Biobanking plays an important role in future research. Assessment and control of the preanalytical variables of biobanked tissues are fundamentals for the optimal use of biospecimens.

Forty-five colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues stored at −80°C in Bio-Resource Bank were evaluated to define the influence of cold ischemia time (CIT) and storage period (SP) on DNA quality in biobanked tissues. Three CITs (less than 30 minutes (CIT-1), 30–45 minutes (CIT-2), and 45–60 minutes (CIT-3)) and three SPs (less than 1 year (SP-1), 2–3 years (SP-2), and 4–5 years (SP-3)) were chosen. NanoDrop spectrophotometer was used to determine the 260/280 ratio for DNA purity. DNA integrity was analyzed by a UV transilluminator following electrophoresis on 2% agarose gel. To evaluate the practical usability of DNA for biomarker research, KRAS mutation status was assessed by PCR amplification.

All DNA specimens had a 260/280 ratio ranging between 1.8 and 2.0 with the exception of one specimen (CIT-2/SP-2 group). For DNA integrity, DNA appeared as a compact, high-molecular-weight band with no or scanty low-molecular-weight smears. The concordance of KRAS mutation status between paired biobanked frozen tissues and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues was 100%. DNA remained stable in CRC tissues kept at room temperature for up to 1 hour and long-term storage up to 5 years.

Storage conditions of our biobank are suitable for long-term (at least five years) specimen preservation with high DNA quality. These results have practical implications that could affect banking guidelines.

The addition of bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy has been improved survival outcomes in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. However, the combination of bevacizumab with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment showed limited survival benefit. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and toxicity of the combination of bevacizumab to oxaliplatin and leucovorin (FOLFOX4) in the first-line treatment of patient with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Between December 2004 and September 2009, medical records of patients who were diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer and received the first line chemotherapy with bevacizumab and FOLFOX4, were retrospectively reviewed.

A total of forty patients were analyzed. The median age of the patients was 55 years (range, 33-80), and 55% was male. The patients received a total of 206 cycles of therapy (median 4 cycles per patient; range 1 – 15 cycles). Of these 40 patients, none achieved complete response (CR) and 15 achieved a partial response (PR), for the overall response rate (ORR) 37.5% (95% CI, 22.5-52.5). Median progression free survival (PFS) was 6.9 months (95% CI, 3.4-10.5) and median overall survival (OS) was 22.6 months (95% CI, 17.3-27.8The most common grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicity and non-hematologic toxicity were neutropenia (10.0%) and diarrhea (10.0%), respectively. Two patients experienced gastrointestinal perforation.

In this study, the combination bevacizumab with FOLFOX4 was associated with favorable OS, but did not showed favorable PFS and ORR.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate feasibility and safety of simultaneous laparoscopy-assisted resection for synchronous colorectal and gastric cancer.

From January 2001 to December 2013, a total of 29 patients underwent simultaneous resection for synchronous colorectal and gastric cancers. Medical records were reviewed, retrospectively.

Eight patients (5 male) underwent laparoscopy-assisted resection (LAP group) and twenty one patients (17 male) underwent open surgery (Open group). In the both group, the mean age (65.2 vs. 63.7 years, p =0.481), body mass index (22.6 vs. 22.3, p = 0.896) was comparable, respectively. In LAP group, laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy was performed for all eight patients. In Open group, subtotal gastrectomy with billroth I gastroduodenostomy was most common procedure (66.7%). The operation time, blood loss volume was similar between the two groups. Gas out was earlier (3.0 vs. 4.6 days p = 0.106), postoperative hospital stay was shorter (12.0 vs. 18.3 days, p = 0.245) in LAP group. The postoperative complications were an ileus, a wound seroma and a bile leakage in LAP group, pneumonia (10.0%), wound bleeding (5.0%) and leakage (5.0%) in Open group.

The simultaneous laparoscopy-assisted resection for synchronous colorectal cancer and gastric cancer is a feasible and safe procedure.