Influence of age and comorbidity on prognosis and application of adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly Japanese patients with colorectal cancer: A retrospective multicentre study.

Background: Adjuvant therapy for colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients aged ≥75 years is supported by inadequate evidence, although such patients are increasing in number worldwide.

Patients And Methods: We assessed the influence of age and comorbidities on the prognosis of CRC in elderly patients using pooled data by the Japanese Study Group for Postoperative Follow-up of Colorectal Cancer. In total, 4598 patients (3304 with colon cancer and 1294 with rectal cancer) who underwent curative surgery from 2004 to 2006 were analysed with respect to age, Charlson comorbidity score (CS), tumour marker positivity, adjuvant therapy and prognosis.

The Clinical Significance of Alpha-Fetoprotein mRNAs in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background/aims: Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) mRNA-expressing cells are candidates for circulating tumor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. We analyzed portal vein blood, peripheral blood, and peritoneal lavage samples to detect the presence of AFP mRNA-expressing cells, and explored their relationship with metastasis.

Methods: We measured the AFP mRNA expression in 112 sets of portal vein and peripheral blood samples and 61 peritoneal lavage samples that had been obtained during surgery.

Clinical outcome of patients treated with re-irradiation for spine or pelvic bone metastasis: A multi-institutional analysis of 98 patients.

The present study aimed to describe the clinical results of re-irradiation (Re-RT) for spine or pelvic bone metastasis at the same initial irradiated area. Between April 2010 and March 2014, cases involving 98 patients with spine or pelvic bone metastasis who had undergone Re-RT at five institutions were reviewed. The clinical outcomes following Re-RT were evaluated, including overall survival (OS) and severe adverse events.

Frequency of, and factors associated with, hepatitis B virus reactivation in hepatitis C patients treated with all-oral direct-acting antivirals: Analysis of a Japanese prospective cohort.

Aim: Several case reports have shown that hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation developed in hepatitis C patients with a current or previous HBV infection during direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment, which led to severe hepatitis or death in some cases. However, its precise frequency and risk factors are not entirely clear. We analyzed a prospective cohort.

Is F-FDG-PET useful for predicting R0 resection after induction therapy for initially unresectable locally advanced esophageal carcinoma?

Objective: Induction therapy followed by surgery is a promising strategy for esophageal cancer patients with invasion of the trachea/bronchus or aorta. However, no diagnostic criteria have been established to diagnose whether R0 resection can be performed. We investigated whether F-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (F-FDG-PET) and other modalities are useful for predicting R0 resection.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Adjuvant Chemotherapy with Fluoropyrimidines Surgery-alone for Gastric Cancer.

Aim: This prospective randomized study compared the survival of patients with stage IB-IIIA gastric cancer treated with surgery alone or surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Patients with pathological stage IB-IIIA disease were randomly assigned to the following groups: surgery alone (n=116), or surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil, doxifluridine, or uracil-tegafur for 12 months (n=113).

Results: The overall survival rate was 86.

Randomized Study Comparing Equal Height Staples With Graduated Height Staples in Bronchial Closure.

Background: There are two forms of staple cartridge available for lung cancer operations, the flat face with equal height staples and the stepped face with graduated height staples. The objective of the study was to evaluate their stapling ability in lobectomy.

Methods: A randomized prospective study was conducted to compare two types of stapling reloads for bronchial closure.

Efficacy of Trabectedin in Patients with Advanced Translocation-Related Sarcomas: Pooled Analysis of Two Phase II Studies.

Background: Trabectedin is reported as effective, especially against translocation-related sarcomas (TRSs) after failure of or intolerance to standard chemotherapy. We conducted two phase II studies of TRS, confirming high efficacy of 1.2 mg/m trabectedin.

Distant recurrence risk following early ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence.

At present, the risk factors for distant recurrence among patients with early ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) require further investigation. Early IBTR is defined as occurring within 3 years following the initial surgery. In the current study, 40 patients with early IBTR were examined to determine the risk factors for distant recurrence.

Control of metastatic niche formation by targeting APBA3/Mint3 in inflammatory monocytes.

Cancer metastasis is intricately orchestrated by both cancer and normal cells, such as endothelial cells and macrophages. Monocytes/macrophages, which are often co-opted by cancer cells and promote tumor malignancy, acquire more than half of their energy from glycolysis even during normoxic conditions. This glycolytic activity is maintained during normoxia by the functions of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) and its activator APBA3.

Alectinib versus crizotinib in patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (J-ALEX): an open-label, randomised phase 3 trial.

Background: Alectinib, a potent, highly selective, CNS-active inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), showed promising efficacy and tolerability in the single-arm phase 1/2 AF-001JP trial in Japanese patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer. Given those promising results, we did a phase 3 trial to directly compare the efficacy and safety of alectinib and crizotinib.

Methods: J-ALEX was a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial that recruited ALK inhibitor-naive Japanese patients with ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer, who were chemotherapy-naive or had received one previous chemotherapy regimen, from 41 study sites in Japan.

Five-weekly S-1 plus cisplatin therapy combined with trastuzumab therapy in HER2-positive gastric cancer: a phase II trial and biomarker study (WJOG7212G).

Background: Five-weekly S-1 plus cisplatin (SP) therapy is the standard care for advanced gastric or esophagogastric junction cancer (GC/EGJC) in East Asia. However, its efficacy and safety when combined with trastuzumab therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive advanced GC/EGJC remains unclear.

Methods: Patients received 5-weekly SP therapy (S-1 at 40-60 mg twice daily for 21 days plus cisplatin at 60 mg/m on day 8, every 5 weeks) plus trastuzumab therapy (first dose of 8 mg/kg, then 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks).

Efficacy and safety of rebamipide liquid for chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group phase II study.

Background: Recent preclinical and phase I studies have reported that rebamipide decreased the severity of chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with oral cancer. This placebo-controlled randomized phase II study assessed the clinical benefit of rebamipide in reducing the incidence of severe chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).

Methods: Patients aged 20-75 years with HNC who were scheduled to receive chemoradiotherapy were enrolled.

Investigation of mucosal pattern of gastric antrum using magnifying narrow-band imaging in patients with chronic atrophic fundic gastritis.

Background: Magnifying narrow-band imaging (M-NBI) can reportedly help predict the presence and distribution of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia in the gastric corpus. However, the micro-mucosal pattern of the antrum shown by M-NBI differs from that of the corpus. We studied the distribution and histology of the micro-mucosal pattern in the antrum based on magnifying endoscopy.

Clinical Assessment of Reconstruction Involving Gastric Pull-Up Combined with Free Jejunal Graft After Total Pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy.

Background: Total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy (PLE) is used as a curative treatment for synchronous laryngopharyngeal and thoracic esophageal cancer or for multiple cancers in the cervical and thoracic esophagus. Gastric pull-up is commonly used after PLE, but postoperative complications are common. The present study evaluated these procedures in patients with esophageal cancer.

Phase II study of S-1 plus bevacizumab combination therapy for patients previously treated for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of S-1 and bevacizumab combination therapy for patients previously treated for advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: This was a prospective, multi-center, single-arm phase II study. Patients with non-squamous NSCLC who had experienced progression after cytotoxic chemotherapy were enrolled.

Downregulation of EGFR in a metastatic brain lesion of EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer using a tyrosine kinase inhibitor: A case report.

Brain metastasis is a common complication in patients with cancer, with lung cancer being the most frequent origin of brain metastases. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have begun to serve a pivotal role in lung cancer treatment and have been reported to demonstrate anticancer activity against brain metastases by penetrating the blood-brain barrier. The present study reports, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastasis that was surgically resected while the lesion was responding to the EGFR-TKI erlotinib.

Evaluation of ALDH1 expression in ipsilateral breast cancer recurrence.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) is a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker that is easily evaluable. The expression and clinical significance of ALDH1 in ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) has yet to be investigated. In the present study, the expression profile of ALDH1 and its correlation with prognosis in IBTR tissues was examined.