Malignant Melanoma of Anorectum: Two Case Reports

Malignant melanoma of the anorectum is a rare disorder. Patients often present with local symptoms similar to benign diseases. The prognosis is very poor, and almost all patients die because of metastases. We report 2 female patients with unremarkable histories. Both of them received previous operations before visiting our center after they were diagnosed with anorectal malignant melanoma. One case underwent abdominoperineal resection and postoperative chemotherapy. The other had been treated with ultralow anterior resection followed by immunotherapy.ope

Three-dimensional anatomy of the Denonvilliers' fascia after micro-CT reconstruction

An understanding of the anatomy of the Denonvilliers' fascia is essential for successful surgical outcomes for patients with rectal cancer in the mid- to lower regions, especially near the seminal vesicles and prostate in males. Whether the correct surgical plane during a total mesorectal excision should be anterior or posterior to the Denonvilliers' fascia is currently under debate. This study aimed to investigate the Denonvilliers' fascia using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to acquire three-dimensional images nondestructively for assessments of the relationship between the Denonvilliers' fascia, the mesorectal fascia, and neurovascular bundles to elucidate the correct anterior total mesorectal excision plane. Eight specimens were obtained bilaterally from four fresh human cadavers. Four specimens were stained with phosphotungstic acid to visualize the soft tissue, and micro-CT images were obtained; the other four specimens were stained with Masson's trichrome to visualize connective tissue. Micro-CT images corroborate that the Denonvilliers' fascia consists of a multilayered structure that separates the rectum from the seminal vesicles and the prostate. Specimens stained with Masson's trichrome showed that the urogenital neurovascular bundle located at the posterolateral corner of the prostate is separated from the mesorectum by the Denonvilliers' fascia. For the preservation of autonomic nerves necessary for urogenital function and optimal oncologic outcomes in patients with rectal cancer, a successful mesorectal excision requires a dissection plane posterior to the Denonvilliers' fascia.ope

Response Assessment with MRI after Chemoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer: Current Evidences

Baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the primary staging modality for surgical plans and stratification of patient populations for more efficient neoadjuvant treatment. Patients who exhibit a complete response to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) may achieve excellent local tumor control and better quality of life with organ-preserving treatments such as local excision or even watch-and-wait management. Therefore, the evaluation of tumor response is a key factor for determining the appropriate treatment following CRT. Although post-CRT MRI is generally accepted as the first-choice method for evaluating treatment response after CRT, its application in the clinical decision process is not fully validated. In this review, we will discuss various oncologic treatment options from radical surgical technique to organ-preservation strategies for achieving better cancer control and improved quality of life following CRT. In addition, the current status of post-CRT MRI in restaging rectal cancer as well as the main imaging features that should be evaluated for treatment planning will also be described for the tailored treatment.ope

Neonatal mitochondrial respiratory chain defect and vaginal embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma : possibility of oncogenesis?

Mitochondrial disorders are rare metabolic diseases. They often present during neonatal period but with nonspecific clinical features such as feeding difficulties, failure to thrive, and seizures. Mitochondrial defects have also known to be associated with neurological disorders, as well as cancers. We report the first case of neonatal mitochondrial respiratory chain defect with sarcoma botryoides confirmed by pathologic diagnosis, suggesting another possible link between mitochondrial dysfunction and cancer.ope

Prognostic Impact of Immunonutritional Status Changes During Preoperative Chemoradiation in Patients With Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Previous studies have demonstrated the prognostic impact of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), a proposed indicator of immunonutritional statuses of surgical patients, on patients with various gastrointestinal cancers. Although the prognostic impact of the PNI on patients with colorectal cancer has been well established, its value has not been studied in patients treated with preoperative chemoradiation (pCRT). This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of PNI on patients receiving pCRT for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). METHODS: Patients with LARC who underwent curative pCRT followed by surgical resection were enrolled. The PNI was measured in all patients before and after pCRT, and the difference in values was calculated as the PNI difference (dPNI). Patients were classified according to dPNI (10). Clinicopathologic parameters and long-term oncologic outcomes were assessed according to dPNI classification. RESULTS: No significant intergroup differences were observed in clinicopathologic parameters such as age, histologic grade, tumor location, tumor-node-metastasis stage, and postoperative complications. Approximately 53% of the patients had a mild dPNI (10). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the dPNI as an independent prognostic factor for disease-free status (P < 0.01; hazard ratio [HR], 2.792; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.577-4.942) and for cancer-specific survival (P = 0.012; HR, 2.469; 95%CI, 1.225-4.978). CONCLUSION: The dPNI is predictive of long-term outcomes in pCRT-treated patients with LARC. Further prospective studies should investigate whether immune-nutritional status correction during pCRT would improve oncologic outcomes.ope

Prospective study of oncologic outcomes after laparoscopic modified complete mesocolic excision for non-metastatic right colon cancer (PIONEER study): study protocol of a multicentre single-arm trial

Background: The introduction of complete mesocolic excision (CME) with central vascular ligation (CVL) for right-sided colon cancer has improved the oncologic outcomes. Recently, we have introduced a modified CME (mCME) procedure that keeps the same principles as the originally described CME but with a more tailored approach. Some retrospective studies have reported the favourable oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic mCME for right-sided colon cancer; however, no prospective multicentre study has yet been conducted. Methods: This study is a multi-institutional, prospective, single-arm study evaluating the oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic mCME for adenocarcinoma arising from the right side of the colon. A total of 250 patients will be recruited from five tertiary referral centres in South Korea. The primary outcome of this study is 3-year disease-free survival. Secondary outcome measures include 3-year overall survival, incidence of surgical complications, completeness of mCME, and distribution of metastatic lymph nodes. The quality of laparoscopic mCME will be assessed on the basis of photographs of the surgical specimen and the operation field after the completion of lymph node dissection. Discussion: This is a prospective multicentre study to evaluate the oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic mCME for right-sided colon cancer. To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first study to prospectively and objectively assess the quality of laparoscopic mCME. The results will provide more evidence about oncologic outcomes with respect to the quality of laparoscopic mCME in right-sided colon cancer. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03992599 (June 20, 2019). The posted information will be updated as needed to reflect protocol amendments and study progress.ope

Prognosis of ulcerative colitis colorectal cancer vs. sporadic colorectal cancer: propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) harbours a high risk of UC-associated colorectal cancer (UCCC), which is important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Overall Survival (OS) of patients with UCCC has not been addressed well in the literature. Thus, we compared oncologic outcome of UCCC and sporadic colorectal cancer (SCC) using propensity score matching analysis. METHODS: Propensity score matching was performed for 36 patients, a 1:1 matching method stratified into 18 in UCCC and 18 patients in SCC. Matched variables were sex, age, body mass index, tumour stage, histology, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, and adjuvant treatment status. Patients with SCC or UCCC were retrospectively retrieved from our database from March 2000 to December 2015. All patients had undergone either oncological segmental resection or total proctocolectomy. RESULTS: The majority of cancers were found in the sigmoid colon. Total proctocolectomy was performed only in the UCCC group; however, half of the UCCC group underwent a standard operation. Five cases of postoperative complication occurred within six months in the UCCC group compared to one case in the SCC group. There was no significant difference in recurrence rate (p = 0.361) or OS (p = 0.896) between the arms. CONCLUSION: UCCC showed more postoperative complications than SCC, and equivalent oncology outcome, however the difference was not statistically significant. This study represents an experience of a single institution, thus further randomized studies are required to confirm our.ope