Predicting Limited Survival After Resection of Synchronous Colorectal Liver Metastases: a Propensity Score Matched Comparison Between The Primary First And The Simultaneous Strategy.

BACKGROUND: The best surgical approach to treat synchronous colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) remains unclear. Here, we aimed to identify prognostic factors associated with limited survival comparing patients undergoing primary-first resection (PF) and simultaneous resection (SR) approaches. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data of 217 patients who underwent resection for synchronous CRLMs between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2021. There were 133 (61.2%) PF resection and 84 (38.8%) SRS. The two groups of patients were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis and cox analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). RESULTS: After PSM, two groups of 71 patients were compared. Patients undergoing SR had longer operative time (324 ± 104 min vs 250 ± 101 min; p < 0.0001), similar transfusion (33.3% vs 28.1%; p = 0.57), and similar complication rates (35.9% vs 27.2%; p = 0.34) than patients undergoing PF. The median overall survival and 5-year survival rates were comparable (p = 0.94) between patients undergoing PF (48.2 months and 44%) and patients undergoing SR (45.9 months and 30%). Multivariate Cox analysis identified pre-resection elevated CEA levels (HR: 2.38; 95% CI: 1.20-4.70; P = .01), left colonic tumors (HR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.17-0.68; P = .002), and adjuvant treatment (HR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.22-0.83; P = .01) as independent prognostic factors for OS. CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of synchronous CRLM, right colonic tumors, persistent high CEA levels before surgery, and the absence of adjuvant treatment identified patients characterized by a limited survival rate after resection. The approach used (PF vs SR) does not influence short and long-term outcomes.

Upper Transversal Hepatectomy with Two Hepatic Veins Reconstruction: Combining Parenchymal-Sparing Liver Surgery with Transplantation Techniques for Colorectal Liver Metastases.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) involving two or three main hepatic veins pose a surgical challenge. For these lesions, compelled surgical strategies have usually included major and/or extended liver resections according to the two-stage hepatectomy (TSH) strategy. More recently, a one-stage transversal hepatectomy resecting the posterosuperior liver segment (7,8,4 superior) along with one or more hepatic veins has been described, such as showed herein in a didactical video. METHODS: The patient is a 78-year-old woman with two large CRLMs located into segment 2 and into segment 8. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography showed tumour stability after chemotherapy. The lesion of segment 2 is close to the left hepatic vein while the lesion of segment 8 infiltrates the middle (MHV) and the right hepatic veins (RHV). RESULTS: Under intermittent pedicular clamping, resection of the segment 7, 8, 4 superior along with the right and middle hepatic veins is performed. Reconstruction of the veins was performed with 2 cryopreserved autologous saphenous grafts. Postoperative course was uneventful and postoperative CT scan showed patency of the two venous graft reconstructions. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for CRLM has evolved over the last two decades shifting from large anatomical resections to parenchymal-sparing resections. Sparing liver parenchyma allows surgical radicality while reducing the risk of liver failure and allowing repeated liver resection. Associating vascular reconstruction to parenchymal-sparing surgery reduces the risk of venous congestion of the spared liver parenchyma.

Evaluation of a Whole Health-Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum for Physician Assistant Students: a Mixed Methods Analysis.

There is increased urgency to train healthcare professionals in lifestyle medicine (LM) to mitigate the impact of lifestyle factors on chronic disease (Trilk et al. in Am J Prevent Medic. 2019:e169-e75, 2019; Polak et al. in Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015;9:361-7, 2015). This training addresses physical activity, nutrition, stress management, sleep hygiene, relationships, tobacco cessation (Lifestyle medicine in ACLM Home, 2020), and self-care. Several studies have evaluated the impact of this training on physician assistant (PA) students (Keyes and Gardner in Clin Teach. 2020, 2020; Phillips et al. Med Sci Educ. 1-5). The current paper extends previous quantitative findings from Phillips et al., 2021, revealing positive qualitative changes in PA student language and approach to clinical vignettes after completion of a novel Whole Health/lifestyle medicine (WH-LM) curriculum.

A randomized controlled trial comparing four versus six courses of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer patients previously treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy plus radical surgery.

OBJECTIVES. The aim of this study was to compare 4 versus 6 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus radical surgery in terms of overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), recurrence rate and toxicity profile. METHODS. We randomly assigned 200 patients with IB2-IIB cervical cancer to receive 4 (Group A) or 6 (Group B) courses of cisplatin 100 mg/mq and paclitaxel 175 mg/mq every 21 days. RESULTS. At 4-years follow-up, the comparison of recurrence rate (p = 1; RR = 1.005; 95% CI = 0.87 to 1.161), OS (p = 0.906) and DFS (p = 0.825) did not show statistically significant differences between the two groups. Data analysis showed statistically significant differences between the two groups in term of episodes of leukopenia (p = 0.0072; RR = 1.513; 95% CI = 1.127-2.03), anemia (p = 0.048; RR = 1.188; CI = 1.012-1.395) and febrile neutropenia (p = 0.042; RR = 1.119; 95% CI = 1.014-1.235), in favor of Group A. As regards non-hematological toxicities, there were no statistically significant differences in terms of gastrointestinal symptoms (p = 0.49; RR = 1.046; CI = 0.948-1.153. On the contrary, there was a statistically significant difference regarding neurological symptoms (p=0.014; RR=1.208; CI=1.046-1.395), that were less frequent in Group A (13%) than in Group B (28%). CONCLUSIONS. Adjuvant treatment with 4 or 6 courses of platinum-based chemotherapy showed similar results in terms of OS and DSF, with a favorable toxicity profile in favor of the first regimen.