Systemic chemotherapy currently remains the standard treatment for gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis (GCPM). However, the plasma-peritoneum barrier significantly limits drug penetration into the peritoneal cavity, resulting in the poor prognosis for GCPM patients. In Singapore, intraperitoneal chemotherapy has been demonstrated as a safe and effective approach for GCPM treatment following the implementation of various modalities including pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC), catheter-based intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy and conventional hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). This article reviews the evolution of intraperitoneal chemotherapy in Singapore and highlights several important clinical trials. Looking forward, the bidirectional approach combining intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy will be further refined through the integration of novel drug combinations, optimization of delivery techniques, and expansion of clinical research.

Despite advances in targeted therapies, the prognosis for patients with peritoneal metastases (PM) from gastric cancer remains poor, due to the "blood-peritoneal barrier," which limits delivery of systemically administered drugs to peritoneal lesions. Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of paclitaxel (PTX) offers pharmacokinetic advantages by enhancing drug retention and infiltration in peritoneal lesions. Normothermic intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy (NIPS), developed in Japan two decades ago, combines repeated IP infusion of PTX via an intraperitoneal access port with systemic chemotherapy, and is currently regarded as one of the most effective treatment modalities for managing PM from gastric cancer. This review provides an overview of the theoretical rationale and clinical outcomes associated with this treatment strategy.

The invasion of pelvic tumors into multiple organs frequently necessitates the concurrent resection of the rectum, bladder, sacrococcygeal bone, uterus and its accessories, as well as other organs. This complex surgical procedure stands as a pivotal treatment for locally advanced pelvic tumors, offering patients the potential for long-term survival and improved quality of life. However, the narrow confines of the pelvic cavity, its intricate anatomical structure, limited visual exposure, and the inherent challenges of the operation itself, contribute to a surgery that is highly demanding, risky, traumatic, time-consuming, and prone to causing life-threatening hemorrhage. Despite these challenges, a safe and effective strategy for specimen removal, coupled with precise and comprehensive organ function reconstruction techniques, are paramount in reducing operative time, minimizing perioperative risks, enhancing postoperative quality of life, and mitigating complications. Currently, there exists no universally standardized evaluation framework to guide the swift removal of specimens and the meticulous reconstruction of organs and pelvic floor functions within safe boundaries. Drawing from our team's decade-long experience in pelvic tumor resection and referencing recent literature, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of pelvic tumor resection involving multiple organs. We focus on safe and efficient surgical strategies, as well as the essential aspects of functional reconstruction.

Objective:To explore the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of a total pelvic floor resection procedure as a component of combined resection of pelvic organs for locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer.Methods:This was a descriptive case series. Relevant clinical data of patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer without extrapelvic metastasis or with only oligometastasis who had undergone combined pelvic organ resection with resection of the entire pelvic floor in the Department of Anorectal Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2024 were collected from a Chinese database of combined pelvic organ resection for rectal cancer. The study cohort comprised 143 patients, 74 of whom were male (51.7%) and 69 were female (48.3%); their ages averaged 54 (range: 31–75) years; 57 of the patients (39.9%) had locally advanced rectal cancer and 86 (60.1%) locally recurrent rectal cancer. In our institution, the pelvic floor is categorized into two anatomical layers: the levator ani/presacral anterior tissue, and the bone/ligament/pelvic floor soft tissue. The entire pelvic floor was resected en bloc after making incisions on both sides of the pelvic floor, followed by presacral sacral dissection, and abdominoperineal dissection of the anterior side of the pelvic floor. The main factors studied were related to the following: (1) surgical conditions, comprising the scope of surgical resection, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, tissue reconstruction; (2) postoperative recovery, comprising time to recovery of intestinal function, time to removal of drainage tubes, and time to healing of the empty pelvic cavity; and (3) postoperative complications, classified according to the international Clavien-Dindo classification. Results:Combined pelvic organ resection with entire pelvic floor resection was successfully completed in all patients. The operation time was 480 (390 to 1,020) minutes, intraoperative blood loss 800 (50 to 3,500) mL, and volume of blood transfused intraoperatively 1, 000 (400 to 7, 400). R0 resection was achieved in 116 cases (81.1%) and R1 resection in 27 (18.9%). The first layer of the pelvic floor wall (levator ani/sacral anterior tissue) was resected in 79 cases (55.2%) and the second layer of the pelvic floor wall (bone/ligament/pelvic floor soft tissue) in 64 (44.8%). The procedure was completed in the lithotomy position in 114 cases (79.7%) were and in the lithotomy + prone jackknife position in 29 (20.3%). The pelvic floor was reconstructed with mesh in 140 cases (97.7%) and with mesh plus pedicled omental flaps in 92 cases (64.3%). The urinary tract was reconstructed in 92 cases (64.3%). The time to recovery of intestinal function was 3.6 (2.0 to 7.0) days, to removal of drainage tubes 29.4 (24.0 to 54.0) days, and to healing of the empty pelvic cavity 36.2 (27.0 to 56.0) days. Twenty-three patients (16.1%) had Grade I - II complications and 36 (25.2%) Grade IIIa - IV complications. The median duration of follow-up was 15.5 (0.5 to 30.0) months. Six of the patients (4.2%) died, including two (1.4%) who died within 30 days after surgery.Conclusions:Pelvic floor en bloc resection has a high R0 resection rate and is a safe and feasible procedure for pelvic organ resection surgeries in patients with locally advanced or locally recurrent rectal cancer.

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility and safety of a fascial space priority approach to total pelvic exenteration (TPE) in patients with pelvic malignancy.Methods:This was a descriptive case series. Relevant clinical data of patients who had undergone TPE via a fascial space priority approach at Tianjin Union Medical Center from September 2017 to March 2025 were retrospectively collected. All operations had been performed via a fascial space priority approach, the guiding principle of which is separating the avascular pelvic spaces first and then transecting the vessels and nerves of the pelvic organs. That is, the avascular planes around all the pelvic organs are dissected first, after which the relevant vessels and nerves are fully dissected and transected, followed by en bloc resection of pelvic organs distally or via perineal approach. The variables studied included relevant surgical parameters, postoperative pathological findings, complications (classified according to the Clavien-Dindo criteria); recurrence-free survival (RFS), overall survival, and tumor-specific survival. Results:The study cohort comprised 41 patients, including 30 (73.2%) with primary tumors and 11 (26.8%) with recurrent tumors. Open TPE was performed on five patients (12.2%) and laparoscopic TPE on the remaining 36 (87.8%). All procedures were successfully completed with a fascial space priority approach and there were no intraoperative deaths. R0 resection was achieved in 34 patients (82.9%) and R1 resection in seven (17.1%). The operation time was 500 (265-740) min, and the amount of bleeding 200 (10-3,500) mL. Twelve patients (29.3%) developed postoperative complications, two of which were Clavien-Dindo Grade III complications. One of these patients required re-operation to manage a pelvic hematoma 29 days after the primary TPE. No active bleeding was observed during the re-operation. Another patient underwent interventional angiography for an episode of postoperative bleeding; this showed a pseudoaneurysm of the internal iliac artery that was successfully treated by interventional embolization via the internal iliac artery. Five days after undergoing a primary TPE with bladder preservation, a third patient was found to have a urinary fistula and underwent laparoscopic bladder resection with percutaneous ureterostomy. The median duration of follow-up was 18 (1-90) months. The 5-year RFS and overall survival were 46.7% and 52.2%, respectively, whereas the 5-year tumor-specific survival was 67.8%. Univariate Cox regression analysis identified a positive surgical margin ( P < 0.001), lateral pelvic sidewall invasion ( P=0.014), and vascular invasion ( P=0.004) as significantly associated with RFS, whereas multivariate analysis identified only a positive surgical margin (HR: 21.93, 95% CI: 3.78-127.42, P<0.001) as an independent predictor of RFS. Conclusions:It is safe and feasible to perform TPE with a fascial space priority approach on patients with pelvic malignancy. Positive surgical margins are significantly associated with RFS.

Peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer is a common metastatic form in advanced gastric cancer, and conventional systemic chemotherapy has shown unsatisfactory efficacy. This article systematically examines the clinical value and implementation strategies of normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and systemic therapy (NIPS) in the treatment of gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis. It covers aspects such as the precise selection of treatment candidates, optimization of drug regimens, standardized management of intraperitoneal chemotherapy ports, determination of the appropriate timing for conversion surgery, and postoperative treatment optimization. The aim is to provide scientific guidance for the clinical application of NIPS, promote its standardization, and improve the prognosis for patients with gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis.

Peritoneal metastasis is a key factor in the poor prognosis of advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients. Traditional radiological diagnostic faces challenges such as insufficient sensitivity. Through technologies like radiomics and deep learning, artificial intelligence can deeply analyze the tumor heterogeneity and microenvironment features in medical images, revealing markers of peritoneal metastasis and constructing high-precision predictive models. These technologies have demonstrated advantages in tasks such as predicting peritoneal metastasis, assessing the risk of peritoneal recurrence, and identifying small metastatic foci during surgery. This paper summarizes the representative progress and application prospects of medical imaging artificial intelligence in the diagnosis and treatment of peritoneal metastasis, and discusses potential development directions such as multimodal data fusion and large model. The integration of medical imaging artificial intelligence with clinical practice is expected to advance personalized and precision medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of peritoneal metastasis in gastrointestinal cancers.

Peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer is the second most common metastatic pattern after liver metastasis, clinically common and associated with a poor prognosis. Refractory subtypes such as mucinous adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell carcinoma, and BRAF V600E-mutated colorectal cancers account for a relatively high proportion in peritoneal metastasis. While previous diagnosis and treatment faced significant challenges, recent advances in new technologies and evolving therapeutic concepts have achieved progress in management. Many patients with colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis have obtained favorable treatment outcomes, though numerous challenges persist. This article provides an in-depth analysis of current status and advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis, examines existing clinical difficulties and unresolved issues, and explores the application of advanced technologies in clinical practice. Through promoting individualized, precise, and standardized treatment concepts, we aim to enhance survival benefits for more patients.

Currently, the performance of D2 lymphadenectomy for locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) has become an established therapeutic consensus. The accumulating evidence supporting the application of laparoscopic techniques in such procedures signifies the transition of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy from an exploratory phase into mature clinical practice, with the surgical volume showing a yearly increasing trend. Alongside advancements in imaging equipment, innovations in surgical instrument, and updates in therapeutic concepts, surgeons are placing increasing emphasis on the radicality of the operation, the quality of lymph node dissection, and perioperative safety. Lymph node dissection in the supra-pancreatic area along the celiac arterial system constitutes a critical step in radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Supra-pancreatic area serves not only as a major lymphatic drainage hub for the stomach but also presents significant surgical challenges due to its complex anatomy, difficult exposure, high risk of bleeding, and injury to vital structures traversing the area. Therefore, how to effectively reduce the difficulty for the assistant to expose, optimize the surgeon's control over the anatomical planes in this region, achieve more refined maneuvers, and consequently reduce bleeding, lower complication rates, and shorten operative time are core issues currently concerning surgeons. This article, based on author's clinical experience, aims to provide an in-depth discussion on the strategies for supra-pancreatic lymph node dissection in laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery.

With the deepening understanding of the role of gut microbiota in human health and disease, fecal microbiota transplantation has gained widespread attention as an emerging therapeutic approach in recent years. This technique involves the transplantation of microbial communities from the feces of healthy donors into patients to reconstruct or improve the gut microbiota structure, thereby achieving therapeutic goals. Fecal microbiota transplantation has become an effective method for treating recurrent or refractory Clostridium difficile infections and has shown good therapeutic effects and safety in clinical trials for various gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, slow transit constipation, and chronic diarrhea. Moreover, its application has been extended to research in metabolic diseases and neurological disorders, which are not directly related to the gut. However, the clinical efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation still needs improvement, and there are many challenges regarding specific application strategies that remain to be addressed. This article discusses the current progress and challenges of fecal microbiota transplantation strategies and reviews cutting-edge interventional methods such as small intestine microbiota intervention and bacteriophage therapy, aiming to provide reference for further research in fecal microbiota transplantation.