Motonori Saku

Features of second primary cancer in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: In order to improve the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, the timely identification of second primary cancers is considered to be a crucial clinical problem. Methods: We analyzed the clinicopathological data of 2,250 patients with gastric cancer with regard to both synchronous and metachronous second primary cancers. Results: Of 2,250 patients, 95 (4.2%) had a second primary cancer. Both colorectal and lung cancer were frequently detected, followed by cancer in the liver, esophagus and breast. Regarding the time of detection for such second cancers, 65% of colorectal cancers were detected synchronously, while more than 80% of lung cancers were detected metachronously. The prognosis of gastric cancer patients with a second primary cancer was more negatively influenced by a second primary cancer than by a primary gastric cancer. Conclusion: Since gastric cancer patients may develop synchronous and metachronous second cancers in other organs, effective preoperative and postoperative diagnostic modalities both for second primary cancers, as well as for the recurrence of gastric cancer, need to be developed.

Effective follow-up for recurrence or a second primary cancer in patients with early gastric cancer

Patients with early gastric cancer have an excellent prognosis with low rates of recurrence, but may have an increased risk of developing a second primary cancer. Because the number of early gastric cancers has increased, clarification of both recurrences and second primary cancers is important for the development of effective postoperative follow‐up programmes.

Effectiveness of gastric devascularization and splenectomy for patients with gastric varices

BACKGROUND Bleeding from gastric varices is difficult to control and has a high mortality rate. Recently, newly developed treatments for this serious lesion have been used, but surgical intervention is still advocated by several studies. We report our experience with gastric devascularization and splenectomy and its effectiveness for patients with gastric varices. STUDY DESIGN Gastric devascularization and splenectomy was successfully performed to treat patients with isolated gastric varices (n = 42). The patients included 27 men and 15 women who ranged from 29 to 73 years of age (average 53.7 years). We analyzed the findings of gastric varices using endoscopy, the results of gastric devascularization and splenectomy, and survival after the operation. RESULTS No patient had tortuous varices (F1). Twenty-seven patients (64.3%) had nodular varices (F2) and 15 (35.7%) had tumorous varices (F3). Twenty-five patients (59.5%) had large varices that occupied two or more areas. Twenty-nine patients (69.0%) had varices with a positive red color sign. No major complications during or after the operation were observed, and peri-operative death did not occur. Gastric varices were eradicated in all 42 patients. Survival rates were 97.6% after 1 year, 88.1% after 3 years, 76.2% after 5 years (mean followup period, 46 months). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that gastric devascularization and splenectomy provides satisfactory results for patients with gastric varices that are likely to bleed and that it can be performed even on patients who have had other treatments.

Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the pancreas

Background. In 1989, Morohoshi et al. reported an intraductal papillary neoplasm of the pancreas (IPNP), which was a morphologically distinct, but rare tumor.

Increased incidence of undifferentiated type of gastric cancer with tumor progression in 912 patients with early gastric cancer and 1245 with advanced gastric cancer

Background. There is little information concerning alteration in histologic differentiation with progression of gastric cancers.

Carcinoma of the thyroid manifested as hyperthyroidism caused by functional bone metastasis.

A rare case of hyperthyroidism in the presence of a functioning bone metastasis secondary to an occult thyroid cancer is reported. A 59-year-old womans pelvic bone metastasis was much too extensive and hypervascular to permit resection. An I-131 scan showed striking activity in the pelvic metastasis, which reflected ectopic excessive production of thyroid hormone by a functioning metastatic thyroid carcinoma. After total thyroidectomy, the patient received I-131 ablation and transcutaneous intra-arterial embolization therapy but her metastasis progressively enlarged. Microscopically, concomitant follicular and papillary cancer was found in close proximity to the thyroid. The patient now has vertebral metastases, and her hyperthyroid state still requires methymazole to prevent thyrotoxicosis.

TREATMENT OF SYMPTOMATIC NON-PARASITIC LIVER CYSTS--SURGICAL TREATMENT VERSUS ALCOHOL INJECTION THERAPY

Fourteen patients with benign symptomatic non-parasitic cysts of the liver were either surgically treated, had alcohol injected into the cysts, underwent deroofing of the cyst or in 5, a cystectomy was done. Alcohol was injected into 6 patients and there has been no recurrence for as long as 5 years and 8 months after the treatment. Liver dysfunction occurred in 3 patients given blood transfusion during the surgery and/or postoperative course, an elevated temperature (over 39℃) occurred in one patient. Adverse effects of alcohol injections were minor and transient. Based on our experience, the injection of alcohol is an effective treatment for benign symptomatic cyst of the liver. When a malignancy is suspected on imaging and/or cytologic studies, or when alcohol administration is ineffective, then surgery is indicated.

Transitional mucosa in human colorectal lesions

Mucosa adjacent to colorectal disease was studied mucinhistochemically. Selected specimens were also studied immunohistochemically for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Transitional mucosa, which showed elongation of crypts and marked sialomucin secretion, accompanied by a marked reduction in the normal sulfomucin content, was evident in 96 of 100 carcinomas (96 percent), 18 of 36 adenomas (50 percent), and 10 of 30 metaplastic polyps (33 percent). When considering the appearance of transitional mucosa, not only in the neoplastic lesions such as carcinoma or adenoma but also in the benign polyp, the transitional change adjacent to the carcinoma cannot be classified as a precancerous phenomenon; rather, it is a secondary one. The mucin-histochemical study disclosed transitional mucosa in all the 21 carcinomas less than 1 cm in diameter and immunohistochemical staining for CEA showed no remarkable change in the adjacent mucosa. Thus, it seems apparent that a change in mucous secretion precedes that of CEA expression in the mucosa adjacent to the carcinoma.

Immunohistochemical expression of sialyl Tn and sialyl Lewisa antigens in stromal tissue correlates with peritoneal dissemination in Stage IV human gastric cancer

Immunohistochemical expression of sialyl Tn antigen (TKH2 and B72.3), sialyl Lewis(a) antigen (CA19-9) and CEA was examined in 52 cases with Stage IV gastric cancer, the objective being to examine whether or not these tumour-associated antigens show different expression between peritoneal dissemination and liver metastasis. Stromal type for TKH2, B72.3, CA19-9 and CEA were seen in 14 (50%), 13 (46%), 18 (64%) and nine (32%) cases with peritoneal dissemination, respectively, and in four (17%), three (13%), four (17%) and four (17%) cases with liver metastasis, respectively. The stromal type correlated to peritoneal dissemination in TKH2 (P < 0.05) B72.3 (P < 0.05) and CA19-9 (P < 0.05). In other clinicopathological factors, the stromal type for TKH2, B72.3 and CA19-9 correlated to the undifferentiated type. However, even in the undifferentiated type group, the stromal type correlated to peritoneal dissemination in TKH2 (P < 0.05), B72.3 (P < 0.05) and CA19-9 (P < 0.05). Based on these results, the spread of sialyl-rich tumour-associated antigens into the surrounding stroma in the undifferentiated type of gastric cancer may be associated with peritoneal dissemination.

Mastopathy of the accessory breast in the bilateral axillary regions occurring concurrently with advanced breast cancer

SummaryWe herein report a 41-year-old Japanese woman who demonstrated advanced cancer in the left breast occurring concurrently with mastopathy of the accessory breast tissue in the bilateral axillary regions, which appeared to be metastatic lymphadenopathy. A preoperative examination, including a mammogram, US, and CT, did not provide us with a definite diagnosis of the axillary masses: it was essential to diagnose the masses preoperatively since a bilateral mastectomy with nodal dissection is called for if the right axillary masses are metastatic from a cancer in the right breast. An intraoperative cytological examination from the bilateral axillary masses revealed adenosis with fibrocystic changes in the accessory breast tissue. We therefore performed a modified radical mastectomy only on the left side. The patient was thus saved from an unnecessary mastectomy of the right breast.Based on our experience, we wish to emphasize that the accessory breast tissue should be considered for a differential diagnosis when evaluating the axillary masses in order to avoid over-surgery, especially when a patient has been diagnosed to have massive breast cancer. An intraoperative cytological examination is strongly recommended to reach a final diagnosis in such confusing cases.