Impact of pelvic floor muscle training on sphincter function and quality-of-life in patients who underwent low anterior resection: A comparative evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to determine the impact of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on sphincter function and overall well-being in patients who underwent low anterior resection (LAR) and diverting ileostomy due to rectal cancer. For this purpose, anal electromyography (aEMG), low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaires (EORTC-QLQ)-C30 (generic for cancer) and CR29 (specific to colorectal cancer) were used. The primary endpoint of our study is to determine the effect of PFMT on sphincter function by aEMG, the secondary endpoint is to evaluate the effect on quality-of-life using the LARS score, EORTC-QLQ-C30 and CR-29 questionnaires. METHODS: Conducted between January 2017 and April 2018 at a tertiary hospital's general surgery clinic, the study included 32 patients between the ages of 18 and 75 who underwent low anterior resection and diverting ileostomy surgery. The patients were divided into two: the Study Group (SG), which started PFMT after surgery, and the Control Group (CG), which was not subjected to additional exercises. Six months after closure of the diverting ileostomy, both groups were evaluated with aEMG, LARS scores, and EORTC-QLQ-C30 and CR-29. RESULTS: aEMG duration values were significantly lower in the SG (17.6 m/sec vs. 19.9 m/sec; p=0.001). Additionally, a significant decrease in SG, major LARS rates (12.5% vs. 62.5%; p=0.004) and LARS scores (23.1 vs. 30.0; p=0.003) was observed. While there was no significant difference between the groups in EORTC-QLQ C30, increased sexual interest and decreased fecal incontinence were observed in SG in EORTC-QLQ-CR29. CONCLUSION: PFMT significantly improves LARS scores, quality-of-life questionnaires and aEMG parameters, positioning PFMT as an accessible, non-invasive, easy-to-use first-line treatment option in the treatment of LARS.

Impact of preoperative prognostic nutritional index levels on morbidity in colorectal cancer surgery.

AIM: The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a valuable parameter that indicates the immunonutritional status of patients with malignant tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients operated for colorectal cancer between January 2013 and December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The relationship between PNI and morbidity was investigated in the 314 patients included in the study. Based on previous studies, the PNI cutoff value was set at 45, and the patients were duly divided into two groups: PNI <45 and PNI ≥45. The demographic and clinicopathological characteristics, as well as postoperative complications in the two groups, were compared. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in gender, localization, T stage, N stage, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, stage, Ca19-9 values, and body mass index(BMI) between the two groups. In contrast, there was a statistically significant difference in age, complications, and CEA values. (p=0.008, p<0.001, p=0.043, respectively). The median age was lower in patients with high PNI scores than in the low PNI group (61 vs. 64 years). When the patients were examined for complications, 36 (37.1%) patients were observed in the high PNI group, compared to 155 (71.4%) in the low PNI group. In terms of overall survival, the mean life expectancy was 68.112 2.646 months for patients with low PNI group, compared to 84.626 2.701 months in the high-PNI group, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This study's findings suggest that the preoperative prognostic nutritional index may indicate postoperative complications and prognosis. The most significant benefit of this marker is that it can be improved preoperatively and practically. KEY WORDS: Nutritional Status, Morbidity, Colorectal Neoplasms.

Comparative Analysis of Preoperative Ratio Based Markers in Predicting Postoperative Infectious Complications After Gastrectomy.

AIM: Postoperative infections (POIs) are associated with prolonged postoperative recovery, delayed adjuvant therapy, psychological problems, and poor long-term outcomes. The study aims to cross-compare the ratio-based preoperative parameters to predict POIs in patients with D2 gastrectomy for gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort and single-center study evaluated the data of 293 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy between January 2007 and November 2019 in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the ability of laboratory values to predict clinically relevant POIs. The predictive capacity of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and CRP-albumin ratio (CAR) was calculated by the area under the curve. Then, the cutoff points were determined for all 4 indexes. RESULTS: POIs developed in 77 (26.2%) patients. Patients with POI had higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) scores and a longer length of hospital stay. ROC curve analysis revealed that NLR, LMR, and CAR were significantly effective in predicting POI, while PLR was ineffective. LMR was the best ability to predict the POI. According to multivariate analysis, CCI score 3, NLR> 3.8, and LMR 2.34 were independent risk factors influencing the POI. CONCLUSION: Preoperative LMR was most predictive for POI. Although CAR predicted the development of the POI, it was not superior to LMR and NLR. PLR did not have any prediction for POI. In addition, increased comorbidity (CCI 3) was an independent risk factor for POI.

Relation between Sarcopenia and Surgical Site Infection in Patients Undergoing Gastric Cancer Surgery.

Background: Sarcopenia is a syndrome that can have negative consequences after gastric cancer (GC) surgery. This study aims to determine the effect of sarcopenia on surgical site infection (SSI) that develops after open GC surgery. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective design study, data were collected for patients who underwent GC surgery between January 2013 and August 2019. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was made according to the skeletal muscle index (SMI) calculated from pre-operative computed tomography images. Patients with sarcopenia and those without sarcopenia were compared in terms of SSIs; the risk factors for SSI were also analyzed. Results: One hundred forty-nine patients were included in the study and had a mean age of 59.3 years. Post-operative complications developed in 59 patients (39.6%) and SSIs in 28 patients (18.7%). Sarcopenia was detected in 57 (38.3%) patients; the mean age was 59.9 years in the sarcopenic group (SG) and 58.9 years in the non-sarcopenic group (NSG; p = 0.55). The mean SMI was 382.5 mm2/m2 and 646.2 mm2/m2 in the SG and NSG, respectively (p < 0.001). A relation between SSIs and sarcopenia was detected; 17 patients in the SG (29.8%) versus 11 patients in the NSG (11.9%; p = 0.007). Surgical site infection was not found to be statistically significantly related to obesity, hypoalbuminemia, intra-operative blood loss, or duration of operation, although the sarcopenic obesity patients were found to have the highest SSI rate (40%). Conclusion: The present study identified a relation between sarcopenia and SSIs occurring after GC surgery. The authors believe that studies seeking to reduce the incidence of SSIs, which are a leading cause of morbidity after GC surgery, should be supported.

The impact of sarcopenia on pathologic complete response following neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: The role of sarcopenia in pathologic complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in non-metastatic locally advanced rectal cancer is currently unknown. The present study investigates the association between sarcopenia and post-nCRT pCR. METHODS: The data of patients operated on following nCRT between January 2013 and January 2020 were collected retrospectively. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the calculation of the skeletal muscle index (SMI) from computed tomography carried out at the time of the initial diagnosis. A statistical analysis was then conducted for predictors of pCR. RESULTS: The study included 61 patients with an average age of 57.3 years, 28 of whom formed the non-sarcopenic group (NSG) and 33 the sarcopenic group (SG). Of the patients, 32.7% were at clinical stage 2, and 67.3% were at clinical stage 3. Pathologic data following a mesorectal excision revealed a pCR rate of 21.4% in the NSG compared with 3% in the SG, which was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.025). The TNM downstaging rate was higher in the NSG than in the SG, although the difference was not statistically significant (50% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.28). A univariate analysis revealed the factors affecting pCR to be non-sarcopenia (p = 0.025), age < 61 years (p = 0.004), interval to surgery ≥ 8 weeks (p = 0.029), and serum CEA < 2.5 ng/ml (p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia was found to be a negative marker of pCR following nCRT in non-metastatic locally advanced rectal cancer.

The prognostic value of different lymph node classification systems in stage III colorectal cancer patients.

AIM: Prognostic significance assessment of different lymph node classification systems in stage III colorectal cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 85 stage III colorectal cancer patients, who had undergone surgery between January 2013 and December 2018, were divided into 3 different groups comprising of lymph node ratios (LNR) and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) as per the cutoff values of 25 and 75 percentile threshold values. They were accordingly classified as: LNR1 <0.069, LNR2 0.069-0.24, LNR3 >0.24 and LODDS1 <-0.99; -0.99≥ LODDS2 <-0.47; LODDS3 ≥-0.47. Further the LNR was assessed according to the cutoff values proposed by Berger et al. The pN statuses of all patients were also categorized as pN1 and pN2 in line with the AJCC 8th Edition. The Kaplan-Meier test and Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze the relationship among the LNR, LODDS, pN and overall survival. RESULTS: While 55 patients included in the study had tumors in their colons, the localization of the tumors of 30 patients was the rectum. The means for survival time was 63.3 months +/- 3.6 [95% CI(56.2-70.4)]. When univariate analyses were conducted for the factors affecting 3 and 5-year survival of the patients, it was ascertained that there was a significant relationship only between perineural invasion (PNI) and survival. Accordingly, the 3-year survival of those with PNI was found to be 31.4% in comparison to 56% of those without PNI (p=0.025), while the figure was 5.7% for the 5-year survival of the former group and 22% for the latter (p=0.040). When the relation between the survival time of the patients and the LNR classification conducted according to the staging system developed by Berger et al. was studied, no significant relationship could be found (p>0.05). Similarly, and 0.321 respectively. CONCLUSION: Although numerous studies have shown that there was a significant relationship between high LNR and increased survival, as opposed to the results of our study, the greatest obstacle before LNR's survival prediction is the absence of a consensus for standard cutoff values. KEY WORDS: Colorectal cancer, Lymph node classification systems, Lymph node ratio.

Relationship between Sarcopenia and Surgical Site Infection in Patients Undergoing Colorectal Cancer Surgical Procedures.

Background: Sarcopenia is a syndrome that can be associated with unfavorable outcomes after colorectal cancer surgical procedures. The present study evaluates the relationship between sarcopenia and surgical site infections (SSIs) that can occur after colorectal cancer operations and that are a significant cause of morbidity. Methods: The research was designed as a retrospective study in which data were collected on patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgical procedures between January 2013 and July 2019. A diagnosis of sarcopenia was established based on the skeletal muscle index (SMI), calculated from pre-operative computed tomography scans. The SSI scores of patients with sarcopenia (sarcopenic group, SG) and those without sarcopenia (non-sarcopenic group, NSG) were compared, and a logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for SSI. Results: A total of 209 patients with a mean age of 61.2 years were included in the study. Post-operative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥1) developed in 97 (46.4%) patients, SSIs developed in 46 (22%) patients, and sarcopenia developed in 97 (46.4%) patients. The mean age was 64.8 years in the SG group and 58.1 years in the NSG group (p = 0.016). No significant relationship was found between the development of SSI and sarcopenia (20 (20.6%) patients in the SG vs. 26 (23.2%) patients in the NSG, p = 0.65). Those in whom superficial SSIs developed in the early period formed the largest group (20 patients). The most commonly detected micro-organism was Escherichia coli with a rate of 55%. In a multi-variable logistic regression analysis, only the non-laparoscopic approach was identified as a risk factor (odds ratio 3.83; 95% confidence interval 1.26-11.58; p = 0.017). Conclusions: The present study reports no relationship between sarcopenia and SSI after colorectal cancer operations. The authors consider that studies that endeavor to reduce the incidence of SSI, as a significant cause of morbidity after colorectal surgical procedures, should be supported.

Does Primary Hyperparathyroidism Have an Association with Thyroid Papillary Cancer? A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). METHODS: The perioperative findings of 275 patients with pHPT who underwent surgery between January 2014 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-one patients were diagnosed with pHPT and PTC concurrently. Pathology results and demographic findings of these patients were compared with 186 patients who underwent thyroidectomy and diagnosed with PTC at the same time interval. RESULTS: The co-occurrence of pHPT and PTC was 11.3% (31/275). The median ages of the pHPT, pHPT + PTC, and PTC groups were 55, 57, and 50 years old, respectively (p < 0.001). The diameter of tumor was smaller in the pHPT + PTC group [median 7 mm (range 0.5-25 mm) vs. 15 mm (range 1-100 mm)], with higher rates of microcarcinomas (p < 0.001), than the patients in the PTC group. Examination of tumor morphology showed higher rates of tumor capsule invasion and multicentricity in the pHPT + PTC group than those in the isolated PTC group (p = 0.02, p = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSION: The pHPT + PTC group had significantly smaller tumor diameter than the PTC group. This result may support the idea that pHPT leads to overdiagnosis of PTC. However, observation of high rates of tumor capsule invasion and multicentricity in the pHPT + PTC group may suggest an associative etiology with more aggressive PTC.