

Clinical outcomes of endoscopic oblique aspiration mucosectomy for superficial esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: EMR is now a widely accepted option for the treatment for superficial esophageal cancer (SEC). However, studies of medium-term to long-term outcomes are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes in patients with SEC who are undergoing medium-term to long-term follow-up after endoscopic oblique aspiration mucosectomy (EOAM). DESIGN: A single-center retrospective study. SETTING: Kitasato University East Hospital, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: From November 1999 to October 2005, 85 patients with SEC underwent EOAM. All tumors were macroscopically classified as the superficial type on the basis of preoperative endoscopic and EUS findings. Patients were followed-up, with an endoscopy every 6 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Therapeutic efficacy, complications, and follow-up results. RESULTS: The rate of complete resection was 82.5% (70/85). In patients who underwent an incomplete resection, argon plasma coagulation and heat probe coagulation were, in addition, performed. The median longest diameter of the resected specimens was 25 mm. The median time required for a resection was 27 minutes. There was no perforation. Bleeding after an EOAM occurred in 1 patient (1.2%). Esophageal stenosis developed in 8 patients (9.4%). All strictures were managed by endoscopic balloon dilation, and symptoms improved. The median follow-up period after EMR was 36 months (range 6-72 months). Local recurrence occurred in 5 patients (5.9%); the nonrecurrence rate was 96.4% at 1 year, 95.0% at 2 years, and 93.4% at 3 years. As additional treatment, argon plasma coagulation was performed in 4 patients, and endoscopic mucosal dissection was conducted in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: EOAM is a safe, easy, and effective procedure for the treatment of SEC that can be completed within a short time. The rate of local recurrence is low on medium-term to long-term follow-up.

[Therapeutic strategy for type 4 gastric cancer from the clinical oncologist standpoint].

Type 4 gastric cancer has a poor prognosis compared with other types of advanced gastric cancer because of the high incidence of peritoneal metastasis which causes intestinal obstruction, hydronephrosis, or obstructive jaundice. Surgical treatment is often only palliative, and systematic chemotherapy is considered to be important for long survival. S-1 showed a higher response rate for undifferentiated-type adenocarcinoma, and S-1 alone or its combination regimens demonstrated greater anti-tumor effects and longer survival time for gastric linitis plastica compared with conventional 5-FU regimens in our historical control study (response rate: S-1/non S-1 57.9%/27.9%, p<0.01; MST: S-1/non S-1 402 days/213 days, p<0.01). S-1 regimens may also improve the survival in patients with type 4 gastric cancer in neoadjuvant or adjuvant settings, but further prospective studies are warranted to prove its significance. Paclitaxel also has a high response rate for undifferentiated-type adenocarcinoma, and can be expected to show high efficacy for peritoneal dissemination. Irinotecan should not be administered in case of intestinal obstruction because its toxicity may be increased. However,survival of patients with type 4 gastric cancer may improve with the availability of active agents like S-1, taxanes, irinotecan as reported in colorectal cancer. Therefore,irinotecan should be administered carefully before intestinal obstruction occurs.

Optimal dose-finding study of bi-weekly paclitaxel in unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tri-weekly and weekly regimens of paclitaxel have been reported to be effective in unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. The present study was conducted to determine the optimal dose of bi-weekly paclitaxel and evaluate safety and antitumor effect. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of advanced or recurrent gastric cancer. Paclitaxel was intravenously infused for 1 h bi-weekly. One cycle consisted of four weeks and at least two cycles were performed. Dose levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 mg/m2, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 21 patients enrolled, 18 patients (85.7%) had received prior treatment. The maximum tolerated dose was 160 mg/m2 (level 4) and dose-limiting toxicities included grade 3 fatigue, anorexia and neuropathy and grade 4 neutropenia and allergic reaction. The recommended dose was designated as to be 140 mg/m2 (level 3). At this dose level, only one patient experienced a dose-limiting toxicity of neutropenia. No patient had grade 3 or higher non-hematological toxicity. The response rate was 12.5% (2/16) and 14 patients (87.5%) had partial response or stable disease. The median number of treatment courses was four (up to 13 courses). The median survival time was 222 days and the time to progression was 76 days. CONCLUSION: In advanced or recurrent gastric cancer, bi-weekly paclitaxel may be safely administered at a recommended dose of 140 mg/m2. A phase II study is now underway.

[A case of long-term survival of 3-years 4 months after combination chemotherapy of MTX, 5-FU and low-dose CDDP (MFP) for type 4 gastric cancer with pleuritis, peritoneal dissemination and Krukenberg tumor].

A 41-year-old woman presented to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of our hospital because of abdominal distension and irregular genital bleeding. Computed tomography and ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed bilateral ovarian tumors, massive ascites, and bilateral pleural effusion. Type IV advanced gastric cancer was diagnosed on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The patient was admitted to our department. She received 3 courses of combination chemotherapy with methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, and low-dose cisplatin. Pleural effusion and ascites disappeared. Surgery (total gastrectomy, resection of the tail of the pancreas, lymph-node dissection, total hysterectomy, and adnexectomy) was performed, and the patient was discharged. Chemotherapy was repeated after surgery. Lymph-node metastasis recurred 1 year 8 months after the start of chemotherapy. Treatment was switched to irinotecan plus cisplatin, and the lymph nodes shrank. After 9 months, 3 courses of TS-1 were administered. Two years 10 months after starting chemotherapy, abdominal and low back pain developed. Bone scintigraphy revealed bone metastasis. Lymph node swelling was present. The patient responded to radiotherapy with chemotherapy (cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil). Subsequently, abdominal computed tomography showed lymph-node swelling, multiple metastases to the liver, ascites, and a right pleural effusion. She was readmitted to the hospital and received intraperitoneal chemotherapy with cisplatin. Her condition deteriorated, and she died. The patient survived for about 3 years 4 months after the start of treatment. Chemotherapy with methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, and low-dose cisplatin may thus be an effective therapeutic option in patients who have advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination.

[Clinical development of S-1 (TS-1) for advanced gastric cancer].

The 5-FU plus cisplatin containing regimen like FP, ECF and DCF, is considered to be the most effective treatment for advanced gastric cancer in the United States, Europe, and Korea. In Japan, oral fluoropyrimidine S-1 (TS-1) is currently considered to be the first candidate as the standard drug for advanced gastric cancer. S-1 based combination therapies with other promising drugs like cisplatin, irinotecan and taxanes, are expected to yield good results. Above all, S-1+CDDP therapy showed a high efficacy and expected to be a standard therapy for advanced gastric cancer. Two large phase III studies, JCOG 9912 5-FU vs S-1 vs CPT-11 +CDDP and S-1 vs S-1+CDDP, are now on going to establish an acceptable frontline standard for patients with AGC. We therefore need to develop new agents and combination chemotherapy regimens to achieve a greater survival benefit in AGC.

[A gastric stromal tumor (GIST) with a prolonged partial response to a reduced dose of imatinib mesilate].

A 78-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of tarry stools. A gastric stromal tumor with liver metastasis was diagnosed. Treatment with imatinib mesilate was begun in a dose of 400 mg daily. After 1 month, the primary tumor showed a partial response; the response of the liver metastasis was stable disease. However, grade 2 edema, leukocytopenia, and anemia developed, and the dose of imatinib mesilate was reduced to 200 mg daily. The adverse reactions resolved promptly, and a partial response of both the primary tumor and liver metastasis to imatinib mesilate has been maintained for 28 months. Strategies for lowering the dose of imatinib mesilate are reviewed.

[Combination chemotherapy of TS-1 +cisplatin for inoperable gastric cancer].

There is no chemotherapy considered to be standard treatment for advanced gastric cancer worldwide, and there is no consensus as to whether combination or single agent therapy is preferred. In the phase I portion, a dose-escalation study of cisplatin (CDDP) combined with TS-1, new oral dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase inhibitory fluoropyrimidine, was performed to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), recommended dose (RD), dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), and objective response rate (RR) in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). TS-1 was given orally at 40 mg/m2 bid for 21 consecutive days following a 2-week rest. CDDP was planned to be given intravenously on day 8, at a dose of 60, 70, or 80 mg/m2, depending on the DLT. Treatment was repeated every 5 weeks, unless disease progression was observed. In the phase I portion, the MTD of CDDP was presumed to be 70 mg/m2, because 33.3% of patients (2/6) developed DLTs; mainly neutropenia. Therefore, the RD of CDDP was estimated as 60 mg/m2. In the phase II portion, 19 patients including 6 patients of the RD phase I portion were evaluated. The median administered courses was 4 (range: 1-8). The incidence of haematological and non-haematological toxicities (> or = grade 3) was 15.8 and 26.3%, respectively, but all were manageable. The RR was 74% (14/19, 95%) confidence interval: 54.9 (90.6%), and the median survival days were 383. This regimen is considered to be active against AGC with acceptable toxicity. In addition, currently, a randomized phase III study (JCOG 9912) for AGC patients not treated previously with chemotherapy is underway in Japan. It compares three arms: 5-FU alone, TS-1 alone and CPT-11 with CDDP therapy. We also initiated a randomized phase III study comparing TS-1 alone, and with CDDP for AGC. From those two phase III studies, we may be able to evaluate the clinical benefit of TS-1 in combination with CDDP versus TS-1 single, or 5-FU combined with CDDP therapy in terms of survival benefits and improving the QOL for AGC patients.