[A case of advanced gastric cancer effectively treated with combination of weekly paclitaxel and hepatic arterial infusion of 5-FU/LV].

The patient was a 66-year-old woman who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy as part of a detailed examination because of loss of appetite and anemia, and type 2 gastric cancer was detected on the greater curvature in the pyloric area. Abdominal ultrasonography and CT revealed lymph node enlargement around the pyloric area and multiple liver metastases in both lobes of the liver. Curative resection was judged to be impossible, and oral S-1 therapy was started. However, no efficacy was observed even after the completion of three courses, and especially because of the rapid increase in the size of the liver metastases, treatment was switched to combination therapy consisting of a continuous hepatic artery infusion of 5-FU+Leucovorin (day 1-7) and weekly PTX for 3 consecutive weeks (day 8, 15, 22) followed by a 1-week rest. The tumor marker levels decreased rapidly, and at the end of 4 courses marked regression of the primary tumor and lymph node metastases as well as of the metastatic foci in the liver was observed. Adverse events have been mild, and at present, 6 months after the switch in treatment, good QOL has been maintained, and treatment is continuing. This method appears to be an effective treatment strategy for unresectable advanced gastric cancer complicated by liver metastasis.

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver: case report and review of literature.

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) is a benign tumorous lesion of unknown cause, which is composed of fibrous tissue with infiltration of plasma cells and lymphocytes. A 57-year-old male with gastritis was indicated to have hepatic dysfunction during observation of the course of gastritis at a nearby hospital. He was referred to our facility to undergo detailed examinations. When he visited our hospital for the initial examination, he had no subjective symptoms. His past medical history was unremarkable. There were no distinct abnormalities on the medical examination. Blood tests revealed a white blood cell count of 10400 / L, CRP of 0.29 mg/dl, AST of 31 IU/L, ALT of 46 IU/L, ALP of 583 IU/L and -GTP of 408 IU/L, showing a mild inflammatory reaction and elevated hepatobiliary enzymes. Abdominal ultrasonographic examination revealed a tumor mass approximately 4 cm in diameter in a lateral hepatic segment. The margin and center of the mass were hypoechoic and iso- to hyperechoic, respectively, and the inside of the mass was non-homogeneous. Needle biopsy revealed only inflammatory findings with no indications of malignancy. Since computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen, done 4 months after detection of the tumor mass, revealed the mass to have increased to approximately 6 cm in diameter, excision biopsy was considered. The CT taken 2 months later revealed the mass to have regressed to approximately 2 cm in diameter, but excision of the lateral hepatic segment was undertaken at the patient's request. As a result, the diagnosis of IPT of the liver was confirmed. Imaging findings of hepatic IPT are variable and specific findings are lacking. Since the rate of correct diagnosis with needle biopsy is also low, IPT of the liver is often very difficult to differentiate from malignant tumors. On the other hand, since it may show spontaneous regression, indications for surgery must be assessed very carefully.

Pelvic recurrence after Miles' operation for anastomotic recurrence in a patient with stage I rectal cancer invading the proper muscle layer: Case report.

We performed D2 low anterior resection in a patient with stage I rectal cancer [pathological diagnosis: proper muscle (pm) invasion, n0, lymphatic invasion (ly), (-); venous invasion (v), (-); anal margin, (-)]. The tumor recurred at the anastomotic site approximately one year later and was treated with Miles' operation [pm, n0, ly (+); v (-); deep border of the primary tumor (-)]. The tumor marker CEA increased to 50.4 ng/ml at four months after surgery and pelvic local recurrence was detected. Since then, the patient has been receiving chemoradiotherapy on an out-patient basis. Cytokeratin immunostaining of all the lymph nodes collected during the two operations showed clusters of occult neoplastic cells (ONCs) in the perinodal fat around the nodes harvested at the first operation. These findings suggest that the risk of local recurrence of rectal cancer is increased even in stage I disease if ONCs are found in the perinodal fat. Further studies are required to examine the relationship between local recurrence and extranodal ONCs in patients with primary rectal cancer.