Objective:To analyze the types and characteristics of post-operative complications in colorectal cancer patients aged over 85 years undergoing laparoscopic surgery, and to summarize peri-operative management strategies.Methods:This was an observational study. Inclusion criteria: pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma; tumor located in ileocecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, or rectum; undergoing laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer; complete clinical data. Exclusion criteria included distant metastasis, synchronous resection of multiple primary cancers, simultaneous liver metastasis surgery, and follow-up duration <1 month. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 191 patients of colorectal cancer patients aged over 85 years who underwent laparoscopic radical surgery in the General Surgery Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2019 to January 2024. Among 191 patients, 107 patients (56.0%) had colon cancer and 84 (44.0%) rectal cancer. All patients received "home-based prehabilitation" and post-operative "enhanced recovery after surgery" protocols. Patient characteristics, peri-operative complication types, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed.Results:Post-operative complications occurred in 97 patients (50.8%), including 53 colon cancer patients (54.6%) and 44 rectal cancer patients (45.4%). Comorbidities existed in 88 patients (90.7%), with 93 patients (95.9%) classified as ASA II-III pre-operatively and 86 (88.7%) having nutritional risks. Surgical procedures included Dixon procedure (38 patients, 39.2%), right hemicolectomy (33 patients, 34.0%), sigmoidectomy (10 patients, 10.3%), and 17 patients (17.5%) received prophylactic stomas. Complication types comprised non-anastomotic infections (38 patients, 19.9%), intestinal flora disorder (26 patients, 13.6%), anastomotic/wound/stoma-related complications (16 patients, 8.4%), thrombotic/hemorrhagic events (6 patients, 3.1%), and others (11 patients, 5.8%). By Clavien-Dindo classification: Grade I (12 patients, 6.3%), Grade II (69 patients, 36.1%), Grade III (12 patients, 6.3%), and Grade IV (4 patients, 2.1%). Except for 5 patients (2.6%) requiring unplanned re-operation, all complications resolved with conservative treatment. The median duration of post-operative hospitalization was 9.5 days (7–13).Conclusion:Non-anastomotic infections and intestinal flora disorder constitute predominant complications after laparoscopic surgery in colorectal cancer patients aged over 85 years, mostly manageable with conservative treatment. Strengthened peri-operative management incorporating pre-operative prehabilitation and post-operative enhanced recovery after surgery protocols is crucial for patients aged over 85 years.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical features and risk factors of anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by laparoscopic radical resection and proctocol ostomy.Method:Clinicla data of LARC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by laparoscopic radical resection and proctocol ostomy admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital between Jan 2019 and Oct 2023 was enrolled. According to the occurrence of AL, patients were divided into AL group and non-AL group.Results:After propersity matching score(PSM), there were 40 patients (33.4%) and 80 patients (66.6%) in the AL and non-AL group, respectively. The first-onset symptoms of AL were abnormal character and color of the drainage (23 cases, 57.5%) and fever (14 cases, 35.0%). About 82.5% of the AL were graded as B,and all 36 patients (90.0%) were managed consveratively by fully drainage anti-infection therapy. Logistic regression analysis indicated that tumor circumferential range more than 1/2 cycle ( OR=5.95, 95% CI:2.12-1.67, P=0.004), male ( OR=4.28, 95% CI:1.22-15.00, P=0.023) and high-ligation of Inferior mesenteric artery ( OR=8.08, 95% CI:1.86-37.78, P=0.006) were independent risk factors of AL. Conclusions:In this series, grade-B AL ranks the top of the incidence, and all were cured by conservative therapy. Special attention should be paid to those patients with the characteristics of male, tumor circumferential range more than 1/2 cycle, and high-ligation of inferior mesenteric artery.

Background and Aims:For patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who achieve clinical complete response(cCR)or near-cCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(nCRT),the key concern for both clinicians and patients is how to preserve anal function as much as possible without significantly compromising oncological outcomes.This study was performed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of local excision as an anus-preserving approach in rectal cancer patients with cCR or near-cCR.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 51 patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who underwent local resection after achieving cCR or near-cCR following nCRT at Peking Union Medical College Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,between March 2014 and July 2023.The clinical characteristics,imaging and pathological findings,surgical outcomes,as well as oncological and functional results were reviewed.Results:Among the 51 patients,34 were male and 17 were female,with a mean age of 61±14 years.Pre-nCRT imaging staging showed:cT1-2N0 in 12 cases(23.5％),cT3N0 in 13 cases(25.5％),cT1-3N0-1 in 19 cases(37.4％),and cT1-3N2 in 7 cases(13.7％).The average tumor distance from the anal verge was(4.5±1.1)cm.After achieving cCR or near-cCR following nCRT,all patients underwent local resection:40 cases(78.4％)underwent transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM),7 cases(13.7％)underwent transanal minimally invasive surgery(TAMIS),and 4 cases(7.8％)underwent conventional transanal local excision.The postoperative complication rate was 27.5％(14/51),with 71.4％classified as Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ.Postoperative histopathology showed ypT0 in 26 cases(51.0％),ypT1 in 8 cases(15.7％),ypT2 in 16 cases(31.4％),and ypT3 in 1 case(2.0％).The concordance rate between pathological results and preoperative imaging was 54.9％.Over a median follow-up of 60 months(range:34-79),there were 4 cases(7.8％)of local recurrence,12 cases(23.5％)of distant metastasis,and 5 cancer-related deaths(9.8％).Six months postoperatively,both the Wexner score and the low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)score significantly improved compared to post-nCRT values[Wexner:1(0-2)vs.2(1-5);LARS:3.3±5.75 vs.4.3±6.86;both P＜0.01].Conclusion:For patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who achieve cCR or near-cCR after nCRT,local en bloc resection of the bowel wall lesions enables accurate assessment of residual tumor status and facilitates personalized subsequent treatment,potentially sparing some patients from radical surgery.Local resection can be a viable anus-preserving option for patients who are unfit for or strongly averse to radical resection.However,local excision cannot replace radical surgery,and its precise indications warrant further investigation.

BACKGROUND:The extracellular-regulated protein kinase 5(ERK5)signaling protein is essential for the survival of organisms,and resveratrol can promote osteoblast proliferation through various pathways.However,whether resveratrol can regulate osteoblast function through the ERK5 signaling protein needs further verification. OBJECTIVE:To explore the regulatory effect of ERK5 on the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and related secreted proteins,and to further verify whether resveratrol can complete the above process by activating ERK5. METHODS:Mouse MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts were treated with complete culture medium,XMD8-92(an ERK5 inhibitor),epidermal growth factor(an ERK5 activator),resveratrol alone,XMD8-92+EGF,and resveratrol+XMD8-92,respectively.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of ERK5 and p-ERK5 proteins,proliferation-related proteins Cyclin D1,CDK4 and PCNA,and osteoblast-secreted proteins osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand in MC3T3-E1 cells of each group.The fluorescence intensity of ERK5,osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand in each group was detected by cell immunofluorescence staining,and cell proliferation was detected by EdU staining,respectively.The appropriate concentration and time of resveratrol intervention in MC3T3-E1 cells were determined by cell morphology observation and cell counting kit-8 assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The activation of ERK5 signaling protein could effectively promote the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells,up-regulate the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand ratio.The appropriate concentration and time for resveratrol intervention in MC3T3-E1 cells was 5 μmol/L and 24 hours,respectively.Resveratrol could activate ERK5 signaling protein,thereby promoting osteoblast proliferation and up-regulating the osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio.All these results indicate that resveratrol can promote the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and up-regulate the osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio by activating the ERK5 signaling protein.

Objective:To detect the association of tumor circumferential involvement range (CIR) with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) efficacy and long-term survival outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients.Methods:Clinical data of 451 patients admitted to our hospital from January, 2018 to January, 2022 were retrospectively collected. According to the CIRs as determined by rectal magnetic resonance imaging, patients were divided into the High group (≥2/3 cycle, 270 patients) and the Low group (＜2/3 cycle, 181 patients). The primary outcome was three-year disease-free survival. The baseline characteristics, pathological features, and survival outcomes were compared.Results:Compared to patients in the Low group, patients in the High group exhibited significantly larger tumor vertical diameters [(4.7±1.7) vs. (3.6±1.4)cm, P＜0.001], higher rates of mrT4 stage (37.8% vs. 13.2%, P＜0.001), and higher rates of positive mesorectal fascia (54.1% vs. 29.8%, P＜0.001) and extramural vascular invasion (55.6% vs. 38.1%, P＜0.001). Patients in the High group were mainly pT3-4 stages (46.7% vs. 30.9%, P=0.002), with significantly lower rates of pathological complete response (22.2% vs. 33.1%, P=0.010) , poorer tumor regression grades (48.9% vs. 60.8%, P=0.013), and higher rates of positive peripheral nerve invasion (11.5% vs. 5.5%, P=0.031), as compared to patients in the Low group. The median follow-up time was 40 months. About 11 (2.4%) and 48 patients (10.6%) experienced tumor local recurrence and distant metastasis, respectively. The recurrence rates were 2.2% and 2.6%, and the distant metastasis rates were 7.7% and 12.6%, respectively, in the Low group and the High group, with no statistical significance ( P=0.957, P=0.096). The three-year disease-free survival in the High group was significantly lower than that in the Low group (84.4% vs. 92.4%, P=0.014). Conclusions:The CIR is closely related to tumor burden, which can judge tumor response to NCRT, and is negatively related to survival prognosis. For patients who have more than a 2/3 cycle of CIR, intensified or consolidated treatments may be required to improve survival outcomes.

Background and Aims:For patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who achieve clinical complete response(cCR)or near-cCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(nCRT),the key concern for both clinicians and patients is how to preserve anal function as much as possible without significantly compromising oncological outcomes.This study was performed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of local excision as an anus-preserving approach in rectal cancer patients with cCR or near-cCR.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 51 patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who underwent local resection after achieving cCR or near-cCR following nCRT at Peking Union Medical College Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,between March 2014 and July 2023.The clinical characteristics,imaging and pathological findings,surgical outcomes,as well as oncological and functional results were reviewed.Results:Among the 51 patients,34 were male and 17 were female,with a mean age of 61±14 years.Pre-nCRT imaging staging showed:cT1-2N0 in 12 cases(23.5％),cT3N0 in 13 cases(25.5％),cT1-3N0-1 in 19 cases(37.4％),and cT1-3N2 in 7 cases(13.7％).The average tumor distance from the anal verge was(4.5±1.1)cm.After achieving cCR or near-cCR following nCRT,all patients underwent local resection:40 cases(78.4％)underwent transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM),7 cases(13.7％)underwent transanal minimally invasive surgery(TAMIS),and 4 cases(7.8％)underwent conventional transanal local excision.The postoperative complication rate was 27.5％(14/51),with 71.4％classified as Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ.Postoperative histopathology showed ypT0 in 26 cases(51.0％),ypT1 in 8 cases(15.7％),ypT2 in 16 cases(31.4％),and ypT3 in 1 case(2.0％).The concordance rate between pathological results and preoperative imaging was 54.9％.Over a median follow-up of 60 months(range:34-79),there were 4 cases(7.8％)of local recurrence,12 cases(23.5％)of distant metastasis,and 5 cancer-related deaths(9.8％).Six months postoperatively,both the Wexner score and the low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)score significantly improved compared to post-nCRT values[Wexner:1(0-2)vs.2(1-5);LARS:3.3±5.75 vs.4.3±6.86;both P＜0.01].Conclusion:For patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who achieve cCR or near-cCR after nCRT,local en bloc resection of the bowel wall lesions enables accurate assessment of residual tumor status and facilitates personalized subsequent treatment,potentially sparing some patients from radical surgery.Local resection can be a viable anus-preserving option for patients who are unfit for or strongly averse to radical resection.However,local excision cannot replace radical surgery,and its precise indications warrant further investigation.

Objective:To analyze the types and characteristics of post-operative complications in colorectal cancer patients aged over 85 years undergoing laparoscopic surgery, and to summarize peri-operative management strategies.Methods:This was an observational study. Inclusion criteria: pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma; tumor located in ileocecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, or rectum; undergoing laparoscopic radical resection for colorectal cancer; complete clinical data. Exclusion criteria included distant metastasis, synchronous resection of multiple primary cancers, simultaneous liver metastasis surgery, and follow-up duration <1 month. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 191 patients of colorectal cancer patients aged over 85 years who underwent laparoscopic radical surgery in the General Surgery Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2019 to January 2024. Among 191 patients, 107 patients (56.0%) had colon cancer and 84 (44.0%) rectal cancer. All patients received "home-based prehabilitation" and post-operative "enhanced recovery after surgery" protocols. Patient characteristics, peri-operative complication types, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed.Results:Post-operative complications occurred in 97 patients (50.8%), including 53 colon cancer patients (54.6%) and 44 rectal cancer patients (45.4%). Comorbidities existed in 88 patients (90.7%), with 93 patients (95.9%) classified as ASA II-III pre-operatively and 86 (88.7%) having nutritional risks. Surgical procedures included Dixon procedure (38 patients, 39.2%), right hemicolectomy (33 patients, 34.0%), sigmoidectomy (10 patients, 10.3%), and 17 patients (17.5%) received prophylactic stomas. Complication types comprised non-anastomotic infections (38 patients, 19.9%), intestinal flora disorder (26 patients, 13.6%), anastomotic/wound/stoma-related complications (16 patients, 8.4%), thrombotic/hemorrhagic events (6 patients, 3.1%), and others (11 patients, 5.8%). By Clavien-Dindo classification: Grade I (12 patients, 6.3%), Grade II (69 patients, 36.1%), Grade III (12 patients, 6.3%), and Grade IV (4 patients, 2.1%). Except for 5 patients (2.6%) requiring unplanned re-operation, all complications resolved with conservative treatment. The median duration of post-operative hospitalization was 9.5 days (7–13).Conclusion:Non-anastomotic infections and intestinal flora disorder constitute predominant complications after laparoscopic surgery in colorectal cancer patients aged over 85 years, mostly manageable with conservative treatment. Strengthened peri-operative management incorporating pre-operative prehabilitation and post-operative enhanced recovery after surgery protocols is crucial for patients aged over 85 years.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical features and risk factors of anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by laparoscopic radical resection and proctocol ostomy.Method:Clinicla data of LARC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by laparoscopic radical resection and proctocol ostomy admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital between Jan 2019 and Oct 2023 was enrolled. According to the occurrence of AL, patients were divided into AL group and non-AL group.Results:After propersity matching score(PSM), there were 40 patients (33.4%) and 80 patients (66.6%) in the AL and non-AL group, respectively. The first-onset symptoms of AL were abnormal character and color of the drainage (23 cases, 57.5%) and fever (14 cases, 35.0%). About 82.5% of the AL were graded as B,and all 36 patients (90.0%) were managed consveratively by fully drainage anti-infection therapy. Logistic regression analysis indicated that tumor circumferential range more than 1/2 cycle ( OR=5.95, 95% CI:2.12-1.67, P=0.004), male ( OR=4.28, 95% CI:1.22-15.00, P=0.023) and high-ligation of Inferior mesenteric artery ( OR=8.08, 95% CI:1.86-37.78, P=0.006) were independent risk factors of AL. Conclusions:In this series, grade-B AL ranks the top of the incidence, and all were cured by conservative therapy. Special attention should be paid to those patients with the characteristics of male, tumor circumferential range more than 1/2 cycle, and high-ligation of inferior mesenteric artery.

Objective:To detect the association of tumor circumferential involvement range (CIR) with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) efficacy and long-term survival outcomes in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients.Methods:Clinical data of 451 patients admitted to our hospital from January, 2018 to January, 2022 were retrospectively collected. According to the CIRs as determined by rectal magnetic resonance imaging, patients were divided into the High group (≥2/3 cycle, 270 patients) and the Low group (＜2/3 cycle, 181 patients). The primary outcome was three-year disease-free survival. The baseline characteristics, pathological features, and survival outcomes were compared.Results:Compared to patients in the Low group, patients in the High group exhibited significantly larger tumor vertical diameters [(4.7±1.7) vs. (3.6±1.4)cm, P＜0.001], higher rates of mrT4 stage (37.8% vs. 13.2%, P＜0.001), and higher rates of positive mesorectal fascia (54.1% vs. 29.8%, P＜0.001) and extramural vascular invasion (55.6% vs. 38.1%, P＜0.001). Patients in the High group were mainly pT3-4 stages (46.7% vs. 30.9%, P=0.002), with significantly lower rates of pathological complete response (22.2% vs. 33.1%, P=0.010) , poorer tumor regression grades (48.9% vs. 60.8%, P=0.013), and higher rates of positive peripheral nerve invasion (11.5% vs. 5.5%, P=0.031), as compared to patients in the Low group. The median follow-up time was 40 months. About 11 (2.4%) and 48 patients (10.6%) experienced tumor local recurrence and distant metastasis, respectively. The recurrence rates were 2.2% and 2.6%, and the distant metastasis rates were 7.7% and 12.6%, respectively, in the Low group and the High group, with no statistical significance ( P=0.957, P=0.096). The three-year disease-free survival in the High group was significantly lower than that in the Low group (84.4% vs. 92.4%, P=0.014). Conclusions:The CIR is closely related to tumor burden, which can judge tumor response to NCRT, and is negatively related to survival prognosis. For patients who have more than a 2/3 cycle of CIR, intensified or consolidated treatments may be required to improve survival outcomes.

BACKGROUND:Fluid shear stress plays an important role in osteoblast proliferation and apoptosis.However,whether Caveolin-1 is involved in the process of fluid shear stress-induced proliferation and apoptosis in osteoblasts is unknown. OBJECTIVE:To explore the role of Caveolin-1 in fluid shear stress-regulated osteoblast proliferation and apoptosis. METHODS:The MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts in good growth status were selected and loaded with fluid shear stress at an intensity of 1.2 Pa for different times(0,30,60,90 minutes).The expression of Caveolin-1 protein was observed and conditions with a time of 60 minutes were screened for the experiment.MC3T3-E1 cells were divided into control group,fluid shear stress group,fluid shear stress+pcDNA 3.1 group(control),fluid shear stress+pcDNA Cav-1 group(plasmid overexpression),and intervened with fluid shear stress and overexpression of Cav-1,respectively.The expression of molecules related to proliferation and apoptosis in MC3T3-E1 cells was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot.In addition,the proliferative activity of MC3T3-E1 cells was detected by cell counting kit-8 and EdU assay;and cell apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 and flow cytometry. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The expression of Caveolin-1 in MC3T3-E1 cells was significantly down-regulated after loading fluid shear stress,and the expression level was lowest after 60 minutes.Overexpression of Caveolin-1 attenuated the proliferation-promoting and apoptosis-suppressing effects of fluid shear stress in MC3T3-E1 cells.In conclusion,Caveolin-1 has a vital role in fluid shear stress-regulated osteoblast proliferation and apoptosis,which may offer a potential therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis.