Background/Aims: Gastric acid secretion is suspected to be a pivotal contributor to the pathogenesis of functional dyspepsia. The present study investigates the potential association of the gastric acid secretion estimated by measuring serum pepsinogen with therapeutic responsiveness to the prokinetic drug acotiamide. Methods: Dyspeptic patients consulting participating clinics from October 2017 to March 2019 were prospectively enrolled in the study. The dyspeptic symptoms were classified into postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS). Gastric acid secretion levels were estimated by the Helicobacter pylori infection status and serum pepsinogen using established criteria and classified into hypo-, normo-, and hyper-secretion. Each patient was then administered 100 mg acotiamide thrice daily for 4 weeks, and the response rate to the treatment was evaluated using the overall treatment efficacy scale. Results: Of the 86 enrolled patients, 56 (65.1%) and 26 (30.2%) were classified into PDS and EPS, respectively. The estimated gastric acid secretion was not significantly different between PDS and EPS. The response rates were 66.0% for PDS and 73.1% for EPS, showing no significant difference. While the response rates were stable, ranging from 61.0% to 75.0% regardless of the estimated gastric acid secretion level among subjects with PDF, the rates were significantly lower in hyper-secretors than in non-hyper-secretors among subjects with EPS (42.0% vs 83.0%, P = 0.046). Conclusion Although acotiamide is effective for treating EPS as well as PDS overall, the efficacy is somewhat limited in EPS with gastric acid hypersecretion, with gastric acid suppressants, such as proton pump inhibitors, being more suitable.

Objective: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly being used for the treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (CAT). However, there is limited evidence of the efficacy of DOACs for the treatment of gynecological CAT. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of edoxaban for the treatment of gynecological CAT using Japanese real-world data. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients with 371 gynecological cancer who received edoxaban or vitamin K antagonist (VKA) between January 2011 and December 2018. Results: Altogether, 211 and 160 patients were treated with edoxaban and VKA, respectively. Fourteen patients (6.8%) in the edoxaban group and 22 (13.8%) in the VKA group showed recurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Cumulative VTE recurrence was not significantly different between the 2 groups (p=0.340). Adverse events occurred in 15 (7.1%) and 11 (6.9%) patients in the edoxaban and VKA groups, respectively (p=0.697). Subgroup analysis of the edoxaban and VKA groups according to different tumor types, including ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer, showed equivalent outcomes in terms of VTE recurrence and adverse events. Patients without pulmonary embolism (PE) were mostly omitted from initial unfractionated heparin (UFH) therapy prior to administration of edoxaban. However, this did not increase the recurrence of VTE. Conclusion This study confirmed that edoxaban is effective and safe for the treatment of gynecological CAT. This finding was consistent for different types of gynecological cancer. Additionally, initial UFH therapy prior to the administration of edoxaban may be unnecessary for patients without PE.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) using a 19-gauge needle is an efficient sampling method for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy. This study compared 19-gauge conventional and Franseen needles for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy and classification of malignant lymphoma (ML). Methods: Patient characteristics, number of needle passes, puncture route, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of cytology/histology for lymphadenopathy were analyzed in patients diagnosed with lymphadenopathy by EUS-FNA using conventional or Franseen needles. Results: Between 2012 and 2022, 146 patients met the inclusion criteria (conventional [n=70] and Franseen [n=76]). The median number of needle passes was significantly lower in the conventional group than in the Franseen group (3 [1–6] vs. 4 [1–6], p=0.023). There were no significant differences in cytological/histological diagnoses between the two groups. For ML, the immunohistochemical evaluation rate, sensitivity of flow cytometry, and cytogenetic assessment were not significantly different in either group. Bleeding as adverse events (AEs) were observed in three patients in the Franseen group. Conclusions Both the 19-gauge conventional and Franseen needles showed high accuracy in lymphadenopathy and ML classification. Considering sufficient tissue collection and the avoidance of AEs, the use of 19-gauge conventional needles seems to be a good option for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy.