Search

Background: Patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer (PC) sometimes experience gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) due to tumor invasion of the gastrointestinal tract (tumor bleeding); no standard treatment has been established yet for this complication. Palliative radiotherapy (PRT) could be promising, however, there are few reports of PRT for tumor bleeding in patients with unresectable PC. Therefore, we evaluated the outcomes of PRT for tumor bleeding in patients with unresectable PC., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients with unresectable PC diagnosed at our institution between May 2013 and January 2022, and identified patients with endoscopically confirmed tumor bleeding who had received PRT. PRT was administered at a total dose of 30 Grays (Gy) in 10 fractions, 20 Gy in 5 fractions, or 8 Gy in a single fraction, and the dose selection was left to the discretion of the attending radiation oncologists., Results: During the study period, 2562 patients were diagnosed as having unresectable PC at our hospital, of which 225 (8.8%) developed GIB. Among the 225 patients, 63 (2.5%) were diagnosed as having tumor bleeding and 20 (0.8%) received PRT. Hemostasis was achieved in 14 of the 20 patients (70%) who received PRT, and none of these patients developed grade 3 or more adverse events related to the PRT. The median time to hemostasis was 8.5 days (range 7-14 days). The rebleeding rate was 21.4% (3/14). The median hemoglobin level increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 5.9 to 9.1 g/dL, and the median volume of red blood cell transfusion tended (p = 0.052) to decrease, from 1120 mL (range 280-3360 mL) to 280 mL (range 0-5560 mL) following the PRT. The median overall survival (OS) was 52 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 39-317). Of the 14 patients in whom hemostasis was achieved following PRT, chemotherapy could be started/resumed in seven patients (50%), and the median OS in these patients was 260 days (95% CI 76-not evaluable [NE]). Three patients experienced rebleeding (21.4%), on days 16, 22, and 25, after the start of PRT., Conclusion: This study showed that PRT is an effective and safe treatment modality for tumor bleeding in patients with unresectable PC., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Gastrointestinal (GI) metastases in lung cancer rarely occur., Case Report: We report here the case of a 43-year-old male active smoker who was admitted to our hospital for cough, abdominal pain and melena. Initial investigations revealed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the superior-right lobe of the lung: positive for thyroid transcription factor-1 and negative for protein p40 and for antigen CD56, with peritoneal, adrenal and cerebral metastasis, as well as anemia requiring major transfusion support. Over 50% of cells were positive for PDL-1, and ALK gene rearrangement was detected. GI endoscopy showed a large ulcerated nodular lesion of the genu superius with active intermittent bleeding, as well as an undifferentiated carcinoma with positivity for CK AE1/AE3 and TTF-1, and negativity for CD117, corresponding to metastatic invasion originating from lung carcinoma. Palliative immunotherapy with pembrolizumab was proposed, followed by targeted therapy with brigatinib. Gastrointestinal bleeding was controlled with a single 8Gy dose of haemostatic radiotherapy., Conclusion: GI metastases are rare in lung cancer and present nonspecific symptoms and signs but no characteristic endoscopic features. GI bleeding is a common revelatory complication. Pathological and immunohistological findings are critical to diagnosis. Local treatment is usually guided by the occurrence of complications. In addition to surgery and systemic therapies, palliative radiotherapy may contribute to bleeding control. However, it must be used cautiously, given a present-day lack of evidence and the pronounced radiosensitivity of certain gastrointestinal tract segments., (Copyright © 2023 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Bleeding from unresectable gastric cancer is a localized condition that adversely affects quality of life. Radiotherapy can be used to treat gastric cancer bleeding when surgery, endoscopic treatment, and intravascular embolization are ineffective. This study evaluated the utility of radiotherapy for unresectable hemorrhagic gastric cancer., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 33 patients with gastric cancer bleeding who underwent palliative radiotherapy in our hospital between April 2013 and May 2020. In this study, successful hemostasis was defined as > 1 month after starting radiotherapy with the patient alive and showing no need for blood transfusion, no drop in hemoglobin, and no evidence of melena or hematemesis., Results: Patients comprised 26 men (79%) and 7 women (21%), with a median age of 71 years (range, 41-78 years). Hemostasis was achieved in 24 patients (73%). Thirty-two patients (94%) have been discharged home or transferred to the hospice. Patients with successful hemostasis from radiotherapy showed significantly longer overall survival than patients with unsuccessful hemostasis (p = 0.0026). No toxicities of grade 2 or more were encountered., Conclusions: This retrospective study found that palliative radiotherapy for gastric cancer bleeding was useful and safe and can improve remaining quality of life in patients with poor prognosis., (© 2021. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Palliative radiotherapy for gastric cancer bleeding has been reported to be a safe and effective treatment, but predictive factors for achievement of hemostasis and overall survival have not been established., Methods: In this retrospective study, 120 courses of palliative radiotherapy for gastric cancer bleeding in 117 patients in 4 institutes in Japan were reviewed with approval of the ethical committee in each institute. The rate of achieving hemostasis was evaluated by 50% or more reduction of red blood cell transfusion before and after the start of radiotherapy, elevation of blood hemoglobin concentration in a period of 4 weeks from the start of radiotherapy or improvement of subjective or objective clinical symptoms in a period of 4 weeks from the start of radiotherapy. Predictive factors for overall survival and achieving hemostasis were investigated with the Cox hazards model., Results: The median overall survival period was 3.7 months. Multivariate analysis showed that absence of metastatic disease, higher biological effective dose, higher serum albumin level, lower blood urea nitrogen level and lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were associated with longer overall survival. Elevation of hemoglobin concentration in a period of 4 weeks from the start of radiotherapy (mean concentration: 8.2 g/dL vs. 8.9 g/dL, p = 0.006) and decrease in the amount of red cell transfusion from a 4-week period before to a 4-week period after the start of radiotherapy (mean amount: 716 mL vs. 230 mL, p < 0.0001) were observed. The overall rate of achievement of hemostasis was 59.6%. In multivariate analysis, higher biological effective dose was associated with achievement of hemostasis. Grade 2 or higher acute adverse effects related to radiotherapy were observed in 17.5% of cases in 120 treatment courses. Six cases (5.0%) had grade 3 or 4 adverse effects including gastric penetration in 1 patient and anorexia requiring total parental nutrition in 3 patients. No grade 5 adverse effects were observed., Conclusions: Palliative radiotherapy for gastric cancer bleeding seems to be an effective and safe treatment strategy. Higher treatment dose was associated with longer overall survival and a hemostatic effect. Some hematological parameters may predict overall survival, and they would be helpful for deciding the treatment strategy., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Gastric bleeding negatively impacts the quality of life of patients with unresectable advanced gastric cancer and is frequently lethal. We investigated the efficacy of RT for palliation of gastric bleeding from gastric cancer and identified an optimal radiotherapy (RT) strategy., Methods: The study analyzed 57 patients submitted to palliative RT for gastric bleeding associated with gastric cancer between January 2009 and February 2019. Changes in hemoglobin (Hb) levels were analyzed based on measurements taken before and immediately, 1 month, and 2 months after RT. Re-bleeding after RT was identified as either Hb level dropping to < 7.0 g/dL or the administration of a blood transfusion after RT., Results: The median biologically effective dose (α/β = 10) was 37.5 Gy (range 23.6-58.5). The most common regimen was 25 Gy in five fractions. The mean Hb levels before, immediately after, 1 month, and 2 months after RT (6.6, 9.7, 10.3, and 9.7 g/dL, respectively) were significantly higher than that before RT (all p < 0.001). No significant differences in re-bleeding rates were observed according to total dose, fractional dose, and fraction number. Gastric tumor response evaluated by computed tomography within 2 months after RT showed partial responses were more frequent in patients achieving bleeding control (25.0% vs. 10.8%, p = 0.023) and overall survival was significantly improved for bleeding control within 3 months after RT (median, 15.4 vs. 10.0 weeks, p = 0.048)., Conclusions: RT was an effective modality for gastric bleeding control in gastric cancer, which can be achieved with a short course scheme with five fractions., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: Standard treatment for progressive gastric cancer with bleeding includes hemostatic radiotherapy (RT); however, the only prospective study using a fixed dose with fractions during hemostatic RT did not introduce re-irradiation. Therefore, we determined the utility of RT including re-irradiation for gastric cancer., Methods: In this study, 31 patients with gastric cancer and bleeding were treated with an initial dose of 20 Gy/5 fractions for the whole stomach and a salvage dose of 15 Gy/5 fractions for the partial stomach. Patients achieving hemostasis, defined as a stable hemoglobin level within 30 days following irradiation, were considered responders, whereas those with no cessation of bleeding and those with re-bleeding within 30 days of irradiation were considered non-responders. We evaluated response rate, disease-free survival, overall survival (OS), re-irradiation, and adverse events (AEs)., Results: The response rate of initial RT was 80% (25/31). 6 of the 25 patients underwent re-irradiation, and all 6 were responders (100%). The median OS was significantly different among the entire cohort and one-time irradiation and re-irradiation groups (91, 76, and 112 days, respectively). No AEs of grade ≥3 were observed. Initial low-dose RT followed by reirradiation was effective in reducing AEs and did not cause any further AEs., Conclusion: Hemostatic RT was an effective approach with low toxicity, and re-irradiation was effective and tolerable, with no patients developing severe AEs. Further, randomized controlled studies are warranted to determine the ideal dose and number of fractions for initial RT in patients with gastric cancer and bleeding., Advances in Knowledge: In this prospective study on hemostatic radiotherapy for gastric cancer, the response rate was 80% using a fixed dose of 20 Gy/5 fractions and the salvage dose of 15 Gy for re-bleeding was effective. Future comparative studies should include other doses with 20 Gy as a control.

We report the case of an 80-year-old man with unresectable, advanced gastric cancer and pulmonary cancer because of multiple liver metastases. The serum hemoglobin level declined to 5.3 g/dL during fourth-line chemotherapy. Radiation therapy of 30 Gy was administered in 10 fractions. After radiation treatment was completed, the serum hemoglobin level increased to 8.5g/dL. No new adverse event was observed. Subsequently, the progression of anemia stopped, and oral intake became possible. Thus, palliative radiation therapy is useful for hemorrhage control in unresectable, advanced gastric cancer patients with a poor general condition and difficult surgical treatment.

A 72-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with fatigue. Colonoscopy revealed a 50 × 50 mm rectal tumor with bleeding. Based on close inspection, he was diagnosed with unresectable advanced rectal cancer with multiple liver metastases. Chemotherapy was administered as 10 cycles of bevacizumab + mFOLFOX6 and 7 cycles of bevacizumab + FOLFIRI. Nine months later, he presented with hematochezia and progression of anemia. It was difficult to stop the bleeding via endoscopy. He underwent radiation therapy (39 Gy in 13 fractions), and hemostasis was confirmed. Then, further chemotherapy was performed with 3 cycles of bevacizumab + FOLFIRI and 2 cycles of TAS102. However 14 months after the initial visit, he presented with right hypochondralgia and abdominal fullness due to the progression of multiple liver metastases. Palliative low-dose whole-liver radiation therapy (WLRT) (30 Gy in 10 fractions) was performed. He developed Grade 2 nausea, but his right hypochondralgia reduced, liver dysfunction improved, and he successfully completed radiotherapy. At approximately the same time his anemia progressed, and colonoscopy revealed recurrent bleeding from the tumor. Re-irradiation (15 Gy in 5 fractions) of the rectal tumor was carried out and a blood transfusion was performed for the bleeding. He was discharged after confirmation the anemia had not progressed. Few reports have been published on the use of both palliative re-irradiation to stop bleeding from rectal cancer and palliative low-dose WLRT. Based on our experience with this case, we believe that palliative radiotherapy can be useful in treating patients with a poor prognosis.

Only a few studies have been conducted regarding the palliative radiation therapy(RT)for gastric cancer(GC)bleeding. Data of 9 patients with gastric cancer requiring blood transfusions due to gastric bleeding who were treated with RT were reviewed. All patients were men with a median age of 83(range, 70-91)years. The clinical stage was ⅡB in 2 patients, Ⅲin 1, ⅣA in 1, and ⅣB in 5. Performing gastrectomy was difficult in 4 patients with distant metastasis or tumor invasion to adjacent organ, 3 with poor performance status, and 2 with advanced age. The median hemoglobin levels before RT was 6.0 (range, 3.3-7.7)g/dL, and all patients received blood transfusions before RT. Seven patients received 30 Gy RT and 2 patients received 50 Gy. Two patients received concurrent chemotherapy. A total of 2 hematological and 4 non-hematological treatment-related adverse events occurred. All patients improved conservatively. Hemorrhage occurred in 8 patients, except for 1. Of the 8 patients who responded to RT, 1 had rebleeding on day 81. The median rebleeding-free survival time from the beginning of RT was 125(range, 21-421)days. Palliative radiation therapy was useful for bleeding control in nonresectable gastric cancer.

Although most cases of acute nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) either spontaneously resolve or respond to medical management and endoscopic therapy, there are still a significant proportion of severe patients who require emergency angiography and endovascular treatment. Over the past three decades, transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has become the first-line therapy for the management of acute nonvariceal GIB that is refractory to endoscopic hemostasis. Advances in catheter-based techniques and newer liquid embolic agents, as well as recognition of the effectiveness of minimally invasive treatment options, have expanded the role of interventional radiology in the treatment of bleeding for a variety of indications. TAE is a safe and effective minimally invasive alternative to surgery, when endoscopic treatment fails to control acute bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. In this article we review the current role of angiography and TAE in the management of acute nonvariceal GIB., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There are several reports that vouch for the usefulness of diffusion-weighted image (DWI) in making a diagnosis before treatment. However, no study has evaluated the effect of radiotherapy (RT) for unresectable gastric cancer. In the present case report, we evaluated the effectiveness of RT using DWI. An 81-year-old man was hospitalized with a broken bone and then diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer with breeding. He had chorionic renal failure and surgery was impossible. Further, contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were not performed due to renal failure, whereas palliative RT was performed. We followed up the patient using blood test and MRI (DWI) to estimate whether bleeding had stopped or not after radiotherapy. Hemostasis effect was found after 2 weeks of RT. In DWI examination, there was a decrease in the tumor signal intensity 30 days after RT. Similarly, at day 60, the tumor signal intensity further decreased on DWI and the blood test results indicated no progression of anemia. At 4 months after the RT, the patient died because of respiratory failure without any bleeding. DWI is useful not only for the initial diagnosis but also for evaluating the effectiveness of RT.Trial registration: National clinical study registered number: UMIN000026362.

Bleeding and obstruction negativelyimpact qualityof life for patients with unresectable advanced gastric cancer. There are several choices against bleeding and obstruction such as surgery, endoscopic therapy, radiotherapy and interventional radiology. We report on an 85-year-old woman with StageIV gastric cancer with tumor bleeding. Radiation therapyof 30 Gyin 10 fractions was performed. Anyadverse events were not confirmed. Bleeding or obstruction did not occur for 7 months after radiation therapy. Palliative radiation therapy to gastric cancer can be a reasonable option for patients with unsuitable general conditions for surgical intervention.

Background: We report an unusual case of a synchronous rectal and metachronous vaginal metastatic renal cell carcinoma., Case Presentation: A 78-year-old woman presented with hematochezia and a colonoscopy revealed a metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma rectal polyp biopsy-proven. Abdominal computed tomography identified a 9.0-cm left renal mass with renal vein thrombosis, for which she underwent a laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. Histopathological examination confirmed a pT 3a clear-cell renal cell carcinoma. Seven months later, the patient presented with vaginal bleeding. Physical examination revealed a vaginal polypoid mass and biopsy confirmed a clear-cell renal cell carcinoma metastasis., Conclusions: This case represents unusual manifestations of metastatic renal cell carcinoma and is a reminder of the wide spectrum of clinical course of this disease.

A 67-year-old male with chronic pancreatitis presented with upper abdominal pain and melena. Abdominal dynamic computed tomography revealed a splenic artery aneurysm in the main pancreatic duct. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed active bleeding from Vater's papilla. The patient was diagnosed with hemosuccus pancreaticus (HP) due to rupture of the aneurysm and treated with interventional radiology (IVR). The patient's poor lung function did not allow for a radical operation and a follow-up examination was recommended. The HP relapsed 7 months later and was successfully retreated with IVR. Although IVR is associated with a high recurrence rate, it is less invasive and therefore effective for treating relapsing HP in patients with a poor general condition.

Background: To assess the outcomes and prognostic factors associated with palliative external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), administered to patients with advanced gastric cancer., Methods: Forty-two patients with bleeding gastric tumors that received EBRT for palliation were analyzed. The response to EBRT was assessed by the palliation of tumor bleeding. Patients were classified as either responders, or non-responders to EBRT. The prognostic utility of clinical and dosimetric variables was examined in a multivariate logistic regression model. The optimal dose cutoff to classify the two groups was determined with receiver operating characteristic analysis., Results: The palliation of gastric tumor bleeding after EBRT was achieved in 29 patients (69.0%). The time to resolve tumor bleeding ranged from 1 to 84 days (median, 15 days). The median duration of palliation was 14.9 weeks. The median EBRT dose was 40 Gy in responders vs. 21 Gy in non-responders, with the difference being significant (p < 0.001). The biologically effective dose (using α/β = 10, BED 10 ) for responders was significantly higher than the BED 10 for non-responders (median 48 Gy vs. 26.4 Gy, p < 0.001), and the optimal cut off value to separate the two groups was 36 Gy (p < 0.001). The absence of distant metastasis and the use of concurrent chemotherapy generally showed a better EBRT response (p = 0.079 and p = 0.079, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, BED 10  ≥ 36 Gy was the most significant factor associated with EBRT response (p = 0.001). Overall survival (OS) and re-bleeding-free survival was median 12.6 weeks and 14.9 weeks. The responders to EBRT showed superior OS (16.6 vs. 5.1 months, p < 0.001). Neither acute nor chronic toxicities of grade 3 or higher were observed., Conclusions: EBRT is an effective method for treating tumor bleeding in advanced gastric cancer, and does not induce severe toxicity.

Background: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas can occur in various parts of the body, and half of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas occur in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma is the most common lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract and primary rectal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma is very rare. Because of the high radiosensitivity of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas, this condition can be controlled with radiotherapy of approximately 30 Gy alone. However, ovarian dysfunction as an adverse event of radiotherapy for pelvic lesions can become a problem in girls and women. We report a case of a 28-year-old woman with rectal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma who safely gave birth to a baby following 30.6 Gy radiotherapy to her whole rectum., Case Presentation: A 28-year-old Japanese woman became aware of bloody stools and was diagnosed as having Lugano I rectal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. She was referred to our institute and initiated on radiotherapy. However, she expressed a desire to bear children. We used horizontally opposed pair fields for radiotherapy to minimize the irradiation to her endometrium and ovary. A total dose of 30.6 Gy was given in 17 fractions of 1.8 Gy by 10-Megavolt X-ray linear accelerator. As a result, one-third of her uterus and half of her ovary were outside the irradiation field. After approximately 1 year of treatment, positive pregnancy was confirmed and finally she safely gave birth to a baby girl without congenital abnormalities., Conclusions: This report provides hope for girls and women who have undergone irradiation for pelvic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas and who desire to bear children.

Background/aims: The optimal regimen of radiotherapy (RT) for bleeding from gastric cancer (GC) has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of low-dose, short-course palliative RT (LSP-RT) for bleeding from GC., Material and Methods: We reviewed the clinical data of 18 patients (26 courses) who received palliative RT for bleeding from GC between 2004 and 2014. The radiation dose was 6 Gy in three fractions. The total courses of RT for each patient were 1-4 (median, 1)., Results: The treatment success rate of the first and the additional RT at two weeks after RT was 55% and 75%, respectively. Regarding first RT, there was a statistically significant increase in the mean hemoglobin level for one month (p = 0.009) and a significant decrease in the mean number of transfused red blood cell units for one month (p = 0.012). Toxicities were observed in two patients: one patient who received chemotherapy developed grade 3 afebrile leukocytopenia and another who had a malignant stricture suffered from a gastric obstruction. The performance status was improved in 3 of the 12 evaluable patients (25%) and dietary intake became possible one month after RT in three of the four patients who had not been able to eat before RT., Conclusion: LSP-RT is expected to be not only an effective and safe treatment option for bleeding from GC, but also repeatable in cases of rebleeding. Furthermore, this treatment modality may be able to improve the patient's quality of life.

Background: Bleeding negatively impacts quality of life in patients with unresectable advanced gastric cancer and has the potential to be lethal. When blood transfusion and endoscopic hemostasis are unsuccessful to stop bleeding, radiation to stomach is selected in patients with unsuitable condition for surgery. We performed a retrospective cohort study to clarify the utility of radiotherapy in treating gastric bleeding, particularly for patients with limited life expectancy., Methods: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of palliative radiotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer between January 2007 and December 2012 in Aichi Cancer Center Hospital. All patients had gastric bleeding requiring blood transfusion. We defined hemostasis as an increase in hemoglobin level to more than 7.0 g/dL together with the cessation of melena or hematemesis for at least 1 week., Results: During the study period, 313 advanced gastric cancer patients treated in our institution. Of these 17 patients received gastric radiotherapy to stop bleeding. Two patients were excluded from analysis due to combined treatment of intravascular embolization. Eleven out of 15 patients (73 %) had undergone two or more previous chemotherapy regimens. Ten patients (67 %) had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 3 and 14 patients (93 %) were in palliative prognostic index group B or C. The median total planned radiation dose was 30 Gy in 10 fractions. At a median interval of 2 days after initiation of radiotherapy, 11 patients (73 %) achieved hemostasis; rebleeding was observed in four patients (36 %). The median hemoglobin level before radiotherapy was significantly increased from 6.0 to 9.0 g/dL (p < 0.0001). The median volume of red blood cell transfusion was significantly decreased from 1120 to 280 mL (p = 0.007). The median rebleeding-free survival interval was 27 days, with a median overall survival of 63 days. The cause of death was bleeding in 1 patient (7 %) and cancer progression without bleeding in 12 patients (80 %). There were no severe adverse events attributable to radiotherapy., Conclusions: Palliative radiotherapy for gastric bleeding achieves hemostasis within a short time frame. This appears to be a useful treatment option, especially for patients with end-stage, unresectable advanced gastric cancer.

Objectives: An increased mortality in patients presenting to hospital at weekends has been observed for several medical conditions. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between weekend presentation to hospital following acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding and mortality., Methods: Data were collected on 6,749 patients presenting to 212 UK hospitals. A logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship between weekend presentation to hospital and mortality., Results: Patients presenting at the weekend were more likely to present with shock (39% vs. 36%), hematemesis (41% vs. 38%), and receive red cell transfusion (42% vs. 39%). Only 38% of those presenting at weekends underwent endoscopy within 24 h compared with 55% admitted on weekdays (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=0.47, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.41-0.54), although the proportion of all patients receiving endoscopic therapy was identical at weekends compared with weekdays (24%). After adjustment for confounders, there was no evidence of a difference between weekend and weekday mortality (OR=0.93; 95% CI=0.75-1.16). Similar results were seen when restricting the analysis to those patients who underwent endoscopy (n=5,004) (OR=0.87, 95% CI=0.65-1.16). There was no difference in the OR for mortality for weekend compared with weekday presentation between patients presenting to hospitals with an out-of-hours (OOH) endoscopy rota compared with those presenting to hospitals without such a facility., Conclusions: In this large prospective study of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the United Kingdom, there was no increase in mortality for weekend vs. weekday presentation despite patients being more critically ill and having greater delays to endoscopy at weekends. Provision of an OOH endoscopy service at weekends in the remaining UK hospitals may not lead to further reductions in case fatality, although a reduction in OOH endoscopy provision from current levels could lead to an increase in mortality at weekends.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of short-course radiotherapy (RT) with 30 Gy in 10 fractions for bleeding from advanced gastric cancer., Methods: We reviewed the data for all patients with gastric cancer requiring blood transfusions due to gastric bleeding who were treated with RT at the Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital between September 2002 and March 2007. Patients with curative-intent chemoradiotherapy or previous irradiation were excluded. RT was planned to deliver a total of 30 Gy at 3 Gy per fraction. We defined RT as effective if the patients did not require blood transfusions for 1 or more months after RT., Results: Twenty-two out of 30 patients (73%) responded to RT, and rebleeding occurred in 11 (50%) of 22 patients responding to RT. The median actuarial time to rebleeding was 3.3 months. Twelve patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy and had a significantly lower rebleeding rate than patients undergoing RT alone (P = 0.001). Among patients receiving CRT, 1 with grade 3 non-hematological toxicity and 5 with grade 3-4 hematological toxicity were observed. No Grade 3 or higher adverse events were observed in patients treated with RT alone., Conclusions: RT with 30 Gy in 10 fractions is an adequate treatment for bleeding from advanced gastric cancer, especially in patients with poor prognosis.

Aims and Background: To evaluate the outcome of palliative radiotherapy (RT) for patients with gastric cancer bleeding., Methods: A retrospective review of 30 patients with gastric cancer bleeding who underwent palliative RT was conducted. Twenty-three patients who received a dose of > or = 30 Gy in 10 fractions were eligible. The palliative effect was evaluated both in a subjective and objective manner. Subjective symptomatic relief of bleeding was determined and an objective response was evaluated by identifying the amount of transfused packed red blood cells (PRBC) and the mean hemoglobin (Hb) level of patients before and after RT., Results: Subjective symptom relief was observed in 21 patients. The number of transfused PRBC units was 2 to 25 (median, 6) during the month before RT and 0 to 16 (median, 0) during the month after RT (P < 0.001). The average level of Hb increased from 9.1 +/- 1.6 g/dL to 10.6 +/- 1.6 g/dL (P < 0.001). In 9 patients whose laboratory findings were available for > or = 3 months after RT, the mean Hb at one, two, and three months after RT was 10.7 +/- 1.7 g/dL (P = 0.004), 10.5 +/- 1.0 g/dL (P = 0.039), and 9.9 +/- 1.0 g/dL (P = 0.164), respectively. The median number of transfused PRBC units decreased from 6 to 0 during the three months after RT., Conclusion: RT may be an effective treatment for gastric cancer bleeding when other modalities are not feasible. In this study, 91% of the patients experienced symptomatic palliation with an elevated Hb level and a decreased number of transfusions after RT.

Purpose: To clarify the toxicity of palliative radiotherapy (RT) and its efficacy against bleeding of unresectable gastric cancer., Methods: Clinical data of 19 patients received palliative RT for bleeding from unresectable gastric cancer were reviewed. The median total dose and dose per fraction were 40 Gy (range 2-50 Gy) and 2.5 Gy (range 1.8-3 Gy)., Results: The treatment success rate was 68.4%. By using a tumor alpha/beta ratio of 10, biological effective dose of 50 Gy(10) or more was significantly correlated with treatment success (P = 0.040). The median event-free survival was 1.5 months after RT and the median overall survival from starting RT was 3.4 months. Grade 3 nausea and anorexia were recorded in 1 and 3 patients, respectively., Conclusion: Palliative RT was effective for hemostasis in patients with gastric cancer bleeding with minor adverse events.

Aim: To evaluate the risk factors-other than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-for colonic diverticular bleeding in a westernized population., Methods: One hundred and forty patients, treated for symptomatic diverticular disease in a community based hospital, were included. Thirty (21%) had signs of diverticular bleeding. Age, gender, and the results of colonoscopy were collected and compared to a group of patients with nonbleeding symptomatic diverticulosis. Records were reviewed for comorbidities, such as obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking habits and metabolic diseases. Special emphasis was put on arterial hypertension, cardiovascular events, diabetes mellitus, hyperuricemia and hypercholesterinemia., Results: There was no difference between patients with diverticular hemorrhage and those with nonbleeding symptomatic diverticulosis regarding gender ratio (male/female 9/21 vs 47/63) and diverticular localisation. Bleeding patients differed in respect to age (73.4+/-9.9 vs 67. 8+/-13.0, P<0.013). Significant differences were found between both groups regarding the presence of hyperuricemia and use of steroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients with three concomitant metabolic diseases were also identified as being at risk of bleeding. A forward stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed steroids, hyperuricemia and the use of calcium-channel blockers as independent risk factors of bleeding., Conclusion: Beside nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory steroid drug use, antihypertensive medication and concomitant arteriosclerotic diseases are risk factors for colonic diverticular hemorrhage. Our results support the hypothesis of an altered arteriosclerotic vessel as the source of bleeding.

Purpose: To review the outcome of palliative radiotherapy (RT) alone in patients with symptomatic locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer., Methods and Materials: Patients with symptomatic locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer who were managed palliatively with RT at The Cancer Institute, Singapore were retrospectively reviewed. Study end points included symptom response, median survival, and treatment toxicity (retrospectively scored using the Common Toxicity Criteria v3.0 [CTC])., Results: Between November 1999 and December 2004, 33 patients with locally advanced or recurrent gastric cancer were managed with palliative intent using RT alone. Median age was 76 years (range, 38-90 years). Twenty-one (64%) patients had known distant metastatic disease at time of treatment. Key index symptoms were bleeding (24 patients), obstruction (8 patients), and pain (8 patients). The majority of patients received 30 Gy/10 fractions (17 patients). Dose fractionation regimen ranged from an 8-Gy single fraction to 40 Gy in 16 fractions. Median survival was 145 days, actuarial 12-month survival 8%. A total of 54.3% of patients (13/24) with bleeding responded (median duration of response of 140 days), 25% of patients (2/8) with obstruction responded (median duration of response of 102 days), and 25% of patients (2/8) with pain responded (median duration of response of 105 days). No obvious dose-response was evident. One Grade 3 CTC equivalent toxicity was recorded., Conclusion: External beam RT alone is an effective and well tolerated modality in the local palliation of gastric cancer, with palliation lasting the majority of patients' lives.

Purpose: To compare the fits of various normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models to a common set of late rectal toxicity data, with the aim of identifying the best model for predicting late rectal injury after irradiation., Methods and Materials: Late toxicity data from 128 prostate cancer patients treated on protocol with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC) were analyzed. The dose-volume histogram for total rectal volume, including contents, was obtained for each patient, and the presence or absence of Grade 2 or worse rectal bleeding within 2 years of treatment was scored. Five different NTCP models were fitted to the data using maximum likelihood analysis: the Lyman model, the mean dose model, a parallel architecture model, and models based on either a cutoff dose or a cutoff volume., Results: All five of the NTCP models considered provided very similar fits to the UTMDACC rectal bleeding data. In particular, none of the more highly parameterized models (the four-parameter parallel model, three-parameter Lyman model, or three-parameter cutoff dose and volume models) provided a better fit than the simplest of the models, the two-parameter NTCP model describing rectal bleeding as a probit function of mean dose to rectum., Conclusion: No dose-volume response model has yet been identified that provides a better description of the UTMDACC rectal toxicity data than the mean dose model. Because this model has relatively low predictive accuracy, the need to identify a better model remains.

Purpose: To assess pelvic chemoradiotherapy (CXRT) without colostomy as a component of the multidisciplinary management of patients presenting with metastatic rectal cancer., Methods and Materials: Eighty patients with synchronous distant metastases from rectal cancer were treated with initial CXRT. Hypofractionated radiotherapy was administered usually with concurrent 5-FU (92%, 300 mg/m(2)/day, M-F). Three-field belly-board technique was used in 89%. Group 1 had CXRT alone (n = 55). Group 2 (n = 25) patients were selected for primary disease resection, and sometimes HAI chemotherapy (n = 10) or hepatic resection (n = 5). Subsequently, 78% received systemic chemotherapy., Results: Symptoms from primary tumor resolved in 94%. Endoscopic complete clinical response rate was 36%. Two-year survival (11% vs. 46%, p < 0.0001) and symptomatic pelvic control (PC, 81% vs. 91%, p = 0.111) were higher in Group 2, but colostomy-free rate (CFR) was lower (79% vs. 51% p = 0.02). CFR was 87% in Group 1 patients managed initially without fecal diversion (n = 50). Examining all patients using multivariate analysis, pelvic pain at presentation (p < 0.00001), BED (biologic equivalent dose at 2 Gy/fraction) < 35 Gy (p = 0.077), and poor differentiation (0.079) predicted worse PC. Poor differentiation (p = 0.017) and selection for CXRT alone (p < 0.0001) predicted worse survival. There were 4 RTOG of Grade 3 or greater acute complications, 5 severe perioperative complications, and no significant late treatment-related complications., Conclusion: Durable PC can be safely achieved without colostomy in most patients presenting with primary rectal cancer and synchronous systemic metastases using hypofractionated pelvic chemoradiation. A BED greater than 35 Gy is recommended. Selected patients appear to benefit from resection of primary disease. Higher doses should be investigated in patients with pelvic pain.

Haemorrhage from an hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) directly invading the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is uncommon. A 58-year-old man was admitted with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding and panendoscopy on examination revealed a large duodenal ulcerative bleeding mass. The mass was eventually diagnosed as HCC by pathological examination. The bleeding failed to respond to conventional management of haemostasis, but resolved with an external beam of radiotherapy with a total dose of 6000 cGy over a 5 week period. This unusual presentation of UGI bleeding, due to HCC invading the duodenum and treated by radiotherapy, has not been previously reported.

A > 50% incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) of the gastrointestinal tract has been seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with cutaneous KS. Although gastrointestinal Kaposi's sarcoma (GIKS) is usually asymptomatic, hemorrhages from the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach, and large bowel have occurred in this disease. We describe a patient with acute, massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage from GIKS confined to the small bowel who was treated with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of AIDS-related GIKS limited to the small bowel. Although chemotherapy is generally used successfully to palliate diffuse GIKS, we report that radiation was an effective modality that rapidly resulted in resolution of considerable local bleeding and could be used in such cases as an alternative to surgery. Details of this case history, including radiographs, are presented.

We used the Nd:YAG laser to palliate symptoms of bleeding and obstruction in 27 cases of rectal carcinoma. Twenty of these patients had advanced inoperable rectal carcinoma, three were at high surgical risk, and four refused surgery. Obstructive symptoms were the main complaint in 10 cases, while 17 patients presented with bleeding. Good palliation of obstructive symptoms was achieved in all obstructive cases with one laser treatment session. However, bleeding tumors required an average of two sessions for complete hemostasis. There were no major complications; minor complications of bleeding after treatment occurred in two patients. Good symptomatic relief was achieved in all cases. The mean survival for all patients was five months. Nd:YAG laser therapy is a safe and efficacious means for palliation of obstructive symptoms and bleeding in advanced rectal carcinoma.

During the seven-year period from 1983 to 1990, 210 patients with gastrointestinal disorders were treated by laser at Aker Hospital. The main reason for the laser treatment was gastrointestinal bleeding, malignant tumour obstruction in oesophagus and rectum, and colorectal adenoma. This treatment has also been used in some patients with benign strictures and in 30 patients with perianal condylomata. In this paper we present the results of the treatment, and our experiences. We conclude that the use of laser has become an established alternative treatment for a number of gastrointestinal conditions.

Endoscopic gastrointestinal laser therapy was originally inspired by the haemostatic properties of the laser beam and was subsequently used to destroy tumours. In endoscopic gastroenterology, the most commonly used type of laser is the neodyme+-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. Endoscopic Nd:YAG laser therapy of obstructive cancers of the oesophagus and cardia rapidly reduces dysphagia in 70 to 100% of the patients. In the treatment of colorectal cancers, the intestinal transit returns to normal in 57 to 83% of the cases, and rectal haemorrhages are controlled in 38 to 92% of the cases. However, sustained results can only be obtained by a maintenance treatment with at least one application every 4 weeks. The Nd:YAG laser makes it possible to destroy villose tumours in patients who cannot, or will not, be operated upon; the number of applications depends on the size of the tumour. Finally, the Nd:YAG laser seems to be able to control bleeding due to gastrointestinal angiodysplasia and to stabilize the course of Rendu-Osler-Weber disease.

A 66-year-old man, with advanced alcoholic liver disease with Kaposi's sarcoma involving the stomach and the skin of the lower extremities, developed upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. He was treated with radiation therapy to the stomach and the skin with rapid resolution of the gastric lesions, as demonstrated by serial endoscopy.

The role of radiotherapy in the management of rectal and rectosigmoid cancer is still far from clear. Our experience with 98 patients is presented: eight patients were treated with radical radiotherapy, 13 received postoperative radiation, and 67 were treated for palliative purposes only (bleeding, pain, mass, and fistulation). Satisfactory results were demonstrated in all three categories, and sterilization of disease by radiation was histologically proven in three cases. The necessity of high-dose radiation for the achievement of optimum results is demonstrated, and the techniques and problems are described.

A patient with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and von Willebrand's disease is described. He suffered recurrent episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding endoscopically localized to the cardia and body of the stomach. A cobalt 60 source was used to deliver 1600 rad to the patient's stomach. The effect of the radiation was remarkable in that he remained free of bleeding for more than 11 months. Radiotherapy should be considered for control of gastric bleeding in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.