Clinicopathological characteristics of clinical early gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach

AIM: To elucidate the clinicopathological characteristics of clinically early gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach and to clarify treatment precautions.METHODS: A total of 683 patients with clinical early gastric cancer were enrolled in this retrospective study, 128 of whom had gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach (U group). All patients underwent a double contrast barium examination, endoscopy, and computed tomography (CT), and were diagnosed preoperatively based on the findings obtained. The clinicopathological features of these patients were compared with those of patients with gastric cancer in the middle- and lower-third stomach (ML group). We also compared clinicopathological factors between accurate-diagnosis and under-diagnosis groups in order to identify factors affecting the accuracy of a preoperative diagnosis of tumor depth.RESULTS: Patients in the U group were older (P = 0.029), had a higher ratio of males to females (P = 0.015), and had more histologically differentiated tumors (P = 0.007) than patients in the ML group. A clinical under-diagnosis occurred in 57 out of 683 patients (8.3%), and was more frequent in the U group than in the ML group (16.4% vs 6.3%, P < 0.0001). Therefore, the rates of lymph node metastasis and lymphatic invasion were slightly higher in the U group than in the ML group (P = 0.071 and 0.082, respectively). An under-diagnosis was more frequent in histologically undifferentiated tumors (P = 0.094) and in those larger than 4 cm (P = 0.024). The median follow-up period after surgery was 56 mo (range, 1-186 mo). Overall, survival and disease-specific survival rates were significantly lower in the U group than in the ML group (P = 0.016 and 0.020, respectively). However, limited operation-related cancer recurrence was not detected in the U group in the present study.CONCLUSION: Clinical early gastric cancer in the upper-third stomach has distinguishable characteristics that increase the risk of a clinical under-diagnosis, especially in patients with larger or undifferentiated tumors.     

荧光胃液分析对胃癌癌前病变诊断的临床研究

目的评估胃液荧光分析对胃癌癌前病变诊断的价值。方法收集980例胃内良、恶性疾病患者的胃液,用荧光胃液分析仪进行胃液荧光光谱检测。结果以ROC曲线最佳截断点KJF≥0.85为判断指标,诊断胃癌的灵敏度达82.0%,特异性为79.2%;重度萎缩性胃炎伴肠化及不典型增生的KJF值接近胃癌患者的值。结论荧光胃液分析对胃癌的诊断是一种安全、有效的方法,对胃癌癌前病变的诊断有一定的特异性。     

形似良性病变的早期胃癌的临床研究

目的总结形似良性病变早期胃癌临床特点，提高早期胃癌的诊断水平。方法回顾分析2001～2006年我院经手术切除和病理检查证实，且内镜下形态改变类似良性病变的早期胃癌25例。结果25例患者平均年龄为（58．59±9．35）岁，男女患病率无显著差异（P〉0．05）。21例（86．00％）患者有不同程度的临床症状。分化型癌19例，未分化型癌6例。黏膜内癌19例，黏膜下癌6例，均无淋巴结及远处转移。在内镜检查时发现可疑恶性病灶者18例，7例为内镜诊断良性病变由活检病理意外发现，漏诊率28％。有22例次接受色素染色后放大内镜、内镜荧光早期胃癌诊断仪（ISF）、智能电子分光内镜（FICE）检查等内镜精检，内镜精检和常规内镜检查的首次活检阳性率分别为81．8％和52．00％。大体形态以平坦型和凹陷型为主，内镜表现与良性息肉或炎性增生；局部黏膜发红或退色；局部黏膜粗糙或颗粒样或糜烂及良性溃疡相似。结论形似良性病灶早期胃癌易误认为良性病变，常规内镜首次活检阳性率低，应进行内镜精检并积极随访复查，避免延误诊断和治疗。     

内镜黏膜下剥离术对治疗早期胃癌的临床应用价值

目的 评估我院内镜黏膜下剥离术(endoscopic submucosal dissection,ESD)治疗早期胃癌(early gastric cancer,EGC)的有效性及临床应用价值.方法 对2006年11月-2013年2月内镜下发现的370例早期胃癌临床资料进行分析,共切除病变386个.其中212个是不典型增生,158个是黏膜内癌,16个是黏膜下癌.位于上段胃81个,中段胃122个,下段胃183个.内镜分型包括23个Ⅰ型,148个Ⅱa型,20个Ⅱb型,114个Ⅱc型,70个Ⅱa+Ⅱc型,11个Ⅱc+Ⅱa型.结果 完整性切除率及治愈性切除率分别为93.8％、90.9％.切除黏膜平均最大径是3.2 cm(1.5～8.0 cm).非治愈性切除35例,包括32例R1切除,3例Rx切除.术中出血2例,迟发出血2例.结论 对于在适应证范围内的早期癌,ESD能达到很高的完整切除率及治愈性切除率,是治疗EGC的有效方法.     

Stool-based DNA tests for colorectal cancer: clinical potential and early results

Stool-based DNA testing is a promising new diagnostic tool with the potential to improve the overall effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening. Early clinical studies suggest that multi-target, DNA-based stool tests are capable of detecting both premalignant adenomas and cancers with high sensitivity and specificity. Screening compliance could be enhanced by the user-friendly features of stool-based DNA testing which include: the testing is noninvasive, requires no cathartic bowel preparation or diet or medication restrictions, and requires just a single specimen per screen. Large, multicenter, comparative studies addressing the performance of stool-based DNA testing in the general population will soon be completed and will promise to validate the readiness of this approach for widespread application.     

Minilaparotomy for early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: From the experience of laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy, it was considered that a gastrectomy with lymph node dissection could be performed through a minilaparotomy, placed as for gastroduodenostomy in laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy. METHODOLOGY: Ten patients with early gastric cancer underwent gastrectomy with lymph node dissection via minilaparotomy. Minilaparotomy was performed via a seven-centimeter midline incision placed at the mid-upper abdomen. Two six-centimeter-wide Kent retractors were used to suspend the abdominal wall on each side, and a multipurpose surgical arm to retract the liver. The abdominal wound could be moved horizontally by pulling these retractors to the right or left. This movable wound allowed direct visualization of almost all the operative field for gastrectomy. RESULTS: No operation was converted to a standard open gastrectomy. The patients who had a tumor in the lower third of the stomach underwent complete D2 lymph node dissection. In the patients who underwent pylorus-preserving gastrectomy, near complete D2 lymph node dissection was performed. Mean operation time was 175 minutes. No significant complication was encountered. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that minilaparotomy could be used as an alteration to the standard open gastrectomy.     

Clinicopathologic differences between early gastric remnant cancer and early primary gastric cancer in the upper third of the stomach

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study was designed to clarify the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival in early gastric remnant cancer and compare with early primary cancer in the upper third of the stomach. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-five patients with early gastric remnant cancer, who underwent resection at Kanagawa Cancer Center and First Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University between 1974 and 1996 were evaluated in this study. Various clinicopathologic characteristics, such as age, sex, symptoms, size of tumor, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, cell differentiation, and survival were investigated and early gastric remnant cancer was compared with early primary cancer in the upper third of the stomach. RESULTS: According to the macroscopic type, protruded type such as I or II type accounted for a great majority in early gastric remnant cancer, while II c depressed type was common in early primary cancer in the upper third of the stomach, comprising 64.2% of all cases. Pathological examination disclosed that well-differentiated carcinoma and mucosal carcinoma were more frequently observed in early gastric remnant cancer than in early primary cancer in the upper-third of the stomach. The 5-year survival rate was 83.5% for early primary cancer in the upper-third of the stomach. In contrast, no patients experienced recurrence after operation for early gastric remnant cancer. CONCLUSIONS: From the view point of clinicopathological evaluation, gastric remnant cancer is a special from of gastric cancer. A follow-up program is important in order to detect early gastric remnant cancer. A low incidence of lymph node metastasis suggests that endoscopic mucosal resection of the tumor or limited operation could be performed under strict indication.     

Tumor cell proliferation in early gastric cancer: biological and clinical behavior

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently, early gastric cancers without lymph node metastasis have successfully been removed through a simple endoscopic resection. Tumor cell proliferation may be related to the malignant potential of early gastric cancer. The purpose of this study is to prospectively investigate the relationship between the incorporation rate of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into the DNA of dividing cells, and the main biological and clinical early gastric cancer characteristics. METHODOLOGY: Multiple tumor specimens were taken from 27 early gastric cancers and analyzed through anti-BrdU monoclonal antibody. Tumor BrdU labeling index (LI=% positive cells over 2,000 tumor cells) was determined. Early gastric cancers were evaluated in tumor size, mucosal and submucosal involvement, histologic type and grading, lymphatic and venous invasion, and nodal metastasis. RESULTS: BrdU LI was significantly higher in patients with submucosal neoplastic invasion, Pen A Kodama type, tumor vessel invasion and lymph node involvement. Early gastric cancer patients with over 22% BrdU LI showed a significantly higher incidence of submucosal invasion, lymphatic-venous involvement and a reduced survival when compared to patients with medium (12-22%) or low BrdU LI (<12%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that BrdU LI may be considered a useful indicator of early gastric cancer aggressiveness.     

Factors affecting long-term clinical outcomes of endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been widely accepted as a treatment option for early gastric cancer (EGC) in selected cases. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the long-term outcomes and the factors affecting the clinical outcomes, of EMR performed in EGC. METHODOLOGY: Between April 1996 and March 2005, 147 patients have undergone EMR to treat EGC at Yonsei University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. We assessed the clinical outcomes of the EMR for EGC in a long-term follow-up period. We also reviewed the medical records of the patients including demographic data, endoscopic characteristics of the lesion and histopathologic findings. RESULTS: The histopathologic evaluations after the EMR treatment showed that overall complete resection rate was 84.6% (126/149) while complete resec tion rate of 93.5% was achieved in mucosal cancers (115/123). The success of complete resection was significantly affected by endoscopic gross type (depressed lesion), the degree of differentiation, and the depth of invasion, independently. There were only 5 cases of local recurrence during the follow-up periods, and the recurred or incompletely resected lesions were successfully treated by salvage operation or endoscopic retreatment. There was no disease-related or treatment-related mortality during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: EMR is a good and safe curative treatment option with feasible clinical outcomes in patients with EGC. It must be emphasized that a proper selection of candidates is mandatory to improve the clinical outcome of EMR in EGC.