• Pancho trial (p53-adapted neoadjuvant chemotherapy for resectable esophageal cancer) completed-mutation rate of the marker higher than expected.

Background: In operable esophageal cancer patients, neoadjuvant therapy benefits only those who respond to the treatment. The • Pancho trial represents the first prospective randomized trial evaluating the relevance of the mark53 status for predicting the effect of two different neoadjuvant chemotherapies.

Method: Biomarker analysis was conducted using the mark53 analysis.

Clostridium perfringens liver abscess after pancreatic resection.

Background: Liver abscess is a rare complication after pancreatectomy. Clostridium perfingens is a rare cause of intrahepatic infections.

Case Report: A 65-year-old woman with pancreatic cancer underwent explorative laparotomy, during which encasement of the hepatic artery by the tumor was found.

Different types of K-Ras mutations are conversely associated with overall survival in patients with colorectal cancer.

A glycine to valine substitution at codon 12 (G12V) in Kirsten-Ras (K-Ras) gene has been associated with reduced overall survival in colorectal cancer patients; however, the effect of other K-Ras mutations than G12V still remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of different K-Ras mutations on overall survival in a homogeneous, large patient cohort with standardized therapy and uniform analysis of K-Ras mutation status. The study included 342 patients with histopathologically proven colorectal cancer.

Surgery for gastrointestinal stromal tumors of the stomach.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the main mesenchymal neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract. Tumor size, mitotic rate, and location correlate with potential malignancy and recurrence rate. Results of surgical treatment of gastric GIST are analyzed with emphasis on recurrence of disease after intermediate follow-up.

Complications after oesophagectomy with possible contribution of neoadjuvant therapy including an EGFR-antibody to a fatal outcome.

Background: Different molecular therapies like the EGFR-inhibiting antibody cetuximab have come into clinical practice. Cetuximab is EMEA-approved for metastatic colorectal cancer and advanced squamous-cell head and neck cancer. Administration is said to be safe and well tolerated with common, usually mild dermatologic side effects.

Intra-operative sonography: a valuable aid during breast-conserving surgery for occult breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is increasingly detected during an early non-palpable stage. Together with pre-operative marking of the mass, intra-operative imaging provides invaluable clues. This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of intra-operative sonography in the hands of the surgeon.

Multicentric breast cancer: a new indication for sentinel node biopsy--a multi-institutional validation study.

Purpose: Multicentric breast cancer has been considered to be a contraindication for sentinel node (SN) biopsy (SNB). In this prospective multi-institutional trial, SNB-feasibility and accuracy was evaluated in 142 patients with multicentric cancer from the Austrian Sentinel Node Study Group (ASNSG) and compared with data from 3,216 patients with unicentric cancer.

Patients And Methods: Between 1996 and 2004, 3,730 patients underwent SNB at 15 ASNSG-affiliated hospitals.

[Mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease (MIVOD)--a rare cause of intestinal ischemia].

Mesenteric inflammatory veno-occlusive disease (MIVOD) is a relatively recently known and not very often diagnosed form of ischemic bowel disease of low incidence und unknown etiology. We present the case of a patient who after presentation of inconclusive signs of epigastric pain and rectal bleeding suddenly developed right abdominal pain with local peritonism. Suspecting intestinal ischemia or perforated appendicitis we first performed laparoscopy, which showed an inflammable tumor of cecum, ascending colon and appendix with massive adhesions to the abdominal wall.

[Sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer: techniques and indications].

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) has proved to be a useful and accurate procedure for lymph node staging in breast cancer and melanoma and should be standard of care in the treatment of these tumors. In other malignancies (colon, rectum, stomach, esophagus, head and neck and thyroid, cervix uteri) it is still under investigation. SNB in breast cancer was accepted as a sole and reliable diagnostic method in breast cancer from the panel of distinguished experts at the 8th international conference of primary therapy of early breast cancer 2003 in St.

Management of postoperative esophageal leaks with the Polyflex self-expanding covered plastic stent.

Background: Esophageal anastomotic leaks can lead to prolonged hospitalization. In this article we present our experience with the placement of the Polyflex self-expanding plastic stent (Willy Ruesch GMBH, Kernen, Germany) for leak occlusion.

Methods: Between April 2000 and November 2003, 24 patients were included into this prospective study and underwent Polyflex stent placement for postoperative esophageal anastomotic leaks.

Gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumors: a surgical point of view.

Aim: Gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumors are uncommon stromal tumors of the intestinal tract. Their histological appearance is similar to that of other gastrointestinal stromal tumors. We report two cases and performed an analysis of the literature by comparing our findings with the available case reports in the medical literature.

[Treatment of achalasia].

Achalasia is a condition of unknown etiology. It represents a motor disorder of the esophagus characterized by absent or incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter upon swallowing and by non-propulsive swallow-induced contraction waves or amotility of the esophageal body. Dysphagia and regurgitation of ingesta are the most frequent symptoms.

25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1alpha-hydroxylase expression in normal and malignant human colon.

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) has anti-mitotic, pro-differentiating, and pro-apoptotic activity in tumor cells. We demonstrated that the secosteroid can be synthesized and degraded not only in the kidney but also extrarenally in intestinal cells. Evaluation of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3)-synthesizing CYP27B1 hydroxylase mRNA (real-time PCR) and protein (immunoblotting, immunofluorescence) showed enhanced expression in high- to medium-differentiated human colon tumors compared with tumor-adjacent normal mucosa or with colon mucosa from non-cancer patients.

[Pregnancy and labor after adjustable gastric banding for therapy of morbid obesity].

Surgical placement of an adjustable gastric band has become a widely used method for treatment of morbid obesity. As a consequence, a higher number of pregnancies after weight loss is observed. Information is limited on pregnancy outcome after gastric banding, whereas metabolic and nutritional complications are reported after gastric bypass procedures.

Analysis of hepatic resection of metastasis originating from gastric adenocarcinoma.

Few patients with metastatic gastric cancer have disease that is amenable to curative surgery. Thus far, little is known about liver surgery for metastases arising from gastric adenocarcinoma and prognostic factors. Of 73 patients operated on between 1980 and 1999 for noncolorectal, non-neuroendocrine hepatic metastases, 15 underwent liver resection for gastric adenocarcinoma metastasis.

Current value of intraoperative sonography during surgery for hepatic neoplasms.

Noninvasive liver imaging has developed rapidly resulting in increased accuracy for detecting primary and secondary hepatic tumors. Intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) was commonly considered to be the gold standard for liver staging, but the current value of IOUS is unknown in view of more sophisticated radiologic tools. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the impact of IOUS on the treatment of 149 patients undergoing liver surgery for malignant disease (colorectal metastasis, 61 patients; hepatoma, 52 patients; other hepatic malignant tumors, 36 patients).