Reduced RBM3 expression is associated with aggressive tumor features in esophageal cancer but not significantly linked to patient outcome

Abstract Background RBM3 expression has been suggested as prognostic marker in several cancer types. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and clinical significance of altered RBM3 expression in esophageal cancer. Methods RBM3 protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry using tissue microarrays containing samples from 359 esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and 254 esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) patients with oncological follow-up data. Results While nuclear RBM3 expression was always high in benign esophageal epithelium, high RBM3 expression was only detectable in 66.4% of interpretable EACs and 59.3% of ESCCs. Decreased RBM3 expression was linked to a subset of EACs with advanced UICC stage and presence of distant metastasis (P = 0.0031 and P = 0.0024). In ESCC, decreased RBM3 expression was associated with advanced UICC stage, high tumor stage, and positive lymph node status (P = 0.0213, P = 0.0061, and P = 0.0192). However, RBM3 expression was largely unrelated to survival of patients with esophageal cancer (EAC: P = 0.212 and ESCC: P = 0.5992). Conclusions In summary, the present study shows that decreased RBM3 expression is associated with unfavourable esophageal cancer phenotype, but not significantly linked to patient prognosis

Perioperative Short-Term Outcome in Super-Super-Obese Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery

Background Prevalence of obesity is increasing with a pandemic magnitude worldwide. Incidence of super-super-obesity (>?60 kg/m2) is expanding by the same means. While bariatric surgery is the only approach with proven long-term results, surgical outcome in super-super-obesity is still discussed controversially. Objective This retrospective study examined bariatric surgery patients’ short-term outcome in relation to their degree of obesity. Setting Data collection was performed in a German university medical center between March 2010 and November 2013. Methods This study analyzes a cohort of 715 patients in a single institution. Patients were subdivided into three groups, obese (??49.9 kg/m2), super-obese (??50 kg/m2), and super-super-obese (??60 kg/m2), and evaluated regarding perioperative outcome. Results Three hundred eighty-one patients were included into obese (O); 225 patients, into super-obese (SO); and 109 patients, into super-super-obese (SSO) cohort. There were no significant differences regarding patient characteristics including quantity of comorbidities and perioperative outcome. BMI was significantly lower in patients with complications, compared to patients without complications (p?<?0.05), whereas patients’ age was significantly higher (p?<?0.05) in complication cohort. One SSO patient died of a septic multiorgan failure. Thus, the 30-day overall mortality was 0.14%. The BMI showed an inverse correlation to the patients’ age at surgery (p?<?0.05). Conclusion Super-super-obesity should not be considered as a limiting factor for bariatric surgery outcome; however, the patients’ age, surgeries prior to the bariatric procedure, and comorbidities must be considered prior to bariatric surgical treatment.PeerReviewe