BACKGROUND:Gastric cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Triphenyl phosphate (TPP) is a prevalent flame retardant, but its health implications remain to be thoroughly understood. OBJECTIVE:To explore the link between TPP exposure and gastric cancer by examining gene expression patterns and developing a predictive model. METHODS:Gene expression data were sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were employed for analysis. Single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) was used to obtain phosphate flame retardant-related scores. A predictive model was constructed through differential analysis, univariate COX regression, and LASSO regression. Molecular docking was performed to assess protein interactions with TPP. RESULTS:ssGSEA identified scores related to phosphate flame retardants in gastric cancer, which had a strong association with immune-related traits. Several genes associated with TPP were identified and used to develop a prognostic model that has clinical significance. Molecular docking showed a high binding affinity of TPP with MTTP, a gene related to lipid metabolism. Pathway analysis indicated that TPP exposure contributes to gastric cancer through lipid metabolic processes. CONCLUSION:The study establishes a potential correlation between TPP exposure and gastric cancer onset, pinpointing key genes and pathways involved. This underscores the significance of environmental factors in gastric cancer research and presents a potential diagnostic tool for clinical application.

Background To explore the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor Tislelizumab combined with Apatinib and chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant therapy of Borrmann IV, large Borrmann III and Bulky N locally advanced gastric cancer. Methods Patients with untreated, Her-2-negative, resectable locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma (Borrmann IV, large Borrmann III, and Bulky N) were enrolled. Preoperative neoadjuvant therapy with tirelizumab combined with apatinib and SOX regimen was performed for 3 to 6 cycles. 3 cycles of evaluation, if PR, surgery; if SD, continue neoadjuvant therapy, after 6 cycles of re-evaluation of surgery. Results Forty patients were recruited, large Borrmann III in 26 cases, Borrmann IV in 6 cases, and Bulky N in 8 cases. The results of the radiographic evaluation were as follows: PR in 36 cases (90%), SD in 3 cases, PD in 1 case, and ORR rate was 90%. All patients underwent D2 or D2 + surgery, including R0 resection in 37 cases and R2 resection in 2 cases. Pathological effects: ypCR (TRG0) in 7 cases (17.9%), TRG1 in 9 cases, TRG2 in 18 cases, TRG3 in 5 cases. The MPR rate was 40.0%. Grade 3 to 4 adverse reactions occurred in 19 patients (47.5%) during neoadjuvant therapy. The incidence of postoperative complications was 33.3%, and grade IIIA or above was 7.7%, no perioperative death occurred. Conclusion For Borrmann IV, large Borrmann III, and Bulky N-positive, locally advanced gastric cancer, the triple regimen of Tislelizumab combined with Apatinib and chemotherapy can achieve clinical benefit with acceptable safety. Clinical Trial Registration: Registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, registration number NCT05223088.

Controversy over whether No.8p lymph nodes (LNs) involvement is distant or regional metastasis remains, and the possible inclusion of No.8p LNs in D2 lymphadenectomy is unclear. This work aimed to investigate the effect of No.8p LN dissection on the prognosis of patients with different LN metastases in advanced gastric cancer (GC). A retrospective case–control study was used to collect 1149 cases of radical gastrectomy from July 2003 to April 2013. The patients were divided into the No.8a group (303 cases) and the No.8a + 8p group (846 cases) according to whether No.8p LN dissection was performed. The effect of No.8p LN dissection on the prognosis of patients with different total number of LN metastasis was analyzed. Both No.8p positive and No.8p dissection were independent prognostic factors in patients with advanced GC. The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) of the positive No.8p group was 13.0%, and that of the negative No.8p group was 66.6%; the difference was significant (P < 0.05). In the group where the total number of LN metastasis was 3–15, the OS of patients with positive No.8p was significantly lower than that of the negative group (P < 0.05). The 5-year OS of the No.8a + 8p dissection group was 65.4%, and that of the No.8a dissection group was 55.5%; the difference was significant (P < 0.05). In the group where the total number of LN metastasis was 0–2, the No.8a + 8p dissection group had significantly higher OS than the No.8a dissection group (P < 0.05). For patients with advanced GC, No.8p LN metastasis indicates a poor prognosis. LN dissection in the No.8a + 8p group may further improve the prognosis of some patients, especially when the total number of LN metastasis is 0–2.

Gastric cancer (GC) poses a significant threat to human health and remains a prevalent form of cancer. Despite clinical treatments, the prognosis for Gastric cancer patients is still unsatisfactory, largely due to the development of multidrug resistance. Oxaliplatin (OXA), a second-generation platinum drug, is commonly recommended for adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy in Gastric cancer; however, the underlying mechanisms of acquired resistance to Oxaliplatin in Gastric cancer patients are not yet fully understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of Oxaliplatin resistance in Gastric cancer by employing bioinformatics analysis and conducting in vitro experiments. Specifically, we focused on investigating the role of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3). Our findings revealed that the knockdown of METTL3 significantly impeded the proliferation and migration of Gastric cancer cells. METTL3 knockdown induced apoptosis in OXA-resistant Gastric cancer cells and enhanced their sensitivity to Oxaliplatin. Furthermore, we found that DNA repair pathways were significantly activated in OXA-resistant Gastric cancer cells, and METTL3 knockdown significantly inhibited DNA repair pathways. Another important finding is that METTL3 knockdown and OXA-induced Gastric cancer cell death are additive, and the targeted METTL3 can assist Oxaliplatin treatment. Collectively, our findings suggest that METTL3 knockdown can augment the sensitivity of Gastric cancer cells to Oxaliplatin by impeding DNA repair processes. Consequently, targeting METTL3 holds great promise as a viable adjuvant strategy in the treatment of Gastric cancer patients.

Background: Mining the prognostic biomarkers of colorectal cancer (CRC) has important clinical and scientific significance. Inositol-3-phosphate synthase 1 (ISYNA1) has been reported in very few previous literature and its role in cancer remains controversial. However, the prognostic role of ISYNA1 in CRC still remains to be characterized. Methods: The potential prognostic factor ISYNA1 was screened out through TCGA database analysis. Then its expression and associations between clinicopathological variables were assessed in TCGA CRC cohort. The prognostic value of ISYNA1 was assessed by multiple methods, such as ROC curve, Kaplan-Meier method and univariate/multivariate Cox regression analysis. Then, functional enrichment and annotation among the high and low ISYNA1 groups were achieved by GO and KEGG analysis and GSEA. CRC tissue microarray and fresh CRC tissue samples obtained clinically were used for further validation. Results: ISYNA1 was highly expressed in CRC tissues compared to normal tissues. Meantime, overexpression of ISYNA1 correlated with higher N stage, M stage, AJCC stage, more lymphatic invasion and more R2 resection. Besides, high expression of ISYNA1 was closely correlated to less favorable OS, DSS and PFI. Moreover, ISYNA1 was identified an independent prognostic factor of CRC by performing univariate/multivariate Cox regression analysis. The analysis of CRC tissues microarray further confirmed the conclusion drawn from TCGA data analysis. Conclusion: ISYNA1 is notably upregulated in CRC tissues and may serves as a potential biomarker of CRC.

Background: Mining the prognostic biomarkers of colorectal cancer (CRC) has important clinical and scientific significance. The role of Fc receptor-like B (FCRLB) in solid tumors has never been reported or studied to our knowledge, and the prognostic role of FCRLB in CRC still awaits characterization. Methods: The potential prognostic factor FCRLB was screened out through TCGA database analysis. Then, its expression and associations with clinicopathological variables were assessed in the TCGA CRC cohort. The prognostic value of FCRLB was examined with multiple methods, such as the Kaplan-Meier method, ROC curve, time-dependent ROC analysis, and prediction model nomograms. Then, functional enrichment and annotation among the high and low FCRLB groups were achieved utilizing GO and KEGG analyses and GSEA. Fresh CRC tissue samples obtained clinically were used for the preparation of the tissue microarray and for further validation. Results: FCRLB was highly expressed in CRC tissues compared to normal tissues. Moreover, over-expression of FCRLB correlated with higher CEA levels, advanced T stage, N stage, M stage, AJCC stage, lymphatic invasion, perineural invasion, and incomplete resection (R1 and R2 resection). In addition, high expression of FCRLB was closely correlated to less favorable OS, DSS, and PFI. The analysis of CRC tissue microarray further confirmed the conclusion drawn from the TCGA data analysis. Conclusion: FCRLB is notably up-regulated in CRC tissues and may serve as a potential biomarker of CRC.

Background There were differences in the recovery of bowel function and prolonged postoperative ileus (PPOI) between laparoscopic right colectomy (RC) and left colectomy (LC) under the guidance of enhanced recovery after surgery. Methods We selected 870 patients who underwent elective laparoscopic colectomy from June 2016 to December 2021, including 272 patients who had RC and 598 who had LC. According to 1:1 proportion for propensity score matching and correlation analysis, 247 patients who had RC and 247 who had LC were finally enrolled. Results The incidence of PPOI in all patients was 13.1%. Age, sex, smoking habit, preoperative serum albumin level, operation type, and operation time were the important independent risk factors based on multivariate logistic regression and correlation analysis for PPOI (p<0.05). Age, sex, body mass index, preoperative serum albumin level, operation time, and degree of differentiation between the two groups were significantly different before case matching (p<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics and preoperative biochemical parameters between the two groups after case matching (p>0.05). The incidence of PPOI in patients who had RC was 21.9%, while that in patients who had LC was 13.0%. The first flatus, first semi-liquid, and length of stay in LC patients were lower than those in RC patients (p<0.05). Conclusion The return of bowel function in LC was faster than that in RC, and the incidence of PPOI was relatively lower. Therefore, caution should be taken during the early feeding of patients who had laparoscopic RC.

Abstract Background We conducted a single-arm phase II trial to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with oxaliplatin and S-1 in the treatment of unresectable gastric cancer. Patients and methods Previously untreated patients with unresectable HER-2-negative advanced gastric cancer were selected. All the patients received six cycles of S-1 and oxaliplatin and five cycles of apatinib, which were administered at intervals of three weeks. The surgery was performed after six cycles of drug treatment. The primary endpoints were radical resection (R0) rate and safety. This study was registered with the China Trial Register, number ChiCTR-ONC-17010430 (01/12/2016–01/12/2022). Results A total of 39 patients were enrolled. Efficacy evaluation was feasible for 37 patients. One patient achieved complete response (CR, 2.7%), 26 patients achieved partial response (PR, 70.3%), three patients had stable disease (SD, 8.1%) and seven patients had progressive disease (PD, 18.9%). The objective response rate (ORR) was 73.0% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 81.1%. 22 patients underwent surgery, among which 14 patients underwent radical resection (R0), with a R0 resection rate of 63.6%. The 1-year survival rate of the surgical group (22 patients) was 71.1% and the 2-year survival rate was 41.1%. The median survival time was 21 months. The incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 100%. Leucopenia (65.3%) and granulocytopenia (69.2%) were the most common hematological AEs. The most common non-hematological AEs were fatigue (51.3%) and oral mucositis (35.9%). Conclusion Apatinib combined with oxaliplatin and S-1 showed good short-term survival and acceptable safety in the conversion therapy of unresectable gastric cancer.

Patients with advanced stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) commonly show high mortality and poor prognosis. Increasing evidence has suggested that basic metabolic changes may promote the growth and aggressiveness of STAD; therefore, identification of metabolic prognostic signatures in STAD would be meaningful. An integrative analysis was performed with 407 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and 433 samples from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to develop a metabolic prognostic signature associated with clinical and immune features in STAD using Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The different proportions of immune cells and differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) between high- and low-risk score groups based on the metabolic prognostic signature were evaluated to describe the association of cancer metabolism and immune response in STAD. A total of 883 metabolism-related genes in both TCGA and GEO databases were analyzed to obtain 184 differentially expressed metabolism-related genes (DEMRGs) between tumor and normal tissues. A 13-gene metabolic signature ( GSTA2 , POLD3 , GLA , GGT5 , DCK , CKMT2 , ASAH1 , OPLAH , ME1 , ACYP1 , NNMT , POLR1A , and RDH12) was constructed for prognostic prediction of STAD. Sixteen survival-related DEMRGs were significantly related to the overall survival of STAD and the immune landscape in the tumor microenvironment. Univariate and multiple Cox regression analyses and the nomogram proved that a metabolism-based prognostic risk score (MPRS) could be an independent risk factor. More importantly, the results were mutually verified using TCGA and GEO data. This study provided a metabolism-related gene signature for prognostic prediction of STAD and explored the association between metabolism and the immune microenvironment for future research, thereby furthering the understanding of the crosstalk between different molecular mechanisms in human STAD. Some prognosis-related metabolic pathways have been revealed, and the survival of STAD patients could be predicted by a risk model based on these pathways, which could serve as prognostic markers in clinical practice.

Objective: To investigate the safety and short-term efficacy of apatinib combined with oxaliplatin and S-1 in the conversion treatment for gastric cancer with different types of peritoneal metastasis. Methods: A prospective study "one arm exploratory clinical study of conversion therapy of apatinib with S-1 and oxaliplatin in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer" (clinical registration ChiCTR-ONC-17010430) from medical record database was retrospectively analyzed. Patients aged 18-70 years with gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis confirmed by histology and laparoscopic exploration, and had not receive radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy before were enrolled. Before operation, the patients received 6 cycles of S-1 (80-120 mg/d, d1-d14) and oxaliplatin (130 mg/m(2), d1), and 5 cycles of apatinib (500 mg/d, d1-d21) conversion regimen. Three weeks after chemotherapy, whether the operation was performed or not depending on re-evaluation and patient preference. The main outcome were adverse reactions, and the secondary outcome were objective remission rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and overall survival (OS) rate. The follow-up period was up to May 2020. Results: A total of 27 patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis were enrolled in this study. There were 13 males and 14 females, with a median age of 58 (30-68) years old. There were 9 cases of P1a, 5 cases of P1b, and 13 cases of P1c. There were 14 cases with 1-5 scores of PCI (peritoneal cancer index), and 13 cases with 6 scores or above. The incidence of adverse reactions was 100%. The most common adverse reactions were hematological events including leucopenia (70.4%, 19/27) and granulocytopenia (74.1%, 20/27). Non-hematological adverse events included fatigue (51.9%, 14/27) and oral mucositis (37.0%, 10/27). One patient was withdrawn due to grade 4 thrombocytopenia. Among 26 patients with feasible efficacy evaluation, 18 (69.2%) achieved partial remission, 3 (11.5%) achieved stable disease, and 5 (19.2%) disease progression. The objective remission rate was 69.2% (18/26) and the disease control rate was 80.8% (21/26). Fourteen patients underwent surgery, including 6 patients undergoing R0 resection with the R0 resection rate of 42.9% (6/14). The postoperative pathological response rate was 64.3% (9/14). The follow-up time was 12-40 months, and the follow-up rate was 100%. The 1-year OS rate was 65.2% and the survival time was (14.0±1.7) months. The 1-year OS rates of P1a/P1b group and P1c group were 81.8% and 42.0% respectively, whose difference was statistically significant (P=0.041). The 1-year OS rates of PCI 1-5 group and PCI ≥6 group were 67.3% and 38.5% respectively, whose difference was statistically significant (P=0.022). Conclusion: In the conversion treatment of gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis, the safety of apatinib combined with oxaliplatin and S-1 is acceptable, and this regimen shows a good short-term survival efficacy in patients with P1a/P1b and PCI of 1-5.

Objective To explore the safety and long-term results of preoperative imatinib mesylate administration (IM) in patients with locally advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).Methods From Sep 2009 to Nov 2016,locally advanced GIST patients treated in Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital were analysed retrospectively.Result 34 patients were included.Preoperative median IM treatment was 27 weeks(range 12-71 weeks).65％ patients had a partial response to IM,35％ showed stable disease.All patients underwent surgical R0 resection.The complication rate was 9％ and no death occurred within 30 days post operation.The median follow-up time was 62.2 months (range of 13-89 months).20 patients continued to take imatinib orally,14 patients did not.The 3 year survival rate of patients undergoing surgery was 67％.Univariate analysis showed that tumor location,preoperative imatinib effect,pathology,targeted therapy after surgery were factors affecting prognosis.Multivariate analysis show that the independent risk factors affecting prognosis were tumor location,pathology,targeted therapy after surgery.Conclusion In locally advanced GISTs,preoperative IM is useful and safe that can effectively decrease tumor size,facilitating resection.

Objective To summarize the clinicopathological characteristics and analyze the prognostic factors of young gastric cancer patients.Methods Data of 1 801 gastric cancer patients (divided into ≤45 years of age group,n =230 cases,and ＞ 45 years old group,n =1 571 cases) undergoing gastrectomy in Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery,Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital,from June 1999 to November 2015 were retrospectively analyzed.Results Compared with the elderly patients,those ≤45 years old were more female with higher percentage of signet ring cell carcinoma,M1 and non radical resection while less in the upper stomach area (P ＜ 0.05),but there was no statistical difference in tumor size,depth of invasion,lymph node metastasis,Borrmann type,TNM stage,peripheral nerve involvement,cancer embolus,positive margin.Prognostic analysis showed the difference of 5-years survival rate was not statistically significant between young and elderly patients.But the 5-year survival rate in young patients with signet ring cell carcinoma undergoingt radical gastrectomy was better than that of elderly patients (P =0.047,0.038).Multivariate regression analysis showed that M staging and surgical modality were independent prognostic factors for these ≤ 45 years old patients.Conclusion Although there are special clinicopathological features of gastric cancer in young patients,but the postoperative prognosis is relatively the same as those elderly patients.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic difference of gastric stump cancer between non-anastomotic site and anastomotic site.METHODS:Clinicopathologic data of 149 patients with gastric stump cancer undergoing operation (radical resection and palliative resection) in our department from January 1999 to June 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. Gastric stump cancer was defined as a primary carcinoma detected in the remnant stomach more than 5 years after subtotal gastrectomy for a benign disease(87 cases) or over 10 years after radical subtotal gastrectomy for a malignant disease (62 cases). Patients were divided into the anastomotic site group (72 cases) and the non-anastomotic site group (77 cases) according to tumor sites within the remnant stomach. Clinicopathologic characteristics, operative data, lymph node metastasis and prognosis were compared between the two groups.RESULTS:Compared with non-anastomotic site group, the T stage, N stage and TNM stage were later in the anastomotic site group. Number of case of T1, T2, T3, and T4 stage in anastomotic site group was 1(1.4%), 2 (2.8%), 17(23.6%) and 52(72.2%), while such number in non-anastomotic site group was 8(10.4%), 10(13.0%), 27(35.1%) and 32(41.6%) respectively(χ2=17.665, P=0.001). Number of case of N0, N1, N2, and N3 in anastomotic site group was 28 (38.9%), 10 (13.9%), 23 (31.9%) and 11 (15.3%), while such number in non-anastomotic site group was 55 (71.4%), 10 (13.0%), 7 (9.1%) and 5 (6.5%) respectively(χ2=19.421, P=0.000). Number of case of stage I(, II(, III( and IIII( in anastomotic site group was 3(4.2%), 10(13.9%), 47(65.3%) and 12(16.7%), while such number in non-anastomotic site group was 16(20.8%), 40 (51.9%), 15(19.5%) and 6(7.8%) respectively(χ2=45.294, P=0.000). The histology and Borrmann classification were worse in anastomotic site group. Anastomotic site group had 19 cases(26.4%) of good differentiation and 53 cases(73.6%) of bad differentiation, while non-anastomotic site group had 43 cases (55.8%) of well-differentiated and 34 cases (44.2%) of poorly-differentiated tumors respectively(χ2=13.287, P=0.000). Anastomotic site group had 3 cases (4.2%) of Borrmann I(, 17 cases (23.6%) of Borrmann II(, 47 cases(65.3%) of Borrmann III( and 5 cases (6.9%) of Borrmann IIII(, while non-anastomotic site group had 18 cases (23.4%) of Borrmann I(, 16 cases (20.8%) of Borrmann II(, 34 cases (50.6%) of Borrmann III( and 4 cases (5.2%) of Borrmann IIII( respectively(χ2=11.445, P=0.010). Compared with non-anastomotic site group, anastomotic site group had a lower curative resection rate [63.9% (46/72) vs. 89.6% (69/77), χ2=13.977, P=0.000], a higher combined organ resection rate [33.3% (24/72) vs. 16.9% (13/77), χ2=5.394, P=0.020] and a more metastatic lymph nodes (4.3±4.9 vs. 1.9±3.6, t=3.478, P=0.000). The lymph node metastasis rates of No.4, No.10 and jejunal mesentery root lymph node in anastomotic site group and non-anastomotic site group were 15.3% (11/72) and 5.2% (4/77)(χ2=4.178, P=0.041), 9.7% (7/72) and 1.3% (1/77) (χ2=5.196, P=0.023), and 25.0% (18/72) and 3.9% (3/77)(χ2=13.687, P=0.000), respectively. Median followed up of all the patients was 37(2 to 154) months and the overall 5-year survival rate was 44.1%. The 5-year survival rate was 33.1% in anastomotic site group and 55.2% in non-anastomotic site group, and the difference was statistically significant between two groups (P=0.015). In the subgroup analysis according to the histology differentiation, the 5-year survival rate of patients with well-differentiation was not significantly different between two groups (43.7% vs. 56.2%, P=0.872), but the 5-year survival rate of patients with bad differentiation in anastomotic site group was significantly lower than that in non-anastomotic site group(29.8% vs. 53.8%, P=0.029).CONCLUSION:Gastric stump cancer locating in anastomotic site indicates worse differentiation histology, higher lymph node metastasis rate, lower curative resection rate and poorer prognosis.

Objective To investigate the relationship between perineural invasion and clinicopathological factors of gastric cancer or prognosis of patients.Methods The retrospective case-control study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 1 801 patients with gastric cancer who were admitted to the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Fujian Medical University between March 1999 and November 2015 were collected.All the patients received surgery in order to the radical resection of gastric cancer,and total gastrectomy or two-thirds and above of gastrectomy and D2 lymph node dissection were performed.Patients with preoperative stage Ⅲ of clinical staging underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Patients with T3-T4 of histopathologic stage,T1-T2 of positive lymph nodes and T2N0 of high risk factors (low differentiated tumor,lymphovascular invasion,perineural invasion and age ＜ 50 years) underwent postoperative chemotherapy.Observation indicators:(1) treatment situations;(2)pathological characteristics;(3) follow-up results;(4) prognostic factors.Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed once within 1 month postoperatively,once every 3 months within 2 years postoperatively and once every 6 months from 3 to 5 years postoperatively up to February 2016.Follow-up included inquiry,physical examination,routine blood test,biochemical test,carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA),CA19-9,color Doppler ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) and endoscopy.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as (x)±s and comparison between groups was analyzed using the t test.Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range).Ordinal data was analyzed by the nonparametric test.The univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were done using the COX regression model.The hazard ratio (HR)and 95％ confidence interval (CI) were calculated.The survival curve and survival analysis were respectively drawn and done by the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test.Result (1) Treatment situations:all the 1 801patients underwent traditional open surgery,including 1 570 undergoing radical resection and 231 undergoing palliative surgery.Of 1 801 patients,1 029 received total gastrectomy,540 received distal gastrectomy,201 received extended gastrectomy and 31 received resection of residual stomach.Operation time,volume of intraoperative blood loss,number of lymph node dissected and duration of hospital stay were (173±40) minutes,(224-±91) mL,30± 13 and (15±9) days,respectively.Of 1 801 patients,79 underwent preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 906 underwent postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.(2) Pathological characteristics:results of pathological examinations of 1 801 patients showed that 509 had positive perineural invasion and 1 292 had negative perineural invasion.Tumors located in the upper region,middle region and lower region of stomach,whole stomach and stump stomach were respectively detected in 173,189,123,12,12 patients with positive perineural invasion and 395,417,428,29,23 patients with negative perineural invasion.Type Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ of Borrmann type were respectively detected in 13,213,244,39 patients with positive perineural invasion and 92,511,629,60 patients with negative perineural invasion.The good and poor tumor differentiations and tumor diameter ＜5 cm and ≥5 cm were respectively detected in 172,337,244,265 patients with positive perineural invasion and 536,756,833,459 patients with negative perineural invasion.Stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳv of histopathologic stage,T1,T2,T3,T4 of invasive depth,NO,N1,N2,N3 of lymph node metastasis and positive and negative lymphovascular invasion were respectively detected in 27,54,346,82,17,24,26,442,77,84,109,239,383,126 patients with positive perineural invasion and 263,283,623,123,188,169,289,646,409,219,312,352,437,855 patients with negative perineural invasion,with statistically significant differences in above indexes between positive and negative perineural invasion patients (X2 =14.142,Z =-2.098,X2 =9.061,41.536,Z=-10.389,-13.824,-8.638,X2 =252.624,P＜ 0.05).(3) Follow-up results:1 629patients were followed up for 1.0-99.0 months,with a median time of 37.3 months.The 5-year overall survival rate was 58.5％.(4) Prognostic factors:results of univariate analysis showed that tumor location,Borrmann type,degree of tumor differentiation,tumor diameter,histopathologic stage,invasive depth,lymph node metastasis,lymphovascular invasion and perineural invasion were factors affecting prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (HR=1.209,1.303,1.496,2.303,3.368,2.057,1.812,2.013,1.332,95％ CI:1.123-1.301,1.171-1.449,1.290-1.736,2.001-2.649,3.012-3.767,1.856-2.279,1.694-1.939,1.749-2.317,1.126-1.576,P＜0.05).Resuhs of multivariate analysis showed that tumors located in the upper and middle of stomach,whole stomach and stump stomach,tumor diameter ≥ 5 cm,stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ of histopathologic stage,T2-T4 of invasive depth,N1-N3 of lymph node metastasis,positive lymphovascular invasion and positive perineural invasion were independent risk factors affecting prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (HR =1.087,1.234,2.663,1.174,1.136,1.254,1.272,95％ CI:1.008-1.172,1.063-1.432,2.292-3.095,1.035-1.332,1.044-1.236,1.064-1.501,1.066-1.516,P＜0.05).The 5-year survival rate was 49.1％ in 509 patients with positive perineural invasion and 60.7％ in 1 292 patients with negative perineural invasion,respectively,with a statistically significant difference (X2 =11.270,P＜0.05).The 5-year overall survival rate was 41.1％ in 383patients with positive perineural invasion and lymphovascular invasion,77.1％ in 126 patients with positive perineural invasion and negative lymphovascular invasion,49.1％ in 437 patients with negative perineural invasion and positive lymphovascular invasion and 92.1％ in 855 patients with negative perineural invasion and lymphovascular invasion,respectively,with a statistically significant difference (X2=244.368,P＜0.05).Conclusion Perineural invasion is a high risk factor affecting prognosis of patients with gastric cancer,and it may be useful in evaluating prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.

Objective To analyze the relationship of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and the clinical pathological feature of gastric cancer and impact on the prognosis in gastric cancer patients.Methods The clinical and pathological data of 1 482 gastric cancer patients undergoing gastrectomy were analyzed retrospectively.The relationship between LVI and the prognosis was evaluated.Results LVI was found in 606 patients (40.9％),which was in significant correlations with tumor size,tumour location,Borrmann type,tumor differentiation status,operative method,tumor invasion,lymph node involvement,and TNM stage (P ＜ 0.05).The five-year survival of patients with LVI was significantly shorter than that of the LVI-negative patients (55.0％ vs.73.1％,x2 =45.15,P =0.00).By multivariate analysis,LVI was an independent prognostic factor (HR =1.592,95％ CI:1.329-1.907,P =0.00).Conclusion LVI is au important indicator for poor prognosis of gastric cancer,suggesting a more aggressive postoperative therapies.

BACKGROUND/AIMS To evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymph node dissection for advanced upper gastric cancer in patients with high body mass index. METHODOLOGY Outcomes were retrospectively analyzed in 140 patients with AUGC who underwent laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar LN dissection between January 2010 and December 2012, including those with high (≥ 23 kg/m) and normal (< 23 kg/m2) BMI. RESULTS Except for BMI, the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with high and normal BMI were similar. The number of retrieved No. 10 LNs per patient was significantly lower in the high than in the normal BMI group. There were no significant between group differences in operation time, blood loss, postoperative hospital stay and complications. Subgroup analysis showed that the numbers of No. 10 LNs retrieved per patient were lower in males with high than normal BMI and in patients after the initial learning curve of 40 patients with high than normal BMI. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar LN dissection is feasible and safe in patients with high BMI, although even experienced laparoscopic surgeons should take special care in these patients, especially in men.

Purpose The left gastric vein (LGV) is an important blood vessel requiring dissection during gastric surgery. We describe a rare anatomic variant of the LGV. Methods The LGV drainage pattern was analyzed relative to intraoperative vascular anatomy in 2,111 patients with gastric cancer who underwent radical resection from May 2007 to September 2012. The incidence of the anatomic variant was determined, and the diameter and length of the LGV and the distances from the end of the LGV to the splenoportal confluence and the root of the left gastric artery (LGA) were measured by abdominal CT reconstruction. Results In 6 of the 2,111 (0.28 %) gastric cancer patients who underwent radical resection, the LGV descended on the left side of the gastropancreatic fold, ran across the dorsal side of the splenic artery and drained into the splenic vein. The mean diameter and length of the LGV were 5.10 ± 0.40 and 37.40 ± 5.19 mm, respectively, and the mean distance from the end of the LGV to the splenoportal confluence was 13.05 ± 0.86 mm. The closer the LGV and LGA were to the root, the greater the distance between them, with a mean 13.85 ± 1.02 mm between the end of the LGV and the root of the LGA. Conclusions In this rare anatomic variant, the LGV descends along the gastropancreatic fold, runs across the dorsal side of the splenic artery and drains into the splenic vein. Knowledge of this rare anatomic variant will help avoid damage to the LGV during gastric surgery.

AIM:To evaluate the feasibility and short-term efficacy of laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar (No. 10) lymphadenectomy to treat advanced upper gastric cancer (AUGC).METHODS:Between January and December 2012, 108 laparoscopic spleen-preserving No. 10 lymphadenectomy along with total gastrectomy with routine D2 lymphadenectomy were performed consecutively at our hospital to treat clinical T2-3 (cT2-3) upper gastric cancers. The preoperative clinical T stage was cT2 in 36 patients and cT3 in 72 patients. A prospectively designed database tracked the 108 patients, including the completeness of their medical records and the adequacy of follow-up. Patient clinicopathological characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative surgical outcomes, morbidity and mortality, lymph node (LN) dissection, and postoperative follow-up were analysed retrospectively.RESULTS:Laparoscopic spleen-preserving No. 10 lymphadenectomy was successful in all 108 patients. The mean operation time was 169.3 ± 27.1 min, and the mean No. 10 lymphadenectomy time was 20.0 ± 5.7 min. The mean total blood loss was 46.2 ± 11.3 mL, and the mean blood loss from No. 10 lymphadenectomy was 14.3 ± 3.8 mL. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 11.9 ± 6.0 d. The intraoperative and postoperative morbidity rates were 3.7% and 12.0%, respectively; however, there was no postoperative mortality. A mean of 44.4 ± 17.6 LNs were retrieved from each specimen, including 3.0 ± 2.4 No. 10 LNs. Three patients (2.8%) with cT3 cancer had LN metastasis of the splenic hilus, including two patients with pathological T3 (pT3) and one patient with pathological T4a (pT4a) tumours, all located in the greater curvature. No splenic hilar LNs metastasis was evident in the patients with pT1 and pT2 tumours. At a median follow-up time of 18 mo (range, 12 to 23 mo), all patients were alive and none had experienced recurrent or metastatic disease.CONCLUSION:Laparoscopic spleen-preserving No. 10 lymphadenectomy is feasible and effective to treat AUGC. Routine No. 10 lymphadenectomy may be unnecessary for AUGC without serosa invasion, unless T3 tumours are located in the greater curvature.

BACKGROUND:Although cardiac cancer of the remnant stomach and primary cardiac cancer both occur in the same position, their clinical characteristics and outcomes have not been compared previously. The objective of this study was designed to evaluate the prognosis of cardiac cancer of the remnant stomach in comparison with primary cardiac cancer.METHODS:In this retrospective comparative study, clinical data and prognosis were compared in 48 patients with cardiac cancer of the remnant stomach and 96 patients with primary cardiac cancer who underwent radical resection from January 1995 to June 2007. Clinicopathologic characteristics, survival times, mortality, and complications were analyzed.RESULTS:The 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in patients with primary cardiac cancer than in those with cardiac cancer of the remnant stomach (28.4% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.035). Serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis and tumor location were independent prognostic factors for survival. Subgroup analysis, however, showed similar survival rates in patients with primary cardiac cancer and cardiac cancer of the remnant stomach without serosal invasion (25.0% vs. 43.8%, P = 0.214) and without lymph node metastasis (25.0% vs. 38.8%, P = 0.255), as well as similar complication rates (20.8% vs. 11.5%, P = 0.138).CONCLUSION:Although the survival rates after radical resection in patients with cardiac cancer of the remnant stomach were poorer than in those with primary cardiac cancer, they were similar in survival rates when patients without serosal invasion or lymph node metastasis. Therefore, early detection is an important way to improve overall survival in cardiac cancer of the remnant stomach.