Current adjuvant treatment modalities for gastric cancer:From history to the future

The discrepancy between the surgical technique and the type of adjuvant chemotherapy used in clinical trials and patient outcomes in terms of overall survival rates has led to the generation of different adjuvant treatment protocols in distinct parts of the world.The adjuvant treatment recommendation is generally chemoradiotherapy in the United States,perioperative chemotherapy in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe,and chemotherapy in Asia.These options mainly rely on the United States Intergroup-0116,United Kingdom British Medical Research Council Adjuvant Gastric Infusional Chemotherapy,and the Asian Adjuvant Chemotherapy Trial of S-1 for Gastric Cancer and Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin Adjuvant Study in Stomach Cancer trials.However,the benefits were evident for only certain patients,which were not very homogeneous regarding the type of surgery,chemotherapy regimens,and stage of disease.Whether the dissimilarities in survival are attributable to surgical technique or intrinsic biological differences is a subject of debate.Regardless of the extent of surgery,multimodal therapy may offer modest survival advantage at least for diseases with lymph node involvement.Moreover,in the era of individualized treatment for most of the other cancer types,identification of special subgroups comprising those who will derive more or no benefit from adjuvant therapy merits further investigation.The aim of this review is to reveal the historical evolution and future reflections of adjuvant treatment modalities for resected gastric cancer patients.

Glasgow coma scale and APACHE-II scores affect the liver transplantation outcomes in patients with acute liver failure

BACKGROUND:The timing and selection of patients for liver transplantation in acute liver failure are great challenges.This study aimed to investigate the effect of Glasgow coma scale(GCS)and APACHE-II scores on liver transplantation outcomes in patients with acute liver failure.METHOD:A total of 25 patients with acute liver failure were retrospectively analyzed according to age,etiology,time to transplantation,coma scores,complications and mortality.RESULTS:Eighteen patients received transplants from live donors and 7 had cadaveric whole liver transplants.The mean duration of follow-up after liver transplantation was 39.86±40.23 months.Seven patients died within the perioperative period and the 1-,3-,5-year survival rates of the patients were72%,72%and 60%,respectively.The parameters evaluated for the perioperative deaths versus alive were as follows:the mean age of the patients was 33.71 vs 28 years,MELD score was 40 vs32.66,GCS was 5.57 vs 10.16,APACHE-II score was 23 vs 18.11,serum sodium level was 138.57 vs 138.44 mmol/L,mean waiting time before the operation was 12 vs 5.16 days.Low GCS,high APACHE-II score and longer waiting time before the operation(P【0.01)were found as statistically significant factors for perioperative mortality.CONCLUSION:Lower GCS and higher APACHE-II scores are related to poor outcomes in patients with acute liver failure after liver transplantation.

Effect of early preoperative 5-fluorouracil on the integrity of colonic anastomoses in rats

AIM:To determine the effect of chemotherapy on wound healing by giving early preoperative 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)to rats with colonic anastomoses. METHODS:Sixty Albino-Wistar male rats(median weight,235 g)were used in this study.The rats were fed with standard laboratory food and given tap water ad libitum.The animals were divided into three groups: Group 1:Control group(chemotherapy was not administered),Group 2:Intraperitoneally(IP)administered 5-FU group(chemotherapy was administered IP to animals at a dose of 20 mg/kg daily during the 5 d preceeding surgery),Group 3:Intravenously(IV)administered 5-FU group.Chemotherapy was administered via the penil vein,using the same dosing scheme and duration as the second group.After a 3-d rest to minimize the side effects of chemotherapy,both groups underwent surgery.One centimeter of colon was resected 2 cm proximally from the peritoneal reflection,thensutured intermittently and subsequently end-to-end anastomosed.In each group,half the animals were given anaesthesia on the 3rd postoperative(PO)day and the other half on the 7th PO day,for in vivo analytic procedures.The abdominal incisions in the rats were dissected,all the new and old anastomotic segments were clearly seen and bursting pressures of each anastomotic segment,tissue hydroxyproline levels and DNA content were determined to assess the histologic tissue repair process. RESULTS:When the IV group was compared with the IP group,bursting pressures of the anastomotic segments on the 3rd and 7th PO days,were found to be significantly decreased,hydroxyproline levels at the anastomotic segment on the 7th PO day were significantly decreased(P<0.01). CONCLUSION:In this study,we conclude that early preoperative 5-FU,administered IV,negatively affects wound healing.However,IP administered 5-FU does not negatively affect wound healing.

Correlation of neutrophil/lymphocyte and platelet/lymphocyte ratio with visual acuity and macular thickness in age-related macular degeneration

AIM：To investigate the place of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio（NLR） and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio（PLR） in the diagnosis of and prognosis for neovascular age-related macular degeneration（AMD）. METHODS：One hundred AMD patients and 100 healthy controls were included in the study. Blood samples were obtained from the venous blood, which is used for routine analysis, and these samples were subjected to complete blood count. NLR was defined as the neutrophil count divided by the number of lymphocytes, and PLR was defined as the platelet count divided by the number of lymphocytes. RESULTS：No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups under consideration in terms of demographic features（P〉0.05）. The average NLR in the patient group was found to be significantly higher than that in the healthy control group（P〈0.05）. The average PLR was significantly higher in the patient group as compared to the control group（P〈0.05）. As best corrected visual acuity（BCVA） increased, both NLR and PLR decreased（significant negative correlations at 49.8% and 63.0%, respectively）, whereas as central macular thickness（CMT） increased, both NLR and PLR increased（significant positive correlations at 59.3% and 70.0%, respectively）.CONCLUSION：NLR and PLR levels are higher among neovascular AMD patients as compared to healthy control group. NLR and PLR levels were found to be inversely proportional to BCVA and directly proportional to CMT.

Differentiation of true anophthalmia from clinical anophthalmia using neuroradiological imaging

Anophthalmia is a condition of the absence of an eye and the presence of a small eye within the orbit.It is associated with many known syndromes.Clinical findings,as well as imaging modalities and genetic analysis,are important in making the diagnosis.Imaging modalities are crucial scanning methods.Cryptophthalmos,cyclopia,synophthalmia and congenital cystic eye should be considered in differential diagnoses.We report two clinical anophthalmic siblings,emphasizing the importance of neuroradiological and orbital imaging findings in distinguishing true congenital anophthalmia from clinical anophthalmia.

Amniotic membrane welded to contact lens by 1470-nm diode laser:a novel method for sutureless amniotic membrane transplantation

AIM: To avoid the side effects of the suture usage by welding amniotic membrane(AM) to contact lens(CL)with laser.METHODS: AM was taken from pregnant women and cleaned from blood clots with sterile phosphate-buffered physiological saline solution which included antibiotics.Stromal side of the AM was spread inside of the CL and it was welded to CL by 1470 nm diode laser. And 600 μm diameter fiber tip of the laser was contacted with the epithelial side of the AM from 4 separate points. After welding excess amniotic membrane around the CL was cut with a scalpel.RESULTS: Stromal side of the AM was spread inside of the CL and then with laser fiber, different power levels and exposure times were applied on the epithelium of AM and 340 m W for seven seconds was found optimal.CL and AM attached with the spot welding effect in 4points by touching fiber tip. CL-AM welded complex did not separated from each other while holding AM that extend beyond the CL with the help of two forceps.CONCLUSION: As a conclusion, it was aimed in this study to achieve the success of the conventional amniotic membrane transplantation(AMT) with the easiness of applying a CL and to avoid risks and side effects of corneal or conjunctival suturing. The results showed that the application of the CL-AM complex will be as easy as the application of a CL and lasts shortly.

Neoadjuvant hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy plus concomitant 5-fluorouracil infusion in locally advanced rectal cancer: A phase Ⅱ study

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of neoadjuvant hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy(HART)and concurrent chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced infraperitoneal rectal cancer. METHODS A total of 30 patients with histopathologically confirmed T2-3/N0+ infraperitoneal adenocarcinoma of rectum cancer patients received preoperative 42 Gy/1.5 Gy/18 days/bid radiotherapy and continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil(325 mg/m^2). All patients were operated 4-8 wk after neoadjuvant concomitant therapy. RESULTS In the early phase of treatment, 6 patients had grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ gastrointestinal toxicity, 2 patients had grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ hematologic toxicity, and 1 patient had grade Ⅴ toxicity due to postoperative sepsis during chemotherapy. Only 1 patient had radiotherapy-related late side effects, i.e., grade Ⅳ tenesmus. Complete pathological response was achieved in 6 patients(21%), while near-complete pathological response was obtained in 9(31%). After a median follow-up period of 60 mo, the local tumor control rate was 96.6%. In 13 patients, distant metastasis occurred. Disease-free survival rates at 2 and 5 years were 63.3% and 53%, and corresponding overall survival rates were 70% and 53.1%, respectively.CONCLUSION Although it has excellent local control and complete pathological response rates, neoadjuvant HART concurrent chemotherapy appears to not be a feasible treatment regimen in locally advanced rectal cancer, having high perioperative complication and intolerable side effects. Effects of reduced 5-fluorouracil dose or omission of chemotherapy with the aim of reducing toxicity may be examined in further studies.

Prognostic Values of PET/CT Findings and Tumor/Patient Characteristics with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background/Aim: Although numerous prognostic factors have been described for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), there is still a requirement for better and non-invasive markers. FDG-PET is a non invasive diagnostic tool that is being used increasingly in the diagnosis of lung cancer. This study evaluates the prognostic values of PET/CT defined SUV measurements and other patient/tumor characteristics in newly diagnosed stage IIIB and IV NSCLC. Method: This ret- rospective study included 111 patients admitted between 2005 and 2006 with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC, whose diag- noses were verified with biopsy and staging performed with PET/CT. The prognostic values of standart uptake values (SUV) of the primary lesion on PET/CT, and other patient/tumor characteristics were analyzed using survival analysis. Results: SUV was found to be unrelated with survival. Only the presence of distant metastasis, type of metastasis (bone, brain, or the contralateral lung) and the type of radiotherapy used (curative or palliative) were found to be related to survival. SUV values in epidermoid carcinoma were found to be significantly higher compared to adenocarcinoma (16.15 ± 7.18 and 12.32 ± 5.52, respectively, p = 0.021).Conclusion: Our findings do not support that SUV of the pri- mary lesion in inoperable NSCLC has a prognostic value with respect to survival. This condition may be explained by the inclusion of significantly advanced NSCLC patients who are known to have a low survival and a high mortality, and also the relatively small sampling size.

The Role of Ankaferd Blood Stopper and Oxytocin as Potential Therapeutic Agents in Endometriosis:A Rat Model

To evaluate the potential effect of Ankaferd Blood Stopper(ABS)and oxytocin(OT)in an experimental endometriosis model,18 female Sprague Dawley rats were used in this study.The animals were divided randomly into three groups after surgical induction of endometriosis:group 1:control group(isotonic NaCl,1 mL/kg/day,intramuscular,n=6);group 2:OT group(OT,80 U/kg/day,intramuscular,n=6);group 3:ABS group(ABS,1.5 mL/kg/day,intraperitoneal,n=6).Each group was treated for four weeks(two times per week).Volumes of endometriotic explants were measured in biopsy samples for histopathological analysis.Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),monocyte chemotactic protein-1(MCP-1),and tumour necrosis factor(TNF-α)levels were measured in plasma and peritoneal fluid.Endometriotic explant volumes were significantly decreased after OT administration(P<0.0001).The epithelial score was significantly decreased in both treatment groups compared to the control group(P<0.05).TUNEL immunohistochemistry showed more apoptotic changes in the endometriosis foci(gland epithelium and surrounding tissue)in the OT group than in the control group(P<0.05).The levels of VEGF,MCP-1,and TNF-αwere significantly reduced in the OT group(P<0.05),whereas no significant changes in protein levels were found in the ABS-applied group.The results indicate that OT has greater potential as a therapeutic agent in experimentally induced peritoneal endometriosis,where ABS,which is a VEGF modulator,appears to act through different mechanisms to show its palliative effects on a rat model of peritoneal endometriosis.

<i>In vivo</i>effect of 17-β-estradiol, progesterone, hCG and expression of P53 and P21 in endometrial Ishikawa cells

The following article has been retracted due to the investigation of complaints received against it. The Editorial Board found that the first author published the paper without other authors’ consent and approval. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter, and the OJOG treats such behavior seriously. This paper published in Vol. 3 No. 1, 105-110 (pages), 2013, has been removed from this site.

Stenting for the Management of Posttracheostomy Tracheomalacia: Case Report

In patients who undergo prolonged endotracheal intubation, tracheostomy is performed to prevent the tracheal and laryngeal trauma which may be caused by the intubation tube. In this report, a patient who was intubated after a cerebrovascular embolism and required a tracheostomy for 6 months due to decannulation problems is presented. The patient subsequently developed a tracheomalacia. A stent was inserted and seen to provide functional support. Upon removal of the stent, the tracheomalacia improved. Although surgical therapy is claimed to provide higher success rate, stenting may also be a viable option for the management of tracheomalacia and improve the quality of life in patients with good general condition.

Acetabular Development Following Salter’s Innominate Osteotomy for the Treatment of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: Long Term Follow-Up

Aim: To investigate the long term results of the patients followed till the skeletal maturity and treated with Salter innominate osteotomy. Patients and Methods: 85 hips of 63 patients whom were operated by the same surgeon between the years 1985 and 1991 were evaluated retrospectively. 34 hips of 25 patients who did not have enough follow-up or did not reach skeletal maturity at their last radiographic control were excluded from the study. So, 51 hips of 38 patients were included into our study. Mean age of the patients at the time of operation was 3 years 2 months (1.5 - 11 years), mean follow-up time was 16 years 6 months (10 - 23 years) and mean age at the last control was 19 years 7 months (15 - 27 years). Results: The overall clinical results were favorable (excellent or good) in 48 hips (94.1%) according to the modified McKay clinical evaluation scale. Avascular necrosis was evaluated with the Kalamchi-McEven classification at the last follow up and 45 hips (88.2%) had no avascular necrosis. The radiographic results were assessed by the Severin classification system and 10 hips (19.6%) were stage 1a;10 hips (19.6%) were stage 1b;and 30 hips (58.8%) were stage 2. Upon the analysis of our radiographic results according to Stulberg classification system, we found out that only 2 (3.9%) of our patients were Stulberg stage 5, whereas 36 cases (70.6%) were Stulberg stage 1 and 2 (spherical congruency). According to Croft’s classification of hips for degenerative changes, 36 (70.6%) patients were stage 0;6 (11.8%) patients were stage 1;5 (9.8%) patients were stage 2 and 4 patients (8.7%) were stage 3. Conclusion: When appropriate soft tissue balance is provided, the complications of Salter Innominate Osteotomy are decreased and thus, it provides an excellent functional and radiological result.