HER2-positive gastric cancer with paraaortic nodal metastasis successfully resected after chemotherapy with trastuzumab: a case report.

We report on a case of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-positive gastric cancer with paraaortic lymph node metastasis. The patient (a 49-year-old female) received chemotherapy (capecitabine and cisplatin) plus molecular-targeted therapy (trastuzumab), followed by curative resection. Interestingly, the resected residual cancer was HER2-negative. Intra-tumor heterogeneity hinders molecular-targeted therapy for gastric cancer. In our case, continued trastuzumab administration presented few benefits since the residual cancer cells were HER2-negative. No consensus exists regarding the appropriate therapy for unresectable gastric cancers whose non-curative factors disappear following trastuzumab chemotherapy. The principal options are treatment with surgery or continued chemotherapy with trastuzumab. In our case, resection treated the HER2-negative residual cancer effectively, resulting in curative therapy. This is the first case of positive-to-negative change in the HER2 expression of residual tumor cells following trastuzumab therapy. It suggests that, due to intra-tumor heterogeneity, the risks presented by remnant HER2-negative cancer cells persist despite trastuzumab therapy.

Left thoracoabdominal approach for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate usefulness of esophagogastrectomy via left thoracoabdominal (LT) approach for adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG), the results of surgery stratified by Siewert's classification, were analyzed retrospectively. METHODOLOGY: The tumor diameter, distance of the proximal tumor border from the esophagogastric junction, and length of the esophagus in the resected specimens of consecutive 171 AEG patients were measured. The surgical approach was classified as total esophagectomy (TE), esophagogastrectomy via LT, or transhiatal/abdominal (HA) approach. RESULTS: Sixteen patients underwent TE, 71 had LT, and 84 had HA. Overall survival of the TE and LT groups was significantly lower than that of the HA group. The difference was seen between LT and HA for type II T3 tumors, but the tumor diameter in LT was significantly larger than that in HA. The approach could not be determined by Siewert's classification, but by distance of proximal tumor border from the junction. The tumors with distance over 5cm might be indicated for the TE approach; 5-3cm, the LT; within 3cm, the HA. The percentage of patients in whom the LT approach is indicated might be only 19%. CONCLUSION: Left thoracoabdominal esophagogastrectomy may be valid for some AEG.

The effectiveness of extended lymph node dissection for gastric cancer performed in Costa Rica under the supervision of a Japanese surgeon: a comparison with surgical results in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: In 1996, the Gastric Cancer Detection Center in Costa Rica (CR) initiated extended lymph node (D2) dissection for gastric cancer patients. We present an analysis of the surgical results compared with those in Japan. BACKGROUND: D2 dissection for gastric cancer is a standard surgical procedure in Japan, whereas it is still controversial in the West because of its poor survival benefit and high morbidity and mortality. METHODS: Between January 1996 and March 2000, 199 gastric cancer patients in Costa Rica underwent gastrectomy with D2 dissection (CR group). A Japanese surgeon performed or assisted on every gastrectomy with Costa Rican surgeons. During the same period, 497 gastric cancer patients underwent D2 dissection at Tokyo Women's Medical University (TWMU), Tokyo, Japan (TWMU group). RESULTS: The operative morbidity was 39.0% in the CR group and 27.0% in the TWMU group (P < .05). The 30-day postoperative mortality in the CR group and the TWMU group was 5% and 0.2%, respectively (P < .05). The 5-year survival rate in the CR group and the TWMU group was 98.0% and 99.3% in stage IA, 88.6% and 94.4% in stage IB, 77.8% and 76.9% in stage II, 60.1% and 66.4% in stage IIIA, 27.2% and 47.2% in stage IIIB, and 39.7% and 27.6% in stage VI, respectively (not significant in any stage). The overall 5-year survival rate in the CR group and the TWMU group was 72.5% and 69.7%, respectively (not significant). CONCLUSIONS: D2 dissection performed at the same level of quality as in Japan consequently produced the same long-term survival in Costa Rica as in Japan.

[Mass screening for gastric cancer performed in Costa Rica].

We performed mass screening for gastric cancer by means of X-ray in Costa Rica from 1996 through 1999. Screening was performed on 10,064 subjects and 69 gastric cancers were detected (screening group). During the same period 172 gastric cancer patients were referred to us (non-screening group). Results of screening in Japan (Japanese group) were quoted from the annual report of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Mass Survey. This study is a comparison of these 3 groups. The detection rate was 0.68% in the screening group, 0.11% in the Japanese group. The operability was 92.7%, 76.1%, 97.0%, the resectability 96.8%, 83.2%, 98.6%, the rate of early gastric cancer 64.5%, 30.3%, 65.9%, and the rate of curability A 79.0%, 38.5%. 82.6% in the screening group, non-screening group and Japanese group respectively. The results in the screening group were exactly equal to those in the Japanese group. These results show that the same results can be obtained in Costa Rica as in Japan, if screening is performed with the same diagnostic level and skill as in Japan.