We prospectively investigated the association between a change of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patient prognosis. The study involved 147 patients with unresectable HCC treated at the National Cancer Center, Korea, between July and December 2005. Serum samples were collected from each patient before TACE, and 1-2 days and 1 month after TACE. Serum VEGF concentrations were measured using an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The log e (VEGF/platelets) increased transiently 1-2 days after TACE and declined thereafter. Frequency of previous TACE did not correlate with log e (VEGF/ platelets). This study found that log e (VEGF/platelets) 1-2 days after TACE, but not log e (VEGF/platelets) at baseline, was strongly correlated with vascular or nodal invasion and AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer)/UICC (International Union Against Cancer) stage, and was significantly greater in men. Relative changes in serum VEGF/platelet levels 1-2 days after TACE (DVEGF) > 0.5 were directly correlated with tumor size, vascular invasion and modified UICC and AJCC/UICC stage (P < 0.05 for each). Additionally, DVEGF > 0.5 was significantly correlated with newly developed extrahepatic metastases one and six months after TACE (P = 0.005 and 0.003, respectively). Progression free survival of patients with DVEGF > 0.5 was significantly worse (P < 0.001) and DVEGF > 0.5 was an independent prognostic factor for PFS (hazard ratio, 3.111; P < 0.001). This study showed that a high increment in serum VEGF level 1-2 days after TACE in HCC patients was associated with distant metastasis and unfavorable outcomes. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 2037-2044

This research was supported by Grant (81571417) from the National Science Foundation of China and Grant (2015GSF118092) from the Technology Development Plan of Shandong Province. The authors report no conflict of interest.

Laparoscopic RHC with CME is safe and associated with better 5-year overall survival rate than non-CME for patients with stage I-III right-sided colon cancer. Implementation of CME surgery might improve oncological outcomes for patients with right-sided colon cancer.

This research was supported totally by grant 81270671 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The authors report no conflict of interest.

PurposeThis experimental study verified the effect of adipose-tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) on the healing of ischemic colonic anastomoses in rats.MethodsASCs were isolated from the subcutaneous fat tissue of rats and identified as mesenchymal stem cells by identification of different potentials. An animal model of colonic ischemic anastomosis was induced by modifying Nagahata's method. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats (10-week-old, 370 ± 50 g) were divided into two groups (n = 30 each): a control group in which the anastomosis was sutured in a single layer with 6-0 polypropylene without any treatment and an ASCtreated group (ASC group) in which the anastomosis was sutured as in the control group, but then ASCs were locally transplanted into the bowel wall around the anastomosis. The rats were sacrificed on postoperative day 7. Healing of the anastomoses was assessed by measuring loss of body weight, wound infection, anastomotic leakage, mortality, adhesion formation, ileus, anastomotic stricture, anastomotic bursting pressure, histopathological features, and microvascular density.ResultsNo differences in wound infection, anastomotic leakage, or mortality between the two groups were observed. The ASC group had significantly more favorable anastomotic healing, including less body weight lost, less ileus, and fewer ulcers and strictures, than the control group. ASCs augmented bursting pressure and collagen deposition. The histopathological features were significantly more favorable in the ASC group, and microvascular density was significantly higher than it was in the control group.ConclusionLocally-transplanted ASCs enhanced healing of ischemic colonic anastomoses by increasing angiogenesis. ASCs could be a novel strategy for accelerating healing of colonic ischemic risk anastomoses.

BackgroundFOLFOX-based adjuvant chemotherapy is a benefit for high-risk stage II and stage III colon cancer after curative resection. But, the prognostic factor or predictive marker for the efficacy of FOLFOX remains unclear. This study was aimed to identify the prognostic value and cumulative impact of adjuvant FOLFOX on the stage II and III colon cancer patients.MethodsA total of 196 stage II and III colon cancer patients were retrospectively enrolled in prospectively collected data. They underwent curative resection followed by FOLFOX4 adjuvant chemotherapy. The oncological outcomes included the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate. Cox-regression analysis was performed to identify the prognostic value, and its cumulative impact was analyzed.ResultsThe 5-year DFS rate of the patients was 71.94% and the 5-year OS rate was 81.5%. The prognostic values for the 5-year DFS rate and 5-year OS rate were T4 stage and preoperative anemia in a multivariate analysis. Each patient group who had no prognostic value, single, or both factors revealed 95.35%, 69.06%, and 28.57% in the 5-year DFS rate, respectively (p < 0.0001). The 5-year OS rate also showed the significant differences in each group who had no prognostic value, single, or both factors revealed 100%, 79.3%, and 45.92%, respectively (p < 0.0001).ConclusionOur results showed similar efficacy to MOSAIC study in stage II and stage III colon cancer patients treated with adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy after curative resection. Patients who had T4 stage and/or preoperative anemia showed worse prognosis than patients without any prognostic value. These findings suggest that FOLFOX could not be effective in the patients with T4 stage colon cancer accompanied by preoperative anemia.

The membranous barrier Seprafilm® may be effective in the prevention of adhesion in the condition of peritoneal injury combined with foreign material. Adept® showed a tendency of decreasing the severity of adhesion and was effective in the prevention of fibrosis.

MENBI can provide more accurate information than white-light endoscopy for the prediction of pre- and post-resectional histologic discrepancies in biopsy-proven gastric LGD. Endoscopic resection is strongly recommended in cases with surface erythema on conventional white-light endoscopy or positive MENBI, irrespective of the lesion size.