Prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with midgut neuroendocrine tumors undergoing resective surgery.

AIM: Several studies demonstrated the prognostic value of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and platelet-to-white blood cells ratio (PWR) in different types of tumors. However, there is no information about a possible role of NLR, PLR and PWR as predictor of presence of metastasis or multifocal disease in patients undergoing surgery with curative intent for midgut NET. The aim of our study was to test the role of preoperative NLR, PLR and PWR as predictors of patients undergoing surgery with curative intent for midgut NET. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled seven foregut, 35 midgut and six hindgut NET patients with gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors operated in our Units from January 2005 to June 2016. Details about preoperative laboratory data, surgical operation, histology and follow-up were retrieved. Non-parametric statistics, ROC curve analysis and survival analysis were used. RESULTS: NLR was significantly higher in patients with distant metastasis (p = 0.04). The ROC curve analysis indicated that a threshold value of NLR of 2.6 predicted the presence of peritoneal metastasis with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 71% and an overall accuracy of AUC = 0.81 (95%CI: 0.59-0.94), p = 0.05. PLR and PWR was not be associated to metastasis but tended to be associated to multifocal disease. CONCLUSION: In patients with midgut NET, an impaired adaptive immune response, as suggested by a high NLR ratio, was associated to the presence of distant metastasis and in particular of peritoneal metastasis. This information may be helpful when planning the treatment of a patient with a midgut NET.

Bacteriobilia resistance to antibiotic prophylaxis increases morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy: a monocentric retrospective study of 128 patients.

Several studies attempted to determine whether there is a relationship between the use of preoperative biliary drainage and morbidity after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We retrospectively evaluated post-PD outcome in patients with and without preoperative biliary drainage and the role of bacteriobilia and antibiotic prophylaxis in post-operative complications. Data relating to the PDs performed at the Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic Surgical Department of Treviso Hospital between 2010 and 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. Morbidity and intra-hospital mortality related to preoperative biliary stent were the primary outcomes. Between 2010 and 2017, 128 patients (mean age 68 years) underwent PD; 72 were treated with early surgery (ES) and 56 underwent preoperative biliary drainage (PBD). Overall morbidity was 50% in the ES cohort and 43% in the PBD (ns, p = 0.43). In the PBD group, bacteriobilia was found in the 100% of the bile cultures (48; 8 unavailable). The microbiota was represented by: Klebsiella spp (48%), Enterococcus spp (29%), E. coli (27%) and Candida spp (21%). In 52% of cases, at least one of the isolated bacteria was resistant to the perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (69% of cases Amoxicillin-Clavulanic Ac.). The majority of postoperative surgical complications occurred in patients with prophylaxis-resistant bacteriobilia (68% vs 39%; p = 0.04). Antibiotic resistance is a determining factor in morbidity after PD. We therefore propose to pay particular attention to the preoperative prophylaxis, diversifying it between drained and non-drained patients. In fact, in the former, appropriate broad spectrum preoperative antibiotic coverage is strongly suggested.

Intrahepatic chemotherapy for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma: review of literature and personal experience.

Most patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IH-CCA) are unresectable and treatment options are limited. This study evaluates the efficacy of hepatic artery infusion (HAI) chemotherapy in patients whose disease is not initially treatable with resection. We selected patients with unresectable IH-CCA treated only with HAI chemotherapy at our centre between January 2008 and December 2012. We compared our outcome, using mRECIST, with published results of patients treated with systemic chemotherapy during the same period. Eleven patients underwent HAI chemotherapy with fluorouracil and oxaliplatin after placement of an HAI pump. A CT scan performed after the sixth cycle of therapy revealed that 5 of them had partial hepatic response (more than 45 %), 2 stable disease and 4 showed clear signs of disease progression. The average survival of the entire group was 17.6 months. Three of the patients with partial hepatic response underwent resection and 2 had more than 70 % tumour necrosis, both of whom are still alive and disease free. The median survival of patients with liver-only disease treated with systemic chemotherapy, who were not submitted for resection, was 15.3 months. HAI chemotherapy enables this small group of patients to have their unresectable IH-CCA disease converted into a resectable one, thus confirming its role in treatment of this disease.