Impact of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on pancreatic cancer services and treatment pathways: United Kingdom experience.

INTRODUCTION: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic presented healthcare providers with an extreme challenge to provide cancer services. The impact upon the diagnostic and treatment capacity to treat pancreatic cancer is unclear. This study aimed to identify national variation in treatment pathways during the pandemic. METHODS: A survey was distributed to all United Kingdom pancreatic specialist centres, to assess diagnostic, therapeutic and interventional services availability, and alterations in treatment pathways. A repeating methodology enabled assessment over time as the pandemic evolved. RESULTS: Responses were received from all 29 centres. Over the first six weeks of the pandemic, less than a quarter of centres had normal availability of diagnostic pathways and a fifth of centres had no capacity whatsoever to undertake surgery. As the pandemic progressed services have gradually improved though most centres remain constrained to some degree. One third of centres changed their standard resectable pathway from surgery-first to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Elderly patients, and those with COPD were less likely to be offered treatment during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the capacity of the NHS to provide diagnostic and staging investigations for pancreatic cancer. The impact of revised treatment pathways has yet to be realised.

Optimal perioperative care in peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma resection.

Surgical resection remains the only proven curative treatment for peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Despite recent advances in liver surgery techniques and perioperative care, resection for peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma remains associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Considerable variation in the perioperative management of these patients exists. Optimal perioperative management has the potential to deliver improved outcomes. This article seeks to summarize the evidence underpinning best practice in the perioperative care of patients undergoing resection of peri-hilar cholangiocarcinoma. The authors also seek to identify areas where research efforts and future clinical trials should be targeted.

Hepatectomy for octogenarians with colorectal liver metastasis in the era of enhanced recovery.

BACKGROUND: Concern exists regarding the use of hepatectomy to treat colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) in octogenarians due to prior studies suggesting elevated morbidity and mortality. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) within pre-operative assessment and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) have both been shown to be associated with low morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing hepatectomy. This study sought to compare the outcomes of octogenarians with patients aged 70-79 undergoing hepatectomy for CRLM, within a center utilizing both CPET and ERAS. METHODS: Consecutive patients age 70 or older who underwent hepatectomy for CRLM at Aintree University Hospital (Liverpool,UK), between May 2008 and May 2015 were identified from a prospectively maintained cancer database. Data were extracted and comparisons drawn. RESULTS: 127 patients aged 70-79 years and 34 octogenarians underwent respectively 137 and 35 hepatectomy for CRLM. There was no difference in hospital stay (6 days), morbidity and mortality between the groups. OS at 1, 3 and 5 years were 86.7%, 55% and 35.8% for those aged 70-79 compared to 79.4%, 37.3% and 20.4% for the octogenarians (p=0.127). DFS at 1,3 and 5 years was 52.5%, 31.7% and 31.7% for 70-79 group compared to 46.2%, 31.5% and 16.8% for the octogenarians (p=0.838). On multivariate analysis major hepatectomy was associated with an increased risk of post-operative complications, inferior OS and DFS. Chronological age was not a predictor of postoperative complications, poorer OS or DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriately selected octogenarians can have similar postoperative outcomes to patients aged 70-79 when undergoing hepatectomy for CRLM using ERAS combined with CPET. This study advocates using CPET and ERAS in the selection and management of octogenarian patients with CRLM undergoing hepatectomy.

The risk of malignancy in ultrasound detected gallbladder polyps: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Gallbladder polyps (GBPs) are a common incidental finding on ultrasound (US) examination. The malignant potential of GBPs is debated, and there is limited guidance on surveillance. This systematic review sought to assess the natural history of ultrasonographically diagnosed GBPs and their malignant potential. METHODS: The keywords: "Gallbladder" AND ("polyp" OR "polypoid lesion") were used to conduct a search in four reference libraries to identify studies which examined the natural history of GBPs diagnosed by US. Twelve studies were eligible for inclusion in this review. RESULTS: Of the 5482 GBPs reported, malignant GBPs had an incidence of just 0.57%. True GBPs had an incidence of 0.60%. Sixty four patients of adenomatous and malignant polyps were reported. Only in one patient was a malignant GBP reported to be <6mm. Risk factors associated with increased risk of malignancy were GBP >6mm, single GBPs, symptomatic GBPs, age >60 years, Indian ethnicity, gallstones and cholecystitis. CONCLUSION: With the reported incidence of GBP malignancy at just 0.57%, a management approach based on risk assessment, clear surveillance planning, and multi disciplinary team (MDT) discussion should be adopted. The utilization of endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) should be Only considered on the grounds of its greater sensitivity and specificity when compared to US scans.

The role of hepatectomy in the management of metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer has a high mortality, with many patients presenting with advanced disease. Many patients who undergo curative gastrectomy will subsequently develop metastatic disease. Hepatectomy has an established place in treating metastases from a variety of cancers but its role in gastric cancer is not clear. This review sought to systematically appraise the literature to establish the role of hepatectomy in treating gastric cancer metastases. METHOD: Medline and EMBASE were searched for all papers publishing data on survival of patients with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent hepatectomy. RESULTS: Seventeen studies with 438 patients were included. There were no randomised controlled trials. Perioperative mortality was 2%, with morbidity between 17 and 60%. Patients with solitary metastases appeared to have better survival. Other favourable survival characteristics included unilobar disease, and metachronous presentation. No advantage was demonstrated with either adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy. DISCUSSION: Few patients with hepatic metastases from gastric cancer are suitable for hepatectomy, but for those suitable there appears to be survival benefit. Patients with synchronous, multiple or bilobar metastases have worse survival. CONCLUSION: The evidence supporting the role of hepatectomy in the treatment of hepatic metastases from gastric cancer is weak. However in a selected group there appears to be a survival advantage; patients with solitary metastases had better survival outcomes than those with multiple metastases and metachronous presentation was associated with a better prognosis than synchronous presentation. Hepatectomy should be considered in these patients in the setting of a randomised trial.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing before liver surgery.

BACKGROUND: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) assessed "poorer" fitness correlates with poorer outcomes in blinded studies. Whether this correlation will persist when CPET is utilized to stratify care as part of a multi-modal enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program is unclear. This study examined whether CPET variables were associated with postoperative morbidity in patients undergoing hepatectomy within an ERAS program. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: Data were prospectively collected on patients undergoing elective hepatectomy between October 2009 and April 2011. The relationships between CPET derived variables; postoperative complications and length of stay were investigated. RESULTS: Of 267 patients undergoing surgery, 197 had undergone standard cycle ergometer CPET. The relative oxygen uptake [VO2 (ml kg(-1) min(-1))] and ventilatory equivalent of CO2 (VE/VCO2) at the anaerobic threshold (AT) were not associated with complications or length of stay. Greater absolute oxygen uptake at AT [VO2 at AT (L min(-1) )] was associated with early hospital discharge [OR 2.16 (95% CI 1.18-3.96), P = 0.013] on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: When CPET is used to delineate perioperative management a low relative oxygen uptake [VO2 (ml kg(-1) min(-1) )] at the AT does not place patients at significantly higher risk of postoperative complications. This suggests CPET assessed "poor" fitness should not be used as a barrier to surgical intervention.

Enhanced recovery in the resection of colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence for the use of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in patients undergoing hepatectomy, and the impact of the evolution of ERAS over time has not been examined. This study sought to evaluate the effect of an evolving ERAS program in patients undergoing hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). METHODS: A multimodal ERAS program was introduced in 2/2008. Consecutive patients undergoing hepatectomy for CRLM between 2/2008 and 9/2012 were included in the study. Data were collected prospectively. Retrospective analysis compared an early ERAS cohort (2/2008-4/2010) with a later cohort with a matured ERAS program (5/2010-8/2012). RESULTS: Length of stay reduced as experience of ERAS increased (Log-rank χ(2) = 10.43, P = 0.001). Although median length of stay remained unchanged (6 days), the probability of hospitalization beyond 10 days was 25% in the early cohort compared with 7% in the later cohort. Critical care utilization reduced over time (75.5% vs. 54.7%, P < 0.0001). Complications occurred in 38.2%, with no difference in between cohorts. One postoperative death occurred in the early cohort (<0.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that as experience of ERAS evolves, there is a progressive reduction in hospitalization and critical care admission. This is without any increase in morbidity and mortality.

Optimal imaging sequence for staging in colorectal liver metastases: analysis of three hypothetical imaging strategies.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography CT (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) all play a role in the management of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), but inappropriate over investigation can lead to delays in treatment and additional cost. This study aimed to determine the optimal sequence for pre-operative imaging pathway to minimise delays to treatment and healthcare costs. METHODS: All patients with colorectal liver metastases referred to a single tertiary liver specialist multidisciplinary team (MDT) between 2008 and 2011 were examined. Primary data of clinical and radiological outcomes of all patients were analysed. These data were used to construct and test 3 hypothetical imaging strategies - 'Upfront', 'Sequential' and 'Hybrid' models. RESULTS: Six hundred and forty four consecutive patients were included. One hundred and sixty five patients were excluded for curative resection following the initial CT review. Subsequently 167/433 patients did not proceed to hepatectomies. Eighty (47.9%) of these patients had extra-hepatic disease identified on PET-CT, and 29 were due to the exclusion by MRI liver. A resectable pattern of liver disease on initial CT did not exclude patients with occult disease on PET-CT. Based on cost analysis, assessment of initial CT, followed by MDT with subsequent PET-CT and MRI imaging thereafter (Hybrid model), was associated with the shortest time-to-decision and lowest cost. CONCLUSIONS: Resectable pattern of liver metastases should not solely be used to determine the application of PET-CT for staging. Hybrid model is associated with the lowest cost and shortest time-to-treatment.

Metal stents: a bridge to surgery in hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive jaundice in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma is a known risk factor for hepatic failure after liver resection. Plastic stents are most widely used for preoperative drainage. However, plastic stents are known to have limited patency time and therefore, in palliative settings, the self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) is used. This type of stent has been shown to be superior because it allows for rapid biliary decompression and a reduced complication rate after insertion. This study explores the use of the SEMS for biliary decompression in patients with operable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of a prospectively maintained database at a tertiary hepatobiliary referral centre was carried out. All patients with resectable cholangiocarcinoma were recorded. RESULTS: Of 260 patients referred to this unit with cholangiocarcinoma between January 2008 and April 2012, 50 patients presented with operable cholangiocarcinoma and 27 of these had obstructive jaundice requiring stenting. Ten patients were initially treated with SEMSs; no stent failure occurred in these patients. Seventeen patients initially received plastic stents, seven of which failed in the interval between stent placement and laparotomy. These stents were replaced by SEMSs in four patients and by plastic stents in three patients. Median time to laparotomy was 45 days and 68 days in patients with SEMSs and plastic stents, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Self-expanding metal stents provide adequate and rapid biliary drainage in patients with obstruction caused by hilar cholangiocarcinoma. No re-interventions were required. This probably reflects the relatively short interval between stent placement and laparotomy.