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AIM: Many studies support the role of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a strong indicator of the status of colorectal cancer patients, but evidence for carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is poor. For this reason the study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative serum CA19-9 levels in colorectal cancer patients. METHOD: In all, 1190 colorectal cancer patients were included in this study, of whom 955 underwent a potentially curative resection. These were analysed for recurrence and survival. The 255 patients with Stage IV disease were analysed for metastatic status. RESULTS: Patients with an elevated preoperative CEA with Stage II and III disease showed a significantly poorer survival than those with normal levels. In contrast patients with elevated preoperative CA19-9 levels were associated with a significantly poorer survival irrespective of disease stage. Of the 255 patients with Stage IV disease, 92 (39.1%) had peritoneal dissemination at laparotomy observed more frequently in patients with an elevated CA19-9 (47.9%). Of the 955 patients having a curative resection, 18 (1.9%) developed peritoneal dissemination. In multivariate analysis, an elevated preoperative CA19-9 level was a significant risk factor for postoperative peritoneal recurrence. CONCLUSION: After curative surgery for colorectal cancer the preoperative CA19-9 level is a strong prognostic indicator of higher risk of peritoneal dissemination.

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BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic surgery has spread quickly during the past twenty years, and has become one of the important treatments in the field of colorectal surgery. Recently, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) has been studied as the next generation of minimally-invasive surgery, but the feasibility and safety of the NOTES method have not been evaluated. In such a situation, single-incision laparoscopic surgery has attracted interest from surgeons worldwide. However, single-incision laparoscopic colorectal surgery has not yet been standardized. METHODS: From February 2010, single-incision laparoscopic colectomy was performed for 7 patients presenting with early colon cancer. All procedures were performed by two experts with the License of Endoscopic Surgical Skill Qualification System (ESSQS) of Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery (JSES) in the field of colorectal Surgery. RESULTS: We used the Gelport system (Applied Medical, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA) as the access port and 3 trocars of different sizes (Ethicon, Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA). Using this technique, we did not experience any difficulties or use any articulated instruments. All of the present 7 patients underwent the single-incision laparoscopic colectomy successfully and had no complications. CONCLUSION: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery using the Gelport was performed safely in the present cases. The use of the Gelport as an access port can address the technical difficulty associated with this new technique.

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AIM: The purpose of the study was to examine changes in splenic volume among recipients during the course of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using multislice computed tomography (CT) scanning with a semiautomatic volumetry software. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients, including 33 males and a mean overall age of 54 +/- 8 years), underwent liver transplantation for the primary disease of liver cirrhosis with or without hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 31/17, respectively). The mean MELD score was 14 +/- 6. The liver graft mass compared with recipient weight was 74% +/- 28%. Splenic artery embolization was not performed. Dynamic CT scans splenic volume, and platelet counts (10(3)/cm(3)) were obtained pre, < or =50 day and > or =90 days postoperatively. RESULTS: The total time to generate volumetry and image postprocessing per examination was <10 minutes. One-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the average splenic volume tended to be reduced from pre- to post-LDLT, although not significantly: pre-LDLT, 469 +/- 270 mL; < or =day 50, 369 +/- 212 mL; and > or =day 90, 378 +/- 210 mL (P = .066). One-factor ANOVA revealed that the average platelet count was significantly different in the 3 periods: pre-LDLT, 69 +/- 32 x 10(3)/cm(3); < or =day 50, 181 +/- 253 x 10(3)/cm(3); and > or =day 90, 126 +/- 64 x 10(3)/cm(3) (P < .01). The post hoc Scheffé test revealed the statistical significance of the platelet counts between pre-LDLT and < or =day 50 (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Splenic volumetry with multislice CT and semiautomatic software, which is simple and not time consuming, was able to evaluate remission from hypersplenism during the course of LDLT.

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There are few reports regarding the use of liver grafts with multiple large cysts in living donor liver transplantation. A 40-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Wilson's disease underwent living donor left liver transplantation; the donor was her 67-year-old mother. The liver graft had multiple large cysts, with a maximum diameter of 9 cm. At donor hepatectomy, the largest cyst and one small cyst were fenestrated, because they were located in the left paramedian sector; the other cysts were left intact. After transplantation, the liver graft exhibited good function with no cyst-related complications, such as hemorrhage, infection, or rupture, despite slight enlargement of the cysts. Thus, a liver graft with multiple large cysts is transplantable. However, the necessity of treating large cysts remains debatable.

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Splenic artery steal syndrome (SASS) has only recently been recognized as a potential threat to transplanted livers. We report a case of SASS with progressive liver dysfunction that developed after living donor right lobe liver transplantation. SASS suspected by serial pre- and postoperative computed tomographic (CT) scans was diagnosed by celiac trunk angiography. It was successfully salvaged by splenic artery embolization. In this case, serial examinations of CT scans were useful to diagnose SASS. This case showed that portal hyperperfusion injury is a cause of liver graft dysfunction in SASS. The splenic artery embolization technique is a safe procedure that can be applied to treat such injury.

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PURPOSE: To evaluate whether portal vein embolization (PVE) using a mixture of gelatin sponge (GS) pieces and iodized oil is safe and effective in inducing hypertrophy of the future liver remnants (FLR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: PVE was performed in 14 patients (eight male and six female, mean age 65 years, range 35-81 years) diagnosed with malignant liver tumor before surgery, whose FLR volumes were judged too small to allow for safe resection. Liver volume change, biochemical data change, complications related to PVE, and postoperative complications were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: PVE was successful in all patients, and there were no procedural complications. Absolute FLR volume and FLR/total liver volume (TLV) ratio increased by 102 cm3 and 8% (mean values), respectively. Planned hepatectomies were cancelled in three patients due to extrahepatic metastasis or bile duct infection. Five of the 11 patients (45%) who underwent hepatectomies had major postoperative complications. However, complications due to hepatic failure were not seen. In 10 patients, except one whose outcome was fatal outcome, the mean hospitalization days with and without major complications were 73 and 33 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: PVE using a mixture of GS and iodized oil seems to be effective and safe in inducing hypertrophy of the FLR.

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Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which enables non-destructive evaluation of hemoglobin (Hb) oxygenation and the redox state of cytochromeoxidase (Cyt.aa3) in living tissues, has been employed during surgery to detect possible impairment of hemodynamics and mitochondrial respiration in the anterior segment of a right lobe liver graft in living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Thirty-six patients undergoing LDLT using a right lobe graft without the middle hepatic vein (MHV) were enrolled in this study. During the course of harvesting and implantation, NIRS measurements were performed on the anterior segments of the liver grafts. In two recipients of liver grafts with Hb residue over 70% in the anterior segment after ex vivo flushing, the MHV tributary was reconstructed, while it was not reconstructed in the other 34 recipients. Of those 34 recipients, 16 recipients of liver graft with 40-70% Hb residue showed transient increase of transaminase levels after LDLT. Of those 16 recipients, six recipients who showed reduction in oxidized Cyt.aa3 in the anterior segment suffered from persistent hyperbilirubinemia after LDLT. In patients showing impairment of mitochondrial redox associated with congestion caused by deprivation of the MHV tributaries, reconstruction of the MHV tributaries might have a beneficial effect.

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Hepatic resection in a patient with an anomalous portal vein system is presented. A 53-year-old man was referred to our hospital for hepatic resection. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) and angiography demonstrated that the umbilical portion of the portal vein gave off major branches to the right anterior segment, and the hepatic tumor was located on the dorsal side of one of the right anterior portal branches near the umbilical portion. Partial hepatic resection was performed using the indocyanine green staining technique under operative echo guidance. Limited hepatic resection was indicated due to the patient's poor hepatic reserve function. His postoperative course was uneventful. This case emphasizes the importance of delineating the hepatic vascular anatomy before and during operation, especially in the case of an anomalous portal vein system.

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BACKGROUND: Preoperative autologous blood donation has been suggested for patients with liver disease who are to undergo liver resection. The aim of this retrospective study was to clarify the risk factors for increased blood loss and the need for blood transfusion during hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: From January 1996 to December 2000, 206 consecutive patients, 98.5 per cent of whom had underlying liver disease, underwent elective hepatectomy for HCC. RESULTS: Major hepatectomy was performed in 34 patients (16.5 per cent) and minor hepatectomy in 172 patients (83.5 per cent). The mean blood loss was 410 (median 260) ml. Eleven (5.3 per cent) of the 206 patients received blood transfusion during or after the operation. Operation time (P = 0.004) and central venous pressure (CVP) (P = 0.041) were independently correlated with blood loss of more than 1000 ml. Only preoperative haemoglobin level (P = 0.001) was independently correlated with the need for blood transfusion. CONCLUSION: In patients with underlying liver disease, maintaining CVP at a level below 5 cm H2O during parenchymal transection to reduce blood loss is more important than reserving autologous blood before the operation.

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: To clarify the indication of percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODOLOGY: Thirty-three hepatocellular carcinoma patients who underwent percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy were enrolled in this study, including 18 primary and 15 recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma patients. We examined the local recurrence rates and the long-term results after the treatment. RESULTS: The overall survival rates of the primary group at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years were 94.4%, 77.8%, 77.8%, 77.8% and 48.6%, respectively, whereas those of the recurrent group were 100%, 85.7%, 66.7% and 50.0% at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years, respectively. Local recurrence after percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy was found in about 50% of patients in both groups. Seventeen of the 27 patients (63.0%) with a moderately or poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma tumor had local recurrence, while none of the 6 patients with a well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma tumor did (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Irrespective of primary or recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma, the indication of percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy as an alternative to hepatic resection should be limited to cases of a well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma tumor smaller than 2 cm in diameter.

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic features and biological behaviors related to the gross appearance of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. METHODOLOGY: Fourteen patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who underwent hepatic resection between 1986 and 1998 were divided into four groups according to the gross appearance of the tumor: ID (intraductal growth) type (n = 1), PD (periductal-infiltrating) type (n = 4), MF (mass-forming) type (n = 5), MF-with-PD type (n = 4). RESULTS: Overall survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 50.0%, 35.7%, and 35.7%, respectively. All three long-term survivors without recurrence had tumors unassociated with vascular invasion, intrahepatic metastasis, or lymph node metastasis. The MF and MF-with-PD tumors were more frequently associated with vascular invasion and/or lymph node metastasis than the ID or PD type. The Ki-67-positive grade of the cancer cells was clearly higher in the MF and MF-with-PD tumors than in the ID or PD type. All of the cases of MF-with-PD tumors were stage IV-A and had a poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Extended hepatic resection with a sufficient surgical margin yielded good results in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients without vascular invasion, intrahepatic metastasis, or lymph node metastasis. However, it is necessary to develop a new effective strategy for advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, such as the MF-with-PD type.

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We isolated murine and human cDNAs for SDF2L1 (stromal cell-derived factor 2-like1) and characterized the genomic structures. Northern blot analysis of the gene expression in various tissues revealed that both murine Sdf2l1 and human SDF2L1 genes are expressed ubiquitously, with particularly high expression in the testis. The SDF2L1 protein has an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-retention-like motif, HDEL, at the carboxy (C)-terminus. Interestingly, SDF2L1 protein also shows significant similarity to the central hydrophilic part of protein O-mannosyltransferase (Pmt) proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the human homologues of Pmt (POMT1 and POMT2) and Drosophila melanogaster rotated abdomen (rt) protein. In a murine hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, Sdf2l1 was strongly induced by tunicamycin and a calcium ionophore, A23187, and weakly induced by heat stress but was not induced by cycloheximide. In conclusion, SDF2L1 protein is a new member of Pmt/rt protein family and Sdf2l1 is a new ER stress-inducible gene.

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The high incidence of cancer after renal transplantation is now a critical concern since the graft survival rate has been improved extensively. We experienced 9 malignancies in 8 patients out of 168 recipients up to December 31, 1999 in our hospital, consisting of a case of gastric plasmacytoma and cases of cancer in the liver (2), thyroid (2), prostate (1), breast (1), sigmoid colon (1) and gall-bladder (1). Two patients were diagnosed as having tumors within 3 months after transplantation, suggesting post-transplant acceleration of growth of the latent tumors. The other patients were diagnosed at an average of 128 months, ranging from 84 to 263 months after transplant. Two patients died of gastro-intestinal bleeding and acute heart failure. Four patients died directly of progressive neoplasm within 3 months after diagnosis. These results suggest that the course of malignancies developing in post-transplant recipients is more aggressive than that expected in non-transplant patients, and it is very important to intensively follow long-term surviving cases to detect the malignant tumors as early as possible.

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Brain metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare, yet perplexing problem in patients with cancer. We report on 5 patients with metastasis of HCC to the brain after radical hepatectomy. Intrahepatic recurrence occurred in 3 patients, and distant metastasis to sites other than the brain was observed in 3 patients (lung, 2; bone, 1). The symptoms for brain metastasis included headache, hemiparesis, and vomiting. Hemorrhage was found in 4 of 5 patients. All patients had a single nodular lesion in the brain. The alpha-fetoprotein levels were more than 10,000 ng/ml in 4 patients. Two patients underwent surgical resection, 1 received cranial irradiation, and 2 were administered corticosteroids. The interval between diagnosis of the primary cancer and detection of brain metastasis ranged from 2 to 54 months. The mean survival period was only 3 months after diagnosis of brain metastasis. All 5 patients died of neurologic causes. Because no effective treatment for brain metastasis from HCC is available, further study is needed.

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Hepatic arterial infusion of low-dose CDDP (10 mg/day), 5-FU (250 mg/day) was performed in 5 unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with tumor thrombi in the trunk and/or the first branch of the portal vein. Infusion chemotherapy was continued for five days, then discontinued for the subsequent two days. This procedure was performed repeatedly for at least three weeks. Decrease in the serum levels of the alpha-fetoprotein after the treatment was found in 3 of 4 patients. In one patient, the size of the primary tumor decreased 92%. In two of five patients, the tumor thrombi in the portal vein disappeared, or decreased in size. Side effects of the chemotherapy included liver functional disorder (Grade 3; 1 case), thrombocytopenia (Grade 3; 1 case, Grade 2; 1 case), and leukopenia (Grade 2; 1 case). The present protocol proved to be effective and applicable for patients with advanced HCC associated with severe cirrhosis.

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We performed percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy (PMCT) for 34 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, including 18 primary and 16 recurrent HCC ones. Cumulative 1, 2-, 3- and 4-year survival rates of primary HCC patients were 94, 78, 78% and 62%, respectively, while those of recurrent HCC patients were 100, 79, 62% and 41%, respectively. There were no differences between groups. In both groups, local recurrence was found in about 50% of patients. The mean tumor size (diameter 2.6 +/- 0.6 cm) of patients with local recurrence was relatively larger than that (2.2 +/- 0.6 cm) of patients without local recurrence (p = 0.081). Seventeen of 27 patients with moderately or poorly differentiated HCC had local recurrence, while none of patients with well-differentiated HCC did (p = 0.005). Subsequently, local control failure led some patients to have progressive diseases such as multiple intrahepatic metastasis, tumor thrombi in the portal vein, and distant metastasis. From these findings, PMCT should be performed only for well-differentiated HCC less than 2 cm in diameter. If the patients with moderately or poorly differentiated HCC larger than 2 cm in diameter cannot tolerate hepatic resection because of their poor hepatic functional reserve, PMCT should be performed in combination with other non-surgical treatment modalities.

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BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is still controversial whether surgical or non-surgical treatments should be adopted for hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) with tumor thrombi (TT) in the major vasculatures. We evaluate the effectiveness of and the indications for hepatic resection with tumor thrombectomy for such patients. METHODOLOGY: Seventeen patients with TT in the major vasculatures caused by HCC were enrolled. Eleven patients had Vp3 TT, 5 patients had Vv3 TT, and 1 patient had Vp3 and Vv3 TT, concurrently. Out of the 17 patients, 13 underwent hepatic resections with tumor thrombectomies and the remaining 4 received only hepatic resections without tumor thrombectomies. RESULTS: In patients with Vp3 TT, median and mean survival times were 7.8 and 18.5 months, respectively, and 1- and 5-year survival rates were 36.4% and 18.2%, respectively. In patients with Vv3 TT, median and mean survival times were 9.9 and 8.4 months, respectively. Patients who underwent hepatic resections with tumor thrombectomies had significantly better prognoses than those who did not receive tumor thrombectomies (p=0.0039). CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of HCC patients with TT in the major vasculatures, who have relatively small primary tumors, good hepatic functional reserves and no distant metastases should be good, if hepatic resections with tumor thrombectomies are performed.

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We studied the relation of perioperative blood transfusion and the outcomes in 175 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent hepatic resection from 1986 to 1994 in our hospital. Hepatectomy was performed in 23 (13.1%) patients with and 152 (86. 9%) without blood transfusions. The cumulative cancer-free survival rates for patients who had received blood transfusion was significantly lower than that for patients who had not received blood transfusions (p = 0.003). Further examinations revealed a significant difference in cancer-free survival rates for stage I-II patients (n = 75) of HCC (p = 0.02) but not for stage III-IV patients (n = 56) (p = 0.06). Cox regression analysis for recurrence revealed that blood transfusion was the most significant prognostic indicator (p = 0.001) for recurrence in stage I-II patients but not in stage III-IV patients (p = 0.99). These results suggest that a perioperative blood transfusion may be a significant prognostic indicator for patients with HCC who had underwent hepatectomy, especially in stage I-II patients of HCC.

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