Rare synchronous colorectal carcinoma with three pathological subtypes: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND Synchronous colorectal carcinomas(SCRC)are two or more primary colorectal carcinomas identified simultaneously or within 6 mo of the initial presentation in a single patient.Their incidence is low and the number of pathological types of SCRC is usually no more than two.It is very unusual that the pathological findings of a patient with SCRC show more than two different pathological subtypes.Here,we report a rare case of SCRC with three pathological subtypes.CASE SUMMARY A 75-year-old woman who had no previous medical history or family history was admitted to the hospital because of intermittent hematochezia for more than a month.Colonoscopy displayed an irregularly shaped neoplasm of the rectum,a tumor-like lesion causing intestinal stenosis in the descending colon,and a polypoidal neoplasm in the ileocecum.Subsequently,she underwent total colectomy,abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer,and ileostomy.After operation,the pathological report showed three pathological subtypes including well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon,moderately differen-tiated adenocarcinoma of the descending colon,and mucinous adenocarcinoma of the rectum.She is now recovering well and continues to be closely monitored during follow-up.CONCLUSION Preoperative colonoscopy examination,imaging examination,and extensive intraoperative exploration play important roles in reducing the number of missed lesions.

Short- and long-term results of open vs laparoscopic multisegmental resection and anastomosis for synchronous colorectal cancer located in separate segments

BACKGROUND It remains unclear whether laparoscopic multisegmental resection and ana-stomosis(LMRA)is safe and advantageous over traditional open multisegmental resection and anastomosis(OMRA)for treating synchronous colorectal cancer(SCRC)located in separate segments.AIM To compare the short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis of OMRA as well as LMRA for SCRC located in separate segments.METHODS Patients with SCRC who underwent surgery between January 2010 and December 2021 at the Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Peking University First Hospital were retrospectively recruited.In accordance with the RESULTS LMRA patients showed markedly less intraoperative blood loss than OMRA patients(100 vs 200 mL,P=0.006).Compared to OMRA patients,LMRA patients exhibited markedly shorter postoperative first exhaust time(2 vs 3 d,P=0.001),postoperative first fluid intake time(3 vs 4 d,P=0.012),and postoperative hospital stay(9 vs 12 d,P=0.002).The incidence of total postoperative complications(Clavien-Dindo grade:≥II)was 2.9%and 17.1%(P=0.025)in the LMRA and OMRA groups,respectively,while the incidence of anastomotic leakage was 2.9%and 7.3%(P=0.558)in the LMRA and OMRA groups,respectively.Furthermore,the LMRA group had a higher mean number of lymph nodes dissected than the OMRA group(45.2 vs 37.3,P=0.020).The 5-year overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)rates in OMRA patients were 82.9%and 78.3%,respectively,while these rates in LMRA patients were 78.2%and 72.8%,respectively.Multivariate prognostic analysis revealed that N stage[OS:HR hazard ratio(HR)=10.161,P=0.026;DFS:HR=13.017,P=0.013],but not the surgical method(LMRA/OMRA)(OS:HR=0.834,P=0.749;DFS:HR=0.812,P=0.712),was the independent influencing factor in the OS and DFS of patients with SCRC.CONCLUSION LMRA is safe and feasible for patients with SCRC located in separate segments.Compared to OMRA,the LMRA approach has more advantages related to short-term efficacy.

Multiple primary colorectal cancer: Individual or familial predisposition?

Colorectal carcinoma(CRC) is one of the most frequent cancers. Along the surface of the large bowel, several foci of CRC may appear simultaneously or over the time. The development of at least two different tumours has been defined as multiple primary CRC(MPCRC):When more than one tumour is diagnosed at the same time, it is known as synchronous CRC(SCRC), while when a second neoplasm is diagnosed some time after the resection and/or diagnosis of the first lesion, it is called metachronous CRC(MCRC). Multiple issues can promote the development of MPCRC, ranging from different personal factors, such as environmental exposure, to familial predisposition due to hereditary factors. However, most studies do not distinguish this dichotomy. High- and low-pentrance genetic variants are involved in MPCRC. An increased risk for MPCRC has been described in Lynch syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis, and serrated polyposis. Non-syndromic familial CRCs should also be considered as risk factors for MPCRC. Environmental factors can promote damage to colon mucosae that enable the concurrence of MPCRC. Epigenetics are thought to play a major role in the carcinogenesis of sporadic MPCRC. The methylation state of the DNA depends on multiple environmental factors(e.g., smoking and eating foods cooked at high temperatures), and this can contribute to increasing the MPCRC rate. Certain clinical features may also suggest individual predisposition for MPCRC. Different etiopathogenic factors are suspected to be involved in SCRC and MCRC, and different familial vs individual factors may be implicated. MCRC seems to follow a familial pattern, whereas individual factors are more important in SCRC. Further studies must be carried out to know the molecular basis of risks for MPCRC in order to modify, if necessary, its clinical management, especially from a preventive point of view.