Peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal origin. Current treatment. Review and update.

Colorectal cancer is the most frequent tumor of the digestive tract. The high incidence of abdominal dissemination; the poor prognosis of these patients, with median survival consistently ranging from 5 to 9 months in all studies of peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer; the failure of adjuvant systemic chemotherapy treatment with a maximal survival of 18 months despite the development of new cytostatic drugs, and new combinations of use, make it crucial to search for and develop new treatment strategies. We review the principles of Sugarbaker s treatment protocol, which involves the combination of maximum cytoreductive radical oncological surgery for the treatment of all macroscopically disseminated disease with maximum perioperative intraperitoneal intensification chemotherapy to treat residual microscopic disease. We present the results of several scientific papers, all of them phase II studies with more than 10 patients treated, published in the medical literature by the main groups working in this line of treatment, together with the only phase III study reported and published so far, and finally the results of a recently reported retrospective international multicenter study. With this new alternative therapeutic approach, overall mean survival is 40% at 36 months, and 20% at 5 years. Based on these results, this new therapeutic approach is proposed as the treatment of choice for these unfortunate patients.

Carcinomatosis peritoneal de origen colorrectal. Estado actual del tratamiento. Revisión y puesta al día / Peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal origin. Current treatment. Review and update

El cáncer colorrectal es el tumor más frecuente del tracto digestivo.La alta incidencia de diseminación abdominal, el pobre pronósticode estos pacientes con una mediana de supervivencia entre5 y 9 meses demostrada repetidamente en todos los estudiosde carcinomatosis peritoneal por cáncer colorrectal, el fracaso delos tratamientos sistémicos adyuvantes con quimioterapia con supervivenciasmáximas de 18 meses independientemente del desarrollode nuevas drogas citostáticas y las nuevas combinaciones oformas de uso, hacen crucial la investigación y el desarrollo denuevas estrategias de tratamiento.Revisamos los principios del protocolo del tratamiento de Sugarbaker,que contempla la combinación de la máxima cirugía radicaloncológica citorreductora para el tratamiento de la enfermedadmacroscópica diseminada con la máxima quimioterapia deintensificación intraperitoneal perioperatoria para el tratamientode la enfermedad microscópica residual.Se presentan los resultados de las publicaciones científicas, detodos los estudios fase II con más de 10 pacientes tratados publicadosen la literatura médica por los principales grupos de trabajoen esta línea de tratamiento, junto con el único estudio fase III publicadohasta el momento, y finalmente los resultados de un recienteestudio multicéntrico internacional retrospectivo.Con esta nueva alternativa terapéutica, la supervivencia mediaa los 36 meses es del 40, y del 20% a los 5 años. Basados en estosresultados, proponemos esta alternativa de tratamiento comoel tratamiento de elección de estos desafortunados pacientes

Colorectal cancer is the most frequent tumor of the digestivetract. The high incidence of abdominal dissemination; the poorprognosis of these patients, with median survival consistentlyranging from 5 to 9 months in all studies of peritoneal carcinomatosisfrom colorectal cancer; the failure of adjuvant systemicchemotherapy treatment with a maximal survival of 18 monthsdespite the development of new cytostatic drugs, and new combinationsof use, make it crucial to search for and develop newtreatment strategies.We review the principles of Sugarbaker´s treatment protocol,which involves the combination of maximum cytoreductive radicaloncological surgery for the treatment of all macroscopically disseminateddisease with maximum perioperative intraperitoneal intensificationchemotherapy to treat residual microscopic disease.We present the results of several scientific papers, all of themphase II studies with more than 10 patients treated, published inthe medical literature by the main groups working in this line oftreatment, together with the only phase III study reported andpublished so far, and finally the results of a recently reported retrospectiveinternational multicenter study. With this new alternativetherapeutic approach, overall mean survival is 40% at 36months, and 20% at 5 years.Based on these results, this new therapeutic approach is proposedas the treatment of choice for these unfortunate patients

Influence of age and gender on quality-of-life outcomes after cholecystectomy.

Few studies have assessed the role of sociodemographic characteristics on outcomes after a cholecystectomy. Our goal was to evaluate the influence of age and gender on the health related quality of life (HRQoL) changes after cholecystectomy in this prospective observational study of consecutive patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Patients completed the SF-36 and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) before intervention and 3 months later. The influence of age, gender, and the pre-intervention health status on the HRQoL changes was studied by multivariate regression analysis. Older patients had poorer HRQoL and their post-intervention improvement was lower than younger patients. Compared with men, women had worse health status before the intervention measured with both HRQoL tools. In the unadjusted analysis women had greater improvements than men, measured by the GIQLI, but not with the SF-36. However, after controlling for other relevant variables, the SF-36 measured lower improvements in women more often than men, but the GIQLI showed similar results for both. For men and women, the lower the pre-intervention health status the higher the post-operative improvement. Women presented with worse health status before the intervention and less improvement post-operatively after adjustments. The pre-intervention health status has an important role explaining changes after the intervention. A gender-related difference exists between what a generic and a disease-specific HRQoL instrument captures when measuring HRQoL improvement after cholecystectomy.

Predictors of improvement in health-related quality of life in patients undergoing cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients undergoing cholecystectomy. This study aimed to determine clinical variables that predict changes in HRQoL following cholecystectomy. METHODS: This was a prospective study of consecutive patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy for gallstones in six hospitals. Patients were asked to complete two questionnaires-the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI)-before and 3 months after cholecystectomy. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine factors potentially contributing to changes in HRQoL. RESULTS: Patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis and low surgical risk experienced the highest HRQoL gains in several SF-36 and GIQLI domains, with significant improvements in physical function detected by both instruments, compared with asymptomatic individuals at high surgical risk. Patients with asymptomatic cholelithiasis or high surgical risk experienced least improvement. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that cholecystectomy is appropriate for patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis and low surgical risk. In terms of HRQoL, the risk to benefit ratio seems poor for patients with asymptomatic gallstones.

Quality-of-life outcomes with laparoscopic vs open cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed the health outcomes of patients who underwent cholecystectomy. The goal of this study was to evaluate the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) improvement of patients undergoing laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed of consecutive patients on waiting lists to undergo cholecystectomy for nonmalignant disease in six hospitals. Patients were asked to complete two questionnaires that measure (HRQoL)-the SF-36 and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI)-before the intervention and 3 months later. RESULTS: Improvement after surgery, measured by the SF-36 and GIQLI, was similar for both surgical techniques. The SF-health transition item showed a perception of worse health, compared to 1 year previously, for those who underwent open surgery and complications were also higher. CONCLUSIONS: HRQoL improvement at 3 months was relevant and similar for both surgical techniques, although the health transition perception was worse for those who underwent open surgery.

Traducción y validación del índice de calidad de vida gastrointestinal (GIQLI) / Translation and valida tion of the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI)

Objetivo: traducir al español y validar el GIQLI, un cuestionario de medición de calidad de vida relacionada con la salud para patología gastrointestinal Pacientes y métodos: en el estudio se incluyen todos los pacientes con diagnóstico de colelitiasis, en lista de espera para ser intervenidos de colecistectomía, en tres hospitales públicos. A todos los pacientes se les pidió que cumplimentaran los cuestionarios GIQLI y SF-36 antes de la intervención y a los 3 meses de la misma. Se estudió la validez, fiabilidad y sensibilidad al cambio del GIQLI. Resultados: completaron ambos cuestionarios, antes y después de la colecistectomía, 353 pacientes. El GIQLI fue capaz de detectar diferencias según nivel de gravedad, medido por el número de cólicos previos, entre aquéllos con menos de 6 cólicos (puntuación total del GIQLI: 102,7) o más de 6 (89,2). Las áreas del GIQLI correlacionaron bien con el SF-36 (coeficiente de correlación de Pearson de 0,58 a 0,79). La consistencia interna de sus áreas fue buena ( de Cronbach de 0,70 a 0,86). La sensibilidad al cambio, medida por la media de respuesta estandarizada, de las áreas del GIQLI fue de 0,45 a 0,82, mejor que la del cuestionario genérico SF-36 (0,20 a 0,56).Conclusiones: la traducción de GIQLI al español proporciona una nueva herramienta de medición de la cálida de vida, para su uso en patología gastrointestinal. Nuestros resultados apoyan la validez, fiabilidad y sensibilidad al cambio de este cuestionario (AU)

Translation and validation of the gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI).

OBJECTIVE: To translate into Spanish and validate the GIQLI, a health related quality of life questionnaire for gastrointestinal diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients with a diagnosis of cholelithiasis, on waiting list to undergo a cholecystectomy, from three public hospitals, were included in this study. All patients were requested to fulfill the GIQLI and the SF-36 before and three months after the intervention. The validity, reliability and responsiveness of the GIQLI were studied. RESULTS: 353 patients completed both questionnaires before and after the intervention. The GIQLI was able to discriminate among levels of severity, measured by the number of previous biliary colics, between those with less (total GIQLI score: 102.7) or more than 6 colics (89.2). GIQLI domains correlated with those of the SF-36 (Pearson correlation coefficient from 0.58 to 0.79). Internal consistency of its domains was good (Cronbach alpha from 0.70 to 0.86). Responsiveness, measured by the standardized response mean, of the GIQLI ranged between 0.45 to 0.82, better than the generic questionnaire SF-36 (0.20 a 0.56). CONCLUSIONS: GIQLI translation into Spanish provides with a new tool to measure quality of life on gastrointestinal diseases. Our results support the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the GIQLI Spanish version.

[Development of an experimental model for the study of hepatic metastasis]. / Desarrollo de un modelo experimental para el estudio de metástasis hepáticas.

An experimental model for the induction of hepatic metastasis by means of the subcutaneous injection of rhabdomyosarcoma cultured cells (S4MH) is described. The growth of the primary tumor and the dissemination process (local, ganglionar and hematogenous) are studied. The particular ability of the tumor to produce liver metastasis is assessed. The microscopic foci may be found in all of the specimens on day 25th post-injection. The maximum metastatic load is achieved by day 35 th. In contrast, the ganglionar and pulmonary metastasis were only found on the last step of the process.

Influence of host defenses on the hepatic colonization of B16F10 melanoma cells.

To investigate the significance of host immunity in metastasis we have simultaneously evaluated metastatic development and the tumoricidal action of host defenses in an experimental system for liver metastasis which involves the intrasplenic injection of B16F10 melanoma cells in syngeneic mice. In addition, three experimental groups were treated with immunosuppressive doses of cyclosporin A (CsA) during the following periods of the malignant process: 1st-5th days, 1st-12th days and 7th-12th days. Analysis of cytolytic effects of macrophages, NK cells and T-lymphocytes on tumor cells reveals a decay in antitumor immunity from the 7th day to the 12th day and a marked resistance of B16F10 melanoma cells derived from hepatic metastases to T-lymphocytes and NK cells. The 1st-5th day CsA treatment of tumor-bearing mice produced a reduction in both T-lymphocyte and macrophage reactions against tumor cells and a significant increase in the 7th day micrometastasis incidence in the liver. Once micrometastases have been established the CsA-treatment suppression on the 5th day allows the tumor growth rate in these mice to become the same as in controls. However, the 7th-12th day CsA treatment produces a clear inhibitory effect on focal metastatic development which may correspond to the in vitro antiproliferative effect of CsA, detected on cultured B16F10 melanoma cells.