Different survival outcomes after curative R0-resection for Eastern Asian and European gastric cancer: Results from a propensity score matched analysis comparing a Korean and a German specialized center.

Several retrospective analyses on patients who underwent gastric cancer (GC) surgery revealed different survival outcomes between Eastern (Korean, Japanese) and Western (USA, Europe) countries due to potential ethnical and biological differences. This study investigates treatment outcomes between specialized institution for GC in Korea and Germany.The prospectively documented databases of the Gastric Cancer Center of the National Cancer Center, Korea (NCCK) and the Department of Surgery of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM), Germany were screened for patients who underwent primary surgical resection for GC between 2002 and 2008.

Results of a multimodal therapy in patients with stage IV Barrett's adenocarcinoma.

Background: Locally advanced and metastatic Barrett's carcinomas account for the majority of this tumor entity at the time of diagnosis. Many studies have shown that a multimodal therapy concept consisting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by resection can result in improved long-term survival in patients responding to chemotherapy. The benefit of a multimodal therapy concept in patients with stage IV disease remains unclear.

Pancreatic resection for metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a single center experience and review of the literature.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the few tumour types metastatic to the pancreas. In order to evaluate the outcome following resection of pancreatic metastases of RCC a retrospective review of surgical patients was performed. The initial histopathological staging, disease-free interval, surgical outcome and survival were evaluated.

Expression and clinical significance of glucose regulated proteins GRP78 (BiP) and GRP94 (GP96) in human adenocarcinomas of the esophagus.

Background: Glucose regulated proteins (GRPs) are main regulators of cellular homeostasis due to their role as molecular chaperones. Moreover, the functions of GRPs suggest that they also may play important roles in cancer biology. In this study we investigated the glucose regulated proteins GRP78 (BiP) and GRP94 (GP96) in a series of human esophageal adenocarcinomas to determine their implications in cancer progression and prognosis.

Induction chemotherapy in Barrett cancer: influence on surgical risk and outcome.

Objective: To study the impact of induction chemotherapy on surgical risk and outcome in locally advanced Barrett cancer.

Background: Induction chemotherapy has become an accepted choice for the treatment of locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and the esophagogastric junction. It has been shown that early assessment of metabolic response using positron emission tomography predicts response to chemotherapy.

Positron detection for the intraoperative localisation of cancer deposits.

Purpose: The study investigated the feasibility of a positron-sensitive hand-held detector system for the intraoperative localisation of tumour deposits resulting from intravenous [(18)F]FDG administration.

Methods: A total of 17 patients (12 receiving preoperative [(18)F]FDG PET imaging) with various histologically proven malignancies were included. Radioactivity from tumours and surrounding normal tissue was measured on average 3 h after administration of 36-110 MBq [(18)F]FDG and the tumour-to-background (T/B) ratio was calculated.

Erythropoietin-alfa during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinoma.

Background: In a previous study we showed that many patients with esophagogastric adenocarcinoma experience anemia during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We now investigated the role of erythropoietin in managing anemia during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients with esophagogastric adenocarcinoma who experienced anemia (hemoglobin < 12 g/dL) during neoadjuvant treatment received erythropoietin 10,000 IE subcutaneously three times a week.

Current concepts of percutaneous abscess drainage in postoperative retention.

In recent years, percutaneous abscess drainage (PAD) of intraabdominal abscesses has become an important tool with regard to the treatment of intraabdominal sepsis. The aim of this study is to assess the value of PAD in the treatment of postoperative retentions. Between 1995 and 1999, the postoperative course of 3346 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery was analyzed.

Telomere length and hTERT expression in patients with colorectal carcinoma.

The stabilization of telomere length by telomerase activation is an important step in carcinogenesis. Quantification of the catalytic telomerase subunit hTERT (human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase) is a new indirect measure for telomerase. Telomere length and hTERT expression in cancer tissue and corresponding normal mucosa of 57 patients with completely resected colorectal carcinoma (UICC stage I-IV, R0) were determined for correlation with histopathological parameters and survival.

Detection of circulating tumor cells in blood using an optimized density gradient centrifugation.

The aim of the study was to compare the new density gradient centrifugation system OncoQuick with the standard density gradient centrifugation system Ficoll for improved tumor cell enrichment in blood of tumor patients. Evaluation of OncoQuick and Ficoll density gradient centrifugation was performed by flow-cytometry and immunocytochemistry using 10 ml unspiked and tumor cell-spiked blood samples of tumor-free probands. From 10 ml blood, OncoQuick density gradient centrifugation separated a cell fraction which consisted of a mean cell number of 9.