Surgery in complicated colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer continues to have a serious social impact. A large proportion of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. Approximately one-third of patients with colorectal cancer will undergo emergency surgery for a complicated tumor, with a high risk of mortality and poorer long-term prognosis. The most frequent complications are obstruction and perforation, while massive hemorrhage is rare. The curative potential of surgery, whether urgent or elective, depends on how radical the resection is, among other factors. In the literature on the management of urgent colorectal disease, there are few references to the oncological criteria for resection. Uncertainly about the optimal treatment has led to wide variability in the treatment of this entity. The present article aims to provide a critical appraisal of the controversies surrounding the role of surgery and its impact on complicated colorectal cancer.     

Perineal cutaneous metastases from adenocarcinoma after surgery for colorectal cancer

The development of cutaneous metastases in the context of colorectal cancer is exceptional, especially in the absence of visceral lesions. We present the case of a 50-year-old woman who underwent surgery for a T3N0M0 tumor in the sigmoid colon, with resection of ovarian metastases at 12 months. Reoperation was performed 14 months later for local anastomotic recurrence. Four months after surgery, a nodular ulcerated lesion was observed in the perineum due to metastases from adenocarcinoma. Aggressive local surgery was performed and the patient has presented no recurrences after a 5-year follow-up. We discuss the need for correct management of the rectal or anal stump (through the use of iodine povidone wash solution) during instrumental anastomoses.     

Therapeutic mammoplasty is an appropriate option in a patient with breast cancer and macromastia

Bilateral reduction mammaplasty in women with breast cancer and macromastia allows appropriate oncological surgical treatment with functional and cosmetic benefits and facilitates postoperative radiation therapy. The surgical approach carried out in three patients with breast cancer and macromastia is discussed.     

Inversion of the sequence of surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for synchronous liver metastases from colorectal cancer

In some patients with colorectal cancer and synchronous liver metastases, chemotherapy and current combinations of chemotherapy allow the size of these metastases to be reduced so that they can be surgically resected. However, in many patients, the initial systematic treatment of the primary tumor is associated with growth of the metastases (which predict the patient's life expectancy). This metastatic growth contraindicates surgical treatment that might otherwise be curative. We report the case of a patient with advanced recto-colonic cancer, which responded well to chemotherapy given as neoadjuvant treatment prior to surgery, in which the hepatic metastases were resected before excision of the primary tumor.     

Mirizzi syndrome and gallbladder cancer

Mirizzi syndrome (MS) has a low incidence in patients with gallbladder disease. The coexistence of gallbladder cancer seems to be more frequent in patients with MS than in those with gallstones only. We present two patients with MS type II and gallbladder cancer (stages T4N1M0 and T3NxMx). The etiopathogenic mechanisms, diagnostic methods and therapeutic options are discussed.     

Estudio prospectivo, aleatorizado: cirugía laparoscópica con asistencia robótica versus cirugía laparoscópica convencional en la resección del cáncer colorrectal

Introduction

Robotic-assisted surgery is playing an increasingly important role in the last few years in the treatment of colorectal oncological disease. However, there are still no studies that objectively demonstrate the advantages of this type of surgery.We present a prospective randomised study in order to compare the short-term results between colorectal robotic surgery and laparoscopic surgery.

Material and method

A total of 56 patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer between January 2008 and January 2009, were randomised and assigned to the robotic or laparoscopic group. Age, body mass index, tumour location, conversions in each group, complications during and after surgery, and histological characteristics of the specimens obtained, were all compared.

Results

There were no significant differences between age (P=.055), body mass index (P=.12), or tumour location (P=.91). Only one patient in the robotic group required a transfusion and none in the laparoscopic group. The percentage of conversions was the same in both groups, however, the preparation times and operating times were significantly longer in patients intervened using the robotic device (P=.0001 and P=.017, respectively). There were no differences as regards the rate of complications or in the percentage of re-interventions (14.2% and 7.1%). The mean hospital stay of the patients was 9.3 (8.1) days in the robotic group and 9.2 (6.8) days in the laparoscopic (P=.79). The distal resection margin was greater in the specimen obtained using robotic surgery (P =.003) as well as the number of lymph nodes obtained in the specimen (P =.23).

Conclusion

Robotic colorectal was performed safely and effectively, and with similar clinical results.International Trial Number for this study is: ISRCTN60866560.     

Mamoplastia de reducción en la cirugía del cáncer de mama

Reduction mammaplasty techniques enable the breast cancer surgeon to provide an integral surgical treatment, thus significantly increasing and improving surgical options. These techniques are used to correct problems after the conservative treatment of type 1 breast cancer and to achieve symmetry between the breasts after mastectomy. They are also the basis of cosmetic reconstruction techniques in conservative oncoplastic surgery.     

Use of the sentinel lymph node in gastrointestinal disease

The concept of the sentinel node (SN) arises from the consideration that lymphatic dissemination of tumoral cells is produced in an initial nodular focus before affecting the remaining lymphatic regions. Although this concept has been validated in malignant melanoma and breast cancer, its application to other solid tumors, including gastrointestinal neoplasms, remains controversial. SN detection may play an important role in avoiding the systematic performance of highly invasive surgery. This technique provides individual information and can thus modify the surgical procedure or other therapeutic alternatives. Recently, SN determination has been performed through the laparoscopic approach and this technique could become an important component of the minimally invasive treatment of early-stage gastrointestinal tumors. The reason for SN detection varies according to tumoral localization. Thus, in gastric cancer, the main aim is to broaden the indication for minimally invasive surgery in node-negative patients. In contrast, in colorectal cancer, this technique forms part of the search for methods that help to avoid possible under-staging of the patient, with potential repercussions on the adjuvant therapy required.     

Nueva técnica de proctectomía trasanal con escisión total del mesorrecto totalmente robótica en el tratamiento del cáncer de recto

Anterior resection with total mesorectal excision is the standard method of rectal cancer resection. However, this procedure remains technically difficult in mid and low rectal cancer. A robotic transanal proctectomy with total mesorectal excision and laparoscopic assistance is reported in a 57 year old male with BMI 32 kg/m2 and rectal adenocarcinoma T2N1M0 at 5 cm from the dentate line.