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Proficient mismatch repair or microsatellite stable (pMMR/MSS) colorectal cancers (CRCs) are vastly outnumbered by deficient mismatch repair or microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) tumors and lack a response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). In this study, we reported two distinct expression patterns of ASCL2 in pMMR/MSS and dMMR/MSI-H CRCs. ASCL2 is overexpressed in pMMR/MSS CRCs and maintains a stemness phenotype, accompanied by a lower density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) than those in dMMR/MSI CRCs. In addition, coadministration of anti-PD-L1 antibodies facilitated T cell infiltration and provoked strong antitumor immunity and tumor regression in the MC38/shASCL2 mouse CRC model. Furthermore, overexpression of ASCL2 was associated with increased TGFB levels, which stimulate local Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) activation, inducing an immune-excluded microenvironment. Consistently, mice with deletion of Ascl2 specifically in the intestine (Villin-Cre + , Ascl2 flox/flox , named Ascl2 CKO) revealed fewer activated CAFs and higher proportions of infiltrating CD8 + T cells; We further intercrossed Ascl2 CKO with Apc Min/+ model suggesting that Ascl2-deficient expression in intestinal represented an immune infiltrating environment associated with a good prognosis. Together, our findings indicated ASCL2 induces an immune excluded microenvironment by activating CAFs through transcriptionally activating TGFB, and targeting ASCL2 combined with ICIs could present a therapeutic opportunity for MSS CRCs., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Broflanilide has been registered in China for the control of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera pests, and is widely used to control the target pests at lethal and sublethal levels. The lethal and sublethal effects of broflanilide on the common cutworm (CCW) Spodoptera litura Fabricius, a representative Lepidopteran pest in agricultural crops, were examined to explore its ecological influence on pests., Results: In F 0 , broflanilide had little influence on the hatchability of eggs, but significantly reduced the neonate survival rate. The lethal activity of broflanilide towards third-instar larvae and adults was 0.13 mg kg -1 (LD 50 ) and 3.59 mg L -1 (LC 50 ) respectively at 48 h. After being treated with a sublethal dose (LD 10 and LD 30 ) of broflanilide, the duration of third- to sixth-instar larvae and the mean fecundity of reproductive females were significantly increased, but pupation rate, weight of pupae and life-cycle rate were significantly decreased. In F 1 , the duration of F 1 larvae and the doubling time were prolonged, whereas the rates of pupation and the life cycle were decreased by 14.92% and 18.00%, respectively. The intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase and net reproductive rate in the sublethal group were lower than in the control group. The relative fitness of F 1 treated by LD 10 and LD 30 was 0.81 and 0.66, respectively., Conslusion: Broflanilide not only has highly lethal activity, but also suppresses the population growth and progeny of CCW, as a critical factor for guidelines of its usage in the field., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background?>: Laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer is commonly performed in China. However, compared with open surgery, the effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery, especially the long-term survival, has not been sufficiently proved., Methods?>: Data of eligible patients with non-metastatic rectal cancer at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine between 2012 and 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Long-term survival outcomes and short-term surgical safety were analysed with propensity score matching between groups., Results: Of 430 cases collated from two institutes, 103 matched pairs were analysed after propensity score matching. The estimated blood loss during laparoscopic surgery was significantly less than that during open surgery ( P  =   0.019) and the operative time and hospital stay were shorter in the laparoscopic group (both P  <   0.001). The post-operative complications rate was 9.7% in the laparoscopic group and 10.7% in the open group ( P  =   0.818). No significant difference was observed between the laparoscopic group and the open group in the 5-year overall survival rate (75.7% vs 80.6%, P  =   0.346), 5-year relapse-free survival rate (74.8% vs 76.7%, P  =   0.527), or 5-year cancer-specific survival rate (79.6% vs 87.4%, P  =   0.219). An elevated carcinoembryonic antigen, <12 harvested lymph nodes, and perineural invasion were independent prognostic factors affecting overall survival and relapse-free survival., Conclusions?>: Our findings suggest that open surgery should still be the priority recommendation, but laparoscopic surgery is also an acceptable treatment for non-metastatic rectal cancer., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press and Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University.)

Objective: Colorectal cancer is a common gastrointestinal cancer, with mortality ranking the third all over the world. MicroRNA-212 (miR-212), located on chromosome 17p13.3, was lowly expressed in a variety of tumors. The purpose of our study was to explore the effects of miR-212 on colorectal cancer (CRC) cells., Patients and Methods: Quantitative Real Time-Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were employed to evaluate the levels of mRNAs and proteins. The transwell assay was performed to calculate the abilities of migration and invasion. The Luciferase reporter assay was utilized to verify miR-212 targeting to the 3'-UTR of SOX4 mRNA. Statistical analysis was applied to analyze the experimental data., Results: MiR-212 was lowly expressed in CRC tissues and cell lines, while the expression of SRY-box 4 (SOX4) was overexpressed. Exogenous increasing of miR-212 or knockdown of SOX4 inhibited the migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in CRC cells. Moreover, the expression of miR-212 had a negative connection with SOX4 expression, and miR-212 mediated the expression of SOX4 by directly binding to the 3'-UTR of SOX4 mRNA. In addition, low expression of miR-212 or overexpression of SOX4 was associated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer patients., Conclusions: MiR-212 inhibited the migration, invasion and EMT by direct targeting to the 3'-UTR of SOX4 mRNA in colorectal cancer. The newly identified miR-212/SOX4 axis provides novel insight for colorectal treatment.

Introduction: Dual-port laparoscopic gastrectomy (DPLG) has been widely performed in recent years for treating gastric cancers. The present study reports our initial experience of dual-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (DPLDG)., Methods: From November 2016 to August 2018, 38 consecutive patients underwent DPLDG in our center. The observational outcomes included 30-day morbidity and mortality rates, time to first flatus, time to first oral liquid diet, time to first oral semiliquid diet, time to drainage tube removal, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, postoperative 4-day recovery rate, additional analgesic use, hospital stay and cosmetic benefits., Results: Mean operative time was 191.6 ± 44.4 min, mean intra-operative blood loss was 39.8 ± 48.7 ml, and the mean number of dissected lymph nodes was 38.3 ± 13.7 nodes. One case was converted to five-port laparoscopic surgery, and no intraoperative complications occurred in any of the cases. The mean time to postoperative first flatus was 45.3 ± 18.0 h. The mean time to intake of an oral liquid diet was 56.7 ± 30.4 h. The mean time to drainage tube removal was 97.9 ± 52.3 h. The mean VAS scores for the 3 days after surgery were 2.3 ± 0.7, 2.0 ± 0.6 and 1.6 ± 0.5, respectively. A total of 81.6% of the enrolled patients met the postoperative 4-day recovery standard, and 15.8% of patients received additional analgesics. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.0 ± 2.0 days. No deaths were observed, and the 30-day morbidity rate was 13.2%., Conclusion: DPLDG is a feasible and safe procedure for experienced surgeons with acceptable short-term outcomes, reduced invasiveness and good cosmetic effects.

Background: Reduced port laparoscopic surgery (RPLS), as a more minimally invasive treatment alternative to conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS), has been increasing in recent years. 1 With the accumulation of surgical experience and improvements in surgical techniques, the indication of RPLS has been gradually extended from benign diseases to malignant tumors, including gastric cancer. 2-4 However, due to the lack of counteraction and triangulation, lymphadenectomy during reduced port laparoscopic gastrectomy (RPLG) for gastric cancer was considered challenging. In this study, we report our experience performing RPLG with D2 lymphadenectomy for distal gastric cancer., Methods: A disposable, single-incision, multiport, laparoscopic surgery trocar was used through a 3-cm incision at the umbilicus for the laparoscopist and surgeon's right hand. One 12-mm trocar was inserted at the upper-right quadrant for the surgeon's left hand. Distal gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy was performed in the same manner with CLS. 5 After extracting the resected specimen through the umbilicus incision, intracorporeal Roux-en-Y or B-II gastrojejunostomy was used for reconstruction., Results: RPLG with D2 lymphadenectomy was performed on five patients from April 2017 to June 2017. No intraoperative event requiring conversion to CLS or open surgery occurred. No postoperative complication was observed. The median operating time and blood loss was 166 min and 50 ml. The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was 32.7. Postoperatively, the mean time to first flatus, soft intake, and hospital stay was 2.6, 3.5, and 6.7 days respectively., Conclusions: RPLG with D2 lymphadenectomy might be safe and feasible in selected patients.

For further maximizing the minimally invasive benefits for colorectal cancer patients, laparoscopic surgeons have been dedicating to improve the surgery through single-port (SILES) or natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), which is supported by amount of single-port devices and flexible laparoscopic instruments.Many small sample studies of single institution have suggested that SILES for colorectal cancer has similar oncological outcomes with conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS), could improve the cosmetic results, and is more minimally invasive than CLS. However, evidences of advantages for SILES are limited, because of there has been only 4 published studies of prospective randomized clinical trial so far. Due to the technical difficulties and long learning curves, SILES and NOTES are relatively hard to be widely promoted. Thus, a balance between minimally invasive pursuit and laparoscopic technical challenge should be sought. In this way, modified SILES and reduced-port laparoscopic surgery have emerged in recent years, which might be minimally invasive solutions with lower technical demanding for laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgeries. Adding a port as the surgeon's dominant operation channel improved the collisions or overlapping of instruments with movement to reduce the technical difficulties. SILS+ 1 is safe and feasible, would be supported by more and more evidences.

Objective: To evaluate the short-term and oncologic outcomes of single-incision plus one port laparoscopic surgery (SILS+ 1) for sigmoid colon and upper rectal cancer. Methods: The clinic data of 46 patients with sigmoid colon and upper rectal cancer underwent SILS+ 1 at Department of General Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from September 2013 to September 2014 were retrospectively reviewed (SILS+ 1 group). After generating 1∶1 ration propensity scores given the covariates of age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, surgeons, tumor location, the distance of tumor from anal, tumor diameter, and pathologic TNM stage, 46 patients with sigmoid colon and upper rectal cancer underwent conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) in the same time were matched as CLS group. The baseline characteristics and short-term outcomes were compared using t test, χ(2) test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Log-rank tests demonstrated the distribution of disease free survival. Results: The two study groups were well balanced with respect to the baseline characteristics of the propensity score derivation model. As compared to the CLS group, patients in SILS+ 1 group had a smaller incision ((6.9±1.1) cm vs . (8.4±1.2) cm, t =6.502, P =0.000), less estimated blood loss (20(11) ml vs . 50(30) ml, Z =2.414, P =0.016), shorter intracorporeal operating time ((67.0±25.8) minutes vs . (75.5±27.7) minutes, t =2.062, P =0.042) and significantly faster recovery course including shorter time to first ambulation ((46.7±20.3) hours vs . (78.6±28.0) hours, t =6.255, P =0.000), shorter time to first oral diet ((64.7±28.8) hours vs . (77.1±30.0) hours, t =2.026, P =0.047), shorter time of postoperative hospital stay ((7.8±2.2) days vs . (6.5±2.2) days, t =2.680, P =0.009), and lower postoperative visual analogue scale scores ( F =4.721, P =0.032). No significant difference was observed in total operating time, postoperative morbidity, first time to flatus and defecation, analgesic use, number of retrieved lymph nodes and resection margin. During the median follow-up period of 33 months (ranging from 7 to 39 months) , there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of 3-year disease-free survival (SILS+ 1: 91.3%, CLS: 93.4%, P =1.000). The recurrence rates of SILS+ 1 group and CLS groups were 8.7% (4/46) and 6.5% (3/46), respectively. Conclusion: For experienced CLS surgeons, the SILS+ 1 for sigmoid colon and upper rectal cancer would be easiness, safe and efficient alternative.

Purpose: Elevated levels of neutrophils have been associated with poor survival in various cancers, but direct evidence supporting a role for neutrophils in the immunopathogenesis of human cancers is lacking. Experimental Design: A total of 573 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR were performed to analyze the distribution and clinical relevance of neutrophils in different microanatomic regions. The regulation and function of neutrophils were assessed both in vitro and in vivo Results: Increased neutrophil counts in the peripheral blood were associated with poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. In gastric cancer tissues, neutrophils were enriched predominantly in the invasive margin, and neutrophil levels were a powerful predictor of poor survival in patients with gastric cancer. IL17 + neutrophils constitute a large portion of IL17-producing cells in human gastric cancer. Proinflammatory IL17 is a critical mediator of the recruitment of neutrophils into the invasive margin by CXC chemokines. Moreover, neutrophils at the invasive margin were a major source of matrix metalloproteinase-9, a secreted protein that stimulates proangiogenic activity in gastric cancer cells. Accordingly, high levels of infiltrated neutrophils at the invasive margin were positively correlated with angiogenesis progression in patients with gastric cancer. Conclusions: These data provide direct evidence supporting the pivotal role of neutrophils in gastric cancer progression and reveal a novel immune escape mechanism involving fine-tuned collaborative action between cancer cells and immune cells in the distinct tumor microenvironment. Clin Cancer Res; 23(6); 1575-85. ©2016 AACR ., (©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.)

The risk factors associated with postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) following laparoscopic gastrectomy have not been well studied. We sought to identify the risk factors for PPCs following gastric cancer surgery.A retrospective analysis was performed on all gastric cancer patients in a prospective database who underwent a laparoscopic gastrectomy from 2004 to 2014. The potential risk factors for PPCs were evaluated.PPCs occurred in 6.8% (83/1205) of patients and included pneumonia in 56 (67.5%) patients, pleural effusion in 26 (31.3%) patients, and pulmonary embolism in 1 (1.2%) patient. The multivariate analysis identified the following significant risk factors for PPCs: advanced age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.043, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.021%, 1.066%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR = 17.788, 95% CI = 2.618%, 120.838%), total gastrectomy (OR = 2.781, 95% CI = 1.726%, 4.480%), time to first diet (OR = 1.175, 95% CI = 1.060%, 1.302%), and postoperative hospital stay (OR = 1.015, 95% CI = 1.002%, 1.028%). The risk factors for pneumonia included advanced age (OR = 1.036, 95% CI = 1.010%, 1.063%), total gastrectomy (OR = 3.420, 95% CI = 1.960%, 5.969%), and time to first diet (OR = 1.207, 95% CI = 1.703%, 1.358%). Only pancreatectomy was a risk factor for pleural effusion (OR = 9.082, 95% CI = 2.412%, 34.206%).The frequency of PPCs in patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery was relatively high. Patients with cardiac and pulmonary comorbidities and those who undergo total gastrectomy and combined resection should be considered at high risk.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical value of staging laparoscopy in treatment decision-making for advanced gastric cancer (GC)., Methods: Clinical data of 582 patients with advanced GC were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent staging laparoscopy. The strength of agreement between computed tomography (CT) stage, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) stage, laparoscopic stage, and final stage were determined by weighted Kappa statistic (Kw). The number of patients with treatment decision-changes was counted. A χ(2) test was used to analyze the correlation between peritoneal metastasis or positive cytology and clinical characteristics., Results: Among the 582 patients, the distributions of pathological T classifications were T2/3 (153, 26.3%), T4a (262, 45.0%), and T4b (167, 28.7%). Treatment plans for 211 (36.3%) patients were changed after staging laparoscopy was performed. Two (10.5%) of 19 patients in M1 regained the opportunity for potential radical resection by staging laparoscopy. Unnecessary laparotomy was avoided in 71 (12.2%) patients. The strength of agreement between preoperative T stage and final T stage was in almost perfect agreement (Kw = 0.838; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.803-0.872; P < 0.05) for staging laparoscopy; compared with CT and EUS, which was in fair agreement. The strength of agreement between preoperative M stage and final M stage was in almost perfect agreement (Kw = 0.990; 95% CI: 0.977-1.000; P < 0.05) for staging laparoscopy; compared with CT, which was in slight agreement. Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size (≥ 40 mm), depth of tumor invasion (T4b), and Borrmann type (III or IV) were significantly correlated with either peritoneal metastasis or positive cytology. The best performance in diagnosing P-positive was obtained when two or three risk factors existed., Conclusion: Staging laparoscopy can improve treatment decision-making for advanced GC and decrease unnecessary exploratory laparotomy.

Aim: To evaluate the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in gastric cancer patients., Methods: We detected tumor cells for expression of four epithelial (E(+)) transcripts (keratins 8, 18, and 19 and epithelial cell adhesion molecule) and two mesenchymal (M(+)) transcripts (Vimentin and Twist) by a quantifiable, dual-colorimetric RNA-in situ hybridization assay. Between July 2014 and October 2014, 44 patients with gastric cancer were recruited for CTC evaluation. Blood samples were obtained from selected patients during the treatment course [before surgery, after surgery and at the 6(th) cycle of XELOX based chemotherapy (about 6 mo postoperatively)]., Results: We found the EMT phenomenon in which there were a few biphenotypic E(+)/M(+) cells in primary human gastric cancer specimens. Of the 44 patients, the presence of CTCs was reported in 35 (79.5%) patients at baseline. Five types of cells including from exclusively E(+) CTCs to intermediate CTCs and exclusively M(+) CTCs were identified (4 patients with M(+) CTCs and 10 patients with M(+) or M(+) > E(+) CTCs). Further, a chemotherapy patient having progressive disease showed a proportional increase of mesenchymal CTCs in the post-treatment blood specimens. We used NCI-N87 cells to analyze the linearity and sensitivity of CanPatrol(TM) system and the correlation coefficient (R(2)) was 0.999., Conclusion: The findings suggest that the EMT phenomenon was both in a few cells of primary tumors and abundantly in CTCs from the blood of gastric cancer patients, which might be used to monitor therapy response.

Background: Intracorporeal Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy during laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer remains a challenging manipulation due to the uncontrolled direction of the jejunal side or unintended embedded tissues, although several methods have been introduced. In this study, we simplified the procedure based on a surgical string fixing technique using a transorally inserted anvil (OrVil™; Covidien Ltd., Mansfield, MA, USA)., Methods: From March 2012 to September 2013, 14 consecutive patients underwent simplified intracorporeal Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy using OrVil™ during laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer at our hospital. Clinicopathologic characteristics and surgical outcomes of these patients were retrospectively analyzed., Results: All of the procedures were successful completed with no complication or conversion to open surgery. The mean overall operative time was 193.8 ± 41.8 min, whereas the mean reconstruction time was 32.6 ± 4.6 min. The mean estimated blood loss was 105.7 ± 65.4 ml. The mean diameter of anastomosis measured by upper gastrointestinal contrast X-ray test at 1 month after operation was 2.3 cm. During a median follow-up period of 12 months, neither local recurrence nor anastomosis-related morbidity was observed., Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggested that this automatically contamination-avoiding technique based on a surgical-string-fixing strategy using OrVil™ during laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer might be feasible and safe and provide a simple solution for intracorporeal Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy.

Aim: To conduct a meta-analysis comparing laparoscopic (LGD2) and open D2 gastrectomies (OGD2) for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer (AGC)., Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs comparing LGD2 with OGD2 for AGC treatment, published between 1 January 2000 and 12 January 2013, were identified in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Primary endpoints included operative outcomes (operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and conversion rate), postoperative outcomes (postoperative analgesic consumption, time to first ambulation, time to first flatus, time to first oral intake, postoperative hospital stay length, postoperative morbidity, incidence of reoperation, and postoperative mortality), and oncologic outcomes (the number of lymph nodes harvested, tumor recurrence and metastasis, disease-free rates, and overall survival rates). The Cochrane Collaboration tools and the modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale were used to assess the quality and risk of bias of RCTs and non-RCTs in the study. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore the incidence rate of various postoperative morbidities as well as recurrence and metastasis patterns. A Begg's test was used to evaluate the publication bias., Results: One RCT and 13 non-RCTs totaling 2596 patients were included in the meta-analysis. LGD2 in comparison to OGD2 showed lower intraoperative blood loss [weighted mean difference (WMD) = -137.87 mL, 95%CI: -164.41--111.33; P < 0.01], lower analgesic consumption (WMD = -1.94, 95%CI: -2.50--1.38; P < 0.01), shorter times to first ambulation (WMD = -1.03 d, 95%CI: -1.90--0.16; P < 0.05), flatus (WMD = -0.98 d, 95%CI: -1.30--0.66; P < 0.01), and oral intake (WMD = -0.85 d, 95%CI: -1.67--0.03; P < 0.05), shorter hospitalization (WMD = -3.08 d, 95%CI: -4.38--1.78; P < 0.01), and lower postoperative morbidity (odds ratio = 0.78, 95%CI: 0.61-0.99; P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between LGD2 and OGD2 for the following criteria: reoperation incidence, postoperative mortality, number of harvested lymph nodes, tumor recurrence/metastasis, or three- or five-year disease-free and overall survival rates. However, LGD2 had longer operative times (WMD = 57.06 min, 95%CI: 41.87-72.25; P < 0.01)., Conclusion: Although a technically demanding and time-consuming procedure, LGD2 may be safe and effective, and offer some advantages over OGD2 for treatment of locally AGC.

As the improvement of technique and accumulation of experience in the past decade, the development of laparoscopic surgery has been in the advanced phase for the minimally invasive surgery for the management of gastric cancer. Even laparoscopic surgery has severaladvantages such as faster recovery courses and improved quality of life, however, surgical quality control for oncology must always be the most important consideration. The quality control system consists of accurate clinical staging, patient selection, intraoperative standard operating procedure, proper education and training course, data management for clinicopathologic information, and evidence-based studies.

Aim: To investigate the feasibility and optimal approach for laparoscopic pancreas- and spleen-preserving splenic hilum lymph node dissection in advanced proximal gastric cancer., Methods: Between August 2009 and August 2012, 12 patients with advanced proximal gastric cancer treated in Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China were enrolled and subsequently underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy with pancreas- and spleen-preserving splenic hilum lymph node (LN) dissection. The clinicopathological characteristics, surgical outcomes, postoperative course and follow-up data of these patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed in the study., Results: Based on our anatomical understanding of peripancreatic structures, we combined the characteristics of laparoscopic surgery and developed a modified approach (combined supra- and infra-pancreatic approaches) for laparoscopic pancreas- and spleen-preserving splenic hilum LN dissection. Surgery was completed in all 12 patients laparoscopically without conversion. Only one patient experienced intraoperative bleeding when dissecting LNs along the splenic artery and was handled with laparoscopic hemostasis. The mean operating time was 268.4 min and mean number of retrieved splenic hilum LNs was 4.8. One patient had splenic hilum LN metastasis (8.3%). Neither postoperative morbidity nor mortality was observed. Peritoneal metastasis occurred in one patient and none of the other patients died or experienced recurrent disease during the follow-up period., Conclusion: Laparoscopic total gastrectomy with pancreas- and spleen-preserving splenic hilum LN dissection using the modified approach for advanced proximal gastric cancer could be safely achieved.

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors of postoperative complications following D2 radical resection for advanced gastric cancer., Methods: From June 2004 to May 2011, 483 patients with local advanced gastric cancer who underwent radical gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection were enrolled in the study, including 132 patients of LAG (27.3%) and 351 patients of open procedure (72.7%). Clinicopathological data and postoperative complications were reviewed retrospectively. Postoperative complications were classified into overall and severe complications according to Clavien-Dindo Classification. Multivariate logistic model was used to identify risk factors of postoperative complications., Results: The overall incidence of postoperative overall and severe complications and mortality were 12.4% (60/483), 2.5% (12/483) and 0.2% (1/483), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that no significant differences were found in overall and severe complications between the two surgical approaches (13.6% vs. 12.0%, P=0.620; 3.0% vs. 2.3%, P=0.743). Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that age ≥60 years, preoperative comorbidity and intraoperative blood loss >300 ml were independent risk factors associated with overall postoperative complications. Remarkably, intraoperative blood loss >300 ml was also an independent risk factor for severe postoperative complications., Conclusions: LAG with D2 lymph node dissection for local advanced gastric cancer is technically feasible and safe. However, the elderly, preoperative comorbidity and increased intraoperative blood loss are associated with elevated risk of complications. Decreased intraoperative bleeding may reduce the potential postoperative complications.

Objective: To evaluate the short-term outcomes and 5-year recurrence, overall survival, and disease-free survival of laparoscopic assisted surgery for colon cancer., Methods: The clinical and pathologic data were compared between the patients who underwent colectomy during March 2003 to July 2008 and assigned in laparoscopic group (n = 92) and open group (n = 285) according the surgical approach. The 5-year overall survival, disease-free survival, and recurrence rate were analyzed for all patients who were followed-up for more than 36 months in either of the groups., Results: The laparoscopic colectomy was associated with manifested less blood loss (50(50) ml) (Z = -8.292, P < 0.01), early return of bowel function (the evacuation time was (3.0 ± 1.0) days, and the meal time after operation was (4.0 ± 1.3) days) (t = -6.475 and -4.871, P < 0.01), and longer length (cm) of distal resection margin ((10 ± 4) cm vs. (9 ± 4) cm, t = 3.527, P = 0.000). The 5-year overall survival of the laparoscopic group and the open group were 63.6% and 61.8% respectively. The 5-year disease-free survival of the I-III stage patients in the laparoscopic group and the open group were 69.5% and 65.5% respectively, and the local recurrence were 8.7% and 13.6% (all P > 0.05)., Conclusion: The laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer is safe in short-term clinical results and non-inferior to the open colectomy in long-term oncological outcomes.

We constructed a mini chamber system that was able to maintain cell culture on a microscope for long periods. It is a modified closed system with medium perfusion and CO2 circulation. The closed CO2 circulation and ample air inside the chamber distinguish it from other closed systems. Using different cell lines, the system was shown to be able to support long-term, time-lapse recording. After 229 hours of time-lapse recording, A2058 cells (a melanoma cell line) became overconfluent but still multiplied. Many CAD cells (a murine neuron-like cell line) still moved their cell bodies and kept their neurite-like processes after 28 days of recording. The entire healing process of a scratch-wounded 124 (a bladder cancer cell line) monolayer can be monitored. Such a modified closed system should find many applications in developmental biology, cell biology, and cancer biology where long-term, time-lapse recording is required or when the health of cells is important.