[Spontaneous Rupture of the Thoracic Aorta after Surgery of Rectal Cancer in an Elderly Patient；Report of a Case].

We reported a case of a 90-year-old man who underwent abdominoperineal resection of the rectum for advanced rectal cancer. On the 16th postoperative day, he suddenly lost consciousness during an exchange of the colostomy pouches. His heart arrested in a moment, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately performed, but in vain. The autopsy imaging revealed collapse of the heart and the thoracic aorta, as well as profuse blood-like effusion in the left pleural cavity. We considered that hemorrhagic shock due to spontaneous rupture of the thoracic aorta was the cause of his death.

Duodenal carcinoma from a duodenal diverticulum mimicking pancreatic carcinoma.

An 81-year-old man was found to have a pancreatic head tumor on abdominal computed tomography (CT) performed during a follow-up visit for sigmoid colon cancer. The tumor had a diameter of 35mm on the CT scan and was diagnosed as pancreatic head carcinoma T3N0M0. The patient was treated with pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histopathological examination showed that the tumor had grown within a hollow structure, was contiguous with a duodenal diverticulum, and had partially invaded the pancreas. Immunohistochemistry results were as follows:CK7 negative, CK20 positive, CD10 negative, CDX2 positive, MUC1 negative, MUC2 positive, MUC5AC negative, and MUC6 negative. The tumor was diagnosed as duodenal carcinoma from the duodenal diverticulum. Preoperative imaging showed that the tumor was located in the head of the pancreas and was compressing the common bile duct, thus making it appear like pancreatic cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second report of a case of duodenal carcinoma from a duodenal diverticulum mimicking pancreatic carcinoma.

Late umbilical port-site recurrence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor with an acquired PDGFRα mutation after laparoscopic resection: report of a case.

A 71-year-old man underwent laparoscopic partial gastrectomy for a gastric submucosal tumor in 1997; subsequently, he underwent follow-up without therapy. In December 2008, he noticed a mass at the umbilical wound. Computed tomography and physical examination of the umbilical mass indicated suspected recurrence of the gastric submucosal tumor at the port site. Because the lesion was locally confined, surgery was performed, including resection of the greater omentum; peritoneum; rectus abdominis; and the navel, including the skin. Histologic analysis of the tumor yielded positive results for c-kit, thereby indicating a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Mutation analysis of c-kit and platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) revealed an acquired mutation in exon 18 of PDGFRα in the recurrent tumor. To date, only 4 cases of port-site recurrence after laparoscopic resection of GIST have been reported. This is the first study to report an acquired PDGFRα mutation in port-site recurrence after laparoscopic resection of a GIST.

A minute pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with lipomatous pseudohypertrophy of the pancreas.

CONTEXT: This report describes a minute pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma which appeared to be in early stage tumor progression based on the study of its molecular abnormalities. In addition, it was associated with lipomatous pseudohypertrophy, a rare disease. CASE REPORT: A 78-year-old male presented to our department with an incidental pancreatic tumor. Abdominal dynamic computed tomography showed an enlarged pancreas, and diffuse fat density in the entire pancreas was demonstrated. In the pancreatic body, a slightly enhanced early phase 10 mm mass was detected. He underwent a distal pancreatectomy. The histological features of the tumor revealed abundant fibrosis and duct lesions with various atypia. Duct lesions equivalent to well-differentiated adenocarcinoma were shown sparsely, but no vessel or lymphatic permeation nor perineural invasion were observed. In the background of the pancreas, diffuse fatty infiltrations which were composed of abundant normal adipose tissue and scattered pancreatic parenchyma were observed. The results of immunolabeling for MUC1, p16, p53 and Smad4 demonstrated that there is the possibility of coexistence of precancerous duct lesions and cancerous lesions in the genetic progression of pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSION: The above results suggested that this pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with lipomatous pseudohypertrophy might be an example of very early stage tumor progression.

[Long survival of a colon cancer case with synchronous multiple liver metastases responding to S-1].

In May 2005, a 79-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with complaints of right lower quadrant mass and feces mixed with blood. After examination, she was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer and synchronous multiple liver metastases. Postoperative diagnosis after right hemicolectomy and D3 lymph node dissection was T2, N1, H2, P0, M0, and Stage IV. One month after the operation, we started a combination chemotherapy using 5-FU plus UFT as pharmacokinetic modulating chemotherapy with hepatic arterial infusion (HAI-PMC). But abdominal CT scan revealed the increase of multiple liver metastases, PD, after 4 courses of treatment. We then changed to modified HAI-PMC (additional CPT-11, once every four weeks), but had to cancel it due to her exhaustion and inappetence. Therefore, S-1 was started from October, 2005. Each course consisted of daily oral administration of 80 mg S-1 for 4 weeks and withdrawal for 2 weeks. After 4 courses, abdominal CT scan revealed a reduction in the number of multiple liver metastases, PR. PR has continued for a long term to date. As an adverse event, we had grade 3 neutropenia and grade 2 diarrhea in January 2009, and we changed the administration method (80 mg S-1 for 2 weeks and withdrawal for 1 week). She continues to undergo outpatient treatment with good QOL without a lesion for 4 years and 6 months. S-1 is expected to be an effective agent for the treatment of advanced colon cancer.

Comprehensive analysis of EGFR signaling pathways in Japanese patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Translational approach is essentially needed to return the achievement of basic researches to oncological practice. The molecular associations among EGFR mutation and the components of EGFR signaling pathways have been extensively studied in laboratory experiments, although were still controversial. Moreover, the impact of downstream signaling of EGFR on clinical features in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains undetermined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 93 surgically resected NSCLC patients were recruited the study. EGFR mutation status was analyzed by direct sequence method. The protein expression levels of EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR), phosphorylated Akt (pAkt), and phosphorylated MAPK (pMAPK) were determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: There were 37 (40%) patients whose tumor harboring EGFR mutations (1 in exon 18, 22 in exon 19, and 14 in exon 21). Protein expression of EGFR, pEGFR, pAkt, and pMAPK was detected in 61 (66%), 27 (29%), 58 (62%), and 41 (44%) patients, respectively. The expression of pAkt was significantly associated with female gender and never-smoking history, and it was frequently upregulated in tumors harboring EGFR mutations (p<0.05, each). Phosphorylation of EGFR was closely correlated with the EGFR protein expression (p<0.05), but not with the EGFR mutations. In regard to patient survival, none of the molecular biomarkers was predictive for survival after surgical resection, but pMAPK expression was predictive for poor prognosis after gefitinib treatment in patients with postoperative recurrence (p<0.05), suggesting the strong linkage between pMAPK expression and survival benefit from gefitinib. CONCLUSION: Our result could provide new insight into MAP kinase signaling when we treat NSCLC patients with gefitinib.

The impact of sex and smoking status on the mutational spectrum of epidermal growth factor receptor gene in non small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene has been reported to be present in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and significantly associated with female sex and never-smoking status. In this study, we extensively investigated the impact of sex and smoking on the EGFR mutation. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We examined EGFR exons 18 to 21 status in 1,467 NSCLC patients by direct sequencing to study the impact of sex and smoking status on the EGFR mutational spectrum. RESULTS: Among 1,467 patients, 197 mutations were found at exon 19, 176 at exon 21, 21 at exon 18, and 24 at exon 20. To examine the independent effect of sex and smoking, the mutational status of each exon was compared between smokers and never smokers in each sex and between males and females stratified by smoking status. In females, exon 19 (P = 0.001) and exon 21 (P < 0.001) mutations were significantly less frequent in ever smokers compared with never smokers. In males, exon 19 (P < 0.001), exon 21 (P < 0.001), and exon 18 (P = 0.003) mutations were significantly less frequent in ever smokers compared with never smokers. In analysis stratified by smoking, there was no difference in sex among never smokers. However, exon 19 mutations were significantly less frequent in males compared with females among ever smokers (P = 0.003). In addition, the interactive effect of male sex and ever smoking status significantly decreased the frequency of exon 19 mutations (P = 0.047) when female never smoker was set as a reference. CONCLUSION: Both sex and smoking status could influence the EGFR mutational spectrum. Our findings suggest that individual EGFR exons may have differing susceptibilities for mutagenesis.

Anti-tumor effect of bisphosphonate (YM529) on non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

BACKGROUND: YM529 is a newly developed nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate (BP) classified as a third-generation BP that shows a 100-fold greater potency against bone resorption than pamidronate, a second-generation BP. This agent is, therefore expected to be extremely useful clinically for the treatment of osteoporosis and hypercalcemia. Recently, YM529 as well as other third-generation BPs have also been shown to exert anti-tumor effects against various types of cancer cells both in vitro or/and in vivo. In this study, we investigate the anti-tumor effect of YM529 on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Direct anti-tumor effect of YM529 against 8 NSCLC cell lines (adenocarcinoma: H23, H1299, NCI-H1819, NCI-H2009, H44, A549, adenosquamous cell carcinoma: NCI-H125, squamous cell carcinoma: NCI-H157) were measured by MTS assay and calculated inhibition concentration 50 % (IC50) values. YM529 induced apoptosis of NCI-H1819 was examined by DNA fragmentation of 2 % agarose gel electrophoresis and flowcytometric analysis (sub-G1 method). We examined where YM529 given effect to apoptosis of NSCLC cells in signaling pathway of the mevalonate pathway by western blotting analysis. RESULTS: We found that there was direct anti-tumor effect of YM529 on 8 NSCLC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner and their IC50 values were 2.1 to 7.9 microM and YM529 induced apoptosis and G1 arrest cell cycle with dose-dependent manner and YM529 caused down regulation of phospholyration of ERK1/2 in signaling pathways of NSCLC cell line (NCI-H1819). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrate that YM529 showed direct anti-tumor effect on NSCLC cell lines in vitro, which supports the possibility that third-generation BPs including YM529 can be one of therapeutic options for NSCLC.

The impact of epidermal growth factor receptor gene status on gefitinib-treated Japanese patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

We investigated the relationships between genetic factors and clinical outcome in Japanese non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with gefitinib. Ninety-eight NSCLC patients who had been treated with gefitinib, were screened for mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exons 18-21, KRAS exon2, and polymorphisms including the CA simple sequence repeat in intron1 (CA-SSR1) and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region (-216G/T and -191C/A), using a PCR-based assay and direct sequencing. The EGFR copy number status was also evaluated using a fluorescence in situ hybridization assay. EGFR and KRAS mutations were found in 38 (38.8%) and 8 (8.2%) of the 98 patients, respectively. A high EGFR copy number status was identified in 31 (41.3%) of the 75 assessable patients. Drug-sensitive EGFR mutations limited to exon19 deletions and L858R were independent predictive factors of a stronger sensitivity to gefitinib (p = 0.0002), the overall survival (OS) (p = 0.0036), and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) (p < 0.0001). The EGFR copy number status was not related to a sensitivity to gefitinib and prolonged OS and PFS. Regarding polymorphisms, patients with a short CA-SSR1 showed a prolonged OS as compared with those with a long length in patients with a drug-sensitive EGFR mutation, although this difference was not significant (p = 0.13). Thus, drug-sensitive EGFR mutations predict a favorable clinical outcome and a high EGFR copy number may not be related to clinical benefits in gefitinib-treated Japanese patients with NSCLC. Our findings also suggest that the CA-SSR1 length may influence the clinical outcome in patients with a drug-sensitive EGFR mutation.

Double mutation and gene copy number of EGFR in gefitinib refractory non-small-cell lung cancer.

Mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene have been reported in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in patients with adenocarcinoma and never smokers. Some common somatic mutations in EGFR, including deletion mutations in exon 19 and leucine-to-arginine substitution at amino acid position 858 (L858R) in exon 21, have been examined for their ability to predict sensitivity to gefitinib or erlotinib, which are selective EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). On the other hand, reports have shown that the threonine-to-methionine substitution at amino acid position 790 (T790M) in exon 20 is related to gefitinib resistance. Some studies have indicated that high copy numbers of the EGFR gene may be a more effective molecular predictor to responsiveness and prolonged survival in patients treated with EGFR-TKIs. Here, we describe two NSCLC patients with the L858R mutation who did not respond to gefitinib. Case 1 harbored both the T790M and L858R mutations, and fluorescence in situ hybridization showed EGFR gene amplification. Case 2 harbored both the L858R and aspartic acid-to-tyrosine substitution at amino acid position 761 in exon 19 of EGFR mutations and had a high polysomy status for EGFR. In these two cases, tumors showed resistance to gefitinib treatment despite the presence of EGFR L858R mutation and increased copy number. Our findings encourage further molecular analysis to elucidate the relationship between the EGFR status, including mutations and amplifications, and the responsiveness of NSCLC to gefitinib.

Relationship between epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutations and the severity of adverse events by gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE: Recent reports have demonstrated that mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is predictive factor for tumor responsiveness to gefitinib suggesting the importance of EGFR status for the treatment of the patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the relationship between EGFR mutation and adverse events of gefitinib is still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate its correlation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six tumor samples from Japanese NSCLC patients who received gefitinib in Okayama University Hospital between November 2000 and October 2004 were examined exons 18-21 of EGFR using direct sequence method. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records and compared EGFR mutation status with adverse events during gefitinib treatment. RESULTS: Of all 26 patients, EGFR mutation (exon 19 in-frame deletion, 6; exon 21 L858R, 5), were detected in 11 patients (42.3%). The principal adverse event was skin rash (89%), diarrhea (39%), and liver injury (39%). Grade 3 or more adverse events were not common. EGFR mutation status was correlated with neither its frequency nor severity of adverse events during gefitinib treatment including skin rash, diarrhea, liver injury, and interstitial lung disease. As expected, objective response rate of those with EGFR mutations was significantly higher than those without EGFR mutations (78% versus 21%, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study did not demonstrate the presence of close relationships between EGFR mutation status and adverse events during gefitinib treatment.

Mutational and epigenetic evidence for independent pathways for lung adenocarcinomas arising in smokers and never smokers.

Genetic and epigenetic alterations are considered to play important roles in lung cancer. Recent studies showed that EGFR and K-RAS mutations exhibited a mutually exclusive pattern in adenocarcinoma of the lung, suggesting the presence of two independent oncogenic pathways. However, it is unknown how epigenetic alterations were involved in lung carcinogenesis mediated by EGFR or K-RAS mutation. In this study, we examined the relationship between genetic and epigenetic alterations in 164 cases of lung adenocarcinoma. Somatic mutations were determined by direct sequence of EGFR exons 18 to 21 and K-RAS codons 12 and 13. Methylation status of p16(INK4a), RASSF1A, APC, RARbeta, and CDH13, frequently methylated in lung cancer, was determined by methylation-specific PCR and the degree of methylation was defined as the methylation index. Multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, and smoking dose showed that the probability of having EGFR mutation was significantly lower among those with p16(INK4a) and CDH13 methylation than in those without [p16(INK4a): odds ratio (OR), 0.07; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.02-0.33; CDH13: OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.15-0.77] and the methylation index was significantly lower in EGFR mutant cases than in wild type (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.52-0.95). By contrast, K-RAS mutation was significantly higher in p16(INK4a) methylated cases than in unmethylated cases (OR, 4.93; 95% CI, 1.54-15.7) and the methylation index was higher in K-RAS mutant cases than in wild type with marginal significance (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 0.95-2.25). Our results indicate the differences in the evolvement of epigenetic alterations between the EGFR- and K-RAS-mediated tumorigenesis and suggest the specific interaction of genetic and epigenetic changes in tumorigenesis of lung cancer.

Detection of EGFR gene mutation in lung cancer by mutant-enriched polymerase chain reaction assay.

PURPOSE: Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene have been reported to be present in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and related to the responsiveness of tumors to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, suggesting its usefulness as a biomarker. Because clinical samples contain tumor and normal cells or genes, a highly sensitive assay for detecting mutation is critical for clinical applications. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The mutant-enriched PCR is a rapid and sensitive assay with selective restriction enzyme digestion. We developed the mutant-enriched PCR assay targeting exons 19 and 21 of EGFR and applied the developed assay to detect mutations in 108 cases of surgically resected specimens of NSCLCs, 18 samples of computed tomography (CT)-guided needle lung biopsies, and 20 samples of pleural fluid. In addition, results were then compared with those from direct sequencing and a nonenriched PCR assay. RESULTS: The mutant-enriched PCR that was proved to enrich one mutant of 2 x 10(3) normal genes detected mutations in 37 cases of 108 resected tumors, seven samples of CT-guided lung biopsies, and seven samples of pleural fluid. Among mutant cases, four resected tumors, two CT-guided lung biopsies, and two pleural fluid were identified as additional mutant cases by the mutant-enriched PCR, which were considered normal based on nonenriched assays. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that EGFR mutations are readily detectable by mutant-enriched PCR in various clinical samples. Thus, mutant-enriched PCR may provide a valuable method of potentially detecting a small fraction of mutant genes in heterogeneous specimens, indicating its possible use in clinical application for NSCLC.

The relationship between epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and clinicopathologic features in non-small cell lung cancers.

PURPOSE: Recent studies reported that clinical responsiveness to gefitinib was associated with somatic mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). Here, we investigated the relationship between EGFR mutation and clinicopathologic features. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: EGFR mutational status of 120 NSCLCs was determined mainly in EGFR exons 18 to 21 by direct sequence and correlated with clinicopathologic parameters. RESULTS: EGFR mutations were present in 38 cases (32%) and the majority of mutations were in-frame deletions of exon 19 (19 cases) and a missense mutation in exon 21 (18 cases). EGFR mutations were frequently associated with adenocarcinoma (P < 0.0001), never smoker (P < 0.0001), and female gender (P = 0.0001). Of interest, increasing smoke exposure was inversely related to the rate of EGFR mutation (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that smoking and histology were independent variables. Furthermore, gender difference was observed for the mutational location (P = 0.01) dominance of exon 19 for males and exon 21 for females. Twenty-one cases were treated with gefitinib and found that EGFR mutation was significantly related to gefitinib responsiveness (P = 0.002). In addition, median survival times of patients with and without EGFR mutations treated with gefitinib were 25.1 and 14.0 months, respectively. Patients with EGFR mutations had approximately 2-fold survival advantage; however, the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: We show that EGFR mutations were significantly related to histology and smoke exposure and were a strong predictive factor for gefitinib responsiveness in NSCLC.