AIMTo identify simple and sensitive markers for postoperative complications after gastrectomy, the predictive values were compared among candidate preoperative factors.METHODSThree-hundred and twelve patients with previously untreated clinical T2-4 gastric cancer who underwent a D2 standard gastrectomy (distal gastrectomy or total gastrectomy) were included in the analysis. Correlations between 21 parameters that can be determined by preoperative routine blood tests and clinically relevant postoperative complications (grade II or higher according to the Clavien-Dindo classification) were evaluated. The optimal cutoff values and clinical significance of the selected markers were further evaluated by subgroup analyses according to age, body mass index, operative procedure and clinical disease stage.RESULTSSixty-six patients (21.1%) experienced grade II or higher postoperative complications. The platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR, total lymphocyte count/platelet count × 100) exhibited the highest area under the curve value (0.639) for predicting postoperative complications among the 21 parameters, and the optimal cutoff value was determined to be 0.71 (sensitivity = 70%, specificity = 56%). In the univariate analysis, the odds ratio of a low PLR for the occurrence of postoperative complications was 2.94 (95%CI: 1.66-5.35, P < 0.001), and a multivariate binomial logistic analysis involving other potential risk factors identified a low PLR as an independent risk factor for postoperative complications (OR = 3.32, 95%CI: 1.82-6.25, P < 0.001). In subgroups classified according to age, body mass index, operative procedure and clinical disease stage, the low PLR group exhibited an increased incidence of postoperative complications.CONCLUSIONThe preoperative PLR is a simple and useful predictor of complications after curative gastrectomy in patients with clinical T2-4 gastric cancer.

ALBI grade serves as a simple and promising predictive factor for disease-free and disease-specific survival in patients with pT2-4 GC after radical gastrectomy.

Background/Aims: Do serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels serve as prognostic indicators in patients with gastric cancer (GC)? This is a question that has long been disputed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of perioperative serum levels of CEA and CA19-9 for predicting the recurrence and long-term survival after patients with pT2-4 GC undergo curative gastrectomy. Methods: This study included 251 patients with radically resected pT2-4 GC without preoperative treatment. Associations between the preoperative and postoperative serum levels of CEA or CA19-9 and postoperative long-term outcomes and recurrence patterns were evaluated. Results: Preoperative CEA >5.0 ng/mL was an independent prognostic factor of overall survival. Elevation of both preoperative CEA and CA19-9 levels showed no synergistic adverse effects on prognosis. Preoperative levels of these markers achieved superior predictive performance compared with the postoperative values. Adverse prognosis is significantly associated with persistent elevation of CEA levels before and after gastrectomy. Elevation of CEA levels, particularly at postoperative measurement, was significantly associated with hematogenous recurrence. Conclusion: Determination of perioperative CEA levels facilitated predictions of recurrence patterns and prognosis among patients with pT2-4 GC who underwent curative gastrectomy.

Abstract. Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with poor prognosis worldwide, the molecular mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis and progression of this disease remain unclear. Several tumor characteristics have previously been demonstrated to be prognostic factors of survival following hepatic resection, or the recurrence of HCC or other types of cancer. Comparisons of normal tissues and HCC tumor tissues have revealed the presence of numerous molecular alterations in HCC, including genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, particularly mutations in certain genes and DNA methylation in the promoter regions of tumor-suppressor genes. A number of studies have previously used array analysis to detect variations in the expression levels of cancer-associated genes and microRNAs, and in DNA methylation. However, an investigation of HCC tumor tissues may not determine the effect of noncancerous liver tissues (background liver) in patients with HCC. As HCC may recur multicentrically following resection, a damaged or chronically diseased HCC background liver may be considered as a pre-cancerous organ. Therefore, the influence of the background liver on HCC requires further study. Detailed studies regarding the background liver may be essential for the improved understanding of the carcinogenesis and progression of this malignancy; however only a few studies have investigated the microenvironment of the HCC background liver. The present review discusses prior molecular studies of hepatocarcinogenesis that focus on HCC and background liver tissues.

Hepatocarcinogenesis is a complex and multistep process that involves the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations in regulatory genes. To understand the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), current research has utilized improved array technologies. The identification of cancer-related molecules could lead to the development of novel molecular targets for treatment and biomarkers for predicting prognosis. However, prognostic prediction is insufficient when considering only tumor factors, since hepatocarcinogenesis is also greatly influenced by the status of the background liver. Clinical background liver factors, such as the presence of chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis, are well known as risk factors for developing HCC. In contrast, genetic or epigenetic background liver factors remain unknown, albeit those are important to understand the developing process of HCC. Investigating background liver factors could contribute to the development of carcinogenic markers of HCC and to the prevention of the development of HCC. In the present study, we review the currently identified tumor factors and background liver factors from a molecular biological viewpoint and also introduce our combination array analysis.