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BackgroundControversy exists over the role of upfront primary tumor resection (PTR) in asymptomatic patients with unresectable stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of upfront PTR on survival outcomes and adverse outcomes.MethodsSearches were conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to August 2021. Studies comparing survival outcomes with or without adverse outcomes between PTR and non-PTR treatments were included. Review Manager 5.3 was applied for meta-analyses with a random-effects model whenever possible.ResultsOverall, 20 studies with 3,088 patients were finally included in this systematic review. Compared with non-PTR, upfront PTR was associated with better 3-year (HR: 0.69, 95% CI, 0.57–0.83, P = 0.0001) and 5-year overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.77, 95% CI, 0.62–0.95, P = 0.01), while subgroup analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between upfront PTR and upfront chemotherapy (CT) group. In addition, grade 3 or higher adverse effects due to CT were more frequent in the PTR group with marginal significance (OR: 1.74, 95% CI, 0.99–3.06, P = 0.05), and other adverse outcomes were comparable.ConclusionsPTR might be related to improved OS for asymptomatic patients with unresectable stage IV CRC, whereas receiving upfront CT is a rational alternative without detrimental influence on survival or adverse outcomes compared with upfront PTR.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=272675

To investigate the significance of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) for different molecular subtypes of female breast cancer T1-2N1M0 based on inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). The data of breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were extracted. According to the status of hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), the patients were classified into luminal-A (HR+/HER2-), luminal-B (HR+/HER2+), HER2-enriched (HR-/HER2+), and TNBC (HR-/HER2-) subtypes. The association between radiation therapy and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and Overall survival (OS) was retrospectively analyzed. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to balance measurable confounders. Among the 16 894 patients, 6 055 (35.8%) were in the PMRT group and 10 839 (64.2%) were in the nonPMRT group, with a median follow-up of 48 months. There were 1003 deaths from breast cancer and 754 deaths from other causes. After IPTW, the covariates between groups reached complete equilibrium, the multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that PMRT significantly prolonged OS and BCSS in Luminal-A and TNBC subtype breast cancer patients, yet it brought little significant survival advantage in Luminal-B and HER2-enriched subtype patients. Our study demonstrates a beneficial impact for PMRT on OS and BCSS among Luminal-A and TNBC subtype breast cancer patients with T1-2N1 disease.

Background: Anterior resection is a common surgical approach used in rectal cancer surgery; however, this procedure is known to cause bowel injury and dysfunction. Neoadjuvant therapy is widely used in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. In this study, we determined the effect of preoperative radiotherapy on long-term bowel function in patients who underwent anterior resection for treatment of rectal cancer. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases. A random-effects model was used in the meta-analysis by the Review Manager software, version 5.3. Results: This systematic review and meta-analysis included 12 studies, which used low anterior resection syndrome score with a total of 2349 patients. Based on them, we concluded that low anterior resection syndrome was significantly more common in the preoperative radiotherapy group (odds ratio 3.59, 95% confidence interval 2.68-4.81, P

This study aims to explore the minimum number of lymph nodes (LNs) necessary for assessing the postoperative staging of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG).We extracted the data of patients from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, who were pathologically diagnosed with AEG between 2000 and 2017. We explored the associations between the number of LNs and overall survival (OS) by univariate and multivariate analyses and determined the proper cutoff value of the number of LNs necessary for accurate postoperative staging.Of the patients with AEG in the SEER database, 2668 met our inclusion criteria. The total number of regional LNs dissected was found to be significantly associated with survival in analyses stratified by T stage. Univariate and multivariate regression showed that age, grade, positive LNs, number of LNs examined, and T stage were independently associated with OS. For patients with T1-2 tumors, the 5-year survival rate was 58.7%, and patients with more than 11 LNs examined obtained a greater survival benefit. Among patients with T3-4 tumors, the 5-year survival rates were 28.9% and 39.7% for those with 1-16 LNs examined and for those with more than 17 LNs examined, respectively.To accurately determine the pathological stage of patients with AEG, no less than 11 LNs must be resected for patients with stage T1-2 disease, and no less than 16 LNs must be resected for patients with stage T3-4 disease.

Purpose Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are commonly known to be derived from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but recently there have been more and more literature describing lesions with similar pathological and immunohistochemical resembling GISTs but located outside the GI tract, and they have been termed as extra-GISTs (eGISTs). However, due to the rare incidence of eGISTs, its association with survival outcomes is poorly understood, especially in the Chinese population. Here, we aimed to identify the risk factors of eGISTs and to assess their association with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Patients and methods Data of pathologically confirmed eGISTs cases, without radiological and perioperative evidence of other primary lesions, and with no microscopically identified adhesion between the tumor and the gastrointestinal serosa, which were surgically treated between January 2006 and September 2017 were retrieved from the database of four high-volume hospitals. Immunohistochemical and genetic testing were performed on the postoperative lesions and were staged using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) criteria. Results A total of 55 cases were retrieved. eGISTs were identified from the retroperitoneum (36.4%), mesocolon (25.5%), small bowel mesentery (12.7%), abdominopelvic cavity (12.7%), lesser omental sac (5.5%), ovary (3.6%), pancreatic capsule (1.8%), or urinary bladder (1.8%). Based on the NIH risk classification, majority of the lesion were classified as high risk (85.5%). KIT 11 was the most common mutation site (76.5%) and 25.0% of the cases were wild-type eGISTs. Multivariate analyses showed that tumor location and size were independent factors affecting prognoses. Patients with tumors in the retroperitoneum had significantly poorer OS and DFS as compared to those in the non-retroperitoneum (HR [95% CI] for OS and DFS: 2.546 [1.023-6.337] [P = 0.037] and 2.475 [0.975-6.273] [P = 0.049], respectively). Similar findings were found for tumors of size >15 cm, compared to ≤15 cm (HR [95% CI] for OS and DFS: 5.350 [2.022-14.156] [P Conclusion eGISTs were predominantly found from the retroperitoneum and mostly classified as high risk. Those located in the retroperitoneum and of size >15 cm had the poorer OS and DFS as compared to those in the non-retroperitoneum and of size

Low expressions of PRKACB are related to the occurrence of various human malignancies. However, the prognostic value of PRKACB expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients remains controversial. In this analysis, PRKACB expression in CRC tumors was evaluated across the GEO, TCGA, and Oncomine databases, and a PRKACB survival analysis was performed based on the TCGA profile. We detected PRKACB in 7 GEO series (GSE110225, GSE32323, GSE44076, GSE9348, GSE41328, GSE21510, GSE68468) and TCGA spectra (all P

Studies on morbid obesity have shown remarkable improvement of diabetes in patients who have undergone bariatric operations. It was subsequently shown that these operations induce diabetes remission independent of the resultant weight loss; as a result, surgeons began to investigate whether operations for gastric cancer (GC) could have the same beneficial effect on diabetes as bariatric operations. It was then shown in multiple reports that followed that certain operations for GC were able to improve or even cure type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in GC patients. This finding gave rise to the concept of "oncometabolic surgery", in which a patient diagnosed with both GC and T2DM undergo a single operation with the purpose of treating both diseases. With the increasing incidence of T2DM, oncometabolic surgery has the potential to improve the quality of life and even extend survival of many GC patients. However, because the GC patient population and the bariatric patient population are wildly different and because different GC operations have different properties, the effect of oncometabolic surgery must be carefully assessed and engineered in order to maximize benefit and avoid harm. This manuscript aims to summarize the findings made so far in the field of oncometabolic surgery and to provide an outlook regarding the possibility of oncometabolic surgery being incorporated into standard clinical practice.

Background Both tumor deposits (TD) and perineural invasion (PNI) have been identified as risk factors for poor survival in patients with non-metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC). However, the adverse impacts of TD and PNI on the survival of patients with non-metastatic CRC have not been compared. Method Patients with non-metastatic CRC with known TD and PNI status were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. First, bivariate logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify the factors associated with TD and PNI status. Then, patients were divided into four groups, according to TD and PNI status. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the baseline covariates. The impact of TD and PNI on survival was assessed by analyzing overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) rates. OS was calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method with log-rank analysis. CSM was estimated by competing risk analysis using the Fine and Gray model. Results A total of 70 689 patients with CRC met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The positive rates of TD and PNI were 9.37% and 9.91%, respectively. For TD, the most important risk factor was N stage. With respect to PNI, the most significant factor was T stage. Tumor location, tumor size, differentiation grade, and serum CEA level were also correlated with TD and PNI status. After PSM, 1849 pairs were selected. Patients with TD+PNI+ status had the worst 5 year CSM and 5 year OS. In addition, the long-term survival outcomes of patients with TD+PNI− and TD−PNI+ status were comparable. Conclusion The adverse impacts of TD and PNI on the survival of patients with non-metastatic CRC were comparable. CRC patients with both TD and PNI positive had the worst survival outcome.

Importance. Extragastrointestinal stromal tumor (EGIST) is a rare tumor, and its diagnosis and treatment strategy lack clinical guideline and relative literature evidence. In clinical practice, EGIST only misuses the pattern of GIST of diagnosis and treatment. The study hopes to find evidence of the treatment pattern for EGIST. Objective. This study aimed to compare the tumor characteristics and long-term outcomes between EGIST and GIST. The confounding function was applied to improve the result credibility in the case of small sample size. Design, Setting, and Participants. This cohort study enrolled 55 patients with EGIST who underwent surgery and were selected from four high-volume hospitals in China and 221 GIST patients who were collected from one of the four hospitals between January 2006 and September 2017. We used propensity score matching (PSM) and subgroup analysis to compare EGIST with GIST in terms of prognosis. The confounding function was used for sensitivity analysis to reduce unmeasured confounding. Results. We matched 43 patients in each of the GIST and EGIST groups by PSM. We compared EGIST data with GIST data to explore the prognostic factors between them. In the multivariate Cox regression model, tumor location of EGIST was negatively correlated with overall survival (after PSM: HR, 4.32; 95% CI, 1.22–15.26) or disease-free survival (after PSM: HR, 9.79; 95% CI, 2.22–43.31), which was also intuitively shown in the Kaplan–Meier survival curves (all P values < 0.05). In the subgroup analysis, EGIST with high risk factors had a worse prognosis than GIST. In unmeasured confounding analysis, the overall curve tends to show all combinations of c(0) of c(1) up to 2.0, none of which would bring the corrected relative risk to 1 for OS and DFS. Conclusions and Relevance. EGIST was associated with worse prognosis compared with GIST patients, particularly in EGIST patients with high risk factors, while there was a similar prognosis without those high risk factors.

Background To evaluate the prognostic impact of the advanced lung cancer index (ALI) in patients with the adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) after radical resection. Methods The data of patients with AEG after radical resection at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2008 to December 2018 were retrieved. The cutoff value of ALI was determined and the prognostic impact of clinicopathological factors and ALI were analyzed. A nomogram based on the independent prognostic factors for overall survival was then built. Results A total of 147 patients were eligible and based on a cutoff of ALI 43.1, 90 (61.2%) and 57 (38.8%) patients were classified in a low- (ALI༜43.1) and high-ALI (ALI༞43.1) group. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that low-ALI was associated with poor overall survival (OS) (p༜0.001, HR 2.541, 95%CI 1.408-4.410) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.021, HR 1.789, 95%CI 1.020-2.674). In subgroup analysis, low-ALI was independent predictor for OS (p=0.001, HR 2.628, 95%CI 1.467-4.707) in stage III/IVA AEG patients. A nomogram for OS estimation was constructed and the C-index was 0.699 (95%CI 0.636-0.762) and the calibration plots showed satisfactory consistency between actual observation and nomogram-predicted OS probabilities. Further, satisfactory predictive accuracy for 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates with an area under the curve of 0.736, 0.712 and 0.697, respectively, was observed. Conclusions ALI was an independent prognostic factor for AEG patients after radical resection, and demonstrated promising ability for risk stratification of AEG, especially in advanced-stage disease.

Purpose: There is mounting evidence to indicate that microRNA-17 (miR-17) is expressed and functionally involved in human cancers. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the role of miR-17 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unclear. This study aims to reveal the biological function of miR-17 in colorectal cancer. Materials and methods: The expression of miR-17 in CRC cells and tissues was examined using qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation and migration assays were performed after transfection with an miR-17 mimic and inhibitors. The potential gene targets of miR-17 were predicted by bioinformatics analysis and further validated by PCR, Western blot and dual luciferase reporter assays. Results: The expression of miR-17 was significantly upregulated in CRC cell lines and tissues and may imply poor prognosis. miR-17 upregulation promoted cell invasion and migration in CRC cell lines in vitro, while downregulation of miR-17 inhibited tumor progression. SIK1 was identified as a potential direct target of miR-17 by dual luciferase reporter assay, and its downregulation in CRC may suggest poor prognosis. Conclusions: Our study indicated that upregulated miR-17 may promote the progression of CRC and may exert its function as a tumor suppressor miRNA by targeting SIK1.

Autophagy plays a complex role in tumors, sometimes promoting cancer cell survival and sometimes inducing apoptosis, and its role in the colorectal tumor microenvironment is controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in colorectal cancer. We identified 37 differentially expressed autophagy-related genes by collecting TCGA colorectal tumor transcriptome data. A single-factor COX regression equation was used to identify 11 key prognostic genes, and a prognostic risk prediction model was constructed based on multifactor COX analysis. We classified patients into high and low risk groups according to prognostic risk parameters (p

BackgroundThe incidence of esophagogastric junction adenocarcinoma (EJA) has increased in recent years, with surgical resection the main choice of treatment. The optimal length of the proximal margin for EJA is still under debate, and the impact of EJA survival and recurrence remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the optimal length of the proximal margin on EJA.MethodsFrom January 2011 to December 2015, 131 patients who had EJA with type II tumors were included and retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent radical R0 resection. The proximal margin was measured promptly after resection, and the frozen-section pathological examination was negative for the margin.ResultsThere were 3 cases of Siewert type I EJA (2.9 %), 75 cases of Siewert type II EJA (57.9 %), and 53 cases (40.1%) of Siewert type III EJA. The median number of lymph nodes examined was 19 (range: 1–41), and the median number of positive lymph nodes was 2 (range: 0–18). Sixty-three patients underwent total gastrectomy (48.1%), and 68 underwent proximal gastrectomy (51.9%). The median follow-up time was 57.3 months: (range 1.9–174.1); 34 patients (26%) relapsed and 74 (56.5%) died. The 5-year overall survival rate of type II tumor patients was 68.2%, and that of type III tumor patients was 38.5% (P = 0.02). For patients with a proximal margin 2 cm (log–rank: 0.496). Our data analysis found that a proximal margin length of 2 cm was a prognostic variable for type II and type III tumors.ConclusionsThere are a number of factors associated with recurrence and overall survival at 5 years for patients who have EJA with type II and type III tumors, and a proximal margin >2 cm may indicate better prognosis.

Background: Postoperative complications (PCs) after laparoscopic gastrectomy with mediastinal lymph nodes resection for adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) prolonged the time of hospitalization and increased mortality rate. Early diagnosis of PCs was of great importance. This retrospective study aimed to investigate whether the variation tendency of serum C-reactive protein can be used as an early marker to predict major postoperative complications after laparoscopic gastrectomy for AEG.Methods: Data for patients underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for AEG, from January 2015 to March 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to determine diagnostic accuracy of inflammatory markers. The optimal cutoff values were calculated by maximizing Youden’s index. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for PCs of grade III or more，according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: A total of 114 patients were analyzed, of whom 21 (18.4%, 95% CI 11.4-25.4 %) developed major PCs, including anastomotic leakage in 13. The ratio of CRP level on postoperative day 3 to day 2 (POD3/2 CRP) provided the best diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.903, 95% CI 0.814-0.993, p＜0.001). Proximal gastrectomy (OR 8.224, 95% CI 1.976-34.234, p=0.004) and operation time ≥360 minutes (OR 6.753, 95% CI 2.037-22.395, p=0.002) were identified as significant independent risk factors for major PCs.Conclusions: The POD3/2 CRP was the best marker to predict PCs after laparoscopic gastrectomy for AEG.

Backgroud:Esophagojejunal anastomotic leakage (EJAL) after laparoscopic gastrectomy with mediastinal lymph nodes resection for adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) constituted the most common and serious postoperative complications (PCs). Early diagnosis of EJAL was of great importance. This retrospective study aimed to investigate whether the variation tendency of serum C-reactive protein can be used as an early marker to exclude EJAL after laparoscopic gastrectomy for AEG.Methods:Data for patients underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for AEG, from January 2015 to March 2020, were retrospectively analyzed. Diagnostic accuracy was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for PCs of grade II or more，according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Results:A total of 114 patients were analyzed, of whom 21 (18.4%, 95% CI 11.4-25.4 %) developed major PCs, including anastomotic leakage in 13. The ratio of CRP level on postoperative day 3 to day 2 (POD3/2 CRP) provided the best diagnostic accuracy (AUC 0.903, 95% CI 0.814-0.993, p＜0.001). Proximal gastrectomy (OR 8.224, 95% CI 1.976-34.234, p=0.004) and operation time ≥360 minutes (OR 6.753, 95% CI 2.037-22.395, p=0.002) were identified as significant independent risk factors for major postoperative complications.Conclusions:The POD3/2 CRP was the best marker to exclude anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic gastrectomy for AEG.

There is a great matter of controversies whether some of these synchronous metastatic colorectal cancer patients can benefit from palliative primary tumor resection (pPTR) and there is still no reported randomized control trial to address this issue.Patients with microscopically proven metastatic colorectal cancer were identified within the SEER database (2010-2016). Patients were propensity matched 1:1 into pPTR and non-surgery groups and among the matched cohort, the univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed to identify predictors of survival. Median survival was calculated by using the Kaplan-Meier method.Of 21,405 colorectal cancer patients diagnosed with synchronous liver and/or lung metastases, 7386 were identified in the matched cohort. The median overall survival was 12.0 months, 22.0 months in the non-surgery, surgery groups, respectively (p 0.001) and the corresponding median cancer-specific survival was 13.0 months, 22.0 months, respectively (p 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that surgery was independently associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.531) as well as cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio, 0.516). In stratified analyses by primary site and patterns of distant metastases, those patients with pPTR had better prognosis. In addition, stratified analysis revealed that trimodality therapy was linked with the greatest therapeutic effect followed by addition of chemotherapy to pPTR.pPTR may offer some therapeutic benefits among carefully selected patients, and surgery-based multimodality therapy was associated with better survival.

Background Recently, multiple lines of evidence have demonstrated that linc00662 serves as an oncogene in various cancers. However, the exact mechanism of oncogenesis mediated by linc00662 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore the biological role of linc00662 in the regulation of CRC progression. Methods Both gene expression omnibus (GEO) and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) datasets were used to evaluate the expression of linc00662. RT-qPCR was used to analyze the expression of linc00662, miR-497-5p, and AVL9 in CRC clinical samples and cell lines. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, transwell assay, and xenograft model were used to investigate the effect of linc00662 on CRC cell proliferation, cell cycle, and metastasis. Western blot analysis was used to analyze the expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and mechanism assays were used to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to analyze the regulatory relationships among linc00662, miR-497-5p, and AVL9. Results In this study, we found that the expression of linc00662 was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared to normal tissues and positively correlated with tissue differentiation, T stage, and lymphatic metastasis. Further, our data showed that the expression of linc00662 was positively associated with lymph node metastasis, TMN stage, and poor-moderate differentiation. Patients with higher linc00662 expression level were more likely to have poorer overall survival. Knockdown of linc00662 inhibited CRC cell growth, induced cell apoptosis, triggered cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, and suppressed cell migration and invasion through regulating the EMT pathway. Further, mechanistic studies revealed that knockdown of linc00662 significantly reduced the expression of AVL9, a direct target of miR-497-5p. Conclusions Linc00662 was significantly upregulated in CRC, and mediated CRC progression and metastasis by competing with miR-497-5p to modulate the expression of AVL9. Therefore, our result sheds light on the potential application of linc00662 in CRC diagnosis and therapy.

Deqing Wu, Linyong Zhao, Ying Liu, Junjiang Wang, Weixian Hu, Xingyu Feng, Zejian Lv, Yong Li, Xueqing Yao Department of General Surgery, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Objective: To evaluate the utilization of 256-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) angiography in preoperative assessment of perigastric vascular anatomy in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: In this study, 80 gastric cancer patients were included. The medical procedure of 256-slice spiral CT angiography was performed on each of these patients consecutively. Thereafter, these patients were subjected to surgical treatment in our hospital. The techniques of volume rendering (VR) and maximum intensity projection (MIP) were used to image reconstruction of arteries around the stomach. Results: Both VR and MIP were applied to reconstruct the images of perigastric arteries. The results indicated that VR imaging was inferior to MIP in determining the variant small artery anatomy around the greater curvature and fundus. The respective rates of imaging produced by VR and MIP for left gastroepiploic artery, short gastric artery, and posterior gastric artery, were 32.50% versus 100%, 16.25% versus 87.50%, and 3.75% versus 25.00%, respectively. According to Hiatt’s classification, 75 out of 240 cases were abnormal types, among which we found Type II in 30 cases, Type III in 33 cases, Type IV in three cases, Type V in six cases, and Type VI in only three cases. There was no significant difference for total and every single variation type, between our group and Hiatt’s group (P>0.05). Conclusion: The 256-slice spiral CT angiography can be regarded as an effective and accurate diagnostic modality for preoperative assessing anatomical arterial variations in gastric cancer; MIP was superior to VR at identifying variations of some small artery, whereas VR was better than MIP at showing anatomical arterial variations due to its three-dimensional effect. Keywords: gastric cancer, artery, angiography, tomography, spiral computed

// Jiabin Zheng 1, * , Xingyu Feng 1, * , Zifeng Yang 1 , Weixian Hu 1, 2 , Yuwen Luo 1, 2 , Yong Li 1 1 Department of General Surgery, Guangdong General Hospital and Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, 510080, China 2 Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Yong Li, email: yuan821007@126.com Keywords: laparoscopy, open, rectal cancer, meta-analysis Received: September 28, 2016 Accepted: December 20, 2016 Published: December 26, 2016 ABSTRACT Background: Laparoscopic-assisted radical resection of rectal cancer was reported as advantageous compared to laparotomy resection. However, this finding remains controversial, especially given the two recent randomized controlled trials published on The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Objective: To perform a meta-analysis that compares the short-term and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic and open surgery for rectal cancer. Data source: To identify clinical trials comparing laparoscopic and open surgery for rectal cancer published by August 2016, we searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Springer Link and Clinicaltrials.gov databases by combining various key words. Data were extracted from every identified study to perform a meta-analysis using the Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: A total of 43 articles from 38 studies with a total of 13408 patients were included. Although laparoscopic radical rectectomy increased operation time (MD = 37.23, 95% CI: 28.88 to 45.57, P < 0.0001), it can significantly decrease the blood loss (MD = –143.13, 95% CI: –183.48 to –102.78, P < 0.0001), time to first bowel movement (MD = –0.97, 95% CI: –1.35 to –0.59, P < 0.0001), length of hospital stay (MD = –2.40, 95% CI: –3.10 to –1.70, P < 0.0001), postoperative complications (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.72 to 0.86, P < 0.0001), mortality (OR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.57, P < 0.0001) and the CRM positive rate (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.55 to 0.75, P < 0.0001). No significant difference were noted between the groups regarding intraoperative complications, TME completeness and harvesting of lymph nodes. Regarding the long-term survival data, the laparoscopic group was not inferior to laparotomy. Some pooled data, such as 3-year DFS, 5-year OS and 5-year local recurrence were even superior for the laparoscopic group. Conclusions: Given the definite benefits in short-term outcomes and trending benefits in long-term outcomes that were observed, we recommend laparoscopic surgery be used for rectal cancer resection.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility and outcomes of total laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty (TLSV) in women with congenital absence of the vagina. Methods We investigated 10 women with congenital absence of the vagina, who underwent TLSV at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital between April 2013 and July 2016. Results All 10 women were unmarried, the mean age was 22.8 (range 17-33) years, mean estimated blood loss was 149.2 ± 54.8 (60-170) mL, mean operative time was 108.4 ± 52.6 (130-210) min, mean post-operative hospital stay was 8.0 ± 2.8 (6-12) days and the mean neovaginal length was 13.4 ± 3.0 (12-16) cm. Eight of the 10 women were heterosexually active. Trocar port site infection and neovaginal stenosis occurred 3 months after TLSV in one patient; a vaginal mould was used to relieve the stenosis. Conclusion TLSV is an optimal minimally invasive procedure to treat women with congenital absence of the vagina and is associated with rapid recovery and acceptable cosmetic effects.

Manzhao Ouyang,1,2,* Zhentao Luo,1,* Jinhao Wu,1,* Weijie Zhang,1 Shibin Tang,1 Yan Lu,1 Weixian Hu,2,3 Xueqing Yao2,3 1Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shunde Hospital, Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong Province 528308, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of General Surgery, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510080, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xueqing YaoDepartment of General Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, No.106 Zhongshaner Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 7 572 231 8566Fax +86 7 572 222 3899Email yjb9211@21cn.comBackground: This retrospective study compared the outcomes of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision (CME) guided by superior mesenteric artery with laparoscopic conventional radical resection (CRR) performed for right-sided colon cancer.Methods: Patients with right-sided colon cancer underwent CME (n=107; January 2011 to December 2015) or CRR (n=60; January 2008 to December 2010).Results: The 2 groups were comparable regarding age, gender, body mass index, maximum tumor diameter, and tumor stage. In the CME group, the distances between the tumor and the high vascular tie (HVT; 12.6cm), and between the closest bowel wall and HVT (10.4±0.9cm) was significantly greater than that of the CRR group (11.5cm and 9.3±1.0cm, respectively; P0.05).Conclusion: CME for right-sided colon cancer guided by superior mesenteric artery has similar short-term outcomes, higher lymph node yield, and higher 3-year overall survival compared with CRR.Keywords: laparoscopy, right-sided colon cancer, complete mesocolic excision

Background: The surgical approach (transthoracic or transabdominal) for patients with Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) still remains controversial. Methods: Data of patients with Siewert type II AEG were collected in the Guangdong General Hospital from 2004 to 2014 and we compared their clinicopathological outcome and prognosis in regard to the transthoracic (TT) and transabdominal (TA) approach. Results: A total of 158 patients with Siewert type II AEG were analyzed and our results demonstrated that their overall medium survival was 52 months. Also, their 5-year overall survival rate was 39.1%, which was comparable between the TT and TA group (35.1% vs . 43.2%, P>0.05), while more lymph nodes were dissected in TA group (23.7±0.2 vs . 18.1±0.3, P vs . 28.4%, P vs . 15±7 d, P Conclusions: For patients with Siewert type II AEG, the TA approach is more suitable to achieve an optimal extent of lymph node dissection, reduction in the incidence of complication, shorten hospital stay, and to promote the recovery.

To investigate the value and feasibility of C reactive protein (CRP) in predicting postoperative anastomotic leakage in rectal cancer patients with enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for safer implementation of this ERAS.A cohort study on serum CRP of 455 rectal cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection according to the ERAS procedure at Gastrointestinal Unit of General Surgery Department, Guangdong General Hospital from August 2014 to June 2017 was retrospectively carried out. The serum CRP level was measured before operation and at postoperative days 1-7, and the serum CRP level of the groups with and without anastomotic leakage was compared to analyze its prediction for anastomotic leakage. Diagnostic standard of anastomotic leakage was based on the definition of postoperative anastomotic leakage in rectal cancer from International Study Group of Rectal Cancer (ISREC): (1) Postoperative localized or diffuse peritonitis occurred, or fecal liquid was found from the abdominal drainage tube; (2) When anastomotic leakage was uncertain, peritoneal or pelvic computed tomography scan should be used to confirm.All the 455 patients underwent surgery successfully, and 41 patients (9.0%) had anastomotic leakage postoperatively. Patients with anastomotic leakage were diagnosed (4.0±2.0) days postoperatively, of whom 8 cases (19.5%) were diagnosed more than 5 days postoperatively. Serum CRP levels in patients with anastomotic leakage continued to increase within 1-4 days postoperatively [(50.04±27.98) mg/L to (122.75±52.98) mg/L] and decreased 5 days postoperatively [(92.02±58.26) mg/L], both were higher than those of non-anastomotic leakage group, and the difference was statistically significant (all P0.05, except postoperative day 2). The serum CRP level of non-anastomotic leakage group reached the peak on the second postoperative day [(83.10±37.45) mg/L] and decreased 3 days postoperatively [(48.01±27.59) mg/L]. The ROC curve was drawn with the anastomotic leakage as the state variable, and the CRP level as the detection variable. The area under the curve (AUC) at postoperative 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 days was 0.74, 0.58, 0.83, 0.82, 0.65, and 0.70, respectively. The maximum was at postoperative day 3 [0.93(95%CI: 0.86-0.99)]. The Youden index was 0.72, and the threshold of CRP was 80.09 mg/L, as the cut-off point to predict anastomotic leakage, with sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of 79.3%, 92.3%, and 74.2%, respectively.Monitoring the postoperative serum CRP level can help predict the occurrence of anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer. When the serum CRP level is80.09 mg/L on the third postoperative day, the CRP level has the largest value in predicting postoperative anastomotic leakage, and the safety of ERAS has a certain clinical significance as well.

The most common laparoscopic surgery for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) currently includes laparoscopic wedge resection, laparoscopic transgastric surgery, and laparoscopic intragastic surgery [Ohashi in Surg Endosc 9:169–171, 1995]. The clinical data of 10 cases of cardiac endophytic GIST patients who received total laparoscopic intragastric surgery from June 2014 to March 2016 in Guangdong General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. All cases were operated successfully without conversion to laparotomy. Operative time ranged from 59 to 104 min and blood loss was 5–65 mL. All specimens had intact capsules, diameters ranged from 16 to 26 mm, circumferential resection margins were 9–15 mm, and basement resection margins were 4–8 mm. All cases were pathologically diagnosed with GISTs. Time of flatus ranged from 1 to 4 days, time to resume eating was 2–4 days, drainage removal time was 3–4 days, and discharge time was 4–6 days. There was no postoperative hemorrhage, anastomotic leakage, cardiac stenosis, or other complications. All patients showed no swallowing disorders or acid reflux, and there were no signs of recurrence or metastasis in the follow-up period. Total laparoscopic intragastric treatment for cardiac endophytic GISTs is safe and feasible; however, an advanced laparoscopic surgical technique is required, which needs to be performed with caution.

Background: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy has become the current standard regimen for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, the additional benefit of oxaliplatin to preoperative chemotherapy was still controversial. On one hand, oxaliplatin may improve the tumor response rate of even prolong the survival time. On the other hand, it can bring a series of adverse effects. Opinions vary from studies to studies. We aim to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term survival of oxaliplatin in preoperative chemoradiotherapy for LARC. Method: To identify clinical trials fusing oxaliplatin in preoperative chemoradiotherapy for LARC published until December 2015, we searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the Springer Link databases by combining various key words. We also search for relevant ASCO conferences. Data were extracted from every study to perform a meta-analysis using STATA 12.0 software. Result: Eleven articles or ASCO abstracts from 8 studies with a total of 5597 patients were included. Adding oxaliplatin to preoperative chemoradiotherapy can significantly improve the ypCR rate [risk ratio (RR) = 1.208, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.070–1.364, P = 0.002, I2 = 14.5%], and decrease the preoperative metastasis (RR = 0.494, 95% CI: 0.256–0.954, P = 0.036, I2 = 53.9%) and local recurrence rate (RR = 0.761, 95% CI: 0.616–0.941, P = 0.012, I2 = 26.1%). What's more, oxaliplatin can prolong the disease-free survival (DFS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.867, 95% CI: 0.741–0.992, P = 0.000, I2 = 16.3%]. However, oxaliplatin can increase the chemoradiotherapy-related toxicities (RR = 1.858, 95% CI 1.427–2.419, P = 0.000, I2 = 84.7%). There was no significant difference between the groups with and without oxaliplatin in operation rate, R0 resection rate, sphincter preservation rate, permanent stoma rate, postoperative complication, mortality, and overall survival. Conclusion: Preoperative chemoradiotherapy with oxaliplatin bring both advantage and disadvantage to LARC. Whether to use oxaliplatin should be decided by patient's general condition and tolerance. Although oxaliplatin can prolong the DFS, survival benefit should be proved by further data.