ObjectiveTo explore feasibility and security of conversion chemotherapy of stage Ⅳ gastric cancer.MethodThe research progresses of conversion chemotherapy of stage Ⅳ gastric cancer were summarized by reading relevant literatures.ResultsThe prognosis of stage Ⅳ gastric cancer was poor, its correct treatment strategy was still controversial. At present, the palliative chemotherapy and targeted therapy were mainly used for it. In recent years, the development of chemotherapeutic drugs had improved the survival of some patients who showed the excellent chemotherapy response rate and subsequently undergone surgery, which promoted the derivation of the concept of conversion therapy. For the patients with initial unresectable stage Ⅳ gastric cancer, these patients could get better pathological reaction and then perform R0 operation through the comprehensive measures such as the preoperative chemotherapy, so that the patients could acquire relatively longer survival time. The previous studies indicated that the single unresectable factor, chemotherapy response rate, and whether R0 resection were the important predictors of prognosis for patients with stage Ⅳ gastric cancer.ConclusionsConversion therapy is still at initial stage. Different conversion chemotherapy regime has different response rate. Moreover, expert consensus on case selection, chemotherapy regimen are absent due to lack of high-quality, multi-center, large-sample data. So higher levels of clinical randomized controlled trials are needed to support and guide this practice. In a word, conversion therapy of stage Ⅳ gastric cancer requires multi-disciplinary efforts to carry out an optimal classification to select out suitable candidates, which may provide efficient guidance for comprehensive treatment for stage Ⅳ gastric cancer.
Objective To investigate the value of multidisciplinary team (MDT) diagnosis and treatment model in the conversion therapy of liver cancer. Method The clinical data of a patient with high-risk giant liver cancer of the right liver who was admitted to People’s Hospital of Leshan in April 2019, and who was successfully conversion therapy and safely underwent hepatectomy after MDT discussion was retrospectively analyzed. Results A 62 years old male patient was admitted to our hospital with “abdominal distension for more than 1 month, and liver mass was found for 10 days”. The relevant auxiliary examinations were perfected. The patient was diagnosed as huge primary hepatocellular carcinoma in the right liver. One-stage surgical resection cannot be performed safely due to the huge tumor. After MDT discussion, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib targeted therapy was decided to reduce the lesions, and two-stage surgical resection was performed safely after conversion therapy. After two cycles of TACE combined with sorafenib targeted drug therapy, MDT discussed the feasibility of safe surgical resection, and underwent fluorescence-guided laparoscopic right posterior lobectomy. The postoperative pathological examination revealed moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient recovered and was discharged from the hospital one week later. Outpatient followed-up for 32 months showed no obvious abnormality. Conclusions MDT discussion can formulate a more individualized treatment plan, improve the conversion rate and resectable rate of advanced liver cancer, and has important value in the diagnosis and treatment of advanced liver cancer.
We reviewed the clinical studies on drug therapy for gallbladder cancer and expounded on the current situation of conversion therapy for gallbladder cancer. Gallbladder cancer was usually diagnosed late, with high malignancy, low surgical resection rate, and poor prognosis. With the development of conversion therapy, systemic therapy combined with radical resection had effectively improved the surgical resection rate and prognosis of gallbladder cancer patients. At present, most of the published conversion therapies for gallbladder cancer were mainly retrospective researches, lacking large multicenter prospective research, and the treatment plan was still based on chemotherapy, lacking the research of targeted therapy in combination with immunotherapy. It is expected that more high-quality clinical trials can be made first-line recommendations for the conversion therapy of gallbladder cancer.
ObjectiveTo investigate the value of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) for the diagnosis and treatment of postoperative recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodThe clinicopathologic data of a patient with giant HCC (66 mm×60 mm×102 mm) who was multiple intrahepatic metastases with portal vein tumor thrombus after radical resection, admitted to the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, were gathered. ResultsThe patient was a middle-aged male. The multiple recurrent intrahepatic metastases combined with portal vein right branch thrombosis was found at 1 month after radical hepatectomy. After MDT discussion and evaluation, the hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy and targeted therapy (chemical drugs regimen was FOLFOX, immunotherapy drug was sindilizumab, targeted therapy drug was lenvatinib) was administered. After 3 times conversion therapy, and most of the intrahepatic lesions liquefied and necrotic and shrunk markedly or disappeared. After further discussion and evaluation by MDT, radical surgical resection was performed. The postoperative pathological examination results showed granulomatous inflammation with necrosis, and no exact liver cancer cells were detected. At 6 months after surgery, no tumor recurrence was observed.ConclusionsFor early recurrence combined with portal vein thrombosis after radical resection for HCC, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy and targeted therapy may still be effective and even has an opporunity of surgical therapy. MDT discussion can provide the best treatment plan for patient with recurrent liver cancer, leading to a better clinical outcome for them.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma can easily penetrate into the esophageal wall and invade adjacent organs due to the lack of serosa. Stage cT4b tumors involving organs adjacent to the aorta, vertebral body, trachea, or bronchus were considered unresectable. For unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, radical chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy is recommended. However, the therapeutic effect is poor. With the advent of conversion surgery, surgical resection is feasible after induction therapy for patients with esophageal tumors that are initially unresectable due to adjacent organ invasion or distant metastasis. This article reviews the research on conversion surgery for unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in recent years in order to explore the clinical application prospects of conversion surgery.
Primary liver cancer (hereinafter referred to as liver cancer) is the fourth most common cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths of China. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 75% to 85% of liver cancers, more than half of patients with HCC present at an advanced stage where surgery is not suitable. Conversion therapy can provide the opportunity for some unresectable patients to realize surgical resection. With the progress of non-surgical treatments for liver cancer, increased emphasis on comprehensive treatment approaches, and continuous clinical research outcome, conversion therapy of liver cancer has become a common clinical pathway in treatment practice in our country. This paper summarizes the progress in research on conversion therapy for HCC, analyzing its methods, efficacy, safety, and timing of surgery, to provide insights for the clinical practice and research of conversion treatment in HCC.