Gastric cancer is an aggressive neoplasm with a poor prognosis. The multimodal approach with perioperative chemotherapy is currently the recommended treatment for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer. This treatment induces a histopathological response expressed either through the degree of regression of the primary tumor or of the lymph nodes or through yTNM staging. Despite its advantages, there are still doubts regarding the effects of chemotherapy on postoperative morbidity and mortality.
This study aims to evaluate the impact of perioperative chemotherapy and its effect on anatomopathological results and postoperative morbidity and on patient survival.
This is an observational retrospective study on 134 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent perioperative chemotherapy and curative radical surgery. The degree of histological regression of the primary tumor was evaluated according to Becker’s criteria; the proportion of regressed lymph nodes was determined, and postoperative complications were evaluated according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Survival times were compared between the groups using Kaplan-Meier curves and the Mantel-Cox log-rank test.
In all, 22.3% of the patients were classified as good responders and 75.9% as poor responders. This variable was not correlated with operative morbidity (p=1.68); 64.2% of patients had invaded lymph nodes and 46.3% had regressed lymph nodes; and 49.4% had no lymphatic invasion and 61.9% had no signs of venous invasion. Postoperative complications occurred in 30.6% of the patients. The group of good responders had an average survival of 56.0 months and the group of poor responders had 34.0 months (p=0.17).
Perioperative chemotherapy induces regression in both the primary tumor and lymph nodes. The results of the operative morbidity were similar to those described in the literature. However, although the group of good responders showed better survival, this value was not significant. Therefore, further studies are needed to evaluate the importance of the degree of lymph node regression and its impact on the survival of these patients.
Nowdays, more relevant applications of perinatal derivatives, such as amniotic membrane (AM), are emerging in our environment as a source of biomaterials for use in different healing processes. The study of anastomosis healing associated with antimetabolic drugs such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a potential target of AM.
To evaluate the healing effects of AM in rats treated with 5-FU at a dose of 20 mg/kg on the seventh day of postoperative evolution, regarding the parameters percentage of type I collagen (mature), cell viability, microvascular density and formation of granulation tissue.
Thirty-two Wistar rats were used, submitted to colotomy and colorraphy, separated into four groups of eight, which received different treatments daily, intraperitoneally, until the day of sacrifice: saline solution (C), 20 mg/kg 5-FU, 20 mg/kg 5-FU and AM.
Treatment with 20 mg/kg of 5-FU, on the seventh postoperative day, induced adverse effects on the anastomotic healing process, evidenced by a decrease in the percentage of type I (mature) collagen, cell viability, microvascular density, fibrin-leukocyte scab formation and angiofibroblast proliferation; the use of AM under these conditions induced an improvement in the percentage of type I (mature) collagen.
Treatment with 20 mg/kg of 5-FU on the seventh postoperative day induced adverse effects on the anastomotic healing process, and the use of AM under these conditions induced an improvement in the percentage of type I (mature) collagen.
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) was considered a contraindication for liver transplantation. However, recent studies have shown that highly selected cases of patients with a good response to neoadjuvant therapy may achieve acceptable survival rates when following liver transplantation.
To present two cases of patients with iCCA, without extrahepatic disease, who underwent living donor liver transplantation after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Two cases of patients with histopathological diagnosis of locally advanced iCCA, ineligible for resection and without evidence of extrahepatic disease, are presented.
These patients underwent at least nine sessions of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, including Gemcitabine and Cisplatin, with or without the addition of immunobiological agents, resulting in a radiological tumor response. They subsequently underwent living donor liver transplantation. The average follow-up time was 15 months, with no clinical or radiological signs of disease.
In well-selected patients without extrahepatic disease, living donor liver transplantation represents a potential therapeutic option for iCCA.
BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the preferred regimen for locally advanced rectal cancer, aiming to increase resectability and decrease local recurrence. AIM: To evaluate the benefits of delayed surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiation in advanced rectal cancer regarding aspects of tumor response, survival and its deleterious effects. METHODS: Were treated 106 patients consecutively with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation with a dose of 50.4 Gy (28 fractions), 5-fluoracil and leucovorin was given. Surgery was scheduled within five to six weeks. Patients who returned later than six weeks for the scheduled surgery were grouped into the delayed group and variables such as the downstaging rate, complete response, surgical time, blood transfusion, local recurrence, distant metastasis and survival were correlated with the remaining patients in order to determine the benefits of the delayed surgery. RESULTS: Complete tumor response was found in 15 patients (T0=15/106 - 14.2%). Partial response was achieved in 38 patients (34.9%), while one patient had pT0N2 staging. The mean follow-up was 35.6 weeks for the six weeks group, and 32.2 weeks for the delayed group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of downstaging, complete tumor response, surgical time, blood transfusion and early post-operative complications. Although delayed surgery didn't have a significant difference regarding the local recurrence (p=0.1468), it showed a strong tendency in the delayed group of having a lower risk of distant metastasis (p=0.0520). CONCLUSION: Delayed surgery after chemoradiation offered no clear benefits in terms of complete tumor response or downstaging. Predictive molecular factors should be investigated in the future for the proper selection of patients who will benefit from chemoradiation.
BACKGROUND: In Brazil, gastric cancer is the fourth most common malignancy among men and sixth among women. The cause is multivariate and the risks are well known. It has prognosis and treatment defined by the location and staging of the tumor and number of lymph nodes resected and involved. AIM: The Brazilian Consensus on Gastric Cancer promoted by ABCG was designed with the intention to issue guidelines that can guide medical professionals to care for patients with this disease. METHODS: Were summarized and answered 43 questions reflecting consensus or not on diagnosis and treatment that may be used as guidance for its multidisciplinary approach. The method involved three steps. Initially, 56 digestive surgeons and related medical specialties met to formulate the questions that were sent to participants for answers on scientific evidence and personal experience. Summaries were presented, discussed and voted in plenary in two other meetings. They covered 53 questions involving: diagnosis and staging (six questions); surgical treatment (35 questions); chemotherapy and radiotherapy (seven questions) and anatomopathology, immunohistochemistry and perspective (five questions). It was considered consensus agreement on more than 70% of the votes in each item. RESULTS: All the answers were presented and voted upon, and in 42 there was consensus. CONCLUSION: It could be developed consensus on most issues that come with the care of patients with gastric cancer and they can be transformed in guidelines.
Peritoneal carcinomatosis in gastric cancer is considered a fatal disease, without expectation of definitive cure. As systemic chemotherapy is not sufficient to contain the disease, a multimodal approach associating intraperitoneal chemotherapy with surgery may represent an alternative for these cases.
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in stage IV gastric cancer patients with peritoneal metastasis.
This study is a single institutional single-arm prospective clinical trial phase II (NCT05541146). Patients with the following inclusion criteria undergo implantation of a peritoneal catheter for intraperitoneal chemotherapy: Stage IV gastric adenocarcinoma; age 18–75 years; Peritoneal carcinomatosis with peritoneal cancer index<12; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0/1; good clinical status; and lab exams within normal limits. The study protocol consists of four cycles of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with paclitaxel associated with systemic chemotherapy. After treatment, patients with peritoneal response assessed by staging laparoscopy undergo conversion gastrectomy.
The primary outcome is the rate of complete peritoneal response. Progression-free and overall survivals are other outcomes evaluated. The study started in July 2022, and patients will be screened for inclusion until 30 are enrolled.
Therapies for advanced gastric cancer patients have been evaluated in clinical trials but without success in patients with peritoneal metastasis. The treatment proposed in this trial can be promising, with easy catheter implantation and ambulatory intraperitoneal chemotherapy regime. Verifying the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel with systemic chemotherapy is an important progress that this study intends to investigate.
Surgical resection remains the main curative therapeutic modality for advanced gastric cancer. Recently, the association of preoperative chemotherapy has allowed the improvement of results without increasing surgical complications.
To evaluate the surgical and oncological outcomes of preoperative chemotherapy in a real-world setting.
A retrospective review of gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy was performed. Patients were divided into two groups for analysis: upfront surgery and preoperative chemotherapy. The propensity score matching analysis, including 9 variables, was applied to adjust for potential confounding factors.
Of the 536 patients included, 112 (20.9%) were referred for preoperative chemotherapy. Before the propensity score matching analysis, the groups were different in terms of age, hemoglobin level, node metastasis at clinical stage- status, and extent of gastrectomy. After the analysis, 112 patients were stratified for each group. Both were similar for all variables assigned in the score. Patients in the preoperative chemotherapy group had less advanced postoperative p staging (p=0.010), postoperative n staging (p<0.001), and pTNM stage (p<0.001). Postoperative complications, 30- and 90-days mortality were similar between both groups. Before the propensity score matching analysis, there was no difference in survival between the groups. After the analysis, patients in the preoperative chemotherapy group had better overall survival compared to upfront surgery group (p=0.012). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that American Society of Anesthesiologists III/IV category and the presence of lymph node metastasis were factors significantly associated with worse overall survival.
Preoperative chemotherapy was associated with increased survival in gastric cancer. There was no difference in the postoperative complication rate and mortality compared to upfront surgery.
The effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer can be determined by assessing the Becker tumor regression grade in the primary tumor, as well as in lymph nodes.
The aim of this study was to investigate the anatomopathological changes caused by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and their impact on clinical parameters. Specifically, we analyzed the Becker tumor regression grade, lymph node status, and regression changes and evaluated their association with the Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications and overall patient survival.
This is a retrospective and observational study including 139 patients diagnosed with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and treated with either neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery or surgery alone. For the 94 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, we evaluated tumor regression by Becker tumor regression grade in primary tumors. We also analyzed lymph node status and regression changes on lymph nodes with or without metastases. Overall survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves.
Becker tumor regression grade is associated with lower lymphatic permeation (p<0.01) and vascular invasion (p<0.001), but not with lymph node regression rate (p=0.10). Clavien-Dindo classification was associated neither with lymph node regression rate (odds ratio=0.784, p=0.795) nor with tumor regression grade (p=0.68). Patients who presented with lymphatic permeation and vascular invasion had statistically significantly lower median survival (17 vs. 30 months, p=0.006 for lymphatic permeation, and 14 vs. 29 months, p=0.024 for vascular invasion).
In our series, we were unable to demonstrate an association between Becker tumor regression grade and lymph node regression rate with any postoperative complications. Patients with lower lymphatic permeation and vascular invasion have higher overall survival, correlating with a better response in the Becker tumor regression grade system.
In the last module of this consensus, controversial topics were discussed. Management of the disease after progression during first line chemotherapy was the first discussion. Next, the benefits of liver resection in the presence of extra-hepatic disease were debated, as soon as, the best sequence of treatment. Conversion chemotherapy in the presence of unresectable liver disease was also discussed in this module. Lastly, the approach to the unresectable disease was also discussed, focusing in the best chemotherapy regimens and hole of chemo-embolization.
Breast cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm in the female population. However, stomach is a rare site for metastasis, and can show up many years after initial diagnosis and treatment of the primary tumor.
Analyze a case series of this tumor and propose measures that can diagnose it with more precocity.
Were analyzed 12 patients with secondary gastric tumors. Immunohistochemistry has demonstrated that primary tumor was breast cancer. We retrieved information of age, histological type, interval between diagnosis of the primary breast cancer and its metastases, immunohistochemistry results, treatment and survival.
The mean age was 71.3 years (ranging 40-86). Ten cases had already been underwent mastectomy in the moment of the diagnosis of gastric metastasis. Two patients had diagnosis of both primary and secondary tumors concomitantly. At average, diagnosis of gastric metastasis was seven years after diagnosis of primary breast cancer (ranging 0-13). Besides, nine cases had also metastases in other organs, being bones the most affected ones. Immunohistochemistry of the metastases has shown positivity for CK7 antibody in 83.34%, estrogen receptor in 91.67%, progesterone receptor in 66.67% and AE1AE3 antibody in 75%, considering all 12 cases. Moreover, CK20 was absent significantly (66.67%). The positivity of BRST2 marker did not present statistical significance (41.67%). Eight cases were treated with chemotherapy associated or not with hormonal blockade. Surgical treatment of gastric metastasis was performed in four cases: three of them with total gastrectomy and one with distal gastrectomy. Follow-up has shown a mean survival of 14.58 months after diagnosis of metastasis, with only two patients still alive.
Patients with a history of breast cancer presenting endoscopic diagnosis of gastric cancer it is necessary to consider the possibility of gastric metastasis of breast cancer. The confirmation is by immunohistochemistry and gastrectomy should be oriented in the absence of other secondary involvement and control of the primary lesion.
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