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Here's what you need to know to identify patients at higher risk for SSIs and provide effective preventive strategies. These measures include good glucose control and well-timed prophylactic antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to assess (1) the prognostic value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and (2) the ability of ctDNA to detect recurrence compared with standard surveillance in curatively resected early-stage biliary tract cancer (BTC)., Methods: This retrospective, multicenter cohort study evaluated serial ctDNA testing for surveillance in patients with early-stage BTC after curative resection. We evaluated the relapse-free survival (RFS) by ctDNA positivity. The sensitivity of ctDNA in detecting a confirmed recurrence of BTC, defined as a biopsy-proven or true progression by radiographic tumor dynamics, was evaluated. The lead time was calculated from the first ctDNA detection to the confirmed recurrence., Results: A total of 56 patients with curatively resected stage I-III BTC were included in this study, with a median follow-up of 12.8 months from the date of surgery. ctDNA detection during the molecular residual disease window period (median RFS, 6.6 months v not reached; hazard ratio [HR], 26 [95% CI, 2.6 to 265]; P < .0001) and during the surveillance period (median RFS, 19.3 months v not reached; HR, 20 [95% CI, 2.6 to 153]; P < .0001) were associated with poorer RFS. Sixteen patients had confirmed recurrence. ctDNA identified recurrence in 93.8.% (15/16) of the recurred patients with an average lead time of 3.7 months. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels did not show any significant correlation with RFS (HR, 1.17 [95% Cl, 0.24 to 5.71]; P = .844) in contrast to ctDNA., Conclusion: The findings from our real-world cohort study revealed the (1) promising value of ctDNA as a prognostic biomarker for relapse in curatively resected BTC and (2) potential early detectability of recurrence by ctDNA compared with standard surveillance.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy, first described in 1935, has subsequently been refined over decades into the operation performed today for tumors of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. For years following Whipple's first publication, tumors found to be inseparable from the surrounding vasculature were considered locoregionally advanced and unresectable. Fortner began performing regional pancreatectomy with routine enbloc resection of the portal vein/superior mesenteric vein in an attempt to address high local recurrence rates and high rates of aborted operations due to vascular involvement., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a major cause of cancer-related death, with a 5-year relative overall survival of up to 20%. The liver is the most common site of distant metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC), with about 50% of CRC patients metastasizing to their liver over the course of their disease. Complete liver resection is the primary modality of treatment for resectable colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM), with an overall 5-year survival rate of up to 58%. However, only 15% to 20% of patients with CRLM are deemed suitable for resection at presentation. For unresectable diseases, the median survival of patients remains low even with the best chemotherapy. In recent decades, the management of CRLM has continued to evolve with the expansion of resection criteria, novel targeted systemic therapies, and improved locoregional therapies. However, due to the heterogeneity of the CRC patient population, the optimal evaluation of treatment options for CRLM remains complex. Therefore, effective management requires a multidisciplinary team to help define resectability and devise a personalized treatment approach, from the initial diagnosis to the final treatment.

The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for all cancer sites, including gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), is meant to be dynamic, requiring periodic updates to optimize AJCC staging definitions. This entails the collaboration of experts charged with evaluating new evidence that supports changes to each staging system. GEP-NETs are the second most prevalent neoplasm of gastrointestinal origin after colorectal cancer. Since publication of the AJCC eighth edition, the World Health Organization has updated the classification and separates grade 3 GEP-NETs from poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma. In addition, because of major advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for GEP-NETs, AJCC version 9 advocates against the use of serum chromogranin A for the diagnosis and monitoring of GEP-NETs. Furthermore, AJCC version 9 recognizes the increasing role of endoscopy and endoscopic resection in the diagnosis and management of NETs, particularly in the stomach, duodenum, and colorectum. Finally, T1NXM0 has been added to stage I in these disease sites as well as in the appendix., (© 2024 The Authors. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Cancer Society.)

Environmental education aims to foster knowledge, awareness, and appreciation for nature and can encompass various formats, including festivals. The traveling festival "Changos y Monos va a tu comunidad" is inspired by previous initiatives and aims to promote the conservation of primates in southeast Mexico. The festival involved focused activities, mainly for children, such as talks, games, and exhibitions. It has been held on ten occasions, reaching approximately 700 people from nine localities. Unlike other events, its execution does not require a large budget due to the short duration, the use of small spaces, and because it can be conducted in parallel with field research, which has facilitated its funding. Although no systematic evaluation of the impact of this initiative has been conducted, it is evident that the festival gained notoriety among people in various locations in the region, suggesting "Changos y Monos va a tu comunidad" represents a significant contribution to the conservation of wild Mexican primates.

Objective: Hepatobiliary tumors have evolving management guidelines. Patient educational needs and interest in community engagement are unknown. This study serves as a needs assessment., Methods: A prospective, needs assessment, survey study of hepatobiliary patients was performed (2016-2019). Surveys ( n  = 169) were distributed covering three domains of interest: informational needs, interest in outreach, and engagement preferences., Results: Seventy patients completed the survey (response rate = 41.4%). Most patients had completed surgical treatment (84.3%). C ancer treatment was ranked as their primary topic of interest ( n  = 39, 55.7bold%), followed by symptom management , nutrition , and survivorship . Most patients did not participate in screening ( n  = 57, 81.4%), though were interested in learning more about these programs. Thirty-nine patients (55.7%) stated they would want to receive more education. Only 17 (24.3%) were interested in attending in-person events. Patients preferred online methods for education ( n  = 49, 70%). While patients were aware of their case presentation at tumor board, only 38 (54.3%) felt well-informed about recommendations., Conclusion: Multidisciplinary care is complex and difficult for patients to navigate. Most patients have interest in educational resources and prefer online modalities. Patients understand multidisciplinary tumor boards, but communication could be improved., Innovation: These data inform a new, innovative, approach to outreach efforts in this population., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: High-quality surgery plays a central role in the delivery of excellent oncologic care. Benchmark values indicate the best achievable results. We aimed to define benchmark values for gallbladder cancer (GBC) surgery across an international population., Patients and Methods: This study included consecutive patients with GBC who underwent curative-intent surgery during 2000-2021 at 13 centers, across seven countries and four continents. Patients operated on at high-volume centers without the need for vascular and/or bile duct reconstruction and without significant comorbidities were chosen as the benchmark group., Results: Of 906 patients who underwent curative-intent GBC surgery during the study period, 245 (27%) were included in the benchmark group. These were predominantly women (n = 174, 71%) and had a median age of 64 years (interquartile range 57-70 years). In the benchmark group, 50 patients (20%) experienced complications within 90 days after surgery, with 20 patients (8%) developing major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ IIIa). Median length of postoperative hospital stay was 6 days (interquartile range 4-8 days). Benchmark values included ≥ 4 lymph nodes retrieved, estimated intraoperative blood loss ≤ 350 mL, perioperative blood transfusion rate ≤ 13%, operative time ≤ 332 min, length of hospital stay ≤ 8 days, R1 margin rate ≤ 7%, complication rate ≤ 22%, and rate of grade ≥ IIIa complications ≤ 11%., Conclusions: Surgery for GBC remains associated with significant morbidity. The availability of benchmark values may facilitate comparisons in future analyses among GBC patients, GBC surgical approaches, and centers performing GBC surgery., (© 2023. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

In 2023, the NCCN Guidelines for Hepatobiliary Cancers were divided into 2 separate guidelines: Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Biliary Tract Cancers. The NCCN Guidelines for Biliary Tract Cancers provide recommendations for the evaluation and comprehensive care of patients with gallbladder cancer, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. The multidisciplinary panel of experts meets at least on an annual basis to review requests from internal and external entities as well as to evaluate new data on current and emerging therapies. These Guidelines Insights focus on some of the recent updates to the NCCN Guidelines for Biliary Tract Cancers as well as the newly published section on principles of molecular testing.

Purpose: Sequence of therapies for synchronous liver metastasis (LM) is complex, with data supporting individualized approaches, although no guiding tools are currently available. We assessed the impact of simultaneous hepatic and visceral resections (SHVR) on textbook outcome (TO) and return to intended oncologic therapy (RIOT), and provide risk-stratification tools to guide individualized decision making and counseling., Methods: Patients with synchronous LM undergoing hepatectomy ± SHVR were included (2015-2021). Primary and secondary outcomes were TO and RIOT (days), respectively. Using multivariable modeling, a risk score for TO was developed. Decision tree analysis using recursive partitioning was performed for hierarchical risk stratification. The associations between SHVR, TO, and RIOT were examined., Results: Among 533 patients identified, 124 underwent SHVR. TO overall was 71.7%; 79.2% in the non-SHVR group and 46.8% in the SHVR group (p < 0.001). SHVR was the strongest predictor of non-TO (right colon/small bowel: odds ratio [OR] 4.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.65-8.08; left colon/rectum: OR 6.09, 95% CI 2.59-14.3; stomach/pancreas: OR 6.69, 95% CI 1.46-30.7; multivisceral: OR 10.9, 95% CI 3.03-39.5). A composite score was developed yielding three risk strata for TO (score 0-2: 89% vs. score 3-5: 67% vs. score ≥ 6: 37%; p < 0.001). Decision tree analysis was congruent, identifying SHVR as the most important determinant of TO. In patients with colorectal LM, SHVR was associated with delayed time to RIOT (p = 0.004); the risk-stratification tool for TO was equally predictive of RIOT (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: SHVR is associated with reduced likelihood of TO and in turn delayed RIOT. As SHVR is increasingly performed in order to consolidate cancer care, patient selection considering these different outcomes is critical., (© 2022. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Introduction: Age and comorbidity are independently associated with worse outcomes for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the effect of combined age and comorbidity on PDAC outcomes has rarely been studied. This study assessed the impact of age and comorbidity (CACI) and surgical center volume on PDAC 90-day and overall survival (OS)., Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2016 to evaluate resected stage I/II PDAC patients. The predictor variable, CACI, combined the Charlson/Deyo comorbidity score with additional points for each decade lived ≥50 years. The outcomes were 90-day mortality and OS., Results: The cohort included 29,571 patients. Ninety-day mortality ranged from 2 % for CACI 0 to 13 % for CACI 6+ patients. There was a negligible difference (1 %) in 90-day mortality between high- and low-volume hospitals for CACI 0-2 patients; however, there was greater difference for CACI 3-5 (5 % vs. 9 %) and CACI 6+ (8 % vs. 15 %). The overall survival for CACI 0-2, 3-5, and 6+ cohorts was 24.1, 19.8, and 16.2 months, respectively. Adjusted overall survival showed a 2.7 and 3.1 month survival benefit for care at high-volume vs. low-volume hospitals for CACI 0-2 and 3-5, respectively. However, there was no OS volume benefit for CACI 6+ patients., Conclusions: Combined age and comorbidity are associated with short- and long-term survival for resected PDAC patients. A protective effect of higher-volume care was more impactful for 90-day mortality for patients with a CACI above 3. A centralization policy based on volume may have greater benefit for older, sicker patients., Key Message: Combined comorbidity and age are strongly associated with 90-day mortality and overall survival for resected pancreatic cancer patients. When assessing the impact of age and comorbidity on resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma outcomes, 90-day mortality was 7 % higher (8 % vs. 15 %) for older, sicker patients treated at high-volume vs. low-volume centers but only 1 % (3 % vs. 4 %) for younger, healthier patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.)

A 73-year-old man with a history of atrial myxoma and basal cell carcinoma presented with unexplained fever. Contrast-enhanced CT abdomen showed a large left hepatic lobe mass with early enhancement and delayed venous washout, concerning for hepatocellular carcinoma. Fine needle aspiration showed numerous spindle cells with malignant nuclear features, suggestive of malignant spindle cell neoplasm. The patient underwent left hepatectomy. The surgical specimen showed a well-circumscribe solid mass (14.6 × 13.0 × 10.0 cm) with necrosis. Histopathological examination revealed a proliferation of spindle tumor cells with characteristic staghorn-shaped blood vessels, frequent mitoses, and necrosis. The tumor cells showed strong and diffuse expression of CD34 and STAT6, confirming the diagnosis of malignant solitary fibrous tumor. Solitary fibrous tumor is a rare fibroblastic tumor characterized by a staghorn vasculature and NAB2-STAT6 gene rearrangement. Solitary fibrous tumor of the liver is a rare occurrence. Although most solitary fibrous tumors behave in a benign fashion, solitary fibrous tumors might act aggressively. This case is unique in that it demonstrates an excellent correlation between radiologic, macroscopic, and microscopic features which can contribute to the improvement of radiologic and pathologic diagnostic accuracy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Zhiyan Fu et al.)

Background: Portal lymphadenectomy (PLND) is the current standard for oncologic resection of biliary tract cancers (BTCs). However, published data show it is performed infrequently and often yields less than the recommended 6 lymph nodes. We sought to identify yield and outcomes using a Clockwise Anterior-to-Posterior technique with Double Isolation of critical structures (CAP-DI) for PLND. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing complete PLND for BTCs using CAP-DI technique were identified (2015−2021). Lymph node (LN) yield and predictors of LN count were examined. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, which were compared to patients having hepatectomy without PLND. Results: In total, 534 patients were included; 71 with complete PLND (36 gallbladder cancers, 24 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, 11 perihilar cholangiocarcinomas) and 463 in the control group. The median PLND yield was 5 (IQR 3−8; range 0−17) and 46% had at least 6 nodes retrieved. Older age was associated with lower likelihood of ≥6 node PLND yield (p = 0.032), which remained significant in bivariate analyses with other covariates (p < 0.05). After adjustment for operative factors, performance of complete PLND was independently associated with longer operative time (+46.4 min, p = 0.001), but no differences were observed in intraoperative or postoperative outcomes compared to the control group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Yield following PLND frequently falls below the recommended minimum threshold of 6 nodes despite a standardized stepwise approach to complete clearance. Older age may be weakly associated with lower PLND yield. While all efforts should be made for complete node retrieval, failure to obtain 6 nodes may be an unrealistic metric of surgical quality.

Introduction: We hypothesized that first-generation cephalosporins (G1CEP) provide adequate antimicrobial coverage for pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) when no biliary stent is present but might be inferior to second-generation cephalosporins or broad-spectrum antibiotics (G2CEP/BS) in decreasing surgical-site infection (SSI) rates when a biliary stent is present., Methods: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program 2014-2019 was used to select patients who underwent elective open PD. We divided the population into no-stent versus stent groups based on the status of biliary drainage and then divided each group into G1CEP versus G2CEP/BS subgroups based on the choice of perioperative antibiotics. We matched the subgroups per a propensity score match and analyzed postoperative outcomes., Results: Six thousand two hundred forty five cases of 39,779 were selected; 2821 in the no-stent (45.2%) versus 3424 (54.8%) in the stent group. G1CEP were the antibiotics of choice in 2653 (42.5%) versus G2CEP/BS in 3592 (57.5%) cases. In the no-stent group, we matched 1129 patients between G1CEP and G2CEP/BS. There was no difference in SSI-specific complications (20.3% versus 21.0%; P = 0.677), general infectious complications (25.7% versus 26.9%; P = 0.503), PD-specific complications, overall morbidity, length of stay, or mortality. In the stent group, we matched 1244 pairs. G2CEP/BS had fewer SSI-specific complications (19.9% versus 26.6%; P < 0.001), collections requiring drainage (9.6% versus 12.9%; P = 0.011), and general infectious complications (28.5% versus 34.1%; P = 0.002) but no difference in overall morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and readmission rates., Conclusions: G2CEP/BS are associated with reduced rates of SSI-specific and infectious complications in stented patients undergoing open elective PD. In patients without prior biliary drainage, G1CEP seems to provide adequate antimicrobial coverage., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Using Donabedian's quality of care model, this study assessed process (hospital multimodal treatment) and structure (hospital surgical case volume) measures to evaluate localized pancreatic cancer outcomes., Background: Treatment at high surgical volume hospitals has been shown to improve short-term outcomes. However, multimodal treatment-surgery and chemotherapy-is the standard of care yet only received by 35% of US patients and has not been examined at the hospital level., Methods: The National Cancer Database was used to identify a cohort of clinical stage I pancreatic cancer patients eligible for multimodal treatment from 2004 to 2016. Hospital multimodal treatment was defined as the number of patients receiving surgery and chemotherapy by the number of eligible patients per hospital. Descriptive statistics and survival analyses were conducted., Results: A total of 16,771 patients met inclusion criteria, of whom 68.0% received curative-intent surgery and 35.8% received multimodal treatment. There was poor correlation between hospital surgical volume and delivery of multimodal treatment (Spearman correlation 0.214; P < 0.001). Of patients cared for at the highest surgical volume hospitals, 18.8% and 52.1% were treated at hospitals with low (0%-25%) and moderate (>25%-50%) multimodal treatment delivery, respectively. Higher hospital multimodal treatment delivery was associated with improved overall survival., Discussion: Although the volume-outcome relationship for pancreatic cancer has demonstrated improved outcomes, this work identified poor correlation between hospital surgical volume and delivery of multimodal treatment. The role of care coordination in the delivery of multimodal treatment warrants further investigation as it is associated with improved survival for patients with localized pancreatic cancer., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains the cornerstone of managing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) of the pancreas head/neck, but it is associated with high morbidity. We hypothesize that, in absence of pancreatectomy-specific morbidity (PSM), minimally invasive PD (MIPD) provides improved short-term outcomes compared to open PD (OPD)., Methods: NSQIP pancreatectomy-targeted database 2014-2019 was utilized. PSM was defined as the occurrence of delayed gastric emptying (DGE) and/or post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF). The cohort was divided into No-PSM and PSM groups. Propensity score match was applied in each group to compare outcomes of MIPD vs. OPD., Results: 8,121 patients were selected. Patients were divided into No-PSM (N = 6267) and PSM (N = 1854) groups. In No-PSM group, we matched 1656 OPD to 552 MIPD patients. MIPD had longer operations (423 vs. 359 min; p < 0.001) but less overall morbidity (22.1% vs. 29.1%; p = 0.001) mostly attributed to less bleeding and sepsis. MIPD patients also had a one-day shorter median LOS (6 vs. 7 days; p = 0.005) and higher rates of home discharge (92.8% vs. 89.6%; p = 0.027). No difference was noted in mortality and 30-day readmission. In PSM group, 441 OPD were matched to 147 MIPD peers. MIPD had longer operations but without short-term benefits. General morbidity (61.2% vs. 61.9%), median LOS (12 vs. 12 days), mortality (2.7% vs. 1.8%), and readmission rates (32.7% vs. 26.5%) were similar. Same conclusions were drawn in the per-protocol analysis., Conclusion: PSM is common following PD for PDAC. In the absence of PSM, MIPD is associated with less postoperative morbidity and shorter LOS., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The P2RY8-CRLF2 and IGH-CRLF2 rearrangements induce the overexpression of cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) and have been associated with relapse and poor prognosis in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Additionally, they are frequently documented in high-risk Hispanic populations. To better understand the potential causes of the adverse prognosis of childhood B-ALL in Mexico, we analyzed these rearrangements and the CRLF2 mRNA and protein levels in 133 Mexican children with B-ALL. We collected bone marrow samples at diagnosis and evaluated the CRLF2 gene expression by qRT-PCR and the total CRLF2 protein by flow cytometry. P2RY8-CRLF2 and IGH-CRLF2 were detected by RT-PCR and FISH, respectively. The median time of follow-up to determine the prognostic significance of the CRLF2 abnormalities was three years. In 82% of the participants, the mRNA levels correlated with the cell-surface and intracellular CRLF2 protein levels. The P2RY8-CRLF2 rearrangement was present in 31.5% (42/133) of the patients, while the IGH-CRLF2 rearrangement was detected in 13.5% (9/67) of patients with high expression of CRLF2 (6.8% of the total sample). CRLF2 copy number variations (gain) were also detected in 7.5% (5/67) of patients with high protein levels. The overall survival (OS) presented significantly lower rates in patients with high white blood cell count (≥50x10 9 /L) regardless of CRLF2 expression, but high levels of CRLF2 gene expression appears to contribute to the reduction of OS within this group of patients. In conclusion, in our cohort, a high occurrence of CRLF2 abnormalities was documented, particularly the P2RY8-CRLF2 rearrangement, which might represent a characteristic of the Mexican population. Targeted therapy to treat this group of patients could improve OS., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Parenchyma-sparing (PS) liver resection is recommended for liver tumors. The value of PS-approaches as compared to more extended resections is unknown. We sought to examine value-based differences (quality/cost) of central hepatectomy (CH) versus more extended resections., Methods: A retrospective cohort study including consecutive patients having CH or right/extended hepatectomies (R/EH) at a high-volume cancer center was performed (2015-2019). The primary outcome was the value ratio, calculated as quality/cost. Quality was defined as the proportion of patients achieving a textbook outcome. Perioperative actual direct costs ($USD) for each patient were abstracted from institutional financial records spanning throughout the perioperative period. Value ratios were calculated and compared for each approach; sensitivity analysis was performed by modelling TO and cost thresholds., Results: Among 651 hepatobiliary operations (426 liver resections), 90 patients met inclusion criteria: 19 CH and 71 R/EH. TO occurred in 68% and 69% of CH and R/EH, respectively (P = 0.96). Mean direct costs were $21,826 for CH and $28,599 for R/EH (P = 0.008). CH provided a greater value (value ratio CH = 0.33 vs. R/EH = 0.26; P = 0.004) with a shift favoring R/EH only when the TO threshold for CH was below 51% (CH = 0.23 vs. R/EH = 0.24) or that of R/EH was over 90% (CH = 0.31 vs. R/EH = 0.32)., Conclusions: These findings support a PS approach for central liver tumors (central hepatectomy) as it offers higher value than more extended resections. In the context of high-volume centers with outcomes within established national benchmarks, patients with central tumors should be considered for CH over more extended non-PS approaches., (© 2022. The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract.)

Background: Surgery is the only curative option for patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NET) and is also indicated for debulking of liver metastasis. Intraoperative carcinoid crisis (CC) is thought to be a potentially lethal complication. Though perioperative octreotide is often recommended for prevention, recent NET society guidelines raised concerns regarding limited data supporting its use. We sought to evaluate existing evidence characterizing CC and evaluating the efficacy of prophylactic octreotide., Methods: A systematic review was performed on studies including patients having surgery for well-differentiated NET and/or NET liver metastasis (2000-2021), and reporting data on the incidence, risk factors, or prognosis of CC, and/or use of prophylactic octreotide. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects models., Results: Eight studies met inclusion criteria ( n = 943 operations). The pooled incidence of CC was 19% (95% CI [0.06-0.36]). Liver metastasis (odds ratio 2.85 [1.49-5.47]) and gender (male 0.58 [0.34-0.99]) were the only significant risk factors. The occurrence of CC was associated with increased risk of major postoperative complications (2.12 [1.03-4.35]). The use of prophylactic octreotide was not associated with decreased risk of CC (0.73 [0.32-1.66]). Notably, there was no standard prophylactic octreotide strategy used., Conclusions: Intraoperative carcinoid crisis is a common complication occurring in up to 20% of patients with midgut NET and/or liver metastasis undergoing surgery. Prophylactic octreotide may not provide an efficient way to prevent this complication. Future studies should focus on prospective evaluation of well-defined prophylactic protocols using a standardized definition for CC.

Background: Recommendations for postoperative surveillance and adjuvant therapy following curative-intent resection for biliary tract cancers-including intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCCA and EHCCA) and primary gallbladder cancer (GBC)-are uniform across primary tumor site. However, these tumors may have distinct patterns of recurrence., Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was performed at a specialty cancer center. Patients undergoing resection of IHCCA, EHCCA, and GBC were identified (2005-2020). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was estimated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods. Anatomic patterns of initial site of recurrence were described and compared., Results: There were 142 patients included; 50 IHCCA, 32 EHCCA, and 60 GBC. Median RFS was 30.8 months, which was not significantly different between IHCCA, EHCCA, or GBC in univariate analysis or after adjustment. Nodal positivity was significantly associated with poor RFS (HR 3.92, P≤0.001). The most common initial site of recurrence overall was intrahepatic (n=49/64, 77%), in isolation (n=32) or synchronous with other site of recurrence (n=17). Significant differences in anatomic pattern of recurrence were observed (P=0.049) with IHCCAs more commonly recurring with simultaneous hepatic-pulmonary disease (n=5/22, 23%; EHCCA n=2/19, 10%; GBC n=1/23, 4%), GBC more commonly recurring within the porta (n=7/23, 30%; IHCCA n=0; EHCCA n=1/19, 5%), and EHCCA more commonly recurring within the peritoneum (n=5/19, 26%; IHCCA n=2/22, 9%, GBC n=2/23, 9%)., Conclusions: Patterns of initial recurrence appear to differ between primary tumor site, likely reflecting underlying differences in anatomy and biology. These data could help inform future studies for adjuvant therapy as well as timing and anatomic focus for surveillance imaging., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jgo.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jgo-21-868/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Molecular tumor boards (MTBs) require specialized activities to leverage genomic data for therapeutic decision-making. Currently, there are no defined standards for implementing, executing, and tracking the impact of MTBs. This study describes the development and validation of ACTE-MTB, a tool to evaluate the maturity of an organization's MTB to identify specific areas that would benefit from process improvements and standardization. The ACTE-MTB maturity assessment tool is composed of 3 elements: 1) The ACTE-MTB maturity model; 2) a 59-question survey on MTB processes and challenges; and 3) a 5-level MTB maturity scoring algorithm. This tool was developed to measure MTB maturity in the categories of Access, Consultation, Technology, and Evidence (ACTE) and was tested on 20 MTBs spanning the United States, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions. Validity testing revealed that the average maturity score was 3.3 out of 5 (+/- 0.1; range 2.0-4.3) with MTBs in academic institutions showing significantly higher overall maturity levels than in non-academic institutions (3.7 +/- 0.2 vs. 3.1 +/- 0.2; P = .018). While maturity scores for academic institutions were higher for Consultation, Technology, and Evidence domains, the maturity score for the Access domain did not significantly differ between the two groups, highlighting a disconnect between MTB operations and the downstream impact on ability to access testing and/or therapies. To our knowledge, ACTE-MTB is the first tool of its kind to enable structured, maturity assessment of MTBs in a universally-applicable manner. In the process of establishing construct validity of this tool, opportunities for further investigation and improvements were identified that address the key functional areas of MTBs that would likely benefit from standardization and best practice recommendations. We believe a unified approach to assessment of MTB maturity will help to identify areas for improvement at both the organizational and system level., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Introduction: Homologous recombination mutations (HRM) have led to increased responses to platinum chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. However, HRMs' role in nonpancreatic gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remains to be determined. Our objective was to evaluate the prognostic and predictive role of core (BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2) and noncore HRM in nonpancreatic GI cancers receiving platinum therapy., Materials and Methods: This study performed at Moffitt Cancer Center included metastatic nonpancreatic GI cancer patients treated with platinum therapy. All patients had either a core or noncore HRM, determined by next generation sequencing. Response rates, median progression-free survival (PFS), and median overall survival (OS) were determined and compared between core versus noncore HRM patients., Results: In the study, 69 patients with one or more HRM were included: 63.8% were male, 87.0% were Caucasian, and 47.9% had colorectal cancer. Twenty-one (30.4%) patients had a core HRM and 48 (69.6%) had a noncore HRM. Among evaluable patients (n=64), there was no significant difference in objective response: 20.0% with core HRM versus 22.7% with noncore HRM responded to platinum therapy (P=0.53). Median PFS was 10.4 months versus 7.1 months for core HRM versus noncore HRM, respectively (P=0.039). Median OS was 68.9 months versus 24.3 months (P=0.026) for core HRM versus noncore HRM, respectively., Conclusions: Our study demonstrated response of core and noncore HRM to platinum therapy in metastatic nonpancreatic GI malignancies, suggesting benefit in both groups. Core HRM patients had significantly increased median OS and median PFS compared with those with noncore HRM, suggesting potential prognostic and predictive significance. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with hepatobiliary malignancies are especially vulnerable to treatment delays. This study sought to evaluate the impact of implementing a new delivery-of-care model centered around a hepatobiliary multidisciplinary tumor board (HB-MTB) and integrated with an optimized patient workflow process to expedite treatment initiation., Methods: A hybrid type 2 study (effectiveness-implementation) was performed. Implementation measures were examined prospectively using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) approach during 5 years after the HB-MTB program deployment (2015-2020). The primary outcome was effectiveness, measured as time to treatment initiation (TTI) using a before and after design (1 year each). The patients were grouped into before (BP) and after (AP) categories based on date of HB-MTB program implementation. Multivariable Cox and linear regression analyses were performed to examine and compare time to treatment initiation between groups., Results: The HB-MTB program enrolled 2457 patients (reach). The RE-AIM measures were favorable and improved over time (P < 0.01 for all). The median TTI was lower for the AP group than for the BP group (17 vs 24 days; P < 0.01). In the multivariable Cox and linear regressions, treatment in the AP group was associated with a faster TTI (hazard ratio, 1.75; 95 % confidence interval, 1.31-2.35; p < 0.01), and a mean of 13 days faster treatment initiation than the BP group (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Implementation of an HB-MTB program integrated with an optimized patient workflow was successful and led to faster treatment initiation. This delivery-of-care model can serve as a blueprint to expedite treatment of patients with cancer., (© 2021. Society of Surgical Oncology.)

Background: Mismatch repair-deficient (MMR-D)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a unique disease entity with growing interest given the rise of young-onset CRC. Given its heterogeneous behavior and potential for highly effective treatment outcomes, we sought to identify the clinical and molecular features that offer prognostic value for MMR-D CRC., Materials/methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with metastatic CRC with MMR-D or microsatellite instability in a real-world database. Overall survival (OS) was determined by the date of metastatic disease to date of death with stratification made based on factors including BRAF and RAS mutation status, age, and MMR protein loss type., Results: There were 1101 patients in the study. Patients with BRAF mutations had worse OS compared with patients with wild-type BRAF with a median survival of 18.9 months versus 33.2 months (hazard ratio [HR] 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-1.86, P < .001). Patients with age >50 were found to have decreased OS versus age ≤50 with a median survival of 21.4 months versus 38.7 months (HR 1.66, 95% CI: 1.33-2.07, P < .001). BRAF mutations and age >50 remained significant predictors of OS in multivariate analysis., Conclusion: BRAF mutations and age >50 are associated with worse survival outcomes for patients with MMR-D mCRC. RAS mutations and specific MMR alterations are not associated with survival outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Background: Patients undergoing hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery, such patients with pancreatic, periampullary, and liver cancer, are at high risk for malnutrition. Malnutrition increases surgical complications and reduces overall survival. Despite its severity, there are limited interventions addressing malnutrition after HPB surgery. The aim of this pilot trial was to examine feasibility, acceptability, usability, and preliminary efficacy of a remote nutrition monitoring intervention after HPB surgery., Methods: Participants received tailored nutritional counseling before and after surgery at 2 and 4 weeks after hospital discharge. Participants also recorded nutritional intake daily for 30 days, and these data were reviewed remotely by registered dietitians before nutritional counseling visits. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study outcomes., Results: All 26 patients approached to participate consented to the trial before HPB surgery. Seven were excluded after consent for failing to meet eligibility criteria (e.g., did not receive surgery). Nineteen participants (52.6% female, median age = 65 years) remained eligible for remote monitoring post-surgery. Nineteen used the mobile app food diary, 79% of participants recorded food intake for greater than 80% of study days, 95% met with the dietitian for all visits, and 89% were highly satisfied with the intervention. Among participants with complete data, the average percent caloric goal obtained was 82.4% (IQR: 21.7)., Conclusions: This intervention was feasible and acceptable to patients undergoing HPB surgery. Preliminary efficacy data showed most participants were able to meet calorie intake goals. Future studies should examine intervention efficacy in a larger, randomized controlled trial., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov. Registered 16 September 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04091165 ., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: To assess the impact of a granular measure of SED on pancreatic surgical and cancer-related outcomes at a high-volume cancer center that employs a standardized clinic pathway., Summary of Background Data: Prior research has shown that low socioeconomic status leads to less treatment and worse outcomes for PDAC. However, these studies employed inconsistent definitions and categorizations of socioeconomic status, aggregated individual socioeconomic data using large geographic areas, and lacked detailed clinicopathologic variables., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1552 PDAC patients between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified using the area deprivation index, a validated dataset that ranks census block groups based on SED. Multivariable models were used in the curative surgery cohort to predict the impact of SED on (1) grade 3/4 Clavien-Dindo complications, (2) initiation of adjuvant therapy, (3) completion of adjuvant therapy, and (4) overall survival., Results: Patients from high SED neighborhoods constituted 29.9% of the cohort. Median overall survival was 28 months. The rate of Clavien-Dindo grade 3/4 complications was 14.2% and completion of adjuvant therapy was 65.6%. There was no evidence that SED impacted surgical evaluation, receipt of curative-intent surgery, postoperative complications, receipt of adjuvant therapy or overall survival., Conclusions: Although nearly one-quarter of curative-intent surgery patients were from high SED neighborhoods, this factor was not associated with measures of treatment quality or survival. These observations suggest that treatment at a high-volume cancer center employing a standardized clinical pathway may in part address socioeconomic disparities in pancreatic cancer., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

The NCCN Guidelines for Hepatobiliary Cancers focus on the screening, diagnosis, staging, treatment, and management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), gallbladder cancer, and cancer of the bile ducts (intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma). Due to the multiple modalities that can be used to treat the disease and the complications that can arise from comorbid liver dysfunction, a multidisciplinary evaluation is essential for determining an optimal treatment strategy. A multidisciplinary team should include hepatologists, diagnostic radiologists, interventional radiologists, surgeons, medical oncologists, and pathologists with hepatobiliary cancer expertise. In addition to surgery, transplant, and intra-arterial therapies, there have been great advances in the systemic treatment of HCC. Until recently, sorafenib was the only systemic therapy option for patients with advanced HCC. In 2020, the combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab became the first regimen to show superior survival to sorafenib, gaining it FDA approval as a new frontline standard regimen for unresectable or metastatic HCC. This article discusses the NCCN Guidelines recommendations for HCC.

Background: The gastrointestinal surgical oncology service at our comprehensive cancer center sought to improve the quality of postsurgical inpatient care while increasing discharge efficiency., Methods: A stakeholder team established standard postsurgical care pathways and dedicated inpatient advanced practice provider positions. We compared postsurgical length of stay before (July 2017 to April 2018) and after (May 2018 to April 2019) the interventions using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. We benchmarked length of stay to National Surgical Quality Improvement Project and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services geometric mean length of stay. We also compared readmission rates and surgeon-specific Hospital Consumer Assessment of Health Care Provider and Systems and Press-Ganey scores., Results: There were 462 cases before and 563 after the interventions. Postintervention, median length of stay decreased from 6.50 to 6.00 days (P = .017). There was a ≥1-day reduction for 10 of 14 case types with significant length of stay decreases for robotic esophagectomy (P = .001), liver resection (P = .023), and cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (P = .030). More case types met or exceeded Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and National Surgical Quality Improvement Project benchmarks after the interventions. Readmission rates were stable (preintervention 9.3%, postintervention 10.3%, P = .585). Press-Ganey and HCAHPS measures were stable or improved in all evaluated domains., Conclusion: Incorporating advanced practice providers and care pathways into gastrointestinal surgical oncology inpatient care was associated with reduced length of stay without declination in readmission rates or patient experience measures., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Upfront surgery is the current standard for resectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) despite high treatment failure with this approach. We sought to examine the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) as an alternative strategy for this population., Methods: The National Cancer Database was used to identify patients with resectable ICC undergoing curative-intent surgery (2006-2014). Utilization trends were examined and survival estimates between NAC and upfront surgery were compared; propensity score-matched models were used to examine the association of NAC with overall survival (OS) for all patients and risk-stratified cohorts. Models accounted for clustering within hospitals, and results represent findings from a complete-case analysis., Results: Among 881 patients with ICC, 8.3% received NAC, with no changes over time (Cochran-Armitage p = 0.7). Median follow-up was 50.9 months, with no difference in unadjusted survival with NAC versus upfront surgery (median OS 51.8 vs. 35.6 months, and 5-year OS rates of 38.2% vs. 36.6%; log rank p = 0.51), and no survival benefit in the propensity score-matched analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 0.78, 95% CI 0.54-1.11; p = 0.16). However, for patients with stage II-III disease, NAC was associated with a trend towards improved survival (median OS of 47.6 months vs. 25.9 months, and 5-year OS rates of 34% vs. 25.7%; log-rank p = 0.10) and a statistically significant survival benefit in the propensity score-matched analysis. (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37-0.91; p = 0.02)., Conclusion: NAC is associated with improved OS over upfront surgery in patients with resectable ICC and high-risk of treatment failure. These data support the need for prospective studies to examine NAC as an alternative strategy to improve OS in this population.

Chemotherapy remains a primary treatment for metastatic cancer, with tumor response being the benchmark outcome marker. However, therapeutic response in cancer is unpredictable due to heterogeneity in drug delivery from systemic circulation to solid tumors. In this proof-of-concept study, we evaluated chemotherapy concentration at the tumor-site and its association with therapy response by applying a mathematical model. By using pre-treatment imaging, clinical and biologic variables, and chemotherapy regimen to inform the model, we estimated tumor-site chemotherapy concentration in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases, who received treatment prior to surgical hepatic resection with curative-intent. The differential response to therapy in resected specimens, measured with the gold-standard Tumor Regression Grade (TRG; from 1, complete response to 5, no response) was examined, relative to the model predicted systemic and tumor-site chemotherapy concentrations. We found that the average calculated plasma concentration of the cytotoxic drug was essentially equivalent across patients exhibiting different TRGs, while the estimated tumor-site chemotherapeutic concentration (eTSCC) showed a quadratic decline from TRG = 1 to TRG = 5 ( p < 0.001). The eTSCC was significantly lower than the observed plasma concentration and dropped by a factor of ~5 between patients with complete response (TRG = 1) and those with no response (TRG = 5), while the plasma concentration remained stable across TRG groups. TRG variations were driven and predicted by differences in tumor perfusion and eTSCC. If confirmed in carefully planned prospective studies, these findings will form the basis of a paradigm shift in the care of patients with potentially curable colorectal cancer and liver metastases.

Background: Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is considered "best-practices" for pain-control following HPB operations. It is unknown if TEA increases the risk of UTI. We sought to examine the association of TEA and UTI following HPB operations., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective HPB operations was performed (ACS-NSQIP [2014-2016]). Patients were categorized by TEA utilization. The primary outcome was UTI. Multivariable logistic regression models were created to examine the association of TEA with UTI; including sensitivity and interaction analyses for age and gender., Results: Among 28,571 patients included, 5764 (20.2%) had TEA. UTI occurred more frequently with TEA (3.5% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.01). After multivariable analysis, TEA was associated with increased risk of UTI (1.59 [1.34-1.89]); when stratified by age and gender, the association persisted with an incremental increased risk observed in males over 70 years (1.91 [1.41-2.59]). UTI was associated with increased risk of sepsis (16.8% vs. 5.6%, P < 0.001), LOS (9 versus 6 days, P < 0.001) and readmission rates (21.4% vs. 12.3%, P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Despite TEA recommended as a best-practice standard for HPB operations, the increased risk of UTI calls for evaluation of current practices and consideration of alternative strategies for high-risk vulnerable populations - elderly males., (Copyright © 2020 International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Surgical resection for asymptomatic, localized, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) is common yet controversial. Studies using overall survival as an endpoint have shown a benefit for resection; however, these results may be due to treatment selection bias. We assessed the impact of surgery on both overall (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) for asymptomatic patients with stage I PNETs (AJCC 8th edition)., Methods: Using SEER data, we identified 709 patients from 2007 to 2015 with well- and moderately differentiated stage I PNETs. We performed Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and adjusted Cox regression for OS and CSS., Results: Among 709 patients, 628 (88.6%) underwent surgery. There were 37 overall deaths and 11 cancer-specific deaths. All cancer-specific deaths occurred within 3 years of diagnosis. Five-year OS and CSS rates were 89% and 98%, respectively, for the population. Five-year OS rates were 56% in the non-surgical cohort versus 92% in the surgical cohort (log rank, p < 0.001). However, the 5-year CSS rates were similar; 94% in the non-surgical group and 98% in the surgical group (log rank, p  = 0.207). On multivariable analysis, surgery predicted improved OS but not CSS., Conclusion: Although OS is superior in surgically treated stage I PNETs, CSS is not improved, implying treatment selection bias towards surgery being performed in healthier patients. These data suggest that overall survival is a problematic endpoint for the study of asymptomatic, stage I PNETs. Surgery should be individualized for this cohort of patients as the primary cause of death is non-cancer related.

Opinion Statement: Small bowel neuroendocrine tumors (SB NETs) are increasing in frequency and becoming more common in surgical practice. It is often difficult to make the diagnosis of a SB NET at an early stage, as the primary tumor tends to be small and patients are asymptomatic until there is regional or distant metastasis, when they develop abdominal pain, partial obstruction, or bleeding and/or develop carcinoid syndrome. Despite this advanced presentation at the time of diagnosis, patients with metastatic SB NETs, as compared to other gastrointestinal malignancies, have favorable survival, which can be improved by appropriate surgical interventions. With the lack of randomized studies, there is reasonable controversy surrounding the optimal management of patients with SB NETs. As such, treatment of these patients is driven primarily by physician experience and available data based predominantly on retrospective studies. Based on this, current recommendations advocate for patients with SB NETs (localized or metastatic) to be managed at experienced centers by a multidisciplinary team. Eligible patients should undergo surgical resection of primary and regional disease as outlined in this article. Additionally, patients with metastatic disease should be evaluated on a case by case basis to evaluate surgical options that may mitigate bowel symptoms (i.e., pain, intestinal angina, obstruction) and carcinoid symptoms (flushing, diarrhea, hemodynamic instability) and prolong survival. Unlike other gastrointestinal malignancies, aggressive surgical management of these patients, even in the context of unresectable metastatic disease, can improve patients' symptoms and long-term survival. The principles outlined in this article are geared to guide appropriate management of SB NET patients with improvement in quality of life and overall survival outcomes.

Hepatic adenomas are benign liver tumors typically found in females of reproductive age. Though benign, hepatic adenomas are highly vascularized tumors, thus rupture and consequent hemorrhage present a feared complication. We report a case of a 31-year-old woman with hepatic adenoma who underwent preoperative portal vein embolization and subsequently suffered a rupture of her tumor. We postulate that the change in blood flow after portal vein embolization, a phenomenon known as the hepatic artery buffer response, may have contributed to the tumor rupture, though the possibility that the rupture was purely incidental remains. There is currently no prior report of such rupture occurring following portal vein embolization, and this case brings to light a potentially fatal complication of a generally safely regarded procedure in patients with hepatic adenoma., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of University of Washington.)

The NCCN Guidelines for Hepatobiliary Cancers provide treatment recommendations for cancers of the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts. The NCCN Hepatobiliary Cancers Panel meets at least annually to review comments from reviewers within their institutions, examine relevant new data from publications and abstracts, and reevaluate and update their recommendations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel's discussion and updated recommendations regarding systemic therapy for first-line and subsequent-line treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

New systemic treatments have improved the therapeutic landscape for patients with metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). While drugs such as everolimus, sunitinib, temozolomide, and 177Lutetium-dotatate are appropriate for patients with widespread disease progression, local treatment approaches may be more appropriate for patients with unifocal progression. Surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), hepatic arterial embolization (HAE), or radiation, can control discrete sites of progression, allowing patients to continue their existing therapy, and sparing them toxicities of a new systemic treatment. We identified 69 patients with metastatic GEP-NETs who underwent a local treatment for focal progression in the setting of widespread metastases. 26% underwent resection, 27% RFA, 23% external beam radiation, and 23% selective HAE. With a median follow-up of 25 months, 42 (61%) patients subsequently progressed to the point of requiring additional intervention (12 locoregional, 30 systemic) for disease control. Median time to new systemic treatment was 32 months (95% CI, 16.5 - 47.5 months). Median time to any additional intervention was 19 months (95% CI, 8.7 - 25.3 months). Control of local sites of progression enabled the majority of patients to remain on their existing systemic treatment and avoid potential toxicities associated with salvage systemic therapy.

Background: Human Pappilloma Virus (HPV) is the necessary cause of cervical cancer. A number of risk factors are believed to influence the role of HPV in the development of cervical cancer. This is so because majority of HPV infections are cleared and only a few are able to result into cancer. Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is considered a potential cofactor in the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), although different studies have produced contradicting information (Silins et al ., 2005, Bellaminutti et al ., 2014, and Bhatla et al ., 2013). The objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence and association of HPV-Chlamydial coinfection with cervical intraepithelial lesions and other risk factors for cervical intraepithelial lesions at a hospital in south western Uganda (MRRH)., Methods: The study included 93 participants, with an age range of 25 to 80 years, from whom cervical specimens were collected and enrolment forms were completed upon consent. Experienced midwives collected one cervical smear and two endocervical swabs from each participant. The swabs were used for HPV DNA and Chlamydia trachomatis antigen testing. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and analysed using STATA 12 software. With the help of spearman's correlation at the 0.05 level of significance, bivariate and multivariate analysis were done by logistic regression, to determine associations of risk factors to cervical lesions., Results: The results showed the prevalence of HPV-Chlamydial coinfection to be 8.6% (8/93). Positive Pap smear results were found in 60.22% (56/93) participants, most of whom had low grade squamous intraepitherial lesion (LSIL) (54.84%). HPV-Chlamydial coinfection showed a significant correlation with a positive cytology result and only relatively significantly correlated with LSIL grade of cytological positivity. HPV was found to be the risk factors associated with cervical intraepithelial lesions at MRRH., Conclusion: HPV, Chlamydia, and HPV-Chlamydial coinfection are prevalent infections and there is a likelihood of association between HPV-Chlamydial coinfection and with cervical intraepithelial lesions. This study recommends general sexually transimitted infections (STIS) screening for every woman that turns up for cervical cancer screening and a larger study, probably a multicentre study.

Background: Variation in use of postacute care (PAC), including skilled nursing facilities and inpatient rehabilitation, accounts for 73% of regional variation in Medicare spending. Studies of hospital variation in PAC use have typically focused on nonsurgical patients or have been limited to Medicare data. Consequently, there is no nationally representative data on how rates of postoperative discharge to PAC differ between hospitals. The purpose of this study was to explore hospital-level variation in PAC utilization after cardiovascular and abdominal surgery., Materials and Methods: We evaluated 3,487,365 patients from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and 60,666 from the Veterans Affairs health system, who had colorectal surgery, hepatectomy, pancreatectomy, coronary bypass, aortic aneurysm repair, and peripheral vascular bypass from 2008 to 2011. For each hospital, we calculated unadjusted and risk-adjusted observed-to-expected ratios for discharge to PAC facilities (skilled nursing or inpatient rehabilitation)., Results: A total of 631,199 (18%) non-veterans and 4744 (8%) veterans were discharged to PAC facilities. For veterans, 32% were ≥70 y old, and 98% were men. For non-veterans, 39% were ≥70, and 60% were men. Hospital rates of discharge to PAC facilities varied from 1% to 36% for veterans hospitals and from 1% to 59% for non-veteran hospitals. Risk-adjusted observed-to-expected ratios ranged from 0.10 to 4.15 for veterans and from 0.11 to 4.3 for non-veteran hospitals., Conclusions: There is substantial variation in PAC utilization and rates of home discharge after abdominal and cardiovascular surgery. To reduce variation, further research is needed to understand health systems factors that influence PAC utilization., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transarterial yttrium-90 glass microsphere radioembolization in patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC)., Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of 85 consecutive patients (41 men and 44 women; age, 73.4 ± 9.3 years) was performed. Survival data were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method, Cox regression models, and the log-rank test., Results: Median overall survival (OS) from diagnosis was 21.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.6-28.4); median OS from radioembolization was 12.0 months (95% CI: 8.0-15.2). Seven episodes of severe toxicity occurred. At 3 months, 6.2% of patients had partial response, 64.2% had stable disease, and 29.6% had progressive disease. Median OS from radioembolization was significantly longer in patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores of 0 and 1 than patients with an ECOG score of 2 (18.5 vs 5.5 months, P = .0012), and median OS from radioembolization was significantly longer in patients with well-differentiated histology than patients with poorly differentiated histology (18.6 vs 9.7 months, P = .012). Patients with solitary tumors had significantly longer median OS from radioembolization than patients with multifocal disease (25 vs. 6.1 months, P = .006). The absence of extrahepatic metastasis was associated with significantly increased median OS (15.2 vs. 6.8 months, P = .003). Increased time from diagnosis to radioembolization was a negative predictor of OS. The morphology of the tumor (mass-forming or infiltrative, hyper- or hypo-enhancing) had no effect on survival. Post-treatment increased cancer antigen 19-9 level, increased international normalized ratio, decreased albumin, increased bilirubin, increased aspartate aminotransferase, and increased Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score were significant predictors of decreased OS., Conclusions: These data support the therapeutic role of radioembolization for the treatment of unresectable ICC with good efficacy and an acceptable safety profile., (Copyright © 2018 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Radioembolization induces liver hypertrophy, although the extent and rate of hypertrophy are unknown. Our goal was to examine the kinetics of contralateral liver hypertrophy after transarterial radioembolization., Methods: A retrospective study (2010-2014) of treatment-naïve patients with primary/secondary liver malignancies undergoing right lobe radioembolization was performed. Computed tomography volumetry was performed before and 1, 3, and 6 months after radioembolization. Outcomes of interest were left lobe (standardized future liver remnant) degree of hypertrophy, kinetic growth rate, and ability to reach goal standardized future liver remnant ≥40%. Medians were compared with the Kruskall-Wallis test. Time to event analysis was used to estimate time to reach goal standardized future liver remnant., Results: In the study, 25 patients were included. At 1, 3, and 6 months, median degree of hypertrophy was 4%, 8%, and 12% (P < .001), degree of hypertrophy relative to baseline future liver remnants was 11%, 17%, and 31% (P = .015), and kinetic growth rate was 0.8%, 0.5%, and 0.4%/week (P = .002). In patients with baseline standardized future liver remnant <40% (N= 16), median time to reach standardized future liver remnant ≥40% was 7.3 months, with 75% accomplishing standardized future liver remnant ≥40% at 8.2 months., Conclusion: Radioembolization induces hypertrophy of the contralateral lobe to a similar extent as existing methods, although at a lower rate. The role of radioembolization as a dual therapy (neoadjuvant and hypetrophy-inducing) for selected patients needs to be studied. (Surgery 2017;160:XXX-XXX.)., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Surgery represents the only curative treatment for stage I-III midgut neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). At present, there are very limited data on the risk of postoperative recurrence. The optimal modality, duration and frequency of surveillance have not been well established. In this work, we investigated the long-term risk of recurrence, peak timing of recurrence, and potential predictors of relapse in patients with stage I-III midgut NETs., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 129 patients with stage I-III midgut NETs who were seen at the Moffitt Cancer Center between 2000 and 2010 following an R0/R1 resection. Disease-free survival (DFS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Demographic, clinical, and pathological features were assessed as potential predictors of recurrence. All statistical tests were two-sided., Results: After a median postoperative follow-up of 81 months (range = 1-295 months), recurrence was diagnosed in 40 out of 129 patients (31.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 23.0% to 39.0%). Liver, mesentery, and pelvic lymph nodes were the main sites of relapse. The median DFS was 138 months (95% CI = 117 to 223 months). Resection of 17 or fewer lymph nodes predicted relapse (P = .01) and shorter DFS (P = .04). Among patients who relapsed, the cumulative risks of recurrence at one, five, and 10 years were 15.0% (95% CI = 3.9% to 26.1%), 50.0% (95% CI = 34.5% to 65.5%), and 85.0% (95% CI = 73.9% to 96.0%). No recurrence was observed among patients (n = 6) with stage I tumors, whereas similar rates of relapse were noted in patients with stage II or III NETs (n = 118)., Conclusions: An annual surveillance interval may allow early detection of recurrence. Given the apparent decline in recurrence after eight years from surgery, a decade-long duration of active surveillance may be proposed.