Prognostic factors after surgery for locally recurrent rectal cancer: an overview.

PURPOSE: Local recurrence of rectal cancer occurs in a considerable group of patients who have undergone radical treatment for primary tumour. The treatment of choice is surgical resection but the prognosis remains poor, as a negative margin excision is possible in only a small subset of patients. A review of prognostic factors for locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) after surgery is presented. METHODS: We systematically reviewed the literature for reports on prognostic factors after surgical excision of LRRC. These reports were identified through a review of the Medline database from 1982 to 2004. RESULTS: This review highlights the most important prognostic factors for LRRC patients treated with surgery. Data are grouped on the basis of the prognostic factors investigated. CONCLUSIONS: R0 resection seems to be the only reliable prognostic factor; however, symptoms, pre-operative CEA doubling time, performance status and pre-operative radiotherapy can help patient selection before surgery. The results of this review provide the basis for improved outcome, aiming to assess patients who would benefit from reoperation.

[Cerebellar metastasis from pancreatic adenocarcinoma: report of a clinical case]. / Metastasi cerebellare da adenocarcinoma del pancreas descrizione di un caso clinico.

We describe a case of a metacronous cerebellar metastasis from pancreatic adenocarcinoma occurred in a 67 years old male. Central nervous system metastases from pancreatic carcinoma are mostly autoptic findings. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported in literature of cerebellar metastasis from pancreatic cancer; furthermore, this case calls attention on vomit presentation that could be erroneously attributed to an abdominal relapse. Due to the increasing frequency of central nervous system metastases observed in recent years in other types of cancer, some authors speculate that this event could represent a consequence of the prolonged natural history as the result of improved survival.

[Pancreatic tumor: unusual onset of Von-Hippel Lindau syndrome]. / Tumore del pancreas un raro esordio di sindrome di Von-Hippel Lindau.

The Von-Hippel Lindau (VHL) disease is a rare genetically determined syndrome. Clinical course depends on the occurrence of multiple tumors as central nervous system tumors, phaeochromocytoma and renal cell carcinoma. We describe the second case in the literature reporting about a patient affected by a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor as the first clinical sign of VHL disease. It has been showed that only a strict follow-up can effectively improve survival. Based on the present case, the follow-up of patients affected by VHL syndrome should routinely include functional tests and imaging exams of the pancreas.

[Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and renal carcinoma. Report of a clinical case and review of the literature]. / Pielonefrite xantogranulomatosa e carcinoma renale. Presentazione di un caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis is a rare disease of the kidney; renal parenchyma is replaced by lesions radiologically simulating clear cell carcinoma. We present a case of a 62-year-old diabetic woman observed at our institution for the appearance of back pain and dysuria. A CT scan revealed a large lesion of left kidney with psoas muscle infiltration and the patient undrwent a nephrectomy. Histology surprisingly showed a xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. Though recent reports demonstrated the feasibility of conservative management of XGP with antibiotics, the use of pre-operative biopsy is still limited by the risk of seeding and the high false-negative results. How to distinguish xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis from renal cancer?