Bridging therapies for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma awaiting liver transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis on intention-to-treat outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Locoregional therapies are commonly used as bridging strategies to decrease the drop-out of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) awaiting liver transplantation (LT). The present paper aims to assess the outcomes of bridging therapies in patients with HCC considered for LT according to an intention-to-treat (ITT) survival analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medline and Web of Science databases were searched for reports published before May 2021. Papers assessing adult patients with HCC considered for LT and reporting ITT survival outcomes were included. Two reviewers independently identified, extracted the data, and evaluated the papers according to Newcastle-Ottawa criteria. Outcomes analyzed were: drop-out rate; time on the waiting list; 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival after LT and based on an ITT analysis. RESULTS: The search identified 3106 records; six papers (1043 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Patients with HCC, listed for LT and submitted to bridging therapies presented a longer waiting time before LT (MD 3.77, 95% CI 2.07-5.48) in comparison with the non-interventional group. However, they presented a raised post LT after 1-year (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.18-3.41), 3-years (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.01-2.15), and 5-years (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.06-2.13) survival. CONCLUSION: Patients submitted to bridging procedures, despite having a longer interval on the waiting list, presented better post-LT survival outcomes. Bridging therapies for selected patients at low risk of post-procedural complications and long expected intervals on the waiting list should be encouraged. However, further clinical trials should confirm the survival benefit of bridging therapies in patients with HCC listed for LT.

Downstaging Therapies for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Awaiting Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Intention-to-Treat Outcomes.

Background: Locoregional therapies (LRTs) are commonly used to increase the number of potential candidates for liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this paper is to assess the outcomes of LRTs prior to LT in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) beyond the listing criteria. Methods: In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, we searched the Medline and Web of Science databases for reports published before May 2021. We included papers assessing adult patients with HCC considered for LT and reporting intention-to-treat (ITT) survival outcomes. Two reviewers independently identified and extracted the data and evaluated the papers. Outcomes analysed were drop-out rate; time on the waiting list; and 1, 3 and 5 year survival after LT and based on an ITT analysis. Results: The literature search yielded 3,106 records, of which 11 papers (1874 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Patients with HCC beyond the listing criteria and successfully downstaged presented a higher drop-out rate (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.45−2.88, p < 0.001) and a longer time from the initial assessment to LT than those with HCC within the listing criteria (MD 1.93, 95% CI 0.91−2.94, p < 0.001). The 1, 3 and 5 year survival post-LT and based on an ITT analysis did not show significant differences between the two groups. Patients with HCC beyond the listing criteria, successfully downstaged and then transplanted, presented longer 3 year (OR 3.77, 95% CI 1.26−11.32, p = 0.02) and 5 year overall survival (OS) (OR 3.08, 95% CI 1.15−8.23, p = 0.02) in comparison with those that were not submitted to LT. Conclusions: Patients with HCC beyond the listing criteria undergoing downstaging presented a higher drop-out rate in comparison with those with HCC within the listing criteria. However, the two groups did not present significant differences in 1, 3 and 5 year survival rates based on an ITT analysis. Patients with HCC beyond the listing, when successfully downstaged and transplanted, presented longer 3 and 5-year OS in comparison with those who were not transplanted.

The role of laparoscopy in pancreatic surgery.

Carcinoma of the pancreas is extremely common, with a five-year mortality rate of about 95-99%. Radical surgery requires good technical skill and can cause complications and operative mortality, but should be avoided in patients with extrapancreatic involvement. Advances in dynamic spiral CT-scan have decreased the number of unnecessary laparotomies. VLS is indicated in cases of pancreatic mass deemed resectable or "doubtful" by CT-scan. Direct laparoscopic visualization can be combined with intraoperative laparoscopic ultrasonography (LUS), which has shown a positive predictive value of resectability of 91%. Laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) shows a high rate of complications and should be performed by very well-trained surgeons. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) with an "en bloc" splenectomy and spleen preservation should be performed.

Surgical treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma: a retrospective study.

A retrospective study was carried out to assessed reliability of the prognostic factors (histology, age, sex, and stage), and standard procedures for the surgical treatment of differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC). From the 144 DTC cases reviewed with follow-up ranging from 1 to 25 years (m = 6.33 years), total mortality for cancer was found to be 55% (8 patients), with a predictive positive value for recurrence of 95.4% and 91.8% at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Median survival was 8.8 years (range 1 to 25 years). The multivariate analysis showed that factors such as age > 45 years, histology of intermediate malignancy, size up to 1.5 cm, and presence of metastases, significantly worsened the prognosis, regardless of the intervention that was carried out. We suggest total thyroidectomy for the treatment of benign pathologies and confirmed or suspected cases of cancer. We reserve loboisthmectomy for the treatment of benign pathologies confined to one lobe or those with FNAB suggesting a follicular neoplasm.

Efficacy of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in detecting common bile duct lithiasis: our experience.

It has been shown that magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) has a diagnostic accuracy comparable to that of ERCP. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRCP in patients with suspected choledocholithiasis, but with negative ultrasonography findings. Among 404 patients undergoing videolaparocholecystectomy for cholelithiasis, 48 with risk factors for coledocholithiasis were evaluated. All the patients with risk factors underwent preoperative hepatobiliary ultrasonography and MRCP. Patients were assigned to one of 2 main groups: A) patients with common bile duct stones at ultrasonography (15/48: 31%) and B) patients without evidence of common bile duct stones on ultrasonography (33/48: 69%), with B comprising two subgroups: B1) MRCP-positive for stones (7/33:21%) and B2) negative US and MRCP (26/33:79%). MRCP showed 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. The high sensitivity of MRCP allows us to recommend a greater use of the procedure with avoidance of unnecessary ERCP, which should be reserved for therapeutic purposes only.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the morbidly obese.

In the early days of video-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy (VLC), obesity was considered a contraindication for the procedure. We reviewed charts from 304 patients undergoing VLC; 90 patients were obese, and among these, according to a classification currently used by medical nutritionists and based on BMI, 45 were overweight (BMI > or = 25 < or = 29.9), 27 were considered conventionally obese (BMI > or = 30 and < 40) and 18 morbidly obese (BMI > or = 40). In this study we considered only the morbidly obese patients (5 males and 13 females). The average age was 42.3 years (range: 21-65) and the average weight 275 Ib (range: 186-331 Ib). Six patients had previously undergone abdominal surgery. All patients were symptomatic for gallstones, and 5 of them were suffering from acute cholecystitis. Mean operative time was 20 minutes (range: 10-45 minutes) longer than that of non-obese patients. No open conversion was necessary. No major postoperative morbidity and no cases of mortality occurred. The mean hospital stay and resumption of normal diet were similar to those of non-obese patients. Regardless of the higher postoperative risks after open cholecystectomy in obese patients (pulmonary complications, thromboembolism, wound infections and cardiovascular complications), we suggest VLC as the procedure of choice for cholecystectomy in these patients.