Hiroyuki Watanabe

Synchronous gastric tumors associated with esophageal cancer: A retrospective study of twenty-four patients

OBJECTIVES Synchronous gastric tumors (including benign and secondary tumors) associated with esophageal cancer present diagnostic and therapeutic issues. We investigated this synchronous association, and retrospectively determined the frequency of the gastric tumors and the clinical characteristics. METHODS In a series of 208 patients with esophageal cancer, we investigated the synchronous gastric tumors, as well as the frequency of association, clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and the clinical outcome after surgery. RESULTS Twenty-eight gastric tumors were found in 24 patients. Adenocarcinoma was most frequent. Most of these tumors were located at the upper or middle third of the stomach. Eight gastric tumors in six patients could not be detected preoperatively. Six of these tumors including a gastric remnant cancer were detected in the resected stomach, and two leiomyomas were detected during the operation. In one patient in which an endoscope could not pass through the esophagus, a leiomyoma was detected in the resected stomach. For the gastric cancers, total gastrectomy or proximal gastrectomy with lymph node dissections was performed. For the benign tumors, partial resection of the stomach was performed, and endoscopic resection was performed preoperatively for an adenoma. In both the postoperative hospital mortality rate and the survival rate after surgery, there were no significant differences between the patients with and without gastric tumors. CONCLUSIONS Synchronous gastric tumors associated with esophageal cancer are not rare. When an endoscope cannot pass through the esophagus before surgery, other techniques must be performed to explore the stomach. For these patients, surgical treatment should be adapted positively.

RERESECTION FOR LOCAL RECURRENCE OF RECTAL CANCER

Local recurrence is one of the major reasons that rectal cancer surgery is unsuccessful. The aim of this study was to investigate the surgical characteristics of patients undergoing reresection for local recurrence of rectal cancer. A total of nine patients were enrolled in this study, six of whom underwent total pelvic exenteration, one, posterior exenteration, one, abdominoperineal resection with sacral resection, and one, lymph node dissection alone. The mean operative time was 8h 15min, and the mean operative blood loss was 2 325 ml. Although major postoperative complications occurred in four patients (44%), there were no postoperative or hospital deaths. Lateral lymph node metastasis was detected in all four patients whose lateral lymph nodes were dissected or extirpated at the reresection. Two patients survived for more than 5 years without rerecurrence, and the cumulative 5-year survival rate was 26%. The para-aortic lymph nodes were the most common site of first rerecurrence. The results of this study indicate that patients who undergo reresection for local recurrence of rectal cancer are at high risk of developing lateral or para-aortic nodal metastasis. Nevertheless, reresection may be a therapeutic option for the local recurrence of rectal cancer.

A Case of Pill-Induced Esophagitis With Mucosal Dissection

With the advance of gastrointestinal endoscopy, pill-induced esophagitis has been detected more frequently, but the association of mucosal dissection is rare. We reported a case of pill-induced esophagitis associated with mucosal dissection. A 66-year-old male with combined valvular heart disease was admitted for cardiac surgery. Cefotiam hydrochloride tablet was administered for postoperative wound infection of cardiac surgery. Next morning severe odynophagia and retrosternal pain were occurred. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy performed 2 days after onset of the symptom showed detached mucosa at the upper thoracic esophagus and acute esophagitis at middle and lower thoracic esophagus. Histological examination of the mucosa revealed that the esophageal mucosa was detached from the lamina propria. After the treatment for esophagitis, almost normal esophageal mucosa covered the esophagus without scarring or stricture. The present case was diagnosed as cefotiam hydrochloride tablet induced esophagitis because of the onset of this disease. Mucosal dissection of the esophagus may be associated with both the esophagitis and bleeding tendencies caused by anticoagulant therapy.

Four resections for hepatic metastasis from gastric cancer: histochemical analysis of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis.

Abstract: In a patient with gastric cancer (GC) associated with one synchronous and three metachronous hepatic metastases (HM), who underwent four hepatectomies, we carried out histochemical investigations regarding cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis in the GC and HM. Tissue samples were taken from the primary GC and four HM. Ki-67 immunostaining was performed to evaluate cell proliferation and determine the labeling index (Ki-67 LI; ie, the percentage of cancer cells with nuclei stained for Ki-67). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) was performed to evaluate apoptosis and determine the apoptotic index (ie, the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells), and immunostaining for factor VIII-related antigen was performed to evaluate angiogenesis and measure microvessel density (MVD). The Ki-67 LI was 43.2% in the primary GC and 39.9% in the synchronous HM, and the LI increased with the number of resections of metachronous HM. The apoptotic index was 3.36% in the primary GC, and 5.30% in the synchronous HM, and the index decreased after further resections of the metachronous HM. The MVD was 35 in the primary GC, and 22 in the synchronous HM, and it increased with the number of resections of metachronous HM. The primary GC in this patient may have strongly influenced the growth of HM through effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis.

Synchronous gastric tumors associated with esophageal cancer

Objective:Synchronous gastric tumors (including benign and secondary tumors) associated with esophageal cancer present diagnostic and therapeutic issues. We investigated this synchronous association, and retrospectively determined the frequency of the gastric tumors and the clinical characteristics.Methods:In a series of 208 patients with esophageal cancer, we investigated the synchronous gastric tumors, as well as the frequency of association, clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and the clinical outcome after surgery.Results:Twenty-eight gastric tumors were found in 24 patients. Adenocarcinoma was most frequent. Most of these tumors were located at the upper or middle third of the stomach. Eight gastric tumors in six patients could not be detected preoperatively. Six of these tumors including a gastric remnant cancer were detected in the resected stomach, and two leiomyomas were detected during the operation. In one patient in which an endoscope could not pass through the esophagus, a leiomyoma was detected in the resected stomach. For the gastric cancers, total gastrectomy or proximal gastrectomy with lymph node dissections was performed. For the benign tumors, partial resection of the stomach was performed, and endoscopic resection was performed preoperatively for an adenoma. In both the postoperative hospital mortality rate and the survival rate after surgery, there were no significant differences between the patients with and without gastric tumors.Conclusions:Synchronous gastric tumors associated with esophageal cancer are not rare. When an endoscope cannot pass through the esophagus before surgery, other techniques must be performed to explore the stomach. For these patients, surgical treatment should be adapted positively.