The impact of postoperative blood glucose levels on complications and prognosis after esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to characterize postoperative blood glucose fluctuation in patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and to define its impact on complications and prognosis. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 284 patients who underwent esophagectomy at Osaka University Hospital between 2015 and 2017. Data analyzed included clinicopathological background, the immediate postoperative blood glucose level (IPBG), postoperative blood glucose variability (PBGV), insulin dosage, postoperative complications, and prognosis. RESULTS: The median IPBG and PBGV were 170 (64-260) mg/dl and 64.5 (11-217) mg/dl, respectively. Postoperative pneumonia was more common in patients with PBGV > 100 mg/dl (P = 0.015). Patients with IPBG < 170 mg/dl had significantly worse 5-year overall survival (OS) and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) than those with IPBG > 170 mg/dl (54.5% vs. 80.4%, respectively, [P < 0.001] and 44.3% vs. 69.3%, respectively, [P = 0.001]). The 5-year OS rates were 43.5%, 68.3%, 80.6%, and 79.0% for patients with IPBG < 154, 154-170, 170-190, and ≥ 190 mg/dl, respectively. The corresponding 5-year RFS rates were 38.1%, 52.4%, 77.0%, and 61.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that IPBG < 154 mg/dl and pathological stage were independent poor prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSION: PBGV was associated with postoperative pneumonia, and low IPBG was an independent poor prognostic factor for patients with esophageal cancer.

[Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Nab-Paclitaxel plus Ramucirumab Therapy in Patients with Unresectable Advanced or Recurrent Gastric Cancer].

We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and feasibility of the combination of nab-paclitaxel plus ramucirumab(nab-PTX plus RAM)for the treatment of unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. Sixteen patients received nab-PTX plus RAM. The overall response rate was 37.5%, and disease control rate was 87.5%. The median progression-free survival was 5.0 months. Grade 3 or higher adverse events(neutropenia: 62.5%, leukopenia: 18.8%, decrease appetite: 6.3%, hypertension: 6.3%, and proteinuria: 12.5%)were observed. Although dose reduction of nab-PTX was required in 93.8% of the patients, no adverse event that led to the discontinuation of treatment. Nab-PTX plus RAM combination therapy showed promising efficacy and manageable toxicities and could be a viable treatment option for patients with advanced gastric cancer.

[A Case of Robot-Assisted Abdominoperineal Resection for Local Control for Lower Rectal Cancer with Synchronous Liver and Lung Metastases].

The patient was a 70s woman who was referred to our hospital with a complaint of bloody stool. Colonoscopy revealed type 2 tumor at a distance of 1 cm from the dentate line, without obstruction. The pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. Enhanced CT revealed a tumor at the rectum below peritoneal reflection as well as swelling of the mesorectal lymph nodes. Multiple liver and lung metastases were also observed. The diagnosis was lower rectal cancer cT4aN2M1b(H2, PUL2), cStage Ⅳ. Chemotherapy was performed for disease control because of unresectable metastases. She received 7 courses of mFOLFOX plus bevacizumab. Further, as the metastatic lesion was inhibited, the primary lesion was excised for the purpose of symptom control. We judged that sphincter preservation was impossible because it was 1 cm away from the dentate line. She underwent robot-assisted abdominoperineal resection with D3 lymphadenectomy and sigmoid colostomy.

[A Case of Peritoneal Recurrence of HCC Who Achieved Long-Term Survival after a Multidisciplinary Treatment].

The treatment for peritoneal dissemination of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)remains to be established. Therefore, peritoneal recurrence ofHCC has a poor prognosis. Here, we report a case ofperitoneal recurrence ofHCC after a liver resection. The patient underwent surgery for peritoneal recurrence 5 times already and had taken sorafenib for 3 years. No recurrence occurred for 55 months during the last follow-up. Therefore, multidisciplinary treatment for peritoneal recurrence of HCC, including surgical resection, may improve prognosis.

[A Case of Gastric Schwannoma with Regional Lymphadenopathy].

Schwannomas are rarely observed in the gastrointestinal tract. A 63-year-old man was referred to our hospital with gastric submucosal tumor with central ulceration by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Biopsy was performed, but pathological diagnosis was not obtained. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed a round mass in the lower part of the stomach and regional lymphadenopathies. A distal gastrectomy with dissection of the regional lymph nodes (D2)was performed. The submucosal tumor measuring 67×49mm was resected. Histopathological examination revealed spindle-shaped cells arranged in palisades. The specimen was positive for S-100 protein, but negative for desmin, SMA, c-kit, and CD34. No tumor cells were found in the resected enlarged lymph nodes, indicating reactive lymphadenopathies. Based on these findings, the tumor was identified as a benign gastric schwannoma. Our patient shows no recurrence at 6 month follow-up.

[A Case of an Elderly Patient with Unresectable HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer Successfully Treated by Chemotherapy Combined with Trastuzumab over a Long Period].

An 82-year-old man was diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer(tub2, HER2-positive), and the clinical findings were T3N3M1(LYM), Stage Ⅳ. We started chemotherapy with capecitabine, cisplatin, and trastuzumab. After the first course, the dose of capecitabine was reduced and cisplatin was discontinued due to Grade 3 neutropenia. After 4 courses, the remarkable shrinking of the primary tumor and metastatic lymph nodes enabled us to assess the possibility of radical resection, but the patient and his family declined it because of his advanced age. Thereafter, we continued the chemotherapy with capecitabine and trastuzumab for 75 courses. Until multiple lung, liver, and lymph node metastasis occurred after 77 courses, he was adequately managed and maintained good performance status(PS)over a long period of about 53 months.

[A Case of a Two-Stage Hepatectomy for Irresectable Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases].

A 60-year-oldman was diagnosedwith ascending colon cancer with multiple bilobar metastases. He then received7 courses of tegafur-gimeracil-oteracil andoxaliplatin (SOX)plus panitumumab as downstaging chemotherapy. This treatment significantly reducedthe size of the metastatic tumor, andwe subsequently triedto perform a curative resection. A twostage hepatectomy was plannedto avoidthe risk of hepatic failure from small future liver remnant. First, the anterior segmentectomy andthe left portal vein ligation were performed. Then, a curative resection consisting of a left lobectomy andextend - edright hemicolectomy were performed2 0 days after the first surgery. No recurrence was observed1 5 months after the operation. Two-stage hepatectomy as well as a combination of induction chemotherapy and portal vein ligation may have contributedto the improvedprognosis of the initially unresectable multiple bilobar liver metastases.