Health literacy in older patients with abdominal tumours and its association with clinical characteristics: A cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Health literacy (HL) is pivotal in managing patients with abdominal cancer and is associated with treatment outcomes and care experience. However, detailed characteristics of HL and their associations with clinical features remain uncertain in the population. Therefore, we aimed to comprehensively investigate HL and its associations with clinical characteristics in older patients with abdominal tumours. METHODS: We analysed 103 older patients with abdominal tumours prescribed perioperative rehabilitation programs in an acute care hospital. The Japanese version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire was used to measure comprehensive HL. Multivariate ordinal or linear regression analyses were used to explore the associations between HL and the following clinical characteristics: physical status, physical function, cardiopulmonary function, levels of activities of daily living (ADL), physical activity level, and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). All regression analyses included patient demographics as covariates. RESULTS: Approximately 50%-70% of the participants had difficulty accessing and appraising health-related information, and 20%-45% thought it was difficult to understand and apply the information. The percentage of limited HL levels in general HL, three health-relevant domains, and four competencies ranged from 62% to 83%. Moreover, regression analyses revealed that lower HL was associated with worse physical status/function, lower ADL, and poorer HR-QoL. CONCLUSION: Most older patients with abdominal tumours have limited HL, which may lead them to make treatment decisions without fully understanding what healthcare providers advise. Furthermore, patients with lower HL are at a higher risk of poor treatment outcomes because of their worse clinical characteristics.

A resected case of acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas with liver metastasis following chemotherapy using modified FOLFIRINOX.

BACKGROUND: Acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare exocrine malignancy representing less than 1% of all pancreatic neoplasms. It has been reported that it responds to treatment differently from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and the treatment algorithm for acinar cell carcinoma usually depends on the stage of the respective tumor and the patient's current status. CASE PRESENTATION: A 60-year-old man presented with upper abdominal pain and anorexia. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a large-sized hepatic mass and he was referred to our hospital. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated a 110-mm low-density area occupying the right hemi-liver and an enhanced mass of 70 × 56 mm in the tail of the pancreas, which seemed to directly infiltrate into the spleen. The case was diagnosed as acinar cell carcinoma with a simultaneous liver metastasis identified by liver biopsy. Upfront resection of pancreatic cancer with distant metastasis might not be considered as an optimal choice, and in this case chemotherapy was administered prior to curative resection. Chemotherapy using the modified FOLFIRINOX regimen was undertaken, resulting in a partial remission; the liver tumor reduced in size from 110 to 47 mm and the pancreatic tumor from 70 to 40 mm. The patient then safely underwent curative hepatic resection with distal pancreato-splenectomy. Histological examinations revealed small-sized atypical cells with large nuclei that had formed acinar patterns, and immunostaining with trypsin was positive in tumor cells, which was in accordance with acinar cell carcinoma. More than 3 years later, the patient is doing well without any recurrence. CONCLUSION: Aggressive and curative surgery in combination with chemotherapy such as FOLFIRINOX could be a treatment option to achieve long-term survival in cases of acinar cell carcinoma with liver metastases.

Association of health literacy with short-term postoperative outcomes in older adult patients with abdominal tumors undergoing surgery and perioperative rehabilitation program: A prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Low health literacy (HL) is associated with poor surgical outcomes in patients with abdominal tumors, despite enhanced recovery programs. However, the relationship between HL and postoperative outcomes, including health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical functions, has been unclear in patients with abdominal tumors receiving perioperative rehabilitation programs (PRPs). Our objective was to identify associations of HL with postoperative functional and general outcomes in patients with abdominal tumors undergoing surgery and PRPs, controlling for critical covariates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective cohort study was conducted from April 2020 to December 2021 in a single acute care hospital in Akita City, Japan. Out of 112 consecutive older adults with abdominal tumors referred to PRPs before surgery for tumors, 101 participated. Three patients declined undergoing follow-up assessment, and thus 97 were analyzed. Demographic data, comorbidities, education, surgical procedure, frailty status, cognitive functions, physical activity, nutritional status, tumor sites, types, and stages were collected as covariates at baseline. All participants underwent PRPs. HL was measured using the Japanese version of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire, a comprehensive HL measurement. Primary endpoints were changes in HRQOL, measured using the EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level (EQ-5D-5L) index and EuroQol-visual analog scale (EQ-VAS), and physical functions (chair-stand ability, usual gait speed, and grip strength) from before surgery to discharge. Secondary endpoints were 90-day readmissions, postoperative complications, and length of hospital stay. Multivariate regression with inverse probability weighting, using propensity scores, estimeted associations of HL with the outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 97 patients (36 [37.1%] women, mean [standard deviation] age 74.4 [6.3] years), 42 (43.3%) reported low HL. At baseline, patients with low HL exhibited worse EQ-5D-5L scores (P = .001), EQ-VAS values (P = .03), chair-stand ability (P = .001), and gait speed (P = .03) than controls. Low HL was associated with a low risk of grip strength declines (risk ratio, 0.13; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.99) but not with any other outcome. DISCUSSION: There appeared to be no apparent associations of HL with surgical outcomes in patients with abdominal tumors receiving PRPs. Thus, HL might not be a crucial predictor of surgical outcomes when combined with PRPs.

[A Case of Long-Term Clinical Complete Response after Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer].

With the advancement ofchemotherapy against colorectal cancer, clinical complete responses(cCR)are more frequently observed. We report a case oflocally advanced rectal cancer with maintained long-term cCR after chemotherapy alone. Detailed examinations ofa man in his 60s revealed that he had poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, with elevated serum CEA and CA19-9 levels. Colonoscopy revealed rectal cancer(Rba). Besides the prostate invasion observed in the CT scan, intestinal obstruction was caused by a tumor that required surgical removal. However, the tumor was unresectable due to prostate and pelvic wall metastases; therefore, only sigmoid colostomy was performed. After 6 courses of mFOLFOX6, the tumor shrunk, and prostate invasion reduced as confirmed by the CT scan. Chemotherapy was switched to sLV/5FU2 due to the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy. No tumor was found after 20 courses of treatment, and cCR was achieved after 58 courses ofcontinuous and consecutive treatment. Throughout the treatment, radical resection was proposed to the patient; however, the surgery was not performed because of his lifestyle, ie, heavy smoking, which resulted in poor blood sugar control. The patient appears to be tumor free for 7 years after the initiation of chemotherapy.

[A Case of Transverse Colon Cancer Metastasized to the Spermatic Cord after Resection of Peritoneal Dissemination].

We report a rare case of spermatic cord metastasis from colon cancer. A man in his 50s underwent extended right hemicolectomy for transverse colon cancer followed by resection of a peritoneal recurrence. After receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 months, he became aware of a right inguinal mass. A spermatic cord tumor was noted on computed tomography(CT) and FDG/PET-CT. He underwent radical orchiectomy. The resected tumor was histologically compatible with the colon cancer. Although he received additional chemotherapy, right inguinal recurrence was resected 6 months after orchiectomy. Colon cancer is the second most common origin, after gastric cancer, of metastatic spermatic tumor. As several metastatic routes have been reported, peritoneal seeding is mostly suspected in this case.

[A study of 10 patients with unresectable colorectal cancer who achieved long-term survival].

Appropriate evaluation and countermeasures against adverse events are important for the continuation of long-term chemotherapeutic treatment of patients with unresectable colorectal cancer. We studied 10 patients who were treated for advanced recurrent colorectal cancer at the outpatient chemotherapy unit of our department during the period from 2006 to 2010 and who survived with cancer for at least 3 years. In order to prevent grade 3 neuropathy caused by oxaliplatin (L- OHP), the duration and severity of adverse events were simultaneously assessed using a self-assessment form and a numeric rating scale( NRS) at the unit. In patients with an NRS score above 5 on or after the seventh day of treatment, L- OHP discontinuation was considered. In patients with long-term survival, the duration of FOLFOX or sLV5FU2 chemotherapy was significantly prolonged, and the L-OHP reintroduction rate was also high. Once non-hematological toxicities such as peripheral neuropathy occur, these can undermine the willingness to continue treatment and present considerable obstacles to ongoing therapy. Detailed assessment may prevent or at least reduce the incidence of grade 3 adverse events and thereby contribute to treatment continuation.

CT findings of spontaneous intraperitoneal rupture of the urinary bladder: two case reports.

We report two cases of spontaneous bladder rupture. Preoperative diagnosis was difficult and the correct diagnosis was made at surgery. Reviewing the initial abdominopelvic CT of our second patient, the bladder wall defect and blood attenuation near the bladder were observed. These findings were consistent with the operative findings, and would have led to correct preoperative diagnosis if we had had sufficient knowledge of spontaneous bladder rupture. Under urinary catheterization, ascites and free intraperitoneal air were identified in both patients. These findings were indistinguishable from those for bowel perforation, which was our preoperative diagnosis. Significant changes in ascites volume between pre and post urinary catheterization can be an indication of spontaneous bladder rupture.