Behavior of Small, Asymptomatic, Nonfunctioning Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (NF-PNETs).

Small nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PNETs) usually exhibit minimal or no growth over many years. However, there is a controversy regarding the optimal management of incidentally discovered, small NF-PNETs. This study aimed to gain insights into tumor behavior and potential strategies for clinical management.We retrospectively reviewed a total of 202 patients with a suspected PNET (size 2 cm or smaller) at Samsung Medical Center from January 1, 1995 to April 30, 2012. Among these patients, 72 patients were excluded and 145 patients were enrolled in our study. Patients were included if the size of the tumor was ≤2 cm without familial syndrome, radiographic evidence of local invasion or metastases.Among the 145 patients, 76 patients (52.4%) had pathologically confirmed PNETs. Eleven (14.5%) and 3 (3.9%) of these 76 patients were diagnosed with NET G2 and G3, respectively. PNETs measuring 1.5 cm or more in size had a higher probability of being classified as NET G2 or G3 compared with PNETs measuring <1.5 cm (P = 0.03). Older age (≥55 years) and a meaningful tumor growth (≥20% or ≥5 mm) were significantly associated with NET G2 or G3 (P < 0.05).Older age (≥55 years), larger tumor size (≥1.5 cm), and a meaningful tumor growth (≥20% or ≥5 mm) were associated with NET G2 or G3. Intensive follow-up could be an acceptable approach in small (especially <1.5 cm), asymptomatic, NF-PNETs.

Considering long-term care insurance for middle-income countries: comparing South Korea with Japan and Germany.

Financing and provision of long-term care is an increasingly important concern for many middle-income countries experiencing rapid population aging. We examine three countries (South Korea, Japan, and Germany) that use social insurance to finance medical care and have developed long-term care insurance (LTCI) systems. These countries have adopted different approaches to LTCI design within the social insurance framework. We contrast their financing systems and draw lessons regarding revenue generation, benefits design, and eligibility. Based on this review, it seems important for middle-income countries to start developing LTCI schemes early, before aging becomes a significant problem and substantial revenues are needed. Early financing also ensures that the service delivery system has time to adapt because most middle-income countries lack the infrastructure for providing long-term care services. One approach is to start with a limited benefit package and strict eligibility rules and expanded the program as the country develops sufficient experience and more providers became available. All three countries use some form of cost-sharing to discourage service overuse, combined with subsidies for poor populations to maintain appropriate access. A major policy choice is between cash benefits or direct provision of services and the approach will have a large impact on the workforce participation of women.

Incidence and Risk Factors for Urolithiasis in Patients with Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of urinary tract calculi is thought to be higher in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than that in the general population. However, few data are available about urolithiasis in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). We investigated the incidence of urolithiasis and the risk factors for urolithiasis in patients with CD. METHODS: We examined the records of 387 patients with CD followed at Samsung Medical Center from July 2011 to June 2013. Evidence for the presence of calculi was obtained from radiologic findings (plain films, ultrasonography, or computed tomography), urinary colic symptoms, or a treatment history of urolithiasis after diagnosis of CD. Demographic variables, phenotype, concurrent medications, and previous CD-related surgery were analyzed. RESULTS: Urinary tract calculi were found in 18 (4.7%) patients, which developed after the CD diagnosis. The incidence of urolithiasis in CD was 706 per 100,000 patient-years. Cox models with a time-dependent covariate showed that azathioprine (AZA)/6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) treatment (hazard ratio = 0.963; 95% CI: 0.931, 0.996; p = 0.030) was negatively associated with urolithiasis. CONCLUSIONS: The annual incidence rate of urolithiasis in patients with CD was 0.7%. AZA/6-MP therapy was associated with a low risk of urolithiasis in these patients.

KML001 enhances anticancer activity of gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Gemcitabine is a drug commonly used to treat pancreatic cancer but chemoresistance to it is a common clinical issue. KML001 (sodium meta-arsenite) has demonstrated certain antitumor activity. The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of KML001 on the anticancer activity of gemcitabine against pancreatic cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed, as well as the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGFC) in pancreatic cancer cells. RESULTS: Treatment with a combination of KML001 and gemcitabine resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and significantly reduced EGFR and MMP2 expression compared to gemcitabine treatment-alone. CONCLUSION: Combination treatment of gemcitabine and KML001 could be an effective chemotherapeutic treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Is a second-look endoscopy necessary after endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric neoplasm?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Second-look endoscopy is performed to check for the possibility of post-endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) bleeding and to perform prophylactic hemostasis in most hospitals; however, there is little evidence about the efficacy of second-look endoscopy. We investigated whether second-look endoscopy after ESD is useful in the prevention of post-ESD bleeding. METHODS: A total of 550 lesions with gastric epithelial neoplasms in 502 patients (372 men and 130 women) were treated with ESD between August 18, 2009 and August 18, 2010. After the exclusion of three lesions of post-ESD bleeding within 24 hours, 547 lesions (335 early gastric cancers and 212 gastric adenomas) were included for the final analysis. RESULTS: The occurrence rate of delayed post-ESD bleeding was not significantly differ-ent between the second-look group and the no second-look group (1% vs 2.5%, p>0.05). The only predictor of delayed bleeding was tumor size, regardless of second-look endoscopy after ESD (22.8±9.87 vs 15.1±10.47, p<0.05). There was no difference between the prophylactic hemostasis and nonprophylactic hemostasis groups, including the occurrence rate of delayed bleeding. In the second-look group with prophylactic hemostasis, the hospital stay was more prolonged than in the second-look group without prophylactic hemostasis, but there was no significant difference (p=0.08). CONCLUSIONS: Second-look endoscopy to prevent delayed bleeding after ESD provides no significant medical benefits.

The role of the CpG island methylator phenotype on survival outcome in colon cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP)- high colorectal cancers (CRCs) have distinct clinicopathologi-cal features from their CIMP-low/negative CRC counterparts. However, controversy exists regarding the prognosis of CRC according to the CIMP status. Therefore, this study examined the prognosis of Korean patients with colon cancer according to the CIMP status. METHODS: Among a previous cohort pop-ulation with CRC, a total of 154 patients with colon cancer who had available tissue for DNA extraction were included in the study. CIMP-high was defined as ≥3/5 methylated mark-ers using the five-marker panel (CACNA1G, IGF2, NEUROG1, RUNX3, and SOCS1). RESULTS: CIMP-high and CIMP-low/neg-ative cancers were observed in 27 patients (17.5%) and 127 patients (82.5%), respectively. Multivariate analysis adjust-ing for age, gender, tumor location, tumor stage and CIMP and microsatellite instability (MSI) statuses indicated that CIMP-high colon cancers were associated with a significant increase in colon cancer-specific mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 3.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 8.69; p=0.02). In microsatellite stable cancers, CIMP-high cancer had a poor survival outcome compared to CIMP-low/negative cancer (HR, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.02 to 8.27; p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Re-gardless of the MSI status, CIMP-high cancers had poor sur-vival outcomes in Korean patients. (Gut Liver, 2015;9202-207).

Colorectal cancer-susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms in Korean population.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Considering the significant racial and ethnic diversity in genetic variation, it is unclear whether the genome-wide association studies-identified colorectal cancer (CRC)-susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) discovered in European populations are also relevant to the Korean population. However, studies on CRC-susceptibility SNPs in Koreans are limited. METHODS: To investigate the racial and ethnic diversity of CRC-susceptibility genetic variants, we genotyped for the established European CRC-susceptibility SNPs in 198 CRC cases and 329 controls in Korea. To identify novel genetic variants using genome-wide screening in Korea, Illumina HumanHap 370K/610K BeadChips were performed on 105 CRC patients, and candidate CRC-susceptibility SNPs were selected. Subsequently, genotyping for replication was done in 189 CRC cases and 190 controls. RESULTS: Among the European CRC-susceptibility SNPs, rs4939827 in SMAD7 was associated with a significant decreased risk of Korean CRC (age-/gender-adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: additive model, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.47-0.95]; dominant model, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.39-0.91]). rs4779584 and rs10795668 were associated with CRC risk in females and males, respectively. Among candidate CRC-susceptibility SNPs selected from genome-wide screening, novel SNP, rs17051076, was found to be associated with a significantly increased risk of microsatellite instability-high CRC (age-/gender-adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: additive model, 4.25 [95% CI, 1.51-11.98]; dominant model, 3.52 [95% CI, 1.13-10.94]) in the replication study. CONCLUSIONS: rs4939827, rs4779584, and rs10795668 may contribute to the risk of CRC in the Korean population as well as in European populations. Novel rs17051076 could be associated with microsatellite instability-high CRC in Koreans. These associations support the ethnic diversity of CRC-susceptibility SNPs and should be taken into account in large-scale studies.

Outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for differentiated-type early gastric cancer with histological heterogeneity.

BACKGROUND: Long-term clinical outcomes after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is unclear for differentiated-type-predominant early gastric cancer (EGC) mixed with undifferentiated component (MUC-EGC). Therefore, the role and appropriate indication of ESD for MUC-EGC remain to be evaluated. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2011, 1,577 differentiated-type EGC lesions [1,408 pure differentiated-type (PuD)-EGCs and 169 MUC-EGCs] in 1,527 consecutive patients were treated by ESD. After ESD, MUC-EGC was managed in the same way as PuD-EGC. The clinicopathological features and long-term outcomes after ESD of MUC-EGC were compared with those of PuD-EGC. RESULTS: En bloc resection and en bloc with R0 resection rates in MUC-EGC cases were 94.1 % and 81.7 %, respectively. MUC-EGC was significantly associated with larger tumor size, more frequent submucosal invasion, and lymphovascular invasion compared to PuD-EGC. Despite these aggressive features of MUC-EGC, no lymph node metastasis or extragastric recurrence occurred during follow-up after ESD if MUC-EGC met the curative endoscopic resection (ER) criteria for tumors of absolute or expanded indications. Four MUC-EGC cases meeting the curative ER criteria underwent additional radical gastrectomy after ESD, and no case showed lymph node metastasis. During a median 48 months of follow-up, overall survival rates for MUC-EGC meeting the curative ER criteria for tumors of absolute or expanded indications (3-year survival rates, 100 % and 100 %) were comparable to those of PuD-EGC. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outcomes after ESD were favorable for MUC-EGCs meeting the curative ER criteria for tumors of absolute or expanded indications. Therefore, ESD may be used as a promising treatment option for these cases.

Limited role of bone marrow aspiration and biopsy in the initial staging work-up of gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in Korea.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of disseminated gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma and the role of bone marrow study in the initial staging work-up. METHODS: A total of 194 patients with gastric MALT lymphoma was enrolled. The incidence of disseminated disease was evaluated in the initial staging work-up. The demographic data and tumor characteristics were compared according to Helicobacter pylori infection status. RESULTS: Localized disease of Lugano stage I accounted for 97.4% of the enrolled cases. Abdominal computed tomography revealed abdominal lymph node metastasis in five patients (2.6%). Bone marrow (BM) involvement was found in only one patient without H. pylori infection (0.5%). No patient showed positive findings on chest computed tomography or positron emission tomography. H. pylori-negative cases showed a significantly higher frequency of advanced-stage disease than H. pylori-positive cases (10.0% vs 0.6%). In patients achieving complete remission, no extragastric recurrence occurred during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of disseminated disease, including BM involvement, was very low in Korean gastric MALT lymphoma patients. It might be beneficial to perform BM aspiration and biopsy as a part of staging work-up only in patients with risk factors for advanced disease such as H. pylori negativity.

Endoscopic resection for undifferentiated early gastric cancer: focusing on histologic discrepancies between forceps biopsy-based and endoscopic resection specimen-based diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Before endoscopic resection (ER), a considerable number of undifferentiated early gastric cancer (UD-EGC) cases were initially diagnosed as atypical glands, dysplasia, or differentiated EGC (D-EGC) based on forceps biopsy specimens. As UD-EGC carries a high risk of resection margin involvement, identifying the predictive factors for UD-EGC cases with histologic discrepancy (HD) is of clinical importance. AIMS: To investigate the outcomes of ER for UD-EGC and to identify the predictive factors for UD-EGC with HD. METHODS: Among 2,194 EGC lesions treated by ER, 59 lesions were finally diagnosed as UD-EGC and 50 UD-EGC cases showed HD. The demographic and endoscopic characteristics were compared between D-EGC and UD-EGC with HD, and the predictive factors for the latter were investigated among cases of forceps biopsy-based diagnosis of atypical glands, dysplasia, or D-EGC. RESULTS: UD-EGC showed significantly higher rate of lateral margin involvement compared to D-EGC (18.6 vs. 3.4%). Among the UD-EGC cases meeting the expanded criteria and not involving additional surgery, no local or extragastric tumor recurrence was observed during the median follow-up of 27.5 months. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age (≤60 years), female gender, gastric body, flat or depressed type, and tumor size (>2 cm) were independent predictive factors for UD-EGC with HD among cases of forceps biopsy-based diagnosis of atypical glands, dysplasia, or D-EGC. CONCLUSIONS: For lesions with predictive factors for UD-EGC with HD, a circumferential mapping biopsy before ER or wide marking during ER could be considered to avoid the potential risk of incomplete resection.

KML001 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in pancreatic cancer cells through suppression of NF-κB and VEGF-C.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and the efficacy of chemotherapy is limited. KML001 (sodium meta-arsenite) has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity against some solid cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of KML001 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. The Dojindo Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to determine the inhibition of pancreatic cancer cell proliferation by drugs. Cell migration and invasion were examined using 24-well inserts and Matrigel™-coated invasion chambers. The activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). KML001 inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. KML001 also inhibited the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. KML001 significantly decreased NF-κB p65 and VEGF-C activities in the pancreatic cancer cells. KML001 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in pancreatic cancer cells. Suppression of NF-κB and VEGF-C activation may partly be associated with the anticancer activity of KML001. These results suggest that KML001 could be a novel potential therapeutic agent for treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Association between markers of glucose metabolism and risk of colorectal adenoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Diabetes is a risk factor for colorectal cancer. We studied the association between markers of glucose metabolism and metabolic syndrome and the presence of colorectal adenomas in a large number of asymptomatic men and women attending a health screening program in South Korea. We also investigated whether these associations depend on adenoma location. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, we measured fasting levels of glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c, and C-peptide and calculated homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) values (used to quantify insulin resistance) for 19,361 asymptomatic South Korean subjects who underwent colonoscopy examinations from January 2006 to June 2009. Participants completed a standardized self-administered health questionnaire and a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Blood samples were collected on the day of the colonoscopy; fasting blood samples were also collected. Robust Poisson regression was used to model the associations of glucose markers with the prevalence of any adenoma. RESULTS: Using detailed multivariable-adjusted dose-response models, the prevalence ratios (aPR, 95% confidence interval [CI]) for any adenoma, comparing the 90th with the 10th percentile, were 1.08 (1.00-1.16; P = .04) for fasting glucose, 1.07 (0.99-1.15; P = .10) for insulin, 1.09 (1.02-1.18, P = .02) for HOMA, 1.09 (1.01-1.17; P = .02) for hemoglobin A1c, and 1.14 (1.05-1.24; P = .002) for C-peptide. The corresponding ratios for nonadvanced adenomas were 1.11 (0.99-1.25; P = .08), 1.10 (0.98-1.24; P = .12), 1.15 (1.02-1.29; P = .02), 1.14 (1.01-1.28; P = .03), and 1.20 (1.05-1.37; P = .007), respectively. The corresponding ratios for advanced adenomas were 1.32 (0.94-1.84; P = .11), 1.23 (0.87-1.75; P = .24), 1.30 (0.92-1.85; P = .14), 1.13 (0.79-1.61; P = .50), and 1.67 (1.15-2.42; P = .007), respectively. Metabolic syndrome was associated with the prevalence of any adenoma (aPR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.13-1.24; P < .001), nonadvanced adenoma (aPR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.20-1.40; P < .001), and advanced adenoma (aPR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.14-1.78; P = .002). Associations were similar for adenomas located in the distal versus proximal colon. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing levels of glucose, HOMA values, levels of hemoglobin A1c and C-peptide, and metabolic syndrome are significantly associated with the prevalence of adenomas. Adenomas should be added to the list of consequences of altered glucose metabolism.

Poorly differentiated component in gastric pinch biopsies predicts submucosal invasion.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic resection has become standard therapy for selected patients with early gastric carcinoma (EGC). However, the preoperative diagnostic accuracy for excluding submucosal (SM) invasion is not precise. Moreover, histologic features predicting SM invasion in gastric carcinomas (SMiGC) have not been studied extensively. METHODS: Pre-treatment gastric biopsies from 60 patients with SM invasion who underwent endoscopic resection were reviewed and compared to 58 biopsies of lesions confirmed to be intramucosal carcinomas (IMC). For validation of the results, an independent cohort consisting of 616 gastric biopsies confirmed as EGC were analyzed. For statistical analyses, χ-square test, Fisher's exact test and multiple logistic progression tests were used. RESULTS: In the biopsy specimens of patients with SMiGCs, differentiated histology, poorly differentiated component, wisps of muscularis mucosa, tumor cribriforming, papillary architecture, desmoplasia and intraglandular eosinophilic necrotic debris (IEND) were observed in 96.7%, 36.7%, 16.7%, 16.7%, 23.3%, 40%, and 46.7% of cases, respectively, while the same features were observed in 100%, 5.2%, 0%, 1.7%, 5.2%, 19%, and 22.4% of biopsies with IMC. In multivariate analyses, poorly differentiated component [odds ratio (OR), 9.59, p = 0.002], IEND [OR, 6.23, p = 0.012], tumor cribriforming [OR, 4.66, p = 0.03] and papillary architecture [OR, 5.52, p = 0.018] were significantly associated with the detection of SM invasion. In the validation cohort, poorly differentiated component (p = 0.003) and papillary architecture (p = 0.008) remained significant. CONCLUSION: Poorly differentiated component and papillary architecture are significant histopathologic predictors of SM invasion in pretreatment gastric biopsies of lesions considered for endoscopic therapy. Additional prospective studies are warranted to confirm our findings. VIRTUAL SLIDE: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1588557731103084.

The prevalence of colorectal adenomas in asymptomatic Korean men and women.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer incidence is rapidly rising in many Asian countries, with rates approaching those of Western countries. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and trends of colorectal adenomas by age, sex, and risk strata in asymptomatic Koreans. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 19,372 consecutive participants aged 20 to 79 years undergoing screening colonoscopy at the Center for Health Promotion of the Samsung Medical Center in Korea from January 2006 to June 2009. RESULTS: Among participants at average risk, those without a history of colorectal polyps or a family history of colorectal cancer, the prevalence of colorectal adenomas and advanced adenomas were 34.5% and 3.1%, respectively, in men and 20.0% and 1.6%, respectively, in women. The prevalence of adenomas increased with age in both men and women, with a more marked increase for advanced adenoma. Participants with a family history of colorectal cancer or with a history of colorectal polyps had significantly higher prevalence of adenomas compared with participants of average risk (36.9% vs. 26.9%; age- and sex-adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-1.22). The prevalence of adenomas increased annually in both men and women. CONCLUSIONS: In this large study of asymptomatic Korean men and women participating in a colonoscopy screening program, the prevalence of colorectal adenomas was comparable and possibly higher than previously reported in Western countries. IMPACT: Cost-effectiveness studies investigating the optimal age for starting colonoscopy screening and etiological studies to identify the reasons for the increasing trend in colorectal adenomas in Koreans are needed.

Should preoperative chest CT be recommended to all colon cancer patients?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) and the risk factors for lung metastasis in colon cancer patients without liver metastasis who had negative findings on initial chest X-ray (CXR). BACKGROUND: Preoperative staging with chest CT is recommended in colon cancer patients. However, there have been only scant data on the clinical efficacy. METHODS: Three hundred nineteen consecutive colon cancer patients without liver metastasis were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. The patients had negative findings on preoperative CXR, and they underwent surgery for colon cancer during the period of January 2008 to April 2010. RESULTS: Lung nodule on chest CT was found in 136 patients (42.6%). Twenty of those were definitely diagnosed with lung metastasis (6.3%) by follow-up chest CT or pathologic confirmation. There was no case of delay in surgery due to findings of lung nodule. Comparing the group with lung metastases to that without lung metastases, postoperative pathologic findings reported more advanced T and N status (P = 0.004, P < 0.001, respectively), and lymphatic invasion was more frequent (P = 0.003) in the group with lung metastasis. By multivariate analysis, CT-predicted lymph node metastases and pathologic lymph node metastases were risk factors for lung metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative staging chest CT is not beneficial to colon cancer patients without liver metastasis and lymph node metastasis suggested on abdominal and pelvic CT who had negative finding on initial CXR.

Association between Plasma Levels of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 and Colorectal Neoplasms.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is important for tumor growth, Invasion, and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the relationship between plasma levels of PAI-1 and colorectal adenomas. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 3,136 subjects who underwent colonoscopy as a screening exam. The subjects were classified into a case group with adenomas (n=990) and a control group (n=2,146). Plasma PAI-1 levels were categorized into three groups based on tertile. RESULTS: The plasma levels of PAI-1 were significantly higher in adenoma cases than in controls (p=0.023). The prevalence of colorectal adenomas increased significantly with increasing levels of PAI-1 (p=0.038). In the adenoma group, advanced pathologic features, size, and number of adenomas did not differ among the three groups based on tertiles for plasma PAI-1 levels. Using multivariate analysis, we found that plasma level of PAI-1 was not associated with the risk of colorectal adenomas (p=0.675). Adjusted odds ratios for colorectal adenomas according to increasing plasma levels of PAI-1 were 0.980 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.768 to 1.251) for the second-highest plasma level and 1.091 (95% CI, 0.898 to 1.326) for the highest level, compared with the lowest levels. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that elevated plasma PAI-1 levels are not associated with the risk of colorectal neoplasms.

The association between cecal insertion time and colorectal neoplasm detection.

BACKGROUND: Information on the impact of cecal insertion time on colorectal neoplasm detection is limited. Our objective was to determine the association between cecal insertion time and colorectal neoplasm detection rate in colonoscopy screening. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 12,679 consecutive subjects aged 40-79 years undergoing screening colonoscopy in routine health check-ups at the Center for Health Promotion of the Samsung Medical Center from December 2007 to June 2009. Fixed effects logistic regression conditioning on colonoscopist was used to eliminate confounding due to differences in technical ability and other characteristics across colonoscopists. RESULTS: The mean cecal insertion time was 5.9 (SD, 4.4 minutes). We identified 4,249 (33.5%) participants with colorectal neoplasms, of whom 1,956 had small single adenomas (<5 mm), 595 had medium single adenomas (5-9 mm), and 1,699 had multiple adenomas or advanced colorectal neoplasms. The overall rates of colorectal neoplasm detection by quartiles of cecal insertion time were 36.8%, 33.4%, 32.7%, and 31.0%, respectively (p trend <0.001).The odds for small single colorectal adenoma detection was 16% lower (adjusted OR 0.84; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.99) in the fourth compared to the first quartile of insertion time (p trend 0.005). Insertion time was not associated with the detection rate of single adenomas ≥5 mm, multiple adenomas or advanced colorectal neoplasms. CONCLUSION: Shorter insertion times were associated with increased rates of detection of small colorectal adenomas <5 mm. Cecal insertion time may be clinically relevant as missed small colorectal adenomas may progress to more advanced lesions.

Management strategy for small duodenal carcinoid tumors: does conservative management with close follow-up represent an alternative to endoscopic treatment?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Limited data exist regarding the natural history of duodenal carcinoid tumors and the efficacy of endoscopic treatment. METHODS: A total of 27 patients with duodenal carcinoid tumors were enrolled. All tumors were located outside the periampullary region and were ≤10 mm in size. 11 patients underwent endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and argon plasma coagulation (APC). 13 patients did not undergo any specific procedure for tumor removal and were followed clinically. RESULTS: Of 13 patients not undergoing treatment, tumors disappeared in 5 cases during follow-up with diagnostic forceps biopsy. Endoscopically visible lesions remained in the last follow-up endoscopy in 8 patients (61.5%). No lymph node or distant metastases or tumor-related deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 37 months. Of 11 cases treated with EMR, tumor-free resection margins were achieved in 10 cases and no local recurrence occurred after treatment. Two perforations occurred during EMR. Of the 3 cases treated with APC, local recurrence occurred in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS: Given the risks associated with EMR and the likely favorable natural history of small duodenal carcinoid tumors, conservative management with close follow-up may represent a viable alternative to endoscopic treatment, especially in patients with a high risk of perioperative complications.

Efficacy and safety of endoscopic treatment for nonampullary sporadic duodenal adenomas.

BACKGROUND: Nonampullary sporadic duodenal adenomas (NSDAs) are uncommon mucosal neoplasms with malignant potential. Recently, endoscopic treatment is used for NSDA with increasing frequency. AIMS: This study therefore aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic treatment for NSDA. METHODS: A total of 36 NSDAs in 35 consecutive patients were endoscopically eradicated at Samsung Medical Center between October 1994 and May 2011. Data on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and endoscopic treatment outcomes were obtained and retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Of all patients, 19 (52.8 %) were male. The mean age was 56.0 ± 12.2 (SD) years. Of the 36 NSDAs, 23 lesions were removed by endoscopic resection (ER) including endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR, n = 20) and snare polypectomy (n = 3). In the 23 cases treated with ER, en bloc resection was achieved in 20 (87.0 %). All cases undergoing en bloc resection showed tumor-free resection margins. Thirteen lesions were ablated by argon plasma coagulation (APC). During EMR, bleeding occurred in two cases and perforation occurred in one case. One patient bled during APC. All complications were successfully managed with endoscopic treatment without surgical intervention. During a median follow-up period of 11.4 months (range, 1.8-182.4 months), local recurrence occurred in one patient treated with APC (1/10, 10.0 %). Among patients undergoing ER, no local recurrence occurred but one patient treated with EMR experienced metachronous recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic treatment, including EMR, snare polypectomy, and APC, was an effective and safe treatment for NSDA. Further multi-center large prospective studies are warranted to establish appropriate treatment guidelines for NSDA.

Inhibition of SCAMP1 suppresses cell migration and invasion in human pancreatic and gallbladder cancer cells.

Lymph node (LN) metastasis is one of the most important risk factors for the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to identify novel LN metastasis-associated markers and therapeutic targets for pancreatic and gallbladder cancers. DNA microarray analysis was carried out to identify genes differentially expressed between 17 pancreatic cancer tissues with LN metastasis and 17 pancreatic cancer tissues without LN metastasis. The expression of LZIC, FXR, SCAMP1, and SULT1E1 is significantly higher in pancreatic cancer tissues with LN metastasis than in pancreatic cancer tissues without LN metastasis. We recently reported that FXR plays an important role in LN metastasis of pancreatic cancer, and in this study, we selected the secretory carrier membrane protein 1 (SCAMP1) gene. To determine that function of the SCAMP1 gene, we examined the effects of SCAMP1 knockdown on pancreatic and gallbladder cancer proliferation, migration, and invasion using SCAMP1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and the activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. SCAMP1 overexpression is associated with LN metastasis in pancreatic cancer patients. The siRNA-mediated downregulation of SCAMP1 resulted in a marked reduction in cell migration and invasion, but not proliferation in MIA-PaCa2, PANC-1, TGBC-1, and TGBC-2 cells. In addition, downregulation of SCAMP1 inhibited VEGF levels of conditioned medium from SCAMP1 siRNA-transfected cells. These results suggest that downregulation of SCAMP1 could be a potential therapeutic target for patients with pancreatic and gallbladder cancer.