Hiroshi Nakano

Mixed acinar-endocrine carcinoma of the pancreas with intraductal growth into the main pancreatic duct: Report of a case

The patient was a 75-year-old asymptomatic man, in whom a tumor mass in the pancreatic tail had been found 6 months earlier. Computed tomography revealed a mass 7 cm in diameter, and an enhancement with contrast medium was observed at the periphery and partially inside the mass, but not in most parts of the tumor. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed a filling defect in the main pancreatic duct. A distal pancreatectomy was performed because of the possibility of a malignant tumor. The tumor consisted of a lobular invasive growth component and a component with intraductal growth into the main pancreatic duct, and histologically the tumor cells had solid acinar to partially trabecular/tubular patterns. Trypsin (an acinic cell marker) expression was widely observed, followed by the expression of chromogranin A (an endocrine cell marker) in about 30% of the tumor cells. The tumor was diagnosed as mixed acinar-endocrine carcinoma according to the WHO classification.

Splenomegaly in FOLFOX-naïve stage IV or recurrent colorectal cancer patients due to chemotherapy-associated hepatotoxicity can be predicted by the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio before chemotherapy

BackgroundChemotherapy-associated hepatotoxicity is a common cause of postoperative complications after major hepatectomy. Splenomegaly may indicate portal hypertension due to chemotherapy. To identify chemotherapy-naïve patients with liver damage, the splenic volume (SV) and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio (APR) were investigated.MethodsSeventy-one patients receiving FOLFIRI, FOLFOX, or FOLFOX plus bevacizumab as first-line chemotherapy were included in this study. The SV measurement was performed by helical computed tomography volumetry, and the SV index (SVI) was calculated during 6 cycles of chemotherapy. The APR was used as an indicator of liver injury and the APR index (APRI) was calculated.ResultsThe SVI and APRI were significantly higher in the FOLFOX group than in the FOLFIRI group. In the FOLFOX group, the maximum APR during FOLFOX administration was significantly higher in the subjects with SVIxa0≥xa0+30% than in those with SVIxa0<xa0+30% (pxa0<xa00.01). The incidences of grade 3 or 4 adverse events and grade 2 or greater histopathological sinusoidal injury were significantly higher in the SVIxa0≥xa0+30% than in the SVIxa0<xa0+30% group. Interestingly, the SVI was significantly higher in the group with APRxa0≥xa00.17 before FOLFOX than in the subjects with an APRxa0<xa00.17 before FOLFOX (pxa0<xa00.05).ConclusionSplenomegaly due to FOLFOX-associated hepatotoxicity can be predicted if the APR before FOLFOX is 0.17 or higher.

Perioperative Care with Fast-Track Management in Patients Undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy

BackgroundIt has been considered that allowing patients to return to daily life earlier after surgery helps recovery of physiological function and reduces postoperative complications and hospital stay. We investigated the usefulness of fast-track management in perioperative care of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).MethodsPatients (nxa0=xa090) who received conventional perioperative management from 2005 to 2009 were included as the ‘conventional group’ (historical control group), and patients who received perioperative care with fast-track management (nxa0=xa0100) from 2010 to March 2013 were included as the ‘fast-track group’. To evaluate the efficacy of perioperative care with fast-track management, the incidence of postoperative complications and the length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups (comparative study). For statistical analysis, univariate analysis was performed using the χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the two groups in sex, mean age, presence/absence of diabetes mellitus, preoperative drainage for jaundice, previous disease, operative procedure, mean duration of operation, or blood loss (pxa0<xa00.01). The incidence of surgical site infection in the conventional group and fast-track group was 28.9 and 14.0xa0%, respectively, with a significant difference between the two groups (pxa0=xa00.019). In addition, the incidence of pancreatic fistula (grade B, C) significantly differed between the two groups (27.8xa0% in the conventional group, 9.0xa0% in the fast-track group; pxa0=xa00.001). The mean postoperative hospital stay was 36.3xa0days in the conventional group and 21.9xa0days in the fast-track group (pxa0<xa00.001).ConclusionsPerioperative care with fast-track management may reduce postoperative complications and decrease the length of hospital stay in patients undergoing PD.

Long-term survivor of a resected undifferentiated pancreatic carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells who underwent a second curative resection: A case report and review of the literature

An undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cell tumors (UC-OGC) is a rare type of tumor, which predominantly occurs in the pancreas. Due to the rarity of UC-OGC, sufficient clinical data are not available and its prognosis following surgical resection remains unclear. In the current report the case of a 37-year-old female is presented, in whom an UC-OGC of the pancreas was removed and following this, a second carcinoma of the remnant pancreas was removed during a second surgical procedure. At the patient’s initial admission, the preoperative images demonstrated a well-demarcated mass with a marked cystic component at the pancreatic head. The patient underwent a pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. The final pathological diagnosis was UC-OGC of the pancreas and the tumor was considered to have been curatively resected based on the histopathological findings. Four years after the initial surgery, a small mass was detected in the remnant pancreas and a partial resection of the remnant pancreas was subsequently performed. Histopathologically, the tumor consisted of a poorly differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. A retrospective pathological analysis showed a segment of a poorly differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma in the initial resected specimen. Therefore, the final diagnosis was considered to be an intra-pancreatic recurrence of UC-OGC. The patient survived 66 months following the initial surgery and 18 months since the second resection. A meta-analysis was performed in the current study by comparing UC-OGC patients who survived more than two years following surgical resection (long-term survivors) with those who succumbed less than one year following surgical resection (short-term survivors). The characteristics of the short-term survivors were patients of an older age, males, and those exhibiting smaller tumors, positive lymph node metastasis, and concomitant components of ductal adenocarcinoma, as well as pleomorphic giant cell carcinoma. The concomitant component of mucinous cystic neoplasm was not considered to be a prognostic factor. To the best of our knowledge, the patient in the current report is the first five-year survivor following a curative second resection.

The aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio before chemotherapy predicts adverse events for FOLFOX and XELOX regimens including bevacizumab as the first-line therapy for stage IV, recurrent and metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUNDnOxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for colorectal liver metastasis can induce hepatotoxicity, which increases the risk of liver resection. We previously reported that the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio (APR) before chemotherapy can indicate oxaliplatin-induced splenomegaly and also predict the occurrence of adverse events during chemotherapy. Bevacizumab (BEV) was recently reported to reduce oxaliplatin-induced splenomegaly. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether the APR before chemotherapy can predict the splenomegaly and adverse events associated with FOLFOX/BEV or XELOX/BEV in patients with stage IV or recurrent colorectal cancer.nnnMETHODSnWe performed CT volumetry of the spleen before and 12 weeks after FOLFOX/BEV and XELOX/BEV in 63 patients. The incidence of adverse events, haematological parameters, and biochemistry and urinalysis results were assessed during treatment.nnnRESULTSnAn increase in the splenic volume was not observed in the FOLFOX/BEV group, but was significant in the XELOX/BEV group (+5.0% vs. +18.8%, P=0.01). The APR before chemotherapy did not indicate the presence of splenomegaly in the 63 patients, however, it did significantly predict the development of grade 2 or higher adverse events during chemotherapy.nnnCONCLUSIONSnAn APR of 0.15 or higher before chemotherapy did not indicate the presence of splenomegaly, but could predict the development of adverse events due to FOLFOX/BEV and XELOX/BEV treatment.

A rare case of concomitant huge exophytic gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the stomach and Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon

BackgroundWe report an extremely rare case of concomitant huge exophytic GIST of the stomach and Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP).Case presentationThe patient was a 67-year-old man experiencing abdominal distension since September 2006. A physical examination revealed a 25 × 30 cm hard mass that was palpable in the middle and lower left abdomen minimal intrinsic mobility and massive ascites. Since the admitted patient was diagnosed with DIC, surgery could not be performed. The patient received a platelet transfusion and the DIC was treated. Due to this treatment, the platelet count recovered to 7.0 × 104; tumor resection was performed at 16 days after admission. Laparotomy revealed a huge extraluminal tumor arising from the greater curvature of the stomach that measured 25 × 30 cm and had not ruptured into the peritoneal cavity or infiltrated other organs. Partial gastric resection was performed. The resected mass measured 25 × 25 × 20 cm. In cross section, the tumor appeared hard and homogenous with a small polycystic area. Histopathology of the resected specimen showed large spindle cell GIST with >5/50 HPF (high-power field) mitotic activity. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the coagulopathy improved rapidly.ConclusionSince the characteristic of tumor in this case was hypervascularity with bleeding and necrotic lesions, coagulopathy was thought to be caused by the trapping of platelets within a large vasculized tumor mass.

Targeted next‑generation sequencing of cancer‑related genes in thyroid carcinoma: A single institution's experience

Thyroid carcinoma (TC) has characteristic genetic alterations, including point mutations in proto-oncogenes and chromosomal rearrangements that vary by histologic subtype. Recent developments in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology enable simultaneous analysis of cancer-associated genes of interest, thus improving diagnostic accuracy and allowing precise personalized treatment for human cancer. A total of 50 patients who underwent thyroidectomy between 2014 and 2016 at Hokuto Hospital were enrolled. Total DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections and quantified. Targeted regions of 24 cancer-associated genes were amplified by PCR, barcoded and sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq platform. Subjects included 30 patients with papillary carcinoma (PC), two with PC tall cell variant (TVPC), two with PC follicular variant (FVPC), eight with follicular carcinoma, seven with poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC), and one with anaplastic carcinoma (AC). The BRAF V600E mutation was present in 25 of 30 (83%) patients with PC, 2 of 2 (100%) patients with TVPC, 6 of 7 (86%) patients of PDC, and one patient with AC. PIK3CA mutations were present in 3 of 30 (delPV104P, A1046T and C420R; 10%) patients with PC and 1 of 7 (H1047R; 14%) patients with PDC. The TP53 mutation was present in 1 of 30 (R306*; 3.3%) patients with PC and 1 of 7 (Q152*; 14%) patients with PDC. The NRAS mutation was present in 1 of 2 (Q61K, 50%) patients with FVPC. Statistical analysis showed that patients without the BRAF V600E mutation had advanced pathologic T and N stages compared with those with the mutation (P=0.047 and P=0.019, respectively). The BRAF V600E mutation was not correlated with overall and disease-free survival in patients with PC. A patient with PC with a mutation in EGFR (K852Q) and the PIK3CA mutation had an aggressive course with multiple bone and lung metastases. Detection of mutations in cancer-associated genes using NGS could enhance the understanding of the clinical behavior of TC.