Isolated paraaortic lymph-node recurrence after the curative resection of colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Isolated paraaortic lymph-node recurrence (IPLR) after curative surgery for colorectal carcinoma is rare and no previous report has specifically addressed this type of recurrence. We investigated the clinical features of IPLR and analyzed prognostic factors. METHODS: Of 2,916 patients who underwent curative surgery for colorectal carcinoma, IPLR was identified in 38 patients (1.3%). The clinical features and prognostic factors of these patients were analyzed. RESULTS: IPLR was first detected by increased serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels (63.2%) or by routine follow-up computed tomography (CT) (36.8%). Curative resection of IPLR was performed in six patients (15.8%). A total of 19 patients (50.0%) received chemoradiation therapy and 13 patients (34.2%) received chemotherapy only. The median survival from IPLR was 13 months (range: 5-60 months). The median survival time from IPLR for the resected patients was 34 months, whereas it was 12 months for those who did not undergo resection (P = 0.034). The factors associated with the prognosis were histological grade (P = 0.003), location (P = 0.032), and resection of IPLR (P = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: IPLR after curative surgery for colorectal carcinoma is rare. Although it is generally associated with poor prognosis, better survival might be achieved through curative resection in selected cases.     

低中危子宫内膜癌术中腹腔冲洗液细胞学阳性患者的预后相关因素分析

目的:探讨影响腹腔细胞学阳性的低中危组子宫内膜癌患者复发及预后的相关因素。方法:选择腹腔细胞学阳性的低中危组子宫内膜癌患者,其中18例患者术后未行化学治疗,28例患者术后行全身化疗,分析与患者复发有关的临床病理因素,分析影响子宫内膜癌腹腔细胞学阳性复发及预后因素。结果:患者的复发与年龄（P=0.044）、病理分级（P=0.035）、脉管癌栓（P=0.009）及治疗方法（P=0.015）有关。单因素分析显示患者年龄、病理分级、浸润肌层深度、脉管癌栓、化疗与患者的预后有关,多因素分析表明影响患者预后的独立危险因素是全身化疗和病理分级。结论:全身化疗及病理分级是影响腹腔冲洗液阳性的低中危组子宫内膜癌患者预后的独立危险因素,全身化疗可以提高患者的5年生存率,改善患者预后。     

Prognostic significance of positive peritoneal cytology in endometrial carcinoma confined to the uterus

A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of peritoneal cytology in patients with endometrial carcinoma limited to the uterus. A total of 280 patients with surgically staged endometrial carcinoma that was histologically confined to the uterus were examined clinicopathologically. The median length of follow-up was 62 (range, 12-135) months. All patients underwent hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy with selective lymphadenectomy, and only three patients received adjuvant postoperative therapy. No preoperative adjuvant therapy was employed. In all, 48 patients (17%) had positive peritoneal cytology. The 5-year survival rate among patients with positive or negative peritoneal cytology was 91 or 95%, respectively, showing no significant difference (log-rank, P=0.42). The disease-free survival rate at 36 months was 90% among patients with positive cytology, compared with that of 94% among patients with negative cytology, and the difference was not significant (log-rank, P=0.52). Multivariate proportional hazards model revealed only histologic grade to be an independent prognostic factor of survival (P=0.0003, 95% CI 3.02 - 40.27) among the factors analysed (age, peritoneal cytology, and depth of myometrial invasion). Multivariate analysis revealed that histologic grade (P=0.02, 95% CI 1.21-9.92) was also the only independent prognostic factor of disease-free survival. We concluded that the presence of positive peritoneal cytology is not an independent prognostic factor in patients with endometrial carcinoma confined to the uterus, and adjuvant therapy does not appear to be beneficial in these patients.     

Monoclonal antibody and cytological detection of free malignant cells in the peritoneal cavity during resection of colorectal cancer--can monoclonal antibodies do better?

Detection of free malignant cells in the peritoneal cavity following curative resections of colorectal cancer may explain why some patients develop local or peritoneal recurrence after favourable operations. We have examined the incidence of peritoneal malignant cells using standard cytological methods and by indirect immunoperoxidase staining using monoclonal antibodies (CEA L11/285/14 and HMFG 1 and 2) in 30 patients having resection for colorectal cancer. Peritoneal washings were collected on opening the peritoneal cavity and immediately prior to closing the abdominal wall following resection. Abnormal cells were only demonstrated in 10 patients. Cytology revealed abnormal cells in seven patients (three preresection and three postresection, one patient had pre- and postresection positive cytology). Monoclonal antibody staining revealed abnormal cells in seven patients (two preresection and four postresection, one patient had both pre- and postresection positive stains). Only two patients had identical results using cytology and antibody staining. Seven of these 10 patients had hepatic metastases. The correlation between the assessment of free malignant cells using cytology and monoclonal antibody staining is poor. Long-term follow-up is required to see if 'free cells' have prognostic significance.     

The prognostic value of positive peritoneal lavage cytology and the prevention of peritoneal dissemination after colorectal surgery

Peritoneal washing cytology during surgery was done in 745 patients with colorectal cancer. The positive washing cytology rate was 49/745 (6.6%). The peritoneal recurrence rates were 12/22 (54.5%) and 8/682 (1.3%) among patients with positive and negative peritoneal washing, respectively (p < 0.0001). The 5-year survival rate is 89.4% of the patients with positive cytology and 38.2% with negative cytology. The patients with positive cytology have a significantly lower survival rate than the negative one (p < 0.0001). Eleven patients of the positive cytology received intraperitoneal administration of MMC. Peritoneal dissemination occurred in 3/11 (27.3%) of the MMC treated group and 9/11 (81.8%) in the untreated group (p = 0.030). Our results indicated that intraperitoneal administration of MMC was an effective method of preventing peritoneal dissemination after resection of colorectal cancer.     

Is Borrmann type IV gastric carcinoma a surgical disease? An old problem revisited with reference to the result of peritoneal washing cytology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Borrmann type IV gastric carcinoma (B-4) remains a disease with poor prognosis despite an aggressive surgical approach. Cytology examination of the peritoneal washes is an established prognostic factor for gastric carcinoma in general, and may be useful for identifying adequate treatment strategy for B-4. METHODS: Pathologic data from 70 patients with B-4 who underwent laparotomy and peritoneal washing cytology during the recent 6 years were retrieved from a prospective computer database and reviewed. Prognostic significance of the cytology examination along with other known clinicopathologic variables was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Long-term survivors were observed only among the patients who were treated with curative R0 resection. Prognosis of the patients with positive cytology and no other residual disease (R1) was extremely poor and was equivalent to that of the patients undergoing noncurative R2 resection. No difference in survival, either, was observed between the patients treated by R2 resection and those who did not undergo resection. Multivariate analysis identified cytology examination as an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: Peritoneal washing cytology plays an important role in staging B4. Positive cytology findings as well as other evidence of disseminated disease may indicate that gastrectomy should be avoided.     

Evaluation of intraoperative intraperitoneal cytology for advanced gastric carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated intraperitoneal cytology during surgery as a significant predictor of survival and tried to establish strategies for preventing peritoneal carcinomatosis. METHODS: The study included 236 patients with gastric carcinoma macroscopically invading the serosa who underwent intraperitoneal cytological examination during surgery. In the 215 resected patients, the relationship between cytological positivity for cancer cells and various clinicopathologic features was analyzed. Additionally, postoperative survival was assessed in relation to the positivity of intraoperative cytology. RESULTS: Cancer cells were positive [Cy+] in 78 (33.1%) of 236 patients who underwent cytological examinations. Among 73 patients with peritoneal metastases, 53 patients (72.6%) were Cy+, as were 25 (15.3%) of the 163 patients without peritoneal metastases. Multivariate analysis indicated that peritoneal metastasis (p = 0.0001) and the depth of tumor invasion (p = 0.0069) were significant factors correlated with Cy+. Among patients with curative surgery, the 5-year survival rate of the Cy+ group was 22.2%, which was worse (p = 0.0004) compared with that of the Cy(-) group (60.9%). Among Cy+ patients, the survival rate of the group treated with intraperitoneal administration of mitomycin C (MMC) and OK-432 was better (p = 0.0108) than that of the historical control group. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that intraperitoneal cytological examination can be a significant prognostic factor for gastric carcinoma with serosal invasion. In addition, dissemination of cancer cells in the peritoneum may be controlled by intraperitoneal immunochemotherapy with MMC and OK-432.     

免疫组化检测Survivin和Livin表达可预测Dukes'''' B期结直肠癌术后的复发和生存

Objective： To detect the expressions of Survivin and Livin in Dukes＇ B colorectal cancer tissues and analyze the prognosis after curative resection. Methods： The expressions of Survivin and Livin were evaluated immunohistochemically in Dukes＇ B colorectal cancer specimens from 81 patients after curative resection of the tumor. Their correlations to clinical characters and survival were also explored. Results： The positive rates of Survivin and Livin in colorectal cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in normal colorectal tissues （58.0% vs. 16.7% and 45.7% vs. 8.3% respectively, P 〈 0.05）. The expressions of Survivin and Livin were not related to gender, tumor site, primary size, T stage, pathologic category, and degree of differentiation （P 〉 0.05）, and no relationship was found between the expressions of Survivin and Livin （P 〉 0.05）. The expression rate of Survivin in patients older than 50 years was higher than that in patients younger than 50 years （70.6% vs. 36.7%, P 〈 0.05）. Both Survivin and Livin were related to recurrence and/or metastasis （P = 0.02 and P = 0.001, respectively）, and shorter survival （P = 0.039 and P = 0.001, respectively）. Cox multivariate analysis showed T4 and positive Livin expression were independent prognostic factors （P = 0.002 and P = 0.047, respectively）. Conclusion： Survivin and Livin are over-expressed in Dukes＇ B colorectal cancer tissues and are positively related to recurrence and/or metastasis and poor prognosis after curative resection of the tumor.     

Budding (sprouting) as a useful prognostic marker in colorectal mucinous carcinoma

PURPOSE: Budding (sprouting) along the invasive margin is reported to be associated with high malignant potential of colorectal carcinoma. We examined the prognostic significance of budding in colorectal mucinous carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Surgically resected specimens from 31 patients with colorectal mucinous carcinoma were studied. The median postoperative follow-up was 27 months. The presence of budding was examined according to Morodomi's criteria using hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections. RESULTS: Budding was found in 18 lesions (58%). Budding was more frequently observed in lesions with venous invasion and lymph node metastasis than in those without (P = 0.04, P = 0.03, respectively). The incidence of budding was higher in lesions with distant metastasis than in those without (P < 0.03). Overall recurrence and peritoneal disseminated recurrence were significantly more frequent in patients with budding-positive lesions than in those with budding-negative lesions (P = 0.05, P = 0.04, respectively). The cumulative 5-year survival rate of curative resected cases was lower in patients with budding-positive lesions than in those with budding-negative lesions (25.0% versus 90.9%, P = 0.01, log-rank test). Moreover, both the univariate and multivariate proportional hazard models revealed that the presence of budding was the only significant co-factor of postoperative survival. CONCLUSION: Budding is a pathological marker suggesting high malignant potential and decreased postoperative survival in patients with colorectal mucinous carcinoma.     

The relationship between positive peritoneal cytology and the prognosis of patients with FIGO stage I/II uterine cervical cancer

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess whether peritoneal cytology has prognostic significance in uterine cervical cancer.

Methods

Peritoneal cytology was obtained in 228 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] stages IB1-IIB) between October 2002 and August 2010. All patients were negative for intraperitoneal disease at the time of their radical hysterectomy. The pathological features and clinical prognosis of cases of positive peritoneal cytology were examined retrospectively.

Results

Peritoneal cytology was positive in 9 patients (3.9%). Of these patients, 3/139 (2.2%) had squamous cell carcinoma and 6/89 (6.7%) had adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma. One of the 3 patients with squamous cell carcinoma who had positive cytology had a recurrence at the vaginal stump 21 months after radical hysterectomy. All of the 6 patients with adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma had disease recurrence during the follow-up period: 3 with peritoneal dissemination and 2 with lymph node metastases. There were significant differences in recurrence-free survival and overall survival between the peritoneal cytology-negative and cytology-positive groups (log-rank p<0.001). Multivariate analysis of prognosis in cervical cancer revealed that peritoneal cytology (p=0.029) and histological type (p=0.004) were independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Positive peritoneal cytology may be associated with a poor prognosis in adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Therefore, the results of peritoneal cytology must be considered in postoperative treatment planning.     

Peritoneal cytology in the surgical evaluation of gastric carcinoma

Many patients undergoing surgery for gastric carcinoma will develop peritoneal metastases. A method to identify those patients at risk of peritoneal recurrence would help in the selection of patients for adjuvant therapy. Peritoneal cytology has received little attention in the West, but may prove a useful additional means of evaluating patients with gastric cancer. The aims of this study were to evaluate sampling techniques for peritoneal cytology in patients with gastric cancer, to assess the prognostic significance of free peritoneal malignant cells and to discover the effect of the operative procedure on dissemination of malignant cells. The study is based on 85 consecutive patients undergoing surgical treatment of gastric cancer and followed up for 2 years or until death. Peritoneal cytology samples were collected at laparoscopy, and at operation prior to resection by intraperitoneal lavage and serosal brushings. After resection, samples were taken by peritoneal lavage, imprint cytology of the resected specimen and post-operatively by peritoneal irrigation via a percutaneous catheter. Malignant cells were diagnosed by two independent microscopists. Preoperative peritoneal lavage yielded malignant cells in 16 out of 85 cases (19%). The yield of free malignant cells was increased by using serosal brushings (by four cases) and imprint cytology (by two cases); all of the cases had evidence of serosal penetration. One serosa-negative case exhibited positive cytology in the post-resection peritoneal specimen in which the preresection cytology specimen was negative. Survival was worse in the cytology-positive group (chi2 = 25.1; P< 0.0001). Among serosa-positive patients, survival was significantly reduced if cytology was positive, if cases yielded by brushings and imprint cytology were included (log-rank test = 8.44; 1 df, P = 0.004). In conclusion, free peritoneal malignant cells can be identified in patients with gastric cancer who have a poor prognosis; the yield can be increased with brushings and imprint cytology in addition to conventional peritoneal lavage. Evaluation of peritoneal cytology by these methods may have a role in the selection of patients with the poorest prognosis who may benefit most from adjuvant therapy.     

Immunohistochemically detected hepatic micrometastases predict a high risk of intrahepatic recurrence after resection of colorectal carcinoma liver metastases

BACKGROUND: Hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinoma frequently recur after resection and hepatic micrometastases most likely are important in the development of such recurrences. The objectives of the current study were to assess the feasibility of the immunohistochemical detection of hepatic micrometastases from colorectal carcinoma and to determine their clinical significance. METHODS: Fifty-three patients underwent curative hepatic resection for colorectal carcinoma metastases. Multiple tissue sections were cut from the advancing margin of the largest hepatic metastasis in each patient and were stained with an antibody against cytokeratin-20 to detect hepatic micrometastases, which were defined as discrete microscopic cancerous lesions surrounding the dominant metastasis. RESULTS: Normal hepatocytes and intrahepatic bile duct epithelia stained negative for cytokeratin-20 in all patients, whereas the largest hepatic tumors stained positive in 46 patients (86.8%). Among the 46 patients with hepatic tumors that were positive for cytokeratin-20, hepatic micrometastases were found immunohistochemically in 32 patients (69.6%). The presence of hepatic micrometastases was associated with a larger number of macroscopic hepatic metastases (P = 0.047) and patients with hepatic micrometastases were found to demonstrate a higher probability of intrahepatic recurrence (P = 0.003) compared with those patients without hepatic micrometastases. In addition, patients with hepatic micrometastases demonstrated a worse survival (10-year survival rate of 21.9%) compared with those patients without hepatic micrometastases (10-year survival rate of 64.3%) (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical detection of hepatic micrometastases is feasible in patients with colorectal carcinoma liver metastases. Hepatic micrometastasis indicates widespread hepatic involvement and thus predicts an increased risk of intrahepatic recurrence after hepatic resection and a poorer patient prognosis.     

Clinicopathological analysis for recurrence of early gastric cancer

BACKGROUND: Although the prognosis of early gastric cancer (EGC) is considered to be satisfactory, some patients experience disease recurrence after curative resection. This study was aimed at evaluating the recurrence rate, the recurrence patterns and the prognostic factors for recurrence of EGC as well as treatment results after recurrences. METHODS: We investigated follow-up records of 1452 EGC patients on whom curative operations were performed at Seoul National University Hospital from 1986 to 1995 with special reference to cancer recurrence. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients showed recurrences with a 1.5% 5-year cumulative recurrence rate. Four cases were locoregional recurrences, two were peritoneal recurrences, nine were distant recurrences and six were mixed type recurrences. The 5-year survival rates of T1N0, T1N1, T1N2 and T1N3 were 99.3, 96.8, 72.7 and 0%, respectively (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed a significantly high correlation between positive lymph node metastasis and recurrence (P < 0.001). Median survival after recurrence of EGC was 4.3 months. Median survival after recurrence was 5.8 months after chemotherapy and 3.1 months after conservative management (P = 0.69). CONCLUSION: Although the recurrence of EGC is very rare in general, EGC with lymph node metastasis has a higher possibility of recurring, especially with >6 positive lymph nodes. Even after curative resection of EGC, patients with EGC with >6 positive lymph nodes should be closely followed and be considered as candidates for adjuvant treatment.     

Impact of ductal resection margin status on long-term survival in patients undergoing resection for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: The current study was performed to clarify whether the presence of residual carcinoma in situ at ductal resection margins differs prognostically from residual invasive ductal lesions in patients undergoing surgical resection for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 84 patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who underwent surgical resection was conducted. The ductal resection margin status was classified as negative (n = 64 patients), positive with carcinoma in situ (n = 11 patients), or positive with invasive carcinoma (n = 9 patients). The median follow-up period was 105 months. RESULTS: Ductal margin status was found to be a strong independent prognostic factor by both univariate (P = 0.0002) and multivariate (P = 0.0039) analyses. The outcome after surgical resection was comparable between patients with negative ductal margins (median survival time of 45 months; cumulative 10-year survival rate of 40%) and those with positive ductal margins with carcinoma in situ (median survival time of 99 months; cumulative 10-year survival rate of 23%; P = 0.4742). In patients with positive ductal margins, the outcome was found to be significantly better in patients with residual carcinoma in situ than in those with residual invasive carcinoma (median survival time of 21 months; cumulative 5-year survival rate of 0%; P = 0.0003). Of 11 patients with residual carcinoma in situ, 4 died of tumor recurrence and the initial site of the disease recurrence was local. All 9 patients with residual invasive carcinoma died of disease recurrence (local recurrence with or without distant metastases) within 40 months after surgical resection. CONCLUSIONS: After surgical resection for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, invasive carcinoma at ductal resection margins appears to have a strong adverse effect on patient survival, whereas residual carcinoma in situ does not.     

Serum tissue polypeptide specific antigen as a noninvasive prognostic indicator for early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection

BACKGROUND: Serum tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) is a useful cell proliferation marker in diagnosing and monitoring patients with a variety of malignancies. The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of serum TPS as a noninvasive prognostic factor for early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after patients undergo curative resection. METHODS: Serum TPS levels were measured by monoclonal TPS immunoradiometric assay in 54 patients shortly before they underwent curative resection for HCC. The recurrence time was correlated with the TPS level and with other prognostic factors using the log-rank test in univariate analysis and a Cox regression in multivariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to examine the power of the various prognostic factors to distinguish between patients with recurrent tumors and patients who were disease free. RESULTS: Patients who had higher levels of TPS (>or= 150 U/L) had earlier recurrences compared with patients who had lower levels of TPS (< 150 U/L; P = 0.016) in univariate analysis. Tumor size, the number of tumors, portal vein invasion, and the resection margins also were associated significantly with the time to tumor recurrence (P = 0.015, P = 0.004, P = 0.003, and P = 0.003, respectively). Serum alpha-fetoprotein was not a significant risk factor for tumor recurrence. In multivariate analysis, the TPS level, tumor size, and resection margins were independent prognostic factors (P = 0.025, P = 0.018, and P = 0.016, respectively). The inclusion of TPS in addition to tumor size and resection margins increased the rate of corrective prediction from 0.72 to 0.80. CONCLUSIONS: The current study demonstrated that the preoperative serum TPS level was a significant factor in predicting early recurrence of HCC after curative resection. Patients with high serum TPS levels warrant more aggressive treatment and close follow-up after they undergo tumor resection.     

Prognostic significance of peritoneal lavage cytology in gastric cancer in Singapore

Background Peritoneal lavage cytology has been included as part of the staging process in the 13th edition of the Japanese Classification of Gastric Cancer. However, this procedure has neither been studied nor established in our population. We aimed to evaluate its prognostic relevance among our patients with gastric cancer. Methods A total of 142 consecutive patients with gastric carcinoma were recruited prospectively. All had histologically proven gastric carcinomas and had undergone laparotomy and intraoperative peritoneal lavage for cytological examination at Singapore General Hospital. The fluid recovered was centrifuged and stained by the Papanicolau method. All patients were followed up with endpoints of cancer recur-rence and mortality. Results There were 91 men and 51 women; 36 patients (25.4%) had positive peritoneal lavage. Patients with advanced macroscopic features, presence of vascular invasion, nodal involvement, advanced depth of tumor invasion and metastatic disease tended to have positive lavage, by univariate logistic regression analysis. Despite curative resections, patients with positive cytology had a more dismal disease-free survival (mean, 27 months vs 53 months; P < 0.0001 by log rank test) and higher recurrence rate (54.5% vs 19.3%; P = 0.007 by log rank test). There was also a trend towards earlier recurrences (median, 8 months vs 11 months; P = 0.37). By multivariate Cox regression stepwise analysis, advanced depth of tumor invasion and positive lavage cytology were found to be independent poor prognostic factors for disease-free survival. Conclusion Positive peritoneal lavage cytology correlated well with advanced features of gastric cancer. It is an independent poor prognostic factor and the procedure should be routinely performed. Integration of lavage status into our current staging systems may serve as a guide for adjuvant therapeutic options to improve the survival of gastric cancer in our population.     

Prognostic Value of Peritoneal Washing Cytology in Gynecologic Malignancies: a Controversial Issue

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic impact of peritoneal washing cytology in patients with endometrial andovarian cancers. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively identified 86 individuals with ovarian carcinomas,ovarian borderline tumors and endometrial adenocarcinomas. The patients had been treated at Shahid SadoughiHospital and Ramazanzadeh Radiotherapy Center, Yazd, Iran between 2004 and 2012. Survival differences weredetermined by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox regression method. Ap<0.05 value was considered statistically significant. Results: There were 36 patients with ovarian carcinomas, 4with borderline ovarian tumors and 46 with endometrial carcinomas. The mean age of the patients was 53.8±15.2years. In patients with ovarian carcinoma the overall survival in the negative cytology group was better than thepatients with positive cytology although this difference failed to reach statistical significance (p=0.30). At 0 to 50months the overall survival was better in patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma and negative cytology thanthe patients with positive cytology but then it decreased (p=0.85). At 15 to 60 months patients with FIGO 2009stage IA-II endometrial andocarcinoma and negative peritoneal cytology had a superior survival rate comparedto 1988 IIIA and positive cytology only, although this difference failed to reach statistical significance(p=0.94).Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards model showed that stage and peritoneal cytology werepredictors of death. Conclusions: Our results show good correlation of peritoneal cytology with prognosis inpatients with ovarian carcinoma. In endometrial carcinoma it had prognostic importance. Additional researchis warranted.     

Does hysteroscopy facilitate tumor cell dissemination? Incidence of peritoneal cytology from patients with early stage endometrial carcinoma following dilatation and curettage (D & C) versus hysteroscopy and D & C

BACKGROUND: In several case reports, distension and irrigation of the uterine cavity during fluid hysteroscopy was suspected to cause tumor cell dissemination into the abdominal cavity in patients with endometrial carcinoma. It was the aim of this study to compare the incidence of positive peritoneal cytology in patients who underwent dilatation and curettage (D & C) with or without previous hysteroscopy. METHODS: The authors conducted a multicentric, retrospective cohort analysis. One hundred thirteen consecutive patients with endometrial carcinoma treated between 1996 and 1997 were included. Endometrial carcinoma had to be limited to the inner half or less than the inner half of the myometrium (pathologic Stage IA,B). Positive peritoneal cytology was obtained during staging laparotomy. Patients underwent D & C either with or without prior diagnostic fluid hysteroscopy. No selection or randomization was applied to the two groups. Positive peritoneal cytology, defined as malignant or suspicious, was considered the primary statistical endpoint. RESULTS: Peritoneal cytology was suspicious or positive in 10 of 113 patients (9%). The presence of suspicious or positive peritoneal cytology was associated with a history of hysteroscopy (P = 0.04) but not with myometrial invasion (P = 0.57), histologic subtype (P = 1.00) or grade (r = 0.16, P = 0.10), or the time between D & C and staging laparotomy (r = 0.04, P = 0.66). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the limited extent of endometrial carcinoma in the current analysis, our data strongly suggest dissemination of endometrial carcinoma cells after fluid hysteroscopy. Determining whether a positive peritoneal cytology affects the prognoses of patients without further evidence of extrauterine disease will require longer follow-up.     

Successful intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion for the prevention of postoperative peritoneal recurrence in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The majority of advanced gastric carcinoma patients with serosal invasion die of peritoneal recurrence, even when a curative gastrectomy is performed, because peritoneal recurrence occurs due to intraperitoneal free tumor cells that detach from the serosal-invaded focus. In an attempt to prevent peritoneal recurrence, intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion (IHCP) treatment was combined with aggressive surgery. METHODS: Between March 1987 and December 1996, 141 gastric carcinoma patients with macroscopic serosal invasion were allocated randomly to 2 groups. Seventy-one patients underwent IHCP combined with surgery (IHCP group) and the remaining 70 patients underwent surgery alone (control group). IHCP was performed just after gastric resection and alimentary tract reconstruction under general anesthesia along with systemic hyperthermia. RESULTS: Postoperative complications were reported in 2 of the 71 patients in the IHCP group and in 2 of the 70 patients in the control group. The peritoneal recurrence rate in the IHCP group was significantly decreased (P = 0.0000847) compared with that in the control group. The 2-year, 4-year, and 8-year survival rates for the IHCP group were 88%, 76%, and 62%, respectively, whereas those for the control group were 77%, 58%, and 49%, respectively. The IHCP group thus reaped a significant survival benefit (P = 0.0362) compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Although this study was conducted randomly for a small number of patients, compared with the control group, the IHCP group had a high survival rate and better prognosis.