Background: There is no study analyzing and evaluating the prognostic role of thrombocytosis in Asian patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: A systematic search of articles (PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) was performed to identify studies using the terms Platelet count, Thrombocytosis, Thrombocytoses, Thrombocythemia or Thrombocythemias with colon, colonic, rectal, rectum, colorectal and prognostic, prognosis, survival or outcome.Results: Thirteen eligible studies with 3964 patients were included. Thrombocytosis was associated with a poorer overall survival (HR of 1.88 [95% CI: 1.24-2.85; P = .003] with univariate analyses, HR of 2.07 [95% CI: 1.2-3.56; P = .008] with multivariate analyses), disease-free survival (HR of 2.58 [95% CI: 1.87-3.57; P < .00001] with multivariate analyses) and cancer specific survival (HR of 2.55 [95% CI: 1.68-3.85; P < .00001]) in Asian patients with CRC. Thrombocytosis had a significant association with female gender, tumor location in the colon, higher pathological T-stage, pathological positive N-stage, but not with lymphatic involvement and venous involvement. Conclusion:The present meta-analysis demonstrates that thrombocytosis is a potentially useful tool for predicting poor survival in Asian patients with CRC, especially for overall survival.

Background: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the relationship between H pylori infection and colorectal cancer risk in East Asian patients.Methods: Two researchers independently searched for relevant studies in the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases from inception up to April 2022. A meta-analysis was then performed to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random effects model.Results: Nine studies involving 6355 patients were included. Overall, we observed that H pylori infection was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in East Asian patients (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.10-1.99, I 2 = 70%), although significant heterogeneity was identified among studies. Subgroup analysis revealed that H pylori infection was associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in China (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.05-2.37, I 2 = 81%) but not in Japan and Korea (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 0.93-1.70, I 2 = 0%). Conclusion:This meta-analysis identified a positive association between H pylori infection and colorectal cancer risk in East Asian patients, especially in China.

BackgroundAnastomotic leakage is a serious complication after rectal cancer resection. Intraoperative use of indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICGFA) can help prevent anastomotic leakage, but its use is controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the efficacy of ICGFA in reducing anastomotic leakage.MethodsRelevant data and research published until September 30, 2022, was retrieved from the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases, and the difference in the incidence of anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer resection between ICGFA and standard treatment was compared.ResultsThis meta-analysis included 22 studies with a total of 4,738 patients. The results showed that ICGFA use during surgery decreased the incidence of anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer surgery [risk ratio (RR) = 0.46; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.39–0.56; p &lt; 0.001]. Simultaneously, in subgroup analyses for different regions, ICGFA was found to be used to reduce the incidence of anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer surgery in Asia (RR = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.23–0.48; p &lt; 0.00001) and Europe (RR = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.27–0.53; p &lt; 0.00001) but not in North America (RR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.40–1.29; p = 0.27). Regarding different levels of anastomotic leakage, ICGFA reduced the incidence of postoperative type A anastomotic leakage (RR = 0.25; 95% CI, 0.14–0.44; p &lt; 0.00001) but did not reduce the incidence of type B (RR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.38–1.31; p = 0.27) and type C (RR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.51–1.97; p = 0.93) anastomotic leakages.ConclusionICGFA has been linked to a reduction in anastomotic leakage after rectal cancer resection. However, multicenter randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are required for further validation.

BackgroundAnastomotic leakage (AL) is a serious complication of anterior resection for rectal cancer. The use of transanal drainage tubes (TDT) during surgery to prevent AL remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the efficacy of TDT in reducing AL.MethodsRelevant data and studies published from inception until November 1, 2022, were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to compare the incidence of AL after anterior resection for rectal cancer with and without TDT.ResultsThis meta-analysis included 5 RCTs comprising 1385 patients. The results showed that the intraoperative use of TDT could not reduce the incidence of AL after rectal cancer surgery (risk ratio [RR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52–1.59; p = 0.75). A subgroup analysis of different degrees of AL revealed that TDT did not reduce the incidence of postoperative grade B AL (RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.67–2.09; p = 0.56) but decreased the incidence of grade C AL (RR, 0.28; 95% CI: 0.12–0.64; p = 0.003). Further, TDT did not reduce the incidence of AL in patients with rectal cancer and a stoma (RR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.01–5.71; p = 0.05).ConclusionTDT were ineffective in reducing the overall incidence of AL, but they might be beneficial in reducing the incidence of grade C AL in patients who underwent anterior resection. However, additional multicenter RCTs with larger sample sizes based on unified control standards and TDT indications are warranted to validate these findings.