Significance of pathological positive superior mesenteric/portal venous invasion in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND： Pancreaticoduodenectomy with superior mesenteric/portal venous resection for pancreatic ductal ad- enocarcinoma （PDAC） is frequently performed with no added morbidity or mortality in case of tumor abutment to the superior mesenteric or portal vein so as to obtain a margin negative resection. True histopathological portal vein invasion is found only in a small subset of such patients. The aim of this review aimed to discuss the significance of histopathological venous invasion in PDAC.DATA SOURCES： For this review available data was searched from PubMed and analyzed. No randomized trials have been published on this topic. RESULTS： Existing data on prognostic factors in histopathological venous invasion by PDAC are limited and recent studies indicate worse survival in this subgroup of patients. In addition, venous invasion in PDAC has been associated with large tumors, involved lymph nodes, perineural invasion and R1 resection. The survival of patients with portal venous re- section but without histologic venous invasion is reportedly better than those with histopathological venous invasion; though conflicting studies do exist on the subject. Some studies also relate the depth of venous invasion to prognosis after surgical resection of PDAC. CONCLUSIONS： Frank/＇histopathological＇ invasion of superior mesenteric/portal venous and R1 resection indicate a very poor survival. Such patients may be given the opportunity of benefit of neoadjuvant treatment.

Radiation therapy for portal venous invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM： To darify bhe efficacy and safety of bhree-dimensional conformal radiotherapy （3-D CRT） for bhis disease and to specify patient subgroups suitable for this treatment. METHODS： Fifty-two patients with HCC received PVItargeted radiation therapy from .January 1995 through December 2003. Portal venous invasion （PVI） was found in the second or lower order branches of the portal vein in 6 patients, in the first branch in 24 patients and in the main trunk in 22 patients. Child classifications of liver function before radiation therapy were A, B, and C for 19, 24 and 2 patients, respectively. All patients received three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy with a total dose ranging from 39 to 60 Gy （57.0 Gy in average）. RESULTS： Overall survival rates at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years were 45.1%, 25.3%, 15.2%, 10.1%, and 5.1%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that Child status, the number of tumor foci, tumor type, transcatheter arterial embolization （TAE） after radiation therapy were statistically significant prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of tumor foci and TAE after radiation therapy were statistically significant. CONCLUSION： The results of this study strongly suggest the efficacy of 3-D CRT as treatment for PVI in HCC. 3-D CRT is recommended in combination with postradiation TAE for PVI of HCC with 5 tumor foci or less in the liver and with Child A liver function.

Relations of proliferative activities of gastric carcinoma cells to lymphatic involvement, venous invasion and prognosis

Background This study was to evaluate bivariate bromodeoxyuridine(BrdUrd)/DNA flow cytometric analysis in detection of gastric carcinoma and to study the relations of cellular BrdUrd labeling indices (LI), G_2/M-phase fraction(G_2/MPF) and DNA ploidy pattern to lymphatic involvement, venous invasion and prognosis.Methods Fresh tumor samples from 60 patients with gastric carcinoma were analyzed by bivariate BrdUrd/DNA flow cytometry. The results were correlated with lymphatic vessel invasion, lymphatic node metastasis, the number of matastatic lymphatic nodes, and venous invasion. Propidium iodide (PI) was used as a fluorescent probe for total cellular DNA, and a monoclonal antibody against BrdUrd was used as a probe for BrdUrd incorporated into DNA. Fluorescent-labeled goat anti-mouse antibody was used as a second antibody. S-phase fractions were measured by in vitro BrdUrd labeling, and DNA ploidy and G_2/MPF were also measured. Comparison of survival was performed with the log-rank test, the Chi-square test for qualitative data, and Student’s t test for quantu data. Results BrdUrd LI and G_2/MPF values were significantly higher in tumors with lymphatic vessel invasion than in those without invasion respectively (P<0.01); the patients who had tumors with lymphatic vessel invasion showed a significantly poor prognosis (P<0.01). Both BrdUrd LI and G_2/MPF values were significantly higher in tumors with lymphatic node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P<0.01). A statistical significant difference was noted in the 5-year survival rates between the patients with lymph node metastasis and those without metastasis. Compared with diploid carcinoma, the incidence of lymph node metastasis was significantly higher in aneuploid carcinoma (P<0.05), and the patients with aneuploid carcinoma showed a significantly poor prognosis (P<0.05). BrdUrd LI was significantly higher in patients with more than 5 metastatic lymph nodes than those with 1-4 metastatic lymph nodes (P<0.05) and those without metastasis (P<0.01). G_2/MPF values in those patients either with more than 5 metastatic lymph nodes or 1-4 metastatic lymph nodes were higher than those without metastasis (P<0.01 and P<0.05). A statistical significance was seen in the 5-year survival rates among the patients with no metastatic lymph node, 1-4 metastatic nodes and more than 5 metastatic nodes (P<0.01). G_2/MPF values were significantly higher in patients with venous invasion than in those without invasion (P<0.01).Conclusions Positive correlations exist between cellular BrdUrd LI, G_2/MPF with lymphatic involvement and prognosis, and DNA aneuploid with lymphatic involvement and prognosis. The same was true between G_2/MPF value and venous invasion in gastric carcinoma.

Optimal treatment for Siewert type Ⅱ and Ⅲ adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction: A retrospective cohort study with long-term follow-up

AIM To determine the optimal treatment strategy for Siewert type Ⅱ and?Ⅲ?adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 83 patients with Siewert type?Ⅱ?and?Ⅲ?adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and calculated both an index of estimated benefit from lymph node dissection for each lymph node(LN) station and a lymph node ratio(LNR: ratio of number of positive lymph nodes to the total number of dissected lymph nodes). We used Cox proportional hazard models to clarify independent poor prognostic factors. The median duration of observation was 73 mo.RESULTS Indices of estimated benefit from LN dissection were as follows, in descending order: lymph nodes(LN) along the lesser curvature, 26.5; right paracardial LN, 22.8; left paracardial LN, 11.6; LN along the left gastric artery, 10.6. The 5-year overall survival(OS) rate was 58%. Cox regression analysis revealed that vigorous venous invasion(v2, v3)(HR = 5.99; 95%CI: 1.71-24.90) and LNR of > 0.16(HR = 4.29, 95%CI: 1.79-10.89) were independent poor prognostic factors for OS.CONCLUSION LN along the lesser curvature, right and left paracardial LN, and LN along the left gastric artery should be dissected in patients with Siewert type?Ⅱ?or?Ⅲ?adenoca rcinoma of the esophagogastric junction. Patients with vigorous venous invasion and LNR of > 0.16 should be treated with aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy to improve survival outcomes.

Prognostic factors of T4 gastric cancer patients undergoing potentially curative resection

AIM:To investigate the prognostic factors of T4 gastric cancer patients without distant metastasis who could undergo potentially curative resection. METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 71 consecutive patients diagnosed with T4 gastric cancer and who underwent curative gastrectomy at our institutions.The clinicopathological factors that could be associated with overall survival were evaluated.The cumulative survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method,and univariate comparisons between the groups were performed using the log-rank test.Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazard model and a step-wise procedure. RESULTS:The study patients comprised 53 men (74.6%)and 18 women(25.4%)aged 39-89 years (mean,68.9 years).Nineteen patients(26.8%)had postoperative morbidity:pancreatic fistula developed in 6 patients(8.5%)and was the most frequent complication,followed by anastomosis stricture in 5 patients (7.0%).During the follow-up period,28 patients(39.4%)died because of gastric cancer recurrence,and 3(4.2%) died because of another disease or accident.For all patients,the estimated overall survival was 34.1%at 5 years.Univariate analyses identified the following statistically significant prognostic factors in T4 gastric cancer patients who underwent potentially curative resection: peritoneal washing cytology(P<0.01),number of metastatic lymph nodes(P<0.05),and venous invasion(P <0.05).In multivariate analyses,only peritoneal washing cytology was identified as an independent prognostic factor(HR=3.62,95%CI=1.37-9.57)for longterm survival. CONCLUSION:Positive peritoneal washing cytology was the only independent poor prognostic factor for T4 gastric cancer patients who could be treated with potentially curative resection.

Predictive factors for early distant metastasis after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer

BACKGROUND Distant relapse is the leading cause of cancer-related death in locally advanced rectal cancer.Neoadjuvant chemoradiation(NACRT)followed by surgery inevitably delays delivery of systemic treatment.Some patients show early distant metastasis before systemic treatment.AIM To identify the most effective treatments.We investigated prognostic factors for distant metastasis,especially early distant metastasis,using the standard treatment paradigm to identify the most effective treatments according to recurrence risk.METHODS From January 2015 through December 2019,rectal cancer patients who underwent NACRT for having clinical T 3-4 or clinical N 1-2 disease according to the 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system were included.Radiotherapy was delivered to the whole pelvis with concomitant chemotherapy.Patients received surgery 6-8 wk after completion of NACRT.Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered at the physician’s discretion.RESULTS A total of 127 patients received NACRT.Ninety-three patients(73.2%)underwent surgery.The R0 resection rate was 89.2%in all patients.Pathologic tumor and node downstaging rates were 41.9%and 76.3%.Half the patients(n=69)received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery.The 3-year distant metastasis-free survival(DMFS)and overall survival(OS)rates were 81.7%and 83.5%.On univariate analyses,poorly differentiated tumors,>5 cm,involvement of mesorectal fascia(MRF),or presence of extramural involvement(EMVI)were associated with worse DMFS and OS.Five patients showed distant metastasis at their first evaluation after NACRT.Patients with early distant metastasis were more likely to have poorly differentiated tumor(P=0.025),tumors with involved MRF(P=0.002),and EMVI(P=0.012)than those who did not.CONCLUSION EMVI,the involvement of MRF,and poor histologic grade were associated with early distant metastasis.In order to control distant metastasis and improve treatment outcome,selective use of neoadjuvant treatment according to individualized risk factors is necessary.Future studies are required to determine effective treatment strategies for patients at high risk for distant metastasis.

Self-expanding metal stent placement and pathological alterations among obstructive colorectal cancer cases

BACKGROUND Experimental studies suggest that self-expanding metal stents(SEMSs)enhance the aggressive behavior of obstructive colorectal cancer.The influence of SEMS placement on pathological alterations remains to be elucidated.AIM To determine whether SEMS placement is associated with molecular or pathological features of colorectal carcinoma tissues.METHODS Using a nonbiased molecular pathological epidemiology database of patients with obstructive colorectal cancers,we examined the association of SEMS placement with molecular or pathological features,including tumor size,histological type,American Joint Committee on Cancer(AJCC)-pTNM stage,and mutation statuses in colorectal cancer tissues compared with the use of transanal tubes.A multivariable logistic regression model was used to adjust for potential confounders.RESULTS SEMS placement was significantly associated with venous invasion(P<0.01),but not with the other features examined,including tumor size,disease stage,mutation status,and lymphatic invasion.In both the univariable and multivariable models with adjustment for potential factors including tumor location,histological type,and AJCC-pT stage,SEMS placement was significantly associated with severe venous invasion(P<0.01).For the outcome category of severe venous invasion,the multivariable odds ratio for SEMS placement relative to transanal tube placement was 19.4(95%confidence interval:5.24–96.2).No significant differences of disease-free survival and overall survival were observed between SEMS and transanal tube groups.CONCLUSION SEMS placement might be associated with severe venous invasion in colorectal cancer tissue,providing an impetus for further investigations on the pathological alterations by SEMSs in colorectal cancer development.

Ultrasound-guided cannulation of the internal jugular vein in robotic cardiac surgery

Background Robotic assisted minimally invasive cardiac sugery is a new technique that uses small port sites and peripheral vessel cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass （CPB） has been used. The right internal jugular vein （IJV） is commonly used for intraoperative venous access to the central circulation and identified with an external landmark. Previous studies have demonstrated the superiority of ultrasound guidance over external landmark technique in anaesthetic and intensive care settings. The aim of the present study was to delineate the utility of ultrasound-guided cannulation of the IJV during establishment of peripheral CPB in robotic cardiac surgery. Methods We prospectively studied 296 adult patients undergoing ultrasound-guided right IJV cannulation during establishment of peripheral CPB in robotic cardiac surgery at our institute from January 2007 to October 2012 （ultrasound group）. The success rate, the first attempt success rate, access time and the complication rate of ultrasound-guided method were compared with the landmark-guided method used for 302 historical control patients （landmark group）. Results In the ultrasound group, 296 consecutive adult patients underwent ultrasound-guided right IJV cannulation during establishment of peripheral CPB in robotic cardiac surgery. In the landmark group, 302 patients underwent right IJV cannulation using the landmark-guided technique. The success rate and the first attempt success rate in the ultrasound group were significantly higher than that in the landmark group （100% vs. 88.1%, P 〈0.000 and 98.6% vs. 38.4%, P 〈0.000）. Average access time in the ultrasound group was shorter than that in the landmark group （（6.3＋13.6） seconds; interquartile range （4-62） seconds vs. （44.5＋129.5） seconds; interquartile range （5-986） seconds）. The complication rate in the ultrasound group was significantly lower than that in the landmark group （0.3% vs. 8.3%, P 〈0.000）. Conclusion Compared with the landmark-guided approach, ultrasound-guided cannulation of the right IJV significantly improves success rate, decreases access time and reduces complication rate during establishment of peripheral CPB in robotic cardiac surgery.