A Preoperative Clinical Risk Score Including C-Reactive Protein Predicts Histological Tumor Characteristics and Patient Survival after Surgery for Sporadic Non-Functional Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: An International Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background: Oncological survival after resection of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (panNEN) is highly variable depending on various factors. Risk stratification with preoperatively available parameters could guide decision-making in multidisciplinary treatment concepts. C-reactive Protein (CRP) is linked to inferior survival in several malignancies. This study assesses CRP within a novel risk score predicting histology and outcome after surgery for sporadic non-functional panNENs. Methods: A retrospective multicenter study with national exploration and international validation. CRP and other factors associated with overall survival (OS) were evaluated by multivariable cox-regression to create a clinical risk score (CRS). Predictive values regarding OS, disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were assessed by time-dependent receiver-operating characteristics. Results: Overall, 364 patients were included. Median CRP was significantly higher in patients >60 years, G3, and large tumors. In multivariable analysis, CRP was the strongest preoperative factor for OS in both cohorts. In the combined cohort, CRP (cut-off ≥0.2mg/dL; hazard-ratio (HR):3.87), metastases (HR:2.80), and primary tumor size ≥3.0cm (HR:1.83) showed a significant association with OS. A CRS incorporating these variables was associated with postoperative histological grading, T category, nodal positivity, and 90-day morbidity/mortality. Time-dependent area-under-the-curve at 60 months for OS, DSS, and RFS was 69%, 77%, and 67%, respectively (all p < 0.001), and the inclusion of grading further improved the predictive potential (75%, 84%, and 78%, respectively). Conclusions: CRP is a significant marker of unfavorable oncological characteristics in panNENs. The proposed internationally validated CRS predicts histological features and patient survival.

Exploring the surgical landscape of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasia in Austria: Results from the ASSO pNEN study group.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasia (pNEN) show increasing incidence and management is complex due to biological heterogeneity. Most publications report isolated high-volume single-centre data. This Austrian multi-centre study on surgical management of pNENs provides a comprehensive real-life picture of quality indicators, recurrence-patterns, survival factors and systemic treatments. METHODS: Retrospective, national cohort-study from 7 medium-/high-volume centres in Austria, coordinated under the auspices of the Austrian Society of Surgical Oncology (ASSO). RESULTS: Two-hundred patients underwent resection for pNEN, 177 had non-functioning tumours and 31 showed stage 4 disease. Participating centres were responsible for 2/3 of pNEN resections in Austria within the last years. The mean rate of completeness of variables was 98.6%. Ninety-days mortality was 3.5%, overall rate of complications was 42.5%. Morbidity did not influence long-term survival. The 5-year overall-survival (OS) was 81.3%, 10-year-OS 52.5% and 5-year recurrence-free-survival (RFS) 69.8%. Recurrence was most common in the liver (68.1%). Four out of five patients with recurrence underwent further treatment, most commonly with medical therapy or chemotherapy. Multivariable analysis revealed grading (HR:2.7) and metastasis (HR:2.5) as significant factors for relapse. Tumours-size ≥2 cm (HR:5.9), age ≥60 years (HR:3.1), metastasis (HR:2.3) and grading (HR:2.0) were associated with OS. Tumours <2 cm showed 93.9% 10-year-OS, but 33% had G2/G3 grading, 12.5% positive lymph-nodes and 4.7% metastasis at diagnosis, each associated with significant worse survival. CONCLUSION: Resection of pNENs in Austria is performed with internationally comparable safety. Analysed factors allow for risk-stratification in clinical treatment and future prospective trials. A watch-and-wait strategy purely based on tumour-size cannot be recommended.

Sacral nerve stimulation in patients after rectal resection--preliminary report.

INTRODUCTION: Sacral nerve stimulation is a widely accepted therapeutic option for neurogenic fecal incontinence. More recently, case reports showed a positive effect of sacral nerve stimulation in patients with fecal incontinence following low anterior resection. The purpose of this study was to gain more information for this selected indication for sacral nerve stimulation through a nationwide survey. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the period 2002 to 2005, three Austrian departments reported data of patients who underwent SNS for fecal incontinence following rectal resection. Data were available of seven patients (two female, five male) with a median age of 57 years (min 42; max 79). Six patients had undergone rectal resection as a treatment for low rectal cancer. One patient had undergone rectal resection for Crohn's disease, one patient subtotal colectomy and ileorectostomy for slow colon transit constipation. RESULTS: Test stimulation was performed in the foramen S3 unilaterally over a median period of 14 days (2-21 days). Seven patients reported a marked reduction of episodes of incontinence during the observation period and received a permanent stimulation system. After a median follow-up of 32 months (17-46), five patients reported a marked improvement of their continence situation. CONCLUSION: Despite a nationwide survey experiences with SNS as a treatment for fecal incontinence following rectal resection is still limited. Our observations show an improvement of the continence function following SNS. However, the promising results of our series as well as others need further research and more clinical data by a larger number of patients in a prospective trial.