Adjuvant chemotherapy after neoadjuvant chemoradiation and proctectomy improves survival irrespective of pathologic response in rectal adenocarcinoma: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to determine whether adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) compared to no AC (noAC) after neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) and resection for rectal adenocarcinoma prolongs survival. Current guidelines from expert groups are conflicting, and data to support administering AC to patients who received neoadjuvant CRT are lacking. METHODS: A total of 19,867 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Mean age was 58.6 ± 12.0 years, and 12,396 (62.4%) were males. Complete response (CR) was documented in 3801 (19.1%) patients and 8167 (41.1%) received AC. The cohort was stratified into pathological complete (pCR, N = 3801) and incomplete (pIR, N = 16,066) subgroups, and pIR further subcategorized into ypN0 (N = 10,191) and ypN + (N = 5875) subgroups. After propensity score matching, AC was associated with improved OS in the pCR subgroups (mean 139.1 ± 1.9 vs. 134.0 ± 2.2 months; p < 0.001), in pIR ypN0 subgroup (141.6 ± 1.5 vs. 129.9 ± 1.2 months, p < 0.001), and in pIR ypN + subgroup (155.9 ± 5.4 vs. 126.5 ± 7.6 months; p < 0.001). RESULTS: AC was associated with improved OS in patients who received neoadjuvant CRT followed by proctectomy for clinical stages II and III rectal adenocarcinoma. This effect persisted irrespective of pathological response status. CONCLUSIONS: AC following neoadjuvant CRT and surgery is associated with improved OS in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. These findings warrant adoption of AC after neoadjuvant CRT and surgery for clinical stage II and III rectal adenocarcinoma.

Surgical Approach does not Affect Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Propensity-Matched Study.

BACKGROUND: The effect of minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD), including laparoscopic and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD and RPD, respectively), on compliance and time to return to intended oncologic therapy (RIOT) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with nonmetastatic PDAC were analyzed in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Three groups were matched per propensity score: open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) and MIPD, LPD and RPD, and converted and nonconverted patients. RIOT rates and time to RIOT were examined. RESULTS: A total of 14,135 patients were included: 11,834 (83.7%) underwent OPD and 2301 (16.3%) underwent MIPD. After score matching, RIOT rates (67.2 vs. 65.3%; p = 0.112) and RIOT within 8 weeks (57.7 vs. 56.4%; p = 0.276) were similar among MIPD and OPD groups, and approach was not a significant predictor of RIOT on multivariable regression. Neither RIOT nor time to RIOT were different among LPD and RPD groups (63.9 vs. 67.0%, and 58.4 vs. 56.9%, respectively). Compared with LPD, RPD was associated with lower conversion rates (HR 0.519; p < 0.001), and conversion was associated with longer median time to RIOT (10 vs. 8 weeks; p = 0.041). CONCLUSION: In this national cohort, approach did not impact RIOT rates or time to RIOT for patients with PDAC. While conversion was associated with longer median time to RIOT, readiness to commence adjuvant therapy was similar for LPD and RPD.

Survival benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy following neoadjuvant therapy and oesophagectomy in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The evidence assessing the additional benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT; i.e. chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) and oesophagectomy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) are limited. This study aimed to determine whether AC improves long-term survival in patients receiving NAT and oesophagectomy. METHODS: Patients receiving oesophagectomy for EAC following NAT from 2004 to 2016 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). To account for immortality bias, patients with survival ≤3 months were excluded to account for immortality bias. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression was performed to account for selection bias and analyze impact of AC on overall survival. RESULTS: Overall, 12,972 (91%) did not receive AC and 1,255 (9%) received AC. After PSM there were 2,485 who did not receive AC and 1,254 who did. After matching, AC was associated with improved survival (median: 38.5 vs 32.3 months, p < 0.001), which remained after multivariable adjustment (HR: 0.78, CI95%: 0.71-0.87). On multivariable interaction analyses, this benefit persisted in subgroup analysis for nodal status: N0 (HR: 0.85, CI95%: 0.69-0.96), N1 (HR: 0.66, CI95%: 0.56-0.78), N2/3 (HR: 0.80, CI95%: 0.66-0.97) and margin status: R0 (HR: 0.77, CI95%: 0.69-0.86), R1 (HR: 0.60, CI95%: 0.43-0.85). Further, patients with stable disease following NAT (HR: 0.60, CI95%: 0.59-0.80) or downstaged (HR: 0.80, CI95%: 0.68-0.95) disease had significant survival benefit after AC, but not patients with upstaged disease. CONCLUSION: AC following NAT and oesophagectomy is associated with improved survival, even in node-negative and margin-negative disease. NAT response may be crucial in identifying patients who will benefit maximally from AC, and thus future research should be focused on identifying molecular phenotype of tumours that respond to chemotherapy to improve outcomes.

Assessment of Textbook Oncologic Outcomes Following Proctectomy for Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes of rectal adenocarcinoma vary considerably. Composite "textbook oncologic outcome" (TOO) is a single metric that estimates optimal clinical performance for cancer surgery. METHODS: Patients with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent single-agent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and proctectomy within 5-12 weeks were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). TOO was defined as achievement of negative distal and circumferential resection margin (CRM), retrieval of ≥ 12 nodes, no 90-day mortality, and length of stay (LOS) < 75th percentile of corresponding year's range. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of TOO. RESULTS: Among 318,225 patients, 8869 met selection criteria. Median age was 62 years (IQR 54-71), and 5550 (62.6%) were males. Low anterior resection was the most common procedure (LAR, 6,037 (68.1%) and 3084 (34.8%) were treated at a high-volume center (≥ 20 rectal resections/year). TOO was achieved in 3967 patients (44.7%). Several components of TOO were achieved commonly, including negative CRM (87.4%), no 90-day mortality (98.0%), no readmission (93.0%), and no prolonged hospitalization (78.8%). Logistic regression identified increasing age, non-private insurance, low-volume centers, open approach, Black race, Charlson score ≥ 3, and abdominoperineal resection (APR) as predictors of failure to achieve TOO. Over time, TOOs were attained more commonly which correlated with increased minimally invasive surgery (MIS) adoption. TOO achievement was associated with improved survival. CONCLUSIONS: Rectal adenocarcinoma patients achieve TOO uncommonly. Treatment at high-volume centers and MIS approach were among modifiable factors associated with TOO in this study.

Adjuvant radiotherapy improves long-term survival after resection for gallbladder cancer A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Data supporting routine use of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) compared to without RT (noRT) for gallbladder cancer (GBC) is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether RT improves long-term survival following resection for GBC. METHODS: Patients receiving resection for GBC followed by RT from 2004 to 2016 were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Patients with survival <6 months were excluded to account for immortal time bias. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression was performed to account for selection bias and analyze impact of RT on overall survival. RESULTS: Of 7514 (77%) noRT and 2261 (23%) RT, 2067 noRT and 2067 RT patients remained after PSM. After matching, RT was associated with improved survival (median: 26.2 vs 21.5 months, p < 0.001), which remained after multivariable adjustment (HR: 0.82, CI95%: 0.76-0.89, p < 0.001). On multivariable interaction analyses, this benefit persisted irrespective of nodal status: N0 (HR: 0.84, CI95%: 0.77-0.93), N1 (HR: 0.77, CI95%: 0.68-0.88), N2/N3 (HR: 0.56, CI95%: 0.35-0.91), margin status: R0 (HR: 0.85, CI95%: 0.78-0.93), R1 (HR: 0.78, CI95%: 0.68-0.88) and use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) (HR: 0.67, CI95%: 0.57-0.79). Benefit with RT were also seen in patients with T2 - T4 disease and in patients undergoing simple and extended cholecystectomy. CONCLUSION: RT following resection was associated with improved survival in this study, even in margin-negative and node-negative disease. These findings may suggest addition of RT into multimodality therapy for GBC.

Tissue Diagnosis Is Associated With Worse Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A National Cancer Database Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Biopsy to achieve tissue diagnosis (TD) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risks needle tract seeding. With chest wall and peritoneal recurrences reported, TD could worsen cancer outcomes. We investigated HCC outcomes after TD compared to clinical diagnosis (CD), hypothesizing that TD adversely affects overall survival (OS). METHODS: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) Participant User File for liver cancer was reviewed, including patients with nonmetastatic HCC treated with major hepatectomy or transplantation. Clinical diagnosis patients were matched 1:1 to TD patients per propensity score. Survival was examined in the unmatched and matched cohorts. RESULTS: Of 172 283 cases, 16 366 met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 60.8 years, 12 100 (73.9%) were male, and 48.4% of patients received hepatectomies. Clinical diagnosis occurred in 70.4% of cases, and 29.6% underwent TD. Cox regression confirmed the diagnostic method as an independent predictor of OS in addition to age, Charlson-Deyo score, grade, delay of surgery, lymphovascular invasion, nodal stage, and procedure type, favoring transplantation over hepatectomy. After propensity matching on these factors, 4251 patients were matched from each group. In the matched cohort, patients with TD had a significantly lower OS than patients with CD (median: 65.5 vs. 85.6 ± 2.7 months, P < .001). The corresponding 5-year survival was lower in the TD group (47.6% vs. 60.9% P < .001). CONCLUSION: Hepatocellular carcinoma patients with preoperative TD had decreased OS compared to CD, which persisted after propensity matching. This study supports avoiding biopsy for HCC whenever possible.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: A population-based comparative cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Data supporting routine use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) compared to no AC (noAC) for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (hCCA) is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether AC improves long-term survival following resection for hCCA. METHODS: Patients receiving resection for hCCA followed by AC or no AC from 2010 to 2016 were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression was performed to account for selection bias and analyze impact of AC on overall survival. RESULTS: Of 924 (56%) noAC and 719 (44%) AC, 320 noAC and 320 AC patients remained after PSM. After matching, AC was associated with improved survival (median: 28.2 vs 19.9 months, p < 0.001), which remained after multivariable adjustment (HR: 0.61, CI95%: 0.50-0.75, p < 0.001). On multivariable interaction analyses, the benefit of AC over no AC persisted irrespective of nodal status: N0 (HR: 0.62, CI95%: 0.41-0.92, p = 0.019), N1 (HR: 0.52, CI95%: 0.36-0.75, p = 0.001), N2 (HR: 0.31, CI95%: 0.11-0.90, p = 0.032), Nx (HR: 0.22, CI95%: 0.09-0.55, p = 0.001) and margin status: R0 (HR: 0.74, CI95%: 0.57-0.97, p = 0.026), R1 (HR: 0.31, CI95%: 0.21-0.47, p < 0.001). Stratified analysis by nodal, margin and AC status demonstrated consistent results. CONCLUSION: AC following resection for hCCA was associated with improved survival in this study, even in margin-negative and node-negative disease. These findings suggest incorporation of AC into multimodality therapy for hCCA in all cases, where appropriate.

Palliative gastrectomy for metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma: A national population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of palliative gastrectomy for metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, especially by site of metastasis remains unclear. METHODS: The National Cancer Database, 2010-2015, was used to identify patients with clinical metastatic (cM1) gastric adenocarcinoma (n = 19,411) at diagnosis. The main variable was index management for cM1 gastric adenocarcinoma (ie, no treatment, palliative chemotherapy, or palliative gastrectomy). Cox multivariable analyses were used to account for treatment selection bias and reported as hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of 19,411 patients, 10,893 (56%) received palliative chemotherapy, and only 1,101 (6%) received palliative gastrectomy only. The median survival was 6.1 months, and 5-year survival was 4% in the entire cohort. Patients receiving palliative gastrectomy had a significantly longer survival than patients without any treatment or palliative chemotherapy (median: 12.8 vs 1.8 vs 9.5 months, P < .001), which remained after multivariable adjustment (HR: 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.81, P < .001) compared with palliative chemotherapy. Stratified analyses by clinical nodal stage (cN) demonstrated survival benefit with palliative gastrectomy: cN0 (HR: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.82), cN1 (HR: 0.68, 95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.79), cN2 (HR: 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.70-0.94), and cN3 (HR: 0.82, 95% confidence interval: 0.70-0.92) over palliative chemotherapy. Stratified analyses by metastasis site demonstrated that palliative gastrectomy remained superior compared with palliative chemotherapy for metastatic disease limited to liver, bone, and peritoneum, but equivalent to lung metastasis and inferior to brain metastasis. CONCLUSION: Palliative gastrectomy appears to have a modest survival benefit over palliative chemotherapy alone. Differences in outcomes by site of metastasis warrant further research to understand tumor biology and identify specific subgroups which may benefit from palliative gastrectomy.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Associated with Survival Benefit Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Data supporting the routine use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) compared with no AC (noAC) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are lacking. This study aimed to determine whether AC improves long-term survival in patients receiving NAC and resection. METHODS: Patients receiving resection for PDAC following NAC from 2004 to 2016 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Patients with a survival rate of < 6 months were excluded to account for immortal time bias. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression analysis were performed to account for selection bias and analyze the impact of AC on overall survival. RESULTS: Of 4449 (68%) noAC patients and 2111 (32%) AC patients, 2016 noAC patients and 2016 AC patients remained after PSM. After matching, AC was associated with improved survival (median 29.4 vs. 24.9 months; p < 0.001), which remained after multivariable adjustment (HR 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-0.88; p < 0.001). On multivariable interaction analyses, this benefit persisted irrespective of nodal status: N0 (hazard ratio [HR] 0.80, 95% CI 0.72-0.90; p < 0.001), N1 (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86; p < 0.001), R0 margin status (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.89; p < 0.001), R1 margin status (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64-0.93; p = 0.007), no neoadjuvant radiotherapy (NART; HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.96; p = 0.009), and use of NART (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.73-0.88; p < 0.001). Stratified analysis by nodal, margin, and NART status demonstrated consistent results. CONCLUSION: AC following NAC and resection is associated with improved survival, even in margin-negative and node-negative disease. These findings suggest completing planned systemic treatment should be considered in all resected PDACs previously treated with NAC.

Impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery on Postoperative Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have been associated with significant morbidity and increased hospital length of stay (LOS). The authors report their experience after implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program for CRS-HIPEC. METHODS: Outcomes were analyzed before and after ERAS implementation. The components of ERAS included preoperative carbohydrate loading, goal-directed fluid management, multimodal pain management, minimization of narcotic use, avoidance of nasogastric tubes, and early mobilization and feeding. RESULTS: Of 168 procedures, 88 (52%) were in the pre-ERAS group and 80 (48%) were in the post-ERAS group. The two groups did not differ in terms of age, sex, comorbidities, peritoneal carcinomatosis index scores, completeness of cytoreduction, or operative time. The ERAS patients received fewer fluids intraoperatively (mean, 4.2 vs 6.4 L; p < 0.01). The mean LOS was 7.9 days post-ERAS compared with 10.0 days pre-ERAS (p = 0.015). Clavien-Dindo complications classified as grade ≥ 3 were lower after ERAS (23.7% vs 38.6%; p = 0.04). Moreover, the readmission rates remained the same (16.2% vs 13.6%; p = 0.635). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an ERAS program for patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC is feasible and not associated with an increase in overall major complications or readmissions. These data support incorporation of ERAS protocols for CRS-HIPEC procedures.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma is Associated with Lower Post-Pancreatectomy Readmission Rates: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) being increasingly utilized and possibly associated with improved oncological outcomes, the impact of NAC on textbook outcomes following pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains debated. METHODS: A retrospective review of the National Cancer Database of patients undergoing resection of non-metastatic PDAC from 2004 to 2016 was performed. Propensity score matching was used to account for treatment selection bias in patients with and without NAC (noNAC). A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the association of NAC with length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and 30- and 90-day mortality. RESULTS: Of 7975 (11%) NAC patients and 65,338 (89%) noNAC patients, 2911 NAC and 2911 noNAC patients remained in the cohort after matching. Clinicopathologic and demographic variables were well-balanced after matching. After matching, NAC was associated with significantly lower rates of 30-day readmission (5.5% vs. 7.4%; p = 0.006), which remained after multivariable adjustment (odds ratio [OR] 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60-0.92; p = 0.006). There were no significant differences in LOS and 30- and 90-day mortality in patients receiving NAC and noNAC. Stratified analyses by surgery type (i.e. pancreaticoduodenectomy [PD] and distal pancreatectomy [DP]) demonstrated consistent results. CONCLUSION: Receipt of NAC in PDAC patients undergoing DP or PD is associated with lower readmission rates and does not otherwise compromise short-term outcomes. These data reaffirm the safety of strategies incorporating NAC and is important to consider when devising policies aimed at quality improvement in achieving textbook outcomes.

Local Endoscopic Resection is Inferior to Gastrectomy for Early Clinical Stage T1a and T1b Gastric Adenocarcinoma: A Propensity-Matched Study.

BACKGROUND: The role of endoscopic resection (ER) in the management of subsets of clinical T1N0 gastric adenocarcinoma remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of ER versus gastrectomy in node-negative cT1a and cT1b gastric adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Data from the National Cancer Database (2010-2015) were used to identify patients with clinical T1aN0 (n = 2927; ER: n = 1157, gastrectomy: n = 1770) and T1bN0 (n = 2915; ER: n = 474, gastrectomy: n = 2441) gastric adenocarcinoma. Propensity score matching and Cox multivariable analyses were used to account for treatment selection bias. RESULTS: ER for cT1a and cT1b cancers was performed more frequently over time. The rates of node-positive disease in patients with cT1a and cT1b gastric adenocarcinoma were 5% and 18%, respectively. In the matched cohort, gastrectomy was associated with increased survival compared with ER for cT1a cancers (hazard ratio [HR] 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66-0.95; p = 0.013), and corresponding 5-year survival for gastrectomy and ER was 72% and 66%, respectively (p = 0.013). For cT1b cancers, gastrectomy had a significantly longer survival compared with ER (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.93; p = 0.008), and the corresponding 5-year survival for gastrectomy and ER was 60% and 50%, respectively (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates ER is inferior in terms of long-term survival for clinical T1aN0 and T1bN0 gastric adenocarcinoma, despite current recommendations for ER in cT1 gastric cancers. Future research should seek to identify the subset of T1a and T1b cancers at low risk of nodal metastasis, and would thus maximally benefit from ER.

Impact of Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy on Pancreatic Fistula Rates Following Pancreatectomy: a Population-Based Propensity-Matched Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) drives morbidity and mortality following pancreatectomy. Use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has recently increased in the treatment of potentially resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This study examined the effect of NAC on POPF rates and postoperative outcomes in PDAC. METHODS: The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Targeted Pancreatectomy dataset was queried to identify PDAC patients who underwent curative-intent pancreatectomies. Propensity score matching was used to stratify patients by receipt of NAC. Postoperative outcomes were compared and logistic regression applied to identify POPF predictors. RESULTS: Six thousand eight hundred sixty-three patients met the inclusion criteria; of those, 1908 (27.8%) received NAC and 4955 (72.2%) did not (NNAC). Two thousand sixty-two patients were matched 1:1 from each group. NAC patients had significantly lower POPF rates (9.0% vs. 14.5%; P < 0.001); the majority were categorized as grade A (5.1% vs. 9.5%). Overall 30-day morbidity was lower with NAC (40.4% vs. 49.5%; P < 0.001). Specifically, pneumonia (2.3% vs. 4.1%), organ space infections (7.9% vs. 13.2%), sepsis (5.2% vs. 8.0%), and delayed gastric emptying (10.1% vs. 14.8%) occurred less frequently in the NAC group. Postoperative mortality and unplanned reoperations were similar. On multivariate analysis, receipt of NAC was an independent predictor of decreased POPF rates (HR, 0.73 [0.56-0.94]; P = 0.016). Other factors included gland texture, duct size, male gender, and lower BMI. CONCLUSIONS: In this propensity-matched, population-based cohort study of PDAC patients, NAC was associated with lower POPF rates and overall major complications. Those findings suggest a modest protective effect of NAC from POPF.

Management of early hepatocellular carcinoma: results of the Delphi consensus process of the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association.

BACKGROUND: There are many potential treatment options for patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and practice patterns vary widely. This project aimed to use a Delphi conference to generate consensus regarding the management of small resectable HCC. METHODS: A base case was established with review by members of AHPBA Research Committee. The Delphi panel of experts reviewed the literature and scored clinical case statements to identify areas of agreement and disagreement. Following initial scoring, discussion was undertaken, questions were amended, and scoring was repeated. This cycle was repeated until no further likelihood of reaching consensus existed. RESULTS: The panel achieved agreement or disagreement consensus regarding 27 statements. The overarching themes included that resection, ablation, transplantation, or any locoregional therapy as a bridge to transplant were all appropriate modalities for early or recurrent HCC. For larger lesions, consensus was reached that radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation were not appropriate treatments. CONCLUSION: Using a validated system for identifying consensus, an expert panel agreed that multiple treatment modalities are appropriate for early stage HCC. These consensus guidelines are intended to help guide physicians through treatment modalities for early HCC; however, clinical decisions should continue to be made on a patient-specific basis.

The impact of BMI extremes on disease-free survival and overall survival following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are increasingly being offered to patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). On the other hand, the prevalence of obesity is also increasing and expected to reach unprecedented rates in the upcoming decades. Therefore, managing patients on either extreme of the body mass index (BMI) range is anticipated to become a routine challenge and it becomes imperative to understand the impact of BMI, as a spectrum, on the long-term outcomes of CRS and HIPEC. We aim to study the short and long-term outcomes of CRS and HIPEC in patients on both extremes of the BMI spectrum. METHODS: Patients with PC who underwent CRS and HIPEC over 10 years for ovarian, colorectal, and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), and whose BMI was recorded were retrospectively included. Patients were divided based on their weight strata. The primary outcomes were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A total of 126 patients were included. Fifty-seven point one percent were females and mean age was 59.31±1.57 years. No difference was noted between the groups in regards to demographics, perioperative characteristics, and immediate postoperative outcomes. Underweight group had a trend toward a higher peritoneal cancer index and lower rates of complete cytoreduction. Optimum BMI for OS and DFS was in the obesity range in colorectal PC, in the overweight range in ovarian PC, and in borderline obesity in PMP. Regression analysis identified underweight as an independent risk factor for shorter DFS, whereas underweight and morbid obesity were risk factors for shorter OS, after adjustment for other factors such as incomplete cytoreduction, tumor histology, and grade. CONCLUSIONS: OS and DFS vary across the BMI strata. Ovarian PC demonstrates earlier recurrence and shorter survival, whereas colorectal PC demonstrates the "obesity paradox" as patients move into the realm of obesity. BMI extremes, low or high, generally carry a poor prognosis for OS.

Outcomes of Open Versus Minimally Invasive Ivor-Lewis Esophagectomy for Cancer: A Propensity-Score Matched Analysis of NSQIP Database.

INTRODUCTION: We conducted this analysis to compare the outcomes of open transthoracic esophagectomy (OTTE) and minimally invasive transthoracic esophagectomy (MITTE) when performed for oncologic indications. METHODS: The NSQIP esophagectomy-targeted database during 2-year period was used. Only patients who underwent elective TTE for oncologic indications were included. Patients were matched per a propensity score for the likelihood of receiving OTTE versus MITTE. RESULTS: Overall, 2098 esophagectomies were reported; 576 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 161 purely OTTE patients were matched 1:1 with patients who received purely MITTE. OTTE was associated with higher reported rates of abdominal and mediastinal lymphadenectomies (LAD) (26.7% vs. 3.1% and 38.5% vs. 16.1%, respectively; p < 0.001) and had shorter mean operative time (329 vs. 414 min; p < 0.001). However, OTTE patients had higher rates of wound infection (7.5% vs. 1.9%), longer median hospitalization (10 vs. 8 days), more non-home discharges (18.0 vs. 8.1%), and a tendency toward higher rates of postoperative transfusion (13.0% vs. 6.8%; p = 0.092). The overall complications rate was higher in OTTE (46.0% vs. 33.5%; p = 0.028). No difference was noted in the rates of anastomotic leak, negative margins, reoperation, readmission, or mortality. Laparoscopic versus robotic approaches were uniformly comparable, except for higher rates of reported abdominal LAD in laparoscopic and higher rates of reported mediastinal LAD in robotic approach. CONCLUSIONS: MITTE is comparable to OTTE for oncologic indications in immediate postoperative outcomes. A concern is raised regarding the oncologic outcome given the lower reported rates of lymphadenectomies. Comparison of long-term outcomes is essential to address this concern.