Approach to the Porta Hepatis During Cytoreductive Surgery: Technical Considerations.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis has until recently been considered uniformly fatal; it results in intestinal obstructions, eventually leading progression of disease and death. Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy have become important options for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. Completeness of cytoreduction is a major determinant of survival. Frequently, the porta hepatis and the lesser sac are massively involved by tumor. Encasement of portal triad, lesser omentum, retrohepatic vena cava, duodenum, and stomach is frequently seen. The proximity to major portal structures as well as the retrohepatic vena cava makes this dissection challenging. This is the area where meticulous surgical technique and expertise are necessary to obtain complete removal of tumor. Some specific technical considerations are important to assure that all tumor is safely removed.

[No-touch pancreatectomy and radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy: a systematic review]. / Beskontaktnaia tekhnika pankreatoduodenal'noi rezektsii i radikal'naia antegradnaia modul'naia distal'naia rezektsiia podzheludochnoi zhelezy: sistematicheskii obzor.

AIM: To summarize the data of 'no-touch isolation technique' (NIT) for pancreatoduodenectomy and radical antegrade modular pancreato-splenectomy (RAMPS) for pancreatic malignancies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We looked through Pubmed and Cochrane databases for scientific papers published from January 2000 until September 2014. RESULTS: Eight studies were included. There were 7 retrospective cohort studies and one randomized controlled trial (RCT). Mean operation time and blood loss were 267 min (198-386 min) and 132 ml (331-744 ml) respectively. Mean morbidity rate was 35% (17-58%). There was no 30-day mortality. Mean incidence of R0-resection varied from 50% to 97% with average value 84%. Median survival was reported in 3 studies (17, 18 and 26 months). Five-year actuarial overall survival was reported in 4 studies (31, 36, 40 and 53%). CONCLUSION: Positive results of NIT and RAMPS might justify further evaluation of the method in pancreatic cancer. Prospective randomized controlled trials needs to be done to demonstrate the oncological value of this novel surgical technique.

Systemic chemotherapy (SC) before cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) in patients with peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis of appendiceal origin (PMCA).

BACKGROUND: The role of SC before CRS/HIPEC for patients with PMCA is unclear. This study explores the effect of SC prior to CRS/HIPEC on overall survival (OS) in patients with PMCA. METHODS: 72 patients with recently diagnosed PMCA who underwent CRS/HIPEC were identified from a prospective database. Thirty patients had SC before CRS/HIPEC (Group 1) and 42 did not (Group 2). Patients who were referred to our center after multiple lines of SC were excluded from this analysis. OS was estimated. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 3.2 years. Groups were similar regarding lymph node positivity, postoperative SC and rate of complete cytoreduction. Twenty-four (80%) patients in Group 1 and 21 (50%) in Group 2 had high grade histology (HG) (p = 0.01). OS from CRS/HIPEC at 1, 2, and 3 years was 93, 68, 51% in Group 1 and 82, 64, 60% in Group 2, respectively (p = 0.74). Among HG patients 3-year survival was 36% in the SC group vs. 35% in the group without SC (p = 0.67). The 3-year OS for patients with low grade (LG) tumors was 100% in the SC group vs. 79% in the group with no prior SC (p = 0.26). Among patients with signet ring cell (SRC) histology, 1, 2 and 3-year survival was 94, 67 and 22% in the SC group vs. 43, 14, 14% in the group with no SC, respectively (p = 0.028). There were only 6 patients with LG PMCA who received prior SC. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative SC could improve the prognosis of patients with high-grade PMCA with SRC histology.

Extensive surgical history prior to cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is associated with poor survival outcomes in patients with peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis of appendiceal origin.

BACKGROUND: Patients with PMCA commonly undergo surgery before CRS/HIPEC. We evaluated the role of extensive surgical treatment before CRS/HIPEC in terms of overall survival (OS). METHODS: 105 patients with PMCA who underwent a CRS/HIPEC procedure were identified from a prospective database. Patients were divided into two groups based on Prior Surgery Score (PSS): PSS ≤ 1 limited surgery group (LSG), PSS >1 extensive surgery group (ESG). Survival of lymph node (LN) negative and positive patients was analyzed separately. RESULTS: 40 patients were in LSG and 65 in ESG. Mean time from diagnosis to CRS/HIPEC was 6 and 17 months for LSG and ESG, respectively (p = 0.004). Groups were well balanced in peritoneal cancer index, complete cytoreduction rate, and LN status. One, 3, and 5-year OS among LN negative patients was 95, 83, and 75% for the LSG (n = 22) group and 87, 55, and 32% for the ESG (n = 35), group respectively (p = 0.026). One, 3, and 5-year OS among LN positive patients was 69, 50, and 17% for the LSG (n = 18) group and 80, 21, and 14% for the ESG (n = 30), group respectively (p = 0.613). For all patients 1, 3, and 5-year OS was 84, 65, and 54% for the LSG (n = 40) group and 86, 43, and 26% for the ESG (n = 65) group, respectively (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Extensive surgical treatment before CRS/HIPEC is associated with delay of CRS/HIPEC and poorer OS overall, especially among LN negative patients. We recommend early referral of PMCA patients to a peritoneal surface malignancy center.