Laparoscopic pancreatic enucleation: cystic lesions and proximity to the Wirsung duct increase postoperative pancreatic fistula.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) following pancreatic enucleation by the open approach (OpenEN) are well known. However, ENs are more frequently performed laparoscopically (LapEN). The aim of this study was to analyze the risk factors of POPF following LapEN. METHODS AND PATIENTS: All patients in our prospective database who underwent LapEN were evaluated. We report the demographics, surgical, early and long-term outcomes. Numerous variables were analyzed to identify the risk factors of POPF. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2020, 650 laparoscopic pancreatic resections were performed including 64 EN (10%). The median age was 51 years old (17-79), median BMI was 24 (19-48), and 44 patients were women (69%). The main presentation was an incidental diagnosis (n = 40; 62%), pain (n= 10;16%), and hypoglycemia (n = 8;12%). The main indications were neuroendocrine tumors (40; 63%), mucinous cystadenomas (15; 23%), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasie (3; 5%), and other benign cysts (6; 9%). Lesions were located on the distal pancreas (43; 67%), head (n = 17; 27%), and neck (4; 6%). The median size was 20 mm (9-110); 30 mm (20-110) for mucinous cystadenoma and 18 mm (8-33) for NET. The median operative time was 90 mn (30-330), median blood loss was 20 ml (0-800) ml, and there were no transfusions and one conversion. There were no mortalities and overall morbidity (n = 22; 34%) included grades B and C POPF (10;16%) and post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage (4; 6%). The median hospital stay was 7 days (3-42). There were no invaded lymph nodes and all cystic lesions were nonmalignant. After a mean follow-up of 24 months, there was no recurrence. The risk factors for grades B/C POPF were mucinous cystadenoma and proximity to the Wirsung duct < 3 mm. CONCLUSION: In this series, the outcome of LapEN was excellent with no mortality and a low rate of morbidity. However, the risk of POPF is increased with cystic lesions and those close to the Wirsung duct.

A Novel Pancreatic Fistula Risk Score Including Preoperative Radiation Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is the most serious complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Identifying patients at high or low risk of developing POPF is important in perioperative management. This study aimed to determine a predictive risk score for POPF following PD, and compare it to preexisting scores. METHODS: All patients who underwent open PD from 2012 to 2017 in two high-volume centers were included. The training dataset was used for the development of the POPF predictive risk score (using the 2016 ISGPS definition), while the testing dataset was used for external validation. The proposed score was compared to the fistula risk score (FRS), the NSQIP-modified FRS (mFRS), and the alternative FRS (aFRS). RESULTS: Overall, 448 and 213 patients were included in the training and testing datasets, respectively. A probabilistic predictive risk score was developed using four independent POPF risk factors (increasing age, no preoperative radiation therapy, soft pancreatic stump, and decreasing main pancreatic duct diameter). The discriminative capacities of the new score, FRS, mFRS, and aFRS were similar (AUC ranging from 0.73 to 0.79 in the training cohort and from 0.73 to 0.76 in the testing cohort). However, the new score identified more specifically patients at low risk of POPF compared with other scores, in both cohorts, with a 6% false-negative rate. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative radiation therapy is an independent protective factor of POPF following PD. It should be included in the risk score of POPF to identify more precisely patients at low risk for this complication.

Prognostic value of tumor deposits in rectal cancer: A monocentric series of 505 patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It has been suggested that tumor deposits (TDs) may have a worse prognosis in rectal cancer compared with colonic cancer. The aim of this study was to assess TDs prognosis in rectal cancer. METHODS: Patients who underwent total mesorectum excision for rectal adenocarcinoma (2011-2016) were included. A case-matched analysis was performed to assess the accurate impact of TDs for each pN category after exclusion of synchronous metastasis. RESULTS: A total of 505 patients were included. TDs were observed in 99 (19.6%) patients, (pN1c = 37 [7.3%]). TDs were associated with pT3-T4 stage (P = .037), synchronous metastasis (P = .003), lymph node (LN) invasion (P = .041), vascular invasion (P = .001), and perineural invasion (P < .001). TD was associated with a worse 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) among pN0 (51.2% vs 79.8%; P < .001); pN1 patients (35.2% vs 70.1%; P = .004) but not among pN2 patients (37.5% vs 44.7%; P = .499). After matching, pN1c patients had a worse 3-year DFS compared with pN0 patients (58.6% vs 82.4%; P = .035) and a tendency toward a worse DFS among N1 patients (40.1% vs 64.2%; P = .153). DFS was worse when one TD was compared with one invaded LN (40.8% vs 81.3%; P < .001). CONCLUSION: In rectal cancer, TDs have a metastatic risk comparable to a pN2 stage which may lead to changes in adjuvant treatment.

Prediction of Resectability in Pseudomyxoma Peritonei with a New CT Score.

BACKGROUND: Curative treatment of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is complete cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to build and evaluate a preoperative imaging score to predict resectability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2007 and 2014, all PMP patients in two tertiary reference centers who underwent laparotomy with intent to undergo CRS and HIPEC were included in this study retrospectively. Thickness of tumor burden was measured on preoperative multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) by two radiologists blinded to surgical results in five predetermined areas. Patients were divided into two cohorts with the same resectability rate (building and validation). The performances of the scores were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 126 patients were included, with compete CRS being achieved in 91/126 patients (72.2%). Two cohorts of 63 patients matched by age, sex, burden of disease, resectability rate, and pathological grade were constituted. The MDCT score was the sum of the five measures, and was higher in unresectable disease [median 46.2 mm (range 27.9-74.6) vs. 0.0 mm (range 0.0-14.0), p < 0.001]. Area under the ROC curve was 0.863 (range 0.727-0.968) and 0.801 (range 0.676-0.914) in the building and validation cohorts, respectively. A threshold of 28 mm yielded a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive value of 94, 81, 81 and 94% in the building cohort, and 80, 68, 59 and 85% in the validation cohort, respectively. Using our score, overall and disease-free survival were increased in the group classified as resectable. CONCLUSION: A simple preoperative MDCT score measuring tumor burden in the perihepatic region is able to predict resectability and survival of PMP patients.

Pancreatectomy for pancreatic incidentaloma: What are the risks?

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic incidentalomas (PI) are nowadays common but the benefit-risk balance of surgery remains difficult to determine. METHODS: Monocentric retrospective study of 881 pancreatectomies comparing resected PI with symptomatic lesion. Univariate and multivariate (MV) analyses were done to identify risk factors of malignancy in PI undergoing surgery. RESULTS: Overall, 32% of pancreatectomies were performed for PI. Median size of PI was 30 mm (vs 28 mm; p = 0.15) and 49% were cystic (vs 42%; p = 0.197). Resected PI were mostly located in distal pancreas (61% vs 34%; p < 0.001), less frequently malignant (49% vs 59%; p = 0.004). PNETs were more frequent in PI (50% vs 21%; p < 0.001). Distal pancreatectomy (36% vs 23%; p < 0.001) or parenchyma-sparing surgery (34% vs 13%; p < 0.001) were more frequently performed for PI. Overall mortality (1.1% vs 1.2%) and morbidity (70% vs 68%) were not significantly different between both groups. Severe morbidity was lower for PI (15% vs 22%; p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, age>55 years (HR 6.14; p < 0.001), size >20 mm (HR:26.7; p < 0.001) and biliary dilatation (HR 29.9; p = 0.027) were independent risk factors of malignancy and, when associated, the likelihood of malignancy was above 90%. CONCLUSIONS: PI represent about 30% of indications for pancreatectomy and when resected after careful selection are malignant in 50% of cases.

Gastric stump carcinoma as a long-term complication of pancreaticoduodenectomy: report of two cases and review of the English literature.

BACKGROUND: Gastric stump carcinoma is an exceptional and poorly known long-term complication after pancreaticoduodenectomy. CASES PRESENTATION: Two patients developed gastric stump carcinoma 19 and 10 years after pancreaticoduodenectomy for malignant ampulloma and total pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, respectively. Both patients had pT4 signet-ring cell carcinoma involving the gastrojejunostomy site that was revealed by bleeding or obstruction. Patient 1 is alive and remains disease-free 36 months after completion gastrectomy. Patient 2 presented with peritoneal carcinomatosis and died after palliative surgery. We identified only 3 others cases in the English literature. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged biliary reflux might be the most important risk factor of gastric stump carcinoma following pancreaticoduodenectomy. Its incidence might increase in the future due to prolonged survival observed after pancreaticoduodenectomy for benign and premalignant lesions.

Oncological outcomes of advanced muscle-invasive bladder cancer with a micropapillary variant after radical cystectomy and adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the oncological outcomes of radical cystectomy (RC) and adjuvant chemotherapy to treat muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) with a micropapillary component (MPC), and to compare outcomes with those from pure urothelial carcinoma (PUC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of clinicopathological and follow-up data was performed for all patients treated by RC and adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy for advanced MIBC in three tertiary reference centers between 1999 and 2012. Uni- and multivariate Cox's regression analyses evaluated the association of the presence of MPC with disease recurrence and cancer-specific mortality. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-five (88 %) PUC and 31 (12 %) MPC cases were included. Median age was 65 (39-83) years in the PUC group and 62 (45-80) years in the MPC group. Median survival was 29 months in the MPC versus 31 months in the PUC group. No significant difference was observed between the groups regarding main clinical and pathological characteristics. The median number of treatment cycles administered was 6 (3-8) in the PUC versus 5 (3-8) in the MPC group (p = 0.45). Five-year disease-free recurrence and cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates were 15 and 24 %, respectively, in the MPC versus 42 and 47 %, respectively, in the PUC group (p = 0.007 and 0.058). In multivariate analyses, ASA score, soft tissue surgical margins, and MPC were associated with disease recurrence (p = 0.022, 0.001, and 0.015, respectively). We found no association between MPC and cancer-specific mortality (univariate, p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: MPC was associated with higher recurrence rates after RC and platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy than that with pure urothelial tumors.