[Usefulness of an Epidural Catheter with a Subcutaneous Port for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Pain Which Was Difficult to Manage with Opioids-A Case Report].

A 56-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced rectal cancer, with tumor invasion to the sacrum and levator muscle of the anus and multiple lymph node metastasis. After construction of an artificial anus, chemotherapy was started. However, tumor invasion and the cancer pain progressed. Finally, she was hospitalized for pain control; an anesthesiologist planned to insert an epidural catheter. The epidural catheter was placed at the L5-S1 interspace, and continuous administration of 0.2% ropivacaine was started. Cancer pain in the buttocks improved quickly. Therefore, an epidural catheter with a subcutaneous port was placed to prevent catheter-related infection after a long period. The postoperative course was uneventful, and she was discharged from the hospital on the 10th day postoperatively. She could receive home medical care and pain control treatment in an outpatient clinic. Finally, she died due to progression of the rectal cancer, 3 months after placement of the epidural catheter with the subcutaneous port. Some patients with advanced rectal cancer develop cancer pain even though they are sufficiently treated with opioids or palliative radiation therapy. Here, we describe the case of a patient with locally advanced rectal cancer, treated with an epidural catheter with a subcutaneous port for cancer pain that was difficult to manage with opioids alone.

Laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy with laparoscopic-assisted percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy for superior mesenteric artery syndrome with dysphagia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome denotes a mechanical duodenal obstruction between the SMA and aorta. Total parenteral or enteral nutrition is the treatment of choice. However, surgical intervention is indicated if the patient's condition does not improve with conservative treatment. Here, we describe a case of SMA syndrome with dysphagia treated by laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy with laparoscopic-assisted percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 64-year-old man was admitted to another hospital because of appetite loss and vomiting. There, he was diagnosed as having superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome after appropriate investigation. He had had a cerebral infarction at age 57 years, since which he had lived in social housing because of complications of that infarction. A nasogastric tube was inserted into the third portion of the duodenum beyond the constricted section. He was discharged 2 months after admission his condition having improved. He was subsequently referred to our hospital for gastrostomy because the nasogastric tube had been in place for a long time and his condition had not improved. Additionally, gastrostomy was needed as a route for enteral nutrition because he had dysphagia, which had persisted despite attempts at rehabilitation, restricting his food intake to small amounts. Computed tomography (CT) revealed compression of the third portion of the duodenum between the SMA and aorta. After obtaining informed consent, we planned an operative procedure. We performed laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy under general anesthesia, followed by laparoscopic-assisted percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. The operation time was 156 min and there was little blood loss. Contrast radiography on postoperative day 3 revealed no evidence of leakage or stenosis. Enteral nutrition via the gastrostomy was started. He was discharged from our hospital on the 27th postoperative day. The gastrostomy was well tolerated and there has been no evidence of recurrence of SMA syndrome during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Gastrostomy is often performed to provide a route for administering enteral nutrition in patients with dysphagia. Development of SMA syndrome in patients with dysphagia necessitates operative management of the obstruction. Here, we describe a case of SMA syndrome with dysphagia treated by laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy with laparoscopic-assisted percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

[Usefulness of bevacizumab with paclitaxel for advanced breast cancer - a case report].

A 55-year-old woman with an exudative, necrotizing left breast tumor consulted Ibaraki Prefectural Central Hospital and Cancer Center. We diagnosed her as advanced ER+, PgR-, HER2- invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast by tumor needle biopsy. FDG-PET/CT revealed multiple lymph node, pulmonary, bone, and hepatic metastases. Systemic chemotherapy with biweekly bevacizumab and weekly paclitaxel(PTX)was administered. The chemotherapy induced a widespread tumor lysis in her left chest wall. We continued chemotherapy, and the ulcer has been healing gradually. We recognized that bevacizumab with PTX successfully brought about a rapid, good local response, and improved the patient's quality of life.