Potential Role for Observation in Small Solid Pseudopapillary Neoplasm (SPN).

BACKGROUND: Solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPN) are rare tumors of the pancreas, typically affecting young women. Resection is the mainstay of treatment but is associated with significant morbidity and potential mortality. We explore the idea that small, localized SPN could be safely observed. METHODS: This retrospective review of the Pancreas National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2018 identified SPN via histology code 8452. RESULTS: A total of 994 SPNs were identified. Mean age was 36.8 ± 0.5 years, 84.9% (n = 844) were female, and most had a Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Coefficient (CDCC) of 0-1 (96.6%, n = 960). Patients were most often staged clinically as cT2 (69.5%, n = 457) followed by cT3 (17.6%, n = 116), cT1 (11.2%, n = 74), and cT4 (1.7%, n = 11). Clinical lymph node and distant metastasis rates were 3.0 and 4.0%, respectively. Surgical resection was performed in 96.6% of patients (n = 960), most commonly partial pancreatectomy (44.3%) followed by pancreatoduodenectomy (31.3%) and total pancreatectomy (8.1%). In patients clinically staged as node (N0) and distant metastasis (M0) negative, occult pathologic lymph node involvement was found in 0% (n = 28) of patients with stage cT1 and 0.5% (n = 185) of patients with cT2 disease. The risk of occult nodal metastasis significantly increased to 8.9% (n = 61) for patients with cT3 disease. The risk further increased to 50% (n = 2) in patients with cT4 disease. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, the specificity of excluding nodal involvement clinically is 99.5% in tumors ≤ 4 cm and 100% in tumors ≤ 2 cm. Therefore, there may be a role for close observation in patients with cT1N0 lesions to mitigate morbidity from major pancreatic resection.

The Role of Race and Gender in the Career Experiences of Black/African American Academic Surgeons: A Survey of the Society of Black Academic Surgeons and a Call to Action.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of race and gender in the career experience of Black/AA academic surgeons and to quantify the prevalence of experience with racial and gender bias stratified by gender. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Compared to their male counterparts, Black/African American women remain significantly underrepresented among senior surgical faculty and department leadership. The impact of racial and gender bias on the academic and professional trajectory of Black/AA women surgeons has not been well-studied. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey regarding demographics, employment, and perceived barriers to career advancement was distributed via email to faculty surgeon members of the Society of Black American Surgeons (SBAS) in September 2019. RESULTS: Of 181 faculty members, 53 responded (29%), including 31 women (58%) and 22 men (42%). Academic positions as a first job were common (men 95% vs women 77%, P = 0.06). Men were more likely to attain the rank of full professor (men 41% vs women 7%, P = 0.01). Reports of racial bias in the workplace were similar (women 84% vs men 86%, not significant); however, reports of gender bias (women 97% vs men 27%, P < 0.001) and perception of salary inequities (women 89% vs 63%, P = 0.02) were more common among women. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Despite efforts to increase diversity, high rates of racial bias persist in the workplace. Black/AA women also report experiencing a high rate of gender bias and challenges in academic promotion.

Ampullary Neuroendocrine Tumors: Insight into a Rare Histology.

BACKGROUND: Ampullary neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) make up < 1% of all gastroenteropancreatic NETs, and information is limited to case series. This study compares patients with ampullary, duodenal, and pancreatic head NETs. METHODS: The National Cancer Database (2004-2016) was queried for patients with ampullary, duodenal, and pancreatic head NETs. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. RESULTS: Overall, 872, 9692, and 6561 patients were identified with ampullary, duodenal, and pancreatic head NETs, respectively. Patients with ampullary NETs had more grade 3 tumors (n = 149, 17%) than patients with duodenal (n = 197, 2%) or pancreatic head (n = 740, 11%) NETs. Patients with ampullary NETs had more positive lymph nodes (n = 297, 34%) than patients with duodenal (n = 950, 10%) or pancreatic head (n = 1513, 23%) NETs. On multivariable analysis for patients with ampullary NETs, age (hazard ratio [HR] 1.03, p < 0.0001), Charlson-Deyo score of 2 (HR 2.3, p = 0.001) or ≥3 (HR 2.9, p = 0.013), grade 2 (HR 1.9, p = 0.007) or grade 3 tumors (HR 4.0, p < 0.0001), and metastatic disease (HR 2.0, p = 0.001) were associated with decreased survival. At 5 years, the overall survival (OS) for patients with ampullary, duodenal, and pancreatic head NETs was 59%, 71%, and 50%, respectively (p < 0.0001), whereas the 5-year OS for patients with ampullary, duodenal, and pancreatic head NETs who underwent surgery was 62%, 78%, and 76%, respectively (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Ampullary NETs were more likely to present with high-grade tumors and lymph node metastases. Based on the clinicopathologic and survival data, ampullary NETs have a unique underlying biology compared with duodenal and pancreatic head NETs.

A Call to Action: Black/African American Women Surgeon Scientists, Where are They?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the representation of Black/AA women surgeons in academic medicine among U.S. medical school faculty and to assess the number of NIH grants awarded to Black/AA women surgeon-scientists over the past 2 decades. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Despite increasing ethnic/racial and sex diversity in U.S. medical schools and residencies, Black/AA women have historically been underrepresented in academic surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2017 Faculty Roster was performed and the number of grants awarded to surgeons from the NIH (1998-2017) was obtained. Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges included the total number of medical school surgery faculty, academic rank, tenure status, and department Chair roles. Descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS: Of the 15,671 U.S. medical school surgical faculty, 123 (0.79%) were Black/AA women surgeons with only 11 (0.54%) being tenured faculty. When stratified by academic rank, 15 (12%) Black/AA women surgeons were instructors, 73 (59%) were assistant professors, 19 (15%) were associate professors, and 10 (8%) were full professors of surgery. Of the 372 U.S. department Chairs of surgery, none were Black/AA women. Of the 9139 NIH grants awarded to academic surgeons from 1998 and 2017, 31 (0.34%) grants were awarded to fewer than 12 Black/AA women surgeons. CONCLUSION: A significant disparity in the number of Black/AA women in academic surgery exists with few attaining promotion to the rank of professor with tenure and none ascending to the role of department Chair of surgery. Identifying and removing structural barriers to promotion, NIH grant funding, and academic advancement of Black/AA women as leaders and surgeon-scientists is needed.

Palliative treatment and the role of surgical resection in gastric cancer.

Adenocarcinoma of the stomach is often diagnosed in the late stages of the disease. Surgical resection of all gross and microscopic disease is essential for curative treatment. Complete resection is often not achievable when patients present with advanced stage IV cancer. In the absence of symptoms, chemotherapy without resection has been the standard of care in most major centers. With improvements in response to chemotherapy and less invasive surgical approaches, patients with metastatic gastric cancer have had better survival outcomes than in the past. The challenge today when treating these patients is in defining who will benefit from more aggressive interventions. Reviewing the literature for guidance is difficult because the goals of treatment are often not clearly defined. Finding the proper balance of aggressiveness needed to extend survival while preserving and maximizing quality of life is a decision that clinicians have to make with increasing frequency. This review will attempt to provide a framework to aid in determining what role, if any, gastrectomy has in the management of patients with stage IV gastric cancer.

Examination of Intersectionality and the Pipeline for Black Academic Surgeons.

IMPORTANCE: The lack of underrepresented in medicine physicians within US academic surgery continues, with Black surgeons representing a disproportionately low number. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the trend of general surgery residency application, matriculation, and graduation rates for Black trainees compared with their racial and ethnic counterparts over time. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this nationwide multicenter study, data from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for the general surgery residency match and Graduate Medical Education (GME) surveys of graduating general surgery residents were retrospectively reviewed and stratified by race, ethnicity, and sex. Analyses consisted of descriptive statistics, time series plots, and simple linear regression for the rate of change over time. Medical students and general surgery residency trainees of Asian, Black, Hispanic or Latino of Spanish origin, White, and other races were included. Data for non-US citizens or nonpermanent residents were excluded. Data were collected from 2005 to 2018, and data were analyzed in March 2021. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcomes included the rates of application, matriculation, and graduation from general surgery residency programs. RESULTS: Over the study period, there were 71 687 applicants, 26 237 first-year matriculants, and 24 893 graduates. Of 71 687 applicants, 24 618 (34.3%) were women, 16 602 (23.2%) were Asian, 5968 (8.3%) were Black, 2455 (3.4%) were Latino, and 31 197 (43.5%) were White. Women applicants and graduates increased from 29.4% (1178 of 4003) to 37.1% (2293 of 6181) and 23.5% (463 of 1967) to 33.5% (719 of 2147), respectively. When stratified by race and ethnicity, applications from Black women increased from 2.2% (87 of 4003) to 3.5% (215 of 6181) (P < .001) while applications from Black men remained unchanged (3.7% [150 of 4003] to 4.6% [284 of 6181]). While the matriculation rate for Black women remained unchanged (2.4% [46 of 1919] to 2.3% [52 of 2264]), the matriculation rate for Black men significantly decreased (3.0% [57 of 1919] to 2.4% [54 of 2264]; P = .04). Among Black graduates, there was a significant decline in graduation for men (4.3% [85 of 1967] to 2.7% [57 of 2147]; P = .03) with the rate among women remaining unchanged (1.7% [33 of 1967] to 2.2% [47 of 2147]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Findings of this study show that the underrepresentation of Black physicians at every stage in surgical training pipeline persists. Black men are especially affected. Identifying factors that address intersectionality and contribute to the successful recruitment and retention of Black trainees in general surgery residency is critical for achieving racial and ethnic as well as gender equity.

Early results of trans-oral endoscopic plication and revision of the gastric pouch and stoma following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVE: A new technique for endoscopic plication and revision of the gastric pouch (EPRGP) for patients who underwent gastric bypass (RGB) surgery was evaluated in patients with severe GERD, dumping syndrome, failure of weight loss, or all of these. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients underwent EPRGP over a 12-month period. The StomaphyX device (Endogastric Solutions, Redmond, WA) was utilized over a standard flexible gastroscope. Patients were kept on a liquid diet for 1 week. RESULTS: The study included 64 patients with a mean age of 48 years who underwent 67 procedures. EPRGP was performed an average of 5 years after RGB. The mean preoperative BMI was 39.5 kg/m². The primary indications for the procedure were inadequate weight loss, dumping syndrome (42), and GERD (15). The mean follow-up period was 5.8 months (range, 3 to 12). The average operative time was 50 minutes, with a significant reduction with increased operator experience. There were only 2 (3%) intraoperative complications during the early period (equipment failure), which did not result in any morbidity. All symptoms from dumping syndrome or reflux improved, with no further operative-related complications. The mean weight loss was 7.3 kg. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of EPRGP.

The role of laparoscopy for gastric surgery in the West.

The only potentially curative treatment available for gastric adenocarcinoma is surgical resection. However, many controversies exist regarding treatment strategy, including whether the laparoscopic approach is appropriate. Many reports of laparoscopic techniques for cancer resection have shown oncologic equivalency to the open technique, with the known benefits of the minimally invasive approach, such as decreased pain, length of hospital stay, blood loss, and complications. The Eastern experience with laparoscopic gastrectomy has been extensive, associated with the increased incidence of early gastric cancers. However, in the West, laparoscopic approaches for gastric cancer have been more slowly accepted, largely due to the lower incidence of gastric cancer in this part of the world. Therefore, we aimed to review the technical feasibility and oncologic efficacy of the laparoscopic versus open approach to resection for gastric adenocarcinoma in the West. Review of the literature demonstrates that laparoscopic gastrectomy is a safe technique with short-term oncologic results that are equivalent in terms of margin status and lymph node retrieval and are associated with additional benefits of the minimally invasive approach, although long-term follow up is necessary. Laparoscopic gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma, similar to findings in the East, resulted in a decreased length of hospital stay, decreased narcotic use, fewer complications, and equivalent short-term oncologic outcomes. It appears that the minimally invasive approach for gastric resection of adenocarcinoma is safe and satisfies oncologic requirements, and is justified for use in selected patients.

Phenotypic subpopulations of metastatic colon cancer stem cells: genomic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human cancer is characterized by high heterogeneity in gene expression, varieties of differentiation phenotypes and tumor-host interrelations. Growing evidence suggests that tumor-initiating, or cancer stem cells (CSCs), may also represent a heterogeneous population. The present study was undertaken to isolate and characterize the different phenotypic subpopulations of metastatic colon cancer and to develop a working colon CSC model for obtaining highly tumorigenic and clonogenic cells in sufficient numbers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Different phenotypic cell subpopulations were isolated based on differential levels and patterns of expression of several stemness markers, including CD133, CD44, CD166 and CD49b. Stemness properties of isolated cells were tested by analysis of their ability to form floating colonospheres in vitro, to induce tumors in NOD/SCID mice after transplantation at relatively low cell numbers, and to produce progenitors of different phenotypes. RESULTS: The metastatic colon cancer HCT116 cell line, which expressed a majority of known CSC markers, closely resembling the patterns of expression in exfoliated peritoneal cells from several metastatic colon cancer patients, was selected as a reference material. Genome-wide microarray analysis (Affymetrix; DAVID) of CD133(high) CSC-enriched versus CSC-depleted cell populations revealed 4,351 differentially expressed genes with an overrepresentation of those responsible for apoptosis resistance, regulation of cell cycle, proliferation, stemness and developmental pathways. Simultaneous analysis of 84 stem cell- and metastasis-related genes with corresponding PCR arrays identified genes differentially expressed in several colon CSC phenotypic populations versus bulk tumor cells, and in relation to each other. It was found that colonospheres induced by tumorigenic cells with the highest expression of CD133 and those which were induced by CD133/CD44-negative cells possessed profoundly different stem cell-related gene expression profiles. CONCLUSION: The proposed approaches allow for reliable isolation and propagation of highly tumorigenic and clonogenic cells of different phenotypes. Genomic analysis of several candidate CSC phenotypic populations may contribute to the identification of novel targets for colon cancer stem cell-targeted drug development and treatment.

Measuring outcomes in randomized prospective trials in palliative care.

Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families and reduce suffering from life-threatening illness. In assessing palliative care efficacy, researchers must consider a broad range of potential outcomes, including those experienced by the patient's family/caregivers, clinicians, and the health care system. The purpose of this article is to summarize the discussions and recommendations of an Outcomes Working Group convened to advance the palliative care research agenda, particularly in the context of randomized controlled trials. These recommendations address the conceptualization of palliative care outcomes, sources of outcomes data, application of outcome measures in clinical trials, and the methodological challenges to outcome measurement in palliative care populations. As other fields have developed and refined methodological approaches that address their particular research needs, palliative care researchers must do the same to answer important clinical questions in rigorous and credible ways.

Digital communications and social media use in surgery: how to maximize communication in the digital age.

Communication among patients, colleagues, and staff in healthcare has changed dramatically in the last decade. Digital technology and social media sites have allowed instantaneous access to information. The potential for information technology to improve access to healthcare, enhance the quality, and lower the cost is significant. Text messaging, tweeting, chatting, and blogging are rapidly replacing e-mail as the preferred means of communication in healthcare. This review will highlight how digital technology is changing the way surgeons communicate with colleagues and patients as well as provide some guidance as to how to avoid some of the pitfalls and problems that this form of communication can bring.

Association between adipokines and critical illness outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ that plays a critical role in immunity and metabolism by virtue of a large number of hormones and cytokines, collectively termed adipokines. Dysregulation of adipokines has been linked to the pathogenesis of multiple diseases, but some questions have arisen concerning the value of adipokines in critical illness setting. The objective of this review was to evaluate the associations between blood adipokines and critical illness outcomes. METHODS: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception through July 2016 without language restriction. Studies reporting the associations of adipokines, leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and/or visfatin with critical illness outcomes mortality, organ dysfunction, and/or inflammation were included. RESULTS: A total of 38 articles were selected according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria of the study. Significant alterations of circulating adipokines have been reported in critically ill patients, some of which were indicative of patient outcomes. The associations of leptin and adiponectin with critical illness outcomes were not conclusive in that blood levels of both adipokines did not always correlate with the illness severity scores or risks of organ failure and mortality. By contrast, studies consistently reported striking increase of blood resistin and visfatin, independently of the critical illness etiology. More interestingly, increased levels of these adipokines were systematically associated with severe inflammation, and high incidence of organ failure and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: There is strong evidence to indicate that increased levels of blood resistin and visfatin are associated with poor outcomes of critically ill patients, including higher inflammation, and greater risk of organ dysfunction and mortality. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review, level III.

Operable synchronous ampullary carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a rare case of synchronous double primary malignancies of the liver and ampulla. A 70-year-old white female was diagnosed with ampullary and hepatocellular carcinoma. The management and outcome of this rare case of synchronous double primary hepatic and periampullary malignancies, amenable to surgical resection is discussed.

Gastric cancer: standards for the 21st century.

Although the incidence of gastric cancer has been decreasing in the United States, it remains a leading cause of cancer death in the world, only lung cancer causes more deaths worldwide. The combination of relatively low prevalence, lack of pathognomonic symptoms, and lack of defined risk factors are associated with a delay in diagnosis leading to a dismal prognosis. For localized disease, surgery remains a cornerstone of treatment but much controversy remains regarding optimal peri-operative therapy. For advanced disease, several new agents and new combination chemotherapies have offered encouraging results. This paper seeks to review the major topics surrounding gastric cancer and cover the results of recently reported and ongoing trials.

Selection of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma for laparoscopic staging.

BACKGROUND: To refine selection criteria for laparoscopic staging of gastric adenocarcinoma, preoperatively available clinical and radiologic factors that may predict the risk of M1 disease were investigated. METHODS: During 1993-2002, laparoscopy was performed if patients had minimal symptoms and there was no definite M1 disease at computed tomography (CT) scanning. High-quality, spiral, CT scans were reviewed in detail for 65 recent patients. RESULTS: Laparoscopy was conducted for 657 patients and M1 was detected in 31%. M1 was significantly more prevalent with tumor location at the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ; M1 in 42%) or whole stomach (66%), poor differentiation (36%) or age < or = 70 years (34%). On spiral CT scan, lymphadenopathy > or = 1 cm (49%) or T3/T4 tumors (63%) were associated with significantly higher prevalence of M1. On multivariate analyses, only tumor location (GEJ or whole stomach) and lymphadenopathy were independently significant and M1 was not detected in any patient with neither risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: With spiral CT staging, laparoscopy may be avoided if the primary tumor is not at the GEJ or whole stomach and there is no lymphadenopathy.

Open repair of large abdominal wall hernias with and without components separation; an analysis from the ACS-NSQIP database.

BACKGROUND: Components separation technique emerged several years ago as a novel procedure to improve durability of repair for ventral abdominal hernias. Almost twenty-five years since its initial description, little comprehensive risk adjusted data exists on the morbidity of this procedure. This study is the largest analysis to date of short-term outcomes for these cases. METHODS: The ACS-NSQIP database identified open ventral or incisional hernia repairs with components separation from 2005 to 2012. A data set of cohorts without this technique, matched for preoperative risk factors and operative characteristics, was developed for comparison. A comprehensive risk-adjusted analysis of outcomes and morbidity was performed. RESULTS: A total of 68,439 patients underwent open ventral hernia repair during the study period (2245 with components separation performed (3.3%) and 66,194 without). In comparison with risk-adjusted controls, use of components separation increased operative duration (additional 83 min), length of stay (6.4 days vs. 3.8 days, p < 0.001), return to the OR rate (5.9% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.001), and 30-day morbidity (10.1% vs. 7.6%, p < 0.001) with no increase in mortality (0.0% in each group). CONCLUSIONS: Components separation technique for large incisional hernias significantly increases length of stay and postoperative morbidity. Novel strategies to improve short-term outcomes are needed with continued use of this technique.

Postoperative nomogram for disease-specific survival after an R0 resection for gastric carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Few published studies have addressed individual patient risk after R0 resection for gastric cancer. We developed and internally validated a nomogram that combines these factors to predict the probability of 5-year gastric cancer-specific survival on the basis of 1,039 patients treated at a single institution. METHODS: Nomogram predictor variables included age, sex, primary site (distal one-third, middle one-third, gastroesophageal junction, and proximal one-third), Lauren histotype (diffuse, intestinal, mixed), number of positive lymph nodes resected, number of negative lymph nodes resected, and depth of invasion. Death as a result of gastric cancer was the predicted end point. The concordance index was used as an accuracy measure, with bootstrapping to correct for optimistic bias. Calibration plots were constructed. RESULTS: Gastric cancer-specific survival at 5 years was 50%. A nomogram was constructed on the basis of a Cox regression model. The bootstrap-corrected concordance index was 0.80. When compared with the predictive ability of American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, the nomogram discrimination was superior (P <.001). Nomogram calibration appeared to be excellent. CONCLUSION: A nomogram was developed to predict 5-year disease-specific survival after R0 resection for gastric cancer. This tool should be useful for patient counseling, follow-up scheduling, and clinical trial eligibility determination.

Interaction of splenectomy and perioperative blood transfusions on prognosis of patients with proximal gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer.

PURPOSE: To assess the interaction of splenectomy and perioperative allogeneic blood transfusions on the prognosis of patients undergoing a potentially curative resection of proximal gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer, because reports from the transplantation literature demonstrated that the immunosuppressive effects of transfusions are dependent on the presence of an intact spleen. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between July 1, 1985, and July 30, 2001, 240 patients underwent complete resection (R0) of a proximal gastric or GEJ cancer (Siewert type II or III). Clinical and pathologic factors were collected in a prospective database. The survival data were modeled using the method of Kaplan and Meier and analyzed by the log-rank test and Cox regression. RESULTS: The median follow-up of the patients was 25 months (40 months for survivors). The median relapse-free survival was 30 months, and the median disease-specific survival was 45 months. Univariate analysis suggested an interaction of splenectomy and perioperative transfusion in their effect on relapse-free survival. Patients who received a perioperative transfusion but did not undergo splenectomy demonstrated the worst prognosis on multivariate analysis independent of other prognostic factors. In patients who underwent splenectomy, perioperative transfusion had no effect on relapse-free survival on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests an interaction of blood transfusion and splenectomy in their effect on survival paralleling the findings in the transplantation literature. The adverse effect of allogeneic blood transfusion on prognosis in patients with gastric cancer seems to be associated with the presence of an intact spleen and is abrogated by its absence.