Conversion surgery for initially unresectable locally advanced biliary tract cancer: A multicenter collaborative study conducted in Japan and Korea.

BACKGROUND: Although surgical resection is the only curative treatment for biliary tract cancer, in some cases, the disease is diagnosed as unresectable at initial presentation. There are few reports of conversion surgery after the initial treatment for unresectable locally advanced biliary tract cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of conversion surgery in patients with initially unresectable locally advanced biliary tract cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical data from groups of patients in multiple centers belonging to the Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Korean Association of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery. We analyzed two groups of prognostic factors (pretreatment and surgical factors) and their relation to the treatment outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 56 patients with initially unresectable locally advanced biliary tract cancer were enrolled in this study of which 55 (98.2%) patients received chemotherapy, and 16 (28.6%) patients received additional radiation therapy. The median time from the start of the initial treatment to resection was 6.4 months. Severe postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher occurred in 34 patients (60.7%), and postoperative mortality occurred in five patients (8.9%). Postoperative histological results revealed CR in eight patients (14.3%). The median survival time from the start of the initial treatment in all 56 patients who underwent conversion surgery was 37.7 months, the 3-year survival rate was 53.9%, and the 5-year survival rate was 39.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Conversion surgery for initially unresectable locally advanced biliary tract cancer may lead to longer survival in selected patients. However, more precise preoperative safety evaluation and careful postoperative management are required.

Effect of early oral nutrition supplement using Encover in patients undergoing hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery.

Backgrounds/Aims: Early recovery after surgery has become a popular trend. The aim of this study was to evaluate effect of nutritional intervention using Encover, an oral nutritional supplement, in patients undergoing hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery. Methods: This single center, prospective case-control study was conducted in Gangnam Severance Hospital from September 2018 to April 2019. Through randomization, patients were divided into an experimental group (30 patients) and a control group (30 patients). At postoperative seven days, the experimental group was instructed to take two packs of Encover (JW Pharmaceutical, Seoul, Korea) daily for seven days. Body cell mass index was measured at seven days after surgery and 14 days after discharge and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) was performed at 14 days after discharge. Results: Body cell mass index during outpatient follow-up was significantly decreased compared to that at discharge in both groups. However, the amount of body cell mass index showed no significant difference between postoperative seven days and outpatient follow- up in either group. During outpatient follow-up, the experimental group had a higher mean value of PG-SGA score than the control group (11.32 ± 3.46 vs. 9.48 ± 3.97; p = 0.037). Conclusions: Short-term Encover doses after surgery may not produce significant results in weight gain or other body cell mass index. Encover did not significantly affect other dietary conditions based on PG-SGA.

Clinical effect of preoperative intravenous non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on relief of postoperative pain in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Intravenous ibuprofen vs. intravenous ketorolac.

Backgrounds/Aims: Postoperative pain management is a key to enhanced recovery after surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical effect of preoperative intravenous (IV) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on relief of postoperative pain in patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: This single center, retrospective study was conducted between September 2019 and May 2020. A total of 163 patients were divided into two groups: Ibuprofen group (preoperative IV ibuprofen, n = 77) and Ketorolac group (preoperative IV ketorolac, n = 86). The primary outcome was postoperative pain score measured immediately in the recovery room. Results: There was no difference in demographic characteristics between the two groups of patients. Postoperative pain score measured immediately in the recovery room was significantly higher in the Ibuprofen group than in the Ketorolac group (mean value: 5.09 vs. 4.61; p = 0.027). The number of patients who needed analgesics immediately in the recovery room was also higher in the Ibuprofen group than in the Ketorolac group (28 [36.4%] vs. 18 [20.9%]; p = 0.036). Conclusions: In this study, preoperative IV injection with ketorolac reduced postoperative pain and analgesic requirement in the recovery room more effectively than that with ibuprofen. However, both showed similar effects on peak pain and pain at discharge. Numbers of patients requiring additional analgesics were also similar between the two groups.

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.

The Impact of Neoadjuvant Treatment on Survival in Patients Undergoing Pancreatoduodenectomy With Concomitant Portomesenteric Venous Resection: An International Multicenter Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) critically influenced microscopically complete resection (R0) rates and long-term outcomes for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with portomesenteric vein resection (PVR) from a diverse, world-wide group of high-volume centers. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Limited size studies suggest that NAT improves R0 rates and overall survival compared to upfront surgery in R/BR-PDAC patients. METHODS: This multicenter study analyzed consecutive patients with R/BR-PDAC who underwent PD with PVR in 23 high-volume centers from 2009 to 2018. RESULTS: Data from 1192 patients with PD and PVR were collected and analyzed. The median age was 68 [interquartile range (IQR) 60-73] years and 52% were males. Some 186 (15.6%) and 131 (10.9%) patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) alone and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, respectively. The R0/R1/R2 rates were 57%, 39.3%, and 3.2% in patients who received NAT compared to 46.6%, 49.9%, and 3.5% in patients who did not, respectively (P =0.004). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS in patients receiving NAT was 79%, 41%, and 29%, while for those that did not it was 73%, 29%, and 18%, respectively (P <0.001). Multivariable analysis showed no administration of NAT, high tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, R1/R2 resection, no adjuvant chemotherapy, occurrence of Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or higher postoperative complications within 90 days, preoperative diabetes mellitus, male sex and portal vein involvement were negative independent predictive factors for OS. CONCLUSION: Patients with PDAC of the pancreatic head expected to undergo venous reconstruction should routinely be considered for NAT.

Radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) versus conventional distal pancreatectomy for left-sided pancreatic cancer: findings of a multicenter, retrospective, propensity score matching study.

PURPOSE: Radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) has been reported to achieve high rates of a negative margin and resected metastatic lymph nodes. However, many studies have used historical controls and the results remain controversial. We conducted this study to compare the surgical and long-term outcomes of RAMPS vs. conventional distal pancreatectomy (DP). METHODS: The subjects of this multicenter retrospective study were 106 patients who underwent curative resection for left-sided pancreatic cancer between 2012 and 2017. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS: The RAMPS group had more advanced T (T3/T4) and N stages (N1/N2) and a larger tumor size than the conventional group (T stage, p = 0.04; N stage, p = 0.02; tumor size, p = 0.04). The RAMPS group had more harvested metastatic lymph nodes (p = 0.02). After propensity-score matching, 37 patients from each group were included in the final analysis. There was no significant difference in RFS (p = 0.463) or OS (p = 0.383) between the groups. Multivariate analyses revealed the completion of chemotherapy to be an independent factor for RFS and OS (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in the RFS or OS between RAMPS and conventional DP in this series. RAMPS may be an option for R0 resection of advanced tumors; however, postoperative chemotherapy has a greater influence than the surgical procedure on the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Is Neoadjuvant Treatment Justified in Clinical T1 Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma?

Introduction: Studies on neoadjuvant treatment have been actively conducted in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. However, neoadjuvant treatment effectiveness, especially in clinical T1 stage patients, still needs to be determined. We comparatively evaluated the oncologic benefit of preoperative neoadjuvant treatment in clinical T1 stage pancreatic cancer. Methods: Data from two centers were included in the comparative analysis, with overall and recurrence-free survival as primary outcomes, between January 2010 and December 2017. Results: In total, 45 patients were retrospectively reviewed in this study. Two patients in the neoadjuvant group were excluded because of distant metastasis during neoadjuvant treatment. Finally, 43 patients underwent a pancreatectomy for clinical T1 pancreatic cancer, of whom, 35 and 8 patients underwent upfront surgery and neoadjuvant treatment, respectively. Overall survival was similar in the two study groups (5-year overall survival rate: neoadjuvant group, 75%; upfront surgery group, 43.9%, p = 0.066). Conclusions: In our study on patients with clinical T1 stage pancreatic cancer, no significant differences were reported in the oncological outcome in the neoadjuvant therapy group. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to determine the survival benefits of neoadjuvant treatment for early-stage pancreatic cancer.

Defining Benchmark Outcomes for Pancreatoduodenectomy With Portomesenteric Venous Resection.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish clinically relevant outcome benchmark values using criteria for pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with portomesenteric venous resection (PVR) from a low-risk cohort managed in high-volume centers. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: PD with PVR is regarded as the standard of care in patients with cancer involvement of the portomesenteric venous axis. There are, however, no benchmark outcome indicators for this population which hampers comparisons of patients undergoing PD with and without PVR resection. METHODS: This multicenter study analyzed patients undergoing PD with any type of PVR in 23 high-volume centers from 2009 to 2018. Nineteen outcome benchmarks were established in low-risk patients, defined as the 75th percentile of the median outcome values of the centers (NCT04053998). RESULTS: Out of 1462 patients with PD and PVR, 840 (58%) formed the benchmark cohort, with a mean age was 64 (SD11) years, 413 (49%) were females. Benchmark cutoffs, among others, were calculated as follows: Clinically relevant pancreatic fistula rate (International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery): ≤14%; in-hospital mortality rate: ≤4%; major complication rate Grade≥3 and the CCI up to 6 months postoperatively: ≤36% and ≤26, respectively; portal vein thrombosis rate: ≤14% and 5-year survival for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: ≥9%. CONCLUSION: These novel benchmark cutoffs targeting surgical performance, morbidity, mortality, and oncological parameters show relatively inferior results in patients undergoing vascular resection because of involvement of the portomesenteric venous axis. These benchmark values however can be used to conclusively assess the results of different centers or surgeons operating on this high-risk group.

Does adjuvant treatment improve prognosis after curative resection of ampulla of Vater carcinoma? A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Ampulla of Vater (AoV) carcinoma is a rare tumor that accounts for approximately 0.2% of gastrointestinal malignancies. There are no clinical guidelines concerning the treatment of AoV carcinoma. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of adjuvant treatment in AoV carcinoma following curative resection and define the "high-risk" group. METHODS: Clinical data of patients who underwent curative resection for AoV carcinoma in four hospitals, namely Yonsei Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, and National Cancer Center (n = 651; 2002-2015), were reviewed. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS: Data of 651 patients who had undergone curative resection were retrospectively reviewed. Age, T stage, N stage, and differentiation type remained strong and independent risk factors for RFS and OS. In early-stage AoV carcinoma (T1N0, T2N0), the non-adjuvant group had better prognosis based on the RFS and OS than the adjuvant group (P < .001, P = .007). In advanced T stage (T3N0, T4N0), the adjuvant group had better prognosis than the non-adjuvant group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > .05). In node-positive patients (any T, N1/2), adjuvant treatment did not affect RFS and OS (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant treatment after curative resection of AoV carcinoma is not associated with improved survival. The high-risk group (node-positive or advanced T stage (T3, T4)) treated with adjuvant treatment was not statistically associated with improved survival; however, our study showed that the adjuvant treatment for the high-risk group might help achieve better patient outcome.

Propensity score-matched analysis of internal stent vs external stent for pancreatojejunostomy during pancreaticoduodenectomy: Japanese-Korean cooperative project.

BACKGROUND: Several studies comparing internal and external stents have been conducted with the aim of reducing pancreatic fistula after PD. There is still no consensus, however, on the appropriate use of pancreatic stents for prevention of pancreatic fistula. This multicenter large cohort study aims to evaluate whether internal or external pancreatic stents are more effective in reduction of clinically relevant pancreatic fistula after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). METHODS: We reviewed 3149 patients (internal stent n = 1,311, external stent n = 1838) who underwent PD at 20 institutions in Japan and Korea between 2007 and 2013. Propensity score matched analysis was used to minimize bias from nonrandomized treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was the incidence of clinically relevant pancreatic fistula. This study was registered on the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000032402). RESULTS: After propensity score matched analysis, clinically relevant pancreatic fistula occurred in more patients in the external stents group (280 patients, 28.7%) than in patients in the internal stents group (126 patients, 12.9%) (OR 2.713 [95% CI, 2.139-3.455]; P < 0.001). In subset analysis of a high-risk group with soft pancreas and no dilatation of the pancreatic duct, clinically relevant pancreatic fistula occurred in 90 patients (18.8%) in internal stents group and 183 patients (35.4%) in external stents group. External stents were significantly associated with increased risk for clinically relevant pancreatic fistula (OR 2.366 [95% CI, 1.753-3.209]; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Propensity score matched analysis showed that, regarding clinically relevant pancreatic fistula after PD, internal stents are safer than external stents for pancreaticojejunostomy.

Clinicopathological characteristics of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct: a Japan-Korea collaborative study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalent location and incidence of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB) and invasive carcinoma associated with them have varied markedly among studies due to differences in diagnostic criteria and tumor location. METHODS: IPNBs were classified into two types: Type 1 IPNB, being histologically similar to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas, and Type 2 IPNB, having a more complex histological architecture with irregular papillary branching or foci of solid-tubular components. Medical data were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 694 IPNB patients, 520 and 174 had Type 1 and Type 2, respectively. The levels of AST, ALT, ALP, T. Bil, and CEA were significantly higher in patients with Type 2 than in those with Type 1. Type 1 IPNB was more frequently located in the intrahepatic bile duct than Type 2, whereas Type 2 was more frequently located in the distal bile duct than Type 1 IPNB (P < 0.001). There were significant differences in 5-year cumulative survival rates (75.2% vs 50.9%; P < 0.0001) and 5-year cumulative disease-free survival rates (64.1% vs 35.3%; P < 0.0001) between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Type 1 and Type 2 IPNBs differ in their clinicopathological features and prognosis. This classification may help to further understand IPNB.

Oncologic safety of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy in pT2 gallbladder cancer: A propensity score matching analysis compared to open approach.

The role of laparoscopic radical cholecystectomy (LRC) in the surgical management of T2 gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is still controversial.The medical records of patients with T2 GBC treated with radical cholecystectomy were retrospectively reviewed. In this study, we compare the short- and long-term oncologic outcomes, using propensity score matching analysis, of patients with T2 GBC who underwent LRC and open radical cholecystectomy (ORC).Among 183 patients, 86 were selected by propensity score matching (LRC = 43 and ORC = 43). The ORC group underwent more extensive surgery (liver resections and extended lymph node dissections [ELND]) than the LRC group. The LRC group had less operative blood loss, shorter length of hospital stay, fewer complications, and had the earlier start of adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no significant difference between the laparoscopic and open surgery groups in terms of 5-year overall survival rate (64.6% vs 80.4%, P = .214) and disease-free survival rate (77.1% vs 82.2%, P = .641). A subgroup analyses showed that liver resection and ELND had no survival advantage compared to no liver resection and regional lymph node dissection, respectively.Our LRC approach is safe and effective, with long-term survival comparable to that of ORC.

A nomogram to preoperatively predict 1-year disease-specific survival in resected pancreatic cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the 1-year survival of patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatectomy following neoadjuvant treatment with preoperatively detectable clinical parameters. Extended pancreatectomy is necessary to achieve complete tumor removal in borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer. However, it increases postoperative morbidity and mortality rates, and should be balanced with potential benefit of long-term survival. METHODS: The medical records of patients who underwent pancreatectomy following neoadjuvant treatment from January 2005 to December 2016 at Severance Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Medical records were collected from five international institutions from Japan and Singapore for external validation. RESULTS: A total of 113 patients were enrolled. The nomogram for predicting 1-year disease-specific survival was created based on 5 clinically detectable preoperative parameters as follows: age (year), symptom (no/yes), tumor size at initial diagnostic stage (cm), preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 level after neoadjuvant treatment (<34/≥34 U/mL), and planned surgery [pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) (pylorus-preserving PD)/distal pancreatectomy (DP)/total pancreatectomy]. Model performance was assessed for discrimination and calibration. The calibration plot showed good agreement between actual and predicted survival probabilities; the the Greenwood-Nam-D'Agostino (GND) goodness-of-fit test showed that the model was well calibrated (χ2=8.24, P=0.5099). A total of 84 patients were used for external validation. When correlating actual disease-specific survival and calculated 1-year disease-specific survival, there were significance differences according to the calculated probability of 1-year survival among the three groups (P=0.044). CONCLUSIONS: The developed nomogram had quite acceptable accuracy and clinical feasibility in the decision-making process for the management of pancreatic cancer.

Effects of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy on Body Weight and Nutritional Assessments After Pancreatoduodenectomy in a Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We studied the effects of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) on body weight, nutritional status, and quality of life (QoL) in patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency after pancreatoduodenectomy. METHODS: We performed a randomized, double-blind trial of 304 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy at 7 tertiary referral hospitals in South Korea. Patients with fecal levels of elastase of 200 µg/g or less, before and after surgery, were assigned randomly to groups that received PERT (a single capsule of 40,000 IU pancreatin, Norzyme (40,000 IU, Pankreatan; Nordmark Arzneimittel GmbH & Co, Uetersen, Germany), 3 times each day during meals for 3 months; n = 151) or placebo (n = 153). Protocol completion was defined as taking more than two thirds of the total dose without taking other digestive enzymes; the protocol was completed by 71 patients in the PERT group and 93 patients in the placebo group. Patients underwent a physical examination, oral glucose tolerance tests, and blood tests at baseline and at month 3 of the study period. The primary end point was change in body weight. Secondary end points were changes in bowel habits, nutritional parameters, and QoL. RESULTS: In the per-protocol analysis, 3 months after the study began, patients in the PERT group gained a mean of 1.09 kg in weight and patients in the placebo group lost a mean of 2.28 kg (difference between groups, 3.37 kg; P < .001). However, no difference in body weight was observed between groups in the intent-to-treat analysis. Three months after the study began, the mean serum levels of prealbumin increased by 10.9 mg/dL in the PERT group and increased by 7.8 mg/dL in the placebo group (P = .002). Poor compliance to PERT was a significant risk factor for weight loss (P < .001). There was no significant difference in QoL scores between groups. CONCLUSIONS: In the intent-to-treat analysis of data from a randomized trial, we found no significant effect of PERT on mean body weights of patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency after pancreatoduodenectomy. However, with active education and monitoring, PERT could increase body weight and nutritional parameters. ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT02127021.

The Yonsei experience of 104 laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomies: a propensity score-matched analysis with open pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: With continued technical advances in surgical instruments and growing expertise, several surgeons have performed laparoscopic pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (L-PPPD) safely with good results, and the laparoscopic approach is being performed more frequently. We performed over 100 cases of L-PPPD and compared their outcomes to those of open PPPD (O-PPPD) using the large sample size. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of L-PPPD compared with O-PPPD. METHODS: From September 2012 to June 2017, PPPD was performed for 217 patients at Yonsei University Severance Hospital by a single surgeon. Patients were divided into two groups: those who underwent O-PPPD (n = 113) and those who underwent L-PPPD (n = 104). We performed a 1:1 propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis and retrospectively analyzed the demographic and surgical outcomes. We also reviewed all previous studies of more than 100 cases. RESULTS: The L-PPPD group had lesser intraoperative blood loss than the O-PPPD group (548.1 ml vs. 244.7 ml; p < 0.001). Both groups showed similar rates of negative resection margins (99.1% vs. 96.2%; p = 0.196). Overall complication rates did not differ significantly between O-PPPD and L-PPPD (39.8% vs. 35.6%; p = 0.519). The clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) rates in the O-PPPD and L-PPPD groups were 18.8% and 13.5%, respectively (p = 0.311). There was no difference in 30- and 90-day mortality rates between the two groups (p = 0.479). Similar results were obtained after PSM analysis. CONCLUSIONS: L-PPPD can be a good alternative option for well-selected patients with periampullary lesions requiring PPPD.

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.

Frey's procedure for chronic pancreatitis: a 10-year single-center experience in Korea.

PURPOSE: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is progressive inflammatory disease that leads to irreversible destruction of the pancreatic parenchyma. The main indications for surgical intervention in cases involving CP are intractable pain, suspicion of malignancy, and failure of other methods. However, there is no report related to Frey's procedure in Korea; hence, we aimed to investigate and analyze our institution's experience and determine the benefits of surgical treatment for CP. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 24 patients with CP who underwent Frey's procedure at Gangnam Severance Yonsei University between January 2007 and December 2017. Preoperative exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function, perioperative finding (blood loss, operation time), postoperative complications were evaluated. Statistical analytics were chi-square test, Fisher exact tests, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Surgery was performed due to alcohol-derived CP in 12 of 24 patients (50%) and due to pancreatic stones in 15 of 24 patients (62.5%). Two patients had postoperative complications which were managed conservatively. After surgery, 7 of 24 patients were prescribed with exocrine medication. Comparison of the preoperative and postoperative conditions showed that glycated hemoglobin had no significant differences. After surgery, only 5 patients (21%) complained of intermittent abdominal pain. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, Frey's procedure appears to be a less burdensome surgical procedure. Thus, it could be the first option for management of patients with large pancreatic stone.