Development of a reliable surgical quality assurance tool for gastrectomy in oncological trials.

BACKGROUND: Despite its recognized importance, there is currently no reliable tool for surgical quality assurance (SQA) of gastrectomy in surgical oncology. The aim of this study was to develop an SQA tool for gastrectomy and to apply this tool within the ADDICT Trial in order to assess the extent and completeness of lymphadenectomy. METHODS: The operative steps for D1+ and D2 gastrectomy have been previously described in the literature and ADDICT trial manual. Two researchers also performed fieldwork in the UK and Japan to document key operative steps through photographs and semi-structured interviews with expert surgeons. This provided the steps that were used as the framework for the SQA tool. Sixty-two photographic cases from the ADDICT Trial were rated by three independent surgeons. Generalizability (G) theory determined inter-rater reliability. D-studies examined the effect of varying the number of assessors and photographic series they rated. Chi-square assessed intra-rater reliability, comparing how the individual assessor's responses corresponded to their global rating for extent of lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: The tool comprised 20 items, including 19 anatomical landmarks and a global rating score. Overall reliability had G-coefficient of 0.557. Internal consistency was measured with a Cronbach's alpha score of 0.869 and Chi-square confirmed intra-rater reliability for each assessor as < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: A photographic surgical quality assurance tool is presented for gastrectomy. Using this tool, the assessor can reliably determine not only the quality but also the extent of the lymphadenectomy performed based on remaining anatomy rather than the excised specimen.

D2 dissection improves disease-specific survival in advanced gastric cancer patients: 15-year follow-up results of the Italian Gastric Cancer Study Group D1 versus D2 randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The extended lymphadenectomy (D2) was recently introduced in several guidelines as the optimal treatment for gastric cancer, based only on the 15-year follow-up results of the Dutch randomised trial, while the British Medical Research Council (MRC) study failed to demonstrate a survival benefit over the more limited D1 dissection. The Italian Gastric Cancer Study Group randomised controlled trial (RCT) was also undertaken to compare D1 versus D2 gastrectomy, and a tendency to improve survival in patients with advanced resectable disease (pT > 1N+) was documented despite negative results in the entire patient population. Now we present the 15-year follow-up results of survival and gastric cancer-related mortality. METHODS: Between June 1998 and December 2006, eligible patients with gastric cancer who signed the informed consent were randomised at 5 centres to either D1 or D2 gastrectomy. Intraoperative randomisation was implemented centrally by phone call. Primary outcome was overall survival (OS); secondary end-points were disease-specific survival, postoperative morbidity and mortality. Analyses were by intention to treat. Strict quality control measures for surgery, lymph node removal, pathology and patient follow-up were implemented and monitored. Registration number: ISRCTN11154654 (http://www.controlled-trials.com). FINDINGS: A total of 267 eligible patients were assigned to either D1 (133 patients) or D2 (134) procedure. Median follow-up time was 16.76 years. Analyses were done both in overall patient population and in pT > 1N+. One hundred patients (38.5) were alive without recurrence. OS and disease-specific survival (DSS) were very high in both arms. In overall population, they were not different between D1 and D2 arm (51.3% vs. 46.8% and 65% vs. 67% respectively, p = 0.31 and p = 0.94). DSS was significantly higher after D2 in pT > 1N+ patients (29.4% vs. 51.4%, p = 0.035). OS and DSS were better after D1 in patients older than 70 years (p = 0.003 and p = 0.006). DSS was higher after D1 also in early stages (p = 0.01). INTERPRETATION: After 15-year follow up, despite no relevant difference in overall population, DSS and gastric cancer-related mortality of patients with advanced disease and lymph node metastases are improved by D2 procedure. Further data available from this trial suggest that D1 procedure should be preferably used in older patients and in early disease. As accurate detection of advanced diseases can be currently provided by adequate preoperative workup in referral centres, D2 procedure should be recommended in these cases. FUNDING: Piedmont Regional fund for Finalized Healthy Research Project, Application 2003 for data collection.

Randomized clinical trial comparing standard diet with perioperative oral immunonutrition in total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Total gastrectomy for gastric cancer is associated with excessive weight loss and decreased calorie intake. Nutritional support using eicosapentaenoic acid modulates immune function and limits catabolism in patients with advanced cancer, but its impact in the perioperative period is unclear. METHODS: This was a randomized phase III clinical trial of addition of eicosapentaenoic acid-rich nutrition to a standard diet in patients having total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Patients were randomized to either a standard diet or standard diet with oral supplementation of an eicosapentaenoic acid (ProSure®), comprising 600 kcal with 2·2 g eicosapentaenoic acid, for 7 days before and 21 days after surgery. The primary endpoint was percentage bodyweight loss at 1 and 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: Of 127 eligible patients, 126 were randomized; 124 patients (61 standard diet, 63 supplemented diet) were analysed for safety and 123 (60 standard diet, 63 supplemented diet) for efficacy. Across both groups, all but three patients underwent total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Background factors were well balanced between the groups. Median compliance with the supplement in the immunonutrition group was 100 per cent before and 54 per cent after surgery. The surgical morbidity rate was 13 per cent in patients who received a standard diet and 14 per cent among those with a supplemented diet. Median bodyweight loss at 1 month after gastrectomy was 8·7 per cent without dietary supplementation and 8·5 per cent with eicosapentaenoic acid enrichment (P = 0·818, adjusted P = 1·000). Similarly, there was no difference between groups in percentage bodyweight loss at 3 months (P = 0·529, adjusted P = 1·000). CONCLUSION: Immunonutrition based on an eicosapentaenoic acid-enriched oral diet did not reduce bodyweight loss after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer compared with a standard diet. Registration number: UMIN000006380 ( http://www.umin.ac.jp/).

Molecular Biomarker Study in a Randomised Phase III Trial of Irinotecan Plus S-1 versus S-1 for Advanced Gastric Cancer (GC0301/TOP-002).

AIMS: Gastric cancer is a common and heterogeneous disease; however, global standard and biomarkers for selecting chemotherapy regimens have not been established. This study was designed retrospectively to identify molecular biomarkers for irinotecan plus S-1 (IRI-S) and S-1 therapy from subset analyses in GC0301/TOP-002, a randomised phase III trial for advanced gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Paraffin-embedded primary tumour specimens were collected from 126 of 326 randomised patients in GC0301/TOP-002. The mRNA was measured for thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, topoisomerase I, excision repair cross-complementing gene 1 (ERCC1) and thymidine phosphorylase; categorised into low and high to analyse their association with efficacy end points. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in each mRNA between S-1 and IRI-S groups, whereas there were differences among some clinical characteristics. Multivariate analyses for overall survival showed that mRNA levels were not correlated with prognosis. By comparison, between IRI-S and S-1 arms, low thymidylate synthase, low ERCC1 and high thymidine phosphorylase were associated with better prognosis for IRI-S versus S-1 (hazard ratio = 0.653, 0.702 and 0.709, respectively; P < 0.15 for each interaction). CONCLUSION: Low thymidylate synthase, low ERCC1 and high thymidine phosphorylase are candidates for predictive biomarkers for first-line treatment in advanced gastric cancer by IRI-S. Further study is warranted to confirm these results in other clinical trials and cohort studies.

Ten-year follow-up results of a randomized clinical trial comparing left thoracoabdominal and abdominal transhiatal approaches to total gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction or gastric cardia.

BACKGROUND: The optimal surgical approach for treatment of oesophagogastric junction (OGJ) cancer is controversial. A randomized clinical trial (JCOG9502) comparing transhiatal (TH) and left thoracoabdominal (LTA) approaches was stopped after the first interim analysis owing to limited efficacy for LTA resections. Complete 10-year follow-up data are now available. METHODS: Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the OGJ or gastric cardia with oesophageal invasion of 3 cm or less were randomized to a TH or LTA approach. Both groups underwent total gastrectomy and splenectomy with D2 nodal dissection plus para-aortic lymphadenectomy above the left renal vein. For LTA, a thorough mediastinal lymphadenectomy below the left inferior pulmonary vein was also mandatory. The primary endpoint was overall survival. RESULTS: A total of 167 patients (82 TH, 85 LTA) were enrolled. The 10-year overall survival rate was 37 (95 per cent c.i. 26 to 47) per cent for the TH approach and 24 (15 to 34) per cent for the LTA technique (P = 0·060). The hazard ratio for death was 1·42 (0·98 to 2·05) for the LTA technique. Subgroup analysis based on the Siewert classification indicated non-significant survival advantages in favour of the TH approach. CONCLUSION: LTA resections should be avoided in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the OGJ or gastric cardia. REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00149266 (https://www.clinicaltrials.gov).

IL-22 produced by cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes gastric cancer cell invasion via STAT3 and ERK signaling.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-22 (IL-22) has been recently highlighted owing to its biological significance in the modulation of tissue responses during inflammation. However, the role of IL-22 in carcinogenesis has remained unclear. Here, we investigated the pathophysiological significance of IL-22 expression in gastric cancer tissues and examined the mechanism by which IL-22 promotes gastric cancer cell invasion. METHODS: Human gastric cancer specimens were analysed by immunohistochemistry for expression of IL-22 and IL-22 receptor 1 (IL-22R1). The effects of IL-22-induced STAT3 and ERK signalling on invasive ability of gastric cancer cells were examined using a small-interfering RNA system and specific inhibitors. AGS cells were co-cultured with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) from human gastric cancer tissues and assessed by invasion assay. RESULTS: Interleukin-22 and its receptor were expressed in α-smooth muscle actin-positive stromal cells and tumour cells at the invasive front of gastric cancer tissues, respectively. The expression of IL-22 and IL-22R1 was significantly related to lymphatic invasion. Interleukin-22 treatment promoted the invasive ability of gastric cancer cells through STAT3 and ERK activation. The invasive ability of gastric cancer cells was significantly enhanced by co-culture with IL-22-expressing CAFs. CONCLUSIONS: Interleukin-22 produced by CAFs promotes gastric cancer cell invasion via STAT3 and ERK signalling.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 and cisplatin followed by D2 gastrectomy with para-aortic lymph node dissection for gastric cancer with extensive lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Locally advanced gastric cancer with extensive regional and/or para-aortic lymph node (PAN) metastases is typically unresectable and associated with poor outcomes. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of S-1 plus cisplatin followed by extended surgery with PAN dissection for gastric cancer with extensive lymph node metastasis. METHODS: Patients with gastric cancer with bulky lymph node metastasis along the coeliac artery and its branches and/or PAN metastasis received two or three 28-day cycles of S-1 plus cisplatin, followed by gastrectomy with D2 plus PAN dissection. The primary endpoint was the percentage of complete resections with clear margins in the primary tumour (R0 resection). A target sample size of 50 with one-sided α of 0.105 and ß of approximately 0.2 corresponded to an expected R0 rate of 65 per cent and a threshold of 50 per cent. RESULTS: Between February 2005 and June 2007, 53 patients were enrolled, of whom 51 were eligible. The R0 resection rate was 82 per cent. Clinical and pathological response rates were 65 and 51 per cent respectively. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 59 and 53 per cent respectively. During chemotherapy, grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 19 per cent and grade 3/4 non-haematological adverse events in 15.4 per cent. The incidence of grade 3/4 adverse events related to surgery was 12 per cent. There were no reoperations or treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: For locally advanced gastric cancer with extensive lymph node metastasis, 4-weekly S-1 plus cisplatin followed by surgery including PAN dissection was safe and effective for some patients. Further investigation of this treatment strategy is warranted.

Randomized clinical trial comparing survival after D1 or D2 gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: It is still unclear whether D2 lymphadenectomy improves the survival of patients with gastric cancer and should therefore be performed routinely or selectively. The aim of this multicentre randomized trial was to compare D2 and D1 lymphadenectomy in the treatment of gastric cancer. METHODS: Between June 1998 and December 2006, patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were assigned randomly to either D1 or D2 gastrectomy. Intraoperative randomization was implemented centrally by telephone. Primary outcome was overall survival; secondary endpoints were disease-specific survival, morbidity and postoperative mortality. RESULTS: A total of 267 eligible patients were allocated to either D1 (133 patients) or D2 (134) resection. Morbidity (12.0 versus 17.9 per cent respectively; P = 0.183) and operative mortality (3.0 versus 2.2 per cent; P = 0.725) rates did not differ significantly between the groups. Median follow-up was 8.8 (range 4.5-13.1) years for surviving patients and 2.4 (0.2-11.9) years for those who died, and was not different in the two treatment arms. There was no difference in the overall 5-year survival rate (66.5 versus 64.2 per cent for D1 and D2 lymphadenectomy respectively; P = 0.695). Subgroup analyses showed a 5-year disease-specific survival benefit for patients with pathological tumour (pT) 1 disease in the D1 group (98 per cent versus 83 per cent for the D2 group; P = 0.015), and for patients with pT2-4 status and positive lymph nodes in the D2 group (59 per cent versus 38 per cent for the D1 group; P = 0.055). CONCLUSION: No difference was found in overall 5-year survival between D1 and D2 resection. Subgroup analyses suggest that D2 lymphadenectomy may be a better choice in patients with advanced disease and lymph node metastases. REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN11154654 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).

Clinical significance of miR-144-ZFX axis in disseminated tumour cells in bone marrow in gastric cancer cases.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that bone marrow (BM) was a homing site for gastric cancer (GC) cells leading to haematogenous metastases. There has been little study that microRNAs regulated pathways in malignant cells or host cells in BM, and thereby regulated the progression of GC. METHODS: Both microRNA microarray and gene expression microarray analyses of total RNA from BM were conducted, comparing five early and five advanced GC patients. We focused on miR-144-ZFX axis as a candidate BM regulator of GC progression and validated the origin of the microRNA expression in diverse cell fractions (EpCAM(+)CD45(-), EpCAM(-)CD45(+), and CD14(+)) by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). RESULTS: Quantitative reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR analysis validated diminished miR-144 expression in stage IV GC patients with respect to stage I GC patients (t-test, P=0.02), with an inverse correlation to ZFX (ANOVA, P<0.01). Luciferase reporter assays in five GC cell lines indicated their direct binding and validated by western blotting. Pre-miR144 treatment and the resultant repression of ZFX in GC cell lines moderately upregulated their susceptibility to 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy. In MACS-purified BM fractions, the level of miR-144 expression was significantly diminished in disseminated tumour cell fraction (P=0.0005). Diminished miR-144 expression in 93 cases of primary GC indicated poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: We speculate that disseminated cancer cells could survive in BM when low expression of miR-144 permits upregulation of ZFX. The regulation of the miR-144-ZFX axis in cancer cells has a key role in the indicator of the progression of GC cases.

Feasibility study of adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 plus cisplatin for gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of S-1 plus cisplatin as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III gastric cancer after curative resection. METHODS: Japanese patients with stage III gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymph node resection were enrolled. Treatment consisted of 3 cycles of S-1 (80 mg/m(2)/day, b.i.d.) for 21 days followed by a 14-day rest, and cisplatin (60 mg/m(2) iv) on day 8. After that, S-1 monotherapy was given on days 1-28 every 6 weeks until 1-year postsurgery. After protocol amendment, the first chemotherapy cycle consisted of S-1 monotherapy; cisplatin was added to cycles 2, 3, and 4, followed by S-1 monotherapy up to 1-year postsurgery. The primary endpoint was the completion rate of three cycles of S-1 plus cisplatin. RESULTS: A total of 63 enrolled patients have been evaluated. Grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia (40%), anorexia (28%), and febrile neutropenia (4%) before protocol amendment (n = 25), and neutropenia (37%), anorexia (8%), and febrile neutropenia (3%) after amendment implementation (n = 38). Excluding ineligible cases, treatment completion rates were 57% (12/21) before and 81% (30/37) after the protocol amendment. CONCLUSIONS: The amended S-1 plus cisplatin is more feasible than the original protocol because of early dose reduction of S-1 prior to cisplatin addition and greater recovery time from surgery prior to cisplatin. This treatment should be considered as a feasible experimental arm for the next postoperative adjuvant phase III trial.

Functional outcomes after extended surgery for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Extended gastrectomy with para-aortic nodal dissection (PAND) or thorough dissection of mediastinal nodes using a left thoracoabdominal (LTA) approach is an alternative to D2 lymphadenectomy, with variable postoperative results. METHODS: Two randomized controlled trials have been conducted to compare D2 lymphadenectomy alone (263 patients) versus D2 lymphadenectomy plus PAND (260), and the abdominal-transhiatal (TH) approach (82) versus the LTA approach (85), in patients with gastric cancer. Prospectively registered secondary endpoints bodyweight, symptom scores and respiratory function were evaluated in the present study. RESULTS: Bodyweight was comparable after D2 and D2 plus PAND, but higher after TH than after LTA procedures at 1 and 3 years. At 1- and 3-year follow-up symptom scores were comparable between D2 and D2 plus PAND. A LTA approach resulted in significantly worse scores than a TH approach in terms of meal volume, return to work, incisional pain and dyspnoea up to 1 year. The decrease in vital capacity was significantly greater after LTA than TH procedures up to 6 months. CONCLUSION: Bodyweight and postoperative symptoms were not affected by adding PAND to a D2 procedure. A LTA approach aggravated weight loss, symptoms and respiratory functions compared with a TH approach.

Morbidity and mortality in the Italian Gastric Cancer Study Group randomized clinical trial of D1 versus D2 resection for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: A randomized clinical trial was performed to compare D1 and D2 gastrectomy in specialized Western centres. This paper reports short-term results. METHOD: A total of 267 patients with gastric cancer were randomly assigned to either a D1 or a D2 procedure in five specialized centres. Based on the findings of the phase II trial and published phase III trials, a prespecified non-inferiority boundary at 12 per cent difference between groups was set regarding total morbidity. RESULTS: In the intention-to-treat analysis, the overall morbidity rate after D2 and D1 dissections was 17.9 and 12.0 per cent respectively (P = 0.178), with a 95 per cent confidence interval of the difference of 0 to 13.0 per cent, slightly exceeding the prespecified non-inferiority limit. There was a single duodenal stump leak in the D2 arm (0.7 per cent). The postoperative 30-day mortality rate was 3.0 per cent after D1 and 2.2 per cent after D2 gastrectomy (P = 0.722). CONCLUSION: In specialized centres the rate of complications following D2 dissection is much lower than in published randomized Western trials. D2 dissection, in an appropriate setting, can therefore be considered a safe option for the radical management of gastric cancer in Western patients. REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN11154654 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).

Phase II study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and extended surgery for locally advanced gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Locally advanced gastric cancer with extensive lymph node metastasis is usually considered unresectable and so treated by chemotherapy. This trial explored the safety and efficacy of preoperative chemotherapy followed by extended surgery in the management of locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Patients with gastric cancer with extensive lymph node metastasis received two or three 28-day cycles of induction chemotherapy with irinotecan (70 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 15) and cisplatin (80 mg/m(2) on day 1), and then underwent gastrectomy with curative intent with D2 plus para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Primary endpoints were 3-year overall survival and incidence of treatment-related death. RESULTS: The study was terminated because of three treatment-related deaths when 55 patients had been enrolled (mortality rate above 5 per cent). Two deaths were due to myelosuppression and one to postoperative complications. Clinical response and R0 resection rates were 55 and 65 per cent respectively. The pathological response rate was 15 per cent. Median overall survival was 14.6 months and the 3-year survival rate 27 per cent. CONCLUSION: This multimodal treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer provides reasonable 3-year survival compared with historical data, but at a considerable cost in terms of morbidity and mortality.

Bone marrow and peripheral blood expression of ID1 in human gastric carcinoma patients is a bona fide indicator of lymph node and peritoneal metastasis.

Recent studies have showed that the bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells play critical roles in metastasis and that ID1 is required in metastasis as regulator of angiogenesis. Therefore, we investigated the clinical significance of ID1 mRNA expression in bone marrow and peripheral samples in patients with gastric cancer. Two hundred and eighty-nine bone marrow and 196 peripheral blood samples from gastric cancer patients were collected and analysed by quantitative RT-PCR for ID1. The ID1 protein expression in one bone marrow, three metastatic lymph nodes and three peritoneal disseminated tumours was examined by immunohistochemical methods. In both bone marrow and peripheral blood samples, ID1 mRNA expression in the metastatic group was significantly higher than in any other group (P=0.003, P=0.0001, respectively) and significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and peritoneal dissemination. The cells in bone marrow with metastatic cancer stained strongly with ID1 compared with those of healthy volunteers. The expression of ID1 mRNA in bone marrow and peripheral blood was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and peritoneal dissemination, and therefore constitutes a predictable marker for lymph node metastasis and peritoneal dissemination.

The prognostic impact of isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes of T2N0 gastric cancer: comparison of American and Japanese gastric cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The clinical significance of immunohistochemically detected isolated tumor cells (ITC) in lymph nodes of gastric cancer patients is controversial. This study examined the prognostic impact of ITC on patients with early-stage gastric cancer in two large volume centers in the United States and Japan. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with T2N0M0 gastric carcinoma who underwent gastric resection between January 1987 and January 1997 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York and 107 patients resected at National Cancer Center Hospital (NCCH) in Tokyo between January 1984 and December 1990 were studied. The sections were newly prepared from each lymph node for immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin. Lymph nodes and original specimens from MSKCC were examined by pathologists in NCCH. The prognostic significance of the presence of ITC in lymph nodes was investigated in patients of both institutions. RESULTS: ITC were identified in 30 of 57 patients (52.6%) at MSKCC and in 38 of 107 patients (35.5%) at NCCH. In both institutions, there was no significant difference in the prognosis of the studied patients with or without ITC (P= .22, .86 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of ITC detected by immunohistochemistry in the regional lymph nodes did not affect the prognosis of American and Japanese patients with T2N0M0 gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection.

Expression of uPAR mRNA in peripheral blood is a favourite marker for metastasis in gastric cancer cases.

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) plays a central role in the plasminogen activation cascade and participates in extracellular matrix degradation, cell migration and invasion. We evaluated the expression level of uPAR mRNA and the presence of isolated tumour cells (ITCs) in bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) in gastric cancer patients and clarified its clinical significance. We assessed specific uPAR mRNA expression by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in BM and PB in 846 gastric cancer patients as well as three epithelial cell markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytokeratin (CK)-19 and CK-7. The uPAR mRNA expression in bone marrow and peripheral blood expressed significantly higher than normal controls (P<0.0001). The uPAR mRNA in BM showed concordant expression with the depth of tumour invasion, distant metastasis, and the postoperative recurrence (P=0.015, 0.044 and 0.010, respectively); whereas in PB, we observed more intimate significant association between uPAR expression and clinicopathologic variables, such as depth of tumour invasion, the distant metastasis, the venous invasion and the clinical stage (P=0.009, 0.002, 0.039 and 0.008, respectively). In addition, the uPAR mRNA expression in PB was an independent prognostic factor for distant metastasis by multivariate analysis. We disclosed that it was possible to identify high-risk patients for distant metastasis by measuring uPAR mRNA especially in peripheral blood at the timing of operation in gastric cancer patients.

Treatment strategy after non-curative endoscopic resection of early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic resection (ER) is indicated for patients with early gastric cancer who have a negligible risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM). Histological examination of the resected specimen may indicate a possible risk of LNM or a positive resection margin. These patients are considered to have undergone non-curative ER. The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate treatment strategy for such patients. METHODS: A total of 298 patients who had non-curative ER were classified into those with a positive lateral margin only (group 1; 72 patients) and those with a possible risk of LNM (group 2; 226 patients). RESULTS: Surgery was performed within 6 months of non-curative ER in 19 patients in group 1 and 144 in group 2. In group 1, nine patients were found to have local residual tumours, all limited to the mucosal layer without LNM. In Group 2, 13 patients had residual disease, including four local tumours without LNM, two local tumours with LNM and seven cases of LNM alone. The rate of LNM after surgery was 6.3 per cent in group 2. CONCLUSION: Surgery remains the standard treatment after non-curative ER in patients with a possible risk of LNM.

Outcome of pylorus-preserving gastrectomy for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy has been introduced as a function-preserving operation for early gastric cancer in Japan. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and radicality of the procedure. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2004, 611 patients with apparent early gastric cancer in the middle third of the stomach had pylorus-preserving gastrectomy. The short-term surgical and long-term oncological outcomes of these operations were assessed. RESULTS: The accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of early gastric cancer was 94.3 per cent. Nodal involvement was seen in 62 patients (10.1 per cent). There were no postoperative deaths. Complications developed in 102 patients (16.7 per cent). Major complications, such as leakage and abscess, were observed in 19 (3.1 per cent). The most common complication was gastric stasis, occurring in 49 (8.0 per cent). The overall 5-year survival rate in patients with early gastric cancer was 96.3 per cent. CONCLUSION: Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy is a safe operation with an excellent prognosis in patients with early gastric cancer. It is recommended as the standard procedure for early gastric cancer in the middle third of the stomach.

Hedgehog signal activation in oesophageal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

The zinc finger protein glioma-associated oncogene homologue 1 (Gli-1) is a critical component of the Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway, which is essential for morphogenesis and stem-cell renewal, and is dysregulated in many cancer types. As data were not available on the role of Gli-1 expression in oesophageal cancer progression, we analysed whether it could be used to predict disease progression and prognosis in oesophageal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Among 69 patients with histologically confirmed oesophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs), 25 showed a pathological complete response after preoperative CRT. Overall survival (OS) was significantly associated with lymph-node metastasis, distant metastasis, and CRT, and was further correlated with the absence of both Gli-1 nuclear expression and residual tumour. All patients with Gli-1 nuclear expression (10.1%) had distant or lymph-node metastasis, and six out of seven died within 13 months. Furthermore, patients with Gli-1 nuclear-positive cancers showed significantly poorer prognoses than those without (disease-free survival: mean DFS time 250 vs 1738 months, 2-year DFS 0 vs 54.9%, P=0.009; OS: mean OS time 386 vs 1742 months, 2-year OS 16.7 vs 54.9%, P=0.001). Our study provides the first evidence that Gli-1 nuclear expression is a strong and independent predictor of early relapse and poor prognosis in ESCC after CRT. These findings suggest that Hh signal activation might promote cancer regrowth and progression after CRT.