Surgical and oncological outcomes of D1 versus D2 gastrectomy among elderly patients treated for gastric cancer

Introduction: Gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy is considered standard treatment in gastric cancer (GC). Among Western patients, morbidity and mortality seem to increase in D2 relative to D1 lymphadenectomy. As elderly patients with co-morbidities are more prone to possible complications, it is unclear whether they benefit from D2 lymphadenectomy. This study aims to compare the short- and long-term results of D1 and D2 lymphadenectomy in elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy for GC. Methods: All elderly (> 75 years) patients undergoing gastrectomy with curative intent for GC during 2000-2015 were included and grouped according to the level of lymph node dissection into the D1 or D2 group. Short-term surgical outcome included the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) and 30-day mortality. Long-term outcomes comprised overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Cox regression was used in multivariable analyses. Results: In total, 99 elderly patients were included in the study (51 in D1 group, 48 in D2 group). The median follow-up was 32.5 months. Patients in the D1 group were older and had a higher American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) score. Both groups had similar burden of postoperative complications (CCI 20.9 versus 22.6, p = 0.26, respectively) and 90-day mortality (2% for both groups). The OS, DSS, and DFS were similar between groups. Multivariable analysis adjusted for potential confounders detected no difference in the survival between the D1 and D2 groups. Conclusions: Gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy can be performed with low postoperative morbidity and mortality suggesting its use also in the elderly. Long-term outcomes seem similar but need further studies.Peer reviewe

Effect of Hydrocortisone vs Pasireotide on Pancreatic Surgery Complications in Patients With High Risk of Pancreatic Fistula A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Both hydrocortisone and pasireotide have been shown in randomized clinical trials to be effective in reducing postoperative complications of pancreatic surgery, but to date no randomized clinical trial has evaluated the effectiveness of pasireotide compared with hydrocortisone. Objective To assess the noninferiority of hydrocortisone compared with pasireotide in reducing complications after partial pancreatectomy. Design, Setting, and Participants A noninferiority, parallel-group, individually randomized clinical trial was conducted at a single academic center between May 19, 2016, and December 17, 2018. Outcome collectors and analyzers were blinded. A total of 281 patients undergoing partial pancreatectomy were assessed for inclusion. Patients younger than 18 years, those allergic to hydrocortisone or pasireotide, patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy with hard pancreas or dilated pancreatic duct, and patients not eventually undergoing partial pancreatectomy were excluded. Modified intention-to-treat analysis was used in determination of the results. Interventions Treatment included pasireotide, 900 mu g, subcutaneously twice a day for 7 days or hydrocortisone, 100 mg, intravenously 3 times a day for 3 days. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) score within 30 days. The noninferiority limit was set to 9 CCI points. Results Of the 281 patients (mean [SD] age, 63.8 years) assessed for eligibility, 168 patients (mean [SD] age, 63.6 years) were randomized and 126 were included in the modified intention-to-treat analyses. Sixty-three patients received pasireotide (35 men [56%]; median [interquartile range] age, 64 [56-70] years) and 63 patients received hydrocortisone (25 men [40%]; median [interquartile range] age, 67 [56-73] years). The mean (SD) CCI score was 23.94 (17.06) in the pasireotide group and 30.11 (20.47) in the hydrocortisone group (mean difference, -6.16; 2-sided 90% CI, -11.73 to -0.60), indicating that hydrocortisone was not noninferior. Postoperative pancreatic fistula was detected in 34 patients (54%) in the pasireotide group and 39 patients (62%) in the hydrocortisone group (odds ratio, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.68-2.82; P = .37). One patient in the pasireotide group and 2 patients in the hydrocortisone group died within 30 days. In subgroup analyses of patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy, the CCI score was a mean of 10.3 points lower (mean [SD], 16.03 [11.94] vs 26.28 [21.76]; 2-sided 95% CI, -19.34 to -2.12; P = .03) and postoperative pancreatic fistula rate was lower (37% vs 67%; P = .02) in the pasireotide group compared with the hydrocortisone group. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, hydrocortisone was not noninferior compared with pasireotide in patients undergoing partial pancreatectomy. Pasireotide may be more effective than hydrocortisone in patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy.Peer reviewe

Haimasyövän ennuste paranee : Aiempaa useampi haimasyöpä on leikattavissa

Teema : maksa- , haima- ja sappitiekirurgi

Haimasyövän nykyhoito

VertaisarvioituToteamishetkellä vain 10–20 % haimasyövistä voidaan hoitaa radikaalileikkauksella. Ennustetta pyritään parantamaan kehittämällä varhaisdiagnostiikkaa ja keskittämällä leikkaushoitoa. Jopa puolet leikkauspotilaista saa komplikaatioita, mutta suuri osa on hoidettavissa ilman uusintaleikkausta. Leikkauskuolleisuus on alle 4 %. Leikkausta edeltävän solunsalpaajahoidon käyttö on lisääntynyt. Prospektiivisten tutkimusten tuloksia odotetaan.Peer reviewe

Prediction and consequences of postoperative pancreatitis after pancreaticoduodenectomy

In this retrospective cohort study, 18 per cent of 508 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy had clinically relevant postoperative pancreatitis, which increased the overall morbidity of these patients. The available and validated fistula risk scores can also be used to predict the risk of postoperative pancreatitis. Background Recent studies have suggested postoperative acute pancreatitis (POAP) as a serious complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and have speculated on its possible role in the pathogenesis of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). This study aimed to assess the impact of POAP on post-PD outcomes and fistula risk score (FRS) performance in predicting POAP. Methods All PDs at Helsinki University Hospital between 2013 and 2020 were analysed. POAP was defined as a plasma amylase activity greater than the normal upper limit on postoperative day (POD) 1 and stratified as clinically relevant (CR)-POAP once C-reactive protein (CRP) reached or exceeded 180 mg/l, and non-CR-POAP once CRP was less than 180 mg/l on POD 2. The Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) was used to assess total postoperative morbidity. Different FRSs were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results Of the 508 patients included, POAP occurred in 202 (39.8 per cent) patients, of whom 91 (17.9 per cent) had CR-POAP. The incidence of CR-POPF was 12.6 per cent (64 patients). Patients with non-CR-POAP had a similar morbidity to patients with no POAP (median CCI score 24.2 versus 22.6; P = 0.142), while CCI score was significantly higher (37.2) in patients with CR-POAP (P < 0.001). CR-POAP was associated with increased rates of CR-POPF, delayed gastric emptying, haemorrhage, and bile leak, while non-CR-POAP was associated only with CR-POPF. Ninety-day mortality was 1.6 per cent, 0.9 per cent, and 3.3 per cent in patients with no-POAP, non-CR-POAP, and CR-POAP, respectively. Updated alternative FRS showed the best performance in predicting CR-POAP (area under the curve 0.834). Conclusion CR-POAP was associated with a higher CCI score, suggesting CR-POAP as a distinct entity from non-CR-POAP. FRSs can be used to assess the risk of CR-POAP.Peer reviewe

Minimally invasive versus open distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (DIPLOMA) : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Recently, the first randomized trials comparing minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy (MIDP) with open distal pancreatectomy (ODP) for non-malignant and malignant disease showed a 2-day reduction in time to functional recovery after MIDP. However, for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), concerns have been raised regarding the oncologic safety (i.e., radical resection, lymph node retrieval, and survival) of MIDP, as compared to ODP. Therefore, a randomized controlled trial comparing MIDP and ODP in PDAC regarding oncological safety is warranted. We hypothesize that the microscopically radical resection (R0) rate is non-inferior for MIDP, as compared to ODP. Methods/design: DIPLOMA is an international randomized controlled, patient- and pathologist-blinded, non-inferiority trial performed in 38 pancreatic centers in Europe and the USA. A total of 258 patients with an indication for elective distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy because of proven or highly suspected PDAC of the pancreatic body or tail will be randomly allocated to MIDP (laparoscopic or robot-assisted) or ODP in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome is the microscopically radical resection margin (R0, distance tumor to pancreatic transection and posterior margin >= 1 mm), which is assessed using a standardized histopathology assessment protocol. The sample size is calculated with the following assumptions: 5% one-sided significance level (alpha), 80% power (1-beta), expected R0 rate in the open group of 58%, expected R0 resection rate in the minimally invasive group of 67%, and a non-inferiority margin of 7%. Secondary outcomes include time to functional recovery, operative outcomes (e.g., blood loss, operative time, and conversion to open surgery), other histopathology findings (e.g., lymph node retrieval, perineural- and lymphovascular invasion), postoperative outcomes (e.g., clinically relevant complications, hospital stay, and administration of adjuvant treatment), time and site of disease recurrence, survival, quality of life, and costs. Follow-up will be performed at the outpatient clinic after 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months postoperatively. Discussion: The DIPLOMA trial is designed to investigate the non-inferiority of MIDP versus ODP regarding the microscopically radical resection rate of PDAC in an international setting.Peer reviewe

Gut microbiota of patients with different subtypes of gastric cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Background Gastric adenocarcinoma is associated with H. pylori infection and inflammation that can result in the dysbiosis of gastric microbiota. The association of intestinal microbiota with gastric adenocarcinoma subtypes or with gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is however not well known. Therefore, we performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing on DNA isolated from stool samples of Finnish patients and controls to study differences in microbiota among different histological subtypes of gastric adenocarcinoma, gastric GIST and healthy controls. Results We found that gut microbiota alpha diversity was lowest in diffuse adenocarcinoma patients, followed by intestinal type and GIST patients, although the differences were not significant compared to controls. Beta-diversity analysis however showed significant differences in microbiota composition for all subtypes compared to controls. Significantly higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was observed in both adenocarcinoma subtypes, whereas lower abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae was seen only in diffuse adenocarcinoma and of Oscillibacter in intestinal adenocarcinoma. Both GIST and adenocarcinoma patients had higher abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and lower abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Oscillibacter while lower abundance of Lachnoclostridium, Bifidobacterium, Parabacteroides and Barnesiella was seen only in the adenocarcinoma patients. Conclusions Our analysis shows association of higher Enterobacteriaceae abundance with all types of gastric tumors. Therefore it could be potentially useful as a marker of gastric malignancies. Lower gut microbiota diversity might be indicative of poorly differentiated, invasive, advanced or aggressive tumors and could possibly be a prognostic marker for gastric tumors.Peer reviewe

Oncogenomic Changes in Pancreatic Cancer and Their Detection in Stool

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis. To improve patient survival, the development of screening methods for early diagnosis is pivotal. Oncogenomic alterations present in tumor tissue are a suitable target for non-invasive screening efforts, as they can be detected in tumor-derived cells, cell-free nucleic acids, and extracellular vesicles, which are present in several body fluids. Since stool is an easily accessible source, which enables convenient and cost-effective sampling, it could be utilized for the screening of these traces. Herein, we explore the various oncogenomic changes that have been detected in PC tissue, such as chromosomal aberrations, mutations in driver genes, epigenetic alterations, and differentially expressed non-coding RNA. In addition, we briefly look into the role of altered gut microbiota in PC and their possible associations with oncogenomic changes. We also review the findings of genomic alterations in stool of PC patients, and the potentials and challenges of their future use for the development of stool screening tools, including the possible combination of genomic and microbiota markers.Peer reviewe