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Background: Patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who achieve a pathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation have an improved prognosis. The need for surgery in these patients has been questioned, but the proportion of patients achieving a pathological complete response is small. We aimed to assess whether adding cycles of mFOLFOX6 between chemoradiation and surgery increased the proportion of patients achieving a pathological complete response., Methods: We did a phase 2, non-randomised trial consisting of four sequential study groups of patients with stage II-III locally advanced rectal cancer at 17 institutions in the USA and Canada. All patients received chemoradiation (fluorouracil 225 mg/m(2) per day by continuous infusion throughout radiotherapy, and 45·0 Gy in 25 fractions, 5 days per week for 5 weeks, followed by a minimum boost of 5·4 Gy). Patients in group 1 had total mesorectal excision 6-8 weeks after chemoradiation. Patients in groups 2-4 received two, four, or six cycles of mFOLFOX6, respectively, between chemoradiation and total mesorectal excision. Each cycle of mFOLFOX6 consisted of racemic leucovorin 200 mg/m(2) or 400 mg/m(2), according to the discretion of the treating investigator, oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) in a 2-h infusion, bolus fluorouracil 400 mg/m(2) on day 1, and a 46-h infusion of fluorouracil 2400 mg/m(2). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved a pathological complete response, analysed by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00335816., Findings: Between March 24, 2004, and Nov 16, 2012, 292 patients were registered, 259 of whom (60 in group 1, 67 in group 2, 67 in group 3, and 65 in group 4) met criteria for analysis. 11 (18%, 95% CI 10-30) of 60 patients in group 1, 17 (25%, 16-37) of 67 in group 2, 20 (30%, 19-42) of 67 in group 3, and 25 (38%, 27-51) of 65 in group 4 achieved a pathological complete response (p=0·0036). Study group was independently associated with pathological complete response (group 4 compared with group 1 odds ratio 3·49, 95% CI 1·39-8·75; p=0·011). In group 2, two (3%) of 67 patients had grade 3 adverse events associated with the neoadjuvant administration of mFOLFOX6 and one (1%) had a grade 4 adverse event; in group 3, 12 (18%) of 67 patients had grade 3 adverse events; in group 4, 18 (28%) of 65 patients had grade 3 adverse events and five (8%) had grade 4 adverse events. The most common grade 3 or higher adverse events associated with the neoadjuvant administration of mFOLFOX6 across groups 2-4 were neutropenia (five in group 3 and six in group 4) and lymphopenia (three in group 3 and four in group 4). Across all study groups, 25 grade 3 or worse surgery-related complications occurred (ten in group 1, five in group 2, three in group 3, and seven in group 4); the most common were pelvic abscesses (seven patients) and anastomotic leaks (seven patients)., Interpretation: Delivery of mFOLFOX6 after chemoradiation and before total mesorectal excision has the potential to increase the proportion of patients eligible for less invasive treatment strategies; this strategy is being tested in phase 3 clinical trials., Funding: National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery, a minimally invasive procedure for treatment of early-stage rectal cancer, carcinoid tumors, and adenomas, is shown to be a safe procedure with very low perioperative morbidity., Objective: We aimed to compare the outcomes of transanal endoscopic microsurgery at a large volume tertiary care center with the existing literature., Design: We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of 325 transanal endoscopic microsurgery procedures and looked for risk factors associated with complications. Indications for transanal endoscopic microsurgery included rectal adenocarcinomas, adenomas, and carcinoids., Setting: Procedures were performed by a single surgeon at a large-volume tertiary care center., Patients: Patients were enrolled over a 20-year period, and data were collected on demographics, perioperative details, tumor characteristics, and complications., Interventions: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery was performed on all 325 patients., Main Outcome Measures: Main outcome measures were urinary retention, late bleeding requiring intervention, dehiscence, peritoneal cavity entry, conversion to abdominal approach, fecal soiling, and rectovaginal fistula., Results: Intraoperative bleeding was associated with larger tumor size, whereas postoperative bleeding requiring intervention was not associated with any factors studied. Peritoneal cavity entry and urinary retention were more likely if the tumor was in either the anterior or lateral position in the rectum. The peritoneal cavity was entered in 9 patients, and conversion to abdominal approach occurred in 1 patient. Intraoperative bleeding, by surgeon's choice, and urinary retention, by patient's choice, were associated with a greater likelihood of admission to the inpatient ward. Fecal soiling was not reported by patients and not recorded., Limitations: This study was limited because it was a retrospective analysis, Conclusions: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery is an extremely safe procedure, offering very low perioperative morbidity. The overall morbidity found in our study was 10.5%, on par with published data for large series of 21%, 7.7%, and 14.9%. In contrast, complications from radical resection are reported at 18% to 55%.

Introduction: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), and partial circumference resection are used for large benign polyps to avoid an "Oncologic" Colorectal Resection (OCR); polyps with invasive cancer require OCR. This review of polyp patients who had OCR was done to stratify polyps into risk groups to guide treatment., Methods: Colonoscopy, operative, and pathology reports of patients with adenoma (+/- dysplasia) who had OCR were reviewed. Polyp size, location, and pathology were assessed., Results: Three hundred eighty-six polyp patients who had OCR were studied. Polyp locations were: right, 263 (68.1%); transverse, 33 (8.6%); sigmoid, 38 (9.8%); rectum, 23 (6.0%); and multiple sites, 13 (3.4%). The preoperative diagnosis was adenoma for 288 (74.6%) and dysplastic adenoma for 98 patients (25.4%). Final pathology revealed 62 invasive cancers (16.1%); 35% (34 out of 98) with dysplasia preoperatively had cancer versus 9.7% (28 out of 288) with adenoma alone (p < 0.0001). The mean lymph node count was 16.0 ± 10.2. Cancer stage breakdown was: stage 1, 74%; stage 2, 8.1%; stage 3, 16%; and stage 4, 1.6%. The mean benign polyp size was 3.0 ± 1.9 versus 3.9 ± 2.4 cm for malignant polyps (p = 0.0008)., Conclusion: Over one out of three of dysplastic polyps and 10% of adenomas were invasive cancers. OCR is advised for dysplastic polyps; ESD, EMR, and wedge resection are appropriate for non-dysplastic adenomas.

Background and Objectives. Systemic chemotherapy administered prior to cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal mucinous adenocarcinoma of appendiceal origin (PMCA) is associated with a significant rate of histological response. The impact of preoperative systemic chemotherapy (PSC) on intraperitoneal tumor burden, completeness of cytoreduction, and perioperative complications is unknown. Methods. We analyzed prospectively collected data from our HIPEC database. Thirty-four patients with PMCA were prospectively recruited and treated with PSC. Perioperative variables and survival in this group of patients were compared against 24 patients with PMCA who did not receive PSC. Results. Ten of 34 patients (29%) receiving PSC had a complete or near complete histological response. Patients receiving PSC had a lower peritoneal carcinomatosis index, required fewer peritonectomies and visceral resections, and achieved complete cytoreduction more frequently compared to patients with no preoperative chemotherapy. The incidence of perioperative complications and survival were not significantly different between the two groups. However, patients with complete histological response had better overall survival compared to patients without complete response. Conclusions. Preoperative systemic chemotherapy in appendix-originated PMCA is associated with a significant rate of histological response which may reduce the tumor burden, facilitate less aggressive and more complete CRS, and improve short-term survival in patients with a significant histological response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Imaging patterns of benign proliferative processes often complicate the assessment of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We investigated the pathologic and biologic characteristics of false positive enhancement by breast MRI.Methods: DCIS (n = 45), benign (n = 5), and false-positive (MRI enhancement and nonmalignant pathology) (n = 10) cases were characterized by immunohistochemistry and MRI features.Results: For DCIS cases, images that overestimated pathologic size had heterogeneous enhancement on MR, were estrogen receptor positive, and were low grade by pathology. False-positives had higher rates of proliferation, angiogenesis, and inflammation compared with benign tissue but lower values than DCIS. Benign proliferative processes accounted for all false-positive and size overestimated cases.Conclusions: Lesions that enhance on MRI have higher proliferation, angiogenesis, and inflammation compared with nonproliferative breast tissue. Benign proliferative processes often enhance on MRI and are difficult to differentiate from low-grade, ER+ DCIS lesions. False-positive MRI enhancement may reflect a spectrum of change within high-risk tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]