Impact of preoperative endoscopic procedures on adverse event rates after surgical resection for main-duct and mixed-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs).

BACKGROUND: Main-duct (MD-) and mixed-type (MT-) IPMNs harbor an increased risk of pancreatic cancer and warrant surgical resection. Preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) are important in the diagnosis of IPMNs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether endoscopic procedures manipulating the MD impact postoperative adverse events in patients with MD- and MT-IPMNs. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 369 patients who underwent resections for MD- or MT-IPMN at two tertiary centers (2000-2019). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed for postoperative adverse events to compare the risks between intervention (ERCP, EUS-FNA with branch duct (BD) aspirated, EUS-FNA with MD aspirated from the duct directly or cyst/mass arising from MD) versus no-intervention group. RESULTS: 33.1 % of patients had a preoperative ERCP and 69.4 % had EUS-FNA. Postoperative adverse events included: 30-day readmission (12.7 %), delayed gastric emptying (13.8 %), pancreatic fistula (10.3 %), abdominal abscess (5.7 %), cardiopulmonary adverse events (11.4 %), and mortality (1.4 %). The model was adjusted for potential confounders. There were no significant differences between the ERCP and no-ERCP groups for specific adverse events. Compared to no-EUS-FNA groups, groups of EUS-FNA with BD aspiration and EUS-FNA with MD aspiration from the main pancreatic duct directly or cyst/mass arising from MD did not show a significant increase in specific adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative adverse events were not significantly increased among patients who had ERCP or EUS-FNA before surgical resection for MD- or MT-IPMNs. Endoscopic procedures directly sampling the MD can be safely pursued for diagnostic purposes in selected cases.

Surgical Decision-Making in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Modeling Prognosis Following Pancreatectomy in the Era of Induction and Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a predictive model of oncologic outcomes for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) undergoing resection after neoadjuvant or induction chemotherapy use. BACKGROUND: Early recurrence following surgical resection for PDAC is common. The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to resection may increase the likelihood of long-term systemic disease control. Accurately characterizing an individual's likely oncologic outcome in the perioperative setting remains challenging. METHODS: Data from patients with PDAC who received chemotherapy prior to pancreatectomy at a single high-volume institution between 2007 and 2018 were captured in a prospectively collected database. Core clinicopathologic data were reviewed for accuracy and survival data were abstracted from the electronic medical record and national databases. Cox-proportional regressions were used to model outcomes and develop an interactive prognostic tool for clinical decision-making. RESULTS: A total of 581 patients were included with a median overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of 29.5 (26.5-32.5) and 16.6 (15.8-17.5) months, respectively. Multivariable analysis demonstrates OS and RFS were associated with type of chemotherapeutic used andthe number of chemotherapy cycles received preoperatively. Additional factors contributing to survival models included: tumor grade, histopathologic response to therapy, nodal status, and administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. The models were validated using an iterative bootstrap method and with randomized cohort splitting. The models were well calibrated with concordance indices of 0.68 and 0.65 for the final OS and RFS models, respectively. CONCLUSION: We developed an intuitive and dynamic decision-making tool that can be useful in estimating OS, RFS, and location-specific disease recurrence rates. This prognostic tool may add value to patient care in discussing the benefits associated with surgical resection for PDAC.

A Delay in Adjuvant Therapy Is Associated With Worse Prognosis Only in Patients With Transitional Circulating Tumor Cells After Resection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the association of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) with survival as a biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) within the context of a delay in the initiation of adjuvant therapy. BACKGROUND: Outcomes in patients with PDAC remain poor and are driven by aggressive systemic disease. Although systemic therapies improve survival in resected patients, factors such as a delay in the initiation of adjuvant therapy are associated with worse outcomes. CTCs have previously been shown to be predictive of survival. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on PDAC patients enrolled in the prospective CircuLating tUmor cellS in pancreaTic cancER trial (NCT02974764) on CTC-dynamics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. CTCs were isolated based on size (isolation by size of epithelial tumor cells; Rarecells) and counted and characterized by subtype using immunofluorescence. The preoperative and postoperative blood samples were used to identify 2 CTC types: epithelial CTCs (eCTCs), expressing pancytokeratin, and transitional CTCs (trCTCs), expressing both pancytokeratin and vimentin. Patients who received adjuvant therapy were compared with those who did not. A delay in the receipt of adjuvant therapy was defined as the initiation of therapy ≥8 weeks after surgical resection. Clinicopathologic features, CTCs characteristics, and outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 101 patients included in the study, 43 (42.5%) experienced a delay in initiation and 20 (19.8%) did not receive adjuvant therapy. On multivariable analysis, the presence of trCTCs ( P =0.002) and the absence of adjuvant therapy ( P =0.032) were associated with worse recurrence-free survival (RFS). Postoperative trCTC were associated with poorer RFS, both in patients with a delay in initiation (12.4 vs 17.9 mo, P =0.004) or no administration of adjuvant chemotherapy (3.4 vs NR, P =0.016). However, it was not associated with RFS in patients with timely initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy ( P =0.293). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative trCTCs positivity is associated with poorer RFS only in patients who either experience a delay in initiation or no receipt of adjuvant therapy. This study suggests that a delay in the initiation of adjuvant therapy could potentially provide residual systemic disease (trCTCs) a window of opportunity to recover from the surgical insult. Future studies are required to validate these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms involved.

Tumor extent impacts survival benefit in minimally invasive colectomy for T4 colon cancer: A propensity matched national cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: T4 colon cancers have been underrepresented in randomized trials comparing minimally invasive colectomy (MC) versus open colectomy (OC). Retrospective studies suggest improved survival with MC versus OC, but have not addressed the impact of tumor extent. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB), we analyzed patients undergoing colectomy for T4 colon adenocarcinoma from 2010 to 2014. Propensity score matching was performed between MC and OC patients. Tumor extent was defined by zones based on adjacent organ involvement. RESULTS: Of the 19 178 eligible patients, 6564 (34%) underwent MC. After matching, MC was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratios: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.67-0.76; median OS 59 vs. 42 months, p < 0.001). Compared to MC patients, those undergoing OC had: a higher margin positive rate (p = 0.009); lower median nodes examined (p < 0.001); a lower rate of adjuvant chemotherapy (p < 0.001); and a longer median time to chemotherapy (p < 0.001). Stratified survival analyses demonstrated that MC was associated with improved overall survival compared to OC in all zones except zone 3 and 4. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to OC, MC for T4 colon cancer is associated with improved oncologic outcomes when performed for zone 0-2 tumors. For, zone 3 and 4 tumors MC and OC have similar oncologic outcomes and patients should be cautiously selected.

Invasive and Noninvasive Progression After Resection of Noninvasive Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: To define frequencies, pattern of progression (invasive vs noninvasive), and risk factors of progression of resected noninvasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs). BACKGROUND: There is a risk of progression in the remnant pancreas after resection of IPMNs. METHODS: Four hundred forty-nine consecutive patients with resected IPMNs from 1995 to 2018 were included to the study. Patients with invasive carcinoma or with follow-up <6 months were excluded. Noninvasive progression was defined as a new IPMN, increased main pancreatic duct size, and increased size of an existing lesion (5 mm compared with preoperative imaging). Invasive progression was defined as development of invasive cancer in the remnant pancreas or metastatic disease. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 48.9 months, progression was identified in 124 patients (27.6%); 108(24.1%) with noninvasive and 16(3.6%) with invasive progression. Median progression follow-up was longer for invasive progression (85.4 vs 55.9 months; P = 0.001). Five-and 10-year estimates for a cumulative incidence of invasive progression were 6.4% and 12.9% versus 26.9% and 41.5% for noninvasive progression. After risk adjustment, multifocality (HR 4.53, 95% CI 1.34-15.26; P = 0.02) and high-grade dysplasia (HGD) in the original resection (HR 3.60, 95% CI 1.13-11.48; P = 0.03) were associated with invasive progression. CONCLUSIONS: Progression to invasive carcinoma can occur years after the surgical resection of a noninvasive IPMN. HGD in the original resection is a risk factor for invasive progression but some cases of low-grade dysplasia also progressed to cancer. Patients with high-risk features such as HGD and multifocal cysts should be considered for more intensive surveillance and represent an important cohort for future trials such as anti-inflammatory or prophylactic immunotherapy.

Comprehensive Analysis of Somatic Mutations in Driver Genes of Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Reveals KRAS G12D and Mutant TP53 Combination as an Independent Predictor of Clinical Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains poor despite improved systemic therapies and surgical techniques. The identification of biomarkers to advance insight in tumor biology and achieve better individualized prognostication could help improve outcomes. Our aim was to elucidate the prognostic role of the four main driver mutations (KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, CDKN2A) and their combinations in resected PDAC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted utilizing the cBioPortal database and National Cancer Institute's Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA) on patients in whom next-generation sequencing was performed on upfront resected PDAC from 2012 to 2020. Multivariable Cox regression was implemented to elucidate risk-adjusted predictors of overall (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results were validated employing a Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) cohort.' RESULTS: In the discovery cohort (n = 587), increased number of mutated driver genes was associated with worse OS (p = 0.047). Specifically, patients with mutations in ≥ 2 driver genes had worse OS than ≤ 1 mutated gene (18.2 versus 32.3 months, p = 0.033). Co-occurrence of mutant (mt)KRAS p.G12D with mtTP53 (median OS, 25.9 months) conferred better prognosis than co-occurrence of other mtKRAS variants (p.G12V/R/other) with mtTP53 (median OS, 16.9 months, p = 0.038). The findings were validated using a JHH cohort. Multivariable risk-adjustment found co-occurrence of mtKRAS p.G12D with mtTP53 to be an independent predictor of beneficial OS and RFS [HR (95% CI): 0.18 (0.03-0.81) and 0.31 (0.11-0.89) respectively]. CONCLUSION: In chemo-naïve resected PDAC, combinations of mutations in the four driver genes are associated with prognosis. In patients with combined mtKRAS and mtTP53, KRAS p.G12D variant confers a better OS and RFS.

Anatomic Criteria Determine Resectability in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of multi-agent chemotherapy and radiation therapy has facilitated potential resection with curative intent in selected locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) patients with excellent outcomes. Nevertheless, there remains a remarkable lack of consensus on the management of LAPC. We sought to describe the outcomes of patients with LAPC and objectively define the multidisciplinary selection process for operative exploration based on anatomical factors. METHODS: Consecutive patients with LAPC were evaluated for pancreatic surgery in the multidisciplinary clinic of a high-volume institution, between 2013 and 2018. Prospective stratification (LAPC-1, LAPC-2, and LAPC-3), based on the involvement of regional anatomical structures, was performed at the time of presentation prior to the initiation of treatment. Resection rates and patient outcomes were evaluated and correlated with the initial anatomic stratification system. RESULTS: Overall, 415 patients with LAPC were included in the study, of whom 84 (20%) were successfully resected, with a median overall survival of 35.3 months. The likelihood of operative exploration was associated with the pretreatment anatomic LAPC score, with a resection rate of 49% in patients classified as LAPC-1, 32% in LAPC-2, and 11% in LAPC-3 (p < 0.001). Resected patients with improvement of the LAPC score at the time of exploration had significantly longer median overall survival compared with those with no change or progression of LAPC score (60.7 vs. 29.8 months, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Selected patients with LAPC can undergo curative-intent surgery with excellent outcomes. The proposed Johns Hopkins anatomic LAPC score provides an objective system to anticipate the probability of eventual surgical resection after induction therapy.

Postoperative Chemotherapy is Associated with Improved Survival in Patients with Node-Positive Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Neoadjuvant Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative chemotherapy following pancreatic cancer resection is the standard of care. The utility of postoperative chemotherapy for patients who receive neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is unclear. METHODS: Patients who underwent pancreatectomy after NAT with FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine-based chemotherapy for non-metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (2015-2019) were identified. Patients who received less than 2 months of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or died within 90 days from surgery were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 427 patients (resectable, 22.2%; borderline resectable, 37.9%; locally advanced, 39.8%) were identified with the majority (69.3%) receiving neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX. Median duration of NAT was 4.1 months. Following resection, postoperative chemotherapy was associated with an improved median overall survival (OS) (28.7 vs. 20.4 months, P = 0.006). Risk-adjusted multivariable modeling showed negative nodal status (N0), favorable pathologic response (College of American Pathologists score 0 & 1), and receipt of postoperative chemotherapy to be independent predictors of improved OS. Regimen, duration, and number of cycles of NAT were not significant predictors. Thirty-four percent (60/176) of node-positive and 50.1% (126/251) of node-negative patients did not receive postoperative chemotherapy due to poor functional status, postoperative complications, and patient preference. Among patients with node-positive disease, postoperative chemotherapy was associated with improved median OS (27.2 vs. 10.5 months, P < 0.001). Among node-negative patients, postoperative chemotherapy was not associated with a survival benefit (median OS, 30.9 vs. 36.9 months; P = 0.406). CONCLUSION: Although there is no standard NAT regimen for patients with pancreatic cancer, postoperative chemotherapy following NAT and resection appears to be associated with improved OS for patients with node-positive disease.

Accurate Nodal Staging in Pancreatic Cancer in the Era of Neoadjuvant Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Nodal disease is prognostic in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); however, optimal number of examined lymph nodes (ELNs) required to accurately stage nodal disease in the current era of neoadjuvant therapy remains unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the optimal number of ELNs in patients with neoadjuvantly treated PDAC. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on patients with PDAC undergoing resection following neoadjuvant treatment between 2011 and 2018. Clinicopathological data were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 546 patients included, 232 (42.5%) had lymph node metastases. The median recurrence free survival (RFS) was 10.6 months (95% confidence interval: 9.7-11.7) and nodal disease was independently associated with shorter RFS (9.1 vs 11.9 months; p < 0.001). A cutoff of 22 ELNs was identified that stratified patients by RFS. Patients with N1 and N2 disease had similar median RFS (9.1 vs 8.9 months; p = 0.410). On multivariable analysis, ELN of ≥ 22 was found to be significantly associated with longer RFS among patients with N0 disease (14.2 vs. 10.9 months, p = 0.046). However, ELN has no impact on RFS for patients with N1/N2 disease (9.5 vs. 8.4 months, p = 0.190). Adjuvant therapy was associated with RFS only in patients with residual nodal disease. CONCLUSIONS: Lymph node metastases remain prognostic in PDAC patients after neoadjuvant treatment. Among N0 patients, a cutoff of 22 ELN was associated with improved RFS and resulted in optimal nodal staging.

Incidence and Contemporary Management of Delayed Bleeding Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Delayed bleeding after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is a life-threatening complication. However, the optimal management remains unclear. We summarize our experience of the management of delayed bleeding after PD and define the outcomes associated with different types of management. METHODS: All patients who underwent a PD between January 1987 and June 2020 at Johns Hopkins University were retrospectively reviewed. Delayed bleeding was defined as bleeding on or after postoperative day 5 following PD. Incidence, outcomes, and trends were reported. RESULTS: Among the 6201 patients that underwent PD, delayed bleeding occurred in 130 (2.1%) at a median of 12 days (IQR: 9, 24) postoperation. The pattern of bleeding was classified as intraluminal (51.5%), extraluminal (40.8%), and mixed (7.7%). A clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula and an intraabdominal abscess preceded the delayed bleeding in 43.1% and 31.5% of cases, respectively. Arterial pseudoaneurysm or bleeding from peripancreatic vessels was the most common reason (54.6%) with the gastroduodenal artery being the most common source (18.5%). Endoscopy, angiography, and reoperation were performed as a first-line approach in 35.4%, 52.3%, and 6.2% of patients, respectively. The overall mortality was 16.2% and decreased over the study period (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Delayed bleeding following PD remains a life-threatening complication. The most common location of delayed bleeding is from the gastroduodenal artery. Angiography with embolization should be the initial approach for urgent bleeding with surgical re-exploration reserved for unstable patients or failed control of bleeding after interventional angiography or endoscopy.

Should non-invasive diffuse main-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms be treated with total pancreatectomy?

BACKGROUND: Main-duct (MD) intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is associated with malignancy risk. There is a lack of consensus on treatment (partial or total pancreatectomy) when the MD is diffusely involved. We sought to characterize the pancreatic remnant fate after partial pancreatectomy for non-invasive diffuse MD-IPMN. METHODS: Consecutive patients with partial pancreatectomy for non-invasive MD-IPMN from 2004 to 2016 were analyzed. Diffuse MD-IPMN was defined by preoperative imaging as dilation of the MD in the head of the pancreas more than 5 mm and involving the whole gland. RESULTS: Of 127 patients with resected non-invasive MD-IPMN, 47 (37%) had diffuse MD involvement. Eleven of 47(23%) patients developed imaging evidence of progression or new cystic disease in the pancreatic remnant. Patients with diffuse MD-IPMN were older (73yrs vs 67yrs, p = 0.009), more likely to receive a pancreaticoduodenectomy (96% vs 56%, p < 0.001) and have high-grade dysplasia (51% vs 31%, p = 0.025) than those with focal MD involvement. Diffuse MD involvement was not associated with shorter PFS following partial pancreatectomy (p = 0.613). CONCLUSION: Partial pancreatectomy is an appropriate surgical approach for diffuse MD-IPMN, and is not associated with earlier progression after surgery as compared to partial pancreatectomy for focal dilation.

Association of Living in Urban Food Deserts with Mortality from Breast and Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Food deserts are neighborhoods with low access to healthy foods and are associated with poor health metrics. We investigated association of food desert residence and cancer outcomes. METHODS: In this population-based study, data from the 2000-2012 California Cancer Registry was used to identify patients with stage II/III breast or colorectal cancer. Patient residence at time of diagnosis was linked by census tract to food desert using the USDA Food Access Research Atlas. Treatment and outcomes were compared by food desert residential status. RESULTS: Among 64,987 female breast cancer patients identified, 66.8% were < 65 years old, and 5.7% resided in food deserts. Five-year survival for food desert residents was 78% compared with 80% for non-desert residents (p < 0.0001). Among 48,666 colorectal cancer patients identified, 50.4% were female, 39% were > 65 years old, and 6.4% resided in food deserts. Five-year survival for food desert residents was 60% compared with 64% for non-desert residents (p < 0.001). Living in food deserts was significantly associated with diabetes, tobacco use, poor insurance coverage, and low socioeconomic status (p < 0.05) for both cancers. There was no significant difference in rates of surgery or chemotherapy by food desert residential status for either diagnosis. Multivariable analyses showed that food desert residence was associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSION: Survival, despite treatment for stage II/III breast and colorectal cancers was worse for those living in food deserts. This association remained significant without differences in use of surgery or chemotherapy, suggesting factors other than differential care access may link food desert residence and cancer outcomes.

An Aggressive Approach to Locally Confined Pancreatic Cancer: Defining Surgical and Oncologic Outcomes Unique to Pancreatectomy with Celiac Axis Resection (DP-CAR).

BACKGROUND: Modern chemotherapeutics have led to improved systemic disease control for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Surgical strategies such as distal pancreatectomy with celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) are increasingly entertained. Herein we review procedure-specific outcomes and assess biologic rationale for DP-CAR. METHODS: A prospectively maintained single-institution database of all pancreatectomies was queried for patients undergoing DP-CAR. We excluded all patients for whom complete data were not available and those who were not treated with contemporary multi-agent therapy. Data were supplemented with dedicated chart review and outreach for long-term oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients underwent DP-CAR between 2008 and 2018. The median age was 62.7 years. Ninety-eight percent received induction chemotherapy. Arterial reconstruction was performed in 17% and concomitant visceral resection in 30%. The R0 resection rate was 87%. Postoperative complications were common (43%) with chyle leak being the most frequent (17%). Length of stay was 8 days, readmission occurred in one-third, and 90-day mortality was 2%. Disease recurrence occurred in 74% during a median follow up of 17.4 months. Median recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 9 and 25 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Following modern induction paradigms, DP-CAR can be performed with low mortality, manageable morbidity, and excellent rates of margin-negative resection in high-volume settings. The profile of complications of DP-CAR is distinct from pancreaticoduodenectomy and simple distal pancreatectomy. OS and RFS are similar to those undergoing resection of borderline resectable and resectable disease. Improved systemic disease control will likely lead to increasing utilization of aggressive surgical approaches to LAPC.

Development, Practice Patterns, and Early Clinical Outcomes of a Multidisciplinary Liver Cancer Clinic.

Multidisciplinary care has been associated with improved survival in patients with primary liver cancers. We report the practice patterns and real world clinical outcomes for patients presenting to the Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) multidisciplinary liver clinic (MDLC). We analyzed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 100) and biliary tract cancer (BTC, n = 76) patients evaluated at the JHH MDLC in 2019. We describe the conduct of the clinic, consensus decisions for patient management based on stage categories, and describe treatment approaches and outcomes based on these categories. We describe subclassification of BCLC stage C into 2 parts, and subclassification of cholangiocarcinoma into 4 stages. A treatment consensus was finalized on the day of MDLC for the majority of patients (89% in HCC, 87% in BTC), with high adherence to MDLC recommendations (91% in HCC, 100% in BTC). Among patients presenting for a second opinion regarding management, 28% of HCC and 31% of BTC patients were given new therapeutic recommendations. For HCC patients, at a median follow up of 11.7 months (0.7-19.4 months), median OS was not reached in BCLC A and B patients. In BTC patients, at a median follow up of 14.2 months (0.9-21.1 months) the median OS was not reached in patients with resectable or borderline resectable disease, and was 11.9 months in patients with unresectable or metastatic disease. Coordinated expert multidisciplinary care is feasible for primary liver cancers with high adherence to recommendations and a change in treatment for a sizeable minority of patients.

Duodenal, ampullary, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: Oncologic outcomes are driven by tumor biology and tissue of origin.

BACKGROUND: Periampullary neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arise from the duodenum, ampulla, and periampullary pancreas. Duodenal and ampullary NETs are rare and may have distinct biologic behavior from pancreatic NETs (P-NETs). We examined the outcomes of these entities. METHODS: An institutional database was queried for patients undergoing resection for pancreatic head, duodenal, or ampullary NETs from 2000 to 2018. Patients with MEN1 syndrome or follow up less than 12 months were excluded. RESULTS: Three hundred and ten patients were identified. Tumor locations were ampulla (n = 15), duodenum (n = 35) and pancreas (n = 260). Median follow-up and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were 60.9 (interquartile range [IQR]: 34.8-99.3) and 171.7 (IQR: 84.0-NR) months. Clinicopathologic data and survival outcomes were similar for duodenal and ampullary NETs (RFS: p = .347 and overall survival [OS]: p = .246) and were combined into an intestinal subtype (IS) group. There were no differences in OS or RFS when comparing IS-NET and P-NET. On multivariate analysis, tissue of origin was not associated with risk of recurrence. The current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging guidelines, which account for origin tissue, were predictive of outcomes for all subtypes. CONCLUSION: Tissue of origin does not appear to impact long-term outcomes when comparing IS-NETs and P-NETs. The AJCC staging system offers good discriminatory capacity in the context of the tissue type.

Ovarian Metastasis from Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a high propensity for systemic dissemination. Ovarian metastases are rare and poorly described. METHODS: We identified PDAC cases with ovarian metastasis from a prospectively maintained registry. We reported on the association between outcomes and clinicopathologic factors. Recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Twelve patients with PDAC and synchronous or metachronous ovarian metastases were identified. Nine patients (75%) underwent pancreatectomy for localized PDAC and developed metachronous ovarian recurrence. The median OS for all patients was 25.4 (IQR:15.4-82.9) months. For the nine patients with metachronous ovarian metastasis, the median RFS and OS were 14.2 (IQR:7.2-58.3) and 44.6 (IQR:18.6-82.9) months, respectively. Nodal disease, poor grade, vascular invasion in the pancreatic primary, and bilateral ovarian disease tended to confer worse outcomes. CONCLUSION: Patients with resected PDAC and ovarian recurrence tend to have a comparable disease course to more common patterns of recurrence. Primaries with nodal disease, poorer grade, vascular invasion, and bilateral ovarian disease were indicative of more aggressive disease biology. The ideal management remains largely unknown, and future collaborative efforts should optimize therapeutic strategies.

Technical progress in robotic pancreatoduodenectomy: TRIANGLE and periadventitial dissection for retropancreatic nerve plexus resection.

PURPOSE: The resection of retropancreatic nerve plexuses for pancreatic head cancer became standard of care during open pancreatoduodenectomy to minimize local recurrences. Since more surgical centers are progressing on the learning curve, robotically-assisted pancreatoduodenectomy is now increasingly performed with decreasing anatomic exclusion criteria. To achieve comparable and favorable oncologic outcomes, advanced surgical techniques should be transferred and implemented when performing robotic resections. METHODS: The nomenclature and anatomic principles of retropancreatic nerve plexuses and three different levels of dissections are utilized based on established definitions. RESULTS: The en bloc dissection in the "TRIANGLE" area (triangular-shaped retropancreatic space enclosed by the common hepatic artery, superior mesenteric artery, and superior mesenteric vein/portal vein) and the periadventitial dissection of arteries for non-tunica media-invading tumors were executed robotically. Both can be utilized to achieve a radical dorsal and medial margin. Video recordings are provided to illustrate varying TRIANGLE dissections. CONCLUSION: To accomplish oncologic non-inferiority, established principles from open pancreatic resections can be incorporated precisely and safely, overcoming the lack of haptic feedback while exploiting the technological advantages of the robotically-assisted platform.

Minimal main pancreatic duct dilatation in small branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms associated with high-grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or invasive carcinoma in patients with small branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs). METHODS: 923 patients who underwent surgical resection for an IPMN were identified. Sendai-negative patients were identified as those without history of pancreatitis or jaundice, main pancreatic duct size (MPD) <5 mm, cyst size <3 cm, no mural nodules, negative cyst fluid cytology for adenocarcinoma, or serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) <37 U/L. RESULTS: BD-IPMN was identified in 388 (46.4%) patients and 89 (22.9%) were categorized as Sendai-negative. Overall, 68 (17.5%) of BD-IPMN had HGD and 62 (16.0%) had an associated invasive-carcinoma. Among the 89 Sendai-negative patients, 12 (13.5%) had IPMNs with HGD and only one patient (1.1%) had invasive-carcinoma. Of note, older age (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.23; P = 0.008) and minimal dilation of MPD (OR 11.3, 95% CI 2.40-53.65; P = 0.002) were associated with high-risk disease in Sendai-negative patients after multivariable risk adjustment. CONCLUSION: The risk of harboring a high-risk disease remains low in small BD-IPMNs. However, Sendai-negative patients who are older than 65 years old and those with minimal dilation of MPD (3-5 mm) are at greater risk of high-risk lesions and should be given consideration to be included as a "worrisome feature" in a future guidelines update.

Defining a minimum number of examined lymph nodes improves the prognostic value of lymphadenectomy in pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node (LN) metastasis is associated with decreased survival following resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In N0 disease, increasing total evaluated LN (ELN) correlates with improved outcomes suggesting patients may be understaged when LNs are undersampled. We aim to assess the optimal number of examined lymph nodes (ELN) following pancreatectomy. METHODS: Data from 1837 patients undergoing surgery were prospectively collected. The binomial probability law was utilized to analyze the minimum number of examined LNs (minELN) and accurately characterize each histopathologic stage. LN ratio (LNR) was compared to American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) guidelines. RESULTS: As ELN total increased, the likelihood of finding node positive disease increased. An evaluation based upon the binomial probability law suggested an optimal minELN of 12 for accurate AJCC N staging. As the number of ELNs increased, the discriminatory capacity of alternative strategies to characterize LN disease exceeded that offered by AJCC N stage. CONCLUSION: This is the first study dedicated to optimizing histopathologic staging in PDAC using models of minELN informed by the binomial probability law. This study highlights two separate cutoffs for ELNs depending upon prognostic goal and validates that 12 LNs are adequate to determine AJCC N stage for the majority of patients.

The Paradoxical Web of Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Microenvironment.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is increasing in incidence and is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Despite significant advances in understanding the disease, there has been minimal increase in PDAC patient survival. PDAC tumors are unique in the fact that there is significant desmoplasia. This generates a large stromal compartment composed of immune cells, inflammatory cells, growth factors, extracellular matrix, and fibroblasts, comprising the tumor microenvironment (TME), which may represent anywhere from 15% to 85% of the tumor. It has become evident that the TME, including both the stroma and extracellular component, plays an important role in tumor progression and chemoresistance of PDAC. This review will discuss the multiple components of the TME, their specific impact on tumorigenesis, and the multiple therapeutic targets.