Significance of administering postoperative pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy for fat digestion and absorption functions in patients who underwent initial total pancreatectomy.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of postoperative pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy on fat digestion and absorption in patients following initial total pancreatectomy.

Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from patients who underwent initial total pancreatectomy at our department between 2012 and 2020. Fat digestion, absorption functions, serum nutritional markers, HbA1c levels, and hepatic steatosis before and after the initial total pancreatectomy were evaluated.

Optimal indication of adding pancreatic juice cytology in the diagnosis of malignant intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas.

Background/objectives: Positive pancreatic juice cytology (PJC) is an important finding when considering surgical resection in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN); however, guidelines do not recommend endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for PJC. This study aimed to clarify the findings worthy of adding PJC for diagnosing high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and invasive carcinoma (IC) in patients with IPMN.

Methods: Patients with IPMN who underwent preoperative PJC and surgical resection at Hiroshima University Hospital were enrolled, and the diagnostic yield of malignant IPMN based on PJC and clinical and imaging findings and the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) were retrospectively analyzed.

Serum IL-6 concentration is a useful biomarker to predict the efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: This study aims to identify biomarkers for treatment response of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo+Bev) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: 96 patients who received Atezo+Bev or lenvatinib as a first-line systemic therapy were enrolled as the training group after propensity score matching (PSM), and 42 patients treated with Atezo+Bev were enrolled as the validation group. 17 serum cytokines were measured by Luminex multiplex assay at the start of treatment.

A case of malignant lymphoma of the extrahepatic bile duct diagnosed by detailed imaging examination and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

A 70-year-old woman presented to our hospital with abdominal pain. Imaging examinations showed diffuse and extensive wall thickening at the perihilar bile duct; however, the degree of stricture was mild, and the mucosal epithelium was smooth. A transpapillary biopsy was performed considering cholangiocarcinoma and IgG4 sclerosing cholangitis as differential diagnoses; however, no pathologic diagnosis was obtained.

Genetic Analysis of Biopsy Tissues from Colorectal Tumors in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Background/objectives: Colorectal neoplasia developing from ulcerative colitis mucosa (CRNUC) can be divided into ulcerative colitis-associated neoplasia (UCAN) and non-UCAN; however, it is often difficult to distinguish UCAN from non-UCAN during a biopsy diagnosis. We investigated whether a genomic analysis could improve the diagnostic accuracy of UCAN using biopsy specimens.

Methods: In step 1, 14 CRNUCs were used to examine whether the genomic landscape of biopsy and resection specimens matched.

Diagnostic performance of TILs-US score and LPBC in biopsy specimens for predicting pathological complete response in patients with breast cancer.

Background: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes-ultrasonography (TILs-US) score is used to predict lymphocyte-predominant breast cancer (LPBC) in surgical specimens. We aimed to compare diagnostic performance of TILs-US score for predicting pathological complete response (pCR) with that of LPBC in biopsy specimens.

Methods: TILs ≥ 50% in biopsy specimens was defined as biopsy-LPBC, and TILs-US score ≥ 4 was categorized as TILs-US score-high.

The Dominant Component and Clinicopathological Characteristics of Combined Hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma After Radical Resection.

Background/aim: Combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) is a rare subtype of primary liver carcinoma, characterized by the unequivocal presence of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). However, its clinicopathological characteristics have not yet been thoroughly elucidated. In particular, cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CLC) was classified as a subtype of cHCC-CCA according to the 2010 World Health Organization (WHO) classification.

Accumulation of CD56 CD16 Natural Killer Cells in Response to Preoperative Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.

Background: The activation of the antitumor immune responses of T cells and natural killer (NK) cells is important to induce breast tumor shrinkage via preoperative chemotherapy. We evaluated how antitumor immune responses contribute to the effects of such therapy.

Methods: Forty-three patients with stages I - IV breast cancer who underwent surgery between August 2018 and Jun 2023 after preoperative chemotherapy were enrolled.

A case of successful management for spontaneous rupture of paraganglioma treated with preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization.

Background: Tumors arising from catecholamine-producing chromophil cells in paraganglia are termed paragangliomas (PGLs), which biologically resemble pheochromocytomas (PCCs) that arise from the adrenal glands. Spontaneous rupture of a PGL is rare and can be fatal. Although elective surgery for ruptured PCCs after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) has been shown to provide good outcomes, the efficacy of TAE pretreatment for ruptured PGL remains unknown.

A nomogram to predict the pathological complete response in patients with breast cancer based on the TILs-US score.

Background: The tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes-ultrasonography score is a calculation system for predicting lymphocyte-predominant breast cancers in surgical specimens. A nomogram based on the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes-ultrasonography score was developed to predict the pathological complete response in breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: A retrospective evaluation was conducted on 118 patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Hiroshima University Hospital.

Influence of dispersion slope on the diagnosis of liver fibrosis by the shear wave in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Aim: Shear wave (SW) elastography is used to evaluate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) pathophysiology. Increased elasticity due to fibrosis and increased viscosity due to necrosis and inflammation affect SW. Assessing fibrosis, the most prognostically relevant pathology, is critical.

Mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasm of the bile duct with long-term prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

A 74-year-old man with obstructive jaundice presented with a thickened distal bile duct wall. A transpapillary forceps biopsy revealed an adenocarcinoma; however, because the tumor image was different from that of a typical cholangiocarcinoma, endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed on the tumor and enlarged lymph nodes. The tumor cells were positive for synaptophysin and CD56 with a Ki67 labeling index of 95%, and he was diagnosed with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Clinical Utility of the Combined Use of CA19-9 and DUPAN-2 in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients with normal carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels can have early-stage cancer or advanced cancer without elevation of CA19-9 level; estimating their malignant potential is difficult. This study investigated the clinical utility of the combined use of preoperative CA 19-9 and Duke pancreatic monoclonal antigen type 2 (DUPAN-2) levels in patients with PDAC.

Methods: Patients who underwent curative-intent surgery for PDAC between November 2005 and December 2021 were investigated.

Peripheral T Cell Subpopulations as a Potential Surrogate Biomarker during Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

The therapeutic benefits of the immunotherapeutic combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab (Atez/Bev) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vary. Therapeutic biomarkers might help improve outcomes for HCC patients receiving Atez/Bev therapy. The role of systemic immune profiles in HCC progression also remains unclear.

A case of young male with recurrent acute pancreatitis caused by an intrapancreatic gastric duplication cyst.

Gastric duplication cyst (GDC) is a rare gastrointestinal malformation that frequently occurs in the greater curvature of the gastric antrum or corpus. Herein, we reported a case of intrapancreatic GDC found as a result of recurring pancreatitis. A 15-year-old man experienced repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis and was found to have a cystic lesion in the pancreatic tail.

Characteristics and Prognosis of Sporadic Neoplasias Detected in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis.

Introduction: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) develop not only UC-associated neoplasias but also sporadic neoplasias (SNs). However, few studies have described the characteristics of SNs in patients with UC. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and prognosis of SNs in patients with UC.

Colonic invasive adenocarcinoma with squamoid morules: A case report.

Colorectal adenomas with squamoid morules are rare; however, colorectal adenocarcinomas are even rarer. Herein, we present a case of colorectal adenocarcinoma with squamoid morules arising from the transverse colon. A 60-year-old Japanese man underwent a colonoscopy, and a Type 0-Is polyp was detected in the transverse colon.

Prognostic impact of peritoneal washing cytology in patients with biliary tract cancer.

Purpose: To elucidate the clinical significance of peritoneal washing cytology (PWC) in patients with resectable biliary tract cancer (BTC).

Methods: Clinical data of patients with BTC, who received PWC at curative intent surgery from March 2009 to December 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. Eligible patients were stratified into two groups according to positive or negative PWC.

Cross-Correlation of Confocal Images for Excised Breast Tissues of Total Mastectomy.

Object: The purpose of this study is to develop an image artifact removal method for radar-based microwave breast imaging and demonstrates the detectability on excised breast tissues of total mastectomy.

Methods: A cross-correlation method was proposed and measurements were conducted. A hand-held radar-based breast cancer detector was utilized to measure a breast at different orientations.