Effects of Extended Fixation on Advanced Gastric Cancer HER2 Status Assessment Using IHC and FISH.

Background/aim: In gastric cancer, accurate determination of human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2) status is crucial for treatment decision-making. However, the optimal formalin fixation time of gastric cancer specimens for HER2 status determination remains unestablished. Here, we investigated real-world data on formalin overfixation and its effect on HER2 status determination in gastric cancer.

[A Case of Advanced Gastric Cancer Who Experienced Multiple Immune-Related Adverse Events with Nivolumab and SOX Therapy].

A 59-year-old woman who has HER2-negative advanced gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination was treated with nivolumab plus SOX therapy as primary treatment, and hemorrhagic cystitis occurred on the 28th day after the 6 courses. On the 21st day after the 7 courses, right knee arthralgia appeared, and on the 26th day, she was admitted to the hospital due to a fever of 39℃ and anorexia. After admission, frequent diarrhea occurred and new symptoms of neck pain and left knee arthralgia appeared.

[A Case of Simultaneous Laparoscopic Surgery for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Sigmoid Colon Cancer].

The patient was an 83-year-old woman. CT scan showed a 20 mm mass in the surgical anatomy of the medial segment (S4)of the liver, but the patient refused to undergo surgery and continued periodic clinical follow-up. After 1 year and 3 months of initial examination, a CT scan showed an enlargement of 36 mm.

Risk factors for non-gastric-cancer-related death after gastrectomy in elderly patients.

Aim: To identify preoperative factors, especially other diseases that cause death, that are associated with the prognosis of gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer.

Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 211 consecutive patients aged ≥75 years who underwent radical gastrectomy due to gastric cancer. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values for various perioperative factors.

Mucin-producing urothelial-type adenocarcinoma of the prostate diagnosed after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

Introduction: Mucin-producing adenocarcinoma of the prostate is a rare disease that includes prostate adenocarcinoma with mucus production, secondary adenocarcinoma from the bladder or colorectum, and adenocarcinoma from the urothelium of the prostatic urethra. We describe prostate-specific antigen-negative mucin-producing urothelial-type adenocarcinoma of the prostate.

Case Presentation: The patient had urinary retention and a serum prostate-specific antigen level of 0.

Clinical biomarkers in adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer after D2 dissection by a pooled analysis of individual patient data from large randomized controlled trials.

Background: Adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer is a standard among the world with no regimen selection criteria. Also, prognostic factors except for tumor staging have not been established. We aimed to identify prognostic and predictive markers for gastric cancer adjuvant therapy from large randomized controlled trials with standard lymph node dissection.

[A Case on the Long‒Term Effect of Imatinib on GIST of Unknown Primary Origin with Multiple Liver Metastases, Peritoneal Dissemination, and Bone Metastasis].

A 61‒year‒old woman observed that she had a lower limb edema approximately 1 month ago and began to feel a general malaise. The symptom was caused by multiple liver metastases, and the primary lesion was suspected to be an ovarian cancer. Peritoneal disseminations throughout the abdominal cavity were found in the exploratory laparotomy.

[Two Cases of Unresectable Gastric Cancer Where Bleeding Was Controlled by Radiation].

Case 1: The patient was a 74-year-old man with a performance status(PS)of 0. He was referred to our department for pyloric gastric cancer with multiple liver, lung, and lymph node metastases. We started chemotherapy after making the diagnosis of an unresectable gastric cancer.

[A Case of Primary Liposarcoma of Pancreas Difficult to Diagnose Preoperatively].

The patient was a woman in her 80s. Operative treatment was performed for papillary thyroid cancer(pT3N0M0)13 years ago. A follow-up CT scan 1 year ago revealed a skin, lung, and lymph node metastasis.

[Recurrent Esophageal Cancer with Metastatic Lymph Node Penetrating in the Reconstructed Gastric Tube-A Case Report].

A 60-year-old man underwent thoracoscopic subtotal esophagectomy and posterior mediastinal gastric tube reconstruction after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. One year and 8 months postoperatively, recurrence was observed in the abdominal lymph nodes around the celiac artery and abdominal aorta. Chemoradiotherapy was initiated, followed by chemotherapy.

Novel adjuvant dendritic cell therapy with transfection of heat-shock protein 70 messenger RNA for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase I/II prospective randomized controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: A proteomic analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has revealed that Heat Shock Protein 70 (HSP70) is among the cancer antigen proteins of HCC. Moreover, we confirmed that HSP70 was highly expressed in HCC by immunohistochemical staining. Based on these results, we developed an HSP70 mRNA-transfected dendritic cell (DC) therapy for treating unresectable or recurrent HCC, and the phase I trial was completed successfully.

The effect of the visceral fat area on the predictive accuracy of C-reactive protein for infectious complications after laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy.

Aim: To investigate the influence of visceral fat area on postoperative C-reactive protein levels and whether it affects its ability to diagnose infectious complications after laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy.

Methods: A total of 435 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopy-assisted resection for gastric cancer from 2008 to 2017 were reviewed and divided into four groups according to visceral fat area quartiles. We evaluated the relationship between C-reactive protein and visceral fat area and whether visceral fat area affects the sensitivity and specificity of C-reactive protein in diagnosing postoperative infectious complications.

[A Case of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer with Invasion to Other Organs in Which Pathological Complete Response Was Obtained with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy].

A 67-year-old man was admitted with melena. A colonoscopy detected advanced rectal cancer, and a CT scan revealed invasion of the seminal vesicle and prostate. Given the wild-type RAS status of the tumor, we administered 6 courses of XELOX plus cetuximab as neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Serum LOX-1 is a novel prognostic biomarker of colorectal cancer.

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. If biomarkers can be identified in liquid biopsy, diagnosis and treatment can be optimized even when cancerous tissues are not available. The purpose of this study was to identify proteins from liquid biopsy that would be useful as markers of poor prognosis.

A phase I study of multi-HLA-binding peptides derived from heat shock protein 70/glypican-3 and a novel combination adjuvant of hLAG-3Ig and Poly-ICLC for patients with metastatic gastrointestinal cancers: YNP01 trial.

Background: This phase I study aimed to evaluate the safety, peptide-specific immune responses, and anti-tumor effects of a novel vaccination therapy comprising multi-HLA-binding heat shock protein (HSP) 70/glypican-3 (GPC3) peptides and a novel adjuvant combination of hLAG-3Ig and Poly-ICLC against metastatic gastrointestinal cancers.

Methods: HSP70/GPC3 peptides with high binding affinities for three HLA types (A*24:02, A*02:01, and A*02:06) were identified with our peptide prediction system. The peptides were intradermally administered with combined adjuvants on a weekly basis.

[A Case of Surgical Resection of an Esophageal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor after Neoadjuvant Therapy with Imatinib].

A 64-year-old man presented with dysphagia. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor of 52mm in size at the lower thoracic esophagus. Biopsy yielded a pathological diagnosis of c-kit-positive esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST).

[A Case of Mucinous Cystoadenocarcinoma with Metastatic Liver Tumor in a Young Woman Lacking Specific Findings].

The patient was a 17-year-old woman. An abnormal urinalysis was observed, and abdominal echography showed a pancreatic cystic mass. At the first examination, computed tomography(CT)and endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)showed a unilocular cystic mass of 60mm in size in the pancreatic body and tail, and no malignant findings were observed.

[A Case of Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Adenosquamous Carcinoma Achieving Pathological Complete Response].

The patient was a 66-year-old man presenting with epigastric pain and jaundice. PET-CT demonstrated limited-accumulation on the tumor at the head of the pancreas, diagnosed as borderline resectable adenosquamous carcinoma. The patient was treated with preoperative chemoradiation therapy with 2 courses of gemcitabine followed by administration of S-1 and gemcitabine for 13 months, which reduced the tumor size.

Correction: Intratumoural-infiltrating CD4 + and FOXP3 + T cells as strong positive predictive markers for the prognosis of resectable colorectal cancer.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Intratumoural-infiltrating CD4 + and FOXP3 + T cells as strong positive predictive markers for the prognosis of resectable colorectal cancer.

Background: CD3 +  and CD8 + T-cell infiltration were reported as positive predictive markers of survival in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Here, we demonstrate the prognostic significance of CD4 + and FOXP3 + T-cell densities in CRC.

Methods: We quantified the intratumoural densities of CD3 + , CD8 + , CD4 +  and FOXP3 + T cells by immunohistochemistry and digital pathology in 342 CRC patients who underwent curative resection.

Identification of a Promiscuous Epitope Peptide Derived From HSP70.

We previously found that heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) is expressed on hepatocellular carcinoma cells and developed an HSP70 mRNA-transfected dendritic cell therapy for treating unresectable or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. The phase I trial was completed successfully. The purpose of this study is to identify a promiscuous epitope peptide derived from HSP70 for the purpose of developing a novel cancer peptide vaccine.

[Questionnaire Survey of Secondary Chemotherapy for Gastric Cancer in the Yamaguchi Prefecture].

A questionnaire survey was conducted on the administration of secondary chemotherapy for unresectable or recurrent gastric cancer by 43 doctors involved in gastric cancer treatment in the Yamaguchi prefecture. Seventy-one percent of doctors replied that the secondary chemotherapy transfer rate was more than 60%, and 29% of doctors replied that the secondary chemotherapy transfer rate was less than 60%. The reasons why patients could not be transferred to secondary chemotherapy included inferior performance status, poor general condition, and elderly age, among others.