Timing of death from tumor recurrence after curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer

CA19‑9 is a significant prognostic factor in stage III gastric cancer patients undergoing radical gastrectomy

BACKGROUND

Due to the great heterogeneity of gastric cancer (GC), the prognosis of patients within a stage is very different. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the high risk factors for postoperative recurrence and metastasis and take appropriate therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis of patients. In this study, we aimed to explore the prognostic significance of preoperative and postoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19 - 9 (CA19-9) and carbohydrate antigen 72 - 4 (CA72-4) in patients with stage I, II and III GC who underwent radical gastrectomy.

METHODS

A total of 580 patients who underwent curative surgical resection and had not received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included in this study. The relationship between clinicopathological features and recurrence was analysed. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier curve. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine prognostic factors in GC patients.

RESULTS

Among patients with stage III GC, the recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with CA19-9>35 U/mL were significantly lower than those with CA19-9 ≤ 35 U/mL; CA19-9 was always a significant independent marker. CEA and CA72-4 were sometime useful to predict RFS or OS alternatively in the pre- or postoperative period. The only other independent significant factors for prognosis in our study were lymph node metastases for RFS and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for OS.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative and postoperative CA19-9 values are independent risk factors for predicting prognosis in stage III GC after curative gastrectomy.

Development and validation of nomogram for predicting early recurrence after radical gastrectomy of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

After radical surgery, early detection of recurrence and metastasis is a crucial factor in enhancing the prognosis and survival of patients with gastric cancer (GC). Therefore, assessing the risk of recurrence in gastric cancer patients and determining the timing for postoperative recurrence is crucial.

METHODS

The clinicopathological data of 521 patients with recurrent gastric cancer, who underwent radical gastrectomy at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between January 2010 and January 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were randomly divided into two groups: a training group (n = 365) and a validation group (n = 156). In the training set, patients were further categorized into early recurrence (n = 263) and late recurrence (n = 102) groups based on a 2-year boundary. Comparative analyses of clinicopathological features and prognoses were conducted between these two groups. Subsequently, a nomogram for predicting early recurrence was developed and validated.

RESULTS

In this study, the developed nomogram incorporated age, serous infiltration, lymph node metastasis, recurrence mode, and the tumour marker CA19-9. In the training cohort, the area under the curve (AUC value) was 0.739 (95% CI, 0.682-0.798), with a corresponding C-index of 0.739. This nomogram was subsequently validated in an independent validation cohort, yielding an AUC of 0.743 (95% CI, 0.652-0.833) and a C-index of 0.743. Furthermore, independent risk factors for prognosis were identified, including age, absence of postoperative chemotherapy, early recurrence, lymph node metastasis, abdominal metastasis, and vascular cancer embolus.

CONCLUSION

Independent risk factors for gastric cancer recurrence following radical surgery were utilized to construct a nomogram for predicting early relapse. This nomogram effectively assesses the risk of recurrence, aids in treatment decision-making and follow-up planning in clinical settings, and demonstrated strong performance in the validation cohort.

Very Early Recurrence After Curative-Intent Surgery for Gastric Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Recurrence after curative-intent surgery can occur in more than 50% of gastric cancer (GC) patients. We sought to identify predictors of very early recurrence (VER) among GC patients who underwent curative-intent surgery.

METHODS

A multi-institutional database of GC patients undergoing curative-intent surgery between 2000 and 2020 at 8 major institutions was queried. VER was defined as local or distant tumor recurrence within 6 months from surgery. Univariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the predictive value of clinical-pathological features on VER. A regularized Cox regression model was employed to build a predictive model of VER and recurrence within 12 months. The discriminant ability of the Cox regularized models was evaluated by reporting a ROC curve together with the calibration plot, considering 200 runs.

RESULTS

Among 1133 patients, 65 (16.0%) patients experienced a VER. Preoperative symptoms (HR 1.198), comorbidities (HR 1.289), tumor grade (HR 1.043), LNR (HR 4.339) and T stage (HR 1.639) were associated with an increased likelihood of VER. Model performance was very good at predicting VER at 6 months (AUC of 0.722) and 12 months (AUC 0.733). Two nomograms to predict 6-month and 12-month VER were built based on the predictive model. A higher nomogram score was associated with worse prognosis. There was good prediction between observed and estimated VER with minimal evidence of overfitting and good performance on internal bootstrapping validation.

CONCLUSION

One in 6 patients experienced VER following curative-intent surgery for GC. Nomograms to predict risk of VER performed well on internal validation, and stratified patients into distinct prognostic groups relative to 6- and 12-months recurrence.

Assessment of the value of adjuvant radiotherapy for treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma based on pattern of post-surgical progression

PURPOSE

To assess the value of adjuvant radiotherapy for treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma and to investigate subgroups of patients suitable for adjuvant radiotherapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Data from 785 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who had undergone D1/D2 radical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy were collected, the site of first progression was determined, and the relationship between the rate of local recurrence and clinicopathologic features was analyzed.

RESULTS

By the end of the follow-up period, progression was observed in 405 patients. Local recurrence was observed as the first progression in 161 cases. The local recurrence rate was significantly lower than the non-local progression rate (20.5% vs 31.5%, p=0.007). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed a significant relationship among degree of differentiation, T stage, N stage, and rate of local recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Not all patients with gastric carcinoma required adjuvant radiotherapy. However, patients with poorly differentiated cancer cells, advanced T stage (T3/T4), and positive lymph nodes, which included patients in the T4N1-2M0 subgroup, were recommended for adjuvant radiotherapy.

High World Heath Organization Performance Status Is Associated With Short- and Long-term Outcomes After Colorectal Cancer Surgery: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND

The value of performance status is widely used in medical oncology, but the association with surgical outcomes in colorectal cancer has not been described.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between World Heath Organization performance status and 90-day mortality, 30-day mortality, complications, and overall survival after elective colorectal cancer surgery.

DESIGN

The study was conducted as a nationwide population-based cohort study with prospectively collected data.

SETTING

Data from 2014 through 2016 were provided by the Danish nationwide colorectal cancer database (Danish Colorectal Cancer Group).

PATIENTS

All patients aged ≥18, who had elective surgery for colorectal cancer were included.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Multiple logistic regressions were performed to investigate 90-day mortality, 30-day mortality, and complications. One-year mortality was determined by Cox regression, and overall survival was illustrated by Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

A total of 10,279 patients had elective colorectal cancer surgery during the study period (6892 colonic and 3387 rectal). Thirty-four percent of the patients with colorectal cancer had a World Heath Organization performance status ≥1. The odds ratios of postoperative 90-day mortality in colon cancer for performance status 1, 2, and 3/4 compared with performance status 0 were 2.50 (95% CI, 1.67-3.73), 5.00 (95% CI, 3.19-7.86), and 17.34 (95% CI, 10.18-29.55). The odds ratios of postoperative 90-day mortality in rectal cancer for performance status 1, 2, and 3/4 were 3.90 (95% CI, 2.23-6.85), 9.25 (95% CI, 4.75-18.02), and 10.56 (95% CI, 4.07-27.41). Performance status was also associated with 30-day mortality, overall survival, and medical complications.

LIMITATIONS

Only 1 year of follow-up was possible for all patients, and cancer-specific survival was not available.

CONCLUSION

One of three patients has a performance status >0 and is associated with an increased risk of death, complications, and overall survival for both colonic and rectal cancers. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B540.

EL ALTO NIVEL DE DESEMPEO DE LA ORGANIZACIN MUNDIAL DE LA SALUD SE ASOCIA CON RESULTADOS A CORTO Y LARGO PLAZO DESPUS DE LA CIRUGA DEL CNCER COLORRECTAL UN ESTUDIO POBLACIONAL A NIVEL NACIONAL

ANTECEDENTES:El valor del estado funcional se usa ampliamente en oncología médica, pero no se ha descrito la asociación con los resultados quirúrgicos en el cáncer colorrectal.OBJETIVO:El objetivo fue investigar la asociación entre el estado funcional de la Organización Mundial de la Salud y la mortalidad a 90 días, la mortalidad a 30 días, las complicaciones y la supervivencia general después de la cirugía electiva del cáncer colorrectal.DISEÑO:El estudio se realizó como un estudio de cohorte poblacional a nivel nacional con datos recolectados prospectivamente.ENTORNO CLINICO:Los datos fueron proporcionados por la base de datos de cáncer colorrectal a nivel nacional danés (DCCG.dk) en un período de estudio de 2014-2016.PACIENTES:Se incluyeron todos los pacientes de ≥18 años que se sometieron a cirugía electiva por cáncer colorrectal.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE VALORACION:Para investigar la mortalidad a los 90 días, la mortalidad a los 30 días y las complicaciones se realizaron regresiones logísticas múltiples. La mortalidad a un año se determinó mediante regresión de Cox y la supervivencia general se ilustra mediante curvas de Kaplan-Meier.RESULTADOS:Un total de 10 279 pacientes se sometieron a cirugía electiva de cáncer colorrectal en el período de estudio (6892 colónico y 3387 rectal). Treinta y cuatro por ciento de los pacientes con cáncer colorrectal tenían un estado funcional de la Organización Mundial de la Salud ≥1. Los ratios de probabilidades (odds ratios) de mortalidad postoperatoria a los 90 días en cáncer de colon para el estado funcional 1, 2 y 3/4 en comparación con el estado funcional 0 fueron 2,50 (IC del 95%: 1,67-3,73), 5,00 (IC del 95%: 3,19-7,86) y 17,34 (IC del 95%: 10,18-29,55), respectivamente. Los ratios de probabilidades de mortalidad postoperatoria de 90 días en cáncer de recto para el estado funcional 1, 2 y 3/4 fueron 3,90 (IC del 95%: 2,23-6,85), 9,25 (IC del 95%: 4,75-18,02) y 10,56 (IC del 95%: 2,23-6,85) % CI: 4,07-27,41). El estado funcional también se asoció con la mortalidad a los 30 días, la supervivencia general y las complicaciones médicas.LIMITACIONES:Solo fue posible un año de seguimiento para todos los pacientes y la supervivencia específica del cáncer no estaba disponible.CONCLUSIÓN:Uno de cada tres pacientes tiene un estado funcional> 0 y se asocia con un mayor riesgo de muerte, complicaciones y supervivencia general para los cánceres de colon y recto. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B540.

Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Clinical Stages 2 and 3 Gastric Cancer Patients: Analysis of Timing and Site of Recurrence

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to analyze timing and sites of recurrence for patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgical resection is the standard treatment for locally advanced gastric cancer in the West, but limited information exists as to timing and patterns of recurrence in this setting.

METHODS

Patients with clinical stage 2 or 3 gastric cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by curative-intent resection between January 2000 and December 2015 were analyzed for 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) as well as timing and site of recurrence.

RESULTS

Among 312 identified patients, 121 (38.8%) experienced recurrence during a median follow-up period of 46 months. The overall 5-year RFS rate was 58.9%, with RFS rates of 95.8% for ypT0N0, 81% for ypStage 1, 77.4% for ypStage 2, and 22.9% for ypStage 3. The first site of recurrence was peritoneal for 49.6%, distant (not peritoneal) for 45.5%, and locoregional for 11.6% of the patients. The majority of the recurrences (84.3%) occurred within 2 years. Multivariate analysis showed that ypT4 status was an independent predictor for recurrence within 1 year after surgery (odds ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-6.08; p = 0.030).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of the recurrences for patients with clinical stage 2 or 3 gastric cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent curative resection occurred within 2 years. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, pathologic T stage was a useful risk predictor for early recurrence.

Perineural Invasion and Postoperative Complications are Independent Predictors of Early Recurrence and Survival Following Curative Resection of Gastric Cancer

Purpose

To investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic factors related to early gastric cancer recurrence after curative resection.

Patients and Methods

Between October 2006 and August 2018, a total of 149 patients with recurrence of gastric cancer/adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction after curative resection were enrolled from our treatment group. A retrospective clinical analysis was performed on these patients with gastric cancer recurrence after curative resection.

Results

Among the 149 patients, 99 (66.4%) had only one recurrence pattern, and 50 (33.6%) had multiple recurrence patterns. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 18.2 months (95% CI 15.0–21.4). Ninety-four patients (63.1%) experienced early recurrence (recurrence within 24 months after curative resection), and 55 patients (36.9%) experienced late recurrence (recurrence beyond 24 months after curative resection). The univariate analysis showed that perineural invasion (P=0.002), depth of invasion (P=0.026), postoperative chemotherapy (P=0.036) and postoperative complications (P=0.004) were significant factors associated with early recurrence after curative resection for gastric cancer. Perineural invasion (P=0.003), postoperative chemotherapy (P=0.036) and postoperative complications (P=0.042) were independent factors associated with early recurrence after curative resection in the multivariate analysis. The survival analysis showed that perineural invasion (P=0.011) and postoperative complications (P=0.007) were independent prognostic factors. The median survival time of early recurrence patients was significantly shorter than that of late recurrence patients (25.4 vs 62.9 months, P<0.001).

Conclusion

Perineural invasion, postoperative chemotherapy and postoperative complications were independent factors associated with early recurrence after curative resection. Patients with early recurrence after curative resection had poorer survival.

From biology to surgery: One step beyond histology for tailored surgical treatments of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the third most common cause of cancer related death. Although its incidence is globally declined, prognosis remains dismal in the Western hemisphere, while better outcomes are evidenced in Asian countries. Endoscopic or surgical resection with or without lymphadenectomy represents the only chance of cure, with limited improvements of the prognosis in case of associated chemotherapy in a neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting. This could be mainly attributed to the uniform fashion of treatment of gastric cancer, mainly based on the histological features, that usually do not reflect the complexity of the disease. With the recent introduction of genomic technologies and new generation sequencing techniques, gastric cancer biology is now investigated in great details. This has brought to the publication of three main molecular classifications, based on the underlying molecular biology of gastric cancer. Although only few clinical reports are currently present in literature, the identification of gastric cancer molecular subtypes has shown interesting findings that may pave the way to a tailored clinical and surgical management. The aim of this review is, thus, to give a comprehensive overview of the current molecular classifications as compared to the available histopathological ones, also focusing on the potential clinical and surgical benefits and the future perspectives for a more personalized treatment of gastric cancer.

Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis of Upper Gastric Cancer Patients in China: A 32-Year Single-Center Retrospective Clinical Study

Purpose

Upper or proximal gastric cancer occurs in the upper third of the stomach between the cardia and a line connecting the greater and lesser curvatures. As it differs from other gastric cancers in pathology and prognosis, we evaluated patient and disease characteristics that might guide improved treatment and survival of upper gastric cancer.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 649 patients with upper gastric cancer and 1551 patients with lower gastric cancer and R0 radical surgery at our institution between January 1980 and December 2012.

Results

Survival after radical surgery for upper gastric cancer was 77.8% at 1 year, 49.6% at 3 years, and 41.1% at 5 years. The corresponding rates for lower gastric cancer were 85.9%, 60.0%, and 57.2% (p < 0.001). Upper gastric cancer had a poor prognosis. Sex (p = 0.036), tumor diameter (p = 0.001), macroscopic type (p < 0.001), pTM stage (p < 0.001), tissue differentiation type (p = 0.003), and serosal invasion (p = 0.034) were independently associated with lymph node metastasis. The macroscopic type (p = 0.045), lymphovascular tumor emboli (p = 0.021), and pTNM stage were independently associated with recurrence and metastasis. Survival of 333 patients with D2 total gastrectomy was 81.3% at 1 year, 54.4% at 3 years, and 45.2% at 5 years. The corresponding rates for 316 proximal gastrectomy patients were 75.4%, 44.9%, and 36.7%. Radical total gastrectomy had better survival than radical proximal resection.

Conclusions

Upper gastric cancers were more aggressive, had a worse prognosis, and were more prone to recurrence and metastasis compared with lower gastric cancers. Survival was better after total gastrectomy than after proximal resection.

Stage-specific difference in timing and pattern of initial recurrence after curative surgery for gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) follow-up schedule after curative surgery is universally recommended based on the pathologic stage, but their details, including intervals and modalities of surveillance have not yet been standardised. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of GC recurrence by stage to establish optimal postoperative surveillance strategies.

METHODS

Medical information on 5095 patients with GC who underwent curative intent gastrectomy in our institution between January 1989 and December 2013 was reviewed retrospectively. Moreover, 656 patients who had recurrences after radical surgery were identified. Clinicopathologic characteristics, timing and pattern of recurrence, and survival data of these patients were analysed.

RESULTS

Among the 656 patients, 50 (7.6%), 123 (18.8%), and 483 (73.6%) had stages I, II, and III GC, respectively. The median times to initial recurrence in patients with stages I, II, and III GC were 23.5 months (interquartile range [IQR], 13.0-33.0 months), 13.0 months (IQR, 9.0-25.0 months), and 12.0 months (IQR, 7.0-21.0 months), respectively. In patients with stage I GC, more than half (58%) of them had distant organ metastasis; otherwise, peritoneal dissemination (39%) was the most common pattern in patients with stage III GC.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the low incidence, the time of initial recurrence in stage I GC was longer than those in stage II and III GC. Moreover, the pattern of initial recurrence was also different according to the pathologic stage. Therefore, clinicians should consider stage-specific differences of recurrence in setting up surveillance strategies after curative surgery for GC patients.

Prognostic Factors and Recurrence Patterns in T4 Gastric Cancer Patients after Curative Resection

Background: To investigate prognostic factors and recurrence patterns in T4 gastric cancer (GC) patients after curative resection.

Methods: Between January 2004 and December 2014, 249 patients with T4 gastric cancer undergoing curative resection were recruited. Patient characteristics, survival, prognostic factors and recurrence patterns were analyzed.

Results: Our results showed that the median survival time (MST) for T4 gastric cancer after curative resection was 55.47 months, with 59.47 months for T4a (tumor perforating serosa) and 25.90 months for T4b (tumor invasion of the adjacent structure). Multivariate analysis indicated that age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.86; P = 0.006), location of tumor (HR, 1.25, 0.90 - 5.64; P < 0.001) and intraoperative blood loss (HR, 1.85; P = 0.010) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). After a median follow-up of 25.87 months, a total of 109 (43.8%) patients suffered from recurrence, and 90 patients had been observed specific recurrence sites, among which peritoneal metastasis was the most common recurrence pattern, 59.0% for T4a and 88.3% for T4b, respectively.

Conclusions: For T4 gastric cancer patients after curative resection, older age, gastric cancer of the entire stomach and more intraoperative blood loss were associated with poor OS. The recurrence rate after curative resection for T4 was high, and the most common recurrence pattern was peritoneal metastasis.

Regulation of CD44v6 expression in gastric carcinoma by the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway and its clinical significance. Oncotarget. 2017;8:45848-45861. [PMID: 28507278 PMCID: PMC5542232 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.17435]

As a cancer stem cell marker, CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6) has been implicated in carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and metastasis in a variety of human carcinomas. However, little is known about the expression of CD44v6 in Gastric Carcinoma (GC). Therefore we investigated CD44v6 expression in clinical specimen and further explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.

In this study, we systemically investigated CD44v6 expression by immunohistochemistry in normal, premalignant gastric mucosa (low and high grade intraepithelial neoplasia), and GC at various stages. The correlation of CD44v6 expression with clinicopathological characteristics, and prognosis in GC was also analyzed. Next, we investigated cell proliferation, migration and invasion in GC cell lines. Furthermore, we explored a novel mechanism by which CD44V6 was upregulated in GC cell.

The immunohistochemistry results showed that enhanced expression of CD44v6 was closely associated with tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and poor prognosis in GC patients. In gastric cancer cell lines, CD44v6 involved in cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in Next, report on a novel mechanism by which interleukin-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (IL-6/STAT3) signaling up-regulates expression of CD44v6. RNA interference silencing of STAT3 resulted in decrease of CD44v6 levels. We also found that STAT3 inhibitor AG490 decrease expression of CD44v6 by blocking activation of STAT3, even in the presence of IL-6. Targeting STAT3-mediated CD44v6 up-regulation may represent a novel, effective treatment by eradicating the stomach tumor microenvironment.

Influence of Prognostic Factors for Recurrence of Adenocarcinoma of the Stomach

Introduction:

Gastric cancer is the second most important neoplasm in the world. Surgical resection is the treatment of choice for gastric cancer, and recognized by the International Union against Cancer (International Union Against Cancer – UICC) TNM classification of the parameters of the tumor and lymph node. Prognostic factors related to characteristics of the tumor by histopathologic findings have an impact on the planning of the operation. According to the results of most studies it is possible to predict survival and recurrence based on histological type and TNM classification of tumors on the one hand and the surgical procedure on the other.

Aim:

The aim of the research was to analyze prognostic factors that influenced the frequency of recurrence in gastric surgery patients.

Patients and methods:

The five year study covered a population of 100 treated patients of adenocarcinoma of the stomach at the Department of Surgery, University Clinical Center Tuzla. The first group were characteristics of tumors in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Lymphadenectomy and splenectomy, types of surgery were the second group of prognostic factors.

Results:

Histological type and TNM stage of tumor as prognostic factors had a significant impact on local tumor recurrence. The type of surgery had no statistically significant value for tumor recurrence (p = 0.7520).

Conclusion:

Statistical analysis of prognostic factors related to histopathologic characteristics of tumors and the type of surgery gave the results that had an impact on recurrence in gastric surgery patients. The most important prognostic factors were TNM stage of tumor and histological type of tumor that influenced the incidence of recurrence.

Low expression of PTEN is essential for maintenance of a malignant state in human gastric adenocarcinoma via upregulation of p‑AURKA mediated by activation of AURKA

Gastric adenocarcinoma remains a life‑threatening disease, emphasizing the importance of gaining an improved understanding of signaling pathways involved in this disease, which can lead to the development of novel therapeutic methods targeting common molecular pathways shared across different types of gastric adenocarcinoma. The present study revealed phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) and aurora kinase A (AURKA) gene alterations, which were involved in changes in the phenotypes of gastric cancer cells, including increased proliferation by cell counting kit‑8 assay and invasion capacity by Transwell invasion assay, and predicted survival rates by KM Plotter database in gastric cancer. The present study investigated the association between PTEN and AURKA. Western blotting revealed that phosphorylated (p)-AURKA correlated with two target genes, PTEN and AURKA. The downregulation of PTEN by small interfering (si)RNA not only increased the expression of AURKA at the mRNA and protein levels by western blotting and by reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, but also increased the expression of p‑AURKA by western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis. In addition, western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR revealed that the downregulation of AURKA affected the expression level of PTEN. Furthermore, PTEN suppressed the malignant phenotypic changes of gastric adenocarcinoma cells by regulating the expression of AURKA inhibited by p‑AURKA, suggesting that p‑AURKA may be the key mediator of the PTEN‑associated activation of AURKA and may be key in maintaining the PTEN‑induced malignant state of gastric adenocarcinoma cells. This hypothesis was confirmed by western blotting, and changes were observed in the protein expression of p‑AURKA and AURKA under conditions in which cells were treated with either MLN8237 or si‑PTEN transfection only, or with si‑PTEN transfection and MLN8237. Knockdown of the expression of PTEN altered the expression of p‑AKT, p‑glycogen synthase kinase 3β and β‑catenin, which are genes that have been reported to be involved in the development of gastric adenocarcinoma. The present study confirmed that p‑AURKA is important in the development of gastric adenocarcinoma and revealed a novel functional link between PTEN, AURKA and p‑AURKA activation. The results also suggest a novel drug design strategy in targeting PTEN and AURKA for more specific gastric cancer cell death that spares normal cells.

Preoperative lymph node size is helpful to predict the prognosis of patients with stage III gastric cancer after radical resection

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between preoperative lymph node size (Ns) and prognosis of radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

METHODS

The clinical and pathological data of 970 patients undergoing radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. The correlation between Ns and the identified variables for the prediction of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was examined.

RESULTS

Three hundred and thirty-one (34.1%) of 970 patients developed recurrence, which was most commonly in local lymph nodes. The average Ns was 1.52 cm in patients with recurrence, which was significantly higher than the 1.14 cm observed in patients without recurrence (p < 0.001). Patients were categorized into three groups as follows (Ns category):Ns0:≤1.10 cm, Ns1:1.10-1.70 cm, and Ns2:>1.70 cm, determined using the X-tile program. In univariate and multivariate analyses, Ns category, age, tumor size, lymphadenectomy, adjuvant chemotherapy and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors for DFS. Stratified analysis only in stage III was there a significant difference in the Ns category based on TNM stage. Furthermore, in the stage III subgroup, univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that Ns category, lymphadenectomy, and TNM stage was independent prognostic factors for DFS. A nomogram were developed to predict the 3-year DFS rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative Ns is an independent prognostic factor for DFS of patients after radical surgery for gastric cancer. The proposed nomogram combined with Ns could be a simple and effective approach to predict the 3-year DFS of stage III patients.

The prognostic significance of inflammation-based markers in patients with recurrent gastric cancer

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of inflammation-based markers, including the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), in patients with recurrent gastric cancer (RGC).

METHODS

This study reviewed 167 patients with RGC. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the NLR and PNI cutoff values. The prognostic significance of the NLR and PNI was evaluated by a multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The optimal NLR and PNI cutoff values for predicting the 1-year survival after recurrence were 2.2 and 47, respectively. A univariate analysis revealed that the NLR (p < 0.001) and PNI (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with the survival time after recurrence, along with the histology, peritoneal recurrence, carbohydrate antigen 19-9, and chemotherapy for recurrence. In the multivariate analysis, a higher NLR (p < 0.001) and a lower PNI (p = 0.002) were independent predictors of a shorter survival time. Among the patients who underwent chemotherapy, the NLR and PNI were also independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Inflammation-based markers, including the NLR and PNI, are simple and useful clinical biomarkers that can be used to predict the survival time of patients with RGC.

Predictive biomarkers along gastric cancer pathogenetic pathways

INTRODUCTION

Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer all over the world. Unfortunately, several gastric cancers are diagnosed in an advanced stage and chemotherapy and/or target therapies remain the only options to treat patients. Areas covered: Herein we evaluate the new molecular proposal of gastric cancer classification, offering the possibility to recognize different pathogenetic mechanisms and molecular biomarkers potentially useful for target therapies. Expert commentary: The possibility of introducing new specific tests for identification of molecular biomarkers critical for targeted therapies response represents the new frontier in the selection of gastric cancer patients to improve their survival. Besides HER2, already used in clinical settings as a target biomarker for biological therapy in gastric cancer patients with tissue cancer cells overexpressing HER2, other promising target biomarkers which are deregulated in gastric cancer, such as MET and FGFR, could be identified in tissue and then used for therapeutic purposes. In addition immunotherapy represents the most promising possibility of advanced gastric cancer treatment. In particular, as in other solid tumors, PD-1/PDL1 pathway has emerged in several clinical trials as an interesting therapeutic target.

High Infiltration of Polarized CD163+ Tumor-Associated Macrophages Correlates with Aberrant Expressions of CSCs Markers, and Predicts Prognosis in Patients with Recurrent Gastric Cancer

Background: As the most predominant tumor-infiltrating immune cells, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are associated with poor outcome in multiple solid cancers and play important roles in cancer progression. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) may account for metastasis and recurrence after cancer therapy. However, the association between TAMs and CSCs is not clarified in gastric cancer (GC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of TAMs on CSCs in GC and find out the risk factors to predict recurrence and prognosis.

Material and methods: This study included consecutive 236 patients with histologically confirmed primary GC. TAMs marker CD163 and CSCs-related proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in GC tissues and their prognostic values were all investigated.

Results: High expression of CD163⁺ TAMs was found in patents with aggressive characteristics, especially for patents with recurrence. There existed a significant correlation between high expression of CD163 and CSCs-related markers in GC tissues. In patients with recurrence, high-expression of CD163 TAMs was an independent worse prognostic factor.

Conclusion: High infiltration of TAMs was related to aggressive behavior, associated with aberrant expression of CSC markers, and an independent worse prognostic factor in GC. Targeting TAMs may be a potential treatment strategy for GC, including patients with recurrence.

Comparison the sixth and seventh editions of the AJCC staging system for T1 gastric cancer: a long-term follow-up study of 2124 patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

The aim of this study was to establish an appropriate TNM staging system for early gastric cancer.

METHODOLOGY

We evaluated 2124 patients who had undergone gastrectomy for early gastric cancer between 1989 and 2001.

RESULTS

Using the seventh edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system, we found no significant differences in tumor recurrence and survival between N1 and N2 cancers or between N3a and N3b cancers, whereas the survival curves for N2 and N3 cancers were quite different. Similarly, using the classification in the sixth edition of the AJCC staging system, we found no significant difference in survival between the N2 and N3 cancer groups, whereas the survival curves for N1 versus N2 or N3 cancers were quite different.

CONCLUSIONS

The classifications in the sixth and seventh editions of the AJCC staging system have a limitation for T1 gastric cancer (early gastric cancer).

Clinical outcomes of recurrent gastric cancer detected by upper endoscopy after curative total gastrectomy

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Endoscopically detected tumor recurrence after curative total gastrectomy is very rare. We reviewed the clinicopathological and endoscopic findings together with the clinical outcomes of these patients.

METHODS

Seventeen patients with recurrent gastric cancer detected by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy who underwent curative total gastrectomy between January 1990 and May 2011 at the Asan Medical Center were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Of the 17 patients, 5 were resectable at the time of diagnosis of recurrence and 12 were unresectable. The median interval between total gastrectomy and diagnosis of recurrence was 20.2 months (interquartile range 12.4-42.1 months). The tumors were located in the anastomotic area in 8 patients, in the proximal part of the afferent or efferent loop in 7, and in the stump of the afferent loop in 2 patients. With regard to the endoscopic findings, a mass was found in 8 cases, an ulcer in 2, stricture in 4, and nodularities in 3. Operations were performed in 3 patients, chemotherapy in 10 (including 2 receiving adjuvant chemotherapy), and conservative management in 6. Fourteen patients died from progression of the disease and the median survival period from recurrence for all 17 patients was 5.3 months (interquartile range 1.2-7.7 months).

CONCLUSIONS

Local recurrence of gastric cancer detected by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy after curative total gastrectomy has a poor prognosis.

Early gastric cancer metastasizing to the rectum, possibly via a hematogenous route: a case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

The most common pattern of recurrence of gastric cancer (GC) is peritoneal dissemination. However, rectal metastasis via hematogenous or lymphatic spread is exceedingly rare. We present a case of a 65-year-old man with an intramucosal GC who developed a rectal recurrence, possibly via a hematogenous route.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 65-year-old man underwent curative endoscopic submucosal dissections for the intramucosal GCs at the anterior wall of the fornix twice. The third GC at the similar location was treated by radical laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy; microscopic examination revealed well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma confined to the lamina propria mucosae (T1aN0M0, stage IA). Follow-up colonoscopy revealed a 30-mm submucosal mass in the rectal wall 2 years later, and a metastasis of gastric origin was suspected histopathologically. After a staging laparoscopy confirmed the absence of findings suggestive of serosal involvement or peritoneal dissemination, including negative peritoneal washing cytology, a laparoscopic low anterior resection with lymph node dissection was performed. Microscopically, the tumor was found to mainly be located in the submucosal layer and showed features of moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. The serosal surface was free of disseminated tumor. Lymph node metastases were identified. Immunohistochemically, there were foci of carcinoma cells that were positive for cytokeratin 20; however, they were negative for cytokeratin 7. Negative staining for caudal-type homeobox 2, a transcription factor indicating goblet cell differentiation, combined with absence of intramucosal carcinoma in the rectal mucosa, suggested a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma of gastric origin. The absence of evidence of peritoneal dissemination suggested hematogenous or lymphatic spread.

CONCLUSION

Although rectal metastasis from GC, particularly when attributable to hematologic or lymphatic metastasis, is very rare, metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis for patients who present with a rectal tumor and a past history of GC, even if it is an early GC.

Preoperative smoking cessation can reduce postoperative complications in gastric cancer surgery

BACKGROUND

Despite the close link between cigarette smoking and the development of gastric cancer, little is known about the effects of cigarette smoking on surgical outcomes after gastric cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative smoking status and the duration of smoking cessation were associated with short-term surgical consequences in gastric cancer surgery.

METHODS

Among 1,489 consecutive patients, 1,335 patients who underwent curative radical gastrectomy at the Samsung Medical Center between January and December 2009 were included in the present study. The smoking status was determined using questionnaires before surgery. Smokers were divided into four groups according to the duration of smoking cessation preoperatively (<2, 2-4, 4-8, and >8 weeks). The primary endpoint was postoperative complications (wound, lung, leakage, and bleeding); secondary endpoints were 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Five hundred twenty-two patients (39.1 %) were smokers. Smokers had a significantly higher overall incidence of postoperative complications than nonsmokers (12.3 vs. 5.2 %, P < 0.001, respectively), especially in impaired wound healing, pulmonary problems, and leakage. Smokers also had more severe complications than nonsmokers. After adjusting for other risk factors, the odds ratio (95 % CI) for the development of postoperative complications in the subgroups who stopped smoking <2 weeks, 2-4, 4-8, and >8 weeks preoperatively were 3.35 (1.92-5.83), 0.99 (0.22-4.38), 2.18 (1.00-4.76), and 1.32 (0.70-2.48), respectively, compared with the nonsmokers. There were no significant differences in 3-year RFS (P = 0.884) and OS (P = 0.258) between smokers and nonsmokers.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative smoking cessation for at least 2 weeks will help to reduce the incidence of postoperative complications in gastric cancer surgery.

Timing and Pattern of Recurrence after Gastrectomy for Adenocarcinoma

Gastric adenocarcinoma has a high recurrence rate. The goal of this study was to determine the timing and pattern of recurrence after gastrectomy. A retrospective review was performed of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma having curative partial or total gastrectomy with R0/D2 lymph node resection from 1999 to 2013. Follow-up included CT scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis at 3-month intervals for the first three years, at 6-month intervals for the next two years, and annually thereafter. There were 62 patients, 38 males and 24 females, with a median age of 65 years. Median follow-up was 29 months and recurrence was identified in 21 per cent of patients. Median time to recurrence was 12 months and 92 per cent of recurrences occurred within two years. The last recurrence was identified at 34 months. Abdominal CT scan identified all patients with recurrence, although some patients had disease elsewhere in addition to the abdominal disease. There were no extra-abdominal isolated recurrences. In conclusion, recurrence after complete resection for gastric adenocarcinoma typically occurs within the first two years, and can be found by abdominal CT scan. Close cancer follow-up appears unnecessary after three years because all recurrences were identified within 34 months of resection.

A nomogram to predict overall survival and disease-free survival after curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The American Cancer Society projects there will be over 22,000 new cases, resulting in nearly 11,000 deaths, related to gastric adenocarcinoma in the US in 2014. The aim of the current study was to find clinicopathologic variables associated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) following curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma, and create a nomogram for individual risk prediction.

METHODS

A nomogram to predict DFS and OS following surgical resection of gastric adenocarcinoma was constructed using a multi-institutional cohort of patients who underwent surgery for primary gastric adenocarcinoma at seven major institutions in the US between January 2000 and August 2013. Discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were tested by C-statistic, Kaplan-Meier curves, and calibration plots.

RESULTS

A total of 719 patients who underwent surgery for primary gastric adenocarcinoma were included in the study. Using the backward selection of clinically relevant variables with Akaike information criteria, age, sex, tumor site, depth of invasion, and lymph node ratio (LNR) were selected as factors predictive of OS, while age, tumor site, depth of invasion, and LNR were incorporated in the prediction of DFS. A nomogram was constructed to predict OS and DFS using these variables. Discrimination and calibration of the nomogram revealed good predictive abilities (C-index, DFS 0.711; OS 0.702).

CONCLUSION

Independent predictors of recurrence and death following surgery for primary gastric adenocarcinoma were used to create a nomogram to predict DFS and OS. The nomogram was able to stratify patients into prognostic groups, and performed well on internal validation.

Conditional survival after surgical resection of gastric cancer: a multi-institutional analysis of the us gastric cancer collaborative

BACKGROUND

Survival estimates following surgical resection of gastric adenocarcinoma are traditionally reported as survival from the date of surgery. Conditional survival (CS) estimates, however, may be more clinically relevant by accounting for time already survived. We assessed CS following surgical resection for gastric adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

We analyzed 807 patients who underwent resection for gastric adenocarcinoma from 2000 to 2012 at seven participating institutions in the U.S. Gastric Cancer Collaborative. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate factors associated with overall survival. Three-year CS estimates at "x" year after surgery were calculated as follows: CS3 = S(x+3)/S(x).

RESULTS

Overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates after gastric resection were 42, 34, and 30 %, respectively. Using CS estimates, the probability of surviving an additional 3 years given that the patient had survived at 1, 3, and 5 years were 56, 71, and 82 %, respectively. Patients with higher risk at baseline (i.e., stage III or IV disease, lymphovascular invasion) demonstrated the greatest increase in CS over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Survival estimates following surgical resection of gastric adenocarcinoma is dynamic; the probability of survival increases with time already survived. Patients with worse prognostic features at the time of surgery had the greatest increases in CS over time. Conditional survival estimates provide important information about the changing probability of survival over time and should be used among patients with resected gastric adenocarcinoma to guide subsequent follow-up strategies.

Rates and patterns of recurrence after curative intent resection for gastric cancer: a United States multi-institutional analysis

BACKGROUND

Reports on recurrence and outcomes of US patients with gastric cancer are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine incidence and pattern of recurrence after curative intent surgery for gastric cancer.

STUDY DESIGN

Using the multi-institutional US Gastric Cancer Collaborative database, we identified 817 patients undergoing curative intent resection for gastric cancer between 2000 and 2012. Patterns and rates of recurrence along with associated risk factors were identified using adjusted regression analysis. Recurrences were classified as locoregional, peritoneal, or hematogenous.

RESULTS

Median patient age was 65.8 years (interquartile range [IQR] 56.4, 74.7); the majority of patients were male (n = 462, 56.6%) and white (n = 511, 62.5%). At the time of surgery, the majority of patients underwent a partial gastrectomy (n = 481, 59.2%) with a complete R0 resection achieved in 91.6% (n = 748) of patients. At the time of last follow-up, 244 (29.9%) of 817 patients developed a recurrence; 163 (66.8%) patients had recurrence at only a single site; the remaining 81 (33.2%) had multiple sites of initial recurrence. Among patients who recurred at a single site, recurrence was most common at a distant location and included hematogenous (n = 57, 23.4%) or peritoneal (n = 47, 19.3%) only metastasis. Tumors at the gastroesophageal junction (odds ratio [OR] 3.18, 95% CI 1.08 to 9.40; p = 0.04) were associated with higher risk of locoregional recurrence, while the presence of multiple lesions (OR 10.82, 95% CI 3.56 to 32.85; p < 0.001) remained associated with an increased risk of distant hematogenous recurrence after adjusted analysis. Recurrence was associated with worse survival, with a median recurrence-free survival of 10.8 months (IQR 8.9, 12.8) among those who experienced a recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly one-third of patients experienced recurrence after gastric cancer surgery. The most common site of recurrence was distant.

Impact of external-beam radiation therapy on outcomes among patients with resected gastric cancer: a multi-institutional analysis

BACKGROUND

Use of perioperative chemotherapy (CTx) alone versus chemoradiation therapy (cXRT) in the treatment of resectable gastric cancer remains varied. We sought to define the utilization and effect of CTx alone versus cXRT on patients having undergone curative-intent resection for gastric cancer.

METHODS

Using the multi-institutional US Gastric Cancer Collaborative database, we identified 505 gastric cancer patients between 2000 and 2012 who received perioperative therapy in addition to curative-intent resection. The impact of perioperative therapy on survival was analyzed by the use of propensity-score matching of clinicopathologic factors among patients who received CTx alone versus cXRT.

RESULTS

Median patient age was 62 years, and most patients were male (58.2 %). Most patients had a T3 (38.7 %) or T4 (36.8 %) lesion and lymph node metastasis (73.4 %). A total of 211 (42.8 %) patients received perioperative CTx alone, whereas the remaining 294 (58.2 %) patients received cXRT. Factors associated with receipt of cXRT were younger age (odds ratio, 1.93) and lymph node metastasis (odds ratio, 4.02; both P < 0.05). At a median follow-up of 28 months, the median overall survival (OS) was 33.4 months, and the 5-year OS was 36.7 %. Factors associated with worse overall survival included large tumor size [hazard ratio (HR), 1.83], T3 (HR 2.96) or T4 (HR 4.02) tumors, and lymph node metastasis (HR 1.57; all P < 0.05). In contrast, receipt of cXRT was associated with improved long-term OS (CTx alone, 20.9 months; cXRT, 46.7 months; HR 0.51; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

cXRT was utilized in 58 % of patients undergoing curative-intent resection for gastric cancer. With propensity score-matched analysis, cXRT was an independent factor associated with improved recurrence-free survival and OS.

Risk factors of peritoneal recurrence in eso-gastric signet ring cell adenocarcinoma: results of a multicentre retrospective study. Eur J Surg Oncol. 2013;39:235-241. [PMID: 23313257 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2012.12.013]

INTRODUCTION

The poor prognosis of signet ring cell (SRC) eso-gastric adenocarcinoma (EGA) might be explained by its great affinity for the peritoneum. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of peritoneal carcinomatosis recurrence (PCR) after curative surgery and hence identify high risk patients.

METHODS

A retrospective national survey was conducted over 19 French surgical centers between 1997 and 2010. Patients with non-metastatic disease who benefited from curative surgery without postoperative death were included. Event-free patients who did not reach the time point of 24 months were excluded.

RESULTS

In a cohort of 3010 patients, 1050 were SRC EGA and 424 patients met the selection criteria. The tumor location was mainly gastric (68.9%) and a total gastrectomy was performed in 218 patients (51.4%). Chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy alone was given preoperatively to 71 (16.7%) and postoperatively to 150 (35.4%) patients. After a median follow-up of 54 months, recurrence was diagnosed in 214 patients (50.5%) within a mean delay of 17 ± 10.7 months. PCR was diagnosed in 81 patients (19.1%). In multivariable analysis, four factors were identified as predictors of PCR: linitis plastica (p < 0.001; OR = 4.83), tumor invasion of/or through the peritoneal serosa (p = 0.022; OR = 1.58), lymph node involvement (p = 0.005; OR = 1.7) and tumors of gastric origin (p = 0.026; OR = 2.36), with PCR rates of 55%, 26%, 23% and 22%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Identification of strong predictors for PCR among this large series of SRC EGA patients helps to identify subgroups of patients that may benefit from specific therapeutic strategies such as prophylactic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

The pattern and risk factors of recurrence of proximal gastric cancer after curative resection

PURPOSE

To explore the time and pattern of recurrence of proximal gastric cancer and estimate the risk factors and prognostic factors for it. Considering these risk factors, postoperative adjuvant therapies and follow-up program can be individualized.

METHODS

The data of 135 recurrence proximal gastric cancer patients were extracted and analyzed.

RESULTS

In 135 recurrence patients, the median time to recurrence was 14.0 months, 116 (85.9%) patients had recurrences within 2 years. Loco-regional recurrence was the most prevalent pattern. Hematogenous metastasis was next prevalent pattern in which the liver was the most common organ. Peritoneal recurrence occurred in 32 patients. Five patients recurred in distant lymph nodes. The deeper invasion was associated with higher incidence of hematogenous metastases and peritoneal recurrence. The histological type, depth of invasion, and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for overall recurrence. While, negative lymph nodes counts were another independent risk factors for early recurrence. Patients with systemic recurrence and early recurrence patients had poorer prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Total gastrectomy and adequate lymph nodes dissection were rational choice of proximal gastric cancer with deeper invasion. Pathologic predictors of invasion, histological type, lymph nodes metastasis and negative lymph node counts could guide individualized, risk-oriented adjuvant treatment, and follow-up plan.

Factors associated with recurrence within 2 years after curative surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Despite curative surgery for gastric cancer, many patients die of recurrent cancer. Few studies have investigated the time to recurrence after curative resection for gastric cancer.

METHODS

Data were collected prospectively between December 1987 and December 2006. A total of 1,549 patients underwent curative resection of adenocarcinoma of the stomach at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Among them, 419 patients had recurrence; they were divided into early recurrence (<2 years) and late recurrence (≥2 years). The clinicopathological characteristics, survival time after recurrence, and recurrence patterns were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis showed that stage III gastric cancer patients with early recurrence had larger tumors and more lymph node metastasis than patients with late recurrence, while no difference between early and late recurrence was observed in stage I and II patients. Early recurrence was associated with more distant metastasis than was late recurrence. Patients with advanced TNM stage tended to die within 2 years after recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Gastric cancer patients with larger tumors and more lymph node metastasis tended to have early recurrence, especially stage III patients. Advanced TNM stage was associated with early cancer death after recurrence.

Clinicopathological analysis for recurrence of stage Ib gastric cancer (according to the second English edition of the Japanese classification of gastric carcinoma)

BACKGROUND

The prognosis for patients with stage Ib (second English edition of the Japanese classification of gastric carcinoma) gastric cancer is promising, with an expected 5-year survival of 90%. Despite this relatively high survival rate, the outcome for patients who experience recurrence is poor. To date, however, prognostic and recurrence factors for stage Ib gastric cancer are poorly understood, and appropriate adjuvant chemotherapy protocols have not been developed.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data from 86 stage Ib gastric cancer patients who underwent curative gastrectomy to determine the rates and predictive factors of recurrence.

RESULTS

Eleven patients showed recurrence, with a 12.8% 5-year cumulative recurrence rate. Nearly all of these patients were initially histologically diagnosed with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Based on univariate analyses, recurrence was associated with gender and histological type. Multivariate analyses revealed that the only independent risk factor for recurrence was histologically undifferentiated-type adenocarcinoma. The 5-year survival rate of patients with undifferentiated-type adenocarcinoma was 84%. The predominant recurrence pattern was peritoneal dissemination, and was typically observed 1-3 years post-resection.

CONCLUSION

This retrospective study identified undifferentiated-type adenocarcinoma as the only risk factor for recurrence in stage Ib gastric cancer patients. Although randomized controlled studies are necessary, stage Ib gastric cancer patients with this identified recurrence risk factor would be candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Gastric Cancer Patients according to the Timing of the Recurrence after Curative Surgery

Purpose

There are few studies that have focused on the predictors of recurrence after gastrectomy for gastric carcinoma. This study analyzed the patients who died of recurrent gastric carcinoma and we attempted to clarify the clinicopathologic factors that are associated with the timing of recurrence.

Materials and Methods

From June 1992 to March 2009, 1,795 patients underwent curative gastric resection at the Department of Surgery, Hanyang University College of Medicine. Among them, 428 patients died and 311 of these patients who died of recurrent gastric carcinoma were enrolled in this study. The clinicopathologic findings were compared between the 72 patients who died within one year after curative gastrectomy (the early recurrence group) and the 92 patients who died 3 years after curative gastrectomy (the late recurrence group).

Results

Compared with the late recurrence group, the early recurrence group showed an older age, a more advanced stage, a poorly differentiated type of cancer and a significantly higher tendency to have lymphatic invasion, vascular invasion and perineural invasion.Especially in the gastric cancer patients with a more advanced stage (stage III and IV), the early recurrence group was characterized by a significantly higher preoperative serum carcino embryonic antigen level, perineural invasion and a relatively small number of dissected lymph nodes.

Conclusions

The clinicopathologic characteristics of recurrent gastric cancer are significantly different according to the stage of disease, and even in the same stage. For the early detection of recurrence after curative surgery, it is important to recognize the clinicopathological factors that foretell a high risk of recurrence. It is mandatory to make an individualized surveillance schedule according to the clinicopathologic factors.

Metastatic lymph node targeted chemosensitivity test for gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to compare the chemosensitivity of primary tumor and metastasized lymph node from patient with gastric adenocarcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We studied 26 gastric cancer patients with lymph node metastasis who underwent gastric resection at the Korea University Guro Hospital from Feb 2007 to July 2008. The chemosensitivity of primary tumor and metastatic lymph node were studied using an adenosine triphosphate-based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA).

RESULTS

The concordance rate of the ATP-CRA test was 30.8% (8/26). The concordance rate between primary tumor and metastatic N2 group lymph node was only 9.1% (1/11). The metastatic tumor inhibition rates with 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, doxorubicin, and oxaliplatin were higher than the inhibition rates for primary tumor. Tumor inhibition rates was significantly different between primary tumor and metastatic tumor after doxorubicin treatment (27.734±20.95 versus 38.403±26.87, P=0.021). We detected simple correlations of tumor inhibition rates between primary and metastatic tumors with cisplatin (r=0.661, P<0.001) and doxorubicin (r=0.475, P=0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

We observed differences between first choice chemotherapeutic agents based on ATPCRA tests of primary tumor and metastatic tumor in lymph node. Therefore, chemotherapeutic agents should be carefully selected for adjuvant chemotherapy using a chemosensitivity test.

Impact of plasma tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 on long-term survival in patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) is correlated with tumor invasion and metastases.

METHODS

The plasma TIMP-1 concentration was examined preoperatively in 149 patients with gastric cancer who underwent a surgical resection. The cutoff value of TIMP-1 was set at 112.5 ng/ml based on a previous report. These patients were followed up for more than 5 years prospectively.

RESULTS

Plasma TIMP-1 was positive in 30 of the 149 patients (20.1%). The overall survival rate was 78.2% at 5 years in patients with negative plasma TIMP-1, while this rate was 26.7% at 5 years in patients with positive plasma TIMP-1. By univariate analyses, T, N, M, and R category, and TIMP-1, were significant prognosticators. Multivariate analyses demonstrated T, N, and TIMP-1 to be significant prognosticators. The survival curve was clearly separated with respect to TIMP-1.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that plasma TIMP-1 is a strong independent prognosticator for the long-term survival of patients with gastric cancer.

Endoscopic submucosal dissection as a staging measure may not lead to worse prognosis in early gastric cancer patients with additional gastrectomy

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic submucosal dissection is a novel endoluminal technique that enables resection of early stage gastrointestinal malignancies in an en bloc fashion.

AIM

To assess whether preceding endoscopic submucosal dissection affected the prognoses of patients who underwent additional gastrectomy with lymph node dissection due to suspicion of nodal metastasis from endoscopic submucosal dissection specimens.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-one patients with early gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy after endoscopic submucosal dissection were retrospectively investigated in terms of their survival and tumour recurrence. Additional gastrectomy was performed when histology of the endoscopic submucosal dissection specimens revealed that the tumours did not meet the criteria for node-negative cancers.

RESULTS

Twenty-three (74%) and eight (26%) patients had undergone endoscopic submucosal dissection previously due to clinical diagnoses of node-negative cancers and possible node-positive cancers, respectively. Histology of the resected stomachs and lymph nodes revealed residual carcinoma of the stomach in two (6.5%) patients and nodal metastases in four (13%) patients. All patients remain alive without recurrence (median follow-up, 3.4 years; range, 0.6-5.2 years).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the histology of endoscopic submucosal dissection specimens, preceding endoscopic submucosal dissection itself had no negative influence on a patient's prognosis when additional gastrectomy was performed. It may be permissible to resect some early gastric cancers by endoscopic submucosal dissection as a first step to prevent unnecessary gastrectomy, if technically resectable.

Prognostic Value of Cytokeratin-Positive Bone Marrow Cells of Gastric Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

Epithelial cells in the bone marrow of patients with gastric cancer suggest tumor dissemination; however, their prognostic implications are controversial. We prospectively evaluated the correlation of bone marrow findings, recurrence rate, and disease-free survival after long-term follow-up.

METHODS

Bone marrow were aspirated from both iliac crests and stained with monoclonal cytokeratin (CK)-18 antibody in 209 patients before their initial operation. Patients were followed up for a median of 56 months.

RESULTS

Overall, 39 (19%) of 209 patients and 15 (14%) of 109 R0-resected patients had CK-positive cells. CK-positive patients had more local, regional, and distant recurrence than CK-negative patients (P < .05). We found a significantly shorter disease-free survival (P < .05) in the patients with >2 CK-positive cells per 2 x 10(6) bone marrow cells (mean, 35 months) than in patients with <or=2 CK-positive cells per 2 x 10(6 )bone marrow cells (mean, 70 months) or in patients with no CK-positive cells (mean, 86 months). Multivariate analysis confirmed that >2 CK-positive cells per 2 x 10(6) bone marrow cells was an independent prognostic factor for tumor-related death (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Not only the mere presence of CK-positive epithelial cells in bone marrow, but also the cell number, correlates with prognosis. Our findings suggest that classifying CK-positive bone marrow cells in these patients will facilitate future studies.