Comparison of Survival Between ypStage and pStage in Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: In East Asia, the standard treatment for resectable advanced gastric cancer involves gastrectomy and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy; nevertheless, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is also expected to improve survival rates. However, it remains unclear whether the same criteria can be used to select adjuvant chemotherapy for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or how survival varies between post-chemotherapy pathological Stage (ypStage) and pathological Stage without chemotherapy (pStage). This study evaluated the long-term outcomes of ypStage and pStage in gastric cancers and investigated the optimal intensity of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients who have received preoperative chemotherapy.

Combination of oligo-fractionated irradiation with nivolumab can induce immune modulation in gastric cancer.

Background: Tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-specific CD8(+) T cells are essential for nivolumab therapy, and irradiation has been reported to have the potential to generate and activate TAA-specific CD8(+) T cells. However, mechanistic insights of T-cell response during combinatorial immunotherapy using radiotherapy and nivolumab are still largely unknown.

Methods: Twenty patients included in this study were registered in the CIRCUIT trial (ClinicalTrials.

Phase I/II clinical trial of nivolumab in combination with oligo-fractionated irradiation for unresectable advanced or recurrent gastric cancer.

Background: Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) targeting for PD-1 axis is a promising approach for advanced gastric cancer (GC) patients, the response rate is still limited. Induction of synergistic effect of irradiation with ICI targeting for the PD-1 axis can be an attractive strategy. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the combination of irradiation with anti-PD-1 therapy for advanced GC.

Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis of Mucinous Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: Mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC) has a poor prognosis. Due to the differences in clinicopathology factors between MGC and non-MGC (NMGC), it is difficult to compare them. In this study, we compared the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of MGC and NMGC patients.

Feasibility and Safety of Oral Nutritional Supplementation with High-Density Liquid Diet After Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

Introduction: Patients requiring total gastrectomy for gastric cancer experience a decrease in food intake leading to severe body weight loss after surgery. This loss may be prevented using a high-density liquid diet of high caloric content and minimal volume. This phase II study evaluated the feasibility and safety of a high-density liquid diet (UpLead; Terumo Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) after total gastrectomy.

Usefulness of Surgical Staging of Gastric Cancer in Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Candidates: A Single-center Retrospective Study.

Background: The current expectancy of long-term survival of patients with pathological stage (pStage) III gastric cancer (GC) is not satisfactory. However, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is expected to improve survival rates in these patients. An appropriate pretherapeutic diagnostic strategy is necessary for selecting patients who are eligible for NAC.

Feasibility of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection in elderly patients aged ≥ 80 years.

Background: Endoscopic resection, especially endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), is increasingly performed in elderly patients with early gastric cancer, and lesions beyond the expanded indications are also resected endoscopically in some patients. It is essential to assess whether gastric ESD is safe and suitable for elderly patients and investigate what type of lesions carry an increased risk of ESD-related complications.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and feasibility of gastric ESD for elderly patients, and define high-risk lesions and prognostic indicators.

Assessment of the use of computed tomography colonography in early detection of peritoneal metastasis in patients with gastric cancer: A prospective cohort study.

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is one of the most frequent forms of gastric cancer recurrence. In this study, we aimed to use computed tomography (CT) colonography (CTC) to detect signs of PM earlier in patients in whom PM was suspected but not yet diagnosed. CTC was used to evaluate patients with clinical symptoms or general CT findings that were suspicious but not sufficient to confirm PM.

Successful Conversion Surgery for Stage IV Gastric Cancer after Nivolumab Monotherapy as Third-Line Chemotherapy.

There are few reports of conversion surgery (CS) after nivolumab monotherapy because it is considered as a third-line standard chemotherapy for unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer. Here, we report a rare case of stage IV gastric cancer effectively treated with CS after nivolumab monotherapy as a third-line chemotherapy. A 73-year-old man was referred to our hospital with loss of appetite and abdominal discomfort.

The Glasgow Prognostic Score Before Curative Resection May Predict Postoperative Complications in Patients with Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: Despite improvements in surgical techniques and devices and perioperative care of gastric cancer (GC), the rate of postoperative complications still has not decreased. If patients at high risk for postoperative complications could be identified early using biomarkers, these complications might be reduced. In this study, we investigated usefulness of the preoperative Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) as a predictive factor for complications after surgery in patients with stage II/III GC.

Clinical Significance of TAP1 and DLL4 Expression in Patients With Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are reported to associated with cancer metastasis, relapse, and chemoresistance. This study examined the clinical significance of the expression of two CSC markers, the transporter associated with antigen processing 1 (TAP1) and the Delta-like 4 (DLL4) protein, in patients with locally advanced GC.

Patients And Methods: This study was performed using samples obtained from 413 pathological stage II/III GC patients after curative gastrectomy.

Clinical Significance of Expression in Gastric Cancer Patients who Receive Gastrectomy and Adjuvant S-1.

Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of PLA2G2A expression in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (GC).

Patients And Methods: PLA2G2A expression levels in cancerous tissue specimens and adjacent normal mucosa obtained from 134 patients with stage II/III GC who received adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 after curative resection were measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, the associations of PLA2G2A expression with clinicopathological features and survival were evaluated.

The Prognostic Value of Lymph Node Ratio in Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Patients Who Received Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Background: The lymph node (LN) ratio (LNR) has been proposed as a sensitive prognosticator in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), especially when the number of LNs harvested is insufficient. We investigated the association between the LNR and survival in patients with locally advanced ESCC who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and explored whether the LNR is a prognosticator in these patients when stratified by their response to NAC.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 199 locally advanced ESCC patients who received curative resection after NAC between January 2011 and December 2019.

Clinical Significance of Stanniocalcin2 mRNA Expression in Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aim: Stanniocalcin2 (STC2) is associated with proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in various cancers. We examined the clinical significance of STC2 mRNA expression in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Patients And Methods: Relative expression levels of STC2 mRNA in CRC tissues and corresponding normal mucosa obtained from 202 patients were measured using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Prognostic Factors for Gastric Cancer Patients With One Stage IV Factor who Underwent Conversion Surgery.

Background/aim: To identify prognostic factors for patients with stage IV gastric cancer (GC) and a single stage IV factor before chemotherapy who underwent conversion surgery (R0 resection).

Patients And Methods: This study retrospectively analysed 32 GC patients with a single stage IV factor before chemotherapy and who underwent conversion surgery (R0 resection) between January 2001 and September 2015. The univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic factors.

Preoperative Utility of the Glasgow Prognostic Score on Outcomes of Patients with Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: To assess the utility of the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) obtained before curative resection for predicting outcomes in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 337 consecutive patients with GC who underwent curative surgery for locally advanced gastric cancer between January 2003 and June 2014. GPS was assessed within 4 days prior to surgery.

The Impact of Pretherapeutic Naples Prognostic Score on Survival in Patients with Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer.

Background: Naples prognostic score (NPS) is a scoring system based on albumin, cholesterol concentration, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio reflecting host systemic inflammation, malnutrition, and survival for several malignancies. This study was designed to assess the prognostic significance of NPS in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to compare its prognostic accuracy with that of other systemic inflammatory and nutritional index.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 165 patients with locally advanced ESCC who underwent neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative resection between January 2011 and September 2019.

Effect of Prognostic Nutrition Index in Gastric or Gastro-oesophageal Junction Cancer Patients Undergoing Nivolumab Monotherapy.

Background/aim: We hypothesised that the prognostic nutrition index (PNI) is useful for evaluating host immunity and response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. We investigated the effect of PNI on nivolumab monotherapy efficacy in advanced or recurrent gastric cancer (GC) or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer (GOC) patients.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively examined 110 patients, divided them into a high-PNI group and a low-PNI group, and compared treatment efficacy, adverse events (AEs), and survival between the groups.

Evaluation of Lymph Node Staging Systems as Independent Prognosticators in Remnant Gastric Cancer Patients with an Insufficient Number of Harvested Lymph Nodes.

Background: The lymph node (LN) ratio (LNR) and the log odds of positive LNs (LODDS) have been proposed as sensitive prognosticators in patients with primary gastric cancer, especially in patients with an insufficient number of harvested LNs. We investigated the association of LNR and LODDS with survival in patients with remnant gastric cancer (RGC) and explored whether these staging methods are prognostic factors in patients with an insufficient number of harvested LNs.

Methods: The present study retrospectively examined 95 patients with RGC who received gastrectomy between January 2000 and December 2018.

Therapeutic results of Denver percutaneous peritoneovenous shunt in cancer patients with malignant ascites.

Background: Intractable ascites secondary to malignant disease deteriorates patients' quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous peritoneovenous (Denver) shunt in treating intractable malignant ascites in cancer patients.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five patients who had undergone Denver peritoneovenous shunt for the treatment of ascites associated with malignant tumor from October 2014 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.

Is sufficient experience performing open gastrectomies necessary to start laparoscopic distal gastrectomy training?

Introduction: Laparoscopic gastrectomy has become a standard procedure for treatment of gastric cancer, and hence, the opportunity for trainees to perform open gastrectomies may decrease. We investigated whether laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, performed by surgical trainees without sufficient experience performing open gastrectomies, was feasible and safe.

Patients And Methods: We compared short-term outcomes in patients when laparoscopic distal gastrectomies were performed by experienced trainees (ET group; n = 124) and inexperienced trainees (IT group; n = 98) from 2013 to 2019.

Clinical Significance of Glioma-associated Oncogene 1 Expression in Patients With Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer Administered Adjuvant Chemotherapy With S-1 After Curative Surgery.

Background/aim: Glioma-associated oncogene 1 (GLI1) is an important transcription factor in the hedgehog signalling pathway and tumour formation. We evaluated the clinical significance of GLI1 expression as a prognostic factor in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (GC).

Patients And Methods: GLI1 expression levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of cancerous and adjacent normal mucosa specimens obtained from 142 patients with Stage II/III GC administered adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 after curative resection.

Association Between Lymph Node Ratio and Survival in Patients with Pathological Stage II/III Gastric Cancer.

Background: Lymph node ratio (LNR), defined as the ratio of metastatic nodes to the total number of examined lymph nodes, has been proposed as a sensitive prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer (GC). We investigate its association with survival in pathological stage (pStage) II/III GC and explore whether this is a prognostic factor in each Union for International Cancer Control pStage (7th edition).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively examined 838 patients with pStage II/III GC who underwent curative gastrectomy between June 2000 and December 2018.

The Clinical Significance of Lymphovascular Invasion in Gastric Cancer.

Background/aim: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is recognized as a prognostic predictor of recurrence in certain carcinomas. According to current Japanese guidelines, however, in gastric cancer, LVI is not clinically useful information, except for predicting the curability of endoscopic resection. We clarified the clinical significance of LVI in gastric cancer and its correlation with disease prognosis.