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Objectives Our objective was to identify hospitals with unusual mortality rates for major pancreatectomies over a period of ten years using 30-day mortality data from the French national database. Methods Data for all patients who underwent pancreatectomy were extracted from the national medico-economic database (Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information). To identify quality outliers for each hospital, the observed-to-expected 30-day mortality rates were used as a quality indicator. Results A total of 19 494 patients underwent a major pancreatectomy in France between January 2009 and December 2018. The overall 30-day mortality rate was 4.8% (n = 944). For the 2009–2014 period, the funnel plot showed that 10 of the 176 hospitals lie outside the central 95% region and 7 lie outside the central 99.8% region. For the 2015–2018 period, out of 176 hospitals, 6 lie outside the central 95% region and 2 lie outside the central 99.8% region. The change in standardized mortality ratios between 2009–2014 and 2015–2018 testing for differences from the overall change, they were there 4 hospitals lie outside the central 95% region and 0 lie outside the central 99.8% region. Conclusion Over time, the improvement in hospital quality was weak. This study suggests that there is a pressing need to reorganize the supply of care for pancreatic surgery in France.

Summary Background The addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to cytoreductive surgery has been associated with encouraging survival results in some patients with colorectal peritoneal metastases who were eligible for complete macroscopic resection. We aimed to assess the specific benefit of adding HIPEC to cytoreductive surgery compared with receiving cytoreductive surgery alone. Methods We did a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial at 17 cancer centres in France. Eligible patients were aged 18–70 years and had histologically proven colorectal cancer with peritoneal metastases, WHO performance status of 0 or 1, a Peritoneal Cancer Index of 25 or less, and were eligible to receive systemic chemotherapy for 6 months (ie, they had adequate organ function and life expectancy of at least 12 weeks). Patients in whom complete macroscopic resection or surgical resection with less than 1 mm residual tumour tissue was completed were randomly assigned (1:1) to cytoreductive surgery with or without oxaliplatin-based HIPEC. Randomisation was done centrally using minimisation, and stratified by centre, completeness of cytoreduction, number of previous systemic chemotherapy lines, and timing of protocol-mandated systemic chemotherapy. Oxaliplatin HIPEC was administered by the closed (360 mg/m2) or open (460 mg/m2) abdomen techniques, and systemic chemotherapy (400 mg/m2 fluorouracil and 20 mg/m2 folinic acid) was delivered intravenously 20 min before HIPEC. All individuals received systemic chemotherapy (of investigators' choosing) with or without targeted therapy before or after surgery, or both. The primary endpoint was overall survival, which was analysed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all patients who received surgery. This trial is registed with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT00769405 , and is now completed. Findings Between Feb 11, 2008, and Jan 6, 2014, 265 patients were included and randomly assigned, 133 to the cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC group and 132 to the cytoreductive surgery alone group. After median follow-up of 63·8 months (IQR 53·0–77·1), median overall survival was 41·7 months (95% CI 36·2–53·8) in the cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC group and 41·2 months (35·1–49·7) in the cytoreductive surgery group (hazard ratio 1·00 [95·37% CI 0·63–1·58]; stratified log-rank p=0·99). At 30 days, two (2%) treatment-related deaths had occurred in each group.. Grade 3 or worse adverse events at 30 days were similar in frequency between groups (56 [42%] of 133 patients in the cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC group vs 42 [32%] of 132 patients in the cytoreductive surgery group; p=0·083); however, at 60 days, grade 3 or worse adverse events were more common in the cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC group (34 [26%] of 131 vs 20 [15%] of 130; p=0·035). Interpretation Considering the absence of an overall survival benefit after adding HIPEC to cytoreductive surgery and more frequent postoperative late complications with this combination, our data suggest that cytoreductive surgery alone should be the cornerstone of therapeutic strategies with curative intent for colorectal peritoneal metastases. Funding Institut National du Cancer, Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique du Cancer, Ligue Contre le Cancer.

SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Summary Background We know that inflammation is related to colorectal cancer prognosis and to the onset of postoperative infections. Objective This study aimed to understand the relationship between preoperative inflammation and the prognosis of colorectal cancer and to elucidate whether the impact of inflammation on cancer prognosis was related to an increased risk of surgical infection or was independent of it. Methods Patients who underwent elective colorectal cancer surgery between November 2011 and April 2014 were included in a prospective database (IMACORS). Preoperative c reactive protein was collected for each patient. Patients were followed up according to the French national guidelines. A cut-off of preoperative CRP of 5 mg/L was chosen. Clinical characteristics were compared according to CRP using Chi2 and Mann–Whitney tests. The Overall Survival (OS) and Disease-Free-Survival (DFS) were compared by Kaplan–Meier curves. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to perform a multivariate analysis of OS and DFS's predictors. Results A total of 254 patients were included. The median age was 68 years old. The median follow up was 41.8 months. The overall median preoperative CRP was 5 mg/L. Preoperative CRP was significantly associated with N status; CRP being significantly higher among patients with colonic cancer and with patients who didn’t receive a neoadjuvant treatment. Multivariate analyse revealed that preoperative CRP is an independent prognostic factor of OS and DFS respectively (HR = 2.34 (1.26–4.31), P = 0.006 and HR = 1.83 (1.15–2.90), P = 0.01). Conclusion Preoperative inflammation measured by CRP is independently related with overall and disease-free survival of colorectal cancer.

To compare our experience with N-butyl cyanoacrylate glue as the primary embolic agent versus other embolic agents for transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in refractory peptic ulcer bleeding and to identify factors associated with early rebleeding and 30-day mortality. Retrospective study of 148 consecutive patients comparing the clinical success rate in 78 patients managed with Glubran®2 N-butyl cyanoacrylate metacryloxysulfolane (NBCA-MS) alone or with other agents and 70 with other embolic agents only (coils, microspheres, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, or gelatin sponge) at a university center in 2008–2019. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done to identify prognostic factors. The technical success rate was 95.3% and the primary clinical success was 64.5%. The early rebleeding and day-30 mortality rates were 35.4% and 21.3%, respectively. Rebleeding was significantly less common with than without Glubran®2 (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.22–0.99; p = .047) and significantly more common with coils used alone (OR, 20.4; 95% CI, 10.13–50.14; p = .024). The only other factor independently associated with early rebleeding was having two or more comorbidities (OR, 20.14; 95% CI, 10.01–40.52; p = .047). Day-30 mortality was similar in the two treatment groups. A lower initial hemoglobin level was significantly associated with higher day-30 mortality (OR, 10.38; 95% CI, 10.10–10.74; p = .006). Fluoroscopy time was significantly shorter with Glubran®2 (20.8 ± 11.5 min vs. 35.5 ± 23.4 min, p = .002). Both groups (Glubran®2 vs. other agents) had similar rates of overall complications (10.7% vs. 9.1%, respectively, p = .786). Glubran®2 NBCA-MS as the primary agent allowed for faster and better clinical success compared to other embolic agents when used for TAE to safely stop refractory peptic ulcer bleeding. • Choice of embolic agent for arterial embolization of refractory peptic ulcer bleeding is still debated. We compared our experience with N-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) glue vs. other embolic agents. • The use of Glubran®2 NBCA glue in the endovascular management of refractory peptic ulcer bleeding was significantly faster and more effective, and at least as safe compared to other embolic agents. • NBCA glue offers several advantages compared to other embolic agents and provides rapid hemostasis when used for arterial embolization to treat refractory peptic ulcer bleeding. It should be the first-line therapy.

IF 7.641; International audience; B cells are involved in immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) pathophysiology by producing antiplatelet auto-antibodies. However more than a half of ITP patients do not respond to B cell depletion induced by rituximab (RTX). The persistence of splenic T follicular helper cells (TFH) that we demonstrated to be expanded during ITP and to support B cell differentiation and antiplatelet antibody-production may participate to RTX inefficiency. Whereas it is well established that the survival of TFH depends on B cells in animal models, nothing is known in humans yet. To determine the effect of B cell depletion on human TFH, we quantified B cells and TFH in the spleen and in the blood from ITP patients treated or not with RTX. We showed that B cell depletion led to a dramatic decrease in splenic TFH and in CXCL13 and IL-21, two cytokines predominantly produced by TFH. The absolute count of circulating TFH and serum CXCL13 also decreased after RTX treatment, whatever the therapeutic response. Therefore, we showed that the maintenance of TFH required B cells and that TFH are not involved in the inefficiency of RTX in ITP.

Background Several multicenter randomized controlled trials comparing laparoscopy and conventional open surgery for colon cancer have demonstrated that laparoscopic approach achieved the same oncological results while improving significantly early postoperative outcomes. These trials included few elderly patients, with a median age not exceeding 71 years. However, colon cancer is a disease of the elderly. More than 65% of patients operated on for colon cancer belong to this age group, and this proportion may become more pronounced in the coming years. In current practice, laparoscopy is underused in this population. Methods The CELL (Colectomy for cancer in the Elderly by Laparoscopy or Laparotomy) trial is a multicenter, open-label randomized, 2-arm phase III superiority trial. Patients aged 75 years or older with uncomplicated colonic adenocarcinoma or endoscopically unresectable colonic polyp will be randomized to either colectomy by laparoscopy or laparotomy. The primary endpoint of the study is overall postoperative morbidity, defined as any complication classification occurring up to 30 days after surgery. The secondary endpoints are: 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality, 30-day readmission rate, quality of surgical resection, health-related quality of life and evolution of geriatric assessment. A 35 to 20% overall postoperative morbidity rate reduction is expected for patients operated on by laparoscopy compared with those who underwent surgery by laparotomy. With a two-sided α risk of 5% and a power of 80% (β = 0.20), 276 patients will be required in total. Discussion To date, no dedicated randomized controlled trial has been conducted to evaluate morbidity after colon cancer surgery by laparoscopy or laparotomy in the elderly and the benefits of laparoscopy is still debated in this context. Thus, a prospective multicenter randomized trial evaluating postoperative outcomes specifically in elderly patients operated on for colon cancer by laparoscopy or laparotomy with curative intent is warranted. If significant, such a study might change the current surgical practices and allow a significant improvement in the surgical management of this population, which will be the vast majority of patients treated for colon cancer in the coming years. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03033719 (January 27, 2017).

Intra-abdominal infections are frequent and life-threatening complications after colorectal surgery. An early detection could diminish their clinical impact and permit safe early discharge.This study aimed to find the most accurate marker for the detection of postoperative intra-abdominal infection and the appropriate moment to measure it.A prospective, observational study was conducted in 3 centers. Consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery with anastomosis were included. C-reactive protein and procalcitonin were measured daily until the fourth postoperative day. Postoperative infections were recorded according to the definitions of the Centres for Diseases Control. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were analyzed and compared to assess the diagnostic accuracy of each marker.Five-hundred and one patients were analyzed. The incidence of intra-abdominal infection was 11.8%, with 24.6% of patients presenting at least one infectious complication. Overall mortality was 1.2%. At the fourth postoperative day, C-reactive protein was more discriminating than procalcitonin for the detection of intra-abdominal infection (areas under the ROC curve: 0.775 vs 0.689, respectively, P = 0.03). Procalcitonin levels showed wide dispersion. For the detection of all infectious complications, C-reactive protein was also significantly more accurate than procalcitonin on the fourth postoperative day (areas under the ROC curve: 0.783 vs 0.671, P = 0.0002).C-reactive protein is more accurate than procalcitonin for the detection of infectious complications and should be systematically measured at the fourth postoperative day. It is a useful tool to ensure a safe early discharge after elective colorectal surgery.

IF 7.607; International audience; Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have been characterized as innate immune cells capable to modulate the immune response in the mucosae. Human ILCs have been rarely described in secondary lymphoid organs except in tonsils. Moreover, their function and phenotype in human secondary lymphoid organs during autoimmune diseases have never been studied. We took advantage of splenectomy as a treatment of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) to describe and compare splenic ILC from 18 ITP patients to 11 controls. We first confirmed that ILC3 represented the most abundant ILC subset in human non-inflamed spleens, accounting for 90% of total ILC, and that they were mostly constituted of NKp44- cells. On the contrary, proportions of ILC1 and ILC2 in spleens were lower than in blood. Splenic IL-2- and IFN-γ-producing ILC1 were increased in ITP. While the frequencies of total splenic ILC3 were similar in the two groups, splenic GM-CSF-producing ILC3 were increased in ITP. This is the first description of human ILC in a major secondary lymphoid organ during an autoimmune disease, ITP. We observed an expansion of splenic ILC1 that could participate to the Th1 skewing, while the increased production of GM-CSF by splenic ILC3 could stimulate splenic macrophages which play a key role in ITP pathophysiology.

International audience; Background: Onyx® is a liquid embolic agent, which is approved for the treatment of cerebral vascular lesions but still rarely used in peripheral interventional radiology. The goal of this study is to report the feasibility and safety of embolization with Onyx® for peripheral hemostatic and non-hemostatic endovascular procedures.Methods: Retrospective study of all consecutive patients who underwent visceral or peripheral embolization with Onyx® for hemostatic or non-hemostatic purpose in our department between May 2014 and November 2016. Demographic data, clinical presentation, underlying etiology, culprit vessel, endovascular procedure, pain during embolization, outcomes, and follow-up data were collected.Results: Fifty patients (males, 34; females, 16; mean age, 56±18 years; range, 15–89 years) were included. Twenty-nine (58%) of patients underwent hemostatic embolization for arterial (n=22, 44%) or venous (n=7, 14%) bleeding lesions, whereas 21 (42%) of patients underwent non-hemostatic embolization for arterial aneurysms (n=8, 16%), preoperative portal vein deprivation (n=6, 12%) or other indications (n=7, 14%). Onyx-18 was used in 37 (74%) patients, Onyx-34 in 9 (18%) patients, and a combination of both in 4 (8%) patients. Onyx was used alone in 25 (50%) patients and in combination with other agent in 25 (50%) patients. Mean number of Onyx® vials used was 3.7 (range, 1–17). Immediate technical success rate was 100%. Primary clinical success was achieved in all patients. Recurrent bleeding occurred in two patients. Significant pain (pain score ≥3) was noted during injection in 10 (20%) patients. No major complication or side effects were noted within 1 month.Conclusions: Transcatheter embolization with Onyx® is feasible and safe in the peripheral arterial or venous vasculature for both bleeding and non-bleeding patients whatever the anatomic site.

IF 2.426; International audience; PURPOSE:C-reactive protein and procalcitonin are reliable early predictors of infection after colorectal surgery. However, the inflammatory response is lower after laparoscopy as compared to open surgery. This study analyzed whether a different cutoff value of inflammatory markers should be chosen according to the surgical approach.METHODS:A prospective, observational study included consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery in three academic centers. All infections until postoperative day (POD) 30 were recorded. The inflammatory markers were analyzed daily until POD 4. Areas under the ROC curve and diagnostic values were calculated in order to assess their accuracy as a predictor of intra-abdominal infection.RESULTS:Five-hundred-one patients were included. The incidence of intra-abdominal infection was 11.8%. The median levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were lower in the laparoscopy group at each postoperative day (p < 0.0001). In patients without intra-abdominal infection, they were also lower in the laparoscopy group (p = 0.0036) but were not different in patients presenting with intra-abdominal infections (p = 0.3243). In the laparoscopy group, CRP at POD 4 was the most accurate predictor of overall and intra-abdominal infection (AUC = 0.775). With a cutoff of 100 mg/L, it yielded 95.7% negative predictive value, 75% sensitivity, and 70.3% specificity for the detection of intra-abdominal infection.CONCLUSION:The impact of infection on inflammatory markers is more important than that of the surgical approach. Defining a specific cutoff value for early discharge according to the surgical approach is not justified. A patient with CRP values lower than 100 mg/L on POD 4 can be safely discharged.

IF 3.365; International audience; AIMTo investigate the role of minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer and determine surgical, clinical, and oncological outcomes.METHODSThis is a propensity score-matched case-control study, comparing three treatment arms: robotic gastrectomy (RG), laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG), open gastrectomy (OG). Data collection started after sharing a specific study protocol. Data were recorded through a tailored and protected web-based system. Primary outcomes: harvested lymph nodes, estimated blood loss, hospital stay, complications rate. Among the secondary outcomes, there are: operative time, R0 resections, POD of mobilization, POD of starting liquid diet and soft solid diet. The analysis includes the evaluation of type and grade of postoperative complications. Detailed information of anastomotic leakages is also provided.RESULTSThe present analysis was carried out of 1026 gastrectomies. To guarantee homogenous distribution of cases, patients in the RG, LG and OG groups were 1: 1: 2 matched using a propensity score analysis with a caliper = 0.2. The successful matching resulted in a total sample of 604 patients (RG = 151; LG = 151; OG = 302). The three groups showed no differences in all baseline patients characteristics, type of surgery (P = 0.42) and stage of the disease (P = 0.16). Intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in the LG (95.93 +/- 119.22) and RG (117.91 +/- 68.11) groups compared to the OG (127.26 +/- 79.50, P = 0.002). The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was similar between the RG (27.78 +/- 11.45), LG (24.58 +/- 13.56) and OG (25.82 +/- 12.07) approach. A benefit in favor of the minimally invasive approaches was found in the length of hospital stay (P < 0.0001). A similar complications rate was found (P = 0.13). The leakage rate was not different (P = 0.78) between groups.CONCLUSIONLaparoscopic and robotic surgery can be safely performed and proposed as possible alternative to open surgery. The main highlighted benefit is a faster postoperative functional recovery.

Summary Introduction Serum concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) that exceeds a pre-defined threshold between the 3rd and 5th postoperative day is a reliable marker of infectious complications after colorectal surgery. However, the optimal strategy to follow when a high CRP is found has not been defined. The aim of this study was to analyze the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) scan in this situation in a prospective cohort of patients following colorectal surgery. Methods Between November 2011 and April 2015, patients at two surgical centers who had undergone elective colorectal resection with anastomosis and who had a CRP > 12.5 mg/dL on the 4th postoperative day (POD) were prospectively included in a database. Data were collected concerning all complications occurring during the 30 days following surgery, method of diagnosis, management and clinical course. The decision to perform a CT scan between POD 4 and POD 6 day was guided only by the elevation of CRP in the absence of any other clinical signs; results were analyzed to evaluate the diagnostic value of elevated CRP. Uni- and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for postoperative infection. Results The study included a total of 174 patients: 56 (32.1%) had a CT between POD 4 and 6, and this helped detect a postoperative complication in 55.4% of cases. Patients who did not undergo CT had lower CRP values (16.3 vs. 18.5, P = 0.02). Among the 118 patients who did not undergo CT, 50.8% eventually developed an infectious complication. The sensitivity of CRP-guided CT was 76.7% with a negative predictive value of 78.8%. Conclusion If an elevated CRP is found on POD 4, an abdominopelvic CT should be performed. A normal result does not formally eliminate the existence of intra-abdominal complication. A study protocol should be set up to evaluate whether systematic revisional surgery or repeat CT scan is the appropriate management if CRP in the next two days reveals persistent inflammation.

International audience; BackgroundSeptic complications after colorectal surgery are frequent and sometimes life-threatening. It is well-known that inflammation impairs the healing process. It has been suggested that preoperative ongoing inflammation could increase the risk of postoperative infections. This study aimed to elucidate the role of preoperative inflammation on postoperative infectious complications and to understand if, through biological markers, it is possible to identify preoperatively patients at higher risk of infection. MethodsA prospective, observational study was conducted in three centers from November 2011 to April 2014. Consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery with anastomosis were included. Any ongoing infection was an exclusion criterion. C-reactive protein, albumin, prealbumin and procalcitonin plasma levels were measured preoperatively. Postoperative infections were recorded according to the definitions of the Centers for Diseases Control. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were analyzed and compared to assess the accuracy of each preoperative marker. ResultsFour-hundred and seventy two patients were analyzed. Infectious complications occurred in 118 patients (25%) and mortality in 6 patients (1.3%). In the univariate analysis, preoperative C-reactive protein and albuminemia were found significantly associated with postoperative infectious complications (P = 0.008 and P = 0.0002, respectively). Areas under the ROC curve for preoperative C-reactive protein and albuminemia were 0.57and 0.62, respectively. ConclusionsThis study confirms the association between preoperative inflammatory activity, hypoalbuminemia and the onset of infections after surgery. Trials aiming to decrease the inflammatory activity before surgery in order to prevent postoperative complications are warranted.

International audience; BACKGROUND: Nowadays, most patients who undergo colorectal surgery are discharged early. An early predictor of septic complications could avoid readmissions and decrease morbidity. CRP could be a good predictor allowing a safe discharge. METHODS: A prospective, observational study was conducted from November 2007 to October 2008. All patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery were included. Clinical (temperature, pulse, abdominal tenderness, bowel movements) and laboratory data (C-reactive protein, leukocyte count) were recorded and evaluated as early predictors of septic complications (namely, anastomotic leaks). All detected leaks were considered fistulas, independently of their clinical significance. Clinical and inflammatory parameters were analyzed with univariate and multivariate techniques; logistic regression was performed and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were compared. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were included. The overall incidence of anastomotic leaks was 15.5% and mortality was 4.5%. C-reactive protein at postoperative days 2 and 4 was a good predictor of anastomotic leak (areas under the curve were 0.715 and 0.845, respectively) and other postoperative septic complications (areas under the curve were 0.804 and 0.787), showing the highest accuracy among clinical and laboratory data. A cutoff of 125 mg/l in the level of C-reactive protein at postoperative day 4 yielded a sensitivity of 81.8% and a negative predictive value of 95.8% for the detection of anastomotic leakage. CONCLUSIONS: C-reactive protein is a simple way to ensure a safe discharge from hospital after elective colorectal surgery. Patients with CRP values >125 mg/l on the fourth postoperative day should not be discharged.

International audience; BACKGROUND: Isolated hepatic perfusion (IHP) of chemotherapy has been proposed to deliver high doses of drug while avoiding systemic toxicity. Hypotonic cisplatin has a high in vitro activity on human colon cancer cells. We studied the safety of a 30-min hypoxic single-pass IHP with hypotonic cisplatin. METHODS: A preliminary in vitro assay was performed to compare the cytotoxicity of cisplatin and oxaliplatin, in either a normotonic or hypotonic medium. Cisplatin in hypotonic medium was then chosen for the in vivo IHP. Eleven pigs underwent 30 min of IHP with 0, 50, 75, or 100 mg/L of cisplatin in a hypotonic solution under total vascular exclusion of the liver. Clinical and biological parameters were recorded for 30 days, and liver histology was performed at necropsy. The cytotoxic activity of the effluent against resistant human colon cancer cells was tested in vitro. RESULTS: No hepatic failure was recorded after IHP with cisplatin, but limited foci of necrosis were found at necropsy in animals receiving 75 or 100 mg/L of cisplatin. No clinical, biological, macroscopic, or microscopic toxicity was observed after IHP with 50 mg/L of hypotonic cisplatin. The liver effluent showed high in vitro cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: A hypoxic single-pass isolated liver perfusion with hypotonic cisplatin is feasible and safe. Effluent from the liver is highly cytotoxic on cancer cells. A clinical study with 50 mg/L of hypotonic cisplatin is warranted in patients with unresectable liver metastases from colon cancer.

International audience; BACKGROUND: Isolated pancreatic metastases from renal cell carcinoma may be treated by surgical resection in a curative intent. As they are frequently multiple, a good imaging workup is mandatory to plan the appropriate resection. The aim of this study was to define the imaging workup that should be performed in this setting. METHODS: We reviewed all patients who underwent pancreatic resection for metastasis of renal cell carcinoma in a single centre during a 20-year period. The results of the intraoperative ultrasonography were compared to those of the preoperative imaging and the final pathology results. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were studied. A CT scan was always performed whereas only three patients had a MRI (only one revealed another tumor). Intraoperative ultrasonography found new tumors in 50% of patients when it was performed (4/8) and modified the management in 40% of them, while preoperative PET scan was useless. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative ultrasonography is a low-cost and non-invasive technique that should be routinely included in the surgical exploration of pancreatic metastases from renal carcinoma.

Background The usual treatments for pleural malignancies are mostly palliative. In contrast, peritoneal malignancies are often treated with a curative intent by cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy. As pressure has been shown to increase antitumor efficacy, we applied the concept of high-pressure intracavitary chemotherapy to the pleural space in a swine model. Methods Cisplatin and gemcitabine were selected because of their antineoplasic efficacy in vitro in a wide spectrum of cancer cell lines. The pleural cavity of 21 pigs was filled with saline solution; haemodynamic and respiratory parameters were monitored. The pressure was increased to 15-25 cm H2O. This treatment was associated with pneumonectomy in 6 pigs. Five pigs were treated with chemotherapy under pressure. Results The combination of gemcitabine (100 mg/l) and cisplatin (30 mg/l) was highly cytotoxic in vitro. The maximum tolerated pressure was 20 cm H20, due to haemodynamic failure. Pneumonectomy was not tolerated, either before or after pleural infusion. Five pigs survived intrapleural chemotherapy associating gemcitabine and cisplatin with 20 cm H2O pressure for 60 min. Conclusions High-pressure intrapleural chemotherapy is feasible in pigs. Further experiments will establish the pharmacokinetics and determine whether the benefit already shown in the peritoneum is also obtained in the pleura.

Background The best method to deliver intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) for peritoneal carcinomatosis from ovarian cancer is not well defined. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of hyperthermia and adrenaline to enhance the intratumoral accumulation of cisplatin in a rat model of peritoneal carcinomatosis. Methods Four groups of 5 BDIX rats with ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis underwent IPC with 30 mg/l of cisplatin according to the following conditions: normothermia at 37° for 1 or 2 hours, hyperthermia at 42°C for 1 hour or normothermia at 37°C for 2 hours with 2 mg/l adrenaline. Tissue platinum content was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The effect of hyperthermia, adrenaline and the duration of exposure to the drug was measured in vivo (tissue concentration of platinum in tumor, abdominal and extra abdominal tissues) and in vitro (cytotoxicity on human ovarian cancer cells). Results In vitro, hyperthermia and longer exposure enhanced the accumulation and the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin on cancer cells. In vivo, only the 2 hours treatment with adrenaline resulted in increased platinum concentrations. The rats treated with adrenaline showed significantly lower concentrations of cisplatin in extra peritoneal tissues than those treated with hyperthermia. Conclusion Adrenaline is more effective than hyperthermia in order to enhance the intratumoral concentration of cisplatin in rats with peritoneal carcinomatosis from ovarian origin. It may also decrease the systemic absorption of the drug.

International audience; BACKGROUND: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a complex, expensive and time-consuming procedure. Despite its good results in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis, these factors have precluded the wider use of this procedure around the world. We hypothesized that HIPEC could be performed by heating the liquid within the abdomen and thus avoiding the need for an external heating circuit and a pump. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of an internal heating device for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in an experimental model. METHODS: Four large-white pigs underwent one-hour open intraperitoneal hyperthermia with closed abdomen using this new device. Constant stirring of the liquid around the viscera was performed in the first three animals, but not in the fourth one. At the end of the procedure, all of the viscera were carefully examined to look for thermal injury. Any lesion or doubtful area was removed and sent to pathologic examination. RESULTS: No adverse events occurred during surgery in any of the animals. A temperature of 42 degrees C was reached in an average time of 14min and maintained homogeneously between 42 degrees C and 43 degrees C for one hour. No visceral injury was detected in the first three animals. Three foci of thermal injury to the mucosa were detected in the absence of stirring (fourth animal). CONCLUSION: Heating the solution within the abdomen during hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is feasible, safe and achieves perfect thermal homogeneity. This device provides a time-saving inexpensive way to perform intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy.