International Cancer Conference Journal最新文献

Primary mediastinal germ cell tumor (PMGCT) is an extragonadal germ cell tumor (GCT) that is classified as a poor-prognosis subtype among GCTs. Among them, choriocarcinoma accounts for 2% and its prognosis is considered to be notably poor. The standard treatment for advanced germ cell tumors is BEP therapy (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin), followed by surgical resection. However, treatments containing bleomycin are associated with postoperative acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We report a 38-year-old woman with locally advanced primary mediastinal choriocarcinoma. A computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed a 6.5 cm solid mass in the anterior mediastinum that had invaded the superior vena cava. Laboratory data revealed a serum total human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) value of 298,220 mIU/mL. After one course of BEP therapy, her total hCG level decreased markedly, and the patient was switched to VIP therapy (etoposide, ifosfamide, cisplatin), a bleomycin-free regimen, to reduce the risk of ARDS. Three courses of VIP therapy and one course of salvage therapy enabled a complete surgical resection without any complications including ARDS. The patient has been disease-free for 16 months since the resection.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13691-024-00708-z.

Chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer has progressed significantly in the past few decades. Biomarker-specific drugs, including anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) drugs for HER2-positive patients and immune checkpoint inhibitors for those with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), have become common. However, patients who are positive for HER2 and have MSI-H are extremely rare, and there are no established treatments for these patients. We present the case of a 75-year-old, male patient with gastric cancer with lymph node metastases and liver infiltration. Biomarker analysis revealed HER2 3 + , loss of MLH1, and MSI-H. After three cycles of S-1, oxaliplatin, and trastuzumab, the primary tumor and metastases shrank markedly. He subsequently underwent gastrectomy and hepatectomy as conversion surgery, achieving a pathologically complete response. He has been recurrence-free for seven months postoperatively. The present case demonstrated the efficacy of trastuzumab-containing chemotherapy followed by conversion surgery in a patient with HER2-positive, MSI-H, advanced gastric cancer.

Synchronous gastric and ovarian cancer is extremely rare, and there have been no case reports. Here, we present the first case of synchronous gastric and ovarian cancer successfully treated with chemotherapy and surgery. A 72-year-old Japanese woman presented at our hospital with upper abdominal pain and vomiting. She was diagnosed with gastric cancer after undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Simultaneously, ovarian cancer was also suspected based on imaging studies which showed a 9 cm cystic lesion with a solid part on the right ovary. Since her gastric cancer was considered inoperable due to the extent of the lesion, she was treated with four courses of oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and 5-fluorouracil (FOLFOX therapy). Since both gastric and ovarian cancer lesions were found to be reduced in size, laparoscopic total gastrectomy (D1 dissection, with Roux-en-Y reconstruction), bilateral adnexectomy, and partial omentectomy were performed. Based on pathological and immunohistochemical findings, the diagnosis of synchronous cancer of poorly differentiated carcinoma of the stomach and endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary was made, and it became clear that FOLFOX therapy was effective especially against ovarian cancer. The patient is currently undergoing postoperative chemotherapy with FOLFOX + nivolumab. She remains alive 8 months after surgery, with no active lesions. This is the first report of a patient with synchronous gastric and ovarian cancer, suggesting that FOLFOX therapy may be effective as a first-line treatment of endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary.

Phosphoglyceride crystal deposition disease is a rare condition occurring in soft tissues, resulting in scarring and affecting the bones, making preoperative differentiation from malignant tumors challenging. Here, we describe a case of phosphoglyceride crystal deposition disease initially suspected to be a malignant ovarian tumor before surgery. A 50-year-old woman with a history of three cesarean sections presented with lower abdominal pain. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a 54 × 58 mm tumor in the lower right abdomen. Pelvic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed a thickened cystic wall with diffusion restriction, a low signal intensity region on T1-weighted images, and a slightly high signal intensity region on T2-weighted images. The tumor markers, cancer antigen 125 and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels, were within normal ranges; however, positron emitting tomography-computed tomography revealed fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation (SUVmax 31.28) in the tumor wall. Suspecting a malignant ovarian tumor, a laparoscopy was performed to observe the abdominal cavity. A 10 cm white solid tumor was identified in the midline of the lower abdominal wall, leading to an open surgery recommendation. The tumor, adhering to the pubic bone, was excised. The tumor measured 9 × 7 cm, with the cut surface showing a yellow brownish solid periphery and central region with liquefied degeneration. Histologically, radial basophilic deposits, dense infiltration of macrophages, multinucleated giant cells, and foam-like tissue spheres were observed. The central region exhibited cholesterol clefts, fibrin exudation, and necrosis, leading to a diagnosis of phosphoglyceride crystal deposition disease. This disease is rare, occurring in patients with atypical fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation on positron emission tomography-computed tomography or with a history of tissue damage, such as abdominal surgery.

Osseous metastatic disease is commonly encountered in breast carcinoma, which typically presents as either osteolytic, osteoblastic, or mixed lesions on imaging. Osseous metastasis presenting as a multiloculated cystic lesion with fluid-fluid levels resembling that of an aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) is sparsely described in the literature, and even less so in the case of breast carcinoma. We report an unusual case of fluid-fluid levels in a bone metastasis to the spine in a 66-year-old female with a prior history of breast carcinoma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a cystic lesion with fluid levels resembling that of an ABC. Computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy revealed the lesion to be a metastasis from breast carcinoma. The management of ABCs and osseous metastases differ drastically. Accurate diagnosis and distinction between these lesions is paramount as the management of metastatic disease can have a significant impact on the quality and length of life. The presentation, differential diagnoses and imaging features of this atypical case are discussed.

Rearranged during transfection (RET) gene abnormality is a driver gene mutation that causes thyroid cancer, and selpercatinib has been shown to be useful for treating thyroid cancer with RET gene abnormalities. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is a disease with an extremely poor prognosis with no standard treatment established, and there are only one case reports of the efficacy of selpercatinib for RET fusion gene-positive anaplastic thyroid cancer. We herein report our experience treating an old Japanese woman with unresectable anaplastic thyroid cancer with selpercatinib. Surgical resection was initially attempted but was not possible due to adhesion to the common carotid artery. Postoperative genetic testing was positive for the RET fusion gene, and selpercatinib was administered. However, the administration had to be stopped due to the formation of an abscess on day 14 and a pharyngeal fistula on day 17, after which the tumor grew rapidly, and the patient died on day 65. Although selpercatinib has been reported to have a high safety profile with few adverse events, this case suggests that caution should be exercised when treating anaplastic thyroid cancer with invasion to vital organs.

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma is a rare cancer with a poor prognosis. A 52-year-old man presented with a chief complaint of a mass in his left scrotum. He came with suspected testicular tumor, but all the measured tumor markers were negative. Imaging test showed approximately 2 cm diameter mass accompanied by calcification with some substantial components between the testis and epididymis. Left high testicular resection was performed. The tumor had no continuity between the testis and epididymis, and the spermatic cord transection was negative. Pathological findings showed well differentiated fatty component and a dedifferentiated component around the trabecular bone-like tissue. We observed dedifferentiated dysmorphic cells mixed with fatty droplets of unequal size. Immunostaining led to the diagnosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma. No additional postoperative therapy was performed. The possibility of dedifferentiated liposarcoma should be kept in mind even if mass is confined to the scrotum and consisted of calcification. In the case of an intrascrotal calcified mass with malignant perspective, radical surgery is highly recommended.

We report the first documented Japanese case in the English literature of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in which priapism was the presenting symptom. Priapism, a rare manifestation in CML patients, is particularly uncommon in Japan. This can be attributed to the high quality of medical services and proactive health strategies implemented by the Japanese government. These strategies include recommending regular blood tests for company employees aged 35 and above, thereby facilitating early detection of CML. Hence, it is crucial to consider CML when examining any patient presenting with priapism, particularly among those who have not undergone regular medical check-ups.

We present a case of adamantinoma that originated from the fibula and had a large soft tissue component measuring approximately 6 cm. Clinical, radiological, and pathological investigations initially suggested that the tumor might be a bone-invading synovial sarcoma. To the best of our knowledge, no other case of fibular adamantinoma with such a large soft tissue component has been reported in the literature.