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PURPOSE In patients with resectable gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma, surgery plus perioperative platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard of care. Perioperative chemotherapy remains debatable for gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR)/microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H). PATIENTS AND METHODS NEONIPIGA (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04006262 ) phase II study evaluated neoadjuvant nivolumab 240 mg once every two weeks ×6 and ipilimumab 1 mg/kg once every six weeks ×2, followed by surgery and adjuvant nivolumab 480 mg once every four weeks (nine injections) in patients with locally advanced resectable dMMR/MSI-H, clinical (c) tumor (T)2-T4 node (N)x metastasis (M)0 gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma. The primary end point was a pathological complete response (pCR) rate. RESULTS Between October 2019 and June 2021, 32 patients with dMMR/MSI-H gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma were enrolled. The median age was 65.5 years (range, 40-80). Clinical stages were cT2-T3N0 (n = 9), cT2-T3N1 (n = 22), and cT3N1M1 (n = 1, wrongly included). With a median follow-up of 14.9 months (95% CI, 10.6 to 17.6), 32 patients received neoadjuvant immunotherapy (27 patients completed all cycles). Neoadjuvant therapy-related grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in six patients (19%). Twenty-nine patients underwent surgery; three did not have surgery and had complete endoscopic response with tumor-free biopsies and a normal computed tomography scan (two refused surgery and one had metastasis at inclusion). The rate of surgical morbidity (Clavien-Dindo classification) was 55% (one postoperative death occurred). All 29 patients had an R0 resection, and 17 (58.6%; 90% CI, 41.8 to 74.1) had pCR (pathological T0N0). Becker tumor regression grades 1a, 1b, 2, and 3 were observed in 17 patients, three (including two pathological T0N1), two, and seven patients, respectively. Of the 29 patients with surgery, 23 received adjuvant nivolumab. At database lock, no patient had relapse and one died without relapse. CONCLUSION Nivolumab and ipilimumab-based neoadjuvant therapy is feasible and associated with no unexpected toxicity and a high pCR rate in patients with dMMR/MSI-H resectable gastric/GEJ adenocarcinoma.

Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: La disección endoscópica de submucosa (ESD) en el tratamiento de las neoplasias superficiales del tracto gastrointestinal es uno de los más grandes avances en endoscopia terapéutica en la actualidad. En América Latina aún no se utiliza de manera rutinaria debido a la alta complejidad técnica. El objetivo de este estudio es presentar la experiencia con ESD en neoplasias gástricas superficiales desarrollada en Brasil a partir del entrenamiento con expertos japoneses. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de un banco de datos recolectado prospectivamente, que incluyó a todos los pacientes sometidos a ESD por neoplasias superficiales de estómago desde junio del 2008 hasta junio del 2019 en dos centros endoscópicos de referencia en Brasil, calculando las tasas de resección en bloque, completa y curativa, así como también la tasa de recurrencia local y eventos adversos. Resultados: En el periodo descrito se incluyeron 103 procedimientos de ESD para neoplasias superficiales gástricas, de las cuales 80 (77.6%) fueron neoplasias gástricas malignas tempranas o lesiones premalignas (adenocarcinoma: 52.5%, displasia de alto grado: 27.5%, displasia de bajo grado: 16.3% y tumores neuroendocrinos: 3.8%). Las tasas globales de resección en bloque y completa para las neoplasias gástricas superficiales fueron del 96.3% y 92.5%, respectivamente, mientras que la tasa de resección curativa con base en los criterios expandidos fue del 76%. Conclusiones: La ESD para el tratamiento de lesiones neoplásicas gástricas superficiales es una modalidad terapéutica efectiva y segura en Latinoamérica, presentando resultados similares a los mostrados en los estudios japoneses más representativos. Abstract: Introduction and aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of superficial neoplasias of the gastrointestinal tract is currently one of the greatest advances in therapeutic endoscopy. Due to its high technical complexity, it is not yet a routine procedure in Latin America. The aim of the present study was to present the experience in Brazil with ESD in superficial gastric neoplasias, based on training received from Japanese experts. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted, in which information was prospectively collected from a database that included all patients that underwent ESD due to superficial gastric neoplasias at two endoscopy referral centers in Brazil, within the time frame of June 2008 to June 2019. En bloc, complete, and curative resection rates were calculated, along with the local recurrence rate and adverse events. Results: A total of 103 ESDs for superficial gastric neoplasias were performed during the study period. Eighty of those patients (77.6%) presented with early malignant gastric neoplasias or premalignant lesions (adenocarcinoma: 52.5%, high-grade dysplasia: 27.5%, low-grade dysplasia: 16.3%, and neuroendocrine tumors: 3.8%). Overall en bloc and complete resection rates for the superficial gastric neoplasias were 96.3% and 92.5%, respectively, whereas the curative resection rate based on expanded criteria was 76%. Conclusions: ESD for the treatment of superficial gastric neoplasias is a safe and effective therapeutic modality in Latin America, with results similar to those shown in the most representative Japanese studies.

Background: Aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is associated with the progression of human cancers, including gastric cancer (GC). The function of lncRNA DLGAP1-AS2, as an oncogene, has been identified in glioma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma but not in other malignancies. Therefore, this study was aimed to explore the association of DLGAP1-AS2 with gastric tumorigenesis and beyond.Methods and Results: The expression level of DLGAP1-AS2 was prevaluated in GC datasets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Moreover, qRT-PCR experiment was performed on 25 paired GC and adjacent normal tissue samples. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data were also analyzed for further validations. Consistent with data obtained from GEO datasets, qRT-PCR results revealed that DLGAP1-AS2 was significantly (p < 0.0032) upregulated in GC specimens compared to normal samples, which was additionally confirmed using TCGA analysis (p). DLGAP1-AS2 expression level was also correlated with age (p =0.0008), lymphatic and vascular invasion (p =0.0415) in internal samples. Also, a significant correlation was found between DLGAP1-AS2 and YAP1 expression, as its valid downstream target, in GC samples. Besides, analysis of other prevalent tumor entities using TCGA illustrated the significant overexpression of DLGAP1-AS2 in lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers, further indicating its promise as an oncogene. Moreover, ROC curve analysis showed the high accuracy of the DLGAP1-AS2 expression pattern as a diagnostic biomarker for gastric and colorectal cancers. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that DLGAP1-AS2 might display oncogenic property in gastric tumorigenesis and be suggested as a therapeutic and diagnostic target.

Purpose: In the ToGA trial for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer, cisplatin plus fluoropyrimidine was given for 6 cycles; trastuzumab was given until disease progression. However, there is a lack of real-life data about trastuzumab maintenance after 6 cycle chemotherapy. This study aims to present real-life data of trastuzumab ± capecitabine maintenance after 6 cycles of platinum, fluoropyrimidine, and trastuzumab in non-progressive patients. Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter study of the Turkish Oncology Group. A total of 35 HER2-positive, inoperable locally advanced, recurrent, or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma patients being non-progressive at the end of 6 cycle chemotherapy and being given trastuzumab ± capecitabine as maintenance treatment were included from sixteen oncology centers. Baseline characteristics, objective tumor responses, progression free and overall survival data, and toxicities were determined. Results: About 68% of the patients were given CF, and 32% were given FOLFOX with trastuzumab as the first-line treatment. The best response in 6 cycle chemotherapy was complete 8 (22%), partial 24 (68%), and stable disease 3 (8%). All patients had trastuzumab maintenance (median cycle 13; range 7–51), and 49% of the patients had capecitabine with trastuzumab (median capecitabine cycle 6; range 2–30). The median PFS of the patients was 12.0 months (95% CI 10.3–13.7), and median OS was 17.4 months (95% CI 15.2–19.5). There were 2 patients with grade 1 cardiotoxicity. Conclusion: Trastuzumab maintenance ± capecitabine after 6 cycles of trastuzumab plus combined chemotherapy treatment revealed efficacy and safety in non-progressive HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer. © 2021, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Simple Summary MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of highly conserved small, non-protein coding RNAs with often-deregulated expression in cancer. miR-21 is a well-studied cancer-associated microRNA which is able to regulate proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular pathways which govern miR-21 expression in gastric cancer (GC), and to assess the therapeutic benefit of targeting miR-21 function with a small, synthetic miR-21 antagomir. We confirmed that miR-21 expression in a preclinical model of early gastric cancer is dependent on Stat3 downstream of the IL-6 family cytokine-mediated activation of gp130 receptor signaling. Antagomir therapy curbed gastric tumor growth, and restricted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and matrix remodeling. Our study established miR-21 as a promising anti-cancer target in GC. Abstract MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is a small, non-coding RNA overexpressed in gastric cancer and many other solid malignancies, where it exhibits both pro-and anti-tumourigenic properties. However, the pathways regulating miR-21 and the consequences of its inhibition in gastric cancer remain incompletely understood. By exploiting the spontaneous Stat3-dependent formation of inflammation-associated gastric tumors in Gp130F/F mice, we functionally established miR-21 as a Stat3-controlled driver of tumor growth and progression. We reconciled our discoveries by identifying several conserved Stat3 binding motifs upstream of the miR-21 gene promoter, and showed that the systemic administration of a miR-21-specific antisense oligonucleotide antagomir reduced the established gastric tumor burden in Gp130F/F mice. We molecularly delineated the therapeutic benefits of miR-21 inhibition with the functional restoration of PTEN in vitro and in vivo, alongside an attenuated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the extracellular matrix remodeling phenotype of tumors. We corroborated our preclinical findings by correlating high STAT3 and miR-21 expression with the reduced survival probability of gastric cancer patients. Collectively, our results provide a molecular framework by which miR-21 mediates inflammation-associated gastric cancer progression, and establish miR-21 as a robust therapeutic target for solid malignancies characterized by excessive Stat3 activity.

Many studies have shown that honey with high phenolic contents prevents cancer formation. Furthermore, recent studies have demonstrated that honey can be used for the treatment of cancer as well as cancer prevention. Antineoplastic effects of honey are often associated with their antioxidant phenolic contents. However, very few studies have dealt with the association of phenolic contents of honeys in terms of antiproliferative effects. The aim of this study was, therefore, to elucidate the cytotoxic, genotoxic, apoptotic, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating effects of honey samples on the basis of their phenolic and flavonoid contents. Fourteen different honey varieties were collected from various parts of Turkey, and their characteristics regarding total phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant contents were determined to test their effects on gastric cancer cells (AGS). For convenience, 2 honey varieties were selected, namely, Ida Mountains Quercus pyrenaica honeydew honey (QPHH-IM) having the highest phenolic and antioxidant content and Canakkale multifloral honey (MFH-C) with the lowest phenolic and antioxidant content. Levels of 11 different phenolic compounds in QPHH-IM and MFH-C samples were determined by LC-MS/MS. AGS cells were incubated with different concentrations of QPHH-IM and MFH-C for 24 hours, then the cell viability, DNA damage, apoptosis, and generation of ROS were determined. We found that QPHH-IM had more cytotoxic, genotoxic, and apoptotic effects than that of MFH-C. We think that these effects are probably related to pro-oxidant activities due to the high phenolic contents present. Therefore, further research on high-phenolic honey may contribute to the future development of cancer therapeutics.

Despite gastric cancer being rare nowadays in Western countries, it remains one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. The course of the disease varies, so the individual gastric cancer patient’s prognosis is difficult to determine. The need for new biomarkers is crucial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of serum matrix metalloproteinase-8, serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, and tissue matrix metalloproteinase-8 in patients with gastric cancer. Preoperative serum samples from 233 patients with gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-8 were analyzed with immunofluorometric assay, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also determined the tissue expression of matrix metalloproteinase-8 in 276 gastric cancer samples by immunohistochemistry. Survival data and death causes came from patient records, the Population Register Center of Finland, and Statistics Finland. Patients with a low (131 ng/mL) serum matrix metalloproteinase-8 level had a considerably unfavorable prognosis (p = 0.002). Those patients with a high (≥170 ng/mL) serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 level also had a poor prognosis (p 0.30) molar ratios predicted a worse prognosis (p = 0.020). Tissue matrix metalloproteinase-8 did not influence prognosis. These results suggest that serum matrix metalloproteinase-8, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, and the ratio of matrix metalloproteinase-8/ tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 may prove useful biomarkers for prediction of prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.

Background: The multi–slice computerized tomography (MSCT) is a medical imaging modality that has been used to determine the size and location of the stomach cancer. Additionally, MSCT is considered the best modality for the staging of gastric cancer. One way to assess the type 2 cancer of stomach is by detecting the pathological structure with an image segmentation approach. The tumor segmentation of MSCT gastric cancer images enables the diagnosis of the disease condition, for a given patient, without using an invasive method as surgical intervention. Methods: This approach consists of three stages. The initial stage, an image enhancement, consists of a method for correcting non homogeneities present in the background of MSCT images. Then, a segmentation stage using a clustering method allows to obtain the adenocarcinoma morphology. In the third stage, the pathology region is reconstructed and then visualized with a three–dimensional (3–D) computer graphics procedure based on marching cubes algorithm. In order to validate the segmentations, the Dice score is used as a metric function useful for comparing the segmentations obtained using the proposed method with respect to ground truth volumes traced by a clinician. Results: A total of 8 datasets available for patients diagnosed, from the cancer data collection of the project, Cancer Genome Atlas Stomach Adenocarcinoma (TCGASTAD) is considered in this research. The volume of the type 2 stomach tumor is estimated from the 3–D shape computationally segmented from the each dataset. These 3–D shapes are computationally reconstructed and then used to assess the morphopathology macroscopic features of this cancer. Conclusions: The segmentations obtained are useful for assessing qualitatively and quantitatively the stomach type 2 cancer. In addition, this type of segmentation allows the development of computational models that allow the planning of virtual surgical processes related to type 2 cancer.

Background: The multi–slice computerized tomography (MSCT) is a medical imaging modality that has been used to determine the size and location of the stomach cancer. Additionally, MSCT is considered the best modality for the staging of gastric cancer. One way to assess the type 2 cancer of stomach is by detecting the pathological structure with an image segmentation approach. The tumor segmentation of MSCT gastric cancer images enables the diagnosis of the disease condition, for a given patient, without using an invasive method as surgical intervention. Methods: This approach consists of three stages. The initial stage, an image enhancement, consists of a method for correcting non homogeneities present in the background of MSCT images. Then, a segmentation stage using a clustering method allows to obtain the adenocarcinoma morphology. In the third stage, the pathology region is reconstructed and then visualized with a three–dimensional (3–D) computer graphics procedure based on marching cubes algorithm. In order to validate the segmentations, the Dice score is used as a metric function useful for comparing the segmentations obtained using the proposed method with respect to ground truth volumes traced by a clinician. Results: A total of 8 datasets available for patients diagnosed, from the cancer data collection of the project, Cancer Genome Atlas Stomach Adenocarcinoma (TCGASTAD) is considered in this research. The volume of the type 2 stomach tumor is estimated from the 3–D shape computationally segmented from the each dataset. These 3–D shapes are computationally reconstructed and then used to assess the morphopathology macroscopic features of this cancer. Conclusions: The segmentations obtained are useful for assessing qualitatively and quantitatively the stomach type 2 cancer. In addition, this type of segmentation allows the development of computational models that allow the planning of virtual surgical processes related to type 2 cancer.

The most common type of metabolic acidosis in hospitalized patients is lactic acidosis which is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the body fluids resulting from either overproduction or reduced metabolism of lactate [1, 2]. Lactic acidosis is classified as type A, in the setting of reduced tissue perfusion and poor blood oxygenation, or type B, when no clinical evidence of those conditions exists. Both hematologic and non-hematologic malignancies have been associated with the latter [3–6]. However, lactic acidosis as a complication of gastrointestinal malignancies is limited to case reports, and distinguishing among the types of lactic acidosis in this setting is challenging [5, 6]. We present a patient diagnosed with type B lactic acidosis secondary to metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma.

Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues (vitorsrodrigues@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2014-05-27T11:28:39Z No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2014-05-27T14:42:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 2-s2.0-84874527295.pdf: 4233898 bytes, checksum: 6a24136b8feae5524a6972aa441c5f96 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-27T11:28:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-03-07 Objective. The anti-inflammatory proteins annexin-A1 and galectin-1 have been associated with tumor progression. This scenario prompted us to investigate the relationship between the gene and protein expression of annexin-A1 (ANXA1/AnxA1) and galectin-1 (LGALS1/Gal-1) in an inflammatory gastric lesion as chronic gastritis (CG) and gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) and its association with H. pylori infection. Methods. We analyzed 40 samples of CG, 20 of GA, and 10 of normal mucosa (C) by the quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technique and the immunohistochemistry assay. Results. High ANXA1 mRNA expression levels were observed in 90% (36/40) of CG cases (mean relative quantification RQ = 4.26 ± 2.03) and in 80% (16/20) of GA cases (mean RQ = 4.38 ± 4.77). However, LGALS1 mRNA levels were high (mean RQ = 2.44 ± 3.26) in 60% (12/20) of the GA cases, while low expression was found in CG (mean RQ = 0.43 ± 3.13; P < 0.01). Normal mucosa showed modest immunoreactivity in stroma but not in epithelium, while stroma and epithelium displayed an intense immunostaining in CG and GA for both proteins. Conclusion. These results have provided evidence that galectin-1 and mainly annexin-A1 are overexpressed in both gastritis and gastric cancer, suggesting a strong association of these proteins with chronic gastric inflammation and carcinogenesis. © 2013 Yvana Cristina Jorge et al. Department of Biology São Paulo State University (UNESP) Campus de São José Do Rio Preto, Rua Cristóvão Colombo 2265, 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, SP Rio Preto Endoscopy Center, São José do Rio Preto, SP Endoscopy Service Hospital de Base, São José do Rio Preto, SP Legal Medicine Department and Pathology Service Hospital de Base, São José do Rio Preto, SP Institute of Anatomical Pathology and Cytopathology, São José do Rio Preto, SP Department of Biology São Paulo State University (UNESP) Campus de São José Do Rio Preto, Rua Cristóvão Colombo 2265, 15054-000 São José do Rio Preto, SP

Metastatic gastric cancer is incurable and remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths around the world. Despite the significant progress in its systemic treatment, metastatic gastric cancer is still a major therapeutic challenge for oncologists. Newer chemotherapy regimens and the addition of molecularly targeted agents to chemotherapy seem to provide better clinical outcomes for patients with metastatic gastric cancer. The objective of this article is to review the current treatment approach for this formidable disease.

Despite being the leading cause of cancer death, targeted therapy for gastric cancer is yet to be established. Wnt/?-catenin signaling is highly deregulated in cancers of gastrointestinal origin including gastric cancers. Stabilization and deregulation of ?-catenin occurs at multiple levels and so is being needed to identify a spectrum of Wnt inhibitors to combat deregulated Wnt signaling at the level of various targets and also in different combinations. We developed a luciferase reporter based gastric cancer cellular assay system for Wnt pathway modulator screening and identified nimesulide, a known COX-2 inhibitor as an inhibitor of Wnt/? catenin signaling pathway. Comprehensive signaling pathway profiling revealed that nimesulide could inhibit STAT3, IRF1 and RXR signaling apart from inhibiting Wnt/?-catenin-Myc-E2F signaling cascade. Nimesulide elicits a strong anti-proliferative effect by promoting cell cycle arrest in multiple gastric cancer cell lines. Inhibition of Wnt and STAT3 signaling are found to be COX-2 independent, while the inhibition of RXR and IRF1 pathways are due to the COX-2 inhibiting feature of nimesulide. While nimesulide is capable of activating Notch signaling in gastric cancer cells, celecoxib inhibits Wnt, Myc, E2F, RXR, STAT3, MAPK and Notch signaling pathways in gastric cancer cells. Signaling pathway focused analysis of gastric cancer transcriptome revealed that Wnt, STAT3, IRF1 and RXR signaling pathways are highly deregulated in majority of gastric tumors and indicates the potential of nimesulide and celecoxib class of drugs for targeted gastric cancer therapeutics. The differential inhibition of multiple signaling by nimesulide and celecoxib deserve further investigation. � 2013 Periasamy J, et al.

A case of long-term survivor 50-year-old man treated for advanced gastric cancer with two liver metastases is described. Patient underwent a total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and atipic liver resection. After surgery, chemotherapy with PELF achieved a complete clinical response; six month from the fourth cycle, Ca19.9 levels slowly increased until 185 U/mL and a retro-peritoneal lymphadenopathy was detected by US. Three different chemotherapeutic combinations (FOLFOX, FOLFIRI, FOLFOX4) was administrated but two new liver recurrences spread out. From November 2007 until now, patient received 8 CDF cycles and he obtained a complete clinical response supported by persistent negativity of TC-PET scans. The radiological investigations performed after last admission in our Department for jaundice, revealed multiple liver lesions with Ca 19.9 levels of 6.766 U/mL. The patient required placement of metallic biliary endoprosthesis. He is still alive 41 month after primary surgery. We consider this case a successful example of survival increasing by integrated surgery-chemotherapy treatment but also an expression of the failure of current available therapy in the definitive cure for gastric cancer. Metastatic gastric cancer should be considered a disease treatable but not curable.

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Devido à alta incidência de complicações técnicas e neurológicas, a raquianestesia contínua foi abandonada por muitos anos. Com o surgimento dos cateteres intermediários, a técnica vem ressurgindo e ganhando simpatia no arsenal anestesiológico. O objetivo deste relato foi resgatar a utilidade da técnica como alternativa viável para procedimento de médio a grande porte. RELATO DO CASO: Paciente feminina, 58 anos, 62 kg, estado físico ASA I, com relato de enxaqueca, lombalgia e procedimentos cirúrgicos prévios sob raquianestesia sem intercorrências. Candidata à laparotomia exploradora por provável tumor pélvico. Após venóclise com cateter 18G, monitorização com cardioscópio, pressão arterial-não invasiva e oximetria de pulso, foi sedada com midazolam 2 mg e fentanil 100 ¼g e colocada em decúbito lateral esquerdo. Foi submetida à raquianestesia contínua por via mediana em L3-L4. Foram injetados 9 mg de bupivacaína hiperbárica a 0,5% e 120 ¼g de sulfato de morfina. Após inspeção da cavidade, verificou-se que o tumor era proveniente do estroma gástrico, sendo necessária ampliação da incisão e realização de gastrectomia parcial. Todo o procedimento foi realizado com pequena dose de solução hiperbárica e completa estabilidade hemodinâmica. Não houve necessidade de UTI no pós-operatório e a paciente evoluiu sem queixas e com alto grau de satisfação. Recebeu alta hospitalar após 72 horas sem nenhuma intercorrência. CONCLUSÕES: Os cateteres intermediários utilizados em raquianestesia contínua mostram-se promissores em tornar a técnica bastante atraente e de grande utilidade em operações de médio a grande porte, podendo inclusive ser alternativa eficaz no manuseio de pacientes em estado crítico, em que grandes repercussões hemodinâmicas podem ser deletérias. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Due to the high incidence of technical and neurological complications, continuous spinal blocks were not performed for several years. With the advent of intermediate catheters the technique has been used more often and gaining acceptance among anesthesiologists. The objective of this report was to demonstrate the usefulness of the technique as a viable alternative for medium and major size surgeries. CASE REPORT: This is a 58 years old female patient, weighing 62 kg, physical status ASA I, with a history of migraines, low back pain, and prior surgeries under spinal block without intercurrence. The patient was scheduled for exploratory laparotomy for a probable pelvic tumor. After venoclysis with an 18G catheter, monitoring with cardioscope, non-invasive blood pressure and pulse oximetry was instituted; she was sedated with 2 mg of midazolam and 100 ¼g of fentanyl, and placed in left lateral decubitus. The patient underwent continuous spinal block through the median approach in L3-L4; 9 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine and 120 ¼g of morphine sulfate were administered. Inspection of the abdominal cavity revealed a gastric stromal tumor that required an increase in the incision for a partial gastrectomy. A small dose of hyperbaric solution was required for the entire procedure, which was associated with complete hemodynamic stability. Postoperative admission to the ICU was not necessary; the patient presented a good evolution without complaints and with a high degree of satisfaction. She was discharged from the hospital after 72 hours without intercurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Intermediate catheters used in continuous spinal blocks have shown the potential to turn it an attractive and useful technique in medium and large size surgeries and it can even be an effective alternative in the management of critical patients to whom hemodynamic repercussions can be harmful. JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: A causa de la elevada incidencia de las complicaciones técnicas y neurológicas, la raquianestesia continua fue abandonada durante muchos años. Con el surgimiento de los catéteres intermediarios, la técnica ha venido evolucionando nuevamente y obteniendo la simpatía en el arsenal anestesiológico. El objetivo de este relato, fue rescatar la utilidad de la técnica como una alternativa viable para el procedimiento de medio y gran porte. RELATO DEL CASO: Paciente femenina, 58 años, 62 kg, estado físico ASA I, con relato de jaqueca, lumbago y procedimientos quirúrgicos previos, bajo raquianestesia sin intercurrencias. Candidata a laparotomía exploradora por un probable tumor pélvico. Después de efectuada la venoclisis con catéter 18G, monitorización con cardioscopio, presión arterial no invasiva, y la oximetría de pulso, se le sedó con midazolam 2 mg y fentanil 100 ¼g y se le puso en decúbito lateral izquierdo. Se le sometió a la raquianestesia continua por vía mediana en L3-L4. Se le inyectaron 9 mg bupivacaína hiperbárica a 0,5% y 120 ¼g de sulfato de morfina. Después de la inspección de la cavidad, se verificó que el tumor era proveniente del estroma gástrico, siendo necesaria la ampliación de la incisión y la realización de gastrectomía parcial. Todo el procedimiento fue realizado con una pequeña dosis de solución hiperbárica y una completa estabilidad hemodinámica. No hubo necesidad de UCI en el postoperatorio y la paciente evolucionó sin quejarse y con un alto grado de satisfacción. Recibió el alta después de 72 horas sin ningún problema. CONCLUSIONES: Los catéteres intermediarios utilizados en la raquianestesia continua parecen ser promisorios en hacer con que la técnica sea bastante atractiva y de gran utilidad en operaciones de medio y gran porte, y puede incluso ser una alternativa eficaz en el manejo de pacientes en estado crítico, donde las grandes repercusiones hemodinámicas pueden ser perjudiciales.

Recurrent malignancy at esophagojejunal anastomosis represents an incurable stage of disease. Treatment options are limited. Surgery presents a high rate of morbidity and mortality and frequently fails to alleviate symptoms. Radiochemotherapy relieves dysphagia slowly and offers disappointing clinical results. The use of Self Expanding Metallic Stent (SEMS) has shown to be effective, safe and offers a good quality of residual life. We herein report three cases of malignant esophagojejunal anastomotic strictures successfully treated with metallic coil stent (Esophacoil).

The incidence of point mutations of H–, K– and N–ras and p53 oncogenes in male BALB/c mouse stomach tumors induced with Ar–methyl–Ar–nitrosourea (MNU) was examined by direct sequencing and PCR single–strand conformation polymorphism (PCR–SSCP). A mutation of GGT to AGT at K–ras codon 12 was found by SSCP in one adenocarcinoma from a total of 19 specimens including 5 adenocarcinomas, 9 adenomatous hypcrplastic regions, 1 squamous cell carcinoma and 4 normal–like stomach regions from 4 mice. No mutations were detected by direct sequencing of H–, K– and N–ras oncogenes at exons 1 (codons 12 and 13) and 2 (codon 61) in a total of 26 specimens comprising 10 adenocarcinomas, 10 adenomatons hyperplastic regions, 2 squamous cell carcinomas and 4 normal–like stomach regions from 6 mice. No mutations were detected by direct sequencing ofp53 oncogene at exons 5, 6, 7 and 8 in a total of 30 specimens including 13 adenocarcinomas, 8 adenomatous hyperplastic regions, 2 squamous cell carcinomas, 1 papilloma and 6 normal–like stomach regions from 7 mice. These results suggest that ras and p53 oncogenes do not play a role in mouse stomach carcinogenesis induced by MNU.