Gastric cancer is the 4th leading cause of death worldwide. The primary cause of gastric cancer is known to be Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The advancement of molecular biology has enabled the identification of microbiomes that could not be confirmed through cultivation, and it has been revealed that the microbial communities vary among normal mucosa, atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer. It has also been confirmed that the composition of the microbial community differs depending on the presence or absence of H. pylori. Whether changes in the microbiome are causative factors in the carcinogenesis process is not yet clear. Experiments using animal models and in vitro studies on the role of microbes other than H. pylori in the carcinogenic process are underway, but the data is still insufficient.

Borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, an intermediate stage between a completely resectable state and an unresectable state, requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach. This study aimed to elucidate the main characteristics and recent research trends regarding borderline resectable pancreatic cancer to gain further insights into them. Data from published papers about borderline resectable pancreatic cancer were collected from Web of Science (2014–2023) for the analysis. This study included 355 papers; data on major countries, publishing organizations, and keywords were collected and analyzed. Furthermore, R studio and VOSviewer were used for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of keywords. Publication of papers on borderline resectable pancreatic cancer was observed to be increasing annually by 12.8%, with the United States and Japan being the main publishing countries. In 2014, keywords related to surgery and chemotherapy were dominant; however, a shift toward more integrative approaches, such as neoadjuvant therapy, was observed over time. This study demonstrates rapidly evolving trends and paradigm changes in the research and management of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. Thus, the results of this study are expected to contribute to establishing future research strategies and improving patient treatment outcomes.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly fatal malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of < 10%. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a useful noninvasive tool for differential diagnosis of pancreatic malignancy and treatment decision-making. However, the performance of EUS is suboptimal, and its accuracy for differentiating pancreatic malignancy has increased interest in the application of artificial intelligence (AI). Recent studies have reported that EUS-based AI models can facilitate early and more accurate diagnosis than other preexisting methods. This article provides a review of the literature on EUS-based AI studies of pancreatic malignancies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the intelligence of machines or software, in contrast to human intelligence. Generative AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, have emerged as valuable research tools that facilitate brainstorming ideas for research, analyzing data, and writing papers. However, their application has raised concerns regarding authorship, copyright, and ethical considerations. Many organizations of medical journal editors, including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Association of Medical Editors, do not recognize AI technology as an author. Instead, they recommend that researchers explicitly acknowledge the use of AI tools in their research methods or acknowledgments. Similarly, international journals do not recognize AI tools as authors and insist that human authors should be accountable for the research findings. Therefore, when integrating AI-generated content into papers, it should be disclosed under the responsibility of human authors, and the details of the AI tools employed should be specified to ensure transparency and reliability.

Malignant colorectal obstructions urgently require decompression therapy to prevent the severe risks of intestinal ischemia and bowel perforation. In managing malignant colonic strictures endoscopically, the use of self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) is the predominant approach.Colonic SEMs are primarily used in preoperative decompression therapy before curative surgery and palliative treatment in patients with advanced disease stages. Furthermore, the stenting process, which requires rigorous clinical supervision, can lead to complications. This review endeavors to concisely review the clinical considerations associated with the SEMS procedure, with a focus on its indications, technical aspects, and potential complications that may arise during the procedure.

The incidence and prevalence of upper gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), including gastric NETs (GNETs) and duodenal NETs (DNETs), have been gradually increasing. These trends may be associated with the increased use of health checkups, which includes upper endoscopy, in conjunction with better disease recognition. However, the clinical factors associated with GNETs and DNETs remain unknown; previous studies revealed discrepancies. Recently, metabolic disorders have been indicated as potential factors that are associated with GNETs and DNETs. This review summarizes the results of previous studies and briefly introduces the results of a recent Korean multicenter study on the factors associated with GNETs and DNETs.

Malignant melanomas, which are rarely found in the Asian population, are malignant tumors or melanocytes that manifest in the skin mucosa. Malignant melanomas of the anorectum are very rare and account for approximately 1% of all malignant melanomas in the Asian population.Here, we present a rare case presenting a malignant melanoma of the anorectum. An 85-yearold woman visited the hospital with bloody stools and an anal mass. Sigmoidoscopy revealed a black mass protruding from the anus, and the scope was able to penetrate the anorectal mass.Close-up endoscopy revealed black moles of different sizes scattered across the rectal mucosa.PET-CT indicated multiple FDG uptakes in the liver, indicating multiple metastases. Pathologic examination led to the detection of malignant melanocytes with dark brown deposits. The patient’s immunohistochemical markers were positive for melanin-A antibodies and HMB-45, indicating a malignant melanoma. As there was no evidence of malignant melanomas on the skin, the patient was diagnosed with primary malignant anorectal melanoma with liver metastases.