Assessment of Residual or Resected Disappearing Liver Metastases After Chemotherapy: The AROD Study.

Objective: To prospectively assess the incidence of residual disease in disappearing liver metastases (DLM) and evaluate associated oncologic outcomes.

Summary Background Data: DLM are colorectal liver metastases that become undetectable on imaging after chemotherapy. Although DLM are increasingly observed with modern systemic therapy and imaging, their clinical significance and appropriate management remain unclear.

Circulating Tumor DNA Longitudinal Analysis During Total Neoadjuvant Therapy and Non-operative Management for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Biomarker Study from the NOMINATE Trial.

Purpose: The role of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) and non-operative management (NOM) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) remains unclear. We evaluated the association of ctDNA with clinical outcomes, including treatment response, local regrowth, and distant recurrence in patients undergoing TNT and NOM.

Experimental Design: This biomarker companion analysis of the NOMINATE trial, a prospective, multicenter, randomized phase II study, enrolled 64 patients with T3-T4NanyM0 LARC between March 2021 and July 2023.

Surgical Resection of a Solitary Metachronous Retrocaval Lymph Node Metastasis above the Renal Vein from Rectal Cancer.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) can metastasize to various sites, including the liver, lungs, ovaries, adrenal glands, and lymph nodes. Approximately 1%-2% of patients with CRC develop para-aortic lymph node metastases. Herein, we report a case of surgical resection of an isolated, metachronous, retrocaval lymph node recurrence of rectal cancer above the renal vein.

Hormonal factors predictive of fertility in patients with breast cancer interrupting adjuvant endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy in POSITIVE trial.

Purpose: The POSITIVE trial showed that premenopausal women with breast cancer (BC) can safely pause adjuvant endocrine treatment (ET) to attempt conception. 74 % of patients conceived spontaneously or through assisted reproductive technology (ART); Investigating hormonal factors that predict fertility was a key secondary endpoint.

Methods: Hormonal factors were assessed in non-pregnant women at months 3, 6, and 12 after ET interruption.

Assessment of Aesthetic Outcomes in Autologous Breast Reconstruction Using Profunda Femoris Artery Perforator Flap.

Background: While autologous breast reconstruction using the profunda femoris artery perforator (PAP) flap is becoming increasingly popular, no aesthetic evaluation has been reported. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reconstructed breast using the PAP flap quantitatively and to clarify which factors contribute to the aesthetically favorable results.

Methods: We identified 127 patients who underwent breast reconstructions using the vertically designed PAP flap for unilateral breast cancer between April 2018 and December 2021.

Proposal for including risk of malignancy and clinical management in the Japanese system for reporting thyroid cytopathology - A multi-institutional study.

Objective: The Japanese System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (JSRTC) does not include the risks of malignancies (ROMs) or recommended clinical management. This multi-institutional study aimed to determine the frequency, re-aspiration rate, resection rate, ROM, and clinical management options in seven different categories.

Material And Methods: For 15,495 cases of thyroid fine-needle aspiration performed at seven Japanese institutions without molecular testing, the frequency, re-aspiration rate, resection rate, ROM, and clinical management options of each diagnostic category were examined.

Maintenance of resection margins in gastrectomy for cancer: simple in procedure, influential in survival-current status and literature review on optimal lengths and positive margins.

Purpose: The prognostic significance of the proximal margin length (PML) and positive resection margins (PRMs) in gastric cancer (GC) remains controversial. International guidelines for PML differ widely, reflecting a lack of consensus on optimal surgical margins. While positive RMs are associated with poor survival, their impact varies according to the tumor stage and nodal involvement.

Phase II trial dedicated to non-selected, pretreated cutaneous angiosarcoma: Efficacy of nivolumab (AngioCheck Study).

Background: Angiosarcoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options. This phase II, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study (AngioCheck) evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab in patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma previously treated with taxane-based chemotherapy.

Methods: Eligible patients had histologically confirmed cutaneous angiosarcoma, prior treatment with docetaxel or paclitaxel, and at least one measurable lesion.

Impact of medications on the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are standard treatments for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer (RM-HNC). However, variability in treatment response necessitates the exploration of predictive factors, including gut microbiota, which are influenced by antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), and statins. This retrospective study assessed the effects of these medications on the clinical outcomes of ICI-treated patients with RM-HNC.

Evaluating the short-term outcome of laparoscopic pelvic exenteration in locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancer.

Purpose: Pelvic exenteration (PE) is sometimes the only curative option for primary rectal cancer as well as locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC). However, data on laparoscopic PE (Lap-PE) for LRRC are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the technical safety of Lap-PE in LRRC cases.

Risks of extracolonic tumours in patients with Lynch syndrome: a nationwide multicentre cohort study in Japan.

Background: Lynch syndrome (LS) is a genetic condition characterized by an increased risk of colorectal cancer and other associated malignancies. With the limited information available regarding extracolonic tumours, this study aimed to explore tumours associated with LS in the Japanese population and discuss the potential differences in causative pathogenic genetic variants and their phenotypic expression compared with Western cohorts.

Methods: This multicentre retrospective cohort study analysed 316 genetically confirmed LS cases (148 men and 168 women) from 13 institutions.

Novel immunotherapy for gastric cancer: targeting the CD47-SIRPα axis.

Gastric cancer (GC) represents a significant global health challenge, with limited therapeutic options and poor outcomes. Although cancer immunotherapies targeting adaptive immune checkpoints, such as programmed death-1, have transformed the landscape of cancer treatment, their efficacy in GC is limited to a small subset of patients, emphasizing the unmet clinical need for novel therapeutic strategies. Cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47), referred to as the "don't eat me" signal, enables tumor cells to evade phagocytosis by binding to signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) on myeloid cells, such as macrophages and dendritic cells.

Ultra-High-Frequency Ultrasound Mapping of the Superficial Circumflex Iliac and Superficial Inferior Epigastric Vessels: An Anatomical Study.

The superficial vessel system in the lower abdomen, including the superficial circumflex iliac artery (SCIA) and superficial inferior epigastric artery (SIEA), is widely used in reconstructive microsurgery. Preoperative ultrasonography, particularly ultra-high-frequency ultrasound (UHFUS), enhances surgical planning by providing high-resolution imaging. This study aimed to utilize UHFUS to examine the SCIA, SCIV, SIEA, and SIEV for reconstructive surgery planning.

Diagnostic accuracy of lateral lymph node metastasis for locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The optimal criteria for lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) in rectal cancer following neoadjuvant therapy remain undefined. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of lateral lymph node metastasis (LLNM) to refine criteria for selective LLND.

Research Design And Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (10 August 2024) identified studies assessing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based LLNM detection in patients with rectal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and radical surgery.

Automated and Decentralized Genomic Profiling of Plasma Cell-Free DNA for Identification of Targetable and Resistance Alterations in Advanced Solid Tumors.

Background: Existing circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) assays are primarily centralized, requiring specialized sample handling and transportation. Implementing a flexible, decentralized sequencing system at point of care, with minimal technical oversight, can enhance turnaround times and patient access to genomic profiling. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical feasibility of an automated and decentralized cfDNA next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay for identifying actionable alterations in advanced solid tumors.

Temporal trends of sentinel lymph node biopsy without lymphadenectomy at cervical cancer surgery.

Objective: To assess temporal trends of sentinel lymph node biopsy alone without additional lymphadenectomy at surgery for cervical cancer in the United States.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study queried the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Study population was 13,498 patients with American Joint Commission on Cancer T1 classification cervical cancer who underwent anti-cancer surgery either with hysterectomy, trachelectomy, or cervical excision and additional surgical nodal evaluation from 2004 to 2021.

Korea, Japan, Europe, and the United States: Why are guidelines for gastric cancer different?

As a global health concern, gastric cancer management has been systematized by individual countries and regions into regimented guidelines. To explore international differences, we examined the guidelines of Korea, Japan, Europe, and the United States. Guidelines are created by experts in the field, focusing on evidence-based recommendations to standardize and improve patient care, but the methodology for guideline creation, incorporation of new innovations, and review differs significantly.

A phase I/II trial evaluating the safety of increased-dose S- 1 with oxaliplatin and nivolumab in HER2-negative advanced gastric cancer.

Background: We developed and refined an S-1 dosage formula based on renal function, sex, and body surface area (BSA) to achieve the target area under the concentration-time curve of 5-fluorouracil in two prospective pharmacokinetic studies. The clinical validity of the refined formula (BBT formula) was evaluated using data from the two phase III trials of fist-line chemotherapy including S-1 for advanced gastric cancer, which demonstrated that overall survival and progression-free survival tended to be shorter in patients whose S-1 standard dose, based on BSA alone, was lower than that determined using the BBT formula.

Methods: Chemo-naïve patients with HER2-negative advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer, whose standard S-1 dose is lower than that determined using the BBT formula, receive S-1 at an increased dose based on the BBT formula plus oxaliplatin (130 mg/m) and nivolumab (360 mg/body).

Risk factors for early recurrence in patients with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study in Japan (WJOG15721B).

Background: Patients with early recurrence of hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer have a poor prognosis. We aimed to identify clinical and pathological risk factors for recurrence within three years after surgery of HR+/HER2- breast cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of patients with stage II-III HR+/HER2- breast cancer who received adjuvant endocrine therapy from January 1, 2012 to January 1, 2017 at five institutions.

Cytoplasmic p53 Immunostaining in Salivary Duct Carcinoma: A Poor Prognostic Factor Associated With Characteristic TP53 Variants.

Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is an uncommon, high-grade malignancy. Identifying suitable prognostic factors is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies for SDC. p53 Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a potential prognostic marker for SDC.

Long-term conservative treatment of chylous ascites in gynecological malignant surgery: a case report and literature review.

Chylous ascites is a rare complication of abdominal surgery. Although most patients show improvement with conservative treatment. Long-term leakage of chylous ascites can cause malnutrition, dehydration, and immunosuppression; therefore, an early cure is desirable, but no standard treatment for chylous ascites has been established, and determining the timing of surgical intervention is difficult.

Impact of postoperative complications on clinical outcomes after gastrectomy for cancer: multicentre study.

Background: To reduce the clinical and economic burden of complications after gastrectomy for gastric cancer, specific complications should be targeted to effectively allocate healthcare resources for quality improvement and preventive measures. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of complications on clinical outcomes.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicentre study of patients who underwent (sub)total gastrectomy for gastric or junctional adenocarcinoma at 43 centres in 16 countries between 2017 and 2021.

Health-related quality of life in participants with advanced biliary tract cancer from the randomized phase III KEYNOTE-966 study.

Background & Aims: In the randomized, double-blind, phase III KEYNOTE-966 trial, the addition of pembrolizumab to gemcitabine and cisplatin (GemCis) led to a significant improvement in overall survival vs. GemCis alone for the first-line treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). Herein, we present the prespecified health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes from KEYNOTE-966.