BackgroundMetabolic factors have been reported to increase the prevalence of colorectal adenomas, however, whether metabolic factors might also accelerate the recurrence after removal of adenomas has not yet been discussed. In this retrospective multicenter study, we clarified the risk factors for adenoma recurrence focusing on metabolic factors.MethodsWe analyzed the medical records of 43,195 patients who had undergone colonoscopy between January 2005 and December 2011 at 5 hospitals in Japan. Of these, the data of 1111 patients who had undergone removal of adenomas at the first screening colonoscopy, and then been followed up by colonoscopy 1 year and 2 years later were analyzed.ResultsThe following 8 factors were demonstrated with a multivariate analysis as being associated with colorectal adenomas recurrence: for adenoma-related factors, 5 factors (villous features, grade of dysplasia, location and size of the largest removed adenoma, and number of the removed adenomas) were identified; for metabolic factors and other factors, 3 factors (age, body mass index (BMI), and fasting blood glucose (FBG)) were identified. A risk score (0–10 points) was developed based on these 8 factors. The risk of adenoma recurrence increased as the risk score increased. When the risk score was ≥3 (3–10) points, the odds ratio relative to <3 (0–2) points was 7.07 (95% CIs 5.30–9.43).ConclusionsIn addition to adenoma-related factors (villous features, grade of dysplasia, location, size and number), 3 factors (age, BMI and FBG) were demonstrated to influence the recurrence rate of colorectal adenoma. When the risk score was ≥3, the risk of recurrence was significantly elevated.

The findings of the current study may be helpful in predicting the life expectancy of hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated by transcatheter arterial embolization and in designing future clinical trials of transcatheter arterial embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The maximum tolerated dose for 5-day continuous infusion of 5-fluorouracil in hepatocellular carcinoma patients was 500 mg/m(2) per day. The recommended dose for phase II studies using this schedule is 450 mg/m(2) per day. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic data obtained in this study may be useful in determining chemotherapy dosage adjustments for reduction of toxicity.

BackgroundWith the aging of the population and rising incidence of thromboembolic events, the usage of antiplatelet agents is also increasing. There are few reports yet on the management of antiplatelet agents for patients undergoing colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).AimsThe aim of this study is to evaluate whether continued administration of antiplatelet agents is associated with an increased rate of delayed bleeding after colorectal ESD.MethodsA total of 1022 colorectal neoplasms in 927 patients were dissected at Yokohama City University Hospital and its three affiliate hospitals between July 2012 and June 2017. We included the data of 919 lesions in the final analysis. The lesions were divided into three groups: the no-antiplatelet group (783 neoplasms), the withdrawal group (110 neoplasms), and the continuation group (26 neoplasms).ResultsAmong the 919 lesions, bleeding events occurred in a total of 31 (3.37%). The rate of bleeding after ESD was 3.3% (26/783), 4.5% (5/110), and 0% (0/26), respectively. There were no significant differences in the rate of bleeding after ESD among the three groups (the withdrawal group vs. the no-antiplatelet group, the continuation group vs. the no-antiplatelet group, and the withdrawal group vs. the continuation group).ConclusionsContinued administration of antiplatelet agents is not associated with any increase in the risk of delayed bleeding after colorectal ESD. Prospective, randomized studies are necessary to determine whether treatment with antiplatelet agents must be interrupted prior to colorectal ESD in patients who are at a high risk of thromboembolic events.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10620-017-4843-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC) is performed safely and effectively in elderly patients; however, whether ESD for EGC in elderly patients with frailty is safe and improves prognosis remains unclear.Methods: In total, 142 patients aged ≥80 years who underwent ESD for EGC between September 2008 and September 2014 were included. We compared outcomes between patients with frailty and those without frailty. Frailty was assessed using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) based on a patient's status before admission. Study endpoints were short-and long-term clinical outcomes after ESD.Results: Patients were allocated into two groups: no frailty (CFS 1-3, n = 101) versus frailty (CFS 4-7, n = 41). Short-term clinical outcomes, specifically, adverse events and curability, did not differ between the two groups. For the long-term clinical outcomes, patients with frailty had significantly worse outcomes after ESD than those without frailty (the 3-year overall survival rates were 73.2% vs. 93.1%; P < 0.001 with log-rank test). The Cox proportional hazards model showed that frailty was only an independent risk factor for poor prognosis.Conclusions: ESD for EGC is safe for elderly patients with or without frailty. However, elderly patients with frailty have a significantly poorer prognosis than those without frailty after ESD. Our results indicate that the frailty evaluation may be helpful to determine whether ESD for EGC should be performed. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 461-466.

The results of the present study may be useful in predicting the survival of HCC patients treated with PEI and in the design and analysis of future clinical trials of PEI for HCC.

Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma is an extraordinarily unusual phenomenon. We present here a case of a 75-year-old man in whom multiple lung metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma regressed spontaneously. He underwent systemic chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma with multiple lung metastases. However, the chemotherapy was not effective and he was therefore followed up without any anticancer treatments in an outpatient clinic. Four months later, multiple lung nodules regressed dramatically and the serum alpha-fetoprotein level decreased markedly. After an 8-month period of the regression, however, intrahepatic lesions gradually enlarged, although multiple lung metastatic lesions remained regressed. The mechanisms underlying this intriguing phenomenon remain unknown.

Objective: Uracil-tegafur (UFT) has been reported to have a broad anti-tumor activity in a variety of malignancies including colorectal cancer and breast cancer. However, its activity in pancreatic cancer has not been fully evaluated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti-tumor activity and toxicity of UFT in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Methods: All patients were required to have a pathologic diagnosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma with measurable metastatic lesions, and no prior chemotherapy. A dose of 360 mg/m²/day of UFT was administered orally until the appearance of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Results: Twenty-two patients were entered into this study. Of 21 patients evaluable for response, no patient achieved an objective tumor response; one showed no change, and the remaining 20 showed progressive disease. The median survival time for all patients was 4.2 (range: 0.9–9.0) months. The most common toxicities were nausea/vomiting and anorexia. Five patients (23%) had to discontinue UFT treatment because of gastrointestinal toxicity. Conclusion: This schedule of UFT did not demonstrate a significant anti-tumor activity against metastatic pancreatic cancer.