PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN PATIENTS WITH SURGICAL RESECTION OF PANCREATIC NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOURS.

CONTEXT: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PanNETs) are rare pancreatic neoplasms. PanNETs can be treated by multimodal approach including surgery, locoregional and systemic therapy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study is to evaluate predictive factors of overall survival in patients with PanNETs surgically treated at a single center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 120 patients with PanNETs who had undergone surgery at the Center of Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation of Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania. Surgical resection of the primary tumor was performed in 110 patients. RESULTS: Tumor size > 2 cm (p=0.048) (90% CI) lymph node involvement (p=0.048), ENET grade (p<0.001), distant metastases (p<0.001), Ki 67 index (<2%, 2-5%, 5-10%, 10-20%, >20%) (p<0.001) were identified as significant prognostic factors for OS on univariate analysis. Using multivariate Cox proportional regression model we found that distant metastases and Ki 67 index were independent risk factors for the survival outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery with curative intent should be considered in all cases if clinically appropriate and technically feasible. High grade (Ki67 index ≥10%) tumours were associated with a 2- fold increase in risk of death as compared to those with a Ki67 <10%.

Total Pelvic Exenteration for Recurrent Endometrial Sarcoma - A Case Report.

Endometrial stromal sarcomas are rare gynecologic malignancies characterized by the presence of cells that resemble those of the endometrial stroma during the prolipferative phase of the menstrual cycle. They are classified as low grade or high grade tumors depending on the mitotic index, the second one being usually associated with poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. We present the case of a 46-year-old patient who was previously submitted to surgery for an endometrial stromal sarcoma followed by adjuvant radiotherapy; 18 months later she was diagnosed with a pelvic recurrence invading the urinary bladder trigone and the rectosigmoid so she was submitted to a total pelvic exenteration.

Total Pelvic Exenteration for Recurrent Endometrial Sarcoma - A Case Report.

Endometrial stromal sarcomas are rare gynecologic malignancies characterized by the presence of cells that resemble those of the endometrial stroma during the prolipferative phase of the menstrual cycle. They are classified as low grade or high grade tumors depending on the mitotic index, the second one being usually associated with poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. We present the case of a 46-year-old patient who was previously submitted to surgery for an endometrial stromal sarcoma followed by adjuvant radiotherapy; 18 months later she was diagnosed with a pelvic recurrence invading the urinary bladder trigone and the rectosigmoid so she was submitted to a total pelvic exenteration.

Clinical study on cervical phlegmons.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of cervical phlegmons in order to increase the diagnostic accuracy, to reduce the intra and postoperative risks and complication rates and to increase the number of cases with restitutio ad integrum. This is a retrospective clinical study on 21 patients diagnosed with cervical phlegmon. The study group consists of patients with lateral and retropharyngeal phlegmon (18 cases, of which two pharyngeal or cervical oesophagus effractions by foreign body- chicken or fish bone - with pneumomediastinum), retropharyngeal abscess and posttraumatic mediastinal (one case),peritonsillar phlegmon fused in the parapharyngeal space complicated by parapharyngeal haemorrhage after spontaneous drainage of purulent collections (2 cases). Surgical treatment was applied in all cases, associated with intravenous antibiotic medication; the treatment was individualized according to the particularities of each case: the location and extent of the phlegmon, complications, duration of evolution, mechanisms of production, etiology, associated general conditions, age and, not least, the patient's choice.

Multiple visceral resection after locoregional recurrence of signet ring cell gastric cancer -- case report and literature review.

Recurrence is the most important cause of treatment failure in patients with advanced gastric cancer, even after curative surgery. Surgery plays an important role in these patients,even in cases of multivisceral involvement. In selected cases good biological resources - surgery is the only viable choice to prolong survival. This report describes the case of a 41 year-old patient presenting a locoregional recurrence with multiple visceral involvement at 15 months after radical subtotal gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection for antral gastric cancer.

A case report of pancreatic transection by blunt abdominal trauma.

Posttraumatic pancreatic rupture is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Various management strategies are described, but due to the relative rarity of this pathology no standards exist. We reported a 21 years old male with post traumatic complete rupture of the pancreatic isthmus,devascularization lesion of descending duodenum, right renal artery posttraumatic thrombosis and left lobe of the liver laceration. Laparotomy for hemostasis was initially performed in a different hospital and the patient was then referred to us.Pancreaticoduodenectomy and right nephrectomy were performed. Postoperatively the patient had a pancreaticojejunal anastomosis fistula spontaneously resolved at 45 days.Pancreaticoduodenectomy can in selected cases be a solution in pancreatic trauma.

Technical aspects of biliary reconstruction correlated with biliary complications in 46 consecutive right lobe liver transplantations from living donors.

INTRODUCTION: Biliary complications contribute to a high morbidity rate in patients with right lobe liver transplant from a living donor. We retrospectively evaluated biliary reconstructions and complications in a number of recipients with liver transplant from a living donor, in a single center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A number of 46 patients (23 males and 23 females aged 9-63) received a right lobe liver graft between 2009 and 2013, with the following types of biliary reconstruction:duct-to-duct choledochocholedochal anastomosis (n=24)or Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunoanastomosis, with or without an external transanastomotic biliary stent. RESULTS: The rate of biliary complications (leakage 15.21%,anastomotic stenosis 4.34%, overall 17.39%) was not statistically significantly influenced by the demographics of the studied lot, by the etiology of the liver disease or by the characteristics of the biliary reconstruction; the only risk factor which showed a statistically significant influence in terms of biliary complications was MELD. CONCLUSION: The type and technique of the biliary reconstruction in LDLT should be adapted depending on the anatomy of the biliary tree of both the donor and recipient, as well as the clinical and laboratory findings of the recipient.

Splenic artery used for replaced common hepatic artery reconstruction during pancreatoduodenectomy--a case report.

The arterial anatomy supplying the liver is highly variable. A replaced common hepatic artery originating from superior mesenteric artery is a rare anomaly. We herein present the case of a patient with retro pancreatic lymph nodes recurrence after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for pT2 gallbladder carcinoma, whose replaced common hepatic artery arose from the superior mesenteric artery. It was performed a Whipple operation en bloc with the replaced common hepatic artery resection (enhanced by the tumour). The arterial reconstruction was needed (due to the severe decrease of the arterial flow after clamping the replaced common hepatic artery), using the splenic artery, without any serious complications.

Cutaneous complications of molecular targeted therapy used in oncology.

The new molecular targeted therapy has been developed over the past decades by using the molecular targeted molecular changes discovered in specific types of cancer. Unfortunately, most of these agents (epidermal growth factor receptors, multi-targeted small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies) have severe cutaneous adverse reactions, that not only interfere with the patient's quality of life, but also are dose-limiting and may require treatment interruptions. These cutaneous complications and their management must be very well known by any oncologist and dermatologist who treat oncologic patients. ABBREVIATIONS: EGFR = epidermal growth factor receptors, EGFRI = epidermal growth factor receptors inhibitors.

Pelvic exenteration--reconsidering the procedure.

Pelvic exenteration remains one of the most destructive surgical procedures in gynecologic oncology, performed in patients with locally advanced malignancies who were considered for a long time as unresectable. However, for these patients, an aggressive surgical approach seems to be the only potential curative solution. This is a literature review of the most important studies, which analyzes the benefits and the secondary risks of this demanding procedure.

Meckel's diverticulum--a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in adults.

Although many people have Meckel's diverticulum, only some experience any symptoms, most under the age of 10. In adults it is usually asymptomatic but approximately 4% develop complications. Meckel's diverticulum is usually diagnosed in the first years of life and after that the risk of the complications decreases with increasing age, with no predictive factors for the development of complications. We describe the case of a 34-year-old man admitted in the emergency department with diffuse abdominal pain, nausea, flatulence and lack of transit for feces and gas. The patient had been previously operated for peritonitis due to a perforated ulcer. Clinical examination and paraclinical investigations (abdominal radiography and ultrasound) suggested the diagnosis of intestinal obstruction, probably produced by adhesions due to previous abdominal intervention. The diverticulum was resected using a linear stapler and the patient recovered without any complications. Small bowel obstruction due to Meckel's diverticulitis may be caused by entangled loop of small bowel around a fibrous cord, intussusception, volvulus, or incarceration within a hernia sac. The discovery of a Meckel's diverticulum complication in a mid thirties patient represented an intra-operatory surprise and is the peculiarity of the case.

Cutaneous adverse reactions specific to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors.

Classical antineoplastic therapy is encumbered by extensively studied adverse reactions, most often of systemic nature. The emergence of new generations of anticancer treatments, including epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, besides improving the response to treatment and the survival rate, is accompanied by the occurrence of new specific side effects, incompletely studied. These side effects are most often cutaneous (hand foot syndrome, acneiform reactions), and in some cases are extremely severe, requiring dose reduction or drug discontinuation. The prevention of the cutaneous adverse effects and their treatment require a close collaboration between the oncologist and the dermatologist. The occurrence of some of these skin adverse effects may be a favorable prognostic factor for the response to the cancer treatment and the overall survival.

Segmentary ureteral resection followed by ureteroneocystostomy associated with radical hysterectomy and partial cystectomy in a patient with bulky residual disease after chemoirradiation for invasive cervical cancer--a case report.

Cervical cancer represents the second most frequent malignancy in women worldwide, a significant number of cases still being diagnosed in an advanced stage of the disease. In some of these cases, local invasion is already present at the moment of diagnosis and even if neo-adjuvant chemoirradiation is performed in some patients, it persists at the moment of surgery. In these cases, more aggressive surgical procedures are needed in order to obtain a good control of the disease. The case of a 50-year-old patient diagnosed with locally advanced cervical cancer invading the right ureter is presented, in whom this aspect was present even after neo-adjuvant chemoirradiation and in whom a total radical hysterectomy with bilateral en bloc adnexectomy with partial cystectomy and the invaded zone of the right ureter was performed. The ureter was then mobilized and reimplanted in the urinary bladder through a neocystostomy. The postoperative course was uneventful.

Expression of interleukine-8 as an independent prognostic factor for sporadic colon cancer dissemination.

AIM: The aim of our study was to investigate the gene and serum protein expression profiles of IL-8 in colon cancer and associated hepatic metastasis and to correlate these results with clinicopathologic variables of the patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IL-8 was evaluated by qPCR and ELISA in a total number of 62 colon cancer patients (n=42 by qPCR and n=20 by ELISA) in normal and tumoral tissue specimens and serum samples respectively. Additionally synchronous metastasis from 5 of these patients were also collected at the time of surgery and analyzed by qPCR. RESULTS: IL-8 was up regulated in all analyzed tumoral samples compared with normal tissue (P-value = 0.01) and higher expressed in metastatic tissues compared with tumoral tissues (P -value= 0.03). The median expression of IL-8 in patients over 60 years old was found to be higher compared with the median expression of IL8 in patients less than 60 years old (3.89 compared with 14.69, P -value= 0.005). According to tumor grading, we found that IL-8 in tumors with well differentiated adenocarcinoma have a median mRNA expression of 9.78 compared with a median mRNA IL8 expression of 26.63 in moderate or poor differentiated adenocarcinoma. Levels of IL-8 determined in serum were statistically significant correlated with preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level (P -value= 0.003, R=0.57) and with distant metastasis (P-value =0.008). Serum level of IL-8 increased proportionally along with TNM tumor stage and was found to be statistically significant correlated with C-reactive protein (P -value, R=0.64). Colon cancer patients had higher IL-8 levels as determined by ELISA (median value= 29.64 pg/ml) compared with healthy controls (median value= 4.86 pg/ml). DISCUSSIONS: Our results provide additional support for the role of inflammation in colon cancer and indicate that IL-8 could be further validated in association with other already used markers for prognostic and diagnostic of evolutional disease in colon cancer patients.