Importance of small fishes and invasive crayfish in otter Lutra lutra diet in an English chalk stream

The diet composition of the European otter Lutra lutra was assessed using spraint analysis in the Hampshire Avon, a lowland chalk stream in Southern England, over an 18 month period. Small cyprinid fishes were the main prey item taken in all seasons, with bullhead Cottus gobio and stone loach Barbatula barbatula also important; there were relatively few larger fishes of interest to fisheries found. There were significant seasonal differences in diet composition by season, with signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus only being prominent prey items in warmer months and amphibians in winter, revealing that non-fish resources were seasonally important dietary components. Reconstructed body lengths of prey revealed the only species present in diet >350 mm was pike Esox lucius. These dietary data thus provide important information for informing conservation conflicts between otters and fishery interest

Second primary neoplasms in patients with lung and gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms: data from a retrospective multi-centric study

Background: Patients with sporadic neuroendocrine neoplasms may exhibit a higher risk of a second primary tumor than the general population. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the occurrence of second primary malignancies. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 2757 patients with sporadic lung and gastro-entero-pancreatic neu- roendocrine neoplasms, managed at eight Italian tertiary referral Centers, was included. Results: Between 20 0 0 and 2019, a second primary malignancy was observed in 271 (9.8%) neuroen- docrine neoplasms patients with 32 developing a third tumor. There were 135 (49.8%) females and the median age was 64 years. The most frequent locations of the second tumors were breast (18.8%), prostate (12.5%), colon (9.6%), blood tumors (8.5%), and lung (7.7%). The second primary tumor was synchronous in 19.2% of cases, metachronous in 43.2%, and previous in 37.6%. As concerned the neuroendocrine neo- plasms, the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 87.8% and 74.4%, respectively. PFS for patients with a second primary malignancy was shorter than for patients without a second primary malignancy. Death was mainly related to neuroendocrine neoplasms. Conclusion: In NEN patients the prevalence of second primary malignancies was not negligible, suggest- ing a possible neoplastic susceptibility. Overall survival was not affected by the occurrence of a second primary malignancy

Management of Asymptomatic Sporadic Nonfunctioning Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (ASPEN) ≤2 cm: Study Protocol for a Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: The optimal treatment for small, asymptomatic, nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NF-PanNEN) is still controversial. European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) guidelines recommend a watchful strategy for asymptomatic NF-PanNEN <2 cm of diameter. Several retrospective series demonstrated that a non-operative management is safe and feasible, but no prospective studies are available. Aim of the ASPEN study is to evaluate the optimal management of asymptomatic NF-PanNEN ≤2 cm comparing active surveillance and surgery. Methods: ASPEN is a prospective international observational multicentric cohort study supported by ENETS. The study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with the identification code NCT03084770. Based on the incidence of NF-PanNEN the number of expected patients to be enrolled in the ASPEN study is 1,000 during the study period (2017–2022). Primary endpoint is disease/progression-free survival, defined as the time from study enrolment to the first evidence of progression (active surveillance group) or recurrence of disease (surgery group) or death from disease. Inclusion criteria are: age >18 years, the presence of asymptomatic sporadic NF-PanNEN ≤2 cm proven by a positive fine-needle aspiration (FNA) or by the presence of a measurable nodule on high-quality imaging techniques that is positive at 68Gallium DOTATOC-PET scan. Conclusion: The ASPEN study is designed to investigate if an active surveillance of asymptomatic NF-PanNEN ≤2 cm is safe as compared to surgical approach. © Copyright © 2020 Partelli, Ramage, Massironi, Zerbi, Kim, Niccoli, Panzuto, Landoni, Tomazic, Ibrahim, Kaltsas, Bertani, Sauvanet, Segelov, Caplin, Coppa, Armstrong, Weickert, Butturini, Staettner, Boesch, Cives, Moulton, He, Selberherr, Twito, Castaldi, De Angelis, Gaujoux, Almeamar, Frilling, Vigia, Wilson, Muffatti, Srirajaskanthan, Invernizzi, Lania, Kwon, Ewald, Rinzivillo, Nessi, Smid, Gardini, Tsoli, Picardi, Hentic, Croagh, Toumpanakis, Citterio, Ramsey, Mosterman, Regi, Gasteiger, Rossi, Smiroldo, Jang and Falconi