SLC25A3 negatively regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation by restricting the function of NLRP3.

The NACHT, leucine-rich repeat, and pyrin domains-containing protein 3 (collectively known as NLRP3) inflammasome activation plays a critical role in innate immune and pathogenic microorganism infections. However, excessive activation of NLRP3 inflammasome will lead to cellular inflammation and tissue damage, and naturally it must be precisely controlled in the host. Here, we discovered that solute carrier family 25 member 3 (SLC25A3), a mitochondrial phosphate carrier protein, plays an important role in negatively regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation. We found that SLC25A3 could interact with NLRP3, overexpression of SLC25A3 and knockdown of SLC25A3 could regulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and the interaction of NLRP3 and SLC25A3 is significantly boosted in the mitochondria when the NLRP3 inflammasome is activated. Our detailed investigation demonstrated that the interaction between NLRP3 and SLC25A3 disrupted the interaction of NLRP3-NEK7, promoted ubiquitination of NLRP3, and negatively regulated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Thus, these findings uncovered a new regulatory mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, which provides a new perspective for the therapy of NLRP3 inflammasome-associated inflammatory diseases.

MiR-380 inhibits the proliferation and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells by silencing LIS1.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the role and regulatory mechanism of miR-380 in cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: The TargetScan database and a dual-luciferase reporter assay system were used to determine if LIS1 was a target gene of miR-380. The Cell Counting Kit 8 assay, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay were used to detect the effects of miR-380 and LIS1 on the proliferation, S-phase ratio, and invasiveness of HCCC-9810/HuCCT1/QBC939 cells. Western blotting was used to determine the effect of miR-380 on MMP-2/p-AKT. Immunohistochemistry detected the regulatory effect of miR-380 on the expression of MMP-2/p-AKT/LIS1. RESULTS: Expression of miR-380 in cholangiocarcinoma was decreased but expression of LIS1 was increased. LIS1 was confirmed to be a target gene of miR-380. Transfection with miR-380 mimics inhibited the proliferation, S-phase arrest, and invasion of HCCC-9810/HuCCT1/QBC939 cells, and LIS1 reversed these inhibitory effects. miR-380 inhibitor promoted proliferation, S-phase ratio, and invasiveness of HCCC-9810/HuCCT1/QBC939 cells. si-LIS1 salvaged the promotive effect of miR-380 inhibitor. Overexpression of miR-380 inhibited expression of MMP-2/p-AKT/LIS1, but miR-380 inhibitor promoted their expression. CONCLUSION: An imbalance of miR-380 expression is closely related to cholangiocarcinoma, and overexpression of miR-380 inhibits the expression of MMP-2/p-AKT by directly targeting LIS1.

Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is important for improving long-term survival in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases undergoing simultaneous resection.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: A growing number of studies have demonstrated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy can improve the prognosis of patients with resectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). However, the routine use of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (POAC) for patients with CRLM after simultaneous resection remains controversial. This retrospective study investigated the impact of POAC on outcomes in patients with CRLM who underwent simultaneous resection of colorectal cancer tumors and liver metastases using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. METHODS: From January 2009 to November 2020, patients with CRLM who underwent simultaneous resection were retrospectively enrolled. The confounding factors and selection bias were adjusted by 2:1 PSM. Patients were stratified into the POAC and non-POAC groups. Kaplan-Meier curves were utilized to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between the groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent clinicopathological factors before and after PSM analysis. The utility of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves after PSM analysis. RESULTS: In total, 478 patients with resectable CRLM were enrolled and assigned to the POAC (n = 212, 60.9%) or non-POAC group (n = 136, 39.1%). After 2:1 PSM, there was no significant bias between the groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed a significant effect of POAC on OS (P < 0.001) but not PFS. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified T stage (T3-T4), lymph node metastasis, radiofrequency ablation during surgery, operative time ≥ 325 min, and the receipt of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (hazard ratio = 0.447, 95% confidence interval = 0.312-0.638, P < 0.001) as independent prognostic factors for OS. The areas under the ROC curves for the nomogram model for predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival were 0.653, 0.628, and 0.678, respectively. Subgroups analysis suggested that POAC can enhance OS in patients with resectable CRLM with either low (1-2, P < 0.001) or high clinical risk scores (3-5, P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study identified POAC as a prognostic factor to predict OS in patients with CRLM undergoing simultaneous resection.

Emergency versus delayed hepatectomy following transarterial embolization in spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous rupture is a life-threatening complication of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent trends in surgical treatments avoid emergency hepatectomy (EH) and favor emergency transarterial embolization (TAE) followed by delayed hepatectomy (DH). Still, there is debate on which is the better treatment option and whether delaying hepatectomy increases peritoneal metastasis. AIM: To provide evidence-based references for the optimal management of patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC by comparing the outcomes of EH and DH. METHODS: Literature on postoperative outcomes of EH and DH in patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC published between the date of the database establishment and May 2022, was identified in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Revman 5.3 software was used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: Nine publications were identified, including a total of 681 patients. Of those, 304 underwent EH, and 377 underwent TAE followed by DH. The meta-analysis results indicated that the in-hospital mortality rate in the EH patient group was significantly higher than that in the DH patient group (relative risk (RR) = 2.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-4.57, p =0.04). There was no significant differences in the rates of postoperative complications (RR = 1.21, 95% CI 0.77-1.90, p = 0.40), postoperative hospital stay (WMD = - 0.64, 95% CI - 5.61-4.34, p = 0.80), recurrence (RR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.94-1.25, p = 0.27), peritoneal metastasis (RR = 1.06, 95% CI 0.66-1.71, p = 0.80), 1-year survival (RR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.80-1.02, p = 0.11), or 3-year survival (RR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.61-1.09, p = 0.17) in survivors between the two patient groups. CONCLUSION: The postoperative outcomes of the spontaneously ruptured HCC survivors who received EH were similar to those who received emergency TAE followed by DH. However, the in-hospital mortality rate was higher in EH patients. Based on the findings, DH with TAE first strategy might be considered over EH as the first line treatment modality. However, these findings await further validation by future high-quality studies.

Chinese expert recommendations on management of hepatocellular carcinoma during COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide multicenter survey.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the work status of clinicians in China and their management strategy alteration for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A nationwide online questionnaire survey was conducted in 42 class-A tertiary hospitals across China. Experienced clinicians of HCC-related specialties responded with their work status and management suggestions for HCC patients during the pandemic. RESULTS: 716 doctors responded effectively with a response rate of 60.1%, and 664 were included in the final analysis. Overall, 51.4% (341/664) of clinicians reported more than a 60% reduction of the regular workload and surgeons declared the highest proportion of workload reduction. 92.5% (614/664) of the respondents have been using online medical consultation to substitute for the "face-to-face" visits. Adaptive adjustment for the treatment strategy for HCC was made, including the recommendations of noninvasive and minimally invasive treatments such as transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for early and intermediate stage. Targeted therapy has been the mainstay for advanced stage and also as a bridge therapy for resectable HCC. DISCUSSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, online medical consultation is recommended to avoid social contact. Targeted therapy as a bridge therapy is recommended for resectable HCC considering the possibility of delayed surgery.

Effect of indocyanine green fluorescence angiography on preventing anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery: a meta-analysis.

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a serious but not uncommon complication after colorectal surgery. We conducted this study to evaluate the effect of routine indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICG-FA) on reducing the AL rate after colorectal surgery. We identified all research articles about colorectal surgery using ICG-FA, published in the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases from the date of database establishment to May 2020. Revman 5.3 was used for statistical analysis. We analyzed 22 controlled studies and 7 non-controlled studies on ICG-FA, including 6312 patients. The controlled studies included 2354 patients in the ICG group and 3522 patients in the non-ICG group. Meta-analysis showed that ICG-FA reduced the AL rate after colorectal surgery significantly (RR = 0.39; 95% CI 0.30-0.50; P < 0.00001). However, patients whose resection line was changed based on the fluorescence angiography had a higher AL rate than those whose resection line was not changed (OR = 5.37; 95% CI 2.67-10.81; P < 0.00001). The overall complication rate, severe complication rate, and reoperation rate in the ICG group were significantly lower than those in the non-ICG group (RR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.67-0.92, P = 0.002; RR = 0.67, 95% CI 0.47-0.96, P = 0.03; RR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.29-0.96, P = 0.04, respectively), whereas the postoperative ileus rate was significantly higher in the ICG group than in the non-ICG group (RR = 1.65; 95% CI 1.09-2.50; P = 0.02), especially in Western countries (RR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.04-2.47; P = 0.03).ICG-FA may reduce the AL rate after colorectal surgery, but ICG-FA group patients with transection line change for insufficient blood perfusion to the anastomotic stoma after evaluation had a higher AL rate than those without transection line change. Therefore, ICG-FA can help to identify patients at high risk of AL and intercept its occurrence. Moreover, ICG-FA may reduce the overall complication rate, severe complication rate, and reoperation rate, but induce postoperative ileus. High-quality randomized-controlled trials with a placebo control are needed to further evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ICG-FA.

Safety and feasibility of laparoscopic living donor right hepatectomy for adult liver transplantation: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic living donor right hepatectomy (LDRH) was a controversial topic due to its unknown safety and feasibility. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies comparing LDRH with open living donor right hepatectomy (ODRH), which were published between the date of database establishment and June 2020. Revman5.3 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included. For the donors, there was no significant difference in warm ischemic time, hospital stay, graft weight, hepatic arterial anomalies (HAA), hepatic vein anomalies (HVA), portal vein anomalies (PVA), biliary anomalies, bleeding, wound infection, severe complication rate and readmission rate. The estimated blood loss, incidence of complication, intra-abdominal fluid rate in the LDRH group were significantly lower than those in the ODRH group, while the operation time, time to remove liver in the LDRH group were significantly higher than those in the ODRH group. For the recipients, there was no significant difference in complication rate, bleeding, HAA, PVA, biliary anomalies, graft failure and mortality. The HVA rate in the LDRH group was significantly higher than that in the ODRH group. CONCLUSION: LDRH is safe and feasible for adult living donor liver transplantation compared with ODRH and it can reduce intraoperative bleeding and postoperative complication in donors, which requires further verification by more multi-center comparative studies with large sample and high quality.

Long-term and short-term outcomes after laparoscopic versus open surgery for advanced gastric cancer: An updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of laparoscopy for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) remains controversial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a literature search on the EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane Library databases to identify relevant available articles published between the time of the databases' inception and July 2020. RESULTS: A total of 14,689 patients were included in the 41 studies identified. A total of 6976 patients were in an laparoscopic approach group (LG) and 7713 patients were in an open approach group (OG). The meta-analysis showed that in randomized control trials (RCTs), LG were better than OG in terms of estimated blood loss, time to oral intake and time to first flatus while the operation time and proximal resection margin (PRM) were significantly worse in LG than in OG. In the non-RCTs, LG had shorter hospital stays, less blood loss, less intraoperative transfusion, less time to oral intake, time to first flatus, time to ambulation; less overall or serious complications; and better 3-year and 5-year overall or disease-free survival (DFS). Operation times and PRM were significantly worse for LGs. CONCLUSION: The safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery for AGC is not inferior to that of traditional open surgery, and to a certain extent, can reduce trauma, facilitate recovery, and be validated in RCTs and non-RCTs. In the real-world cohort, laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer achieved a better survival rate and DFS rate. However, to evaluate the efficacy of these two methods more comprehensively, high-quality randomized controlled trials and longer follow-up times are still needed.

Comparison of effect between nasobiliary drainage and biliary stenting in malignant biliary obstruction: a systematic review and updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To compare the efficacy of endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD) and endoscopic biliary stenting (EBS) in preoperative biliary drainage (PBD). METHODS: ENBD and EBS related literature of patients with malignant biliary obstruction published before September 2019 were collected from PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library for comparison analysis. Revman 5.3 statistical software was used for analysis. RESULTS: Nine studies were used for our comparative study. A total of 1435 patients were included, which consisted of 813 in the ENBD group and 622 in the EBS group. Meta-analysis showed that patients with malignant biliary obstruction who received ENBD had reductions in the rates of preoperative cholangitis (RR  =  0.46, 95% CI  =  0.34-0.62, P  <  0.00001), preoperative pancreatitis (RR  =  0.69, 95% CI  =  0.50-0.95, P  = 0.02), stent dysfunction (RR  =  0.58, 95% CI  =  0.43-0.80, P  = 0.0008), morbidity (RR  =  0.77, 95% CI  =  0.64-0.93, P  =  0.007), and postoperative pancreatic fistula (RR  =  0.65, 95% CI  =  0.45-0.92, P  =  0.02) compared with patients who received EBS. CONCLUSIONS: The rates of preoperative cholangitis, preoperative pancreatitis, post-operative pancreatic fistula, stent dysfunction, and morbidity of ENBD patients were lower than those of EBS patients. In clinical practice, the physical condition of each patient and their tolerance should be fully considered. ENBD should be given priority. EBS should be replaced if stent dysfunction or intolerance occurs.

The 7th AJCC/UICC TNM staging system may be not suitable in predicting prognosis of synchronous multiple gastric carcinoma patients with D2 gastrectomy.

To assess the suitability of the 7th AJCC/UICC TNM staging system in predicting the prognosis of synchronous multiple gastric carcinomas (SMGCs). A total of 129 SMGC patients who underwent gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy from January 1999 to January 2009 were enrolled in this study. The location, diameter, and depth of invasion of the main tumor were all related to prognosis (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed depth of invasion as an independent predictive factor for survival (P < 0.05). Interestingly, logistic regression analysis showed that the 7th AJCC/UICC N staging system was unable to significantly predict survival in SMGCS patients (P > 0.05). Cut-point survival analysis identified the most appropriate cut-offs for metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) as 0, 1, 6, 10, and 19: patients with 0, 1-6, 7-10, and 11-19, and ≥ 20 MLNs had median survival times of 70, 56, 35, 52, and 32 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis suggested this new categorization of MLNs to be a significant predictor of survival (P < 0.05). Preoperative assessment of depth of invasion can help in the prognosis of SMGCs patients. The 7th UICC TNM staging system may be not suitable for SMGC patients and needs improvement for rational grading of SMGCs.

Association of Genetic Polymorphisms in UDP-Glucuronosyltransferases 2B17 with the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer in Chinese Han Population.

BACKGROUND: This study is aimed to investigate the association between polymorphisms in UGT2B17 and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in Chinese Han population. METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted, and 1579 healthy controls and 406 pancreatic cancer patients were enrolled. Real-time PCR was applied to identify the genetic polymorphisms in the subjects, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between UGT2B17 polymorphisms and susceptibility to pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: The prevalence of the UGT2B17 del/del, del/ins, and ins/ins in cases were 72.9%, 24.0%, and 3.1%, respectively, and in controls 66.6%, 30.7%, and 2.7%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that, compared with the del/del genotype, the del/ins genotype in UGT2B17 is related to a significant reduction in pancreatic cancer risk (OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.60 - 0.99; P = 0.04). In the female subjects, compared with the del/del genotype, the del/ins genotype was related to a substantial reduction in pancreatic cancer risk (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.39 - 0.90, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: All these results indicate a higher ratio of UGT2B17 deletion polymorphisms in Asians. UGT2B17 deletion polymorphisms are associated with the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in Chinese Han population, especially in the female population.

[Value of intraoperative fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of intraoperative fine needle aspiration cytology (IFNAC) examination in the diagnosis of pancreatic lesions. METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 491 patients with pancreatic lesions treated in our hospital from May 1998 to June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Their clinical features, IFNAC findings, pathological results after IFNAC examination and related complications were summarized. The factors affecting the aspiration biopsy accuracy were analyzed using logistic regression and multi factor analysis. RESULTS: 491 patients with pancreatic lesions were examined by IFNAC. Among them, cancer cells were found in 434 cases (positive), and were not found in 57 cases (negative). Among the 310 cases who underwent surgical operation, postoperative pathology confirmed 209 cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 8 cases of pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma, 23 cases of solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas, 15 cases of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, 14 cases of intraductal papillary mucinous tumor, 2 cases of primary pancreatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor, 17 cases of pancreatic serous cystadenoma, and 22 cases of chronic mass-forming type pancreatitis. The IFNAC test showed a sensitivity of 97.9% (425/434), and specificity of 89.5% (51/57). The IFNAC examination-related complications were pancreatic leakage in a total of 12 patients which were cured after treatment. No bleeding complication was observed. Logistic multivariate analysis showed that tumor size, cystic degeneration, lymph node metastasis and associated chronic pancreatitis are independent factors affecting the IFNAC examination of pancreatic carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: IFNAC examination has a high sensitivity and specificity, and with a good safety in clinical use. IFNAC can be used as a powerful tool for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, with a high clinical value in use. In the cytology-negative cases, cytology alone can not rule out the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Through repeated sampling and combined with intraoperative frozen section pathology can improve the diagnostic accuracy.

[Value of PUSSOM and P-POSSUM for the prediction of surgical operative risk in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and a modification of the POSSUM system (P-P0SSUM) scoring system in predicting the surgical operative risk of pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors. METHODS: POSSUM and P-POSSUM scoring systems were used to retrospectively evaluate the clinical data of 432 patients with periampullar tumors who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy in the Department of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 1985 to December 2010. The predictive occurrence of postoperative complications and mortality rate were calculated according to the formula. ROC curve analysis and different group of risk factors were used to determine the discrimination ability of the two score systems, and to determine their predictive efficacy by comparing the actual and predictive complications and mortality rates, using Hosmer-Lemeshow test to determine the goodness of fit of the two scoring systems. RESULTS: The average physiological score of the 432 patients was 16.1 ± 3.5, and the average surgical severity score was 19.6 ± 2.7. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve for mortality predicted by POSSUM and P-POSSUM were 0.893 and 0.888, showing a non-significant difference (P > 0.05) between them. The area under ROC curve for operative complications predicted by POSSUM scoring system was 0.575. The POSSUM score system was most accurate for the prediction of complication rates of 20%-40%, showing the O/E value of 0.81. Compared with the POSSUM score system, P-POSSUM had better ability in the prediction of postoperative mortality, when the predicted value of mortality was greater than 15%, the predictive result was more accurate, and the O/E value was 1.00. CONCLUSIONS: POSSUM and P-POSSUM scoring system have good value in predicting the mortality of patients with periampullary tumors undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy, but a poorer value of POSSUM score system in prediction of complications. We can establish a more suitable scoring system for pancreaticoduodenectomy by modifying the score constant and weight, to better predict surgical risk and reduce the operative complications and mortality.

[Learning curve for middle pancreatectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the learning curve for middle pancreatectomy by comparing the outcomes of middle pancreatectomy operated by a single treatment group at different stages. METHODS: A total of 48 patients received middle pancreatectomy by single treatment group between January 2006 and April 2014 at our hospital. These 48 cases were divided into 10 stages (5 cases in each) according to the operation sequence. The operation time, blood loss, surgical complications, rate of negative margin and postoperative hospital stay were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: There was no significant difference among the 10 stages in respect to surgical complications, rate of negative margin and postoperative hospital stay (P>0.05). The median operation time and blood loss in the first stage was 375 min and 530 ml, respectively. The median operation time and blood loss in the second stage was 280 min and 330 ml, respectively. There were significant differences between these two stages and the other later stages in median operation time and blood loss (P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference among the stages 3 to 10 in the median operation time and blood loss (P>0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: After 10-15 cases of middle pancreatectomy, a surgeon can be skilled and experienced in this surgical procedure with few surgical complications.

[Application value of core needle biopsy technique in the pathological diagnosis of locally advanced pancreatic cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of core needle biopsy technique in the pathological diagnosis of locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients. METHODS: During April 2007 to April 2014, retrospective analysis was conducted for 36 patients of locally advanced pancreatic cancer to summarize the clinical data of core needle biopsy technique. And the relevant data included clinical features, pathological findings and puncture-related complications. Regular postoperative follow-ups were conducted. RESULTS: All received pathological examination of core needle biopsy. And the pathological diagnoses were pancreatic cancer (n=29), pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (n=2) and chronic pancreatitis (n=5). During the follow-ups, liver metastasis was pathologically confirmed postoperatively at Months 4 and 6 months among 5 chronic pancreatitis patients. The remainder was followed up for over 12 months. There was neither change in size nor metastasis. One case was diagnosed at Peking Union Hospital as autoimmune pancreatitis while another 2 cases had a clinical diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. The accuracy of core needle puncture was 94.4%. There were 2 cases of postoperative pancreatic fistula in class A. Bleeding complication was absent. CONCLUSION: The application of core needle biopsy technique is both safe and effective in the pathological diagnosis of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

[Early complications of intra-operative radiotherapy in locally advanced pancreatic cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the complications in intra-operative radiotherapy (IORT) for patients with local advanced pancreatic cancer. METHODS: The clinical data, operation material, overall dose of IORT, postoperative therapy, complications, treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed in all the in-hospital pancreatic cancer patients from Nov 2008 to Jan 2012. RESULTS: There were 115 patients with local advanced pancreatic cancer treated with IORT in this study. 81 cases had a tumor in the head of pancreas and 34 cases in the pancreatic body and tail. The operation method was IORT combined with internal drainage surgery. The intra-operative radiotherapy was performed using Mobetron mobile electron accelerator, with a total dose of 12-20 Gy. Bilioenteric anastomosis and/or gastrointestinal anastomosis were included in the internal drainage surgery. Gastroparesis syndrome (10.4%), hemorrhage (3.5%), abdominal infection (2.6%), pancreatic fistula (0.9%) and renal failure (1.7%) were the common postoperative complication of IORT. All patients were cured except one who died of digestive tract hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Major complications of IORT are gastroparesis syndrome, abdominal infection and hemorrhage. The incidence of gastroparesis syndrome is at the top of the list. However, early complications have a relatively better prognosis, indicating that IORT is a safe and reliable therapy for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

[Application of absorbable suture continuous catcher method during gastrointestinal anastomosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application of absorbable suture continuous catcher (ASCC) method during gastrointestinal anastomosis. METHODS: From January 2012 to March 2014, 210 patients with upper gastrointestinal tumors received ASCC method during gastrointestinal anastomosis by single treatment group. They were compared with 300 cases of full-thickness interrupted suture (FTIS) using traditional methods over the same period. Their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed, including anastomotic hemorrhage, leakage and obstruction. RESULTS: There was neither mortality nor serious abdominal complication. The ASCC group had one case of anastomotic hemorrhage (1/210, 0.05%) while there were 17 cases (17/300, 5.67%) in the FTIS group. The difference was statistically significant with a P value of 0.032. The ASCC group had a lower incidence of anastomotic leakage and obstruction. However, the difference was statistically insignificant with P values of 0.101 and 0.153 respectively. CONCLUSION: As compared with the FTIS method, the ASCC method has a lower incidence of gastrointestinal anastomotic hemorrhage and other anastomotic complications. The ASCC method is an ideal suture method of gastrointestinal anastomosis reinforcement.

[Diagnosis and treatment of solid-pseudopapillary carcinoma of the pancreas].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the institutional experiences of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for solid-pseudopapillary carcinoma of the pancreas (SPCP). METHODS: Retrospective analyses were performed for 11 cases of SPCP diagnosed in recent 15 years at Department of Abdominal Surgery, Cancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. RESULTS: There were 10 females and 1 male with an average age of 33 years. The locations included head (n = 7) and body and tail (n = 4).Five of them had pain in abdomen or back while another 6 were found accidentally. Their images were of solid-cystic tumors and all serum markers stayed within a normal range. All received en bloc resection. The average maximum diameter was 6 cm and the percentage of patients with lymph node metastases was 36.4% (4/11). Their average follow-up period was 80.5 months. Two patients died postoperatively from hepatic metastases. And another 9 survived without relapse or metastasis. CONCLUSION: As one of rare pancreatic neoplasms with non-specific clinical characteristics, SPCP primarily affects young females. A definite diagnosis depends on pathological confirmation.Surgery is the first-choice treatment with a favorable prognosis.Radical resection with R0 margin is crucial to long-term postoperative survival.

FOLFOXIRI plus cetuximab as conversion therapy for unresectable RAS/BRAF wild-type left-sided colorectal cancer with liver-limited metastases: a prospective dual-center pilot study.

Purpose: To explore the efficacy and safety of FOLFOXIRI plus cetuximab regimen as conversion therapy for patients with unresectable RAS/BRAF wild-type colorectal liver-limited metastases (CLM). Patients and methods: This was a dual-center, phase II trial with the rate of no evidence of disease (NED) achieved as the primary endpoint. All enrolled patients with initially unresectable left-sided RAS/BRAF wild-type colorectal liver-limited metastases received a modified FOLFOXIRI plus cetuximab regimen as conversion therapy. Results: Between October 2019 and October 2021, fifteen patients were enrolled. Nine patients (60%) achieved NED. The overall response rate (ORR) was 92.9%, and the disease control rate (DCR) was 100%. The median relapse-free survival (RFS) was 9 (95% CI: 0-20.7) months. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 13.0 months (95% CI: 5.7-20.5), and the median overall survival (OS) was not reached. The most frequently occurring grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (20%), peripheral neurotoxicity (13.3%), diarrhea (6.7%), and rash acneiform (6.7%). Conclusion: The FOLFOXIRI plus cetuximab regimen displayed tolerable toxicity and promising anti-tumor activity in terms of the rate of NED achieved and response rate in patients with initially unresectable left-sided RAS/BRAF wild-type CLM. This regimen merits further investigation.

Spatial transcriptomics in pancreatic cancer: Advances, prospects and challenges.

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest malignancies with an overall 5-year survival rate of 13 %. This dismal fact can be partly attributed to currently limited understanding of tumor heterogeneity and immune microenvironment. Traditional bulk-sequencing techniques overlook the diversity of tumor cells, while single-cell sequencing disorganizes the position localizing of cells in tumor microenvironment. The advent of spatial transcriptomics (ST) presents a novel solution by integrating location and whole transcript expression information. This technology allows for detailed observation of spatio-temporal changes across various cell subtypes within the pancreatic tumor microenvironment, providing insights into their potential functions. This review offers an overview of recent studies implementing ST in pancreatic cancer research, highlighting its instrumental role in investigating the heterogeneity and functions of tumor cells, stromal cells, and immune cells. On the basis, we also prospected and summarized the clinical application scenarios, technical limitations and challenges of ST technology in pancreatic cancer.