Preoperative malnutrition in elderly gastric cancer patients and adverse postoperative outcomes of radical gastrectomy

Malnutrition is not only a prevalent condition among the elderly but also a common comorbidity in elderly people with gastric cancer(GC).Malnutrition is closely linked to high rates of postoperative complications and poor wound healing in elderly GC patients,which may lead to a higher incidence and mor-tality rate of GC.Malnutrition decreases the physical function of elderly GC patients after surgery,severely affecting their postoperative life quality and hindering subsequent treatments.This retrospective study was conducted by Zhao et al,focusing on the clinical baseline data,postoperative complications,and hospitalization times of elderly GC patients who underwent curative gastrectomy.Additionally,the underlying causes of poor outcomes for patients were discussed.This study may provide a solid basis for the clinical treatment of elderly GC patients in the future.Therefore,malnutrition can serve as a negative prognostic factor for curative surgery in GC patients.Addressing malnutrition and its adverse effects can benefit elderly GC patients from surgical treatment.

Link between irritable bowel syndrome,depression,and colorectal cancer risk in young patients:Age-matched nationwide populationbased study

BACKGROUND There exists a link between irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)and depression.Similarly,chronic depression is known to increase the risk of cancer in general.In this population-based analysis,we investigated the prevalence and the odds of colorectal cancer(CRC)in young-depressed patients with IBS.AIM To investigate the relationship between IBS and CRC in young,depressed patients using a nationally representative United States inpatient sample.METHODS The 2019 National Inpatient Sample was used to identify young(18-44 years)patients admitted with comorbid depression in the presence vs absence of IBS using relevant International Classification of Diseases,Tenth Revision,Clinical Modification codes.Primary endpoint was the prevalence and odds of CRC in age matched(1:1)youngdepressed cohort hospitalized with IBS(IBS+)vs without IBS(IBS-).Multivariable regression analysis was performed adjusting for potential confounders.RESULTS Age-matched(1:1)young-depressed IBS+(83.9%females,median age 36 years)and IBS-(65.8%females,median age 36 years)cohorts consisted of 14370 patients in each group.IBS+cohort had higher rates of hypertension,uncomplicated diabetes,hyperlipidemia,obesity,peripheral vascular disease,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,hypothyroidism,prior stroke,prior venous thromboembolism,anxiety,bipolar disorder,and borderline personality disorder(P<0.005)vs the IBS-cohort.However,prior myocardial infarction,acquired immunodeficiency syndrome,dementia,smoking,alcohol abuse,and drug abuse(P<0.005)are high in IBS-cohort.The rate of CRC was comparable in both cohorts[IBS+n=25(0.17%)vs IBS-n=35(0.24%)].Compared to the IBS-cohort,the odds ratio(OR)of developing CRC was not significantly higher[OR 0.71,95% confidence interval(CI)0.23-2.25]in IBS+cohort.Also,adjusting for baseline sociodemographic and hospital characteristics and relevant comorbidities,the OR was found to be non-significant(OR 0.89,95%CI 0.21-3.83).CONCLUSION This nationwide propensity-matched analysis revealed comparable prevalence and risk of CRC in youngdepressed patients with vs without IBS.Future large-scale prospective studies are needed to evaluate the long-term effects of depression and its treatment on CRC risk and outcomes in IBS patients.

Analysis of prognostic factors and outcomes of gastric cancer in younger patients:A case control study using propensity score methods

AIM:To understand the clinicopathological and prognostic features of gastric cancer in younger and older patients.METHODS:Between January 2002 and December2008,1667 patients underwent curative gastric surgery.For comparative purposes,the patients were divided into two groups:younger patients who were less than 40 years old(112 patients),and older patients who were 40 years old and older(1555 patients).In both groups,propensity scoring methods were used to select patients with similar disease statuses.A total of224 matched cases,with 112 patients in each group,were included in the final analysis.RESULTS:Compared to the older group,the younger group with gastric cancer had a significantly higher percentage of females(P=0.007),poorly differentiated or signet ring cell carcinoma(P<0.001),advanced T stage gastric cancer(P=0.045),and advanced tumornode-metastasis stage cancer(P=0.036).The older group with gastric cancer had more comorbidities(P<0.001).With the exception of the number of lymph node dissection(P<0.001)and retrieved lymph node(P=0.010),there were no statistically significant differences between the postoperative outcomes of the two groups.During the follow-up period,there were19 recurrences in the younger group and 11 recurrences in the older group.The overall five-year survival rates in the younger and older groups were 84.3%and89.6%,respectively(P=0.172).There were no significant differences(P=0.238)in the overall survival of patients with advanced T stage gastric cancer in the two groups,with five-year survival rates of 70.8%in the younger group and 79.5%in the older group.With regard to the age-adjusted survival rate,there was significant difference between the two groups(P=0.225).CONCLUSION:In spite of aggressive cancer patterns in the younger group with gastric cancer,the younger group did not have a worse prognosis than the older group in our study.

Clinical outcomes of Clutch Cutter endoscopic submucosal dissection for older patients with early gastric cancer

AIM To evaluate the clinical outcome of endoscopic submucosal dissection using the Clutch Cutter(ESDCC) in older patients. METHODS We reviewed 232 consecutive patients with early gastric cancer who underwent ESDCC between June 2010 and February 2014 at Aso Iizuka Hospital. We divided patients into two groups according to age: Older patients(> 80 years, n = 64) and non-older patients(≤ 80 years, n = 168). We retrospectively compared the prevalence rates of pre-existing comorbidities, anticoagulant therapy, en bloc resection, mean duration of hospitalization, incidence of ESDCC-related complications, change in performance status(PS) before and after ESDCC, and financial cost of admission. RESULTS The older group comprised 64 patients with a mean age of 84.1 years, and the non-older group comprised 168 patients with a mean age of 69.5 years. Older patients had significantly more pre-existing comorbidities than did non-older patients, specifically heart disease(P < 0.05). The en bloc resection rate in non-older patients was significantly higher than that in older patients(100% vs 95.3%, P = 0.02). There were no significant differences between the older and non-older groups in the incidence of ESDCC-related complications(i.e., postoperative bleeding and perforation) and the post-ESDCC change in PS. There were also no significant differences between the older and non-older groups in the mean duration of hospitalization(11.4 and 10.7 d, respectively) and financial cost of admission(657040 JPY and 574890 JPY, respectively).CONCLUSION ESDCC has a good clinical outcome in older patients.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Surgical Outcome of Gastric Cancer in Patients Younger than 36 Years of Age

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to determine theclinicopathologic features of young patients who underwentgastrectomy for gastric cancer and to improve the clinicalmanagement of this disease.METHODS From 1981 to 2000,among 1,830 gastric cancerpatients were admitted in our hospital for surgical treatment,66of them were<36 years of age.The clinicopathologic data of theseyoung patients were collected and reviewed.RESULTS The male:female ratio was 1.2:1.Most tumors werelocated in the lower third of the stomach(63.1%).The overall5-year survival rate of 66 cases was 28.7%.The 5-year survivalrates in the patients with early stages and with advanced stages ofgastric carcinoma were 77.8%(7/9)and 21.1%(12/57),respectively.Unfavorable prognostic factors associated with poor 5-yearsurvival included the degree of the invasion in the gastric wall(P<0.05),and curability of resection(non-curative vs.curative;P<0.05).CONCLUSION Gastric cancer in young adults tends to be moreadvanced presentation when diagnosed.However,young patientswith early gastric cancer can tolerate radical treatments well.Itis important to promptly make a precise diagnosis for gastriccarcinoma in young patients and to treat it in early stage.

Survival benefit of younger gastric cancer patients in China and the United States:A comparative study

BACKGROUND The impact of racial and regional disparity on younger patients with gastric cancer(GC) remains unclear.AIM To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic nomogram, and biological analysis of younger GC patients in China and the United States.METHODS From 2000 to 2018, GC patients aged less than 40 years were enrolled from the China National Cancer Center and the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Biological analysis was performed based on the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Survival analysis was conducted via Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models.RESULTS A total of 6098 younger GC patients were selected from 2000 to 2018, of which 1159 were enrolled in the China National Cancer Center, and 4939 were collected from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. Compared with the United States group, younger patients in China revealed better survival outcomes(P < 0.01). For race/ethnicity, younger Chinese cases also enjoyed a better prognosis than that in White and Black datasets(P < 0.01). After stratification by pathological Tumor-Node-Metastasis(pTNM) stage, a survival advantage was observed in China with pathological stage Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ(all P < 0.01), whereas younger GC patients with stage Ⅱ showed no difference(P = 0.16). In multivariate analysis, predictors in China involved period of diagnosis, linitis plastica, and pTNM stage, while race, diagnostic period, sex, location, differentiation, linitis plastica, signet ring cell, pTNM stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were confirmed in the United States group. Prognostic nomograms for younger patients were established, with the area under the curve of 0.786 in the China group and of 0.842 in the United States group. Moreover, three gene expression profiles(GSE27342, GSE51105, and GSE38749) were enrolled in further biological analysis, and distinctive molecular characteristics were identified in younger GC patients among different regions.CONCLUSION Except for younger cases with pTNM stage Ⅱ, a survival advantage was observed in the China group with pathological stage Ⅰ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ compared to the United States group, which might be partly due to differences in surgical approaches and the improvement of the cancer screening in China. The nomogram model provided an insightful and applicable tool to evaluate the prognosis of younger patients in China and the United States. Furthermore, biological analysis of younger patients was performed among different regions, which might partly explain the histopathological behavior and survival disparity in the subpopulations.

Palliative chemotherapy for gastroesophageal cancer in old and very old patients: A retrospective cohort study at the National Center for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg

AIM:To investigate the outcome of palliative chemotherapy in old patients with gastroesophageal cancer at the National Center for Tumor Diseases,Heidelberg.METHODS:Using a prospectively generated database,we retrospectively analyzed 55 patients≥70years under palliative chemotherapy for advanced gastroesophageal cancer at the outpatient clinic of the National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg,Germany between January 2006 and December2013.Further requirements for inclusion were(1)histologically proven diagnosis of gastroesophageal cancer;(2)advanced(metastatic or inoperable)disease;and(3)no history of radiation or radiochemotherapy.The clinical information included Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status(ECOG PS),presence and site of metastases at diagnosis,date of previous surgery and perioperative chemotherapy,start and stop date of first-line treatment,toxicities and consecutive dosage reductions of first-line treatment,response to first-line therapy,date of progression,usage of second-line therapies and date and cause of death.Survival times[progression-free survival(PFS),overall survival(OS)and residual survival(RS)]were calculated.Toxicity and safety were examined.Prognostic factors including ECOG PS,age and previousperioperative treatment were analyzed.RESULTS:Median age of our cohort was 76 years.86%of patients received a combination of two cytotoxic drugs.76 percent of patients had an oxaliplatin-based first-line therapy with the oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil regimen being the predominantely chosen regimen(69%).Drug modifications due to toxicity were necessary in 56%of patients,and 11%of patients stopped treatment due to toxicities.Survival times of our cohort are in good accordance with the major phaseⅢtrials that included mostly younger patients:PFS and OS were 5.8 and 9.5 mo,respectively.Survival differed significantly between patient groups with low(≤1)and high(≥2)ECOG PS(12.7 mo vs 3.8 mo,P<0.001).Very old patients(≥75 years)did not show a worse outcome in terms of survival.Patients receiving secondline treatment(51%)had a significantly longer RS than patients with best supportive care(6.8 vs 1.4 mo,P=0.001).Initial ECOG PS was a strong prognostic factor for PFS,OS and RS.CONCLUSION:Old patients with non-curable gastroesophageal cancer should be offered chemotherapy,and ECOG PS is a tool for balancing benefit and harm upfront.Second-line treatment is reasonable.

Prognostic factors of young patients with colon cancer after surgery

AIM： To investigate the prognostic factors of 96 young patients with colon cancer within a cancer center by univariate and multivariate analysis. METHODS： A total of 723 patients with colon cancer were treated surgically during a period of 10 years. Ninty six of them were 40 years old or younger. R0, R1 and R2 operations were performed in 69 （71.9%）, 4 （4.1%） and 23 patients （24%）, respectively. Left hemicolectomy was performed in 43 patients, right hemicolectomy in 37 patients, transverse colon resection in 9 patients and low anterior resection in 7 patients. Cox multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of survival. RESULTS： The operation mortality was 0%, 54 patients died within 111 mo after operation due to occurrence or metastases of the tumor. Liver, lung and bone metastases occurred in 3, 1 and 5 patients, respectively. The mean survival time for all patients was 77.9 ± 5.01 mo and the overall 3-, 5- and 10- year survival rates were 66.68%, 58.14% and 46.54%, respectively. In the univariate survival analysis, patient age, type of operation, radical resection, blood transfusion, histological type, diameter of tumor, depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, distant metastases, liver metastases and TNM stage were found to be predictors of survival in young patients with colon cancer. In the Cox-regression analysis, blood transfusion and lymphatic invasion were determined as independent prognostic factors of survival. CONCLUSIONS： Age, type of operation, radical resection, blood transfusion, histological type, diameter of tumor, depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, distant metastasis and TNM stage are the predictors of survival in young patients with colon cancer after surgery.

AWGS2019 vs EWGSOP2 for diagnosing sarcopenia to predict longterm prognosis in Chinese patients with gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy

BACKGROUND Sarcopenia is a nutrition-related disease and has a profound effect on the longterm overall survival(OS)of patients with gastric cancer.Its diagnostic criterion is critical to clinical diagnosis and treatment.However,previous research reported widely differing sarcopenia prevalence due to different criteria.AWGS2019 and EWGSOP2 are the two latest and widely adopted criteria.AIM To compare the effects of AWGS2019 and EWGSOP2 on the long-term OS of Chinese gastric cancer patient after radical gastrectomy.METHODS An observational study was conducted from July 2014 to January 2017,which included 648 consecutive gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy.The sarcopenia elements(skeletal muscle index,handgrip strength,and gait speed)were measured within 1 mo or 7 d before surgery.The patients were followed at fixed intervals to gain the outcomes.Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the association between sarcopenia and the long-term OS of these patients according to the two criteria separately.The predictive performance of the models with AWGS2019 and EWGSOP2 were evaluated by the concordance index(C-index)and area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC).The Akaike information criterion(AIC)was applied to compare model fits.RESULTS The prevalence of sarcopenia was 20.5%and 11.3%according to AWGS2019 and EWGSOP2,respectively.Sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for the longterm OS no matter based on AWGS2019 or EWGSOP2,but AWGS2019-sarcopenia in multivariate model had a higher hazard ratio(HR)[2.150(1.547-2.988)]than EWGSOP2-sarcopenia[HR 1.599(1.092-2.339)].Meanwhile,the model with AWGS2019-sarcopenia[C-index 0.773(0.742-0.804);AIC 2193.7;time-dependent AUC 0.812(0.756-0.867)for 1-year OS,0.815(0.778-0.852)for 3-year OS,and 0.809(0.759-0.859)for 5-year OS]had better predictive power and model fits than the model with EWGSOP2-sarcopenia[C-index 0.762(0.729-0.795);AIC 2215.2;timedependent AUC 0.797(0.741-0.854)for 1-year OS,0.804(0.767-0.842)for 3-year OS,and 0.799(0.748-0.850)for 5-year OS].CONCLUSION Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for the long-term OS in Chinese gastric cancer patients undergoing radical gastrectomy.The prediction model with AWGS2019-sarcopenia has better predictive power and model fits than the prediction model with EWGSOP2-sarcopenia.AWGS2019 may be more appropriate for diagnosing sarcopenia in these Chinese patients than EWGSOP2.

Effect of modified ShengYangYiwei decoction on painless gastroscopy and gastrointestinal and immune function in gastric cancer patients

BACKGROUND Painless gastroenteroscopy is a widely developed diagnostic and treatment technology in clinical practice.It is of great significance in the clinical diagnosis,treatment,follow-up review and other aspects of gastric cancer patients.The application of anesthesia techniques during manipulation can be effective in reducing patient fear and discomfort.In clinical work,the adverse drug reactions of anesthesia regimens and the risk of serious adverse drug reactions are increased with the increase in propofol application dose application dose;the application of opioid drugs often causes gastrointestinal reactions,such as nausea,vomiting and delayed gastrointestinal function recovery,after examination.These adverse effects can seriously affect the quality of life of patients.AIM To observe the effect of modified ShengYangYiwei decoction on gastrointestinal function,related complications and immune function in patients with gastric cancer during and after painless gastroscopy.METHODS A total of 106 patients with gastric cancer,who were selected from January 2022 to September 2022 in Xiamen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for painless gastroscopy,were randomly divided into a treatment group(n=56)and a control group(n=50).Before the examination,all patients fasted for 8 h,provided their health education,and confirmed if there were contraindications to anesthesia and gastroscopy.During the examination,the patients were placed in the left decubitus position,the patients were given oxygen through a nasal catheter(6 L/min),the welling needle was opened for the venous channel,and a multifunction detector was connected for monitoring electrocardiogram,oxygen saturation,blood pressure,etc.Naporphl and propofol propofol protocols were used for routine anesthesia.Before anesthesia administration,the patients underwent several deep breathing exercises,received intravenous nalbuphine[0.nalbuphine(0.025 mg/kg)],followed by intravenous propofol[1.propofol(1.5 mg/kg)]until the palpebral reflex disappeared,and after no response,gastroscopy was performed.If palpebral reflex disappeared,and after no response,gastroscopy was performed.If any patient developed movement,frowning,or hemodynamic changes during the operation(heart rate changes during the operation(heart rate increased to>20 beats/min,systolic blood pressure increased to>20%of the base value),additional propofol[0.propofol(0.5 mg/kg)]was added until the patient was sedated again.The patients in the treatment group began to take the preventive intervention of Modified ShengYangYiwei decoction one week before the examination,while the patients in the control group received routine gastrointestinal endoscopy.The patients in the two groups were examined by conventional painless gastroscopy,and the characteristics of the painless gastroscopies of the patients in the two groups were recorded and compared.These characteristics included the total dosage of propofol during the examination,the incidence of complications during the operation,the time of patients'awakening,the time of independent activities,and the gastrointestinal function of the patients after examination,such as the incidence of reactions such as malignant vomiting,abdominal distension and abdominal pain,as well as the differences in the levels of various immunological indicators and inflammatory factors before anesthesia induction(T0),after conscious extubation(T1)and 24 h after surgery(T2).RESULTS There was no difference in the patients’general information,American Society of Anesthesiologist classification or operation time between the two groups before treatment.In terms of painless gastroscopy,the total dosage of propofol in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05),and the time of awakening and autonomous activity was significantly faster than that in the control group(P<0.05).During the examination,the incidence of hypoxemia,hypotension and hiccups in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.01).In terms of gastrointestinal function,the incidences of nausea,vomiting,abdominal distension and abdominal pain in the treatment group after examination were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.01).In terms of immune function,in both groups,the number of CD4+and CD8+cells decreased significantly(P<0.05),and the number of natural killer cells increased significantly(P<0.05)at T1 and T2,compared with T0.The number of CD4+and CD8+cells in the treatment group at the T1 and T2 time points was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05),while the number of natural killer cells was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).In terms of inflammatory factors,compared with T0,the levels of interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients in the two groups at T1 and T2 increased significantly and then decreased(P<0.05).The level of IL-6 at T1 and T2 in the treatment group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The preoperative use of modified ShengYangYiwei decoction can optimize the anesthesia program during painless gastroscopy,improve the gastrointestinal function of patients after the operation,reduce the occurrence of examination-related complications.

Newly emerging standard chemotherapies for gastric cancer and clinical potential in elderly patients

With the increase in average life expectancy,the rate of occurrence of gastric cancer in elderly patients is also rising.While many clinical trials have been conducted to examine the effect of chemotherapy treatment on gastric cancer,age limits for eligible subjects have prevented the establishment of standards for chemotherapy in elderly patients with gastric cancer.As of March 2009,evidence-based standard chemotherapy regimens were established.In the Western world,debates centered on the ECF(Epirubicin/cisplatin/5FU) or DCF(Docetaxel/cisplatin/5-FU) regimens based on the phase □ randomized controlled trial at the Royal Marsden Hospital(RMH) or the V325 study,respectively.The JCOG9912 and SPIRITS trials emerged from Japan indicating attractive regimens that include S-1 for advanced gastric cancer patients.Using these active anticancer drugs,the trials that studied the eff icacy of adjuvant therapies or surgical approaches,such as the Int-116/MAGIC/ACTS-GC trials,have actually succeeded in demonstrating the benefits of adjuvant therapies in gastric cancer patients.For cases of gastric cancer in elderly patients,treatment policies should consider these studies while analyzing not only the therapeutic effects but also drug toxicity,individual general health conditions,and social factors to select treatments that emphasize quality of life.

Comparison of short-term efficacy between totally laparoscopic gastrectomy and laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for elderly patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Totally laparoscopic gastrectomy(TLG)entails both gastrectomy and gastrointestinal reconstruction under laparoscopy.Compared with laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy(LAG),TLG has been demonstrated in many studies to require a smaller surgical incision,result in a faster postoperative recovery and less pain and have comparable long-term efficacy,which has been a research hotspot in recent years.Whether TLG is equally safe and feasible for elderly patients remains unclear.AIM To compare the short-term efficacy of and quality of life(QOL)associated with TLG and LAG in elderly gastric cancer(GC)patients.METHODS The clinicopathological data of 462 elderly patients aged≥70 years who underwent LAG or TLG(including distal gastrectomy and total gastrectomy)between January 2017 and January 2022 at the Department of General Surgery,First Medical Center,Chinese PLA General Hospital were retrospectively collected.A total of 232 patients were in the LAG group,and 230 patients were in the TLG group.Basic patient information,clinicopathological characteristics,operation information and QOL data were collected to compare efficacy.Compared with those in the LAG group,intraoperative blood loss in the TLG group was significantly lower(P<0.001),and the time to first flatus and postoperative hospitalization time were significantly shorter(both P<0.001).The overall incidence of postoperative complications in the TLG group was significantly lower than that in the LAG group(P=0.01).Binary logistic regression results indicated that LAG and an operation time>220 min were independent risk factors for postoperative complications in elderly patients with GC(P<0.05).In terms of QOL,no statistically significant differences in various preoperative indicators were found between the LAG group and the LTG group(P>0.05).Compared with the laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy group,patients who received totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy had lower nausea and vomiting scores and higher satisfaction with their body image(P<0.05).Patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy were more satisfied with their body image than patients in the totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION TLG is safe and feasible for elderly patients with GC and has outstanding advantages such as reducing intracorporeal blood loss,promoting postoperative recovery and improving QOL.

On the road to standardization of D2 lymph node dissection in a European population of patients with gastric cancer

The amount of lymph node dissection(LD) required during surgical treatment of gastric cancer surgery has been quite controversial.In the 1970 s and 1980 s,Japanese surgeons developed a doctrine of aggressive preventive gastric cancer surgery that was based on extended(D2) LD volumes.The West has relatively lower incidence rates of gastric cancer,and in Europe and the United States the most common LD volume was D0-1.This eventually caused a scientific conflict between the Eastern and Western schools of surgical thought.:Japanese surgeons determinedly used D2 LD in surgical practice,whereas European surgeons insisted on repetitive clinical trials in the European patient population.Today,however,one can observe the results of this complex evolution of views.The D2 LD is regarded as an unambiguous standard of gastric cancer surgical treatment in specialized European centers.Such a consensus of the Eastern and Western surgical schools became possible due to the longstanding scientific and practical search for methods that would help improve the results of gastric cancer surgeries using evidence-based medicine.Today,we can claim that D2 LD could improve the prognosis in European populations of patients with gastric cancer,but only when the surgical quality of LD execution is adequate.

Adjuvant radiochemotherapy for gastric cancer:should weuse prognostic factors to select patients?

Radiotherapy has a not well-established role in the pre-operative and in the post-operative setting in gastric cancer(GC) patients. Randomized trials report controversial outcomes and impact on survival. In the D2 loco-regional node resection era, after a wellperformed radical surgery, local treatment using radiotherapy combined to chemotherapy should be considered for locally advanced GC. Prognostic factors could help the better selection of subgroups that present high risk of loco-regional recurrence. Then, the addition of radiotherapy could improve the diseasefree survival and also quality of life. There are no large prospective studies that have assessed specific factors predicting for recurrence or survival, but only retrospective series, some of them including high number of patients with homogeneous characteristics. In locally advanced GC adding radiotherapy to the postoperative chemotherapy seems to improve outcomes and quality of life. Prognostic factors such as T-stage, N-status, nodal ratio, and other histological factors should be considered to submit patients to postoperative combined treatment. Larger prospective series are necessary to investigate the role of combined chemoradiation after radical D2-resection, especially in locally advanced GC. Further prospective investigations are needed to suggest prognostic factors that have significant impact on survival and recurrence, improving the management and outcomes, particularly in locally advanced GC patients.

Molecular Analyses of Early-Onset Gastric Cancer in Brazilian Patients: <i>TP</i>53 Mutations, Cadherin-Catenin and Mucins Proteins Expression

Early gastric carcinomas may develop with a molecular profile differing from sporadic carcinomas occurring at a later age. In this study, we analyzed a retrospective series of 88 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosed before the age of 45 years for the presence of TP53 mutations, clinicopathological features and immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of markers considered to be important in gastric carcinogenesis (E-cadherin, β-catenin, MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, MUC6 and p53). The majority of proportion of tumors were diffuse-type (70%) and advanced stage (56%). Familial history of cancer was positive in 21% of the cases. There was a significant association between altered expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin, and between p53 expression and perineural invasion. TP53 mutations were detected in 14.5% of evaluated cases, including a germline mutation (p.R337H) in a 12-year old patient. Overall survival analysis showed significant differences in relation with tumor stage and histopathology. The evaluated biomarkers did not present prognostic value in non-exploratory multivariate analyses. The low frequency of TP53 mutations in this series suggests these alterations are not a major molecular event in gastric cancer occurring at early age, although the identification of a case with germline p.R337H mutation is consistent with the hypothesis that a small proportion of early, apparently sporadic gastric cancer, may be associated with widespread Brazilian founder mutations. Further studies are needed to evaluate the prognostic significance of markers for specific groups of patients according to tumor histology and familial history.

Treatment strategies for patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major health concern globally,ranking fifth in frequency and fourth in cancer-associated mortality1.In China,an estimated 396,500 new cases are diagnosed each year,and late-stage disease comprises more than 80%of cases2.Because of late diagnosis and heterogeneous characteristics,the prognosis of GC remains poor.For patients with advanced disease,traditional chemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment,but its clinical outcomes are far from satisfactory,with a 5-year survival rate below 10%.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEROSAL TYPES, PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FREE CANCER CELLS IN THE PERITONEAL CAVITY OF GASTRIC CANCER PATIENTS

The relationship between free cancer cells and the pathological characteristics of gastric cancer were studied. Of 100 cases of gastric cancer, free cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity were detected in 32 cases (32%). Free cancer cells were most often found in tendonoid (62.2%) and colour diffused (60.0%) serosal types. When the area of serosal invasion was over 20 cm, the positive free cancer cell rate was 56.6% and only 2.5% if below 20 cm. Free cancer cells were related to the depth of cancer infiltration, often found in the S2 and S3 invasion layers, as well as to the pathological characteristics of gastric cancer. Free cancer cells were often seen in infiltrated type cancer, histologically poorly differentiated or undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. and nest or diffused growth types. In patients without peritoneal metastasis (P0), the positive rate was 26.1%. This study proved that Chen's serosal classification is correct and useful in assessing whether the cancer cells have penetrated through the serosa or not during surgery. Different treatments should be used in the cases with different serosal types. In addition to surgery, destruction of free cancer cells should be considered in tendonoid and colour diffused serosal types, so as to prevent peritoneal metastasis.

Treatment Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer Patients 80 Years Old and over

Background: With the recent aging of society, the need for medical treatment of elderly patients with head and neck cancer seems to have been increasing. Method: The present study analyzed all 103 patients with head and neck cancer ≥80 years, and we compared results with those of the previous generation (Group P;range: 75 - 79 years) comprising 104 patients treated in the same period. Results: We provided treatment just as wanted and could not choose it often. The reasons were oncological factors such as unresectable tumor or distant metastasis, refusal of treatment, and physical factors such as poor PS or number of comorbidities. Conclusion: Treatment choices should be based on the wishes and motivations of the patient and the medical assessment of physical function. When a patient ≥80 years old is treated, the high incidence of complications and severity of the disease should be considered.

Clinical Significance of Preoperative Nutritional Risk Screening and Support in the Perioperative Period of Gastric Cancer Patients

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of using preoperative nutritional risk screening and support in gastric cancer patients.Methods:In this paper,70 gastric cancer patients selected from July 2017 to July 2020 treated in our hospital were grouped concerning the lottery method,and the reference group(n=35)used conventional nutritional support,while the experimental group(n=35)used preoperative dietary risk screening and support,comparing the clinical treatment differences between gastric cancer patients in the experimental group and the reference group.Results:After the intervention,IgA,IgM,IgG,serum albumin,complication rate,NRS score,hospitalization time and anal exhaust time of gastric cancer patients in the experimental group were compared with those in the reference group,P<0.05,and there was statistical validation analysis significance between the data indicators.P<0.05 for the comparison of IgA,IgM,IgG,serum albumin after the intervention and pre-intervention for gastric cancer patients in the experimental group and the reference group,with statistical validation analysis significance between the data indicators.Conclusion:Preoperative nutritional risk screening and support is of significant value in gastric cancer patients and can improve patients’nutritional status.

Study on treatment and nursing of elderly patients with gastric cancer complicated with diabetes

Objective To study and analyze the treatment and nursing of elderly patients with gastric cancer complicated with diabetes.Methods:different data were analyzed and summarized.Conclusion:the elderly patients with gastric cancer and diabetes can cooperate with the control of blood glucose during the surgical treatment,and strengthen the nursing before and after the operation.