Prognostic relevance of tumour-associated macrophages and von Willebrand factor-positive microvessels in colorectal cancer.

Tumour-associated macrophages (TAM) are involved in tumour angiogenesis and anti-tumour immune response. In colorectal cancer (CRC), an association of high microvascular density (MVD) and unfavourable prognosis has been reported by some investigators. However, heterogeneous patient groups were studied.

Increased risk of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus by intrapartum infantile exposure to maternal blood.

Virological and clinical data from 73 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected pregnant women who gave birth to 75 children were merged retrospectively, by logistic regression analysis, to investigate risk factors for vertical transmission of HCV. Eighty-two percent of the HCV-infected mothers were HCV-RNA-positive during pregnancy, and 10% were coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Nine children were HCV infected, 1 was HIV infected, but none was HIV-HCV coinfected.

Long-term results of early gastric cancer accomplished in a European institution by Japanese-type radical resection.

BACKGROUND: Long-term survival following Japanese-type radical surgery for 130 consecutively performed early gastric cancers (EGC) in a single Austrian institution between January 1, 1984 and May 31, 1998 was analyzed in terms of long-term survival, postoperative morbidity, and mortality.METHODS: Extended D2 lymphadenectomy as defined by the JRSGC was performed in 129 patients with EGC. The surgical process was consistent as nearly all patients were operated on by only two surgeons.

[Long-term outcome of stomach carcinoma achieved in an Austrian standard hospital with an oncologic focus].

Introduction: Although two large prospective and randomized planned European studies failed to show any benefit of radical D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer, the value of radical lymphadenectomy is still a matter of controversy.

Methods: A radical surgical approach principally using D2, D3 lymphadenectomy, as defined by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer, has been prospectively performed since January 1984. Out of 729 patients with gastric cancer, 521 were surgically treated for potential cure between 1984 and 31 December, 1998.

Adjuvant versus neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer. A progress report of a phase-III randomized trial (protocol CAO/ARO/AIO-94).

Aim: The standard treatment for patients with clinically resectable rectal cancer is surgery. Postoperative radiochemotherapy is recommended for patients with advanced disease (pT3/4 or pN+). In recent years, encouraging results of preoperative radiotherapy have been reported.

Long-term prognosis for colon cancer related to consistent radical surgery: multivariate analysis of clinical, surgical, and pathologic variables.

Despite the improvement in its prognosis in most Western countries, death from colon cancer is still a major problem. In a prospectively planned observation study, a large patient collective from a single institution in Austria was analyzed in terms of the surgical approach and factors influencing survival. A total of 696 patients with colonic carcinomas were admitted to our surgical department between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 1997.

Combined restorative proctocolectomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy for familial adenomatous polyposis.

This is a case report on FAP in a 41-year-old woman in which preoperative examination showed a giant tubulovillous adenoma of the descending duodenum surrounding the papilla of Vater, in addition to pancolon adenomatous polyposis, and isolated adenomas in the gastric antrum and corpus. As it was impossible to remove the giant villous adenoma in the duodenum endoscopically, prophylactic surgical treatment was chosen consisting of restorative proctocolectomy and additional pancreaticoduodenectomy. Flat tubulovillous adenomas in the gastric corpus were successfully removed by total snare biopsies before operation.

[Stomach carcinoma. Optimizing therapy by extended lymph node dissection].

Background: The prognosis for surgically treated gastric cancer patients remains poor in most Western countries compared with reports of Japanese investigators over the last three decades. The aim of the study was to prove whether D2, D3 lymphadenectomy is able to improve long-term survival in a Western gastric cancer patients collective as well.

Methods: A radical surgical procedure using D2, D3 lymphadenectomy on principle as defined by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer was done prospectively since January 1984.

Long-term results of radical surgery for rectal cancer: multivariate analysis of prognostic factors influencing survival and local recurrence.

Aims: To evaluate consistent radical surgery performed over a 13-year period for rectal cancer in terms of local tumour control and long-term survival.

Methods: Radical surgical procedure principally using total mesorectal excision (TME) for middle and lower rectal tumours, high ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery and sphincter-saving resections (SSR) whenever possible, has been performed prospectively since January 1984.

Results: Tumour resection was possible in 98.

[Therapy studies of the Austrian Breast Cancer Group (ABC)].

The Austrian Breast Cancer Group (ABC) consisting of more than 60 participating centers in Austria has randomized more than 5800 patients in 11 randomized trials since 1984. At present, roughly 30% of all patients with the diagnosis primary breast cancer are accrued in protocols throughout the country. Due to specific activities, the breast conservation rate raised from an initial 20% to more than 60% in the last years.

[Radical D2,D3 lymph node excision of stomach carcinoma in situs inversus totalis and malrotation of the colon].

The combination of Situs inversus totalis (SIT) with incomplete rotation of the colon is an extremely rare anomaly and especially of interest when presented with advanced gastric cancer. The routine en-bloc resection of gastric cancer with D2,D3 lymphadenectomy according to the recommendations of the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer [5] can, as in this case, present tactical operative problems, due to the mirror-image anatomy and potential vessel anomalies, which might complicate the operative procedure. The preoperative diagnosis of SIT is not only essential to allow an adequate operative approach but furthermore to prevent vessel injury.

Adjuvant intraperitoneal chemotherapy with carbon-adsorbed mitomycin in patients with gastric cancer: results of a randomized multicenter trial of the Austrian Working Group for Surgical Oncology.

Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of intraperitoneally applied mitomycin bound to activated carbon particles (M-CH) in preventing intraabdominal recurrence following curative surgery for gastric cancer. The Austrian Working Group for Stomach Cancer, a subgroup of the Austrian Working Group for Surgical Oncology, initiated a multicentric phase III trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this treatment regimen.

Patients And Methods: A total of 91 patients with a radically resected gastric cancer infiltrating the serosal surface were randomly assigned to receive either 50 mg mitomycin bound to a solution of 375 mg carbo adsorbens intraperitoneally before closure of the abdominal wound (n = 46) or served as a surgical control group (n = 45).

Long-term survival analysis of gastric cancer limited to the subserosa.

Long-term survival following surgery for gastric cancer limited to the subserosa was analyzed. Between 01.01.

[Intestinal schistosomiasis, a facultative precancerous condition? Review of the literature with reference to Schistosoma japonicum associated rectum carcinoma].

After a latency period of 20 years, in a 39-year-old Austrian citizen of Chinese origin, a surgically removed rectal carcinoma, as well as the neighboring chronic inflammatory rectal mucosa with various degrees of dysplasia and one positive neighboring lymph node, showed helminthiasis in the histopathological examination, convincing us of a link between carcinoma and chronic helminthiasis. Whereas the etiological context between chronic infection by Schistosoma haematobium and endemic frequent urinary bladder carcinoma is considered a matter of fact, whether of not the incidence of intestinal carcinoma is increased in connection with chronic intestinal schistosomiasis is controversial. The etiological and pathogenetic link between helminthiasis and carcinoma should be considered in the same way as for other related inflammatory large-bowel diseases.

A first report of familial visceral myopathy with additional chylous ascites in two siblings.

Background: Familial visceral myopathy in two siblings, involving the intestine with concurrent chylous ascites and chylous pleural effusion, is reported. In this connection a review of the recent gastroenterologic literature was performed.

Patients: In two siblings, admitted between 1992 and 1995 with increasing ascites, loss of weight, and attacks of subileus, the diagnosis of familial visceral myopathy was established.

Simultaneous occurrence of a rectal carcinoma and a diffuse well differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the peritoneum.

Diffuse well differentiated papillary mesothelioma is a rare neoplasms of the peritoneal cavity which has generally been regarded as a tumor with low-grade malignant potential [1-4]. The well differentiated papillary mesotheliomas reported in recent literature are considered as border line lesions with a long term benign clinical course. There are however, only few studies with small numbers of diffuse well differentiated mesotheliomas [1, 2, 5, 6].

Extraperitonealization of the anastomosis and sacral drain in restorative surgery for rectal carcinoma: a safety mechanism in the absence of a covering stoma.

A retrospective 10-year study was conducted on 473 patients who underwent rectal cancer surgery, to evaluate a surgical procedure which has been generally abandoned, but which we believe has a significant potential to reduce the incidence of the severe and often fatal complications caused by anastomotic breakdown following low anterior resection, especially when a covering stoma is absent. This procedure involves separating the anastomosis and sacral drain from the abdominal cavity by suturing the parietal peritoneum to the colon and mesocolon, and placing the sacral drain outside the peritoneal cavity, whereby contamination of the abdominal cavity is avoided should anastomostic leakage occur. Sphincter preservation was possible in 343 patients (72.

A 10-year experience with Japanese-type radical lymph node dissection for gastric cancer outside of Japan.

Background: The prognosis for surgically treated gastric cancer remains poor in most Western countries compared with reports from Japanese investigators during the past 3 decades.

Methods: A radical surgical procedure principally to extended lymphadenectomy as defined by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer was performed prospectively from January 1984 to June 30, 1994 for 512 patients with gastric cancer, 345 of whom were treated with potentially curative surgery. Clinical, histopathologic, and surgical factors were examined for their influence on long term survival by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Multivariate comparison of complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and open cholecystectomy.

Objective: To answer the question whether laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) or open cholecystectomy (OC) is safer in terms of complications, the authors evaluated complications relating to 1440 cholecystectomies performed by the same surgeons in a retrospective study.

Summary Background Data: A definite pronouncement on whether LC truly is superior to OC is not possible because prospective trials are burdened with problems of recruitment.

Methods: After the introduction of LC at the authors' institution in April 1991 and until October 1993, 94.

Hepatic resection for metastases from colorectal carcinoma--a survival analysis.

Between 1 January 1984 and 31 December 1992, 66 patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal carcinomas underwent liver resection. 40 of these patients had synchronous hepatic metastases, and liver resection was carried out simultaneously with radical resection of the primary tumour; in 26 cases metachronous metastases in the liver were surgically removed. 25 patients had an anatomical resection and the remainder underwent atypical resections.

Radical surgery (R2 resection) for gastric cancer. A multivariate analysis.

Background: Extended lymphadenectomy remains controversial in the Western world. Its evaluation and the identification of high-risk patients after surgery are important tasks.

Methods: A retrospective prognostic study of 318 patients treated for potential cure of gastric cancer was performed.

[Abdominal wall implantation metastasis 2 years after apparently uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy].

An extraordinary rare case of implant metastasis at the laparoscopic working port, two years after an apparent uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy is presented. The histological reexamination of the gallbladder with the detection of a minimal carcinomatous lymphangiosis in newly prepared sections, the exclusion of other primary tumors and also the tumor-free interval of six months until now, after radical excision of the abdominal wall, are strongly suggestive for an intraoperative tumor cell dissemination into the abdominal wall by a histologically unrecognized carcinoma of the gallbladder.

Recurrent nerve palsy after thyroid operations--principal nerve identification and a literature review.

Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis is one of the most frequent and serious complications after thyroid operation. The routine dissection and demonstration of the recurrent nerve remain controversial. In a retrospective study in an endemic region, patients operated on with principal nerve identification were investigated for vocal paralysis.