Clinical TNM staging for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers in the era of neoadjuvant therapy: A systematic review of the literature.

Aim: Clinical staging is vital for selecting appropriate candidates and designing neoadjuvant treatment strategies for advanced tumors. The aim of this review was to evaluate diagnostic abilities of clinical TNM staging for gastrointestinal, gastrointestinal cancers.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of recent publications to evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic modalities on gastrointestinal cancers.

Preclinical assessment and pilot study using anti-CEA monoclonal antibody 1B2 for colorectal carcinoma imaging.

Background/aims: Preclinical assessment of radio-labeled monoclonal antibodies is essential to the understanding of target-specific tumor localization. The purpose of this study is to prepare for fundamental evaluation of antibodies and to validate the clinical usefulness of the candidate considered useful for practice through preclinical assessment.

Methodology: The immunoreactivity and affinity constant of three kinds of monoclonal antibody (1A4, 1B2, 4H11: CEA-specific) were evaluated with the method of cell binding assay.

Long-term results after dissection of positive thoracic lymph nodes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Although thoracic lymph node metastasis in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been reported to be a negative risk factor for long-term survival, only a few studies have evaluated the clinicopathologic difference between the impact of metastasis to the paraesophageal lymph nodes and to the nonparaesophageal lymph nodes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate surgical outcome after the clearance of metastatic thoracic lymph nodes.

Methods: Retrospectively reviewed were 164 consecutive patients with thoracic esophageal SCC who had not had preoperative treatment and underwent surgery from 1980 to 2005 and were found to have thoracic lymph node metastases.

Evaluation of the hepatic blood flow increase in the cases with liver metastasis and prediction of patent cases of liver metastasis using dynamic CT.

Background/aims: This study aimed to measure hepatic blood flow increase in cases with liver metastasis and to diagnose minimal metastasis which cannot be visualized by imaging modalities.

Methodology: The evaluation of hepatic arterial flow increase was performed quantitatively by newly devised index ELR (early-late-ratio) using dynamic computed tomographic (CT) scanning with contrast media.

Results: The ratio of the cases with liver metastasis was significantly higher than that of normal liver control.

Surgical outcome of patients with thoracic esophageal cancer positive for cervical lymph nodes.

Background/aims: Although cervical lymph nodes were classified as distant metastases in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer, not a few patients survive more than five-years. The purpose of this study was to predict patients with good prognosis among thoracic esophageal cancer patients with cervical node metastases.

Methodology: From 1983 to 2002, 312 consecutive patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma underwent curative surgery with 3-field lymph node dissection (3FLD).

Surgical outcome after the clearance of abdominal metastatic lymph nodes in 138 patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma.

Background: Although abdominal lymph node metastasis in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been reported to be a risk factor to reduce long-term survival, only a few studies have so far evaluated the clinicopathologic factors among this group of patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the patients' surgical outcome after the clearance of metastatic abdominal nodes.

Patients And Methods: From 1980 to 2002, 550 consecutive patients with thoracic esophageal SCC underwent surgery with an abdominal lymph node dissection.

Location and clinical impact of solitary lymph node metastasis in patients with thoracic esophageal carcinoma.

Background: The location and clinical impact of solitary lymph node metastasis from thoracic esophageal carcinoma have not been evaluated sufficiently.

Methods: A consecutive series of 91 patients with a solitary positive lymph node who underwent curative surgery for thoracic esophageal carcinoma was investigated. The prognostic impact was evaluated by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazards model.

Impact of the number and extent of positive lymph nodes in 200 patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after three-field lymph node dissection.

Background: Subtotal esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection (3FLD) has been reported to improve survival in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of the extent and number of positive lymph nodes for long-term survival of patients who underwent 3FLD.

Methods: From January 1983 to December 2002, a total of 200 patients with thoracic esophageal SCC underwent 3FLD without any neoadjuvant therapy.

The effects of carbon ion irradiation revealed by excised perforated intestines as a late morbidity for uterine cancer treatment.

Purpose: Clinical trials of carbon ion therapy have been performed due to the advantages of high-dose energy delivery with precise localization control to targeted organs and strong cell-killing activities to cancers. Perforated intestines as a late morbidity after carbon ion radiotherapy for uterine cancers were examined to reveal the biological characteristics of carbon ion for future applications for the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers.

Methods: Between June 1995 and December 2004, 94 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix or corpus were treated with carbon ion therapy.

Prediction of lymph node status in patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma: analysis of 160 surgically resected cancers.

Background: The ability to predict lymph node metastasis in cases of superficial esophageal carcinoma before surgery would allow the identification of specific patients who do not require additional surgical resection after endoscopic local resection.

Methods: From 1980 to 2002 a total of 160 patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma, Tis or T1 tumors, underwent subtotal esophagectomy with lymph node dissection. On the basis of clinicopathologic data the risk factors for lymph node metastases are discussed.

Thrombocytosis associated with poor prognosis in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

Background: Thrombocytosis in patients with cancer has been reported to be associated with increased expression of angiogenic factors and with a poor prognosis in some types of cancer. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinicopathologic significance and prognostic value of platelet counts in patients with esophageal cancer.

Study Design: Platelet counts were measured before surgery in 374 patients diagnosed between 1987 and 1999 with primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Elevation of preoperative serum C-reactive protein level is related to poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background And Objectives: An increased serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level was found in patients with various malignant tumors and was associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological significance and the prognostic value of preoperative CRP levels in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Patients And Methods: The preoperative CRP level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 150 patients with primary esophageal squamous cell carcinomas.

Preoperative serum midkine concentration is a prognostic marker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

High preoperative serum midkine concentration is associated with poor survival in patients with esophageal cancer, even after radical surgery, and thus may have prognostic value. Midkine (MK), a heparin-binding growth factor, is expressed in numerous cancer tissues, and serum MK (S-MK) concentrations are increased in patients with various neoplasms. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical significance of S-MK in patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer (SCC).

Prediction of survival with squamous cell carcinoma antigen in patients with resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Increased preoperative serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) concentrations have been found to be associated with advanced stage and poor prognosis in lung and cervical cancers. Because little was known about the significance of SCC-Ag concentration in patients with esophageal cancer, the aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic significance of SCC-Ag in patients with esophageal SCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS.

Prognostic significance of CYFRA 21-1 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: CYFRA 21-1 has been reported as a useful tumor marker for esophageal carcinoma, but little information was reported about the clinicopathologic importance of CYFRA 21-1. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of preoperative CYFRA 21-1 in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Study Design: The CYFRA 21-1 levels were measured before surgery by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 157 patients with primary esophageal squamous cell carcinomas using 3.

Effectiveness of Roux-en-Y reconstruction after distal gastrectomy based on an assessment of biliary kinetics.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency of Roux-en-Y reconstruction (RY) after distal gastrectomy we compared postoperative physiological functions and disorders among patients who underwent RY, conventional Billroth I reconstruction (BI), or Billroth II reconstruction (BII).

Methods: The subjects were 91 patients who had undergone distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer more than 1 month earlier. To examine the severity of gastroesophageal reflux, acid reflux and alkali reflux were assessed, and to examine the severity of duodenal reflux into the remnant stomach, biliary scintigraphy was performed.

Increased serum midkine concentration as a possible tumor marker in patients with superficial esophageal cancer.

Midkine, a heparin-binding growth factor, is expressed in numerous cancer tissues and is reportedly elevated in patients with various neoplasms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of serum midkine concentration (S-MK) in patients with superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Pretreatment S-MK was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 135 healthy controls, 16 patients with benign esophageal disease, and 60 patients with primary superficial esophageal squamous cell cancer (SESCC).

Treatment response and prognosis of patients after recurrence of esophageal cancer.

Background: Although radical operation and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy improve survival in patients with advanced esophageal cancer, more than half of these patients have recurrence. The aim of this study was to explore treatment responses and prognostic factors in patients with recurrent esophageal cancer.

Methods: The operative specimens from 258 patients undergoing radical esophagectomy with extended lymphadenectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma between 1990 and 1999 were analyzed.

Prognostic significance of serum p53 antibody in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The p53 protein overexpression that usually results from genetic alterations has been reported to induce serum antibodies against p53. There is little information about the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of preoperative serum p53 antibody in patients with esophageal cancer.

Methods: A highly specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze serum p53 antibodies in 105 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Prognostic significance of serum thymidine phosphorylase concentration in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase), which also is referred to as platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor, is a potent inducer of angiogenesis in malignant tumors. Increased dThdPase expression and activity have been found to be associated with poor prognosis in various solid tumor tissues. Because very little was known about the significance of serum dThdPase concentration (S-dThdPase), the objective of this study was to analyze the clinicopathologic significance of S-dThdPase in the patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.