Search

The study aims to investigate the relationship among serum vascular endothelial growth factor (SVEGF-C), VEGF-C expression and lymph vessel density (LVD) in tumour tissue, and their influence to colorectal carcinoma (CRC).The SVEGF-C concentration of 110 patients with CRC and 40 healthy donors was examined by ELISA. The 110 tumour tissues and 40 normal colorectal specimens were examined by immunohistochemical staining (SP method) with VEGF-C and podoplanin (lymphatic vessel specific antibody). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis determined the influence on CRC prognosis.CRC SVEGF-C level (889.0 ± 264.0 pg/mL) significantly exceeded (P = 0.000) the control level (373.2 ± 97.3 ng/L), and was significantly higher in T3, lymph node metastasis (LNM), distant metastasis, and pTNM groups III and IV. LNM prediction sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of SVEGF-C were 85.7, 80.0 and 83.6%, respectively (875 pg/mL cut-off). VEGF-C expression was elevated in CRC versus control patients (P = 0.000), and was significantly related to LNM and pTNM stages III and IV. Mean LVD in CRC (6.3 ± 0.7/200 HP) significantly exceeded control mean (3.0 ± 0.7/200 HP) (P = 0.000). LVD was significantly higher in LNM and pTNM stages III and IV. SVEGF-C level was significantly higher in VEGF-C positive versus negative patients (P = 0.000), and was related to LVD (P = 0.009). Kaplan–Meier ranking of prognostic factors was SVEGF-C level (P = 0.000), VEGF-C expression (P = 0.001) and LVD (P = 0.012).SVEGF-C level, VEGF-C and LVD are related to LNM and poor prognosis in patients with CRC. SVEGF-C may be a biomarker for LNM in CRC.

To explore the clinical characteristics and the prognostic factors of patients with colorectal cancer.The data of 2042 cases of colorectal cancer, pathologically confirmed at our hospital from January 1995 to December 2007, were summarized and analyzed.The median age of all cases with colorectal cancer was 59 years old. The high-risk age ranged from 50 to 70 years old. The ratio of male and female was 1.4:1. The lesions located in rectum accounted for 46.2% and those for 22.0% in sigmoid. Patients under age 40 had a higher percentage of poor differentiation (33.5%) and mucinous carcinoma (16.7%). The cases with confirmed stage I, II, III and IV were 5.8%, 42.9%, 31.0% and 20.3% respectively. For all cases, the 1-, 3-, 5- and 10-year survival rates were 92.3%, 73.9%, 65.1% and 57.5% respectively. The independent risk factors for patient prognosis were age, gross type, differentiation, TNM staging and surgical type. Adjuvant chemotherapy was a protective factor. As compared with phase I (1995 - 2001), phase II (2002 - 2007) had a higher proportions of employing stapler, Dixon operation and adjuvant chemotherapy. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of phase II were higher than phase I (93.4%, 78.0% and 73.2% vs 90.6%, 69.2% and 58.8%).The prognostic factors of patients with colorectal cancer are age, gross type, differentiation, TNM staging, surgical type and adjuvant chemotherapy.

To investigate the characteristics of lymph node metastases in advanced gastric cancer and its clinical significance.From April 2002 to July 2003, we studied 91 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy and lymphadenectomy from which specimens were obtained during surgery. Then, collection of dissected lymph node, histopathological and immunohistological studies were performed to detect the lymph node metastasis rates and calculation. In addition, to analyze the relationship between lymph node metastasis rates and tumor diameters, TNM classification, Borrmann analysis, tumor localization and the extent of lymph node resection.Among 91 patients with advanced gastric cancer, lymph node metastases were found in 63 patients (69.2%) with a total collection of 3149 lymph nodes and an average of 34.6 lymph nodes collected per patient. Lymph node metastasis rate was lower in tumor3 cm than that in tumor3 cm. About TNM classification, lymph node metastases in advanced gastric cancer among patients in stage IIIa and stage IV was 100%, with the lymph node metastasis rates varying from 30.3% to 58.4%, which were significantly higher than that among patients in stage I and II (P0.001). About Borrmann classification, lymph nodes metastasis in advanced gastric cancer among patients in Borrmann type III (79.6%) was higher than other Borrmann types, while in Borrmann type IV with the highest lymph node metastasis rate of 35.3% (P0.05). Patients undergone lymph node dissection D(3) had higher lymph node metastases among patients and higher lymph node metastasis rate (88.2%, 38.0%) than patients in the D(1) and D(2) (P0.05). Among 91 patients, 17 patients was found with micrometastasis (18.7%) from which 183 lymph nodes was collected, but no statistically significant difference between tumor location and micrometastasis was found (P0.05). For tumor localization, lymph node metastases in proximal gastric cancer were more shown in station 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 16, with the highest metastasis rate in station 8 (68.1%). Lymph node metastases in middle gastric cancer were more shown in station 1, 3, 7, 12, 13 and 16, with the highest metastasis rate in station 3 (47.6%). Lymph node metastases in distal gastric cancer were more shown in station 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12, 13, and 16, with the highest metastasis rate in station 16 (83.3%).Metastasis among patients and lymph node metastasis rates are significantly correlated with the severity of gastric malignancy and they may be valuable guideline to evaluate the extension of lymph nodes dissection in gastric cancer.

To analyze the relative risk factors of elderly patients with total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.The risk factors for hospital death and postoperative complications in 131 elderly patients undergoing total gastrectomy for gastric cancer from Aug. 1994 to Aug. 2004 were analyzed retrospectively.The risk factors for hospital death and postoperative complications included coexistent diseases, hemoglobin level less than 80 g/L, albumin level less than 35 g/L, body mass index(BMI) less than 18.5 kg/m (2), intraoperative blood loss more than 1000 ml, operating time longer than 5 h, combined resection of the spleen or pancreas. The relative risks were 1.57, 1.74, 2.97, 4.23, 2.21, 2.28, 3.80 respectively for hospital death, and 1.50, 1.90, 2.38, 2.12, 2.45, 1.66, 3.41 for postoperative complications.The risk factors of the elderly patients with total gastrectomy for gastric cancer should be considered carefully during the perioperative period. It can increase the security of the procedure to control these risk factors.

To analyze the influence of radical excision combining splenectomy on prognosis of the patients with gastric cancer.Between June 1994 and March 2004, 692 patients were operated on for gastric cancer and registered into gastric cancer database. Radical excision (D2, D3 or D4) combining splenectomy for gastric cancer was performed in 45 cases. 343 cases were selected simultaneously for comparison according to the resembling rules in sex, age, tumor size, location, serosa invasion, Borrmann type and range of lymph node dissection. Clinicopathological factors affecting lymph node metastasis, patterns of lymph node metastasis, 5-year survival rate after radical excision combined with splenectomy for gastric cancer were compared.Lymph node metastasis rate of splenic hilus was 15.6 percent. Among them, upper, middle and lower domain is 11.5 percent, 33.3 percent and zero respectively. It was significantly different between gastric adenocarcinoma in proximal and body of stomach and that in distal stomach, poor differentiation and adenocarcinoma anaplastic and well and moderately differentiation adenocarcinoma, Borrmann III and IV types and Borrmann I and II types, infiltrated depth in T(3) and T(4) and infiltrated depth in T(1) and T(2), clinical stages III and IV and clinical stages I and II. The average and median survival time between radical gastrectomy only and radical gastrectomy combining splenectomy for gastric cancer at stage I and II patients were significantly different, but at stage III and IV patients not significantly different.Spleen should be reserved for patients with gastric cancer at stage I and II, and radical excision combining splenectomy could only be performed at stage III and IV patients with cancer infiltrating body and tail of the pancreas, or lymph nodes metastasis in the splenic hilus. Indication of radical excision combining splenectomy for gastric cancer must be further study to clarify its efficacy.

To evaluate the relationship between clinicopathologic features and prognosis of colorectal cancer after surgical treatment.The clinical characteristics, pathologic features and survival rate of 761 patients with colorectal cancer after surgical treatment were univariately and multivariately analyzed.The overall 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients with colorectal cancer after surgical treatment were 62.9% and 60.7% with a median survival of 1,825 days. The factors of gross findings, degree of differentiation, infiltration, nodal and distant metastasis and neoplastic intestinal obstruction influenced the survival rate by univariate analysis. The factors of Dukes stage, gross tumor configuration, intramural spread and differentiation degree were available independent prognostic factors through multivariate analysis.Dukes stage, as the most important available independent prognostic factor (P0.0005), is able to assess the postoperative survival.