Successful resection of colonic metastasis of lung cancer after colonic stent placement:A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.Although lung cancer can metastasize to various organs such as the liver,lymph nodes,adrenal gland,bone,and brain,metastases to the digestive organs,especially the colon,are rare.CASE SUMMARY An 83-year-old man diagnosed with lung cancer received radiation and chemoimmunotherapy,resulting in a complete clinical response.One year after the initial lung cancer diagnosis,the patient presented with obstructive ileus caused by a tumor in the descending colon.An elective left hemicolectomy was successfully performed after the endoscopic placement of a self-expandable metallic stent(SEMS).Pathologically,the tumor of the descending colon was diagnosed as lung cancer metastasis.The postoperative course was uneventful,and the patient is in good condition 13 mo after surgery,with no signs of recurrence.The previous 23 cases of surgical resection of colonic metastasis from lung cancer were reviewed using PubMed to characterize their clinicopathological features and outcomes.CONCLUSION SEMS is useful for obstructive colonic metastasis as a bridge to surgery to avoid emergency operations.

Pancreatic carcinoma coexisting with chronic pancreatitis versus tumor-forming pancreatitis:Diagnostic utility of the time-signal intensity curve from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging

AIM: To evaluate the ability of the time-signal intensity curve (TIC) of the pancreas obtained from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiation of focal pancreatic masses, especially pancreatic carcinoma coexisting with chronic pancreatitis and tumor-forming pancreatitis. METHODS: Forty-eight consecutive patients who underwent surgery for a focal pancreatic mass, including pancreatic ductal carcinoma (n = 33), tumor-forming pancreatitis (n = 8), and islet cell tumor (n = 7), were reviewed. Five pancreatic carcinomas coexisted with longstanding chronic pancreatitis. The pancreatic TICs were obtained from the pancreatic mass and the pancreatic parenchyma both proximal and distal to the mass lesion in each patient, prior to surgery, and were classified into 4 types according to the time to a peak: 25 s and 1, 2, and 3 min after the bolus injection of contrast material, namely, type-Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ, respectively, and were then compared to the corresponding histological pancreatic conditions. RESULTS: Pancreatic carcinomas demonstrated type-Ⅲ (n = 13) or Ⅳ (n = 20) TIC. Tumor-forming pancreatitis showed type-Ⅱ (n = 5) or Ⅲ (n = 3) TIC. All islet cell tumors revealed type-Ⅰ. The type-Ⅳ TIC was only recognized in pancreatic carcinoma, and the TIC of carcinoma always depicted the slowest rise to a peak among the 3 pancreatic TICs measured in each patient, even in patients with chronic pancreatitis.CONCLUSION: Pancreatic TIC from dynamic MRI provides reliable information for distinguishing pancreatic carcinoma from other pancreatic masses, and may enable us to avoid unnecessary pancreatic surgery and delays in making a correct diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma, especially, in patients with longstanding chronic pancreatitis.

Extrahepatic collaterals and liver damage in embolotherapy for ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm following hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery

AIM: To evaluate the effects of extrahepatic collaterals to the liver on liver damage and patient outcome after embolotherapy for the ruptured hepatic artery pseudoa- neurysm following hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery. METHODS: We reviewed 9 patients who underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for the ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm following major hepato- biliary pancreatic surgery between June 1992 and April 2006. We paid special attention to the extrahepatic arte- rial collaterals to the liver which may affect post-TAE liver damage and patient outcome. RESULTS: The underlying diseases were all malignan- cies, and the surgical procedures included hepatopancre- atoduodenectomy in 2 patients, hepatic resection with removal of the bile duct in 5, and pancreaticoduodenec- tomy in 2. A total of 11 pseudoaneurysm developed: 4 in the common hepatic artery, 4 in the proper hepatic artery, and 3 in the right hepatic artery. Successful he- mostasis was accomplished with the initial TAE in all patients, except for 1. Extrahepatic arterial pathways to the liver, including the right inferior phrenic artery, the jejunal branches, and the aberrant left hepatic artery, were identified in 8 of the 9 patients after the completion of TAE. The development of collaterals depended on the extent of liver mobilization during the hepatic resection, the postoperative period, the presence or absence of an aberrant left hepatic artery, and the concomitant arte- rial stenosis adjacent to the pseudoaneurysm. The liver tolerated TAE without significant consequences when at least one of the collaterals from the inferior phrenic ar-tery or the aberrant left hepatic artery was present. One patient, however, with no extrahepatic collaterals died of liver failure due to total liver necrosis 9 d after TAE. CONCLUSION: When TAE is performed on ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm, reduced collateral path- ways to the liver created by the primary surgical proce- dure and a short postoperative interval may lead to an unfavorable outcome.

Immunological milieu in the peritoneal cavity at laparotomy for gastric cancer

AIM： To investigate the immunological repertoire in the peritoneal cavity of gastric cancer patients. METHODS： The peritoneal cavity is a compartment in which immunological host-tumor interactions can occur. However, the role of lymphocytes in the peri- toneal cavity of gastric cancer patients is unclear. We observed 64 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer and 11 patients who underwent lapa-roscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones and acted as controls. Lymphocytes isolated from both peripheral blood and peritoneal lavage were analyzed for surface markers of lymphocytes and their cytokine production by flow cytometry. CD4＋CD25h＋gh T cells isolated from the patient＇s peripheral blood were co-cultivated for 4 d with the intra-peritoneal lymphocytes, and a cytokine assay was performed. RESULTS： At gastrectomy, CCR7-CD45RA- CD8＋ effector memory T cells were observed in the peritoneal cavity. The frequency of CD4＋ CD25 h＋ghT ceils in both the peripheral blood and peritoneal cavity was elevated in patients at advanced stage [control vs stage IV in the peripheral blood： 6.89 （3.39-10.4） vs 15.34 （11.37-19.31）, P 〈 0.05, control vs stage IV in the peri- toneal cavity： 8.65 （5.28-12.0） vs 19.56 （14.81-24.32）, P 〈 0.05]. On the other hand, the suppression was restored with CD4＋ CD25h＋QhT cells from their own pe- ripheral blood. This study is the first to analyze lympho- cyte and cytokine production in the peritoneal cavity in patients with gastric cancer. Immune regulation at ad- vanced stage is reversible at the point of gastrectomy. CONCLUSION： The immunological milieu in the peri- toneal cavity of patients with advanced gastric cancer elicited a Th2 response even at gastrectomy, but this response was reversible.

Case of colonic intussusception secondary to mobile cecum syndrome repaired by laparoscopic cecopexy using a barbed wound suture device

A 27-year-old man with recurrent right lower quadrant pain was admitted to our hospital. Ultrasonography and computed tomography examination of the abdomen revealed a target sign in the ascending colon, which was compatible with the diagnosis of cecal intussusception. The intussusception was spontaneously resolved at that time, but it relapsed 6 mo later. The patient underwent a successful colonoscopic disinvagination; there was no evidence of neoplastic or inflammatory lesions in the colon and terminal ileum. The patient underwent laparoscopic surgery for recurring cecal intussusception. During laparoscopy, we observed an unfixed cecum on the posterior peritoneum(i.e. a mobile cecum). Thus, we performed laparoscopic appendectomy and cecopexy with a lateral peritoneal flap using a barbed wound suture device. The patient's post-operative course was uneventful, and he continued to do well without recurrence at 10 mo after surgery. Laparoscopic cecopexy using a barbed wound suture device is a simple and reliable procedure that can be the treatment of choice for recurrent cecal intussusception associated with a mobile cecum.

Inflammatory cytokines promote inducible nitric oxide synthase-mediated DNA damage in hamster gallbladder epithelial cells

AIM: To investigate the link between chronic biliary inflammation and carcinogenesis using hamster gallbladder epithelial cells. METHODS: Gallbladder epithelial cells were isolated from hamsters and cultured with a mixture of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β,interferon-γ,and tumor necrosis factor-α. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression,nitric oxide (NO) generation,and DNA damage were evaluated. RESULTS: NO generation was increased significantly following cytokine stimulation,and suppressed by an iNOS inhibitor. iNOS mRNA expression was demonstrated in the gallbladder epithelial cells during exposure to inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore,NO-dependent DNA damage,estimated by the comet assay,was significantly increased by cytokines,and decreased to control levels by an iNOS inhibitor. CONCLUSION: Cytokine stimulation induced iNOS expression and NO generation in normal hamster gallbladder epithelial cells,which was sufficient to cause DNA damage. These results indicate that NO-mediated genotoxicity induced by inflammatory cytokines through activation of iNOS may be involved in the process of biliary carcinogenesis in response to chronic inflammation of the biliary tree.

Metabolism for cyclosporin A during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats

AIM： To elucidate the metabolism and the effect of the cyclosporin A （CyA） as a representative immuno- suppressive drug used in transplantation in a partially hepatectomized rat model. METHODS： CyA was administered to rats that underwent a 70% hepatectomy. These rats were randomly assigned into three groups according to the dose of CyA administration as follows; （group I） water, （group 2） 5 mg/kg CyA, （group 3） 10 mg/kg CyA. On postoperative days-1, 3, 7 and 14, the rats were killed to analyze the serum concentration of CyA, the liver regeneration ratio, biochemical or histological markers, and mRNA expression using reverse transcriptase-poly- merase chain reaction method to determine albumin and cytochrome p450 expression. RESULTS： The serum concentration of CyA in group 3 was significantly higher than group 2 during liver regeneration. CyA enhanced the liver regeneration in a dose dependent manner. The mRNA expression associated with CyA metabolism was significantly decreased on day 14, while preserving the albumin producing activity. CONCLUSION： These data indicate that the p-450 activity required to metabolize the CyA may be reduced during regeneration of the remnant liver after a hepatectomy, which may, therefore, be linked to difficulty in controlling the optimal dose of CyA during early period of LDLT.

A case of mucin producing liver metastases with intrabiliary extension

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a diagnosis of liver metastases from colon cancer. He underwent right hemicolectomy for cecal cancer eight years ago, and had a metastatic liver tumor in segment 8 （S8）, which was surgically resected about 4 years after the initial operation. Histopathological examination of the resected specimens from both operations revealed a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with mucinous carcinoma. Four months after the second operation, computed tomography demonstrated a low-density lesion at the cut surface of the remnant liver. Although it was considered to be a postoperative collection of inflammatory fluid, it formed a cystic configuration and increased in size to approximately 5 cm in diameter. With a tentative diagnosis of a recurrence of metastatic cancer, partial hepatectomy of S8 was performed. Histological examination of the resected specimens also revealed mucinous adenocarci- noma, which had invaded into the biliary ducts, replacing and extending along its epithelium. Immunohistochemi-cally, the tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin （CK） 20, but negative for CK7. Therefore, the tumor was diagnosed as a metastatic adenocarcinoma from colonic cancer. Liver metastases of colorectal adenocarcinoma sometimes invade the Glisson＇s triad and grow along the biliary ducts.

Altemeier perineal rectosigmoidectomy with indocyanine green fluorescence imaging for a female adolescent with complete rectal prolapse:A case report

BACKGROUND Rectal prolapse in young women is rare.Although laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy is the standard procedure because of its lower recurrence rate,postoperative infertility is a concern.Perineal rectosigmoidectomy(Altemeier procedure)is useful for these patients.However,the risk of anastomotic leakage should be considered.Recently,the usefulness of fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green(ICG)to prevent anastomotic leakage was reported.We report a case of an adolescent woman with complete rectal prolapse who underwent ICG fluorescence imaging-assisted Altemeier rectosigmoidectomy.CASE SUMMARY A 17-year-old woman who had a mental disorder was admitted to our hospital for treatment for water intoxication.The patient also suffered from rectal prolapse,approximately 3 mo before admission.She was referred to our surgical department because recurrent rectal prolapse could worsen her psychiatric disorder.Approximately 10 cm of complete rectal prolapse was observed.However,the mean maximum anal resting and constriction pressures were within normal limits on anorectal manometry.Because she had the desire to bear children in the future,she underwent Altemeier perineal rectosigmoidectomy to prevent surgery-related infertility.We performed ICG fluorescence imaging at the same time as surgery to reduce the risk of anastomotic leakage.Her postoperative course was uneventful,and the rectal prolapse was completely resolved.She continued to do well 18 mo after surgery,without recurrence of the rectal prolapse.CONCLUSION ICG fluorescence imaging-assisted Altemeier perineal rectosigmoidectomy is useful in preventing postoperative anastomotic leakage in young as well as elderly patients.

Solitary recurrence of hilar cholangiocarcinoma in a mediastinai lymph node two years after curative resection

We recently encountered an unusual case of hilar cholangiocarcinoma in which a solitary recurrence in a mediastinal lymph node occurred two years after curative resection of the primary tumor. A 64-year old woman was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of right hypochondrial discomfort. After imaging studies demonstrated a hilar cholangiocarcinoma in the left hepatic duct, a curative resection of the tumor was performed, consisting of a left hepatic lobectomy along with caudate lobectomy, regional lymph node dissection, and resection of the extrahepatic bile duct. No nodal metastasis was observed histologically. Two years after surgery, the patient was found to have a nodule in the posterior mediastinum, which was thoracoscopically resected. No other swollen lymph nodes, local recurrence, or distant metastasis were noted. Histologically, the nodule proved to be a metastatic lymph node, and adjuvant chemoradiation therapy was initiated. The patient remained well for the four years following her first operation and had no evidence of disease recurrence 28 mo after her second operation. To our knowledge, this case is the first report of solitary recurrence in a mediastinal lymph node after curative resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Endoscopic naso-pancreatic stent-guided single-branch resection of the pancreas for multiple intraductal papillary mucinous adenomas

In benign or low-grade malignant pancreatic tumors, complete removal of the lesion is sufficient for a cure, and thus minimal resection techniques with preservation of the pancreatic functional reserve have advantages over more extended pancreatic resections. However, a high incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula in such procedures has been reported. Moreover, branch-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas tend to locate in the head of the pancreas, and show less malignant potential. We describe an endoscopic naso- pancreatic stent-guided single-branch resection of the pancreas for branch-type multiple intraductal papillary mucinous adenomas, along with a gastric wall-covering method for the prevention of pancreatic leakage.

Multicenter Analysis of mFOLFOX6 with Oxaliplatin Stop-and-Go Strategy Using Oral Uracil-Tegafur with Leucovorin for Unresectable Colorectal Cancer in Elderly Patients

Background: This study evaluated the tolerability and efficacy of intermittent oxaliplatin treatment based on mFOLFOX6 using oral uracil-tegafur(UFT) and leucovorin(LV) maintenance therapy in the treatment of elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Methods: Ten non-elderly patients (70 years) with advanced/recurrent colorectal cancer were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter cooperative group clinical trial. The mFOLFOX6 regimen was administered for eight cycles with maintenance therapy with oral UFT/LV treatment until progression. In cases with disease progression, mFOLFOX6 was reintroduced. Results: Grade 2 peripheral neuropathy was noted in 30.0% and 25.0% of the elderly and non-elderly patients, respectively. The observed time to treatment failure (TTF) was 6.3 months in the elderly patients and 6.4 months in the non-elderly patients. The disease control rate was 83.3% in each group. Conclusion: Our new stop-and-go strategy using oral UFT/LV is well-tolerated and effective even in elderly patients.

A Multicenter Cohort Study for XELOX (Capecitabine, Leucovorin plus Oxaliplatin) Therapy as First-Line Treatment in Elderly Patients with Unresectable Colorectal Cancer

Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy with bevacizumab is now widely used for colorectal cancer patients. This study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of XELOX (capecitabine + oxaliplatin + leucovorin combined) therapy with or without bevacizumab in elderly patients. One hundred and seven patients, consisting of 52 elderly (>70 years of age) and 55 non-elderly, with unresectable colorectal cancer were enrolled in this multicenter cooperative group study using a database between October 2009 and March 2012. We evaluated the outcomes in terms of the median time to treat failure (TTF), overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR) and tolerability in both age groups. The median TTF for the XELOX + bevacizumab regimen was 7.1 months in the non-elderly group and 8.1 months in the elderly group (p = 0.838). There was no significant difference in TTF between the two groups. The ORR and DCR in the non-elderly group were 30.8% and 73.1%, respectively. In the elderly group, the ORR was 40.0% and the overall DCR was 90.0%. No severe or uncontrollable adverse events were observed in the two groups. These data indicated that the XELOX chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab has an equivalent efficacy in both groups, without increasing the adverse events even in the elderly population.

The Number of Ezrin-Expressing Lymphocytes Correlating with Tumor Cell Apoptosis and Prognosis of Human Gastric Carcinoma

Background: Ezrin is a linker protein between actin filaments and cell adhesion molecules, which plays an important role in cancer progression. There are only a few studies available that have investigated ezrin expression in different types of tumors. However, the prognostic importance of ezrin and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics are yet to be delineated in gastric carcinoma. Methods: Specimens from 124 gastric carcinoma patients of T2 and T3 diseases treated in a defined period with curative operation were evaluated for ezrin, CD8 and cleaved caspase-3 expression by immunohistochemical methods. Results: Ezrin expression was detected in both cancer cells and interstitial cells (ISCs) infiltrated into the tumor. According to our criterion, 37 patients (29.8%) were positive for ezrin expression and 87 (70.2%) were negative. A significant correlation between ezrin expression and any of the clinicopathological characteristics could not be found. In Spearman-rank correlation test, a significant correlation was found between the number of ezrin-stained ISCs and apoptotic index (AI) of cancer cells. Also the AI of cancer cells was significantly higher in ezrin-positive group when compared with ezrin-negative group. Patients with ezrin-expressing tumors had a significantly better disease-free survival, and in multivariable analysis ezrin expression status remained significant as an independent prognostic factor. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggest that ezrin expression may play a vital role in tumor apoptosis and that it can be a useful tool for therapeutic intervention.

Comment on“Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma-novel benchmark values for surgical and oncological outcomes from 24 expert centers”

Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(PHC)is an aggressive malignancy of the biliary tracts with a dismal outcome.Although the primary goal of surgery for PHC is complete tumor removal with negative resection margins and regional lymphadenectomy,surgery for PHC with curative intent remains a challenge for surgeons because it involves complex surgical procedures such as bile duct resection,major hepatectomy,and/or vascular resection.These intensive procedures are often associated with postoperative complications,including severe morbidity and 30-day mortality with incidences of 40%and 5%,respectively(1).From the perspective of surgical and oncological safety,the standardization of aggressive surgical approaches and the establishment of standardized benchmark values that secure the best achievable outcomes are warranted in the treatment of patients with PHC.