Clinical Benefits of Laparoscopic Adhesiolysis during Peritoneal Dialysis Catheter Insertion: A Single-Center Experience.

Background and Objectives: In peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy, intra-abdominal adhesions (IAAs) can cause catheter insertion failure, poor dialysis function, and decreased PD adequacy. Unfortunately, IAAs are not readily visible to currently available imaging methods. The laparoscopic approach for inserting PD catheters enables direct visualization of IAAs and simultaneously performs adhesiolysis. However, a limited number of studies have investigated the benefit/risk profile of laparoscopic adhesiolysis in patients receiving PD catheter placement. This retrospective study aimed to address this issue. Materials and Methods: This study enrolled 440 patients who received laparoscopic PD catheter insertion at our hospital between January 2013 and May 2020. Adhesiolysis was performed in all cases with IAA identified via laparoscopy. We retrospectively reviewed data, including clinical characteristics, operative details, and PD-related clinical outcomes. Results: These patients were classified into the adhesiolysis group (n = 47) and the non-IAA group (n = 393). The clinical characteristics and operative details had no remarkable between-group differences, except the percentage of prior abdominal operation history was higher and the median operative time was longer in the adhesiolysis group. PD-related clinical outcomes, including incidence rate of mechanical obstruction, PD adequacy (Kt/V urea and weekly creatinine clearance), and overall catheter survival, were all comparable between the adhesiolysis and non-IAA groups. None of the patients in the adhesiolysis group suffered adhesiolysis-related complications. Conclusions: Laparoscopic adhesiolysis in patients with IAA confers clinical benefits in achieving PD-related outcomes comparable to those without IAA. It is a safe and reasonable approach. Our findings provide new evidence to support the benefits of this laparoscopic approach, especially in patients with a risk of IAAs.

Identification and Clinical Significance of Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells and Their Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance.

Pancreatic cancer ranks in the 10th-11th position among cancers affecting men in Taiwan, besides being a rather difficult-to-treat disease. The overall 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer is only 5-10%, while that of resectable pancreatic cancer is still approximately 15-20%. Cancer stem cells possess intrinsic detoxifying mechanisms that allow them to survive against conventional therapy by developing multidrug resistance. This study was conducted to investigate how to overcome chemoresistance and its mechanisms in pancreatic cancer stem cells (CSCs) using gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines. Pancreatic CSCs were identified from human pancreatic cancer lines. To determine whether CSCs possess a chemoresistant phenotype, the sensitivity of unselected tumor cells, sorted CSCs, and tumor spheroid cells to fluorouracil (5-FU), gemcitabine (GEM), and cisplatin was analyzed under stem cell conditions or differentiating conditions. Although the mechanisms underlying multidrug resistance in CSCs are poorly understood, ABC transporters such as ABCG2, ABCB1, and ABCC1 are believed to be responsible. Therefore, we measured the mRNA expression levels of ABCG2, ABCB1, and ABCC1 by real-time RT-PCR. Our results showed that no significant differences were found in the effects of different concentrations of gemcitabine on CSCs CD44+/EpCAM+ of various PDAC cell line cultures (BxPC-3, Capan-1, and PANC-1). There was also no difference between CSCs and non-CSCs. Gemcitabine-resistant cells exhibited distinct morphological changes, including a spindle-shaped morphology, the appearance of pseudopodia, and reduced adhesion characteristics of transformed fibroblasts. These cells were found to be more invasive and migratory, and showed increased vimentin expression and decreased E-cadherin expression. Immunofluorescence and immunoblotting experiments demonstrated increased nuclear localization of total ß-catenin. These alterations are hallmarks of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Resistant cells showed activation of the receptor protein tyrosine kinase c-Met and increased expression of the stem cell marker cluster of differentiation (CD) 24, CD44, and epithelial specific antigen (ESA). We concluded that the expression of the ABCG2 transporter protein was significantly higher in CD44+ and EpCAM+ CSCs of PDAC cell lines. Cancer stem-like cells exhibited chemoresistance. Gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic tumor cells were associated with EMT, a more aggressive and invasive phenotype of numerous solid tumors. Increased phosphorylation of c-Met may also be related to chemoresistance, and EMT and could be used as an attractive adjunctive chemotherapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.

Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Response to Initial Adjuvant Chemotherapy Predicts Survival and Failure Pattern of Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma but Not Which Patients Are Suited for Additional Adjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy: From a Prospective Randomized Study.

PURPOSE: The predictive value of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) for adjuvant chemo(radiation) therapy of resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is undefined. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We analyzed CA19-9 levels in patients with resected PDAC in a prospective randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy with or without additional chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Patients with postoperative CA19-9 ≤92.5 U/mL and serum bilirubin ≤2 mg/dL were randomized to 2 arms: patients in 1 arm received 6 cycles of gemcitabine, whereas those in the other received 3 cycles of gemcitabine followed by CRT and another 3 cycles of gemcitabine. Serum CA19-9 was measured every 12 weeks. Those who had CA19-9 levels always <3 U/mL were excluded from the exploratory analysis. RESULTS: One hundred forty-seven patients were enrolled in this randomized trial. Twenty-two patients with CA19-9 levels always ≤3 U/mL were excluded from the analysis. For the 125 participants, median overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival were 23.1 and 12.1 months, respectively, with no significant differences between the study arms. Postresection CA19-9 levels and, to a lesser extent, CA19-9 change predicted OS (P = .040 and .077, respectively). For the 89 patients who completed the initial 3 cycles of adjuvant gemcitabine, the CA19-9 response was significantly correlated with initial failure over the distant site (P = .023) and OS (P = .0022). Despite a trend of less initial failure over the locoregional area (P = .031), neither postoperative CA19-9 level nor CA19-9 response helped to select patients who might have a survival benefit from additional adjuvant CRT. CONCLUSIONS: CA19-9 response to initial adjuvant gemcitabine predicts survival and distant failure of PDAC after resection; however, it cannot select patients suited for additional adjuvant CRT. Monitoring CA19-9 levels during adjuvant therapy for postoperative patients with PDAC may guide therapeutic decisions to prevent distant failure.

A novel technique of sutureless omentopexy during dual-incision laparoscopic peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion to prevent catheter dysfunction due to omental wrapping.

BACKGROUND: Omental wrapping (OW) is the leading cause of obstruction of the peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter, which interferes with dialysis treatment. Routinely or selectively performing omentopexy during laparoscopic PD catheter placement has been suggested to prevent OW. However, most of the published techniques for performing this adjunctive procedure require additional incisions and suturing. Herein, we aimed to report our experience in performing omentopexy with a sutureless technique during dual-incision PD catheter insertion. We also performed a comparative analysis to assess the benefit/risk profile of routine omentopexy in these patients. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 469 patients who underwent laparoscopic PD catheter insertion. Their demographic characteristics and operative details were collected from the database of our institution. Omentopexy was performed by fixing the inferior edge of the omentum to the round ligament of the liver using titanium clips. For analysis, the patients were divided into the omentopexy group and the non-omentopexy group. We also reviewed the salvage management and outcomes of patients who experienced OW. RESULTS: The patients were categorized into the omentopexy (n = 81) and non-omentopexy (n = 388) groups. The patients in the non-omentopexy group had a higher incidence of OW, whereas no patient in the omentopexy group experienced this complication (5.2% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.033). The median operative time was 27 min longer in patients who underwent omentopexy than in those who did not [100 (82-118) min vs. 73 (63-84) min, p < 0.001]. One patient had an intra-abdominal hematoma after omentopexy and required salvage surgery to restore catheter function. The complication rate of omentopexy was 1.2% (1/81). CONCLUSION: Sutureless omentopexy during laparoscopic PD catheter insertion is a safe and reliable technique that does not require additional incisions and suturing. Routinely performing omentopexy provides clinical benefits by reducing the risk of catheter dysfunction due to OW.

Spleen size greater than 9.76 cm may impact the treatment strategy for blunt splenic injury in adults - A retrospective analysis of experience at a tertiary trauma center in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated the impact of splenomegaly on the treatment outcomes of blunt splenic injury patients. METHODS: All blunt splenic injury patients were enrolled between 2010 and 2018. The exclusion criteria were age less than 18 years, missing data, and splenectomy performed at another hospital. The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of splenomegaly, defined as a spleen length over 9.76 cm on axial computed tomography. The primary outcome was the need for hemostatic interventions. RESULTS: A total of 535 patients were included. Patients with splenomegaly had more high-grade splenic injuries (p = 0.007). Hemostatic treatments (p < 0.001) and transarterial embolization (p = 0.003) were more frequently required for patients with splenomegaly. Multivariate analysis showed that male sex (p = 0.023), more packed red blood cell transfusions (p = 0.001), splenomegaly (p = 0.019) and grade 3-5 splenic injury (p < 0.001) were predictors of hemostatic treatment. The failure rate of transarterial embolization was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.180). The sensitivity and specificity for splenomegaly in predicting hemostatic procedures were 48.8% and 66.5%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 62.8% and 52.9%, respectively. The overall mortality rate was 3.7%. CONCLUSION: Splenomegaly is an independent predictor for the requirement of hemostatic treatments in blunt splenic injury patients, especially transarterial embolization. Transarterial embolization is as effective for blunt splenic injury patients with splenomegaly as it is for those with a normal spleen.

The Severity of Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula Predicts 30-Day Unplanned Hospital Visit and Readmission after Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Unplanned hospital visits (UHV) and readmissions after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) impact patients' postoperative recovery and are associated with increased financial burden and morbidity. The aim of this study is to identify predictive factors related to these events and target the potentially preventable UHV and readmissions. METHODS: We enrolled 518 patients in this study. Characteristics were compared between patients with or without UHV and readmissions. RESULTS: The unplanned visit and readmission rate was 23.4% and 15.8%, respectively. Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) grade B or C, the presence of postoperative biliary drainage, and reoperation were found to be predictive factors for UHV, whereas POPF grade B or C and the presence of postoperative biliary drainage were independently associated with hospital readmission. The most common reason for readmission was an infection, followed by failure to thrive. The overall mortality rate in the readmission group was 4.9%. CONCLUSIONS: UHV and readmissions remain common among patients undergoing PD. Patients with grade B or C POPF assessed during index hospitalization harbor an approximately two-fold increased risk of subsequent unplanned visits or readmissions compared to those with no POPF or biochemical leak. Proper preventive strategies should be adopted for high-risk patients in this population to maintain the continuum of healthcare and improve quality.

Resection versus drainage in the management of patients with AAST-OIS grade IV blunt pancreatic injury: A single trauma centre experience.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to compare outcomes of pancreatic resection with that of peripancreatic drainage for American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-Organ Injury Scale (AAST-OIS) grade IV blunt pancreatic injury in order to determine the optimal treatment method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen surgical patients with AAST-OIS grade IV blunt pancreatic injury between 1994 and 2016 were retrospectively studied. RESULTS: Among the 19 patients, 14 were men and 5 were women (median age: 33 years). Twelve patients underwent pancreatic resection (spleen-sacrificing distal pancreatectomy, n = 6; spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy, n = 3; and central pancreatectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis, n = 3), and seven underwent peripancreatic drainage. After comparing these two groups, no significant differences were found in terms of gender, shock at triage, laboratory data, injury severity score, associated injury, length of hospital stay, and complication. The only significant difference was that in the drainage group, the duration from injury to surgery was longer than that from injury to resection (median, 48 hours vs. 24 hours; P = 0.036). In the drainage group, three patients required reoperation, and another three required further pancreatic duct stent therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In the surgery of the grade IV blunt pancreatic injury, pancreatic resection is warranted in early, conclusive MPD injury; if surgery is delayed or MPD injury has not been clearly assessed, peripancreatic drainage is an alternative method. However, peripancreatic drainage alone is not adequate and further pancreatic duct stent or reoperation is required. Further studies should be conducted to confirm our conclusions.

Optimal Perioperative Nutrition Therapy for Patients Undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Systematic Review with a Component Network Meta-Analysis.

Numerous strategies for perioperative nutrition therapy for patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) have been proposed. This systematic review aimed to summarize the current relevant published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating different nutritional interventions via a traditional network meta-analysis (NMA) and component network meta-analysis (cNMA). EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched to identify the RCTs. The evaluated nutritional interventions comprised standard postoperative enteral nutrition by feeding tube (Postop-SEN), preoperative enteral feeding (Preop-EN), postoperative immunonutrients (Postop-IM), preoperative oral immunonutrient supplement (Preop-IM), and postoperative total parenteral nutrition (TPN). The primary outcomes were general, infectious, and noninfectious complications; postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF); and delayed gastric emptying (DGE). The secondary outcomes were mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS). The NMA and cNMA were conducted with a frequentist approach. The results are presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Two primary outcomes, infectious complications and POPF, were positively influenced by nutritional interventions. Preop-EN plus Postop-SEN (OR 0.11; 95% CI 0.02~0.72), Preop-IM (OR 0.22; 95% CI 0.08~0.62), and Preop-IM plus Postop-IM (OR 0.11; 95% CI 0.03~0.37) were all demonstrated to be associated with a decrease in infectious complications. Postop-TPN (OR 0.37; 95% CI 0.19~0.71) and Preop-IM plus Postop-IM (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.06~0.77) were clinically beneficial for the prevention of POPF. While enteral feeding and TPN may decrease infectious complications and POPF, respectively, Preop-IM plus Postop-IM may provide the best clinical benefit for patients undergoing PD, as this approach decreases the incidence of both the aforementioned adverse effects.

Impact of the highest amylase level in drain fluid on surgical outcomes and postoperative interventions in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical significance of the highest drain fluid amylase (DFA) level beyond pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) postoperative day three (POD 3) remains unclear. This study investigated the impact of highest DFA level beyond POD 3 on postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) severity and outcomes of patients undergoing PD with POPF. METHODS: Patient demographics of biochemical POPF and clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF) were compared. Predictive factors were assessed using binary logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff value of highest DFA (beyond POD 3). We compared length of hospital stay, surgical mortality rates, and need for postoperative interventions by highest DFA level. RESULTS: Patients with CR-POPF had an older age (p = 0.039), required intraoperative blood transfusion (p = 0.006), and had greater highest DFA levels (p = 0.001) than those with biochemical POPF. The optimal highest DFA cutoff was 2014.5 U/L. Multivariate analysis showed that percentage of patients with intraoperative blood transfusion (p = 0.011; odds ratio, 3.716) and a highest DFA > 2014.5 U/L beyond POD 3 (p = 0.001; odds ratio, 5.722) was predictive of CR-POPF. CONCLUSION: Highest DFA > 2014.5 U/L beyond POD 3 is an independent predictor for CR-POPF. At a highest DFA >2014.5 U/L, 30-day surgical mortality rate, length of stay, and need for postoperative interventions did not differ.

Clinical practice guidelines for the management of liver metastases from extrahepatic primary cancers 2021.

BACKGROUND: Hepatectomy is standard treatment for colorectal liver metastases; however, it is unclear whether liver metastases from other primary cancers should be resected or not. The Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery therefore created clinical practice guidelines for the management of metastatic liver tumors. METHODS: Eight primary diseases were selected based on the number of hepatectomies performed for each malignancy per year. Clinical questions were structured in the population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes (PICO) format. Systematic reviews were performed, and the strength of recommendations and the level of quality of evidence for each clinical question were discussed and determined. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess evidence and make recommendations. RESULTS: The eight primary sites were grouped into five categories based on suggested indications for hepatectomy and consensus of the guidelines committee. Fourteen clinical questions were devised, covering five topics: (1) diagnosis, (2) operative treatment, (3) ablation therapy, (4) the eight primary diseases, and (5) systemic therapies. The grade of recommendation was strong for one clinical question and weak for the other 13 clinical questions. The quality of the evidence was moderate for two questions, low for 10, and very low for two. A flowchart was made to summarize the outcomes of the guidelines for the indications of hepatectomy and systemic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: These guidelines were developed to provide useful information based on evidence in the published literature for the clinical management of liver metastases, and they could be helpful for conducting future clinical trials to provide higher-quality evidence.

Risk factors for pancreatic fistula grade C after pancreatoduodenectomy: A large prospective, multicenter Japan-Taiwan collaboration study.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Grade C postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), as defined by International Study Group of Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF), is the most life-threatening complication after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). This study aims to evaluate risk factors for Grade C POPF after PD. METHODS: This is a prospective, multicenter study based in Japan and Taiwan. Between December 2014 and May 2017, 3022 patients were enrolled in this study and 2762 patients were analyzed. We analyzed risk factors of Grade C POPF based on the updated 2016 ISGPF scheme (organ failure, reoperation, and/or death). RESULTS: Among 2762 patients, 46 patients (1.7%) developed Grade C POPF after PD. The mortality rate of the 46 patients with Grade C POPF was 37.0%. On the multivariate analysis, six independent risk factors for Grade C POPF were found; BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2 , chronic steroid use, preoperative serum albumin <3.0 mg/dL, soft pancreas, operative time ≥480 minutes, and intraoperative transfusion. The c-statistic of our risk scoring model for Grade C POPF using these risk factors was 0.77. The score was significantly higher in Grade C POPF than in Grade B POPF (P < .001) or none/biochemical leak (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study showed risk factors for Grade C POPF after PD.

Taiwanese consensus recommendations for acute pancreatitis.

The incidence of acute pancreatitis and related health care utilization are increasing. Acute pancreatitis may result in organ failure and various local complications with risks of morbidity and even mortality. Recent advances in research have provided novel insights into the assessment and management for acute pancreatitis. This consensus is developed by Taiwan Pancreas Society to provide an updated, evidence-based framework for managing acute pancreatitis.

The Prognostic Value of Circulating Tumor Cells in Asian Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) play important roles in various cancers; however, few studies have assessed their clinical utility in neuroendocrine tumors. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the prognostic value of CTC counts in Asian patients with neuroendocrine tumors before and during anti-cancer therapy. Patients who were diagnosed with unresectable histological neuroendocrine tumors between September 2011 and September 2017 were enrolled. CTC testing was performed before and during anti-cancer therapy using a negative selection protocol. Chromogranin A levels were also assessed. Univariate and multivariate Cox's proportional hazard model with forward LR model was performed to investigate the impact of independent factors on overall survival and progression-free survival. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank tests were used to determine the difference among different clinicopathological signatures and CTC cutoff. The baseline CTC detection rate was 94.3% (33/35). CTC counts were associated with cancer stages (I-III vs. IV, P = 0.015), liver metastasis (P = 0.026), and neuroendocrine tumor grading (P = 0.03). The median progression-free survival and overall survivals were 12.3 and 30.4 months, respectively. In multivariate Cox regression model, neuroendocrine tumors grading and baseline CTC counts were both independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival (PFS, P = 0.005 and 0.015, respectively) and overall survival (OS, P = 0.018 and 0.023, respectively). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, lower baseline chromogranin A levels were associated with longer PFS (P = 0.024). Baseline CTC counts are associated with the clinicopathologic features of neuroendocrine tumors and are an independent prognostic factor for this malignancy.

Lessons learned from isolated blunt major pancreatic injury: Surgical experience in one trauma centre.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to present our surgical experience of isolated blunt major pancreatic injury (IBMPI), and to compare its characteristic outcomes with that of multi-organ injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1994-2015, 31 patients with IBMPI and 54 patients with multi-organ injury, who underwent surgery, were retrospectively studied. RESULTS: Of the 31 patients with IBMPI, 22 were male and 9 were female. The median age was 30 years (interquartile range, 20-38). Twenty-one patients were classified as the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-Organ Injury Scale Grade III, and 10 patients as Grade IV. Patients with IBMPI had significantly lower shock-at-triage rates, lower injury severity scores, longer injury-to-surgery time, and shorter length of hospital stay than those with multi-organ injury. There were no statistically significant differences in sex, age, trauma mechanism, laboratory data, surgical procedures, and complications between the two groups. Eight patients with IBMPI underwent endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, and 5 patients with complete major pancreatic duct (MPD) disruption underwent pancreatectomy eventually. The remaining 3 patients had partial MPD injury and two of them received a pancreatic duct stent for the treatment of existing postoperative pancreatic fistula. Spleen-sacrificing distal pancreatectomy (SSDP) was performed in 13 patient with IBMPI, followed by spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (n = 12), peripancreatic drainage (n = 4), and central pancreatectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction (n = 2). The overall complication rates, related to the SSDP, SPDP, peripancreatic drainage, and central pancreatectomy, were 10/13 (77%), 4/12 (33%), 3/4 (75%), and 2/2 (100%), respectively. Three patients died resulting in a 10% mortality rate, and the other 16 patients developed intra-abdominal complications resulting in a 52% morbidity rate. In the subgroup analysis of the 25 patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy, SPDP was associated with a shorter injury-to-surgery time than SSDP. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IBMPI have longer injury-to-surgery times, compared to those with multi-organ injury. Of the distal pancreatectomy patients, the time interval from injury to surgery was a significant associated factor in preserving or sacrificing the spleen.

The GALNT14 Genotype Predicts Postoperative Outcome of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is notorious for its poor prognosis. The current mainstay of treatment for PDA is surgical resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. However, it is difficult to predict the post-operative outcome because of the lack of reliable markers. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase14 (GALNT14) has been proven to predict the progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and response to chemotherapy in various types of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. However, its role in PDA has not been studied. This study aims to investigate whether the GALNT14 SNP genotype can be a prognostic marker for PDA. A cohort of one hundred and three PDA patients having received surgical resection were retrospectively enrolled. GALNT14 genotypes and the clinicopathological parameters were correlated with postoperative prognosis. The genotype analysis revealed that 19.4%, 60.2% and 20.4% of patients had the GALNT14 "TT", "TG" and "GG" genotypes, respectively. The patients with the "GG" genotype had a mean OS time of 37.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 18.2-56.1) and those with the "non-GG" genotype had a mean OS time of 16.1 months (95% CI: 13.1-19.2). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the "GG" genotype had a significantly better OS compared to the "non-GG" genotype (p = 0.005). However, there was no significant difference between the "GG" and "non-GG" genotypes in PFS (p = 0.172). The baseline characteristics between patients with the "GG" and "non-GG" genotypes were compared, and no significant difference was found. Univariate followed by multivariate Cox proportional hazard models demonstrated the GALNT14 "GG" genotype, negative resection margin, and locoregional disease as independent predictors for favorable OS (p = 0.003, p = 0.037, p = 0.021, respectively). Sensitivity analysis was performed in each subgroup to examine the relationship of GALNT14 with different clinicopathological variables and no heterogeneity was found. The GALNT14 "GG" genotype is associated with favorable survival outcome, especially OS, in patients with resected PDA and could serve as a prognostic marker.

CD44 Predicts Early Recurrence in Pancreatic Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive types of digestive cancer. Recurrence within one year after surgery is inevitable in most PDAC patients. Recently, cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) has been shown to be associated with tumor initiation, metastasis and prognosis. This study aimed to explore the correlation of CD44 expression with clinicopathological factors and the role of CD44 in predicting early recurrence (ER) in PDAC patients after radical surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PDAC patients who underwent radical resection between January 1999 and March 2015 were enrolled in this study. Tumor recurrence within 6 months after surgery was defined as ER. Immunohistochemical staining was performed with anti-CD44 antibodies. The association between clinicopathological parameters and CD44 expression was analyzed. Predictors for ER were also assessed with univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Overall, 155 patients were included in this study. Univariate analysis revealed CA19-9 levels (p=0.014), CD44 histoscores (H-scores; p=0.002), differentiation (p=0.010), nodal status (p=0.005), stage (p=0.003), vascular invasion (p=0.007), lymphatic invasion (p<0.001) and perineural invasion (p=0.042) as risk factors for ER. In multivariate analysis, high CA19-9 levels and CD44 H-scores and poor differentiation independently predicted ER. CONCLUSION: High CA19-9 levels, CD44 H-scores and poor differentiation are independent predictors for ER in PDAC patients undergoing radical resection. Therefore, the determination of CD44 expression might help in identifying patients at a high risk of ER for more aggressive treatment after radical surgery.

Surgical Margin Status of Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Undergoing Surgery with Radical Intent: Risk Factors for the Survival Impact of Positive Margins.

BACKGROUND: For pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), surgical margin status is an important pathological factor for evaluating surgical adequacy. In this study, we attempted to investigate predictive factors for the survival impact of positive surgical margins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2004 to December 2013, 204 patients were diagnosed with PDAC and underwent surgery with radical intent; 189 patients fulfilled our selection criteria and were enrolled for analysis. RESULTS: For the 189 enrolled patients with PDAC, we found male predominance (112/189, 59%) and a median age of 64 years; most patients were diagnosed with stage IIB disease (n=115, 61%). The positive surgical margin rate was 21% (n=40). Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level higher than 246 U/ml (odds ratio (OR)=2.318; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.037-5.181 p=0.040) and lesion location in the uncinate process (OR=2.996; 95% CI=1.232-7.284 p=0.015) were the only two independent risk factors for positive surgical margins. Positive retroperitoneal soft-tissue margins were the most frequently observed (24/40, 60%). Overall, positive surgical margins had no survival impact in the 189 patients with PDAC who underwent surgery; however, positive surgical margins had an unfavorable survival impact on patients with stage IIA PDAC who underwent surgery. CONCLUSION: Retroperitoneal soft-tissue was the most common site for positive surgical margins. Additionally, surgical margin positivity was more likely for tumors located in the uncinate process than for other tumors. Positive surgical margins had an unfavorable survival impact on patients with stage IIA PDAC who underwent surgery.

Tokyo Guidelines 2018: initial management of acute biliary infection and flowchart for acute cholangitis.

The initial management of patients with suspected acute biliary infection starts with the measurement of vital signs to assess whether or not the situation is urgent. If the case is judged to be urgent, initial medical treatment should be started immediately including respiratory/circulatory management if required, without waiting for a definitive diagnosis. The patient's medical history is then taken; an abdominal examination is performed; blood tests, urinalysis, and diagnostic imaging are carried out; and a diagnosis is made using the diagnostic criteria for cholangitis/cholecystitis. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed, initial medical treatment should be started immediately, severity should be assessed according to the severity grading criteria for acute cholangitis/cholecystitis, and the patient's general status should be evaluated. For mild acute cholangitis, in most cases initial treatment including antibiotics is sufficient, and most patients do not require biliary drainage. However, biliary drainage should be considered if a patient does not respond to initial treatment. For moderate acute cholangitis, early endoscopic or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage is indicated. If the underlying etiology requires treatment, this should be provided after the patient's general condition has improved; endoscopic sphincterotomy and subsequent choledocholithotomy may be performed together with biliary drainage. For severe acute cholangitis, appropriate respiratory/circulatory management is required. Biliary drainage should be performed as soon as possible after the patient's general condition has been improved by initial treatment and respiratory/circulatory management. Free full articles and mobile app of TG18 are available at: http://www.jshbps.jp/modules/en/index.php?content_id=47. Related clinical questions and references are also included.

68Ga-DOTATOC and 18F-FDG PET/CT for identifying the primary lesions of suspected and metastatic neuroendocrine tumors: A prospective study in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of 68Ga-DOTATOC and 18F-FDG PET/CT to identify the primary foci in Taiwanese patients with clinically suspected neuroendocrine tumors (NET) and NET of unknown primary site. METHODS: Patients with clinically suspected NET and NET of unknown primary site were eligible. All participants underwent a conventional workup (including CT, MR, endoscopic ultrasound), 68Ga-DOTATOC, and 18F-FDG PET/CT. The results of pathology and findings on clinical follow-up served as the gold standard. RESULTS: Among the 36 patients included in the study, we were able to identify the primary tumor in 17 participants (47.2%). The overall sensitivity values of 68Ga-DOTATOC, 18F-FDG, and conventional workup were 88%, 41%, and 53%, respectively, whereas the specificities were 100%, 100%, 68%, respectively. The areas under curve of 68Ga-DOTATOC, 18F-FDG, and conventional workup were 0.941, 0.706, and 0.607, respectively. 68Ga-DOTATOC was more sensitive than 18F-FDG and more specific than conventional workup. Treatment changes as a result of 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT findings occurred in 12 (33.3%) of the 36 study participants. CONCLUSION: Our data confirm the usefulness of 68Ga-DOTATOC in the identification of NET. In addition, treatment modifications as a result of 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT findings were evident in approximately one third of NET patients.