[A Case of Mixed Neuroendocrine-Non-Neuroendocrine Neoplasm of the Distal Bile Duct].

An 82-year-old male with jaundice was referred to our hospital for a detailed examination. The computed tomography (CT) examination detected an enhanced mass lesion of the distal bile duct. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography showed a filling defect corresponding to the CT findings.

[A Case of Severe Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy in a Dialysis Patient Following mFOLFOX6 Therapy].

A 69-year-old man on hemodialysis for chronic renal failure was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer, and received surgical resection. Multiple liver metastases were detected after surgery. He was administered modified FOLFOX6 therapy (reducing the dose to 50%), and showed severe disturbance of consciousness due to hyperammonemia on treatment day 6.

[A Case Report of P0CY1 Gastric Cancer Achieved Long-Term Survival after Treated with Ramucirumab Monotherapy].

The patient was a woman in her early 60s with type 4 advanced cancer which spread throughout the entire stomach. Total gastrectomy with regional lymphadenectomy was performed. She was diagnosed as Stage Ⅳ scirrhous gastric cancer with positive lavage cytology pathologically without any macroscopic peritoneal metastasis(P0CY1).

Adrenal Rest Tumor of the Liver Preoperatively Diagnosed as Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Hepatic adrenal rest tumors are rare and show similar findings to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It is difficult to distinguish an adrenal rest tumor from HCC due to radiological similarity. We report a case of an adrenal rest tumor in the liver that mimicked HCC radiologically.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer treated with curative resection after preoperative combined chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and S-1].

A 67-year-old woman with epigastralgia was admitted to our hospital and was diagnosed with type 3 advanced gastric cancer with lymph node metastases.The clinical diagnosis was Stage III A(cT3, N2, M0).Since curative surgery was not feasible, we administered preoperative combination chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin(CDDP), and S-1.

Clinical outcomes of laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy for patients with heart disease.

Laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LG) is an established treatment for early gastric cancer. However, CO2 pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery can adversely affect cardiac function in the presence of heart disease (HD). We performed LG in 546 patients and conventional open gastrectomy (OG) in 448 patients.

Bilateral pleural fluid caused by a pancreaticopleural fistula requiring surgical treatment.

A 53-year-old man developed bilateral pleural effusion with respiratory failure. The amylase level in the pleural effusion was elevated. He had neither abdominal symptoms nor abdominal physical findings.

Prognostic value of co-expression of STAT3, mTOR and EGFR in gastric cancer.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), proteins that mediate intracellular signaling related to cell growth, proliferation and differentiation, have received considerable interest as possible targets for cancer treatment. We examined whether the expression of STAT3, mTOR and EGFR correlates with clinicopathological features and patient outcome in gastric cancer. Tumor samples were obtained from 126 patients with gastric adenocarcinomas who underwent a radical gastrectomy between 1999 and 2002.

Vimentin expression is associated with decreased survival in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer rich in stromal tissue, such as diffuse-type disease, carries a poor prognosis. In some cancers, expression of vimentin, a mesenchymal maker, is associated with poor survival. The expression of mesenchymal markers such as vimentin is observed after epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an important initial behavioral change related to the adhesion and migration properties of tumor cells that is required for local tumor invasion.

Influence of CT-measured appendiceal diameter on operation time of laparoscopic appendectomy.

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is considered as an uncomplicated procedure, so residents are frequently chosen as LA operators. The aim of this study was to identify preoperative factors influencing operation time in LA. We proposed patient selection criteria to help choose an adequately skilled resident for performing LA.

Methylation of BNIP3 and DAPK indicates lower response to chemotherapy and poor prognosis in gastric cancer.

Aberrant promoter hypermethylation (methylation) is an epigenetic change that silences the expression of crucial genes, thus inactivating the apoptotic pathway in various cancers. Inactivation of the apoptotic pathway has been considered to be associated with chemoresistance. The objective of the present study was to clarify the effect of the methylation of the apoptosis-related genes, Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) and death-associated protein kinase (DAPK), on the response to chemotherapy in metastatic or recurrent gastric cancers.

Scoring system for evaluating functional disorders following laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy.

Background: Practical questionnaires for evaluating duodenogastric reflux following gastrectomy are currently unavailable. The present study evaluated the usefulness of the frequency scale for the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (FSSG) questionnaire in the diagnosis of duodenogastric reflux after laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG), which minimizes the risk of adhesions affecting the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods: Subjects in this study comprised 163 patients who had undergone LADG (Billroth-I (B-I), n = 57, Roux-en-Y (R-Y), n = 106).

BubR1 and AURKB overexpression are associated with a favorable prognosis in gastric cancer.

The majority of human solid tumors exhibit aneuploidy caused by impairment of the mitotic checkpoint. Since the Mad2, BubR1 and Aurora kinase B (AURKB) proteins are involved in the mitotic checkpoint, we investigated Mad2, BubR1 and AURKB mRNA expression and its effect on clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in 100 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for gastric cancer. Mad2, BubR1 and AURKB mRNA expression levels in gastric cancer tissues and corresponding normal gastric mucosa were compared by real-time quantitative RT-PCR.

Localized small-bowel infarction caused by Aspergillus during chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia: report of a case.

Aspergillosis is a common fungal infection in immunocompromised patients undergoing chemotherapy. The incidence of invasive fungal infection in these patients has increased dramatically in recent years. We report a case of small-bowel infarction caused by Aspergillus in a 48-year-old man who was receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.