[Combined laparoscopic-endoscopic procedure in stomach carcinoma]

Function-preserving surgery for gastric cancer: current status and future perspectives

The number of early gastric cancer (EGC) cases has been increasing because of improved diagnostic procedures including endoscopy and screening systems. Therefore, function-preserving gastrectomy (FPG) for EGC with the expectation of better quality of life (QOL) after surgery may be increasingly utilized, due to its association with low rate of lymph node metastasis and excellent survival and the possibility of employing less invasive procedures such as laparoscopic gastrectomy in combination. Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) with curative intent lymph node dissection is a representative FPG that has been used in EGC, and its superiorities, indications, limitations, and survival benefits have already been reported in several retrospective studies. Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (LAPG) has also been employed in EGC of the upper third of the stomach; however, LAPG was found to be associated with major issues in achieving a balance between swallowing and reflux prevention. In patients with EGC in the upper third of the stomach, laparoscopy-assisted subtotal gastrectomy with a preserved, albeit very small, stomach may provide a better QOL and fewer postoperative complications. FPG is recommended as a surgical treatment for EGC if the indication is accurately diagnosed and strictly confirmed; however, these techniques in laparoscopic surgery present technical difficulties to surgeons without a certain degree of skills. Although many retrospective studies revealed the functional benefits or oncological safety with FPG, further prospective studies using large case series are necessary to reveal the value of FPG compared with the conventional procedures.

Metastatic adenocarcinomas of the stomach or esophagogastric junction (UICC stage IV) are not always a palliative situation: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers. Unfortunately, it is often diagnosed at the advanced stage International Union Against Cancer stage IV. This induced us to carry out an interdisciplinary analysis of this patient group with the Department of Internal Medicine 1. Our aim was to discuss cancers classified initially as unresectable in a meeting of the interdisciplinary tumor board after palliative chemotherapy, and to refer selected patients for surgery after establishing resectability. The outcome of the chemotherapy, operation method, complication rate, and long-term survival were analyzed.

METHODS

From 1999 to 2008, 76 patients with metastatic gastric cancer or carcinoma of the esophagogastric junction were discussed by the interdisciplinary tumor board of the University of Erlangen and classified initially as unresectable. The patients then received palliative chemotherapy according to the AIO regimen (weekly high-dose 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid [FU/FA] in a 24 h infusion), plus irinotecan. If the tumor was subsequently classified as resectable, the patient underwent either gastric resection or gastrectomy with DII-III dissection. Metastases were resected depending on their location (liver). Peritoneal carcinomatosis was treated additionally by HIPEC. Statistical analysis was with SPSSS version 20.

RESULTS

Surgical and general complications and hospital mortality were acceptable. There were no cases of anastomotic leak, but one patient died of fulminant pneumonia. The R0 resection rate was 69 %, and four patients had long-term survival of more than 60 months. There were significant survival advantages.

CONCLUSIONS

Metastatic gastric cancer or carcinoma of the esophagogastric junction can become resectable after downsizing the tumor with palliative chemotherapy. Long-term survival is achieved in some cases. Therefore, every patient with this type of cancer should be discussed by the interdisciplinary tumour board after palliative chemotherapy to provide him with a chance of cure after re-evaluation.

Techniques of intragastric laparoscopic surgery

Benign or pre-cancerous lesions and foreign bodies of the stomach not amendable to endoscopic removal often require extensive surgery to address a process that does not necessitate lymph node sampling or formal gastrectomy. These lesions are particularly difficult to address endoscopically when located at the esophagogastric junction as a retroflexed view is needed. From its first description in 1995, intragastric laparoscopic surgery has evolved with respect to both technological advancements and tactical innovations. Here we report the development of four distinct techniques of laparoscopic intragastric surgery which we have developed over time and applied in 11 patients. These techniques consist of a (1) combined gastroscopic/laparoscopic approach when minimal manipulation of the lesion is needed, (2) multiport resection which provides optimal triangulation and allows for resection of more complex lesions, (3) stapled removal of broad-based lesions, and (4) single access technique with the device placed directly through the abdominal wall into the stomach. The techniques expand the surgeon's armamentarium to address more complex intragastric processes safely, while the typical postoperative benefits of minimal access surgery such as fast recovery time and less pain are preserved. As we gain greater experience with intragastric laparoscopic surgery, this technique holds the promise of becoming a standard surgical technique for benign lesions for which it is oncologically safe to perform a limited resection.

Endoscopically assisted laparoscopic local resection of gastric tumor

Background

Minimally invasive procedures have been applied in treatment of gastric submucosal tumors. Currently, combined laparoscopic - endoscopic rendezvous resection (CLERR) emerges as a new technique which further reduces operative invasiveness.

Case presentation

A-57-year-old female patient presented with epigastric pain. She was submitted to gastroscopy, which revealed a tumor located at the angle of His. Biopsy specimens demonstrated a leiomyoma. The patient underwent endoscopically assisted laparoscopic resection of the tumor. The operative time was 45 minutes. Diagnosis of leiomyoma was confirmed by the final histopathological examination. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery and was discharged on the 2^nd postoperative day.

Conclusion

Combined laparoscopic and endoscopic rendezvous resection appears as a promising alternative minimally invasive technique. It offers easy recognition of the tumor, regardless of location, safe dissection, and full thickness resection with adequate margins as well as less operative time.

Differences in the treatment of young gastric cancer patients: patients under 50 years have better 5-year survival than older patients

PURPOSE

In the literature, the manifestations of gastric cancer have been described based on all patients. In recent times, interest has focused on the subgroup of young patients. In the following analysis, the subgroup of young patients (< 50y) is compared with an older reference group (≥ 50y).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Between 01.01.1995 and 31.12.2005, 482 patients with a previously untreated gastric cancer underwent surgery. Fifty-six patients in this group were under 50 years of age, and the remaining 367 patients constituted the reference group. All data were recorded prospectively and analyzed retrospectively from the clinical cancer registry of the University of Erlangen.

RESULTS

The analysis showed that the young patients had a similar tumor stage distribution. Diffuse tumor stages in the Laurén classification occurred significantly more often. The postoperative complication rate was similar, but the hospital mortality rate was significantly lower. The young patients had an obvious, but not significant, 5-year survival advantage in all tumor stages.

CONCLUSIONS

Younger patients can be operated on with greater confidence as they have a significantly lower hospital mortality rate. They exhibit markedly better 5-year survival at all tumor stages. According to our data, there is nothing to support the general belief that young patients have a poorer disease course. Further clinical and experimental studies are necessary to investigate this group more precisely.

Function-preserving gastrectomy for early gastric cancer

The number of early gastric cancer (EGC) cases has been increasing because of improved diagnostic procedures. Applications of function-preserving gastric cancer surgery may therefore also be increasing because of its low incidence of lymph node metastasis, excellent survival rates, and the possibility of less-invasive procedures such as laparoscopic gastrectomy being used in combination. Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) with radical lymph node dissection is one such function-preserving procedure that has been applied for EGC, with the indications, limitations, and survival benefits of PPG already reported in several retrospective studies. Laparoscopy-assisted proximal gastrectomy has also been applied for EGC of the upper third of the stomach, although this procedure can be associated with the 2 major problems of reflux esophagitis and carcinoma arising in the gastric stump. In the patient with EGC in the upper third of the stomach, laparoscopy-assisted subtotal gastrectomy with a preserved very small stomach may provide a better quality of life for the patients and fewer postoperative complications. Finally, the laparoscopy endoscopy cooperative surgery procedure combines endoscopic submucosal dissection with laparoscopic gastric wall resection, which prevents excessive resection and deformation of the stomach after surgery and was recently applied for EGC cases without possibility of lymph node metastasis. Function-preserving laparoscopic gastrectomy is recommended for the treatment of EGC if the indication followed by accurate diagnosis is strictly confirmed. Preservation of remnant stomach sometimes causes severe postoperative dysfunctions such as delayed gastric retention in PPG, esophageal reflux in PG, and gastric stump carcinoma in the remnant stomach. Moreover, these techniques present technical difficulties to the surgeon. Although many retrospective studies showed the functional benefit or oncological safety of function-preserving gastrectomy, further prospective studies using large case series are necessary.

Successful application of laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) for a lateral-spreading mucosal gastric cancer

In the current era of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer, which carries a negligible risk of lymph node metastasis, local resection of the stomach remains an option for these lesions. This is particularly so for a large intramucosal lesion or a lesion with a strong ulcer scar, for which ESD becomes a difficult option. Here, we describe a case of lateral-spreading intramucosal gastric cancer of 6-cm diameter located at the fornix of the stomach, which was successfully treated by laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) because of the expected risk of complications during ESD. In the LECS procedure, the resection margin was appropriately determined by the endoscopic evaluation in detail and by the ESD technique. If early gastric cancer fits the criteria for endoscopic resection but would present difficulty if performing ESD, this is a good indication for the LECS procedure.

[Minimally invasive gastric surgery]

The interest in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for the treatment of gastric carcinoma has increased in recent years worldwide. In particular, for early gastric carcinoma (EGC) many retrospective comparative trials and some prospective randomized trials have confirmed that laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy shows a better short-term outcome in terms of lower morbidity, less pain, faster recovery and shorter hospital stay in contrast to open surgery. In this group of selected patients MIS is safe and feasible but at present not widely accepted because of a limited evaluation in oncologic long-term follow-up. In cases of EGC limited to the mucosal layer and under the condition that endoscopic resection is not suitable, laparoscopic local wedge resection or intragastric resection can be an alternative option with good results in long-term follow-up. The data for laparoscopic total gastrectomy and MIS for advanced gastric cancer have confirmed that both are technically feasible and extended lymph node dissection can also be laparoscopically performed. However, laparoscopic total gastrectomy is much more complex and even in expert hands more complications and a higher morbidity have been observed in contrast to laparoscopic distal resections.

Long-term outcome after laparoscopic wedge resection for early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic wedge resection (LWR) can be applied for the management of early gastric cancer without the risk of lymph node metastasis. Although LWR for early gastric cancer is one of the minimally invasive procedures, its radicality in cancer therapy is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes after LWR.

METHODS

Data on 43 consecutive cases of LWR performed for preoperatively diagnosed mucosal gastric cancer were analyzed retrospectively in terms of long-term outcomes.

RESULTS

No postoperative deaths occurred after LWR. Histologically, resected specimens showed submucosal invasion in 11 cases (26%) and positive surgical margins for cancer in 4 cases (9%). Three patients (7%) showed local recurrence near the staple line, and one patient (2%) died due to the local recurrence, but no lesional lymph node or distant recurrence occurred. The overall 5-year survival rate was 88%. The gastric remnant after LWR developed metachronous multiple gastric cancer in five cases (12%).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings show a relatively high incidence of positive surgical margin, local recurrence, and gastric remnant cancer after LWR. Although LWR can be performed for properly selected patients, periodic postoperative endoscopic examination is necessary to detect metachronous multiple gastric cancer and local recurrences.

Laparoscopic intragastric full-thickness excision (LIFE) of early gastric cancer under flexible endoscopic control--introduction of new technique using animal

BACKGROUND

We have developed a new method for the treatment of stomach lesions in early gastric cancer, which we refer to as laparoscopic intragastric full-thickness excision under flexible endoscopic control. In this procedure, the diseased lesion of the gastric wall is pulled inwards and removed under endoscopy and laparoscopy guidance. A lesion in the anterior wall of the stomach, for which a direct percutaneous transgastric puncture can be performed, is a good indication for laparoscopic intragastric full-thickness excision, similarly to the lesion-lifting method. The purpose of the study is to describe the surgical techniques in the procedure and to assess the clinical relevance of the approach.

SURGICAL TECHNIQUE

Three trocars are used in the normal procedure. To perform sentinel lymph node navigation surgery, indocyanine green is injected into the submucosal layer in 4 quadrants under endoscopy. The periphery of the lesion is punctured with the first trocar (trocar(1)) by the percutaneous transgastric route. The wire of the T-bar is introduced into the stomach through trocar(1). The tip of the wire is pulled into the stomach using the forceps of the endoscope. The T-bar, after passing through the abdominal wall, is fixed outside the gastric wall. The second trocar (trocar(2)) is placed at the subumbilical region in the abdominal cavity to accommodate the laparoscope, whereas the third trocars (trocar(3)) are percutaneously punctured into the abdominal cavity. The indocyanine green-colored sentinel lymph node is detected using instruments positioned through trocar(1) and trocar(3), and the absence of lymph node metastasis is quickly confirmed by pathologic examination. Trocar(3) is repositioned in the stomach by the percutaneous transgastric route. The stomach anterior wall is pulled inwards by the T-bar, and the lesion is removed by several excisions with laparoscopic stapling devices inserted through trocar(3); extraction of the specimen is achieved through trocar(3). The gastrotomy site is sutured using instruments positioned through trocar(1) and trocar(3) under laparoscopy. The stomach surgery is performed under gastroscopic guidance, whereas the intra-abdominal procedures are performed under laparoscopy.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of the introduction of new technique using pigs, we believe that this procedure is useful for intramucosal carcinoma, which exceeds the standard indication for endoscopic mucosal resection, and for carcinoma invading the submucosa without lymph node metastasis.

Minimally invasive and local treatment for mucosal early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Early gastric cancer (EGC) can present an indication for local resection procedures under pertain circumstances. Especially endoscopic mucosal resections (EMRs) and laparoscopic resections or those combined with endoscopy have been made possible in recent years.

METHODS

From 1996 to 2004, of a total of 425 patients with gastric cancer, 58 patients with EGC (13.6%) were prospectively analyzed and observed. Of these, 35 patients had preoperatively diagnosed submucosal infiltration and subsequently underwent gastrectomy and standard lymphnodectomy. Of the 23 patients with intramucosal EGC, 22 underwent local resection. One patient displayed lymph node and liver metastasis at the time of diagnosis and received chemotherapy following staging laparoscopy.

RESULTS

Among the 23 patients with intramucosal EGC, 13 were female and 10 male. The average age of the patients was 77.4 years (range: 69-86). The rate of lymph node metastasis was 12.5% (n = 35) for submucosal EGC and 4.3% (n = 23) for intramucosal EGC. Twenty-two patients with intramucosal EGC underwent local resection (four EMR, six laparoscopic intragastric resection, 12 laparoscopic wedge resection). The average tumor size was 1.2 cm (range 0.3-2.3). The definitive histological findings yielded in all patients tumor-free resection margins without venous or lymphangic infiltration. In 10 of 18 patients undergoing laparoscopic resection a simultaneous sentinel lymph node sampling (4 +/- 3 LN) was performed. There were no metastases detected. Method-specific complications did not occur. The morbidity of this patient group was 13.6% (three of 22). Mortality was zero. The average postoperative hospital stay was 6.5 days (range 2-12). In the median follow-up of 30.3 months (range 1-86) no recurrences have yet been diagnosed. Four patients died within the observation period of non-cancer-related causes.

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive local resection of intramucosal EGC represents a favorable option when strict determination of indication has taken place.

Is there a role for nontraditional resection of early gastric cancer?

Current trends in the treatment of gastric cancer indicate the emergence of a more sophisticated approach, with tailored therapy applied to individual cases. Treatment includes a broader spectrum of therapeutic options (Fig. 3), including EMR, laparoscopic or laparoscopy-assisted surgery, modified radical surgery, and typical radical surgery with lymph node dissections. Precise characterization of the lesions, especially the depth of invasion in the gastric wall, its size, histology and whether there is ulceration, is the key to successful treatment of N0 mucosal cancer. Micrometastasis and metastasis at the molecular level are issues that require further investigation. Laparoscopic surgery may be more widely accepted. The limitations of nodal dissection based on the concept of a sentinel node should be carefully evaluated in future studies. [figure: see text] Many treatment options, ranging from minimally invasive surgery to D2 node dissection, are available to the surgical oncologist who is treating EGC. As more information is gathered, surgeons will be better able to select patients who are good candidates for minimal surgical procedures.