No abstract

Osteopenia and sarcopenia, features of the aging process, are recognized as major health problems in an aging society. This study investigated the prognostic impact of osteosarcopenia, the coexistence of osteopenia and sarcopenia, in older adults undergoing curative resection for colorectal cancer. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed data of older adults aged 65-98 years who had undergone curative resection for colorectal cancer. Osteopenia was evaluated by bone mineral density measurement in the midvertebral core of the 11th thoracic vertebra on preoperative computed tomography images.Sarcopenia was evaluated by measuring the skeletal muscle cross-sectional area at the third lumbar vertebra level. Osteosarcopenia was de ned as the coexistence of osteopenia and sarcopenia. We explored the relationship of preoperative osteosarcopenia with the disease-free and overall survival after curative resection. ResultsAmong the 325 patients included, osteosarcopenia had signi cantly lower overall survival rates than those with osteopenia (P<0.01) or sarcopenia alone (P=0.036). In the multivariate analysis, male sex (P=0.045), C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (P<0.01), osteosarcopenia (P<0.01), pathological T4 stage (P=0.023), and pathological N1/N2 stage (P<0.01) were independent predictors of disease-free survival, while age (P<0.01), male sex (P=0.049), C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (P<0.01), osteosarcopenia (P<0.01), pathological T4 stage (P=0.036), pathological N1/N2 stage (P<0.01), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (P=0.041) were independent predictors of overall survival. ConclusionsOsteosarcopenia was a strong predictor of poor outcomes in older adults undergoing curative resection for colorectal cancer, suggesting an important role of osteosarcopenia in an aging society.

No abstract

Background Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is a malignant soft tissue tumor that has been reclassified from malignant fibrous histiocytoma with the development of the pathological diagnosis. It principally occurs in the extremities but rarely occurs in the rectum. We herein report a rare case of UPS arising in the rectum. Case presentation A 85-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with a complaint of anal pain, which had persisted for several months. Computed tomography (CT) showed a 53 × 58 × 75 mm mass on the left side of the rectum. Colonoscopy revealed a submucosal elevation in the rectum without any exposure of the tumor to the surface. Contrast-enhanced CT and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an 80-mm mass that originated in the rectal muscular propria, and we suspected a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. No lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis was observed. We performed a laparoscopic Hartmann’s operation. Intraoperatively, severe adhesion around the tumor caused tumor injury and right ureteral dissection. Thus, laparoscopic right ureteral anastomosis and ureteral stenting were additionally performed. The operation time was 6 h and 3 min, and the estimated blood loss was small. The patient was discharged without complications 25 days after surgery. A pathological examination showed that the tumor was composed of highly heterogeneous cells with no specific differentiation traits, leading to a diagnosis of UPS. Contrast-enhanced CT performed 2 months after surgery showed bilateral pelvic lymph node enlargement, which indicated recurrence. Considering the patient’s age, we performed radiotherapy (50 Gy/25 Fr targeting the pelvic region). At present, 16 months have passed since the completion of radiotherapy. Contrast-enhanced CT shows that the recurrent lymph nodes have disappeared, and no new distant metastasis has been observed. Conclusions We reported a case of UPS arising in the rectum. The surgical procedure and indication of preoperative therapy should be carefully selected because complete removal of the tumor is desirable in UPS.