Validation of original, alternative, and updated alternative fistula risk scores after open and minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy in an Asian patient cohort.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to validate and compare the performance of the original fistula risk scores (o-FRS), alternative (a-FRS), and updated alternative FRS (ua-FRS) after open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD) and laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) in an Asian patient cohort. METHODS: Data of 597 consecutive patients who underwent PD (305 OPD, 274 LPD) were collected from two tertiary centers. Model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). RESULTS: The overall AUC values of o-FRS, a-FRS, and ua-FRS were 0.67, 0.69, and 0.68, respectively, which were lower than those of the Western validation. Three FRS systems had similar AUC values in the overall and OPD groups, whereas ua-FRS had a higher AUC than o-FRS in the LPD group. The accuracy of ua-FRS (47.2%) was higher than that of o-FRS (39.0%) and a-FRS (19.5%) overall, but low specificity and low positive predictive value were observed regardless of the operative type across the three FRS systems. In the multivariate analysis, pathology, estimated blood loss, and body mass index were not independent risk factors for CR-POPF in the OPD and LPD groups. CONCLUSIONS: Current FRS systems have some limitations, including a relatively lower performance in an Asian cohort, low positive predictive values, and inclusion of insignificant risk factors.

Developmental inflection point for the effect of maternal childhood adversity on children's mental health from childhood to adolescence: Time-varying effect of gender differences.

Childhood adversities have a well-established dose-response relationship with later mental health. However, less attention has been given to intergenerational influences. Further, it is unknown how intergenerational influences intersect with children's developmental stages and gender. The current study examined whether a developmental inflection point exists when the intergenerational influences of childhood adversities gain salience and explored differences by children's gender. Data were from the Young Women and Child Development Study (n = 361). Time-varying effect models (TVEMs) and moderation TVEMs by child's gender were evaluated. Our findings reveal that ages 5-8, the period of transition into primary schools, may represent a developmental inflection point when the intergenerational influences of maternal childhood adversity start emerging substantially. The results from gender interaction TVEMs reveal that maternal childhood adversity was a statistically significant predictor of internalizing problems until age 11, regardless of child's gender, and remained statistically significant for girls' internalizing problems until age 16.7. For externalizing problems, maternal childhood adversity was a statistically significant predictor until age 13, regardless of gender.

School Climate, Cortical Structure, and Socioemotional Functioning: Associations across Family Income Levels.

School climates are important for children's socioemotional development and may also serve as protective factors in the context of adversity. Nevertheless, little is known about the potential neural mechanisms of such associations, as there has been limited research concerning the relation between school climate and brain structure, particularly for brain regions relevant for mental health and socioemotional functioning. Moreover, it remains unclear whether the role of school climate differs depending on children's socioeconomic status. We addressed these questions in baseline data for 9- to 10-year-olds from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (analytic sample for socioemotional outcomes, n = 8887), conducted at 21 sites across the United States. Cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical volume were derived from T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging. School climate was measured by youth report, and socioemotional functioning was measured by both youth and parent report. A positive school climate and higher family income were associated with lower internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with no evidence of moderation. There were no associations between school climate and cortical thickness or subcortical volume, although family income was positively associated with hippocampal volume. For cortical surface area, however, there was both a positive association with family income and moderation: There was an interaction between school climate and income for total cortical surface area and locally in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex. In all cases, there was an unexpected negative association between school climate and cortical surface area in the lower-income group. Consequently, although the school climate appears to be related to better socioemotional function for all youth, findings suggest that the association between a positive school environment and brain structure only emerges in the context of socioeconomic stress and adversity. Longitudinal data are needed to understand the role of these neural differences in socioemotional functioning over time.

Molecular Characterization of Biliary Tract Cancer Predicts Chemotherapy and Programmed Death 1/Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Blockade Responses.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) exhibits diverse molecular characteristics. However, reliable biomarkers that predict therapeutic responses are yet to be discovered. We aimed to identify the molecular features of treatment responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy in BTCs. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We enrolled 121 advanced BTC patients (68 cholangiocarcinomas [33 intrahepatic, 35 extrahepatic], 41 gallbladder cancers, and 12 Ampulla of Vater cancers) whose specimens were analyzed by clinical sequencing platforms. All patients received first-line palliative chemotherapy; 48 patients underwent programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade therapy after failed chemotherapy. Molecular and histopathological characterization was performed using targeted sequencing and immunohistochemical staining to investigate treatment response-associated biomarkers. Genomic analysis revealed a broad spectrum of mutational profiles according to anatomical location. Favorable responses to chemotherapy were observed in the small-duct type compared with the large-duct type intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, with frequent mutations in BRCA1-associated protein-1/isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 and KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase/SMAD family member 4 genes, respectively. The molecular features were further analyzed in BTCs, and transforming growth factor beta and DNA damage response pathway-altered tumors exhibited poor and favorable chemotherapy responses, respectively. In PD-1/PD-L1 blockade-treated patients, KRAS alteration and chromosomal instability tumors were associated with resistance to immunotherapy. The majority of patients (95.0%) with these resistance factors show no clinical benefit to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and low tumor mutational burdens. Low tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density in tumors with these resistance factors indicated immune-suppressive tumor microenvironments, whereas high intratumoral TIL density was associated with a favorable immunotherapy response. CONCLUSIONS: This study proposes predictive molecular features of chemotherapy and immunotherapy responses in advanced BTCs using clinical sequencing platforms. Our result provides an intuitive framework to guide the treatment of advanced BTCs benefiting from therapeutic agents based on the tumors' molecular features.

Surgical Outcomes and Comparative Analysis of Transduodenal Ampullectomy and Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: Transduodenal ampullectomy (TDA) is performed for adenoma or early cancer of the ampulla of Vater (AoV). This study aimed to analyze the short- and long-term outcomes of TDA (TDA group) when compared with conventional pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD group). METHODS: Patients who underwent TDA between January 2006 and December 2019, and PD cases performed for AoV malignancy with carcinoma in-situ (Tis) (high-grade dysplasia, HGD) and T1 and T2 stage from January 2010 to December 2019 were reviewed. RESULTS: Forty-six patients underwent TDA; 21 had a benign tumor, and 25 cases with malignant tumors were compared with PD cases (n = 133). Operation time (p < 0.001), estimated blood loss (p < 0.001), length of hospital stays (p = 0.003), and overall complication rate (p < 0.001) were lower in the TDA group than in the PD group. Lymph node metastasis rates were 14.6% in pT1 and 28.9% in pT2 patients. The 5-year disease-free survival and 5-year overall survival rates for HGD/Tis and T1 tumor between the two groups were similar (TDA group vs PD group, 72.2% vs 77.7%, p = 0.550; 85.6% vs 79.2%, p = 0.816, respectively). CONCLUSION: TDA accompanied with lymph node dissection is advisable in HGD/Tis and T1 AoV cancers in view of superior perioperative outcomes and similar long-term survival rates compared with PD.

Systemic inflammation response index correlates with survival and predicts oncological outcome of resected pancreatic cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) has been used to predict the prognosis of various cancers. This study examined SIRI as a prognostic factor in the neoadjuvant setting and determined whether it changing after chemotherapy is related to patient prognosis. METHODS: Patients who underwent pancreatic surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer were retrospectively analyzed. To establish the cut-off values, SIRIpre-neoadjuvant, SIRIpost-neoadjuvant, and SIRIquotient (SIRIpost-neoadjuvant/SIRIpre-neoadjuvant) were calculated and significant SIRI values were statistically determined to examine their effects on survival rate. RESULTS: The study included 160 patients. Values of SIRIpost-neoadjuvant ≥ 0.8710 and SIRIquotient <0.9516 affected prognosis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.948; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.210-3.135; ∗∗P = 0.006; HR, 1.548; 95% CI, 1.041-2.302; ∗∗P = 0.031). Disease-free survival differed significantly at values of SIRIpost-neoadjuvant < 0.8710 and SIRIpost-neoadjuvant ≥ 0.8710 (P = 0.0303). Overall survival differed significantly between SIRIquotient <0.9516 and SIRIquotient ≥0.9516 (P = 0.0368). CONCLUSIONS: SIRI can predict the survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma after resection and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Preoperative SIRI value was correlated with disease-free survival, while changes in SIRI values were correlated with overall survival.

Total laparoscopic versus robotic-assisted laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy: which one is better?

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD) is a challenging procedure. Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is feasible and safe. Since the development of robotic platforms, the number of reports on robot-assisted pancreatic surgery has increased. We compared the technical feasibility and safety between LPD and robot-assisted LPD (RALPD). METHODS: From September 2012 to August 2020, 257 patients who underwent MIPD for periampullary tumors were enrolled. Of these, 207 underwent LPD and 50 underwent RALPD. We performed a 1:1 propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis and retrospectively analyzed the demographics and surgical outcomes. RESULTS: After PSM analysis, no difference was noted in demographics. Operation times and estimated blood loss were similar, as was the incidence of complications (p > 0.05). In subgroup analysis in patients with soft pancreas with pancreatic duct ≤ 2 mm, no significant between-group difference was noted regarding short-term surgical outcomes, including clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF) (p > 0.05). In multivariable analysis, the only soft pancreatic texture was a predictive factor (HR 3.887, 95% confidence interval 1.121-13.480, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: RALPD and LPD are safe and effective for MIPD and can compensate each other to achieve the goal of minimally invasive surgery.

Minimally invasive (laparoscopic and robot-assisted) versus open approach for central pancreatectomies: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: There continues to be an interest in minimally invasive approaches to pancreatic surgery. At our institution, there has been a progressive change from an open to minimally invasive surgery (MIS) (laparoscopic, robotic, or laparoscopic-robotic) approach for central pancreatectomies (CP). The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes with open CP (O-CP) versus minimally invasive CP (MI-CP). METHODS: A retrospective medical review of patients who underwent CP between 1993 and 2018 at Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea was performed. Short-term perioperative outcomes were compared between O-CP and MI-CP. RESULTS: Thirty-one CPs (11 open, 20 MIS) were identified during the study period. No difference was observed in admission days between O-CP and MI-CP (21.2 vs. 16.7 days, p = 0.340), although operating time was significantly increased in the MI-CP group (296.8 vs. 374.8 min, p = 0.036). Blood loss was significantly less in MI-CP vs. O-CP (807.1 vs. 214.0 mls, p = 0.001), with no difference in post-operative new-onset diabetes (9% vs. 5%). The overall post-operative pancreatic fistula rate was 25.8%, and no significant difference between O-CP and MI-CP or complication rates (45% vs. 40%) was observed. CONCLUSION: Despite increased operative time, MI-CP is feasible and comparable to conventional O-CP with regard to surgical outcomes in well-selected patients.

Wrapping the pancreas with a polyglycolic acid sheet before stapling reduces the risk of fluid collection on the pancreatic stump after distal pancreatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and postoperative fluid collection (POFC) are common complications after distal pancreatectomy (DP). The previous method of reducing the risk of POPF was the application of a polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet to the pancreatic stump after cutting the pancreas with a stapler (After-stapling); the new method involves wrapping the pancreatic resection line with a PGA sheet before stapling (Before-stapling). The study aimed to compare the incidence of POPF and POFC between two methods. METHODS: Data of patients who underwent open or laparoscopic DPs by a single surgeon from October 2010 to February 2020 in a tertiary referral hospital were retrospectively analyzed. POPF was defined according to the updated International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula criteria. POFC was measured by postoperative computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: Altogether, 182 patients were enrolled (After-stapling group, n = 138; Before-stapling group, n = 44). Clinicopathologic and intraoperative findings between the two groups were similar. Clinically relevant POPF rates were similar between both groups (4.3% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.989). POFC was significantly lesser in the Before-stapling group on postoperative day 7 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Wrapping the pancreas with PGA sheet before stapling was a simple and effective way to reduce POFC.

Cumulative Neighborhood Risk and Subsequent Internalizing Behavior among Asian American Adolescents.

Neighborhood disadvantage is a developmental context that may contribute to Asian American adolescent internalizing problems, yet there is a dearth of longitudinal studies as well as examination of cultural protective factors. Co-ethnic density, or the proportion of individuals of the same racial/ethnic background in the neighborhood that is often cited as a protective factor for racial/ethnic minority groups, has not been adequately examined in Asian American youth. This study examined the longitudinal association between cumulative neighborhood risk and internalizing behavior, and the moderating role of sex and co-ethnic density using an Asian American subsample (N = 177; 45.2% female; ages 10-12, 14-15; Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Samoan, Vietnamese, and other ethnic backgrounds) of a longitudinal panel study over a span of 6 years. Cumulative neighborhood risk during early adolescence (ages 10-14) was significantly associated with internalizing behavior at mid-adolescence (age 15) controlling for prior levels of internalizing behavior. There was no evidence of moderation by co-ethnic density or sex, indicating that reducing neighborhood disadvantage may be a promising preventive measure to address mental health problems for both sexes of Asian American adolescents.

Biologic behavior of resected BRCA-mutated pancreatic cancer: Comparison with sporadic pancreatic cancer and other BRCA-related cancers.

BACKGROUND: Since margin-negative resection is essential for the cure of pancreatic cancer (PC), early detection of PC is important. Although PC is the third most common cancer associated with BRCA1/2 mutations, clinical research regarding BRCA mutations in resected PC are rare. In this study, we investigated the oncologic characteristics of resected PC with BRCA mutation to suggest management strategies. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from 493 patients who were confirmed to be pathogenic BRCA1/2 mutation carriers between January 2007 and December 2019. We investigated the oncologic characteristics of PC patients by comparing them with resected sporadic PC and other BRCA-related cancer groups (breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and others). RESULTS: Ten BRCA mutation carriers (2.0%) experienced PC, and PC onset was significantly later than that of BRCA-related breast cancer (age: breast vs. pancreas, 45.0 vs. 53.5 years, p = 0.050). Six patients underwent pancreatectomy and their long-term survival outcomes did not differ from those of sporadic PC patients (disease free survival: BRCA1/2 vs. sporadic, 10.0 months vs. 9.0 months, p = 0.504; overall survival: BRCA1/2 vs. sporadic, 29.0 months vs. 35.0 months, p = 0.520). CONCLUSION: BRCA-mutated PC occurs later than BRCA-mutated breast cancer. Active genetic testing to identify BRCA1/2 mutation carriers at the onset of breast cancer and continuous long-term surveillance of these patients can provide opportunities to detect BRCA-mutated PC at a resectable stage.

Total laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with periampullary tumors: a learning curve analysis.

BACKGROUND: With continued technical advances in surgical instruments and growing expertise, many surgeons have safely performed laparoscopic pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomies (LPDs) with good results, and the laparoscopic approach is being performed more frequently. However, this complex procedure requires a relatively long training period to ensure technical competence. The present study aimed to analyze the learning curve for LPD. METHODS: From September 2012 to May 2019, LPDs were performed for 171 patients at the Yonsei University Severance Hospital by a single surgeon. We retrospectively analyzed the demographic and surgical outcomes. The learning curve for LPD was evaluated using both the cumulative sum (CUSUM) and risk-adjusted CUSUM (RA-CUSUM) methods. All variables among the learning curve phases were compared. RESULTS: Based on the CUSUM and the RA-CUSUM analyses, the learning curve for LPD was grouped into three phases: phase I was the initial learning period (cases 1-40), phase II represented the technical competence period (cases 41-100), and phase III was regarded as the challenging period (cases 101-171). CONCLUSIONS: According to the learning curve analysis, 40 cases are required to achieve technical competence in LPD and 100 cases are required to address highly challenging cases.

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy reduces incidence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula in soft pancreas with a smaller than 2 mm pancreatic duct.

BACKGROUND: Soft pancreas with small pancreatic duct is a known risk factor for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). This study demonstrated the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) and compared perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) and open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) in patients with soft pancreas and small pancreatic duct. METHODS: From January 2014 to December 2019, 183 patients underwent LPD and 91 patients underwent OPD by a single surgeon. Data on patients with soft pancreas and combined small pancreatic duct (≤ 2 mm) were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathologic characteristics, and perioperative outcomes were compared between LPD and OPD. We evaluated risk factors affecting clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF). We also correlated calculated risks of POPF and CR-POPF between the two groups. RESULTS: We compared 62 patients in the LPD group and 34 patients in the OPD group. Perioperative outcomes showed less blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and less postoperative pain score on postoperative day (POD)#1 and #5 in LPD compared with OPD. Postoperative complications showed no differences between LPD and OPD. LPD group showed significantly reduced CR-POPF rates compared to the OPD group (LPD 11.3% vs. OPD 29.4%, p = 0.026). Multivariate analysis identified obesity (BMI ≥ 25), thick pancreas parenchyma and open surgery as independent predicting factors for CR-POPF. The LPD group showed less CR-POPF than the OPD group according to POPF risk groups. This difference was more prominent in a high-risk group. CONCLUSION: With appropriate laparoscopic technique, LPD is feasible and safe and reduces CR-POPF in soft pancreas with a small pancreatic duct.

The chronological change of indications and outcomes for single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a Korean multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Although single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is a common procedure, the change in its surgical indications and perioperative outcomes has not been analyzed. METHODS: We collected the clinical data of patients who underwent pure SILC in 9 centers between 2009 and 2018 and compared the perioperative outcomes. RESULTS: In this period, 6497 patients underwent SILC. Of these, 2583 were for gallbladder (GB) stone (39.7%), 774 were for GB polyp (11.9%), 994 were for chronic cholecystitis (15.3%), and 1492 were for acute cholecystitis (AC) (23%). 162 patients (2.5%) experienced complication, including 20 patients (0.2%) suffering from biliary leakage. The number of patients who underwent SILC for AC increased over time (p = 0.028), leading to an accumulation of experience (27.4 vs 23.7%, p = 0.002). The patients in late period were more likely to have undergone a previous laparotomy (29.5 vs 20.2%, p = 0.006), and to have a shorter operation time (47.0 vs 58.8 min, p < 0.001). Male (odds ratio [OR]; 1.673, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.090-2.569, p = 0.019) and moderate or severe acute cholecystitis (OR; 2.602, 95% CI 1.677-4.037, p < 0.001) were independent predictive factors for gallbladder perforation during surgery, and open conversion (OR; 5.793, 95% CI 3.130-10.721, p < 0.001) and pathologically proven acute cholecystitis or empyema (OR; 4.107, 95% CI 2.461-6.854, p < 0.001) were related with intraoperative gallbladder perforation CONCLUSION: SILC has expanded indication in late period. In this period, the patients had shorter operation times and a similar rate of severe complications, despite there being more numerous patients with AC.

Comprehensive Complication Index or Clavien-Dindo Classification: Which is Better for Evaluating the Severity of Postoperative Complications Following Pancreatectomy?

BACKGROUND: Complications are important indicators of immediate postoperative outcomes. The Clavien-Dindo classification (CDC) is a widely used index for the classification of surgical complications. More recently, the comprehensive complication index (CCI) has also been introduced for classifying postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to compare the relationship of CCI and CDC with clinical or economic parameters. METHODS: The study prospectively enrolled patients from April 2015 to October 2016. Two hundred and twenty-two patients underwent pancreatectomy during the enrolled period. Complications were ranked according to CDC and CCI indices. After analyzing the correlation between CCI and CDC, the correlations of length of stay (LOS) and cost with CCI and CDC were compared. Finally, differences between the correlation coefficients of CDC and CCI parameters were calculated. RESULTS: Complications occurred in 211 patients (95.0%). The correlation between CDC and CCI was r = 0.938. (p < 0.001) Compared to the CDC, CCI showed significantly stronger correlations with LOS and cost of complications (LOS: CCI vs. CDC, r = 0.725 vs. r = 0.630, p < 0.001; cost: CCI vs. CDC, r = 0.774 vs. r = 0.723, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CCI is a more accurate classification index, compared to CDC, for evaluating the risk of postoperative complications.

Initial experience of irreversible electroporation for locally advanced pancreatic cancer in a Korean population.

BACKGROUND: Locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel technique that uses a non-thermal ablation to avoid vessel or duct injury. PURPOSE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of IRE for the management of LAPC in a Korean population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve patients (median age 64 years; age range 46-73 years) treated between December 2015 and March 2017 underwent intraoperative IRE for LAPC. Technical success and clinical outcomes, including complications, serum pancreatic enzyme levels, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS), were evaluated. RESULTS: Tumors were located in the pancreas head in 7 (58.3%) patients and in the body/tail in 5 (41.7%) patients. The median tumor diameter in the longest axis was 3.1 cm. Vascular invasion was observed in all patients and bowel abutment in 3 (25%) patients. Technical success was achieved in all patients. The median serum levels of amylase and lipase were 55 U/L and 31 U/L, respectively, at baseline, increased to 141.5 U/L (P = 0.008) and 53 U/L (P = 0.505), respectively, one day after IRE, and normalized after one week. The rate of 30-day mortality of unknown relation was 8.3% (one individual experienced massive hematemesis 12 days after IRE). The median OS from diagnosis and IRE was 24.5 months and 13.5 months, respectively. The median PFS from diagnosis and IRE was 19.2 months and 8.6 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: For patients with LAPC, IRE appears to be a promising treatment modality with an acceptable safety profile.

Feasibility and Safety of Laparoscopic Radical Distal Pancreatosplenectomy with Adrenalectomy in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a lethal condition with poor outcomes and an increasing incidence.1 However, recent meta-analysis reported improved survival and R0 resection rate following neoadjuvant chemotherapy with subsequent surgery in initially unresectable pancreatic cancer.2 In addition, as a result of technological advances during the past 2 decades, even in pancreatic cancers, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) approaches are being used more frequently and safely.3-5 This video shows the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic resection in advanced left-sided pancreatic cancer. METHOD: The patient was a 63-year-old male with hypertension and diabetes. Initial computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 31 mm-sized pancreatic tail cancer with celiac artery and left adrenal gland abutment. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy due to the risk of retroperitoneal cancer infiltration. After four cycles of FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy, follow-up CT scan showed the tumor decreased to 2.6 cm and celiac artery abutment became less prominent. Based on the CT scan, laparoscopic radical distal pancreatosplenectomy with left adrenalectomy was planned. RESULTS: A five-port laparoscopic approach was performed, including three 12 mm trocars and an additional two 5 mm trocars. Initial intra-abdominal exploration showed no peritoneal seeding or micro liver metastasis. Gastric wedge resection was added due to cancer invasion for margin-negative resection. Operation time was 215 min and estimated blood loss was 200 cc without transfusion. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 6 without any complications, including postoperative pancreatic fistula. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic distal pancreatosplenectomy can be technically feasible and safe to obtain negative resection margins in well-selected patients following neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced pancreatic cancer.6.

Oncologic impact of preoperative prognostic nutritional index change in resected pancreatic cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have focused on the oncologic impact of the preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI), there is no study correlating the preoperative PNI changes with the oncologic outcome of resected pancreatic cancer following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 107 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients who underwent NAC followed by surgical resection. ΔPNI was defined as post-NAC PNI subtracted from pre-NAC PNI. Patients were divided into high (≥-1.94, n = 54) and low ΔPNI groups (<-1.94, n = 53). Long-term oncologic outcomes, such as overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), were compared. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: The high ΔPNI group correlated with lower pre-NAC PNI (46.96 ± 4.68 vs. 51.77 ± 5.63, p < 0.001) and higher post-NAC PNI (50.05 ± 4.80 vs. 42.56 ± 7.44, p < 0.001) more than the low ΔPNI group. The high ΔPNI group was also associated with longer OS compared with the low ΔPNI group (mean OS: 63.97 months [95% CI: 49.95-77.99] vs. 41.16 months [95% CI: 27.66-54.66], p = 0.003); there was no significant difference in DFS (p > 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that low ΔPNI was an independent risk factor for OS (HR, 3.516; 95% CI, 1.885-6.558; p < 0.001), but not for DFS (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low ΔPNI (<-1.94) was an independent risk factor for the overall survival of resected pancreatic cancer patients following NAC. In the preoperative setting, improving the PNI can better the long-term oncologic outcome of this condition.

Social Causation, Social Selection, or Common Determinants? Examining Competing Explanations for the Link Between Young Adult Unemployment and Nicotine Dependence.

INTRODUCTION: Unemployment has been related to smoking, yet the causal nature of the association is subject to continued debate. Social causation argues that unemployment triggers changes in smoking, whereas the social selection hypothesis proposes that pre-existing smoking behavior lowers the probability of maintaining employment. The present study tested these competing explanations while accounting for another alternative explanation-common liability. METHODS: Data were from the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a longitudinal cohort followed from birth to age 35. Odds were generated for having nicotine dependence in models for social causation and being unemployed in models for social selection. These models were extended to include possible common liability factors during childhood (eg, novelty seeking) and young adulthood (eg, major depression). RESULTS: In the model testing social causation, coefficients representing the impacts of unemployment on nicotine dependence remained statistically significant and robust (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20, 2.00), even after accounting for common determinant measures. In contrast, a reverse social selection model revealed that coefficients representing the impacts of nicotine dependence on unemployment substantially attenuated and became statistically nonsignificant as childhood factors were added (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 0.90, 1.45). CONCLUSIONS: Unemployment may serve as inroads to nicotine addiction among young adults, not the other way, even in the context of nicotine dependence, a more impaired form of smoking that may arguably hold higher potential to generate social selection processes. This social causation process cannot be completely attributable to common determinant factors. IMPLICATIONS: It is critical to clarify whether unemployment triggers changes in smoking behaviors (ie, social causation) or vice versa (ie, social selection)-the answers to the question will lead to public health strategies with very different intervention targets to break the linkage. The current study findings favor social causation over social selection, regardless of gender, and support a needed shift in service profiles for unemployed young adults-from a narrow focus on job skills training to a more holistic approach that incorporates knowledge from addiction science in which unemployed young adults can find needed services to cope with job loss.

Preoperative prediction of futile surgery in patients with radiologically resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study is to identify the predictive factors for futile surgery in patients with radiologically resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer and to develop a prediction model. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who underwent pancreatic surgery for pancreatic cancer between 2006 and 2017. To identify independent risk factors for futile surgery, logistic regression and random forest analyses were performed in the training cohort, based on which a nomogram was established. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were validated in the validation cohort. RESULTS: Of 389 patients who underwent pancreatic surgery, the laparotomy was futile in 40 patients (10.3%). In the training cohort, the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level of ≥ 150 U/mL (P = 0.003), the presence of suspicious lymph node (P = 0.013), and more extensive peripancreatic tumor infiltration (P < 0.001) were independent predictive factors for futile surgery. The bootstrap-corrected concordance index of the nomogram was high in the training cohort, 0.826 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.745-0.907. This model also showed a good discriminative performance in the validation cohort, with a concordance index of 0.831. CONCLUSIONS: We established and validated a novel nomogram that predicts the risk of futile surgery due to occult distant metastasis in patients with radiologically resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.