We evaluated the therapeutic results of cancers in the bile duct, the pancreas head region and the liver and cirrhosis.
The former two types were examined in a total of 49 cases: 10 cholecystocarcinomas, 18 cholangiocarcinomas, 6 papillocarcinomas, and 15 pancreas head cancers. Radical surgery was performed in only 9 cases: 1 cholecystocarcinoma, 1 cholangiocarcinoma, 5 papillocarcinomas and 2 pancreas head cancers. The surgical success rate was satisfactory 83%(5/6) for papillocarcinoma, yet showed 18.4% overall.
Liver cancer and cirrhosis were examined in 102 cases: 78 cirrhoses and 24 livercancers. Of the former, 15% were viral cirrhosis, 44% alcoholic, 1% specific and 40% unknown. Ofthe latter, 29% were viral liver cancer, 29% alcoholic and 42% unknown.
Treatment of these cancers, with the exception of one type, was unfavorable. To increase the surgical success rate, cancers will have to be discovered earlier using such recent, highly-advanced technological means as endoscopy, ultrasonography, angiography and computerized tomography. At the same time, radical surgery should be actively applied in a broader range of cases.
In cirrhosis, bleeding in the upper digestive tract and complicating liver cancer are increasing in frequency due to prolonged life expectancy. How to manage this increase remains subject for further study in the future.

A total of 478 resected gastric cancer cases were studied. The male-female ratio was 1.6, -294 males and 184 females. The patients were divided into two groups, namely, the elderly group (patients aged 70 and over) and the non-elderly group (patients aged 69 and below). In the elderly group males were predominant over females. The number of elderly patients accounted for 34.1% of the total number of stomach cancer cases. This percentage is higher than the national average. In the elderly group, cases detected by stomach health screening or health diagnosis tests were a few, but many cases were in stage IV. The number of inoperable cases was somewhat high, radical gastrectomy was performed on a few of the patients, and the resection rate was somewhat low. A tendency was observed for multiple cancer focuses ; in regard to the regions of occupation or spreading and tissue type, the upper region was less likely and the lower region was more likely to be affected, the anterior wall and the circle were likely to be affected. A tendency was observed for the localization of highly differentiated tissue in the patients. Although no difference was observed in the direct surgical mortality rate, the 5 year survival rate was unfavorable, suggesting the patients might have died due to other diseases. In the elderly group, those who suffered from diseases and preoperative complications comprised 92% of the total, and abnormalities during preoperative examinations were detected in 96% of these patients. Postoperative complications developed in 42%. Postoperatively, psychological problems must be taken into consideration. In elderly patients who are operable, although it is desirable to actively perform surgery aiming at radical operations, it is thought necessary to cope carefully with resection of the stomach. If a radical operation is performed after carefully evaluating preoperative risks and with adequate preparations, it is thought possible for elderly patients to achieve favorable therapeutic results and improvement in their QOL differing little from non-elderly patients.

Study was made on total of 304 cases of cancer of the large intestine resected during the period of 12 years from 1978 to 1989.
Colon cancer accounted for 56.8% of the total and rectal cancer 43.2%. There were no sexual differences. Those people aged 50 and older represented 86.0% of the total number of the cases. By age group, those in their 60s topped the list with 27.3%, followed by those in 70s with 24.4%. Almost all the cases (95.1%) were of the patients who had visited the hospital, having noticed symptoms themselves. A very few cases were detected among the people without subjective symptoms when they received group medical Checkups.
By region, 39.4% of the colon cancer cases were found in S, followed by A. In the cases of rectum cancer, Rb accounted for 50.7%. Of the total caces, 74.5% had cancer on the left side of the large intestine.
Resection rate was 91.5%. The rate of resection leading to cure was 71.8%. Broken down by histological staging, stage I came to 11.7%; stage II, 30.9%; stage III, 21.8%; stage IV, 11.7%; stage V, 23.8%.
The 5-year-survival rete averaged 57.1%. In pre-surgery tests, the positive rate of CEA was as low as 46.6%. The positive rate for early cancer was extremely low. Measurement of CEA levels as an auxiliary diagnosis, therefore, did not prove itself to be useful in searching for cancer.

A clinical study was made on a total of 478 stomach cancer cases that had been subjected to surgery during the 12-year period from 1978 to 1989. Of the total, 34.1% were accounted for by the patients aged 70 years and above. Those old patients were divided into the two groups-those in their 70s and those in their 80s and above. The clinical cases of the two aged groups were studied in comparison with the cases of the patients aged 69 and below (65.9%). The number of early stomach cancer cases was smallest in the 70s age group. However, in this age group, advanced cancer was largest in number, metastases to lymph nodes, peritonea, and the liver were observed in many cases, and the curative resection rate was low. In the age group of 80 and above, either early cancer or advanced cancer was large in number. Apparently moderation was exercised in performing surgerical operations on the persons of advanced age. It was found that R2 lymph node dissection had been confined to 68.4% of the patients aged 80 and above, but that the curative resection rate was highest with 84.2% probably because limited lymph node metastasis. In this age group, a majority of cancers occurred at the antral region. A tendency was observed that cancer occurs less at the lesser curvature and on the posterior wall of the stomach and much more freqently at the greater curvature and on the anterior wall. Histologically, the tumor cells were mostly of a highly differentiated, localized type. Although high risk is involved in surgery in the elderly patients, many cases of stomach cancer are operable. So, it would be worth physicians' intention to risk operations while taking precautions against postoperative complications, with a view to improving the cure rate and helping the patients to upgrade the quality of life in their remining years.

A 42-year-old woman with antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) complicated with thrombocytopenic purpura was successfully treated by mitral valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis and tricuspid valve annuloplasty for mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation due to Libman-Sacks endocarditis. Intraoperative hemorrhagic oozing due to thrombocytopenia was effectively managed with platelet transfusion. Negative microbial culture and pathological examination of the resected mitral valve demonstrated an atypical sterile verrucose lesion, the findings of which were typically characteristic of Libman-Sacks endocarditis in SLE. She was successfully discharged 31 days after the operation without any hemorrhagic or thromboembolic events. However, 100 days after surgery, she suffered from fatal cerebral infarction caused by poor Coumadin compliance. Regarding the prosthetic valve selection, it is reasonable to select the mechanical valve because 1) anticoagulation therapy is necessary for APLS, 2) the risk of the dialysis induction due to the lupus-induced renal failure leading to a high calcium turnover, which results in accelerated bioprosthetic valve calcification. In case of SLE with APLS, in which anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy is required to prevent the thromboembolic event and thrombocytopenic purpura, after valve replacement, strict management of anticoagulation plays an essential role to prevent thromboembolic complication.

The patient, a 71-year-old man, was admitted to our department with fever from unknown causes. Ultrasonic examination of the abdominal regions revealed abnormal multiple low-density echo legions (that could be) associated with splenomegaly. For diagnostic purposes, splenic puncture was performed with the aid of an ultra-sound imaging device. Pale yellow-green pus was obtained from the lesions. Based on this finding, we made a diagnosis on the case as multiple abscess of the splean. The patient underwent intensive chemotherapy. However, he dontinued to have a high fever. On the ninth day from hospitalization, splenectomy was performed. Since then, his fever has subsided. Abscess of the spleen is a rare disease. It is generally classified into two types: one is a multiple type, and the other, a solitary type. Multiple splenic abscess mostly occurs as one of the abnormal conditions during the course of a primary disease, which is often severe. Our case, however, did not exhibit any sign of a primary disease.