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Many types of immune cells appear in peritoneal cavity after abdominal surgery. In patients who underwent laparotomy due to gastric cancer, peritoneal lavages were obtained before and after surgical procedure. Cells were recovered from intermediate layer after Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation and analyzed for phenotypes and functions, especially focused on low density neutrophils (LDN). The number of CD66b (+) LDN with mature phenotype was markedly elevated in postoperative as compared with preoperative lavages. Short term culture of the purified LDN produced many threadlike structures positive for SYTOX, nucleic acid staining, as well as histone and myeloperoxidase, suggesting the NETs formation. Human gastric cancer cells, MKN45, OCUM-1 and NUGC-4, were selectively attached on the NETs, which was totally abolished by the pretreatment of DNAse I. Intraperitoneal (IP) co-transfer of the LDN with MKN45 in nude mice strongly augments the metastasis formation on peritoneum, which was strongly suppressed by the following IP administration of DNAse I. Many NETs-like structures were detected on the surface of human omental tissue resected by gastrectomy. NETs on peritoneal surface can assist the clustering and growth of free tumor cells disseminated in abdomen. Disruption of the NETs by DNAse might be useful to prevent the peritoneal recurrence after abdominal surgery.

Colorectal cancer is seldom accompanied by venous tumor thrombosis, and little is known about the features of venous tumor thrombosis in colorectal cancer. However, some reports show that colorectal cancer patients can develop venous tumor thrombosis and warn clinicians not to overlook this complication. In this report, we perform a review of 43 previously reported cases and investigate the characteristics of colorectal cancer accompanied by venous tumor thrombosis. The histological type of more than half of the cases was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, which is known to be aggressive. Among 41 cases with available data on liver metastasis, eight patients had synchronous liver metastasis, and liver metastatic recurrence after surgical resection was indicated in 10 patients. This liver metastatic rate was high compared to general colorectal cancer. However, 11 of 43 patients with venous tumor thrombosis could survive for more than 2 years after the diagnosis, although five of the 11 patients had liver metastasis. A long survival can be anticipated for patients following complete tumor resection and adjuvant chemotherapy. A greater accumulation of cases will help elucidate the characteristics of colorectal cancer with venous tumor thrombosis and improve the treatment strategy.

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy has been performed as a standard therapy for advanced low rectal cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been reported to contribute to resistance to treatment and patient prognosis. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) and cluster of differentiation (CD133) are putative markers for CSCs. However, their prognostic ability remains unknown, and evaluation of a single marker can be insufficient due to the heterogeneity of cancer. LGR5 and CD133 expression was immunohistochemically evaluated in surgical specimens of 56 patients who received curative resection following chemoradiotherapy for advanced low rectal cancer. In addition, the correlations between their expression levels, and clinicopathological features and patient prognosis were asessed. LGR5 expression was significantly correlated with lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastasis, and tumor node metastasic (TNM) stage. CD133 expression was significantly correlated with vascular invasion and the tumor regression grade. Combined expression was significantly correlated with lymphatic invasion, tumor regression grade and TNM stage, but not with overall, and disease-free survival. LGR5 and CD133 expressions may represent useful markers associated with tumor progression and resistance to chemoradiotherapy in patients with low rectal cancer. Furthermore, combined expression of these markers may be a more useful marker compared with the expression of each single marker.

Metastases to the colon are rare and a high-frequency primary region is the stomach. In cases of metastases to the colon, the morphological type of the metastatic region is mostly the infiltrating type of poorly differentiated or undifferentiated adenocarcinoma with lymph and blood vessel invasion. A case of cancer metastasis to the transverse colon that originated from advanced gastric cancer, which shows the difficulties in the precise diagnosis of metastases to the colon, is presented. In the present case, the gastric carcinoma was determined to be an advanced infiltrative ulcerative adenocarcinoma and the colon carcinoma was determined to be a superficial depressed adenocarcinoma. After surgery, the colon carcinoma was diagnosed as a metastatic adenocarcinoma from gastric adenocarcinoma with high invasion of vessels, by immunohistopathological analysis of CK7, CK20, p53 and HER-2. In this report, previously reported cases of metastases to the colon from gastric cancer were reviewed and their morphological characteristics were analyzed. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Quantum entanglement in magnetic materials is expected to yield a quantum spin liquid (QSL), in which strong quantum fluctuations prevent magnetic ordering even at zero temperature. This topic has been one of the primary focuses of condensed-matter science since Anderson first proposed the resonating valence bond state in a certain spin-1/2 frustrated magnet in 1973. Since then, several candidate materials featuring frustration, such as triangular and kagome lattices, have been reported to exhibit liquid-like behavior. However, the mechanisms that stabilize the liquid-like states have remained elusive. Here, we present a QSL state in a spin-1/2 honeycomb lattice with randomness in the exchange interaction. That is, we successfully introduce randomness into the organic radialbased complex and realize a random-singlet (RS) state (or valence bond glass). All magnetic and thermodynamic experimental results indicate the liquid-like behaviors, which are consistent with those expected in the RS state. Our results suggest that the randomness or inhomogeneity in the actual systems stabilize the RS state and yield liquid-like behavior.

Background Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is reported to be feasible for screening of colorectal polyps however, its efficacy in preoperative workup remains unknown. This study was done to define our CTC methodology and assess CTC's potential for preoperative examination in patients with colon cancer. Methods A total of 86 colon cancer patients underwent CTC prior to laparoscopic colectomy in our department from February 2014 to November 2015. The location of primary colon cancer determined by CTC was compared with that confirmed during the surgery. CTC was performed just after preoperative colonoscopy for a small colon cancer, we performed clipping during colonoscopy to enhance CTC detectability. We classified wall deformities and compared them with the pathological T stage. Results CTC accurately located all 87 primary colon cancers prior to surgery. No patient experienced complications associated with CTC. The deformity classification correlated significantly with the pathological T stage (p &lt 0.001, Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric tests). CTC provided reconstructed images depicting the feeding artery of the primary colon cancer feeding artery information obtained by CTC facilitated precise lymph node dissection. Conclusion CTC appears to be a feasible and useful preoperative examination modality for colon cancer treatment.

The outcome of gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis remains poor. We treated these patients with intraperitoneal and intravenous paclitaxel plus oral S-1 (tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil), followed by gastrectomy in responders. We evaluated the clinical significance of peritoneal lavage carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels as a biomarker for indication of conversion gastrectomy. The peritoneal lavage of 68 patients who received the above regimen as induction chemotherapy was repeatedly collected via intraperitoneal access ports. Gastrectomy was considered when improvement of peritoneal metastasis was confirmed by a second laparoscopic examination with negative peritoneal cytology. CEA and porphobilinogen deaminase mRNAs were chronologically quantified using the transcription reverse-transcription concerted reaction method. The CEA mRNA index (CmRI) was calculated as CEA mRNA/porphobilinogen deaminase mRNA x 10,000. Thirty-nine patients underwent gastrectomy and 29 patients did not (median survival time, 27.8 vs. 10.7 months, respectively; P < 0.001). In gastrectomy-positive patients, the outcome largely differed according to CmRI values immediately prior to surgery. Patients with a preoperative CmRI value < 100 (n = 20) were associated with a significantly longer survival than those with a preoperative CmRI value > 100 (n = 19) (41.8 vs. 20.1 months, respectively; P < 0.001). A preoperative CmRI value < 100 was confirmed as an independent predictor of survival for gastrectomy-positive patients in the multivariate analysis. The CmRI reflects the response of peritoneal metastases to induction intraperitoneal chemotherapy. It may be a useful biomarker for indicating gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate medication adherence to oral chemotherapy medications and determinants of medication non-adherence to them among gastroenterological cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 117 consecutive, consenting, eligible patients visiting an outpatient clinic of university hospital in Japan. Good medication adherence was defined as taking 100% of the prescribed dose. Medication adherence was measured via self-report. We hypothesized that there was a significant relationship between medication non-adherence and the five factors defined by the World Health Organization: patient-related, socioeconomic-related, condition-related, treatment-related, and healthcare-system/provider-related factors. Multiple logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with oral chemotherapy medication non-adherence. Results: The proportion of patients showing good medication adherence was 56.4%. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the determinants of medication non-adherence to oral chemotherapy medications included having a history of patient-caused treatment interruptions due to worsening of symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 9.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38-66.47), having diarrhea (AOR = 3.25, 95% CI = 1.13-9.34), experiencing pain (AOR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.05-0.55), taking oral chemotherapy medication every 8 h (AOR = 5.52, 95% CI = 1.71-17.81), and diminished sense of priority for medication (AOR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.21-1.63). Conclusions: This study suggests that many patients with gastroenterological cancer were non-adherent to oral chemotherapy medications. It might be necessary to conduct periodic screening and connect patients at a high risk of medication non-adherence to appropriate support.

Intraperitoneal administration of chemotherapeutics is expected for the treatment of peritoneally disseminated gastric cancer because of poor migration of the drugs from the systemic circulation to the peritoneal cavity. In this study, for intraperitoneal delivery of cisplatin (CDDP), we developed a hyaluronan (HA)-based hybrid system in which CDDP-loaded HA nanogels were either physically encapsulated in or chemically conjugated to injectable HA hydrogels. Physical encapsulation enabled sustained release of HA nanogels from the HA hydrogel matrix for over a week. This was a longer release period than that of encapsulated free CDDP, which released 80% of the drug in 2 days. The longer release was attributed to delayed diffusion of HA nanogels from the hydrogel matrix network. The release profile could be tuned by modifying the chemical conjugation of HA nanogels to the HA hydrogel matrix, as well as the type of chelating ligands used to load CDDP to the nanogel. Furthermore, intraperitoneally administered hybrid had significant antitumor activity in a mouse model of peritoneally disseminated gastric cancer, especially for nodules smaller than 1.0 mm.

Purpose To evaluate the advantages of laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer in obese patients. Methods We collected clinical data from consecutive patients who underwent anterior resection for rectal cancer between 2008 and 2015 to compare the surgical outcomes of a laparoscopic surgery group (LG) with those of an open surgery group (OG) stratified by obesity. Obesity was defined as a body mass index >= 25. Results A total of 268 patients were analyzed, with 157 in the LG (44 obese and 113 non-obese) and 111 in the OG (25 obese and 86 non-obese). The rates of complications between the LG and the OG were 18.5 vs. 11.6 % (p = 0.18) for the non-obese patients and 18.2 vs. 20.0 % (p = 1.0) for the obese patients, respectively, without a significant difference. Operative time was longer in the LG than in the OG, but the difference between the non-obese and obese patients was not significant, being 266 vs. 189 min (p < 0.0001) and 260 vs. 254 min (p = 0.96), respectively. Blood loss was much lower in the LG for both obese and non-obese patients, being 10 vs. 435 mL (p < 0.0001) and 10 vs. 275 mL (p < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusions There were no significant differences between LG and OG in operative time or complications for obese patients with rectal cancer, and blood loss was much lower in the LG. Thus, laparoscopic surgery is a safe and minimally invasive approach for obese patients with rectal cancer.

Although the incidence of port-site metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer has markedly decreased since laparoscopic colectomy was first reported in 1991, it still has not reached zero. In colorectal cancer, the safety of laparoscopic surgery, including the low incidence of port-site metastasis, has been proven in large, randomized trials. In gastric cancer, reports of port-site metastasis are extremely rare, but we should await the results of ongoing trials. This brief review summarizes the current knowledge regarding port-site metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal and gastric cancer.

Colorectal cancer resembling submucosal tumor (SMT) is very rare. We herein report two cases of small colon carcinoma resembling SMT (80-year-old female and 67-year-old male), which massively invaded into the submucosal layer and accompanied marked lymphatic invasion and lymph node metastasis. We also reviewed the reported cases of colorectal carcinoma resembling SMT (SMT-like group, n = 70) and analyzed the clinicopathological characteristics of this group compared with typical colorectal carcinoma cases operated at our institution (control group, n = 1723). Tumors in the SMT-like group were significantly smaller in size compared with the control group; the median diameter measured 22 mm vs. 37 mm (P < 0.01), respectively. Histologically, although the tumors in the SMT-like group were small in diameter, they almost all invaded into the submucosal (T1) or deeper layer (T2-4), and the rate of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma or mucinous adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than that in the control group (48.6% vs. 7.7%; P < 0.01). In the subgroup analysis of T1 tumors, the rate of lymphatic invasion in the SMT-like group was also significantly higher than that in the control group (43.8% vs. 15.4%; P < 0.01). Carcinoma resembling SMT appears to be invasive and has a high risk of lymphatic invasion even if small in size. Therefore, surgical treatment with dissection of the regional lymph nodes might be necessary in cases with any signs of massive submucosal invasion. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Background Despite recent progress in systemic chemotherapy, the prognosis of gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis (P1) or positive peritoneal cytology findings (CY1) is still poor. We developed a regimen combining intraperitoneal (IP) paclitaxel (PTX) with S-1 and PTX, which can produce notable efficacy with regard to peritoneal lesions. Surgery after response to combination chemotherapy is a promising option for P1 or CY1 gastric cancer. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy. Methods This study enrolled 100 primary P1 or CY1 gastric cancer patients treated with IP PTX plus S-1 and PTX at the University of Tokyo Hospital between 2005 and 2011. Radical gastrectomy was performed when peritoneal cytology findings became negative, and the disappearance or obvious shrinkage of peritoneal metastasis was confirmed by laparoscopy. The same chemotherapy regimen was restarted after surgery and repeated with appropriate dose reduction. Results Gastrectomy was performed in 64 (P1 56, P0CY1 8) of 100 (P1 90, P0CY1 10) patients. R0 resection was achieved in 44 patients (69%). The median survival time was 30.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 23.6-37.7 months] from the initiation of intraperitoneal chemotherapy and 34.6 months (95% CI 26.8-39.4 months) from the diagnosis of gastric cancer. Postoperative complications included anastomotic leakage and pancreatic fistula, each in two patients, which were cured conservatively. There were no treatment-related deaths. The median survival time of the 36 patients who did not undergo surgery was 14.3 months (95% CI 10.0-17.8 months). Conclusions Surgery after response to intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy is safe and may prolong the survival of P1 and CY1 gastric cancer patients.

Colorectal cancer is an obesity-related malignancy. Adiponectin is an adipokine produced exclusively by adipose tissue, and its concentration in the serum is reduced in obesity. A low serum level of adiponectin is associated with an increased risk of various types of malignancies including colorectal cancer. These facts suggest that the epidemiological link between obesity and cancer may have a significant association with adiponectin. Although numerous studies of colorectal cancer have been reported, the results are conflicting about the anti-cancer effect of adiponectin, and how adiponectin affects carcinogenesis or cancer development remains controversial. Because adiponectin has multiple systemic effects and exists as a high serum concentration protein, the main role of adiponectin should be regulation of homeostasis, and it would not likely act as an anti-cancerous hormone. However, as epidemiological evidence shows, a low adiponectin level may be a basic risk factor for colorectal cancer. We speculate that when the colonic epithelium is stimulated or damaged by another carcinogen under the condition of a low adiponectin level, carcinogenesis is promoted and cancer development is facilitated. In this report, we summarize recent findings of the correlation between adiponectin and colorectal cancer and investigate the effect of adiponectin on colorectal cancer.

The middle rectal artery is a very important anatomical structure in rectal cancer surgery. It is the only vessel that penetrates through the proper rectal fascia into the pelvic cavity, and therefore threatens the integrity of total mesorectal excision. Moreover, it is very closely related to the lateral lymphatic drainage root. The definition of the middle rectal artery is ambiguous, and different frequencies, origins, and trajectories have been reported in various papers. The frequency of the middle rectal artery is reported to range from 12 to 97 %. Traditionally, the middle rectal artery is described as an artery that penetrates the pelvic plexus from the lateral side along with the lateral ligament; the frequency of this lateral type of middle rectal artery ranges from 20 to 30 %. However, the reports that describe higher frequency values also consider another type of middle rectal artery, which penetrates the neuro-vascular bundle from the antero-lateral direction; this antero-lateral type of middle rectal artery tends to be a small vessel, and frequently forms a common trunk with the prostatic artery. With advancements in endoscopic surgery, the knowledge of the precise anatomy of this structure is becoming more crucial for optimal rectal cancer surgery.

We retrospectively evaluated the prognostic power of the preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level in stage IV colorectal cancer patients who had undergone curative resection. The preoperative serum CA 19-9 level was associated with poor relapse-free survival and overall survival on multivariate analysis (P = .035 and P = .023, respectively) and might be a good predictive marker of the prognosis in these patients. Introduction: Carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 is a widely used tumor marker in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, its prognostic impact in patients with stage IV CRC who have undergone curative resection is not clear. We evaluated the prognostic power of preoperative serum CA 19-9 in these patients. Patients and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 173 patients with stage IV CRC who had undergone curative resection at our institution. Patients were categorized into normal and high CA 19-9 groups, and relapse-free survival and overall survival were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazard model. Results: The preoperative serum CA 19-9 level was elevated in 80 patients (46%). The 3-year relapse-free survival of the high CA 19-9 group was significantly worse than that of the normal CA 19-9 group (18% vs. 28%, respectively; P = .026). The 3-year overall survival of the high CA 19-9 group was significantly lower than that of the normal CA 19-9 group (75% vs. 82%; P = .047). Multivariate analyses indicated that elevated preoperative serum CA 19-9 level was an independent prognostic factor for poor relapse-free survival and overall survival, with a hazard ratio of 1.46 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.06; P = .035) and 1.90 (95% confidence interval, 1.10-3.29; P = .023), respectively. Conclusion: The preoperative serum CA 19-9 level is a good predictive marker of tumor recurrence and prognosis in patients with stage IV CRC who have undergone curative resection.

Along with an aging society, the number of elderly patients with colorectal cancer treated with a surgical modality has gradually increased. Our purpose is to verify the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of colorectal cancer in elderly patients. We compared the short-term outcomes of open versus laparoscopic surgery in patients aged 80 years or older with colorectal cancer between 2007 and 2014. Of 150 elderly colorectal patients, 62 patients received laparoscopic surgery, and 88 patients, open surgery. In the laparoscopic surgery group, two patients were converted to open surgery due to extensive adhesion. The amount of blood loss was smaller in patients treated with laparoscopic surgery than those with open surgery (44.0 +/- 86.5 vs. 329.9 +/- 482.1 ml, P < 0.01). In the laparoscopic surgery group, days until oral intake (5.3 +/- 1.9 vs. 7.0 +/- 3.0 days, P < 0.01) and hospital stay (17.2 +/- 6.8 vs. 22.0 +/- 14.0 days, P < 0.01) were shorter. Morbidity (30.6 vs. 42.0 %) and mortality (1.6 vs. 1.1 %) in laparoscopic and open surgery groups were similar. Laparoscopic surgery in elderly patients with colorectal cancer was a safe and less invasive alternative to open surgery, with less blood loss and shorter hospital stay.

We developed a simple, sensitive and specific self-monitoring tool for identifying Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 2 or higher hand-foot syndrome symptoms, which can cause treatment discontinuation, that can be used at home by patients with cancer.Development of hand-foot syndrome symptoms, which is a common adverse effect of several cancer chemotherapy agents, can result in patient withdrawal from treatment. Its early identification allows appropriate modification of chemotherapy regimens and can avert treatment withdrawal by minimizing the impact on quality of life and duration of discontinued therapy. We sought to develop a simple home-based self-monitoring tool to facilitate reliable early identification of hand-foot syndrome, based on the self-administered quality of life questionnaire hand-foot syndrome-14. We modified the hand-foot syndrome-14 to create a simple tool with binary responses ('yes' or 'no') for patients to self-evaluate subjective hand-foot syndrome symptoms daily. We evaluated this tool with 187 consecutive, consenting, eligible adult patients attending four centers and treated with capecitabine, sorafenib or sunitinib for various cancers. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to select the items with the greatest discrimination for detecting Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade 2 or 3 reactions, which indicate the need to modify the treatment regimen. There were four items that were most strongly associated with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 2 or higher symptoms. 'Pain associated with hand-foot syndrome' was the most strongly associated with moderate hand-foot syndrome. For detecting moderate hand-foot syndrome symptoms, the sensitivity was 100.0%, specificity was 94.6%, positive predictive value was 82.6% and area under the curve was 0.98 by a sum of the scores of four-item self-monitoring tool with cut-off value. We present a simple self-monitoring tool that can be used at home with high sensitivity and specificity for identifying grade 2 hand-foot syndrome. In addition, this tool might facilitate self-care.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, including gastric and colorectal cancer, is a major cause of death worldwide. A substantial proportion of patients with GI cancer have a familial history, and several causative genes have been identified. Gene carriers with these hereditary GI syndromes often harbor several kinds of cancer at an early age, and genetic testing and specific surveillance may save their lives through early detection. Gastroenterologists and GI surgeons should be familiar with these syndromes, even though they are not always associated with a high penetrance of GI cancer. In this review, we provide an overview and discuss the diagnosis, genetic testing, and management of four major hereditary GI cancers: familial adenomatous polyposis, Lynch syndrome, hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, and Li-Fraumeni syndrome.

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous and intraperitoneal paclitaxel (PTX) combined with S-1 for treatment of gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer with malignant ascites. Methods After the feasibility of this regimen was first confirmed in an interim analysis in 10 patients, a total of 35 patients were enrolled between April 2011 and December 2014. PTX was administered intravenously (50 mg/m(2)) and intraperitoneally (20 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 8, and 80 mg/m(2) S-1 was administered on days 1-14 every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), the objective tumor response, efficacy against malignant ascites, and safety. Result In all 35 patients, the median OS and PFS were 4.8 (95 % confidence interval [CI], 2.1-5.3) months and 2.8 (95 % CI, 0.9-4.1) months, respectively. The 26 patients who were evaluable for efficacy achieved a response rate of 8 % and a disease control rate of 69 %. Malignant ascites had disappeared or decreased in 18 (69 %) patients, including complete resolution in 4 (15 %), and a negative change in cytological status was achieved in 8 (31 %) patients. The major grade 3/4 adverse events included neutropenia (34 %), anemia (31 %), nausea (9 %), and catheter-related infections (6 %). Conclusion Combination chemotherapy consisting of intravenous and intraperitoneal PTX with S-1 showed acceptable toxicity and favorable efficacy in pancreatic cancer patients with malignant ascites. (Clinical trial registration number: UMIN000005306).

Treatment of perianal and vulvar extramammary Paget disease (EMPD), rare intraepithelial malignancies, is often challenging because of its potential to spread into the anal canal. However, there is still no consensus regarding the optimal resection margin within the anal canal. Between 2004 and 2014, six patients (three with perianal EMPD and three with vulvar EMPD) in which the spread of Paget cells into the anal canal was highly suspected were referred to our department. To evaluate the disease extent within the anal canal, preoperative mapping biopsy of the anal canal was performed in five out of six patients. Two patients were positive for Paget cells within the anal canal (one at the dentate line and the other at 0.5 cm above the dentate line), whereas in three patients, Paget cell were present only in the skin of the anal verge. Using 1 cm margin within the anal canal from the positive biopsy sites, we performed anal-preserving wide local excision (WLE), and negative resection margins within the anal canal were confirmed in all five patients. The remaining one patient with perianal EMPD did not undergo mapping biopsy of the anal canal because preoperative colonoscopy revealed that the Paget cells had spread into the lower rectum. Therefore, WLE with abdominoperineal resection was performed. During the median follow-up period of 37.3 months, no local recurrence was observed in all patients. Our small case series suggest the usefulness of mapping biopsy of the anal canal for the treatment of perianal and vulvar EMPD.

The use of intraoperative colonoscopy has increased alongside progress in the development of colonoscopy-associated devices and techniques, including the colonoscope itself. In the present review, we focus on four circumstances in which intraoperative colonoscopy is beneficial to colorectal surgery: (i) intraoperative determination of a tumor's location; (ii) observation of the proximal colon in cases of obstructive colorectal cancer; (iii) confirmation of the integrity of anastomosis; and (iv) novel surgical techniques that combine laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery. In light of the findings of our review, a combination of colonoscopy and surgery-especially laparoscopic surgery-is expected to facilitate the optimal handling of a variety of colorectal tumors, ranging from benign cases to advanced and obstructive cases.

The requisite for a rigorous preoperative understanding of vascular branching continues to grow in parallel with the implementation of laparoscopic surgery. Three-dimensional (3D)-computed tomography (CT) angiography is a less-invasive modality than traditional angiographic examination. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate branching patterns of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). In the present study, 536 consecutive patients who underwent preoperative 3D-CT angiography from April 2012 to March 2014 were prospectively enrolled. The branching pattern of the right colic artery (RCA) and the intersectional patterns of the RCA, ileocolic artery (ICA), and superior mesenteric vein (SMV) were evaluated. The RCA existed in only 179 cases (33.4 %); the remaining 357 patients (66.6 %) lacked evidence of the RCA. The ICA was detected in all cases. The RCA ran ventral to the SMV in the majority of cases (89.4 %). Conversely, the ICA ran ventral to the SMV in only half of the cases (50.6 %). When the RCA was observed to pass dorsal to the SMV, the ICA also ran dorsal to SMV in all cases. 3D-CT angiography can aid surgeons in identifying and understanding the anatomical vascular variations and intersectional patterns of the RCA, ICA, and SMV. Developing awareness of these variations can aid in the prevention of unexpected vascular injury during laparoscopic right-sided colon surgery.

We aimed to clarify the prognostic impact of lateral pelvic lymph node (LPN) dissection (LPND) for rectal cancer through a multicenter retrospective study using propensity score analysis. A total of 1238 patients with pathological T2-4, M0 rectal cancer who had undergone curative operation between 2007 and 2008 were examined. Majority of the patients (96 %) were treated without preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Clinical background data of the patients treated with LPND and those treated without LPND were matched using propensity scores, and hazard ratios (HRs) for cancer-specific mortality were compared. LPND was performed more frequently for lower rectal cancers and in patients with more advanced disease, and 29 % of the patients were treated with LPND. After matching background features by propensity scores, LPND did not correlate with improved cancer-specific survival (CSS) among the entire study population [HR, 0.73; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.41-1.31; P = 0.28]; however, LPND was correlated with significantly improved CSS in female patients (HR, 0.23; 95 % CI, 0.06-0.89; P = 0.04) but not in male patients (HR, 0.95; 95 % CI, 0.48-1.89; P = 0.89). The results were similar when patients treated with LPND finally diagnosed as pathologically negative for LPN metastasis were compared with those curatively treated without LPND. It is suggested that the prognostic impact of LPND for rectal cancer treated without CRT might be different between sexes, and LPND should be considered for female rectal cancer patients although they are diagnosed as clinically negative for LPN metastasis.

Background: We present a case of asynchronously occurring adenocarcinomas 29 and 36 years after ureterosigmoidostomy for bladder cancer, respectively, at both anastomosis sites. Case presentation: A colonoscopy that was performed on a 69-year-old man because of bloody stool and an elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level revealed a polypoid lesion at the right ureterosigmoid anastomosis site 29 years after the patient's ureterosigmoidostomy. Endoscopic resection was performed, and the lesion was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. Seven years later (36 years after ureterosigmoidostomy), an elevated lesion was detected at the left ureterosigmoid anastomosis site by colonoscopy performed after detection of high CEA levels. Biopsy revealed an adenocarcinoma that was immunohistologically positive for CDX2; sigmoidectomy and ureterectomy were subsequently performed. The pathological diagnosis of the second tumor was adenocarcinoma arising in the ureterosigmoid anastomosis site and invading the left ureter. Conclusions: Diligent long-term follow-up of patients who underwent ureterosigmoidostomy is essential.

BACKGROUND: CD133 is a transmembrane protein that is proposed to be a stem cell marker of colorectal cancer (CRC); however, the correlation between CD133 expression and survival of CRC patients with liver metastasis has not been fully examined. METHODS: CD133 expression was evaluated immunohistochemically, both in primary tumors and synchronous liver metastases of 88 consecutive CRC patients, as well as recurrent lesions in the remnant liver of 27 of these 88 patients. The relationship between CD133 expression and clinicopathological characteristics, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival (OS) was analyzed. RESULTS: CD133 expression in liver metastases (mCD133) was detected in 50 of 88 patients (56.8 %), and had significant correlation with CD133 expression in primary lesions (pCD133) (p < 0.001). CD133 expression in liver recurrent lesions (recCD133) also had a significant correlation with mCD133 (p < 0.001). mCD133+ patients had significantly longer disease-free survival (p = 0.043) and OS (p = 0.014) than mCD133- patients. In addition, mCD133+ patients had a significantly lower rate of extrahepatic recurrence (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients without CD133 expression in liver metastasis had significantly shorter survival, perhaps because mCD133- patients had a significantly higher rate of extrahepatic recurrence.