Survival and cancer recurrence after short-course perioperative probiotics in a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The long-term impact of perioperative probiotics remains understudied while mounting evidence links microbiome and oncogenesis. Therefore, we analyzed overall survival and cancer recurrence among patients enrolled in a randomized trial of perioperative probiotics. METHODS: 6-year follow-up of surgical patients participating in a randomized trial evaluating short-course perioperative oral probiotic VSL#3 (n = 57) or placebo (n = 63). RESULTS: Study groups did not differ in age, preoperative hemoglobin, ASA status, and Charlson comorbidity index. There was a significant difference in preoperative serum albumin (placebo group 4.0 ± 0.1 vs. 3.7 ± 0.1 g/dL in the probiotic group, p = 0.030). Thirty-seven deaths (30.8 %) have occurred during a median follow-up of 6.2 years. Overall survival stratified on preoperative serum albumin and surgical specialty was similar between groups (p = 0.691). Age (aHR = 1.081, p = 0.001), serum albumin (aHR = 0.162, p = 0.001), and surgical specialty (aHR = 0.304, p < 0.001) were the only predictors of overall survival in the multivariate model, while the placebo/probiotic group (aHR = 0.808, p = 0.726) was not predictive. The progression rate among cancer patients was similar in the probiotic group (30.3 %, 10/33) compared to the placebo group (21.2 %, 7/33; p = 0.398). The progression-free survival was not significantly different (unstratified p = 0.270, stratified p = 0.317). CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative short-course use of VSL#3 probiotics does not influence overall or progression-free survival after complex surgery for visceral malignancy.

The Future of Interventions for Stage IV Colorectal Cancers.

Future options for the management of stage IV colorectal cancer are primarily focused on personalized and directed therapies. Interventions include precision cancer medicine, utilizing nanocarrier platforms for directed chemotherapy, palliative pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC), adjunctive oncolytic virotherapy, and radioembolization techniques. Comprehensive genetic profiling provides specific tumor-directed therapy based on individual genetics. Biomimetic magnetic nanoparticles as chemotherapy delivery systems may reduce systemic side effects of traditional chemotherapy by targeting tumor cells and sparing healthy cells. PIPAC is a newly emerging option for patients with peritoneal metastasis from colorectal cancer and is now being used internationally, showing promising results as a palliative therapy for colorectal cancer. Oncolytic virotherapy is another emerging potential treatment option, especially when combined with standard chemotherapy and/or radiation, as well as immunotherapy. And finally, radioembolization with yttrium-90 ( 90 Y) microspheres has shown some success in treating patients with unresectable liver metastasis from colorectal cancer via selective arterial injection.

Impact of Medicaid Expansion on the Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcomes of Stage II and III Rectal Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Insurance status has been associated with disparities in stage at cancer diagnosis. We examined how Medicaid expansion (ME) impacted diagnoses, surgical treatment, use of neoadjuvant therapies (NCRT), and outcomes for Stage II and III rectal cancer. STUDY DESIGN: We used 2010-2017 American College of Surgeons National Cancer Database (NCDB) to identify patients ages 18-65, with Medicaid as primary form of payment, and were diagnosed with Stage II or III rectal cancer. Patients were stratified based on Census bureau division's ME adoption rates of High, Medium, Low. Overall trends were examined, and patient characteristics and outcomes were compared before and after ME date of 1/1/2014. RESULTS: Over 8 years of NCDB data examined, there was an increasing trend of Stage II and III rectal cancer diagnoses, surgical resection, and use of NCRT for Medicaid patients. We observed an increase in age, proportion of White Medicaid patients in Low ME divisions, and proportion of fourth income quartile patients in High ME divisions. Univariate analysis showed decreased use of open surgery for all 3 categories after ME, but adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were not significant based on multivariate analysis. NCRT utilization increased after ME for all 3 ME adoption categories and aOR significantly increased for Low and High ME divisions. ME significantly decreased 90-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid expansion had important impacts on increasing Stage II and III rectal cancer diagnoses, use of NCRT, and decreased 90-day mortality for patients with Medicaid. Our study supports increasing health insurance coverage to improve Medicaid patient outcomes in rectal cancer care.

Analysis of Patterns of Compliance with Accreditation Standards of National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: We identified commonly deficient standards across rectal cancer programs that underwent accreditation review by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer to evaluate for patterns of noncompliance. STUDY DESIGN: With the use of the internal database of the American College of Surgeons, programs that underwent accreditation review from 2018 to 2020 were evaluated. The occurrence and frequency of noncompliance with the standards, using the 2017 standards manual, were evaluated. Programs were further stratified based on the year of review, annual rectal cancer volume, and Commission on Cancer classification. RESULTS: A total of 25 programs with annual rectal cancer volume from 14 to more than 200 cases per year underwent accreditation review. Only 2 programs achieved 100% compliance with all standards. Compliance with standards ranged from 48% to 100%. The 2 standards with the lowest level of compliance included standard 2.5 and standard 2.11 that require all patients with rectal cancer to be discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting before the initiation of definitive treatment and within 4 weeks after definitive surgical therapy, respectively. Patterns of noncompliance persisted when programs were stratified on the basis oof the year of survey, annual rectal cancer volume, and Commission on Cancer classification. The corrective action process allowed all programs to ultimately become successfully accredited. CONCLUSION: During this initial phase of the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer accreditation, the majority of programs undergoing review did not achieve 100% compliance and went through a corrective action process. Although the minimal multidisciplinary team meeting attendance requirements were simplified in the 2021 revised standards, noncompliance related to presentation of all patients at the multidisciplinary team meeting before and after definitive treatment highlights the need for programs seeking accreditation to implement optimized and standardized workflows to achieve compliance.

Signet ring cell carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract: National trends on treatment effects and prognostic outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a distinct malignancy occurring across the tubular gastrointestinal tract (tGIT). We comprehensively examined the outcomes of patients diagnosed with SRCC across tGIT. METHODS: SRCC and not-otherwise-specified adenocarcinoma (NOS) patients reported to the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2015 were included. Baseline characteristics, outcomes and site-specific adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) derived from Cox models of SRCC patients were compared to those of NOS patients. Overall survival (OS) was primary endpoint. RESULTS: A total of 41,686 SRCC (4.6%) and 871,373 NOS patients (95.4%) were included. SRCC patients were younger (63.1 ± 14.7 vs. 67.0 ± 13.4 y, p < 0.001) and more likely to present with Stage IV disease than NOS patients (42.5% vs. 24.5%, p < 0.001). Stomach (n = 24,433) and colon (n = 9,914) contributed highest frequency of SRCC. SRCC histology was associated with shorter OS (aHR = 1.377, p < 0.001) in multivariate model. There was an interaction between SRCC and chemotherapy effects on risk of death (interaction aHR = 1.072, pinteraction< 0.001) and between SRCC histology and disease site, suggesting that the effect of SRCC on OS is site-dependent, with a higher increased risk of death in patients with rectal SRCC (aHR = 2.378, pinteraction< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Significant negative prognostic effect associated with SRCC is site-dependent across the GIT. Surgical and or systemic therapy was associated with improved OS among SRCC patients, but remained lower than NOS patients. Further understanding of gastrointestinal SRCC molecular profile is needed to better inform future treatment strategies.

Outcomes after CT guided drainage of diverticular abscesses and predictive factors for fistulous communication to the colon.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study is to analyze patient outcomes following CT guided drainage of colonic diverticular abscesses and identify the factors associated with development of fistulous communication to the drain. METHODS: All patients undergoing CT guided abscess drainage, from 2009 to 2017, were included in this single institutional study. Clinical and demographic variables associated with development of colonic fistula were investigated. RESULTS: One-hundred-and-five patients (55% female), mean abscess size and BMI of 6.3 cm and 30.28 kg/m2, respectively, underwent CT guided abscess drainage. Patients with fistula had longer operative times (p = 0.03). On multivariable analysis, females (p = 0.02) and higher BMI (p = 0.01) were protective against, while increasing size (p = 0.01) was predictive of developing fistulous communication to the drain. CONCLUSION: More than half of patients developed colonic fistula after CT guided drainage. Male sex, lower BMI and increasing abscess size were predictive of developing colonic fistula.

Cellular Immunoprofile of Peritoneal Environment During a HIPEC Procedure.

BACKGROUND: We characterized the peritoneal immune cellular profile during cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in this pilot study. METHODS: We prospectively performed flow cytometric analysis of peritoneal fluid collected at laparotomy and during HIPEC at 0, 30, 60, and 90 min. Analysis consisted of standard flow cytometric leukocyte gating and the use of antibodies for stem cells, B lymphocytes, T-helper, T-suppressor, and natural killer (NK) cells. RESULTS: The mean peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) score was 19.8 ± 11.5 (median 19). Twelve patients had a completeness of cytoreduction (CCR) score of 0-1, and three patients had a CCR score of ≥ 2 (20%). The proportion of peritoneal NK cells remained stable (p = 0.655) throughout perfusion. The CD4/CD8 ratio (p = 0.019) and granulocyte/lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.018) evolved during cytoreduction, with no further change during HIPEC. Two distinct temporal patterns of peritoneal T lymphocytes became evident (the 'high' and 'low' CD4/CD8 ratio groups) and patients maintained their high versus low peritoneal CD4/CD8 ratio status throughout the duration of HIPEC. High CD4/CD8 was associated with longer cytoreduction (p = 0.019) and borderline higher PCI score (p = 0.058). No association was identified with age (p = 0.131), sex (p = 1.000), CCR status (p = 0.580), occurrence of complication (p = 0.282), or ascites volume (p = 0.713). CONCLUSION: The cellular immunoprofile of peritoneal fluid during HIPEC is stable but changes during cytoreduction. Two distinct immune groups emerged, based on CD4/CD8 ratios in the peritoneal perfusate. Further studies are warranted to evaluate peritoneal immunity and the clinical significance of novel peritoneal immune phenotype.

Oncologic and surgical outcomes for gastric cancer patients undergoing gastrectomy differ by race in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Gastric adenocarcinoma lymph node retrieval during gastrectomy and survival differ significantly between Asian and Western studies. It is unclear whether such disparities are the result of surgical technique, patient population, or other factors. In this observational study, we aimed to determine whether lymph node retrieval and outcomes differ between White, Black, and Asian American patients undergoing gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 47,217 cases of gastric resection for gastric adenocarcinoma and its subtypes were identified in the National Cancer Data Base (2000-2015). Differences in demographics, lymph node retrieval, operative outcomes, and survival were compared by self-reported race (White, Black, and Asian). RESULTS: Asians had greater median lymph node retrieval (17) compared to White (15) and Black (16) patients, P < 0.001. Lymph node ratio was lowest in Asian (0.03) compared to White (0.05) and Black (0.09) patients, P < 0.001. Postoperative mortality was lowest in Asian patients on multivariable analysis (90-day mortality adjusted odds ratio of 0.54, P < 0.001). Median survival was not yet reached for Asian patients but was 39.5 months for White and 43.0 months for Black patients (P < 0.001). Differences in survival by race persisted on multivariable analysis (Asian adjusted hazard ratio was 0.64, 95% CI: 0.59-0.70, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Asian-American patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy have greater lymph node retrieval, decreased lymph node ratio, decreased postoperative mortality, and increased long-term survival compared to White or Black Americans. Data suggest factors other than surgical technique and oncologic care may be responsible for gastric adenocarcinoma outcome differences seen between Asian and Western studies.

Minimally invasive hepatectomy is associated with decreased morbidity and resource utilization in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether elderly patients undergoing elective hepatectomy experience increased morbidity/mortality and whether these outcomes could be mitigated by minimally invasive hepatectomy (MIH). METHODS: 15,612 patients from 2014 to 2017 were identified in the Hepatectomy Targeted Procedure Participant Use File of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to examine the effect of elderly status (age ≥ 75 years, N = 1769) on outcomes with a subgroup analysis of elderly only patients by open (OH) versus MIH (robotic, laparoscopic, and hybrid, N = 4044). Propensity score matching was conducted comparing the effect of MIH to OH in elderly patients to ensure that results are not the artifact of imbalance in baseline characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, elderly patients had increased risk for 30-day mortality, major morbidity, prolonged length of hospital stay, and discharge to destination other than home. In the elderly subgroup, MIH was associated with decreased major morbidity (OR 0.71, P = 0.031), invasive intervention (OR 0.61, P = 0.032), liver failure (OR 0.15, P = 0.011), bleeding (OR 0.46, P < 0.001), and prolonged length of stay (OR 0.46, P < 0.001). Propensity score-matched analyses successfully matched 4021 pairs of patients treated by MIH vs. OH, and logistic regression analyses on this matched sample found that MIH was associated with decreased major complications (OR 0.69, P = 0.023), liver failure (OR 0.14, P = 0.010), bile leak (OR 0.46, P = 0.009), bleeding requiring transfusion (OR 0.46, P < 0.001), prolonged length of stay (OR 0.46, P < 0.001), and discharge to destination other than home (OR 0.691, P = 0.035) compared to OH. CONCLUSION: MIH is associated with decreased risk of major morbidity, liver failure, bile leak, bleeding, prolonged length of stay, and discharge to destination other than home among elderly patients in this retrospective study. However, MIH in elderly patients does not protect against postoperative mortality.

Influence of prior appendectomy and cholecystectomy on Clostridioides difficile infection recurrence and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Remote appendectomy was linked to increased incidence of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). We evaluated the effect of absence of vermiform appendix and/or gallbladder on recurrence rate and severity of CDI. METHODS: We assessed a systemwide patient cohort diagnosed with initial CDI in 2014 (n = 250). The primary outcome was recurrence. RESULTS: Appendix and gallbladder were absent among 47 and 64 patients, respectively. CDI recurrence rate was similar among patients without and with appendix (24/47, 51.1% versus 90/203 patients, 44.3%; p = 0.404) and similar among patients without and with gallbladder (29/64 patients, 45.3% versus 85/186 patients, 45.7%; p = 0.957). Mortality was similar between appendectomy versus appendix in situ patients (3/47, 6.4% versus 9/203, 4.4%; p = 0.573), but higher mortality rate was seen among those without gallbladder (7/64 patients with prior cholecystectomy, 10.9% versus 5/186 patients with intact gallbladder, 2.7%; p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Clostridioides difficile recurrence rate is not affected by remote appendectomy or cholecystectomy. Patients with prior cholecystectomy experience higher mortality rates associated with their CDI.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of liposomal bupivacaine in colorectal resections.

Objective: The objective of the study was to systematically investigate the outcomes of Liposomal Bupivacaine following major colorectal resections. Patients and methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Medline, Google scholar, Cochrane Central Registry and clinical trials.gov databases through May 2017 for studies published regarding liposomal bupivacaine. Studies were filtered based on relevance to perioperative analgesia in colorectal resections. Data comparing type of study, techniques of resection, mode of administration of liposomal bupivacaine, details of control group, outcomes were collected. Results: A total of 1008 patients from seven studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The studies were mostly retrospective or prospective cohort studies with one randomized controlled trial (RCT). Meta-analysis showed that liposomal bupivacaine was associated with decreased length of stay, standard mean difference in days (SMD) - 0.34, (95% confidence intervals [CI] - 0.56, -0.13, p = .001) and decreased IV opioid use (expressed as intravenous morphine equivalent in milligrams) in the first 48-72 h, SMD -0.49 (95% CI -0.69, -0.28, p < .00001). Pain scores were also significantly low in patients who received liposomal bupivacaine, SMD -0.56 (95% CI -1.07, -0.06, p = .03]. There was no significant difference in hospitalization costs between the two groups. Conclusions: Use of liposomal bupivacaine is associated with decreased IV opioid use, length of stay and lower pain scores. However, our data needs to be interpreted cautiously given the relative paucity of randomized controlled trials.

Evaluation of Quality of Life and Surgical Outcomes for Treatment of Diverticular Disease.

The prevalence of diverticular disease in the Western and industrialized nations has increased over the last century, and our understanding of this disease and its management continues to evolve. In this article, we review the literature regarding the postoperative quality of life (QOL) and functional outcomes following surgical management of diverticulitis, including information regarding bowel function, recurrence of symptoms, and other postoperative sequelae. While objective parameters, such as attacks of diverticulitis, complications, and clinical episodes have been studied, there is a paucity of data on less objective factors, such as overall patient satisfaction after operative management of diverticular disease. The literature shows improvement in QOL following surgical intervention for diverticulitis if preoperative QOL was significantly low, secondary to severe/complicated diverticulitis. However, a subset of patients does continue to have symptoms following surgical intervention for diverticulitis. Often neglected in the literature, there remains a need for prospective data evaluating preoperative function to ascertain the impact of surgery on patients' QOL and postoperative function.

Retroperitoneal abscess after transanal minimally invasive surgery: case report and review of literature / Abscesso retroperitoneal após cirurgia de ressecção transanal minimamente invasiva: relato de caso clínico e revisão a literatura médica

ABSTRACT Abscesses are a rare complication of transanal minimally invasive surgery and transanal endoscopic micro surgery. Reported cases have been in the rectal and pre-sacral areas and have been managed with either antibiotics alone or in conjunction with laparotomy and diverting colostomy. We report a case of a large retroperitoneal abscess following a Transanal minimally invasive surgery full thickness rectal polyp excision. The patient was successfully managed conservatively with antibiotics and a percutaneous drain. Retroperitoneal infection should be included in a differential diagnosis following a Transanal minimally invasive surgery procedure as the presentation can be insidious and timely intervention is needed to prevent further morbidity.

RESUMO Os abscessos são uma complicação rara da cirurgia de ressecção transanal minimamente invasiva (TAMIS) e da micro cirurgia endoscópica transanal (TEMS). Os casos notificados foram nas áreas rectal e pré-sacral e foram administrados com antibióticos isoladamente ou em conjunto com laparotomia e desvio de colostomia. Relatamos um caso de grande abscesso retroperitoneal após uma excisão de pólipo retal de espessura total TAMIS. O paciente foi tratado com sucesso com a administração de antibióticos e drenagem percutânea. Para prevenir mais morbidade é necessária incluir a infecção retroperitoneal no diagnostico diferencial após um procedimento TAMIS onde a apresentação pode ser insidiosa e a intervenção atempada.