Benchmarks in colorectal surgery: multinational study to define quality thresholds in high and low anterior resection.

BACKGROUND: Benchmark comparisons in surgery allow identification of gaps in the quality of care provided. The aim of this study was to determine quality thresholds for high (HAR) and low (LAR) anterior resections in colorectal cancer surgery by applying the concept of benchmarking. METHODS: This 5-year multinational retrospective study included patients who underwent anterior resection for cancer in 19 high-volume centres on five continents. Benchmarks were defined for 11 relevant postoperative variables at discharge, 3 months, and 6 months (for LAR). Benchmarks were calculated for two separate cohorts: patients without (ideal) and those with (non-ideal) outcome-relevant co-morbidities. Benchmark cut-offs were defined as the 75th percentile of each centre's median value. RESULTS: A total of 3903 patients who underwent HAR and 3726 who had LAR for cancer were analysed. After 3 months' follow-up, the mortality benchmark in HAR for ideal and non-ideal patients was 0.0 versus 3.0 per cent, and in LAR it was 0.0 versus 2.2 per cent. Benchmark results for anastomotic leakage were 5.0 versus 6.9 per cent for HAR, and 13.6 versus 11.8 per cent for LAR. The overall morbidity benchmark in HAR was a Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI®) score of 8.6 versus 14.7, and that for LAR was CCI® score 11.9 versus 18.3. CONCLUSION: Regular comparison of individual-surgeon or -unit outcome data against benchmark thresholds may identify gaps in care quality that can improve patient outcome.

Colorectal cancer incidences in Lynch syndrome: a comparison of results from the prospective lynch syndrome database and the international mismatch repair consortium.

OBJECTIVE: To compare colorectal cancer (CRC) incidences in carriers of pathogenic variants of the MMR genes in the PLSD and IMRC cohorts, of which only the former included mandatory colonoscopy surveillance for all participants. METHODS: CRC incidences were calculated in an intervention group comprising a cohort of confirmed carriers of pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in mismatch repair genes (path_MMR) followed prospectively by the Prospective Lynch Syndrome Database (PLSD). All had colonoscopy surveillance, with polypectomy when polyps were identified. Comparison was made with a retrospective cohort reported by the International Mismatch Repair Consortium (IMRC). This comprised confirmed and inferred path_MMR carriers who were first- or second-degree relatives of Lynch syndrome probands. RESULTS: In the PLSD, 8,153 subjects had follow-up colonoscopy surveillance for a total of 67,604 years and 578 carriers had CRC diagnosed. Average cumulative incidences of CRC in path_MLH1 carriers at 70 years of age were 52% in males and 41% in females; for path_MSH2 50% and 39%; for path_MSH6 13% and 17% and for path_PMS2 11% and 8%. In contrast, in the IMRC cohort, corresponding cumulative incidences were 40% and 27%; 34% and 23%; 16% and 8% and 7% and 6%. Comparing just the European carriers in the two series gave similar findings. Numbers in the PLSD series did not allow comparisons of carriers from other continents separately. Cumulative incidences at 25 years were < 1% in all retrospective groups. CONCLUSIONS: Prospectively observed CRC incidences (PLSD) in path_MLH1 and path_MSH2 carriers undergoing colonoscopy surveillance and polypectomy were higher than in the retrospective (IMRC) series, and were not reduced in path_MSH6 carriers. These findings were the opposite to those expected. CRC point incidence before 50 years of age was reduced in path_PMS2 carriers subjected to colonoscopy, but not significantly so.

Anastomotic leak risk in complete responders to neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: The oncological benefits of achieving a complete pathological response following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer are well defined. How a pathological response affects anastomotic healing or leak rates is not clear. The aim of this systematic review was to compare anastomotic leak rates among patients who did and did not achieve a complete pathological response. METHODS: Three major databases (PubMed, Embase, and Scopus) were searched. Predetermined inclusion criteria included prospective and retrospective articles published in English reporting complete pathological response and anastomotic leak rates following total mesorectal excision in ≥ 30 patients with rectal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision. The primary outcomes measured included complete pathological response and 30-day postoperative morbidity. RESULTS: From a total of 8919 patients with rectal cancer in 7 studies, 4165 fulfilled the criteria for inclusion. The majority (> 80%) of patients had clinical stage II or III disease. A defunctioning loop ileostomy was formed in 76.5%. A total of 589 (14.1%) patients achieved a pCR of whom 63 (10.7%) developed an anastomotic leak compared to 272/3576 (7.6%) patients without a pCR (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Patients with complete pathological response following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and total mesorectal excision may be at higher risk of anastomotic leak than incomplete responders. This may need to be taken into account when counseling patients about the relative risks of organ preservation versus anterior resection.

Systemic inflammatory response predicts oncological outcomes in patients undergoing elective surgery for mismatch repair-deficient colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: A variety of inflammatory scoring systems and their prognostic value have been reported in many solid organ cancers. This study aimed to examine the association between the systemic and local inflammatory responses, and oncological outcomes in patients undergoing elective surgery for mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR) phenotype colorectal cancer (CRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing resection for dMMR CRC were identified from a prospectively maintained database and compared with a cohort of patients with proficient mismatch repair system tumours. Systemic inflammatory response was assessed by the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-monocyte ratio, C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, prognostic index and prognostic nutritional index. Local inflammatory response was defined by the presence of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, tumour infiltrating neutrophils, plasma cells or macrophages at the invasive front. The inflammatory infiltrate was assessed using the Klintrup-Mäkinen (KM) score. RESULTS: On univariable analysis, preoperative NLR ≥ 5 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-5.19; p = 0.007) and mGPS (HR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1-2.6; p = 0.03) predicted worse overall survival, but only NLR was associated with greater recurrence (HR 3.6; 95% CI 1.5-8.8; p = 0.004). Increased local inflammatory response, as measured by KM score (HR 0.31; 95% CI 0.1-0.7; p = 0.009) and the presence of macrophages in the peritumoral infiltrate (HR 0.17; 95% CI 0.07-0.3; p < 0.001), was associated with better outcomes. NLR was the only independent prognostic factor of overall and disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: Systemic inflammatory response predicts oncological outcomes in CRC patients, but only NLR has prognostic value in the dMMR group.

An extremely rare complication of intestinal stoma formation: parastomal evisceration 1-year post-loop ileostomy.

Intestinal stoma formation is an important and frequently performed procedure in emergency and elective general surgery. Parastomal evisceration is an extremely rare complication of stoma formation. The literature to date consists of a small number of case reports only. We report the case of a 54-year-old patient who presented 1-year post-loop ileostomy formation with a large parastomal evisceration. This was managed with emergency laparotomy. Our case highlights the high morbidity of this rare complication and the importance of emergent management and patient's education.

Mortality by age, gene and gender in carriers of pathogenic mismatch repair gene variants receiving surveillance for early cancer diagnosis and treatment: a report from the prospective Lynch syndrome database.

Background: The Prospective Lynch Syndrome Database (PLSD) collates information on carriers of pathogenic or likely pathogenic MMR variants (path_MMR) who are receiving medical follow-up, including colonoscopy surveillance, which aims to the achieve early diagnosis and treatment of cancers. Here we use the most recent PLSD cohort that is larger and has wider geographical representation than previous versions, allowing us to present mortality as an outcome, and median ages at cancer diagnoses for the first time. Methods: The PLSD is a prospective observational study without a control group that was designed in 2012 and updated up to October 2022. Data for 8500 carriers of path_MMR variants from 25 countries were included, providing 71,713 years of follow up. Cumulative cancer incidences at 65 years of age were combined with 10-year crude survival following cancer, to derive estimates of mortality up to 75 years of age by organ, gene, and gender. Findings: Gynaecological cancers were more frequent than colorectal cancers in path_MSH2, path_MSH6 and path_PMS2 carriers [cumulative incidence: 53.3%, 49.6% and 23.3% at 75 years, respectively]. Endometrial, colon and ovarian cancer had low mortality [8%, 13% and 15%, respectively] and prostate cancers were frequent in male path_MSH2 carriers [cumulative incidence: 39.7% at 75 years]. Pancreatic, brain, biliary tract and ureter and kidney and urinary bladder cancers were associated with high mortality [83%, 66%, 58%, 27%, and 29%, respectively]. Among path_MMR carriers undergoing colonoscopy surveillance, particularly path_MSH2 carriers, more deaths followed non-colorectal Lynch syndrome cancers than colorectal cancers. Interpretation: In path_MMR carriers undergoing colonoscopy surveillance, non-colorectal Lynch syndrome cancers were associated with more deaths than were colorectal cancers. Reducing deaths from non-colorectal cancers presents a key challenge in contemporary medical care in Lynch syndrome. Funding: We acknowledge funding from the Norwegian Cancer Society, contract 194751-2017.

Emergency surgery for splenic flexure cancer: results of the SFC Study Group database.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of surgical treatment for splenic flexure carcinomas (SFCs) in emergency settings remains unexplored. This study aims to compare the perioperative and long-term outcomes of different alternatives for emergency SFC resection. METHOD: This multicenter retrospective study was based on the SFC Study Group database. For the present analysis, SFC patients were selected if they had received emergency surgical resection with curative intent between 2000 and 2018. Extended right colectomy (ERC), left colectomy (LC), and segmental left colectomy (SLC) were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: The study sample was composed of 90 SFC patients who underwent emergency ERC (n = 55, 61.1%), LC (n = 18, 20%), or SLC (n = 17, 18.9%). Bowel obstruction was the most frequent indication for surgery (n = 75, 83.3%), and an open approach was chosen in 81.1% of the patients. A higher incidence of postoperative complications was observed in the ERC group (70.9%) than in the LC (44.4%) and SLC groups (47.1%), with a significant procedure-related difference for severe postoperative complications (Dindo-Clavien ≥ III; adjusted odds ratio for ERC vs. LC:7.23; 95% CI 1.51-34.66; p = 0.013). Anastomotic leakage occurred in 8 (11.2%) patients, with no differences between the groups (p = 0.902). R0 resection was achieved in 98.9% of the procedures, and ≥ 12 lymph nodes were retrieved in 92.2% of patients. Overall and disease-free survival rates at 5 years were similar between the groups and were significantly associated with stage pT4 and the presence of synchronous metastases. CONCLUSION: In the emergency setting, ERC and open surgery are the most frequently performed procedures. ERC is associated with increased odds of severe postoperative complications when compared to more conservative SFC resections. Nonetheless, all the alternatives seem to provide similar pathologic and long-term outcomes, supporting the oncological safety of more conservative resections for emergency SFCs.