Predominant expression of mutated allele of the succunate dehydrogenase D (SDHD) gene in the SDHD-related paragangliomas.

Recent studies indicate that succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) genes B, C, or D are, at least partly, involved in the pathogenesis of pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma. Of these three genes, the SDHD gene mutation is most closely related with paragangliomas of the neck. Here we describe a case of an SDHD-related paraganglioma, in which we studied the molecular characteristics of an SDHD mutation to evaluate the involvement of SDHD in neck paragangliomas. Genetic testing revealed a heterozygous G106D mutation in the SDHD gene. In the tumor tissue, loss of heterozygosity was demonstrated by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In the present case of SDHD mutated paragangliomas, wild type SDHD gene expression was markedly reduced possibly due to loss of heterozygosity not due to imprinting of SDHD gene in the tumors.

Early and late recurrences after gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a multiple logistic regression analysis.

PURPOSE: Although many studies have focused on clinical risk factors for prognosis of patients with surgically treated gastric cancer, little information is available regarding the timing of recurrent malignant disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that are predictive of early and late recurrences after gastrectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed the hospital records of patients with hisotological proof of gastric cancer who were admitted to Sendai National Hospital during the period from 1985 to 1995. A total of 923 records were examined, and 251 patients with recurrent disease were identified. The patients were divided into an "early recurrence group" consisting of 195 patients (died within one year after surgery) and a "late recurrence group" of 56 patients (died two years or more after surgery). Clinicopathological characteristics were examined, and independent risk factors influencing the timing of recurrence were determined by a multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean tumor size of early recurrence cases was larger than that of late recurrence cases (p=0.0294). Tumors penetrating the serosa with direct invasion to continuous structures were found more frequently in the early recurrence group than in the late recurrence group. The patients with early recurrence showed a higher tendency to have nodal involvement, lymphatic invasion and vascular invasion. The relative risks of early and late recurrences associated with different variables were estimated by a multiple logistic regression method. The following variables were found to be significant risk factors for early recurrence: male gender (p=0.0382), lymph node metastasis (p=0.0016), and vascular invasion (p=0.0006). CONCLUSION: Male patients who have node-positive gastric cancer with vascular invasion have a high risk of early recurrence.

Is tumor size a prognostic indicator for gastric carcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Retrospective studies using multivariate analysis of clinical and pathological features in gastric cancer have identified a number of high-risk, independent prognostic factors. In these clinical features, tumor size can be measured easily before or during the operation without the requirement of any special equipment, but its prognostic value in patients with gastric cancer is unclear. The aim of this study was to review the experience at our institution of gastric adenocarcinoma to determine the influence of tumor size on outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1985 and December 1995, 697 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma underwent resection of the stomach at the Department of Surgery, Sendai National Hospital, Japan. Data on age, gender, tumor location, structure and size, evidence of local invasion, and type of operation performed for each patient were obtained. The sizes of tumors were derived from measurements made in fresh resected specimens. The patients were divided into three groups: 102 patients with tumors of less than 2 cm in diameter, 392 patients with tumors of 2-7 cm in diameter, and 203 patients with tumors of more than 7 cm in diameter. RESULTS: In these three groups, there were statistical differences in tumor location, macroscopic type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, histological type, lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion and cancer-stromal relationship. Patients with larger tumors had more invasion into the gastric wall in terms of depth of invasion and more frequent lymph node metastasis than did patients with smaller tumors. Histologically, diffuse, scirrhous-type was more common in the larger tumor group. The frequency of lymphatic and vascular permeation in the larger tumor group was higher than that in the other groups. The 5-year survival rates according to tumor size were 94.3% in cases of tumors of less than 2 cm, 75.1% in cases of tumors of 2-7 cm, and 26.3% in cases of tumors of more than 7 cm. Multivariate analysis revealed that the prognosis of gastric cancer patients was affected most by depth of invasion, followed by lymph node metastasis and tumor location. Tumor size is not an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, according to the results of univariate analysis, tumor size is clinically a predictor of survival of patients with gastric cancer. In multivariate analysis, however, it is not an independent factor, and the presence of lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion and tumor location are more important than tumor size.