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Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is an established treatment of Colorectal Peritoneal Metastases (CRPM). This study aims to determine the timing and patterns of recurrent disease on imaging following complete CRS/HIPEC. Retrospective analysis of a national peritoneal tumour service database identified CRPM patients with complete CRS/HIPEC(CC0) from 2005 to-2018. Patients with<2 years follow-up or and those where post-operative histology from the CRS/HIPEC procedure did not confirm CRPM from their original colorectal cancer were excluded. Time to recurrence was measured from surgery to first radiologically illustrated recurrence. CT was the primary modality used, supplemented by PET-CT or MRI if required. Outcomes of interest were survival data (including overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and peritoneal-recurrence free survival (PRFS)), timing and patterns of recurrent disease. 146 of the 176 patients identified were eligible for inclusion. Median OS for all study patients was 45.2 months (95% CI 38–53 months), median DFS was 11.7 months (95% CI 9–14 months), and median PRFS was 25.2 months (95% CI 14.7–30 months). Recurrent disease was seen in 112 cases (77%), radiologically classified as intraperitoneal in 50 patients (44%), single site systemic in 21 patients (19%) and multi-site in 41 patients (37%). CT detection rate for disease recurrence was 88%. Subgroup analyses showed that PCI ≥12, positive nodal primary disease and synchronous peritoneal disease were associated with worse outcomes. Patients selected for CRS/HIPEC for CRPM have an OS > 45 months, with the majority recurring systemically within a year. Peritoneal recurrence is a later event after several years. Surveillance programs in this group should be most intensive in the first 2 years after surgery, using CT with oral and intravenous contrast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms (LAMNs) are classified as non-perforated (pTis, pT3) or perforated (pT4), and considered precursors of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). This study aims to quantify the risk of developing PMP from pTis and pT3 LAMNs. Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database identified LAMN patients referred to a specialist centre from 2004 to 2019. pT4 LAMNs and other appendix tumours were excluded. All patients had specialist review of their pathology, operation note, and a CT scan (at least 6 weeks post-operatively). Surveillance CTs were then performed at 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, & 60 months, with tumour markers (CEA, CA19-9, CA125). 193 pT3/pTis LAMN patients were included (pTis = 153, pT3 = 40). Median follow-up = 6.45 (3.91–22.13) years, M:F ratio = 1:1.57, and median age = 57 (23–83) years. Initial surgery included: appendicectomy (67 %), appendicectomy + visceral resection (6 %), and right hemicolectomy (27 %). R1 resections were identified in 5/193 patients (2.5 %). 3 R1 patients underwent re-operation (2 caecal pole excision and 1 ileocecectomy), none of which had residual tumour. 8/193 patients (4 %) were lost to follow up. None of the remaining 185 developed PMP. This is the largest reported series of pTis/pT3 LAMNs with standardised follow-up in the literature. LAMNs correctly classified as pT3/pTis (after careful specialist review of pathology, operation note, and a baseline post-operative CT) have negligible risk of developing PMP and should have low intensity surveillance. If completely excised, further surgery is not indicated. R1 resections should be considered on an individual basis at a specialist centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA), lymph node positivity (LNP) indicates poor prognosis for survival and is central to radiotherapy planning. Over the past three decades, LNP proportion has increased, mainly reflecting enhanced detection with newer imaging modalities; a process known as nodal stage migration. If accompanied by constant T stage distributions, prognosis for both lymph node-positive and lymph node-negative groups may improve without any increase in overall survival for individual patients; a paradox termed the Will Rogers phenomenon. Here, we aim to systematically evaluate the impact of nodal stage migration on survival in SCCA and address a novel hypothesis that this phenomenon results in reduced prognostic discrimination.Methods: We did a systematic review and meta-regression to quantify changes in LNP over time and the impact of this change on survival and prognostic discrimination. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify randomised trials and observational studies in patients with SCCA published between Jan 1, 1970, and Oct 11, 2016. Studies were eligible if patients received chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy as the main treatment, reported LNP proportions (all studies), and reported overall survival (not necessarily present in all studies). We excluded studies with fewer than 50 patients. We extracted study-level data with a standardised, piloted form. The primary outcome measure was 5-year overall survival. To investigate scenarios in which reduced prognostic discrimination might occur, we simulated varying true LNP proportions and true overall survival, and compared these with expected observed outcomes for varying levels of misclassification of true nodal state.Findings: We identified 62 studies reporting LNP proportions, which included 10 569 patients. From these, we included 45 studies (6302 patients) with whole cohort 5-year overall survival, 11 studies with 5-year survival stratified by nodal status, and 20 studies with hazard ratios in our analyses of temporal changes. In 62 studies, the LNP proportions increased from a mean estimate of 15·3% (95% CI 10·5-20·1) in 1980 to 37·1% (34·0-41·3) in 2012 (p<0·0001). In 11 studies with prognostic data, increasing LNP was associated with improved overall survival in both lymph node-positive and lymph node-negative categories, whereas the proportions with combined tumour stage T3 and T4 remained constant. In 20 studies, across a range of LNP proportions from 15% to 40%, the hazard ratios for overall survival of lymph node-positive versus lymph node-negative patients decreased significantly from 2·5 (95% CI 1·8-3·3) at 15% LNP to 1·3 (1·2-1·9; p=0·014) at 40% LNP. The simulated scenarios reproduced this effect if the true LNP proportions were 20% or 25%, but not if the true LNP proportions were 30% or greater.Interpretation: We describe a consequence of staging misclassification in anal cancer that we have termed reduced prognostic discrimination. We used this new observation to infer that the LNP proportions of more than 30% seen in modern clinical series (11 out of 15 studies with a median year since 2007) are higher than the true LNP proportion. The introduction of new staging technologies in oncology might misclassify true disease stage, spuriously informing disease management and ultimately increasing the risk of overtreatment.Funding: Bowel Disease Research Foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of image-guided percutaneous splenic interventions as diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective review of our interventional records from July 2001 to June 2006. Ninety-five image-guided percutaneous splenic interventions were performed after informed consent in 89 patients: 64 men and 25 women who ranged in age from 5 months to 71 years (mean, 38.4 years) under ultrasound (n=93) or CT (n=2) guidance. The procedures performed were fine needle aspiration biopsy of focal splenic lesions (n=78) and aspiration (n=10) or percutaneous catheter drainage of a splenic abscess (n=7). Results: Splenic fine needle aspiration biopsy was successful in 62 (83.78%) of 74 patients with benign lesions diagnosed in 43 (58.1%) and malignancy in 19 (25.67%) patients. The most common pathologies included tuberculosis (26 patients, 35.13%) and lymphoma (14 patients, 18.91%). Therapeutic aspiration or pigtail catheter drainage was successful in all (100%) patients. There were no major complications. Conclusions: Image-guided splenic fine needle aspiration biopsy is a safe and accurate technique that can provide a definitive diagnosis in most patients with focal lesions in the spleen. This study also suggests that image-guided percutaneous aspiration or catheter drainage of splenic abscesses is a safe and effective alternative to surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]