Background. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) refl ects infl ammatory status. An elevated NLR has been reported to be a prognostic indicator in some malignant tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical signifi cance of the preoperative NLR in patients with primary gastric cancer. Results. The 5-year survival of patients with a high NLR was signifi cantly worse than that of patients with a low NLR (57% vs 82%, P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses of clinicopathological factors affecting survival revealed that high NLR, depth of tumor, positive lymph nodes, distant metastasis, peritoneal metastasis, poorly differentiated type, and high platelet count were signifi cant risk factors for reduced survival. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for tumor stage, a high NLR was an independent risk factor for reduced survival (P = 0.003; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.845; 95% confidence interval, 1.236-2.747). Conclusion. A high preoperative NLR may be a convenient biomarker to identify patients with a poor prognosis after resection for primary gastric cancer.

The positive rate of s-NY-ESO-1-Abs was significantly higher in patients with esophageal cancer than in patients with the other types of cancers. On the basis of its high specificity and sensitivity, even in patients with stage I tumors, s-NY-ESO-1-Abs may be one of the first choices for esophageal cancer.

The measurement of set of 17 autoantibodies allowed autoantibody profiling in patients with colorectal cancer. The combination assay of six tumor antigens (p53, RalA, HSP70, Galectin1, KM-HN-1, and NY-ESO-1) achieved a positive rate of 56%. Such high positive rates will be helpful for detecting colorectal cancer regardless of tumor stages.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is an uncommon mass lesion composed of a variety of inflammatory and other mesenchymal cells. Although IMT was originally reported in the lung, it is now recognized that IMT can occur in a variety of organs. The occurrence of IMT in the pancreas, however, is rare. Here, we report a case of IMT arising from the head of the pancreas in a 55-year-old man. He underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, with the diagnosis of carcinoma of the pancreas; the pathological diagnosis of the tumor was IMT. By referring to previously reported cases, we conclude that, in the management of IMT in the pancreas, surgical excision is the primary choice, in order to obtain a definitive diagnosis as well as to relieve symptoms, and strict follow-up after surgery is required.

The LigaSure is safe for both gastric and colorectal cancer surgery with extended lymph node dissection. Used effectively, the device appears to reduce operating times and blood loss, although this requires confirmation in a larger series.