Risk factors for local recurrence in patients with clinical stage II/III low rectal cancer: A multicenter retrospective cohort study in Japan.

Background: Identifying risk factors for local recurrence (LR) is pivotal in optimizing rectal cancer treatment. Total mesorectal excision (TME) and lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) are the standard treatment for advanced low rectal cancer in Japan. However, large-scale studies to evaluate risk factors for LR are limited.

Cervical-First Approach in Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy With Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring for an Esophageal Cancer Patient With Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery.

An aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA) is a rare vascular anomaly accompanied by nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve (NRILN). Here, we described the cervical-first approach in thoracoscopic esophagectomy for an esophageal cancer patient with ARSA using the intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) system. First, a left cervical procedure proceeded to expose the left vagus nerve to attach the APS electrode of the IONM system, and the left cervical paraesophageal lymph nodes was dissected separately.

Sciatic Nerve Preservation in Robot-Assisted Surgery for Initially Unresectable Primary Rectal Cancer: A Case Report.

Radical surgery for rectal cancer with bulky lateral pelvic lymph node (LPLN) metastasis involving the sciatic nerve presents both technical and oncological challenges. Preoperative multidisciplinary treatments have recently been anticipated to control the disease as well as to preserve organ function. A 51-year-old man, presenting with right buttock pain and impairment of walking, was diagnosed with sciatic nerve impairment due to right LPLN metastasis from rectal cancer.

Active surveillance vs. surgery in low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma patients and the risk of loss to follow-up.

Background: Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) management has evolved, with active surveillance (AS) gaining prominence as a management option. However, a key concern for both clinicians and patients is the potential for patient loss to follow-up during AS.

Aims: This study aimed to determine adherence and loss-to-follow-up rates in low-risk PTMC patients undergoing AS versus surgical intervention, in order to gain insights into clinical pathways and safety profiles.

Molecular Tumor Board for Unicorns: Outcomes for rare and ultra-rare cancers using an N-of-One personalized treatment strategy.

Treatment of rare/ultra-rare tumors is an unmet need due to a lack of standardized therapies and clinical trials. We developed the Molecular Tumor Board (MTB), a multidisciplinary team that integrates molecular profiling to generate personalized, N-of-One treatments for advanced cancers. This study evaluates 112 patients with rare/ultra-rare tumors who presented to the MTB and were evaluable for clinical therapeutic outcome.

Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm penetrating sigmoid colon: A case report.

Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) is principally characterized by low-grade cytology without evidence of invasion to other organs. We report a LAMN surgical case whose appendiceal tumor penetrated the sigmoid colon wall. An 87-year-old man was referred for endoscopic resection (ER) of a colon polyp.

Appendiceal neoplasms derived from appendiceal tip remnants following appendectomy: a report of two cases.

Background: Neoplasms derived from remnant appendix are rarely described, with most cases arising from the appendiceal "stump". Here, we present two surgical cases of appendiceal neoplasms derived from appendiceal "tip" remnants.

Case Presentation: The first patient was a 71-year-old man who had undergone laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis 12 years prior.

The new seriniquinone glycoside by biological transformation using the deep sea-derived bacterium Bacillus licheniformis KDM612.

Seriniquinone was isolated as a melanoma-selective anti-cancer agent from a culture broth of the marine-derived bacterium Serinicoccus marinus CNJ927 in 2014. It targets the unique small protein, dermcidin, which affects the drug resistance of cancer cells. Due to its significant activity against cancer cells, particularly melanoma, and its unique target, seriniquinone has been developed as a new pharmacophore.

Midesophageal diverticulum with elevated intrabolus pressure: a case report.

Background: Esophageal diverticulum is commonly associated with esophageal motility disorders, which can be diagnosed using high-resolution manometry (HRM) according to the Chicago classification. Although midesophageal diverticulum (M-ED) is associated with inflammatory processes, esophageal motility disorders have been recently identified as an etiology of M-ED.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a patient with M-ED and elevated intrabolus pressure (IBP), which did not meet the criteria for esophageal motility disorders according to the Chicago classification.

Mirror Therapy Reduces Pain and Preserves Corticomotor Excitability in Human Experimental Skeletal Muscle Pain.

Approaches to preserve corticomotor excitability (CE) are attracting interest as a treatment for pain-induced changes in neural plasticity. We determined the effects of mirror therapy (MT) on skeletal muscle pain. Fifteen healthy adults who received hypertonic saline injections (5.

Exploring Methodological Issues in Mental Practice for Upper-Extremity Function Following Stroke-Related Paralysis: A Scoping Review.

In this scoping review, we aimed to comprehensively clarify the methodology of Mental practice (MP) by systematically mapping studies documenting the application of MP to post-stroke paralytic upper-extremity function. Specifically, when is an MP intervention most commonly applied after stroke onset? What is the corresponding MP load (intervention time, number of intervention days, and intervention period)? What are the most common methods of Motor Imagery (MI) recall and MI tasks used during the application of MP? Is MP often used in conjunction with individual rehabilitation? What are the paralyzed side's upper-limb and cognitive function levels at the start of an MP intervention? The research questions were identified according to PRISMA-ScR. The PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Cochrane Library databases were used to screen articles published until 19 July 2022.

Utility of articulating instruments as an alternative to robotic devices in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy.

Unlabelled: Laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision with central vessel ligation has been widely accepted for its oncological benefits in colon cancer surgery. However, laparoscopic right hemicolectomy involves a risk for vascular injury during dissection around the surgical trunk. This technical difficulty has been attributed to the limited movement of conventional laparoscopic forceps.

Prediction for oxaliplatin-induced liver injury using patient-derived liver organoids.

Background: Liver injury associated with oxaliplatin (L-OHP)-based chemotherapy can significantly impact the treatment outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases, especially when combined with surgery. To date, no definitive biomarker that can predict the risk of liver injury has been identified. This study aimed to investigate whether organoids can be used as tools to predict the risk of liver injury.

[Acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura during durvalumab monotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer].

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced thrombocytopenias are rare immune-related adverse events (irAE), but ICI-related thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is extremely rare. A 79-year-old woman with non-small cell lung cancer received maintenance therapy with the anti-human PD-L1 monoclonal antibody durvalumab. Four weeks after the last infusion, she developed overt TTP.

Effects of a virtual reality-based mirror therapy system on upper extremity rehabilitation after stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Virtual reality-based mirror therapy (VRMT) has recently attracted attention as a novel and promising approach for treating upper extremity dysfunction in patients with stroke. However, the clinical efficacy of VRMT has not been investigated.

Methods: This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of VRMT on upper extremity dysfunction in patients with stroke.

Downregulation of osteoprotegerin in colorectal cancer cells promotes liver metastasis via activating tumor-associated macrophage.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a secreted cytokine that functions as a decoy receptor for receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B (RANK) ligand (RANKL). Anti-RANKL treatment for bone metastasis has been widely accepted for solid tumors. However, the mechanism of OPG-RANKL-RANK signaling in systemic colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis remains unclear.