Double Negativity of MRI-Detected and Pathologically-Diagnosed Extramural Venous Invasion is a Favorable Prognostic Factor for Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Extramural venous invasion (EMVI) is a prognostic factor in rectal cancer. There are two types: EMVI detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (mr-EMVI) and EMVI detected by pathology (p-EMVI). They have been separately evaluated, but they have not yet been concurrently evaluated. We therefore evaluate both mr-EMVI and p-EMVI in rectal cancer at the same time and clarify their association with prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Included were the 186 consecutive patients who underwent complete radical resection of tumors ≤ stage III at Wakayama Medical University Hospital, Japan, between 2010 and 2018. All underwent preoperative MRI examination, and were reassessed for EMVI by a radiologist. Surgically resected specimens were then reassessed for EMVI by a pathologist. We assessed the correlation between positivity of mr-EMVI and p-EMVI and prognosis, and the clinicopathological background behind them. RESULTS: Patients with double negativity for mr-EMVI and p-EMVI had better prognosis than patients with mr-EMVI or p-EMVI positivity (p < 0.0001). Positivity for mr-EMVI or p-EMVI was a poor independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Combined analysis of mr-EMVI and p-EMVI may enable prediction of postoperative prognosis of rectal cancer. Patients with double negativity of mr-EMVI and p-EMVI had better prognosis than patients with some form of positivity. Stated differently, patients with positivity of mr-EMVI, p-EMVI, or both had a poorer prognosis than those with double negativity. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy may improve poor prognosis. Combined evaluation of mr-EMVI and p-EMVI may be used to predict clinical outcomes and may be an effective prognostic predictor of rectal cancer.

Randomized controlled trial comparing cosmetic results of midline incision versus off-midline incision for specimen extraction in laparoscopic colectomy.

PURPOSE: A notable advantage of laparoscopic colorectal surgery is that only a small incision at the extraction site is necessary, which is considered to be cosmetically beneficial. Meanwhile, the optimal extraction site for the resected specimen in laparoscopic colectomy is controversial in terms of cosmetic benefit. This randomized controlled trial compares midline and off-midline extraction sites in laparoscopic colectomy in patients with colon cancer, with consideration of cosmetic benefits as the primary endpoint. METHODS: Included were patients that underwent elective laparoscopic colectomy at WMUH between October 2014 and February 2017. Patients were randomly assigned to either midline incision group or off-midline incision group. Prospectively collected data included cosmetic results (patients and observer assessment scale) and complications including incidence of incisional hernia, SSI, and pain. This trial was registered with UMIN Clinical Trials (UMIN000028943). RESULTS: Finally, 98 patients with colorectal cancer were analyzed. No significant differences were found between the two groups in patient and observer assessment scales of cosmetic results (midline 8 ± 1.1 vs off-midline 11 ± 5.9 p = 0.16, midline 13.5 ± 6.6 vs off-midline 15 ± 11 p = 0.58, respectively) or in postoperative pain. However, incisional hernia occurred in four cases in the midline group (8%), which was significantly higher than that in the off-midline group (no cases, 0%). CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in terms of cosmetic benefit, the primary endpoint, between the two groups. In this study, only the extraction site location was compared; future studies will examine differences depending on the incisional direction, including the incidence of incisional hernia.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dendritic cell vaccine therapy genetically modified on the ubiquitin-proteasome system.

We previously reported that dendritic cells (DCs) transduced with the full-length tumor-associated antigen (TAA) gene induced TAA-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) to elicit antitumor responses. To overcome the issue of quantity and quality of DCs required for DC vaccine therapy, we focused on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a new tool for obtaining DCs and reported efficacy of iPSCs-derived DCs (iPSDCs). However, in clinical application of iPSDC vaccine therapy, further enhancement of the antitumor effect is necessary. In this study, we targeted mesothelin (MSLN) as a potentially useful TAA, and focused on the ubiquitin-proteasome system to enhance antigen-presenting ability of iPSDCs. The CTLs induced by iPSDCs transduced with MSLN gene (iPSDCs-MSLN) from healthy donors showed cytotoxic activity against autologous lymphoblastoid cells (LCLs) expressing MSLN (LCLs-MSLN). The CTLs induced by iPSDCs transduced ubiquitin-MSLN fusion gene exhibited higher cytotoxic activity against LCLs-MSLN than the CTLs induced by iPSDCs-MSLN. The current study was designed that peripheral T-cell tolerance to MSLN could be overcome by the immunization of genetically modified iPSDCs simultaneously expressing ubiquitin and MSLN, leading to a strong cytotoxicity against tumors endogenously expressing MSLN. Therefore, this strategy may be promising for clinical application as an effective cancer vaccine therapy.

New diagnostic strategy using narrow-band imaging (NBI) during laparoscopic surgery for patients with colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accurate tumor stage diagnosis during laparoscopic surgery remains difficult. We clarify the impact of new diagnostic strategy using narrow-band imaging (NBI) during laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer compared with other strategies. METHODS: We defined angiogenesis (Ag) and fibrosis (Fib) grades using NBI laparoscopy (lap-NBI), and assessed the clinicopathological features associated with these grades for 67 patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgery. We assessed vessel density and gray scale with computer software. RESULTS: NBI-Ag-grade and NBI-Fib-grade of the serosal surface of cancer lesions and peritoneal nodules correlated with vessel density and gray scale of those assessed by Image J computer software. NBI-Fib-grades of liver nodules also correlated with gray scale. NBI-Ag- grade and Fib-grade of the serosal surface of cancer lesions correlated with pathological depth of invasion. These NBI grades of pathological metastatic peritoneal nodules were higher than those of pathologically benign peritoneal nodules. NBI- Fib grades of pathological metastatic liver nodules were higher than those of pathologically benign liver nodules. In multivariate analysis, lap-NBI was associated with different diagnosis for T3, T4 and non-T3, and non-T4. Moreover, lap-NBI was associated with different diagnosis for T4 and non-T4. Predictive value for T4 by lap-NBI showed high sensitivity (85%) specificity (87%), positive predictive value (74%), negative predictive value (93%), and overall accuracy (87%). Sensitivity and overall accuracy of lap-NBI was superior to that of other diagnostic modalities. CONCLUSION: We clarified the usefulness of the new diagnostic strategy using lap-NBI during laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer in comparison with other strategies.

What is related to postoperative outcome of frail status in elective colorectal cancer surgery?

Background: The population affected by colorectal cancer is growing, and there is an increasing need for prevention of functional decline following treatment. We proposed that the Kihon Checklist published by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare would be an appropriate means of frailty assessment for prediction of postoperative complications in older patients with colorectal cancer. This prospective cohort study aims to identify the factors influencing postoperative frailty. Methods: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with colorectal cancer and aged ≥ 65 year (N = 500) between May 2017 and December 2018. Eligible patients were assessed with the Kihon Checklist prior to surgery and 30 days after surgery. The main measures were variables related to postoperative change in view of frail status. Results: According to the Kihon Checklist questionnaire, 164 patients were frail preoperatively and 172 patients were frail postoperatively, whereas 38 patients changed from "nonfrail" before surgery to postoperative "frail." Overall complications were counted in 97 patients (19.4%), and 5 patients died. Performance status ≥ 2, history of laparotomy, open surgery, complication, ostomy creation, and delirium were significantly associated with changing postoperative "frail" (P = .014, P = .023, P = .006, P < .001, P = .023, and P = .024, respectively). In multivariate analysis, independent related factors of changing postoperative "frail" were complication (odds ratio 2.69, 95% confidence interval 1.19-6.09, P = .018) and ostomy creation (odds ratio 2.32, 95% confidence interval 1.01-5.33, P = .047). Conclusion: The Kihon Checklist questionnaire could identify the factors related to postoperative change of frailty status in older patients with colorectal cancer. This cohort concluded that whether postoperative complication occurred or not was closely associated with perioperative change of frailty status.

High visceral to subcutaneous fat area ratio predicts early postoperative small bowel obstruction after surgery for colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: Risks for postoperative small bowel obstruction have been demonstrated in several reports, most of which indicated male sex was a risk factor, but with the reason remaining unknown. We tested the hypothesis that it could be because males have more visceral fat than females. This prospective observational study aims to examine risks of early postoperative small bowel obstruction (EPSBO) after colorectal cancer surgery and the association between visceral to subcutaneous fat area ratio (V/S ratio) and EPSBO. METHODS: Four hundred and seventy-four patients who underwent colectomy for colorectal cancer in our hospital were enrolled in this study. The influence of several factors including V/S ratio on the development of EPSBO was analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-one of the 474 patients (6.5%) developed EPSBO. EPSBO occurred more frequently in males (p = 0.03) and cases who developed postoperative anastomotic leakage (p < 0.001) or wound infection (p = 0.02). Higher V/S ratio was strongly related to male sex (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed higher V/S ratio (OR 2.25; p = 0.049) and anastomotic leakage (OR 5.86; p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for EPSBO. CONCLUSION: Higher V/S ratio was significantly related to EPSBO, suggesting that one of the reasons EPSBO was more likely to occur in males because they have more visceral fat than females. Preoperative identification of this risk factor could help us watch out for this potential complication.

Tumor RNA transfected DCs derived from iPS cells elicit cytotoxicity against cancer cells induced from colorectal cancer patients in vitro.

Significant efficacy of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in generating DCs for cancer vaccine therapy was suggested in our previous studies. In clinical application of DC vaccine therapy, however, few DC vaccine systems have shown strong clinical response. To enhance immunogenicity in the DC vaccine, we transfected patient-derived iPSDCs with in vitro transcriptional RNA (ivtRNA), which was obtained from tumors of three patients with colorectal cancer. We investigated iPSDCs-ivtRNA which were induced by transfecting ivtRNA obtained from tumors of three colorectal cancer patients, and examined its antitumor effect. Moreover, we analyzed neoantigens expressed in colorectal cancer cells and examined whether iPSDCs-ivtRNA induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) against the predicted neoantigens. CTLs activated by iPSDCs-ivtRNA exhibited cytotoxic activity against the tumor spheroids in all three patients with colorectal cancer. Whole-exome sequencing revealed 1251 nonsynonymous mutations and 2155 neoantigens (IC50 < 500 nM) were predicted. For IFN-γ ELISPOT assay, these candidate neoantigens were further prioritised and 12 candidates were synthesized. IFN-γ ELISPOT assay revealed that the CTLs induced by iPSDCs-ivtRNA responded to one of the candidate neoantigens. In vitro CTLs obtained by transfecting tumor-derived RNA into iPSDCs derived from three patients with colorectal cancer showed potent tumor-specific killing effect.

Prognostic value of CD155/TIGIT expression in patients with colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The interaction of CD155 with its ligand, the T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT), is being studied owing to its potential to act as a target in the treatment of various solid tumors. However, the relationship between CD155 and TIGIT in colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis is not known. We hypothesized that the TIGIT-CD155 pathway suppresses the attack of T cells on tumors, thereby affecting CRC prognosis. METHODS: We examined the expression of CD155 and TIGIT using immunohistochemical staining in 100 consecutive patients with CRC who underwent complete resection of ≤Stage III tumors at Wakayama Medical University Hospital between January and December 2013. We assessed the correlation between CD155 and TIGIT expressions and prognosis as well as the clinicopathological background of CD155 and TIGIT. RESULTS: Patients with high CD155 and TIGIT expressions showed worse prognosis than those with other levels of expression (p = 0.026). In multivariate analysis that also included the existing prognostic markers, high CD155 and TIGIT expressions were identified as independent poor prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The interaction between CD155 and TIGIT possibly plays an important role in the immunological mechanism of CRC. Therefore, it may be possible to effectively predict the postoperative prognosis of CRC by evaluating the combined expression of CD155 and TIGIT. The study findings suggest that CD155 and TIGIT can predict clinical outcomes, thereby contributing to the personalized care of CRC.

Appendiceal goblet cell adenocarcinoma with peritoneal recurrence 9 years after surgery.

Goblet cell adenocarcinoma is extremely rare tumor in which the same cells have both exocrine and neuroendocrine properties. It is considered to be more aggressive than conventional carcinoids and more likely to cause metastasis. We report a case of goblet cell adenocarcinoma that developed late peritoneal recurrence, and we review pertinent literature. A 63-year-old male underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Histopathological findings of appendectomy specimen showed mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma, and positive resection margin. He also underwent laparoscopic ileocecal resection and apical lymph node dissection. After 9 years, he presented with ileus and abdominal CT examination indicated possible peritoneal dissemination. Laparoscopic observation revealed disseminated nodules throughout the entire abdominal cavity, and the patient underwent resection of the omental nodule and gastrointestinal bypass surgery. Previous appendectomy specimens showed goblet cell adenocarcinoma (GCA) according to the 5th edition of the WHO classification. Omental specimens confirmed the histopathological findings, and we diagnosed peritoneal recurrence of appendiceal goblet cell adenocarcinoma. Goblet cell adenocarcinoma may develop and cause late recurrence, and long-term follow-up may be required.

Laparoscopic anterior resection with or without transanal tube for rectal cancer patients - A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In rectal cancer surgery, insertion of transanal tube has been shown to have efficacy to prevent anastomotic leakage. This randomized controlled study aims to clarify the incidence of anastomotic leakage with or without transanal tube in patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: Patients who underwent elective low anterior resection were randomly allocated to either have transanal tube insertion or not for five days after surgery. We examined the incidence of anastomotic leakage, postoperative 30-day morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: 157 patients were randomized to the transanal tube group or the no-transanal tube group. Symptomatic anastomotic leakage occurred in six patients (7.6%) of the former group and eight patients (10.3%) in the latter group, without significant difference (p = 0.559). There was also no significant difference in morbidity between groups (p = 0.633) and no mortality was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Transanal tube insertion had no significant benefit towards prevention of anastomotic leakage in rectal cancer surgery.

Preoperative detection of KRAS mutated circulating tumor DNA is an independent risk factor for recurrence in colorectal cancer.

Preoperative ctDNA status in relation to recurrence in cases of CRC remains unclear. We examined preoperative ctDNA detection by targeting KRAS gene mutations as a predictive marker for recurrence after CRC surgery. We measured the preoperative KRAS mutated ctDNA status and analyzed the correlation with clinicopathologic features of 180 patients that underwent surgery for CRC. We studied the association between preoperative KRAS mutated ctDNA and postoperative recurrence in patients (n = 150) that underwent radical surgery. KRAS mutated ctDNA was detected in 59 patients (32.8%). Median mutant allele frequency of KRAS in ctDNA was 0.20%. KRAS status in ctDNA and lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis were not significantly different. Among patients that underwent radical resection, recurrence occurred in 21 (14.0%, median follow-up 24 months). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, preoperative detection of KRAS mutated ctDNA was associated with inferior recurrence-free interval (RFI) (p = 0.002) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.025). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, preoperative detection of KRAS mutated ctDNA was an independent factor related to both RFI (HR = 3.08; p = 0.012) and RFS (HR = 2.18; p = 0.044). Preoperative measurement of KRAS mutated ctDNA could be useful to decide postoperative treatment.

Optimal Assessment of Frailty Predicts Postoperative Complications in Older Patients with Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The increasingly elderly worldwide population has affected the incidence of colorectal cancer. Establishment of reliable assessment of frailty and proposals for multi-disciplinary interventions are urgently required in oncology practices. Kihon Checklist (KCL) was published by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare originally to identify individuals ≥ 65 years old at probable risk for requiring care or social support. We investigate the validity of KCL for frailty assessment to predict postoperative complication in older patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: Consecutive colorectal cancer patients aged ≥ 65 (n = 500) were prospectively examined between May 2017 and December 2018. Preoperative frailty assessment was conducted by the G8 questionnaire and KCL. The main outcome measures were correlation between frailty, other clinical variables, and postoperative complications within 30 days after elective surgery. RESULTS: Of the 500 patients, 278 (55.6%) and 164 (32.8%) patients were classified as 'frail' by G8 and KCL, respectively. Overall complications counted among 97 patients (19.4%), and they were significantly associated with KCL ≥ 8-frail (46/164, p = 0.001), as opposed to G8 ≤ 14-frail (56/278, p = 0.531). Multivariate analysis showed that KCL ≥ 8 (hazard ratio 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.16-3.04, p = 0.011) was an independent risk factor for these complications. CONCLUSIONS: KCL assessment can identify frail older patients likely to suffer from postoperative complications after colorectal cancer surgery. Preoperative screening of frailty, particularly by KCL, would help older patients prevent their worse outcomes in colorectal cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000026689.

Small intestinal arteriovenous malformation treated by laparoscopic surgery using intravenous injection of ICG: Case report with literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 5 % of gastrointestinal bleeding is due to small intestinal bleeding. Bleeding from small intestinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is rare, with few reported cases. Finding the precise location and boundary is difficult during surgery, so we tried using intravenous injection of indocyanine green (ICG). Use of ICG in a case of intestinal AVM is reported here for the first time, with a review of the literature. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 48-YEAR-old male had anemia and low hemoglobin level (Hb) 4.0 g/dL. After several examinations including small intestinal endoscopy, capsule endoscopy and angiography, AVM was identified. Preoperative diagnosis was AVM caused by branching of the ileocolic artery (ICA). Meanwhile, macroscopy showed engorgement of the vein in the ileum wall and mesentery, the boundary of which was unclear. We performed intra-operative monitoring with ICG. After intravenous injection of ICG, the boundary and location became clear. The abnormal ileum was 30 cm in length and located 130 cm from the Treitz ligament, which was different from angiographic findings. Pathology showed dilated vascular hyperplasia of the submucosa, tunica and chorionic membrane. Final diagnosis was ileum AVM. The postoperative course was uneventful and gastrointestinal bleeding stopped. CONCLUSIONS: ICG monitoring aided diagnosis and treatment of Ileum AVM, which was treated by laparoscopic surgery.

Quantitative Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging Used to Predict Anastomotic Leakage Focused on Rectal Stump During Laparoscopic Anterior Resection.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is arguably the most troublesome complication of anterior resection (AR). In recent years, however, indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging has been recently used to evaluate blood flow in the anastomosis site, and it has been suggested that AL may be predicted. We reported the effectiveness of predicting AL in colorectal cancer surgery by observing a quantitative laparoscopic ICG fluorescence imaging for the first time. The purpose of this study was to predict the risk of postoperative AL by quantitative laparoscopic ICG fluorescence imaging focused on the rectal stamp, which is one of the major causes of AL in AR, and to construct diverting stoma (DS) only in appropriate cases. Methods: We studied the 25 patients who underwent elective laparoscopic AR for rectal cancer at our hospital between July 2016 and June 2017. Before enforcing double-stapling technique anastomosis, we injected ICG intravenously, and laparoscopically evaluated blood flow on the rectal stump. We analyzed quantitatively the relationship between various parameters and AL. Results: Median T0, from when the ICG was injected intravenously and the ICG disappeared from the injection route to the rise of the histogram of intensity, in AL group was significantly longer than that in non-AL group (P = .03). There were no other significant differences between AL and non-AL groups. Conclusions: T0 was longer in patients with AL than in those without. If prolonged T0 can be recognized intraoperatively, it will be possible to construct DS for appropriate patients only.

Modulation of capecitabine administration to improve continuity of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with colorectal cancer: A phase II study.

Adjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine is frequently not completed due to adverse events, including hand-foot syndrome. A higher completion rate of capecitabine by reduction of the side effects may improve disease-free survival and quality of life of affected patients. In the present study, colorectal cancer (CRC) patients were treated with capecitabine (2,500 mg/m2/day), which was taken for five days, followed by an interval of two days (5-days-on/2-days-off schedule). One course lasted three weeks, and eight courses (24 weeks) were administered. The median number of treatment courses was significantly higher in patients in the 5-days-on/2-days-off regimen group compared with that of patients in the retrospectively included conventional regimen group (P=0.0438). The frequency of completion of the scheduled treatment by patients in the 5-days-on/2-days-off regimen group was significantly higher (P=0.0389). The present phase II study suggests that toxicities associated with the 5-days-on/2-days-off regimen are lower compared with those of the conventional regimen, and that the occurrence of adverse events was higher, but less high-grade toxicities were reported. The time to treatment failure was also favorable in the new regimen and it demonstrated good feasibility. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated good feasibility with retained quality of life and acceptable adverse effects (mostly low-grade), and the 5-days-on/2-days-off regimen should be further evaluated in future randomized controlled trials. The present study was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) clinical trial registry (no. UMIN000012813).

Tumor Sidedness Is Associated with Survival in Patients with Synchronous Colorectal Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.

BACKGROUND: Synchronous colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis (SCPC) is not a rare entity, and the prognosis is extremely poor compared to other metastatic sites such as the liver and lung. Therefore, optimal treatment based on tumor characteristics is needed. Recently, the tumor sidedness of colorectal cancer has been reported as one of the prognostic factors and also as a key factor for the treatment strategy. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical impact of tumor sidedness in patients with SCPC. METHODS: A total of 189 cases of SCPC were identified in a retrospective database at Wakayama Medical University Hospital (WMUH) between 1998 and 2014, and were analyzed with a special focus on tumor location. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, a right-sided location (p = 0.02) and the presence of liver metastases (p < 0.001) were found to be the worst prognostic factors. The median survival time (MST) with right-sided and with left-sided SCPC was 10 and 16 months, respectively. The right-sided SCPC group included more aged patients (p = 0.045) and fewer patients who received postoperative chemotherapy (p = 0.034). When we focused on patients with macroscopically complete resection (n = 39), the MST and disease-free survival in the right-sided SCPC group was significantly shorter than in the left-sided SCPC group (p = 0.030 and p = 0.043, respectively). The MST of the right-sided and the left-sided SCPC patients among the completely resected patients was 24 and 73 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Tumor sidedness may be a potent prognostic indicator for patients with SCPC. The survival time with right-sided SCPC is dramatically reduced compared to that with left-sided SCPC, especially among completely resected cases. We should change the treatment strategy according to the location of SCPC.

Mass-forming mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the cecum treated by laparoscopy-assisted bowel resection.

Colonic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is very rare, especially those which form a mass. Although the characteristics and treatment methods of gastric MALT lymphomas are well established, those of colonic MALT lymphomas have been insufficiently described. Here, we report a case of mass-forming cecal MALT lymphoma that was successfully treated by laparoscopy-assisted bowel resection. A 60-year-old woman with right lower abdominal pain and a palpable tumor was referred to our hospital. Colonoscopy showed a smooth elevated submucosal tumor-like lesion in the cecum. Histological and immunochemical findings were consistent with MALT lymphoma. Serum tumor marker levels were within normal range. Enhanced abdominal computed tomography showed a large tumor 55 mm in diameter in the cecum and edema of a few paracolic lymph nodes. The tumor was diagnosed as cecal MALT lymphoma classified as stage II1 by Lugano classification, and laparoscopy-assisted ileocecal resection was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient underwent eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori. A year after the operation she has had no recurrence. In patients with mass-forming colonic MALT lymphoma without dissemination, surgical resection may be a feasible treatment.

[A Case of Recurrent Small Bowel Cancer That Successfully Responded to Chemoradiation Therapy].

Primary small bowel cancer is a rare entity; thus, it is often found in progress. Therefore, the prognosis is often poor. Because of its low frequency, there are few reports concerning the treatment for small bowel cancer; hence, it is important to examine individual cases in detail. In this study, we present a case of recurrent small bowel cancer that successfully responded to chemoradiation therapy. Case: A 48-year-old woman had anemia. Colonoscopy showed a tumor in the terminal ileum. Because of invasion in the ovaries and uterus, ileocecal resection, hysterectomy, and bilateral adnexectomy were performed. The pathological diagnosis was small bowel cancer with lymph node metastasis, and CapeOX therapy was administered as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Since local recurrence was detected in the right lower quadrant 6 months after the surgery, IRIS plus BV was initiated. Radiation therapy(2Gy×25 times, total 50 Gy)was also administered within the same period(only S-1 administration during radiation). After radiation therapy, the tumor decreased significantly in size and showed CR. Currently, the patient is under observation without treatment, but she has had no recurrence for 6 years after the confirmation of recurrence(6 years and 6 months after surgery). It is extremely rare for chemoradiation therapy to be effective for recurrent small bowel cancer; we report such a case with literatures.

Defunctioning loop ileostomy for rectal anastomoses: predictors of stoma outlet obstruction.

PURPOSE: Creation of defunctioning loop ileostomy is a standard procedure in laparoscopic lower rectal surgery. Stoma-related obstruction sometimes occurs, but its cause has not been fully analyzed. This study aims to assess stoma obstructive complications and clarify the risk factors of stoma-related obstructions. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery with defunctioning loop ileostomy between April 2007 and December 2017 were recruited, numbering 230. We statistically examined the frequency and risk factor of stoma outlet obstruction. RESULTS: Postoperative stoma-related complications developed in 41 patients (17.8%) overall, and there was no 30-day mortality. Stoma outlet obstructions occurred in 16 patients (7.0%) during postoperative course. Thick subcutaneous fat at the stoma-marking site (vertical distance ≥ 20 mm) and body mass index (≥ 22.2) were significantly associated with the risk of stoma outlet obstruction in univariate analysis. Thick subcutaneous fat was a significant predictive factor of stoma outlet obstruction according to multivariate analysis (odds ratio 3.80). CONCLUSIONS: This report investigates significant predictors of stoma outlet obstruction in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery for the first time. In laparoscopic procedure, stoma outlet obstruction should be particularly considered in obese patients who have especially thick subcutaneous fat of the abdominal wall.

Alpha-fetoprotein-producing rectal cancer successfully responded to preoperative chemoradiotherapy: case report.

BACKGROUND: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is produced by some tumors, such as hepatocellular carcinoma and yolk sac tumors, leading to an increase in serum AFP level. However, AFP in colorectal cancer is extremely rare. Treatment for AFP-producing cancer is often performed according to conventional methods, but oncological outcomes of both surgery and chemotherapy are poor. We report a case of a patient with AFP-producing rectal cancer which successfully responded to preoperative chemoradiotherapy. CASE PRESENTATION: Rectal tumor was diagnosed in a 68-year-old man referred to our hospital. Colonoscopy showed a type 2 tumor in the lower rectum, and biopsy revealed an adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation. Serum tumor marker levels were 8.8 ng/ml in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and 28.3 ng/ml in AFP. Clinical diagnosis was stage IIIB (T3N1M0), and preoperative chemoradiotherapy was performed to prevent local recurrence. Effective tumor reduction was observed, and serum tumor marker levels decreased to normal range. Low anterior resection with temporary diverting ileostomy was performed, and histology revealed residual adenocarcinoma. Pathological diagnosis was stage I (T2N0M0). The tumor was found to be an AFP-producing adenocarcinoma on further immunohistopathological examination. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy for 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of preoperative chemoradiotherapy against AFP-producing rectal cancer are reported here for the first time. Based on our experience with this patient, it appears preoperative chemoradiotherapy for patients with AFP-producing advanced rectal cancer is feasible.