Sho Sawazaki

Preoperative evaluation of skeletal muscle mass in the risk assessment for the short‑term outcome of elderly colorectal cancer patients undergoing colectomy

The prevalence of colorectal cancer in the elderly population is increasing; therefore, surgical interventions with a risk of potential complications are more frequently performed. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether sarcopenia has a clinical impact on short-term outcomes, such as morbidity and hospital stay after surgery, in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. A total of 82 elderly patients undergoing colectomy for colorectal cancer between January 2011 and December 2015 in our institute were included in the study, and skeletal muscle mass was measured as total psoas area at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) using enhanced computed tomography scans. The patients were divided into two subgroups, namely those with and those without sarcopenia, based on median skeletal muscle mass in men and women, and the association with complications was analyzed. A total of 40 patients (48.8%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia. The patients with sarcopenia exhibited a significantly higher incidence of total complications (55 vs. 31.0%, P=0.028) and longer hospital stay (25.9±21.2 vs. 18.2±8.5 days, P=0.039). The multivariate logistic analysis revealed that sarcopenia was an independent risk factor for postoperative surgical complications. The short-term outcomes, such as postoperative surgical complications and hospital stay, were affected by preoperative sarcopenia in elderly colorectal cancer patients. To improve the short-term outcomes of such patients, it is necessary to carefully plan the surgical procedure, perioperative care and the surgical strategy using preoperative sarcopenia assessment.

The Lymph Node Ratio Is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Who Receive Curative Resection Followed by Adjuvant Chemotherapy

Background/Aim: The present study investigated the impact of the lymph node ratio (LNR) on survival and recurrence in patients with pancreatic cancer after curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: This study included 189 patients who underwent curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer between 2005 and 2014. The risk factors for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were identified. Results: A lymph node ratio of 0.1 was considered to be the optimal cut-off point for classification based on the 3-year and 5-year survival rates. The OS rates at three and five years after surgery were 34.4% and 28.2% in the LNR <0.1 group, respectively, and 23.1% and 5.8% in the LNR ≥0.1 group, which amounted to a statistically significant difference (p=0.003). The RFS rates at one and three years after surgery were 26.6% and 20.5% in the LNR <0.1 group, respectively, and 8.0% and 0% in the LNR ≥0.1 group, which was a significant difference (p=0.001). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that the LNR was a significant independent risk factor for both the OS and RFS. Conclusion: The LNR was a risk factor for overall survival in patients who underwent curative surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. It is necessary to develop strategies to effectively utilize the lymph node metastasis status.

Safety of Laparoscopic Surgery for Colorectal Cancer in Patients with Severe Comorbidities

Background/Aim: Previous studies have shown that laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery is highly safe and effective compared to laparotomy. However, whether laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery can be safely performed in patients with severe comorbidities remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery in patients with severe comorbidities. Patients and Methods: A total of 82 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery were retrospectively divided into two groups according to whether they had severe comorbidity (50 patients) or non-severe comorbidity (32 patients). An age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index of ≥6 was defined as severe comorbidity. Results: Operative time, blood loss, and rate of conversion to laparotomy did not differ between the groups. Postoperative complications and the length of the postoperative hospital stay also did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusion: Laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery is feasible and safe, even in patients with severe comorbidities.

Postoperative CA19-9 and Glasgow prognostic score to predict early recurrence and poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery.

198 Background: Despite proven benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer patients, earlyrecurrenceoccursinaconsiderablerate. Therefore, outcomeprediction in these patients remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to determine whether Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) and CA19-9 could predict early recurrence in patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. Methods: 67 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients underwent curative resection and received adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine after surgery at Kanagawa Cancer Center between 2007 and 2012.The GPS, CA19-9(measured prior to adjuvant therapy) and other clinicopathological factors were retrospectively reviewed. The GPS was calculated from CRP and albumin as follows: patients with both an elevated CRP level (>0.5mg/dl) and hypoalbuminemia (<3.5g/dl) were allocated a score of 2, patients with only one of these biochemical abnormalities were allocated a score of 1, and patients with neither of these abnormalities were ...

The clinical significance of S100A10 in pancreatic cancer.

194 Background: S100A10 is a member of the S100 family of proteins containing two EF-hand calcium-binding motifs. They regulate a number of cellular processes such as cell cycle progression and differentiation. The objective of this study is to clarify the clinical significance of S100A10 in patients with pancreatic cancer. Methods: A total of 48 pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues from patients underwent curative surgery were enrolled. Double 2-mm core tissue microarrays were made from paraffin-embedded pancreatic cancer samples and examined by immunohistochemistry for S100A10 protein. The correlations of expression level and clinicopathological outcome including recurrence free survival (DFS) were analyzed. Results: Expression level of the S100A10 protein in cytoplasm was categorized as overexpressed or others according to the baseline expression level in normal pancreatic duct. Overexpression of S100A10 protein was found in 9 of 48 (16.7%) cases. Statistical analysis revealed that related factor was dist...