Retrospective analysis of pathological response in colorectal cancer liver metastases following treatment with bevacizumab

AIMS: Pathological response has been shown to be a predictor for survival after preoperative chemotherapy and surgical resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases. This retrospective analysis evaluated the effect on pathological response of adding bevacizumab to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and liver metastases. METHODS: Patient records from two Spanish centres were retrospectively examined for this analysis. Patients were included if they had stage IV mCRC with liver metastases, were unresectable or marginally resectable tumour before chemotherapy, and had oxaliplatin- or irinotecan-based chemotherapy, with or without bevacizumab, before resection. Tumour response was evaluated using response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST). Pathological response was assessed by pathologists blinded to treatment. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients were included. Good pathological responses (PR0/PR1) were observed in 37 patients (39 %). The RECIST response rate was 51 %. Only 42 % of patients with a good pathological response had a complete or partial response according to RECIST, while 57 % of those with a poor pathological response had a complete or partial response according to RECIST. RECIST response rates were similar with and without bevacizumab, although 49 % of bevacizumab-treated patients had a good pathological response versus 27 % of those receiving chemotherapy alone (χ (2) P = 0.0302). CONCLUSION: Pathological response may be a better indicator of treatment efficacy than RECIST for patients with mCRC receiving bevacizumab in the neoadjuvant setting. Adding bevacizumab to chemotherapy has the potential to increase pathological response rates. Well-designed prospective clinical studies are required to establish the efficacy and tolerability of this approach (AU)

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Retrospective analysis of pathological response in colorectal cancer liver metastases following treatment with bevacizumab.

AIMS: Pathological response has been shown to be a predictor for survival after preoperative chemotherapy and surgical resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases. This retrospective analysis evaluated the effect on pathological response of adding bevacizumab to standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and liver metastases. METHODS: Patient records from two Spanish centres were retrospectively examined for this analysis. Patients were included if they had stage IV mCRC with liver metastases, were unresectable or marginally resectable tumour before chemotherapy, and had oxaliplatin- or irinotecan-based chemotherapy, with or without bevacizumab, before resection. Tumour response was evaluated using response evaluation criteria in solid tumours (RECIST). Pathological response was assessed by pathologists blinded to treatment. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients were included. Good pathological responses (PR0/PR1) were observed in 37 patients (39 %). The RECIST response rate was 51 %. Only 42 % of patients with a good pathological response had a complete or partial response according to RECIST, while 57 % of those with a poor pathological response had a complete or partial response according to RECIST. RECIST response rates were similar with and without bevacizumab, although 49 % of bevacizumab-treated patients had a good pathological response versus 27 % of those receiving chemotherapy alone (χ (2) P = 0.0302). CONCLUSION: Pathological response may be a better indicator of treatment efficacy than RECIST for patients with mCRC receiving bevacizumab in the neoadjuvant setting. Adding bevacizumab to chemotherapy has the potential to increase pathological response rates. Well-designed prospective clinical studies are required to establish the efficacy and tolerability of this approach.

Pathologic response assessed by Mandard grade is a better prognostic factor than down staging for disease-free survival after preoperative radiochemotherapy for advanced rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The reduction in tumour stage induced by full course radiotherapy plus chemotherapy is apparent from histological changes. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of complete pathological response and to evaluate the prognostic value for disease free survival (DFS) and disease specific survival (DSS) of the response. The relation between pretreatment variables (age, gender, stage, tumour height and [carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA)] and postsurgical variables was compared to the pathological response. METHOD: A total of 119 patients with stage II or III rectal cancer underwent surgery 6 weeks after neoadjuvant treatment. Group A included patients with a complete or good pathological response (Mandard grade I-II) and group B patients with a poor response (Mandard grade III-IV-V). The pretreatment endo-rectal ultrasound scan stage was compared with histopathology stage of the resected specimen. DFS and DSS were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: All 119 patients (mean age 67.9 years, 83 males) underwent resection. The tumour was located in the upper, middle and lower third of the rectum in 11, 51 and 57 patients. 88 patients had a low anterior resection, 28 patients abdomino-perineal resection and three a Hartmann's operation. There was no postoperative death. The circumferential margin (CM) was involved in 10%. A complete pathological response was observed in 17 (14.2%) patients. Thirty-six (30.2%) patients had a group A and 83 a group B response. Group A showed DFS to be significantly higher than group B (log rank: P = 0.007). The DSS rate was not significantly different between the two groups (log rank P = 0.113). Down-staging was not related with DFS. No relation was found between pretreatment variables and response. A good pathological response was related to a lower rate of permanent colostomy but not with CM involvement or the number of lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Tumour regression of grades I or II was a good indicator of DFS in locally advanced rectal cancer, treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Patients with a high regression grade were associated with a lower incidence of definitive stoma formation. The regression grade was shown to be a better prognostic factor than down-staging.

[The role of laparoscopy in emergency abdominal surgery]. / El papel de la laparoscopia en la cirugía abdominal urgente.

Abdominal emergencies can also be operated on through the laparoscopic approach: the approach can be diagnostic laparoscopy, surgery assisted by laparoscopy or laparotomy directed according to the findings of the laparoscopy. The general contraindications refer above all to the state of haemodynamic instability of the patient and to seriously ill patients (ASA IV). In the absence of any specific counter-indications for the specific laparoscopic procedure to be carried out, many abdominal diseases requiring emergency surgery can be performed with the laparoscopic approach. The most frequent indications are appendicitis, acute colecistitis, gastroduodenal perforation, occlusion of the small intestine, and some abdominal traumas. With a correct selection of patients and the appropriate experience of the surgeon, the results are excellent and better than open surgery (less infection of the wound, complications, hospital stay and postoperative pain). A detailed explanation is given of the basic aspects of the surgical technique in the most frequent procedures of emergency laparoscopy.

El papel de la laparoscopia en la cirugía abdominal urgente / The role of laparoscopy in emergency abdominal surgery

La urgencia abdominal también puede ser intervenida mediante abordaje laparoscópico: el planteamiento puede ser de laparoscopia diagnóstica, cirugía asistida por laparoscopia o laparotomía dirigida según los hallazgos de la laparoscopia. Las contraindicaciones generales se refieren sobre todo al estado de inestabilidad hemodinámica del paciente y a pacientes graves (ASA IV). En ausencia de contraindicación específica para el procedimiento laparoscópico concreto a realizar, muchas enfermedades abdominales que requieren cirugía urgente pueden realizarse con abordaje laparoscópico. Las indicaciones más frecuentes son la apendicitis, la colecistitis aguda, la perforación gastroduodenal, la oclusión de intestino delgado, y algunos traumas abdominales. Con una correcta selección de pacientes y la oportuna experiencia del cirujano, los resultados son excelentes, y mejoran la cirugía abierta (menos infección de herida, complicaciones, estancia hospitalaria y dolor postoperatorio). Se explican con detalle los aspectos básicos de la técnica quirúrgica en los procedimientos más frecuentes de laparoscopia de urgencia

Abdominal emergencies can also be operated on through the laparoscopic approach: the approach can be diagnostic laparoscopy, surgery assisted by laparoscopy or laparotomy directed according to the findings of the laparoscopy. The general contraindications refer above all to the state of haemodynamic instability of the patient and to seriously ill patients (ASA IV). In the absence of any specific counter-indications for the specific laparoscopic procedure to be carried out, many abdominal diseases requiring emergency surgery can be performed with the laparoscopic approach. The most frequent indications are appendicitis, acute colecistitis, gastroduodenal perforation, occlusion of the small intestine, and some abdominal traumas. With a correct selection of patients and the appropriate experience of the surgeon, the results are excellent and better than open surgery (less infection of the wound, complications, hospital stay and postoperative pain). A detailed explanation is given of the basic aspects of the surgical technique in the most frequent procedures of emergency laparoscopy

Estado actual del tratamiento quirúrgico de las metástasis hepáticas deorigen colorrectal: una visión práctica / Present state of the surgical treatment of hepatic metastasis of colorectal origin: a practical view

La resección hepática constituye la única posibilidad real de curación para un grupo seleccionado de pacientes con metástasis hepáticas de cáncer colorrectal. La supervivencia obtenida en estos pacientes es de un 30-40 por ciento a los 5 años y un 20-25 por ciento a los 10 años de la cirugía; ningún otro tratamiento se acerca a estos resultados. La clave para conseguir estos resultados es el tratamiento de estos pacientes por un equipo multidisciplinar, equipo que debe contar con la participación de cirujanos especialmente entrenados en las técnicas de resección hepática. En la presente revisión se describen: la estadificación preoperatoria de las metástasis hepáticas de origen colorrectal por técnicas de imagen, los criterios de selección para la cirugía, los estándares de la técnica quirúrgica y el tratamiento adyuvante que forman parte del Protocolo de la Sección de Cirugía Hepatobiliar del Hospital de Navarra, basados en nuestra experiencia en 150 hepatectomías y en la mejor evidencia científica disponible. (AU)

[Present state of the surgical treatment of hepatic metastasis of colorectal origin: a practical view]. / Estado actual del tratamiento quirúrgico de las metástasis hepáticas de origen colorrectal: una visión práctica.

Hepatic resection is the only real possibility of cure for a selected group of patients with hepatic metastasis of colorectal cancer. Survival obtained in these patients is of some 30-40% after 5 years and some 20-25% after ten years following surgery; no other treatment approaches these results. The key for obtaining these results is the treatment of these patients by a multidisciplinary team, a team that must include the participation of surgeons specially trained in the techniques of hepatic resection. The present review describes: the pre-operational staging of hepatic metastasis of colorectal origin by diagnostic imaging techniques, the selection criteria for surgery, the standards of the surgical technique and the adjuvant treatment that forms part of the Protocol of the Hepatobiliary Surgery Section of the Hospital of Navarra, based on our experience in 150 hepatectomies and on the best scientifically available evidence.

[Weaning from mechanical ventilation. The aim of nursing research]. / El destete del ventilador, objeto de investigación enfermera.

Management of patients difficult to wean from the ventilator is a practical challenge in which professional nurses are deeply involved.The clinical research applied over the last years has tried to describe the characteristics of weaning phenomenon and the associated factors, to find predictive outcomes to guide clinical decisions, to search new strategies to conduct the protocols and to identify the most effective modes of weaning. In this paper a critical review of the current knowledge from a nursing perspective is done. The weaning conceptual model proposed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) group has been used as a theoretical framework.

El destete del ventilador, objeto de investigación enfermera / Weaning from mechanical ventilation. The aim of nursing research

El cuidado de los pacientes con dificultad para el destete del ventilador continúa siendo un reto en el que los profesionales enfermeros están muy involucrados. La investigación clínica desarrollada durante estos últimos años ha intentado explicar las características del fenómeno del destete y los factores asociados, encontrar indicadores de predicción de resultados para orientar las decisiones clínicas, buscar estrategias alternativas para dirigir el procedimiento e identificar los modos de destete más eficaces. En este trabajo se hace una revisión crítica del conocimiento actual del fenómeno de dificultad para el destete del ventilador desde una perspectiva enfermera y se utiliza el modelo conceptual del destete propuesto por la Asociación Americana de Enfermeras de Cuidados Críticos (American Association of Critical Care Nurses, AACN), como marco teórico de referencia (AU)

Tratamiento quirúrgico de la obstrucción intestinal aguda por cáncer colorrectal. experiencia reciente en 1994-1998 / Surgical treatment of acute intestinal obstruction due to colorectal cancer: recent experience occurring between 1994 and 1998

Introducción. Estudiamos prospectivamente la morbimortalidad de la cirugía urgente por obstrucción intestinal secundaria a cáncer colorrectal en 5 años (1994-1998).Pacientes y método. Incluimos a todos los pacientes tratados en este período, seleccionando la técnica de acuerdo con el riesgo del paciente y el estado del colon. Resultados. Fueron intervenidos de urgencia por obstrucción completa 60 pacientes (un 17 por ciento de todos los cánceres colorrectales intervenidos en el servicio) de los que 12 fueron de colon derecho, 45 de colon transverso e izquierdo y tres de recto. Se realizaron 50 resecciones de colon: 44 con anastomosis primaria (colectomía derecha, izquierda, segmentaria, resección anterior de recto, y colectomía subtotal) y 6 intervenciones de Hartmann, así como 9 colostomías de descarga o derivación ileocólica y una tumorectomía. Se realizó lavado anterógrado del colon en 11 de 25 pacientes candidatos a ello por resección de tumores de colon izquierdo sin colostomía. La mortalidad operatoria fue de 3 pacientes (5 por ciento) y la morbilidad del 45 por ciento, con una estancia media de 17 días. Se produjeron 2 fístulas anastomóticas que no precisaron reintervención. Conclusiones. Seleccionando la técnica quirúrgica según el estado del paciente se pueden obtener buenos resultados de morbimortalidad en estos enfermos, a pesar de realizar resección y anastomosis, sin colostomía, en la mayoría de los casos (AU)

[Quality of care in intensive care units. Retrospective study on long-term patients]. / Calidad de enfermería en cuidados intensivos. Estudio retrospectivo en pacientes de larga estancia.

Nursing care must be evaluated in order to determine its effectiveness and identify deficiencies, which makes it possible to introduce corrective measures to optimize quality. The quality of care given to patients in our unit was evaluated with a retrospective analysis of 915 records in the Nursing Care Plan corresponding to 59 patients with a mean ICU stay of 15.5 days. Six areas of care and indicators of deficient practice were identified: orotracheal intubation: accidental disconnection, displacement, obstruction, and pressure sores on lips; arterial catheterization: accidental disconnection and obstruction; central venous catheterization: accidental disconnection and contamination; urinary catheterization: accidental disconnection and urinary bacteriology; nasogastric intubation: accidental disconnection, obstruction, and nasal pressure sores; conservation of skin integrity: presence of pressure sores, and prevention of falls from the bed or chair. The reference standards were taken from the published literature. The results show that airway care was adequate, although the frequency of pressure sores on the lip produced by orotracheal tubes was high. The indicators for following up the care of vascular and urinary catheters showed results similar to established standards. There was a high rate of nasogastric tube obstruction due to the administration of medication. Finally, the frequency of pressure sores was well below established standards and there were no accidental falls. It is concluded that the detection of areas in which care is deficient requires an analysis of relevant nursing activities so that corrective measures can be taken. This study is a useful baseline for future quality control.

Meeting needs of family members of critically ill patients in a Spanish intensive care unit.

A descriptive study was carried out to ascertain how well the needs identified by relatives of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) were met and what measures could be implemented to improve the care for patients' family members. Eighty-five relatives of patients were studied using a needs questionnaire as developed by Molter (1979) and modified in accordance with our setting, with needs classified into four groups: information, confidence, comfort of the ICU environment and emotional support. Family members were asked to identify their needs and then to score how well each had been met on a 5-point Likert scale. Results showed that the most frequently identified needs were related to information and confidence. Overall, 94% of the needs of all groups were found to be adequately met. Those needs which relatives felt were least well met were related to certain aspects of information and the comfort of the ICU environment. The conclusions based on the results are that more than one channel of communication should be used to transmit the desired information, and that hospital managements should be informed of the importance that back-up services (waiting rooms, restaurants, etc.) have for the relatives of patients.

Pseudoaneurysm of the inferior epigastric artery. Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment.

We present a new case of pseudoaneurysm of the abdominal wall, subsidiary to the inferior epigastric artery, associated with the use of discharge sutures. Pseudoaneurysms are a well-known complication of surgery, puncture, or trauma. Pseudoaneurysms of the inferior epigastric artery are very infrequent. We know of only two cases in the literature. In both cases, the pseudoaneurysm was associated with the use of discharge sutures. We discuss its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment.