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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is widely used to treat borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the serum carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 response, in association with survival, after four cycles of NAC-gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel.From 2015 to 2018, patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer were treated with NAC. Patients were stratified into two groups after excluding CA19-9 non-secretor: Group L (CA19-9 ≥2 and ≤500 U/mL) and Group H (CA19-9500 U/mL). The CA19-9 decrease during NAC was evaluated as a response of NAC and was assessed in association with survival concomitant with other prognosis factors.Eighty-seven patients were evaluated (Group L: n = 43, Group H: n = 44). In intention-to-treat-based analysis, Group L exhibited significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) than Group H (median PFS: 24 vs 14months). In resection cohort, no correlation was detected between the CA19-9 decrease and survival in Group L. In Group H, the CA19-9 decrease ≤80% was associated with unfavorable survival in multivariate analysis [Hazard ratio: 4.738 (P = 0.007)].In patients with pre-treatment CA19-9500 U/mL, the CA19-9 decrease ≤80% was strongly associated with poor survival and new strategy should be reconsidered for these patients.

The improvement of effective multidrug agents has allowed more patients to undergo resection for pancreatic cancer (PC). In the conversion cases of initially unresectable PC after induction chemotherapy, pancreatic surgeons often encounter challenging vein resections cases such as those of long-segment portal vein (PV)/superior mesenteric vein (SMV) encasement or occlusion of the distal (caudal) SMV. Given the lack of consensus for the optimal approach for major vein resections and reconstructions in these situations, this review summarizes the literature on this topic and provides the best currently available approaches for challenging vein reconstruction cases. For long-segment PV/SMV encasement, tips for direct end-to-end anastomosis without grafts and the splenic vein (SpV) reconstruction to prevent left-side portal hypertension will be introduced. For distal SMV encasement, several bypass techniques to deal with collateralizations will be introduced. Even though some high-volume PC centers are obtaining favorable outcomes for challenging vein resection cases, existing evidence on this topic is limited. It is essential to organize the well-designed international multicenter studies for the small population of challenging vein resection cases. With the emergence of effective chemotherapies, the number of PC patients who can undergo curative resection is increasing. Achieving more successful vessel resection and reconstruction in the treatment of PC is a common goal that pancreatic surgeons should focus on together.

Purpose: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPN) are rare pancreatic cystic neoplasms with low malignant potential that tend to occur in young women. Due to the rarity of this disease, there are few large case series in the literature, and the exact pathophysiology remains unknown. In this article, we aim to share our institutional experience. Methods: Retrospective clinical data collection and analysis was performed on all patients with a diagnosis of SPN at the University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Colorado (n = 28). Results: Twenty-eight patients were diagnosed with SPN during the study period. The median age was 21.5 years, and the majority of patients were female (89.3%) and Caucasian (60.7%). Six patients were diagnosed incidentally (21.4%). The majority of tumors were in the pancreatic tail (46.4%), and most underwent distal pancreatectomy (64.3%). The mean tumor size was 5.4 cm, and R0 resection was achieved in 25 patients (89.3%). Ten patients underwent laparoscopic resection (35.7%). The median hospital length of stay was 8.5 days, and postoperative complication rate was 39.3%. Median follow-up was 41 months, with 78.6% of patients alive without evidence of disease, while 2 patients were lost to follow-up. Two patients developed recurrence/metastases, which were resected; both are alive without evidence of disease. Conclusion: SPN are rare pancreatic tumors diagnosed most frequently in young women. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment, and outcomes are excellent if complete resection is achieved. Predictors of malignant disease are inconsistent in current literature. Considerations should be made for a minimally invasive approach in patients with SPN. Multidisciplinary clinics may be helpful in the diagnosis, management, and surveillance of pancreatic cystic lesions, with major potential for the advanced practitioner role.

Background Use of neoadjuvant therapy for elderly patients with pancreatic cancer has been debatable. With FOLFIRINOX (folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) showing tremendous effects in improving the overall survival of patients with borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer, there is no definitive consensus regarding the use of this regimen in the elderly. Methods This study evaluated the eligibility of elderly patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer for neoadjuvant therapy. Patients registered in the database of pancreatic cancer at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, who underwent neoadjuvant treatment between January 2011 and March 2019, were separated into three age groups (less than 70, 70–74, 75 or more years) and respective treatment outcomes were compared. Results The study included 246 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent neoadjuvant treatment, of whom 154 and 71 received chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX and GnP respectively. Among these 225 patients, 155 were younger than 70 years, 36 were aged 70–74 years, and 34 were aged 75 years or older. Patients under 70 years old received FOLFIRINOX most frequently (124 of 155 versus 18 of 36 aged 70–74 years, and 12 of 34 aged 75 years or more; P Conclusion The safety and efficacy of multiagent chemotherapy in patients aged 75 years or over were similar to those in younger patients. Modern multiagent regimens could be a safe and viable treatment option for clinically fit patients aged at least 75 years.

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) has been increasingly recognized as a contributor to postoperative complications. A consensus-working group recommended that POCD should be distinguished between delayed cognitive recovery, i.e., evaluations up to 30 days postoperative, and neurocognitive disorder, i.e., assessments performed between 30 days and 12 months after surgery. Additionally, the choice of the anesthetic, either inhalational or total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and its effect on the incidence of POCD, has become a focus of research. Our primary objective was to search the literature and conduct a meta-analysis to verify whether the choice of general anesthesia may impact the incidence of POCD in the first 30 days postoperatively. As a secondary objective, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to estimate the effects of the anesthetic on POCD between 30 days and 12 months postoperative. For the primary objective, an initial review of 1,913 articles yielded 12 studies with a total of 3,639 individuals. For the secondary objective, five studies with a total of 751 patients were selected. In the first 30 days postoperative, the odds-ratio for POCD in TIVA group was 0.60 (95% CI = 0.40 - 0.91; p = 0.02), compared to the inhalational group. TIVA was associated with a lower incidence of POCD in the first 30 days postoperatively. Regarding the secondary objective, due to the small number of selected articles and its high heterogeneity, a metanalysis was not conducted. Giving the heterogeneity of criteria for POCD, future prospective studies with more robust designs should be performed to fully address this question.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the role of pancreatic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic to optimize patients’ and clinicians’ safety and safeguard health care capacity. Summary Background Data: The COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacts health care systems worldwide. Cancer patients appear to have an increased risk for adverse events when infected by COVID-19, but the inability to receive oncological care seems may be an even larger threat, particularly in case of pancreatic cancer. Methods: An online survey was submitted to all members of seven international pancreatic associations and study groups, investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pancreatic surgery using 21 statements (April, 2020). Consensus was defined as >80% agreement among respondents and moderate agreement as 60% to 80% agreement. Results: A total of 337 respondents from 267 centers and 37 countries spanning 5 continents completed the survey. Most respondents were surgeons (n = 302, 89.6%) and working in an academic center (n = 286, 84.9%). The majority of centers (n = 166, 62.2%) performed less pancreatic surgery because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reducing the weekly pancreatic resection rate from 3 [interquartile range (IQR) 2–5] to 1 (IQR 0–2) (P < 0.001). Most centers screened for COVID-19 before pancreatic surgery (n = 233, 87.3%). Consensus was reached on 13 statements and 5 statements achieved moderate agreement. Conclusions: This global survey elucidates the role of pancreatic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, regarding patient selection for the surgical and oncological treatment of pancreatic diseases to support clinical decision-making and creating a starting point for further discussion.

Background Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with portal vein resection (PVR) is a standard operation for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) with portal vein (PV) invasion, but positive margin rates remain high. It was hypothesized that regional pancreatoduodenectomy (RPD), in which soft tissue around the PV is resected en bloc, could enhance oncological clearance and survival. Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent PD with PVR between January 2005 and December 2016 in a single high‐volume centre. In standard PD (SPD) with PVR, the PV was skeletonized and the surrounding soft tissue dissected. In RPD, the retropancreatic segment of the PV was resected en bloc with its surrounding soft tissue. The extent of lymphadenectomy was similar between the procedures. Results A total of 268 patients were included (177 SPD, 91 RPD). Tumours were more often resectable in patients undergoing SPD (60·5 per cent versus 38 per cent in those having RPD; P = 0·014), and consequently they received neoadjuvant therapy less often (7·9 versus 25 per cent respectively; P, A regional pancreatoduodenectomy (RPD) procedure was employed to enhance oncological clearance around the mesenteric vein in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. This provided better local control with longer overall survival than a standard pancreatoduodenectomy procedure. Regional pancreatectomy associated with increased R0‐rate and survival

Background Neoadjuvant treatment is important for improving the rate of R0 surgical resection and overall survival outcome in treating patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the true efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) for neoadjuvant treatment of PDAC is uncertain. This retrospective study evaluated the treatment outcome of neoadjuvant RT in the treatment of PDAC. Methods Collected from the National Cancer Database, information on patients with PDAC who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and pancreatectomy between 2010 to 2016 was used in this study. Short- and long-term outcomes were compared between patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) and NAC. Results The study included 6936 patients, of whom 3185 received NACRT and 3751 NAC. The groups showed no difference in overall survival (NACRT 16.1 months versus NAC 17.4 months; P = 0.054). NACRT is associated with more frequent margin negative resection (86.1 versus 80.0 per cent; P < 0.001) but a more unfavourable 90-day mortality than NAC (6.4 versus 3.6 per cent; P < 0.001). The odds of 90-day mortality were higher in the radiotherapy group (odds ratio 1.81; P < 0.001), even after adjusting for significant covariates. Patients who received NACRT received single-agent chemotherapy more often than those who received NAC (31.5 versus 10.7 per cent; P < 0.001). Conclusion This study failed to show a survival benefit for NACRT over NAC alone, despite its association with negative margin resection. The significantly higher mortality in NACRT warrants further investigation into its efficacy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

The short-term outcomes after hepatic vein reconstruction (HVR) were evaluated in 41 patients. HVR can be performed safely using autologous vein graft. HVR can increase the functional remnant liver volume, facilitating parenchyma-sparing one-step hepatectomy as well as expanding resectability even in patients with all major hepatic veins involved.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) critically influenced microscopically complete resection (R0) rates and long-term outcomes for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with portomesenteric vein resection (PVR) from a diverse, world-wide group of high-volume centers. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Limited size studies suggest that NAT improves R0 rates and overall survival compared to upfront surgery in R/BR-PDAC patients. METHODS: This multicenter study analyzed consecutive patients with R/BR-PDAC who underwent PD with PVR in 23 high-volume centers from 2009 to 2018. RESULTS: Data from 1192 patients with PD and PVR were collected and analyzed. The median age was 68 [interquartile range (IQR) 60-73] years and 52% were males. Some 186 (15.6%) and 131 (10.9%) patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) alone and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, respectively. The R0/R1/R2 rates were 57%, 39.3%, and 3.2% in patients who received NAT compared to 46.6%, 49.9%, and 3.5% in patients who did not, respectively (P =0.004). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS in patients receiving NAT was 79%, 41%, and 29%, while for those that did not it was 73%, 29%, and 18%, respectively (P

In recent years, automatic ontology generation has received significant attention in information science as a means of systemizing vast amounts of online data. As our initial attempt of ontology generation with a neural network, we proposed a recurrent neural network-based method. However, updating the architecture is possible because of the development in natural language processing (NLP). By contrast, the transfer learning of language models trained by a large, unlabeled corpus has yielded a breakthrough in NLP. Inspired by these achievements, we propose a novel workflow for ontology generation comprising two-stage learning. Our results showed that our best method improved accuracy by over 12.5%. As an application example, we applied our model to the Stanford Question Answering Dataset to show ontology generation in a real field. The results showed that our model can generate a good ontology, with some exceptions in the real field, indicating future research directions to improve the quality.

Simple Summary Extensive portal vein (PV) resection, including porto-mesenterico-splenic confluence (PMSC) during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) may sometimes be necessary for pancreatic head cancer, if the tumor is close to the portal venous system. However, as a late-onset postoperative complication, this extensive PV resection may result in sinistral portal hypertension (SPH) and cause variceal bleeding due to congested venous flow from the spleen. Since the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer has improved, owing to the development of chemotherapy and surgical techniques, SPH is no longer a negligible matter in the field of pancreatic cancer surgery. This review clarifies the pathogenesis and frequency of SPH after PD with PMSC resection and discusses its prediction and prevention. Abstract To achieve curative resection for pancreatic cancer during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), extensive portal vein (PV) resection, including porto-mesenterico-splenic confluence (PMSC), may sometimes be necessary if the tumor is close to the portal venous system. Recently, this extended resection has been widely accepted in high-volume centers for pancreatic resection due to its favorable outcomes compared with non-operative treatment. However, in patients with long-term survival, sinistral portal hypertension (SPH) occurs as a late-onset postoperative complication. These patients present gastrointestinal varices due to congested venous flow from the spleen, which may cause critical variceal bleeding. Since the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer has improved, owing to the development of chemotherapy and surgical techniques, SPH is no longer a negligible matter in the field of pancreatic cancer surgery. This review clarifies the pathogenesis and frequency of SPH after PD through PMSC resection and discusses its prediction and prevention.

This study aimed to clarify the key factors for minimizing unsuitable surgical interventions for patients with radiologically occult metastatic pancreatic cancer (ROMPC), defined as a distant metastasis detected during surgery or within 6 months after resection. This study involved 502 patients planned to undergo curative resection for pancreatic cancer between 2008 and 2015. Patients were divided into ROMPC and non-ROMPC groups and evaluated preoperative factors associated with ROMPC. Overall survival (OS) was significantly lower in the ROMPC group (n = 145) than the non-ROMPC group (n = 357, median survival time [MST] 10.8 vs. 35.3 months, P

Background Previous studies have documented potential advantages of laparoscopic hepatectomy in decreasing blood loss compared with open surgery. This study aimed to compare intraoperative blood loss estimated using four different methods in open versus laparoscopic hepatectomy. Methods Patients undergoing liver resection between 2014 and 2017 were evaluated prospectively, differentiating between the laparoscopic and open approach. Groups were compared using univariable and multivariable analyses. Intraoperative blood loss was estimated using three formulas based on the postoperative decreases in haematocrit, haemoglobin or red blood cell volume, and using the conventional method of the sum of suction fluid amounts and gauze weight. In addition, blood loss per hepatic transection area was calculated to compare groups. Results Some 125 patients who underwent hepatectomy were selected, including 56 open hepatectomies and 69 laparoscopic liver resections. Intraoperative blood loss per hepatic transection area estimated by the conventional method was significantly less in the laparoscopic than the open group (3·6 (range 0·2–50·0) versus 6·6 (1·2–82·5) ml/cm2 respectively; P

A 53-year-old man with prior history of resection of liposarcoma in his leg presented with gallbladder mass. Computed tomography showed 4-cm tumor at gallbladder fundus with weak enhancement with IV contrast. Differential diagnoses included hemangioma and liposarcoma, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy was recommended. In the operating room, the tumor appeared without serosal and liver invasions and uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy was completed. Histopathological examination revealed the tumor as myxoid liposarcoma with round cells. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not given, and he was placed on imaging surveillance. At 16 months after the operation, he developed recurrence of liposarcoma in the left popliteal fossa.

Objective: The aim of this study was to establish clinically relevant outcome benchmark values using criteria for pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with portomesenteric venous resection (PVR) from a low-risk cohort managed in high-volume centers. Summary Background Data: PD with PVR is regarded as the standard of care in patients with cancer involvement of the portomesenteric venous axis. There are, however, no benchmark outcome indicators for this population which hampers comparisons of patients undergoing PD with and without PVR resection. Methods: This multicenter study analyzed patients undergoing PD with any type of PVR in 23 high-volume centers from 2009 to 2018. Nineteen outcome benchmarks were established in low-risk patients, defined as the 75th percentile of the median outcome values of the centers (NCT04053998). Results: Out of 1462 patients with PD and PVR, 840 (58%) formed the benchmark cohort, with a mean age was 64 (SD11) years, 413 (49%) were females. Benchmark cutoffs, among others, were calculated as follows: Clinically relevant pancreatic fistula rate (International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery): ≤14%; in-hospital mortality rate: ≤4%; major complication rate Grade≥3 and the CCI up to 6 months postoperatively: ≤36% and ≤26, respectively; portal vein thrombosis rate: ≤14% and 5-year survival for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: ≥9%. Conclusion: These novel benchmark cutoffs targeting surgical performance, morbidity, mortality, and oncological parameters show relatively inferior results in patients undergoing vascular resection because of involvement of the portomesenteric venous axis. These benchmark values however can be used to conclusively assess the results of different centers or surgeons operating on this high-risk group.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is likely to become the second leading cause of malignancy-associated mortality within the next 10 years and surgery remains the best hope for cure. The introduction of effective neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) has increased the resection rate of PC in the era of contemporary pancreatology. This review summarizes the surgical selection criteria for locally advanced PC (LAPC), by focusing on the commonly used predictors for resectability and better overall survival outcome. Based on the currently available evidence, the role of change in carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and patient's tumor response to NAT are critical in surgical candidacy selection. Although, consensus on surgical candidacy selection for LAPC still needs to be made, several data have shown that surgery provides the most optimistic chance of cure for PC. Surgery is, therefore, recommended whenever the benefits of pancreatectomy outweigh surgical complications, and the chance of local or distant metastases in the postoperative setting is low. This review also provided our insight for and experience in selecting surgical candidates by focusing on optimizing the overall survival of LAPC patients. Nevertheless, a collaborative approach to formulating standardized criteria for surgical candidate selection and treatment guidelines for LAPC is a common goal that pancreatologists worldwide should focus on.

This prospective trial revealed the additional diagnostic value of staging laparoscopy with contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasonography and indocyanine green-fluorescence imaging, detecting radiologically occult liver metastases and other occult metastases effectively for patients with high-risk resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. The 2-year survival rate of patients without occult metastasis was significantly better than that of patients with occult metastasis. These favourable results for patients without occult metastasis indicate that an enhanced screening strategy and modern multidisciplinary treatment may improve the outcome even of patients affected by high-risk advanced pancreatic cancer. State-of-the-art staging worth the effort

Background and Aims: It has become clear that vein resection and reconstruction for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the standard of care as supported by multiple guidelines. However, resection of large peri-pancreatic arteries remains debatable. Materials and Methods: This review examines the current state of vascular resection with curative intent for PDAC in the last 5 years. Herein, we consider venous (superior mesenteric vein, portal vein), as well as arterial (superior mesenteric artery, celiac trunk, hepatic artery) resection or both with or without reconstruction. Results: Improvement of multidrug chemotherapy has revolutionized care for PDAC that should shift traditional surgical thinking from an anatomical classification of resectability to a prognostic and biological classification. Conclusion: The present review gives an overview on the results of pancreatectomy associated with vascular resection, with consideration of new perspectives offered by the availability of better systemic therapies.

Background Clinical implication of disappearing liver metastases (DLMs) from colorectal cancer after chemotherapy needs to be reviewed in the era of modern imaging studies. Methods Between 2010 and 2015, 184 patients underwent curative hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases following preoperative chemotherapy. The sites of metastases detected on pre-chemotherapy CE-CT were examined post-chemotherapy using CE-CT, gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI), and contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasonography (CE-IOUS). DLMs were defined as tumors that disappeared on CE-CT post chemotherapy. The detection rate of DLMs with EOB-MRI and CE-IOUS were assessed, and the outcome of DLMs resected and those left in place were reviewed. Results A total of 275 DLMs were noted in 59 patients. On EOB-MRI, 71 lesions (26%) were visible and were resected, 92% (65/71) of which contained viable disease. Using CE-IOUS, an additional 94 lesions were identified. A total of 165 DLMs (60%) were identified and resected by sequential use of EOB-MRI and CE-IOUS, 77% (127/165) of which contained viable disease. Of 110 DLMs not identified, 68 were resected, 4% (3/68) of which contained viable disease. Among 42 lesions left in place, 6 (14%) recurred during the median follow-up period of 27 (9–72) months. Discussion EOB-MRI and CE-IOUS exploration identified clinically relevant DLMs containing viable disease with a high level of accuracy.

Recently, several studies have revealed the usefulness of biomarkers to predict the response to chemotherapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Among them, human antigen R (HuR) is reported as a powerful marker for response to gemcitabine chemotherapy for PDAC. The present report describes a patient with PDAC who underwent gemcitabine therapy before resection and after recurrence, and HuR expression was examined at multiple stages. A 72-year-old man was diagnosed with locally advanced unresectable PDAC invading the common hepatic artery. After 9 cycles of gemcitabine treatment, a computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a partial response. He underwent distal pancreatectomy with portal vein resection. The pathologic assessment for response to the chemotherapy was grade Ib by Evans's criteria, and HuR expression was high. Serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level rose rapidly at 4 months after the first resection. A CT scan and needle biopsy revealed a solitary recurrence in the abdominal wall, and HuR expression remained high. After 4 cycles of gemcitabine and S-1 combination therapy, a CT scan demonstrated a partial response, and serum CA19-9 decreased. However, after 2 additional cycles of the therapy, a CT scan demonstrated progressive disease, and serum CA19-9 increased slightly. By laparotomy, an abdominal wall recurrence and multiple peritoneal dissemination were found. HuR expression in the biopsy specimen obtained during the laparotomy was decreased. Although gemcitabine therapy was reinitiated, the disease progressed rapidly so the treatment was stopped. In this case, a correlation between the acquisition of resistance to gemcitabine therapy and change in HuR expression was demonstrated.

Thanks to the development of modern chemotherapeutic regimens, survival after surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has improved and pancreatologists worldwide agree that the treatment of PDAC demands a multidisciplinary approach. Neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) plays a major role in the treatment of PDAC since only about 20% of patients are considered resectable at the time of diagnosis. Moreover, increasing data demonstrating the benefits of NAT for borderline resectable/locally advanced PDAC are driving a shift from up-front surgery to NAT in the multidisciplinary treatment of even resectable PDAC. Our understanding of the role of NAT in PDAC has evolved from tumor shrinkage to controlling potential micrometastases and selecting patients who may benefit from radical resection. The present review gives an overview on the current literature of NAT concepts for BR/LA PDAC and resectable PDAC.

Simple Summary Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are common but difficult to manage since accurate tools for diagnosing malignancy are unavailable. This study evaluates the diagnostic value of main pancreatic duct (MPD) diameter for detecting IPMN malignancy, using a meta-analysis of published data. The result suggests that malignancy is highly prevalent in IPMN with ductal dilatation of >5 mm. Abstract Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) are common but difficult to manage since accurate tools for diagnosing malignancy are unavailable. This study tests the diagnostic value of the main pancreatic duct (MPD) diameter for detecting IPMN malignancy using a meta-analysis of published data of resected IPMNs. Collected from a comprehensive literature search, the articles included in this analysis must report malignancy cases (high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and invasive carcinoma (IC)) and MPD diameter so that two MPD cut-offs could be created. The sensitivity, specificity, and odds ratios of the two cutoffs for predicting malignancy were calculated. A review of 1493 articles yielded 20 retrospective studies with 3982 resected cases. A cutoff of ≥5 mm is more sensitive than the ≥10 mm cutoff and has pooled sensitivity of 72.20% and 75.60% for classification of HGD and IC, respectively. Both MPD cutoffs of ≥5 mm and ≥10 mm were associated with malignancy (OR = 4.36 (95% CI: 2.82, 6.75) vs. OR = 3.18 (95% CI: 2.25, 4.49), respectively). The odds of HGD and IC for patients with MPD ≥5 mm were 5.66 (95% CI: 3.02, 10.62) and 7.40 (95% CI: 4.95, 11.06), respectively. OR of HGD and IC for MPD ≥10 mm cutoff were 4.36 (95% CI: 3.20, 5.93) and 4.75 (95% CI: 2.39, 9.45), respectively. IPMN with MPD of >5 mm could very likely be malignant. In selected IPMN patients, pancreatectomy should be considered when MPD is >5 mm.

BACKGROUND For the establishment of personalized therapy, we investigated biomarkers that can contribute to the selection of adjuvant therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS Between 2005 and 2014, of 141 consecutive patients with PDAC who underwent R0 or R1 resection, 61 patients given gemcitabine and 31 patients given S-1 as adjuvant therapy were enrolled. We evaluated the correlation between treatment outcomes and the expressions of intratumoral human antigen R (HuR), human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1), thymidylate synthetase (TS) and dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD). RESULTS There were no significant differences in clinicopathological features between the gemcitabine and S-1 groups. Among those with high HuR expression and high hENT1 expression, the disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly higher with gemcitabine than with S-1 (MST: 26.2 vs. 11.8 months, P = 0.024; 20.2 vs. 10.2 months, P = 0.029, respectively). Moreover, high HuR/hENT1 (high HuR or high hENT1) was significantly associated with better outcome for gemcitabine (HR for DFS: 0.43, P = 0.027) and low HuR/hENT1 was significantly associated with worse outcome for gemcitabine (HR for DFS: 2.24, P = 0.021). TS and DPD expression levels were not informative in this examination. CONCLUSIONS HuR and hENT1 were good candidates as selective biomarkers and this study's concept could contribute to personalized therapy for PDAC patients.

Background We previously reported the usefulness of distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) with left gastric artery (LGA) reconstruction to prevent ischemic gastropathy. To evaluate the reconstruction quality, we performed intraoperative angiography with indocyanine green (ICG)-fluorescence imaging. Methods 21 consecutive patients planned for DP-CAR with LGA reconstruction were enrolled in this prospective, exploratory single-arm study from 2014 to 2017. After LGA reconstruction, intraoperative angiography revealed continuous arterial flow passing through the anastomotic sites and gradually increasing tissue perfusion in the stomach. Results Three patients were excluded. Among the remaining 18 patients, we obtained good flow in 11 patients and poor flow in 7 patients after initial LGA reconstruction. Among the seven patients with poor flow, five underwent LGA re-anastomosis, three recovered good flow. The incidence of grade B/C DGE was 14% (2/14) in the finally good flow group and 75% (3/4) in the poor flow group (p = 0.019). Ischemic gastropathy occurred in two patients (50%) in the poor flow group (p = 0.039), including one with a gastric perforation. Discussion Our data show that intraoperative angiography with ICG-fluorescence imaging can evaluate the reconstruction quality, thus contributing to improvements in the short-term outcome of DP-CAR with LGA reconstruction.

We herein present a case of a 59-year-old man who had undergone pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy with regional lymph node dissection prior to episodes of melena. Series of conventional endoscopic investigations failed to identify the bleeding source. Enhanced computed tomography scan revealed complete obstruction of the main portal vein with numerous collateral veins running towards the hepatic hilus. Comprehensively, hemorrhage from the jejunal varices caused by postoperative portal hypertension was highly suspected. As the jejunal loop was out of reach, adult variable-stiffness colonoscope (AVSC) was utilized to solve the Roux-en-Y anatomy. Numerous telangiectasis and small varices at hepaticojejunostomy were observed and in the mean time, bleeding was noticed and endoclips were placed without any delay. Ectopic variceal bleeding in jejunal loop after pancreaticoduodenectomy is difficult to manage. We believe that AVSC is an alternative device when specialized jejunal endoscopy is not available.

The prognostic significance of bile duct tumor thrombus (BDTT) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear and the usefulness of resection for HCC with BDTT is still controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of BDTT on prognosis in HCC and to determine whether resection of HCC with BDTT was useful.Out of 820 HCC patients who underwent hepatic resection from 1992 to 2012, 13 HCC patients (1.6%) had macroscopic BDTT. The results of resection for HCC patients with BDTT and the prognostic significance of BDTT were evaluated. Prognoses were also compared according to treatment in patients who had HCC with BDTT.The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates after resection were 92%, 77% and 48%, respectively, for HCC patients with BDTT, and 88%, 67%, and 52%, respectively, for HCC patients without BDTT; there were no significant differences (p=0.833). In all HCC patients after resection, the unadjusted hazard ratio of the presence of BDTT was 1.08 (95%CI=0.49-2.05; p=0.835) and when adjusted for other significant prognostic factors, the hazard ratio of the presence of BDTT was 0.98 (95%CI=0.42-1.98; p=0.958). The overall 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 14%, 5% and 0%, respectively, for 25 HCC patients with BDTT after other initial treatments.Bile duct tumor thrombus was not a prognostic factor in patients with resected HCC. In HCC with BDTT, surgical treatment is recommended whenever possible because only resected patients achieved long-term survival.