Laparoscopic versus open rectal resection: a 1:2 propensity score-matched analysis of oncological adequateness, short- and long-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic resections for rectal cancer are routinely performed in high-volume centres. Despite short-term advantages have been demonstrated, the oncological outcomes are still debated. The aim of this study was to compare the oncological adequateness of the surgical specimen and the long-term outcomes between open (ORR) and laparoscopic (LRR) rectal resections. METHODS: Patients undergoing laparoscopic or open rectal resections from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2019, were enrolled. A 1:2 propensity score matching was performed according to age, sex, BMI, ASA score, comorbidities, distance from the anal verge, and clinical T and N stage. RESULTS: Ninety-eight ORR were matched to 50 LRR. No differences were observed in terms of operative time (224.9 min. vs. 230.7; p = 0.567) and postoperative morbidity (18.6% vs. 20.8%; p = 0.744). LRR group had a significantly earlier soft oral intake (p < 0.001), first bowel movement (p < 0.001), and shorter hospital stay (p < 0.001). Oncological adequateness was achieved in 85 (86.7%) open and 44 (88.0%) laparoscopic resections (p = 0.772). Clearance of the distal (99.0% vs. 100%; p = 0.474) and radial margins (91.8 vs. 90.0%, p = 0.709), and mesorectal integrity (94.9% vs. 98.0%, p = 0.365) were comparable between groups. No differences in local recurrence (6.1% vs.4.0%, p = 0.589), 3-year overall survival (82.9% vs. 91.4%, p = 0.276), and disease-free survival (73.1% vs. 74.3%, p = 0.817) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: LRR is associated with good postoperative results, safe oncological adequateness of the surgical specimen, and comparable survivals to open surgery.

Medication adherence by Palestine refugees living in Jordan who have diabetes: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) estimated that in 2016, 11% of Palestine refugees older than 40 years living in Jordan were diagnosed with diabetes and that the disease is controlled in only 45% of Palestine refugees with diabetes. As medication adherence is one of the most important modifiable self-care behaviours to achieve adequate metabolic control, the aims of this study were to measure medication adherence and to review the factors associated with different levels of medication adherence in patients with diabetes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was a survey of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who attended medical care at the UNRWA Amman New Camp health centre in Jordan. Medication adherence was measured using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8), and results were used as outcome variable. Data on factors associated with adherence were collected using a pre-tested patient questionnaire and patients' electronic records, and these factors were used as explanatory variables. Logistic regression analysis of each explanatory variable against the outcome variable was done to estimate crude odds ratios. Data were analysed using STATA version 13.0. FINDINGS: 763 patients were included in the study. 557 (73%) patients did not adhere to their diabetes drug therapy. Univariate analysis showed that the factors associated with non-adherence were: the use of multiple providers for diabetes care (crude odds ratio 0·51, 95% CI 0·28-0·91) and diabetes drugs (0·22, 0·09-0·56); satisfaction with the quality of UNRWA's diabetes care (4·51, 1·05-19·45) and with the explanation of the disease and treatment presented by UNRWA's health professionals (2·72, 1·24-5·29); and trust in UNRWA's health staff (3·61, 1·4-9·32). INTERPRETATION: Decreased odds of adherence was associated with the use of multiple providers of care and diabetes medication, whereas increased odds of adherence correlated with full satisfaction with the quality of care, explanation of the disease, and treatment and trust in UNRWA health-care staff. These findings show the importance of health-system-related factors in affecting adherence to drug therapy in a population of Palestinian refugees with diabetes who accessed UNRWA health care in Jordan. FUNDING: UNRWA.

Minimally invasive versus open distal pancreatectomy for resectable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: A propensity score matched multicentric comparative French study.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive surgery has gained momentum for left pancreatic resections. However, debate remains about whether it has any advantage over open surgery for distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. METHODS: This retrospective review examined pancreatectomies performed for resectable pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors at 21 centers in France between January 2014 and December 2018. Short and long-term outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching based on tumor size, sex, age, body mass index, center, and method of pancreatic transection. RESULTS: During the period study, 274 patients underwent left pancreatic resection for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors [109 underwent distal splenopancreatectomy, and 165 underwent spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy [(splenic vessel preservation (n = 97; 58.7%)/splenic vessel resection (n = 68; 41.3%)]. Before propensity score matching, minimally invasive surgery was associated with a lower rate of major morbidity (P = .004), lower rate of postoperative delayed gastric emptying (P = .04), and higher rate of "textbook" outcomes (P = .04). After propensity score matching, there were 2 groups of 54 patients (n = 30 distal splenopancreatectomy; n = 78 spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy). Minimally invasive surgery was associated with less blood loss (P = .05), decreased rate of major morbidity (6% vs. 24%; P = .02), less delayed gastric emptying (P = .05) despite similar rates of postoperative fistula, hemorrhage, and reoperation (P > .05). The 5-year overall survival (79% vs. 75%; P = .74) and recurrence-free survival (10% vs 17%; P = .39) were similar. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive surgery for left pancreatic resection can be safely proposed for patients with resectable left pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Minimally invasive surgery decreases the rate of major complications while providing comparable long-term oncologic outcomes.

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma: A Systematic Review of the Short- and Long-Term Results.

Surgery and postoperative systemic chemotherapy represent the standard treatment for patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHC). Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) for hepatobiliary procedures has spread worldwide in the last two decades. Since resections for PHC are technically demanding, the role of MIS in this field is yet to be established. This study aimed to systematically review the existing literature on MIS for PHC, to evaluate its safety and its surgical and oncological outcomes. A systematic literature review on PubMed and SCOPUS was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Overall, a total of 18 studies reporting 372 MIS procedures for PHC were included in our analysis. A progressive increase in the available literature was observed over the years. A total of 310 laparoscopic and 62 robotic resections were performed. A pooled analysis showed an operative time ranging from 205.3 ± 23.9 and 840 (770-890) minutes, and intraoperative bleeding between 101.1 ± 13.6 and 1360 ± 809 mL. Minor and major morbidity rates were 43.9% and 12.7%, respectively, with a 5.6% mortality rate. R0 resections were achieved in 80.6% of patients and the number of retrieved lymph nodes ranged between 4 (3-12) and 12 (8-16). This systematic review shows that MIS for PHC is feasible, with safe postoperative and oncological outcomes. Recent data has shown encouraging results and more reports are being published. Future studies should address differences between robotic and laparoscopic approaches. Given the management and technical challenges, MIS for PHC should be performed by experienced surgeons, in high-volume centers, on selected patients.

From "Cure" to "Care": The Role of the MultiDisciplinary Team on Colorectal Cancer Patients' Satisfaction and Oncological Outcomes.

Background: MultiDisciplinary Team (MDT) are held to undertake decisions regarding the whole aspect of oncological diseases. Over the years, they acquired a collaborative approach where clinical decisions are shared by all members. Different guidelines recommend the implementation of MDT, in order to improve the outcomes of these patients. Our aim is to evaluate how the implementation of MDT affects the patients' satisfaction and adherence to treatment. Methods: A survey was submitted to every patient affected by colorectal cancer treated by the MDT of Sant'Andrea Hospital (Rome, IT). The investigation period was January 2017-March 2020. Data from patients inside the MDT were compared with patients outside the MDT to evaluate a reduction in waiting times. Results: A total of 591 patients were collected. A total of 355 patients with colorectal neoplasia were included in our analysis. Cumulative overall survival was 79%. The average waiting time for computed tomography or colonoscopy was 14.9 days for patients in the MDT versus 24.5. A total of 201 patients were eligible for our satisfaction survey. An 89.5% of patients felt followed in their treatment. A 93.5% of patients expressed a high grade of satisfaction for the MDT design. Conclusion: Our study confirms the importance of a well-structured MDT. Dedicated slots shorten the waiting time, leading to better satisfaction and faster diagnosis. Patients' satisfaction should be considered as an index of good practice when it comes to oncological patients' treatment.

Laparoscopic versus Open Surgery for Gastric Cancer in Western Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Short- and Long-Term Outcomes.

Background. The advantages of a laparoscopic approach for the treatment of gastric cancer have already been demonstrated in Eastern Countries. This review and meta-analysis aims to merge all the western studies comparing laparoscopic (LG) versus open gastrectomies (OG) to provide pooled results and higher levels of evidence. Methods. A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE(PubMed), Embase, WebOfScience and Scopus for studies comparing laparoscopic versus open gastrectomy in western centers from 1980 to 2021. Results. After screening 355 articles, 34 articles with a total of 24,098 patients undergoing LG (5445) or OG (18,653) in western centers were included. Compared to open gastrectomy, laparoscopic gastrectomy has a significantly longer operation time (WMD = 47.46 min; 95% CI = 31.83−63.09; p < 0.001), lower blood loss (WMD = −129.32 mL; 95% CI = −188.11 to −70.53; p < 0.0001), lower analgesic requirement (WMD = −1.824 days; 95% CI = −2.314 to −1.334; p < 0.0001), faster time to first oral intake (WMD = −1.501 days; 95% CI = −2.571 to −0.431; p = 0.0060), shorter hospital stay (WMD = −2.335; 95% CI = −3.061 to −1.609; p < 0.0001), lower mortality (logOR = −0.261; 95% the −0.446 to −0.076; p = 0.0056) and a better 3-year overall survival (logHR 0.245; 95% CI = 0.016−0.474; p = 0.0360). A slight significant difference in favor of laparoscopic gastrectomy was noted for the incidence of postoperative complications (logOR = −0.202; 95% CI = −0.403 to −0.000 the = 0.0499). No statistical difference was noted based on the number of harvested lymph nodes, the rate of major postoperative complication and 5-year overall survival. Conclusions. In Western centers, laparoscopic gastrectomy has better short-term and equivalent long-term outcomes compared with the open approach, but more high-quality studies on long-term outcomes are required.

Oncological outcomes of rectal cancer patients with anastomotic leakage: A multicenter case-control study.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of anastomotic leakage (AL) on oncological outcomes after restorative rectal cancer surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent anterior resection for rectal adenocarcinoma between January 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Data were collected from three colorectal surgery centers. Patients with grade B and C leaks according to the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer classification were identified and compared with the control group. Estimated recurrence and survival rates were compared using the log-rank method and Cox regression analysis. Results: A total of 367 patients were included in the study, with a mean follow-up of 59.21 months. AL occurred in 64 patients (17.4%). Fifteen patients with AL (23.5%) developed local recurrence (LR) compared to 17 (4.8%) in the control group (p < 0.001). However, distant recurrence rates were similar (10.9% vs. 9.6%; p = 0.914) between the groups. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients with AL had a reduced 5-years local recurrence-free survival (96% vs. 78%, log-rank p < 0.001). AL (OR 4.576; 95% CI, 2.046-10.237; p < 0.001) and node involvement (OR 2.911; 95% CI, 1.240-6.835; p = 0.014) were significantly associated with LR in multivariate analysis. AL was significantly associated with DFS only at univariate analysis (HR 1.654; 95% CI: 1.024-2.672; p = 0.037), with a difference between 5-year DFS of patients with and without AL (71.6% vs. 86.4%, log-rank p = 0.04). Only male gender, pT3-4 stage, and node involvement were identified as independent prognostic factors for reduced DFS in the multivariate Cox regression analysis. Conclusion: In this cohort of patients, AL was associated with a significant risk of LR after rectal cancer surgery.

Radiomic Cancer Hallmarks to Identify High-Risk Patients in Non-Metastatic Colon Cancer.

The study was aimed to develop a radiomic model able to identify high-risk colon cancer by analyzing pre-operative CT scans. The study population comprised 148 patients: 108 with non-metastatic colon cancer were retrospectively enrolled from January 2015 to June 2020, and 40 patients were used as the external validation cohort. The population was divided into two groups­High-risk and No-risk­following the presence of at least one high-risk clinical factor. All patients had baseline CT scans, and 3D cancer segmentation was performed on the portal phase by two expert radiologists using open-source software (3DSlicer v4.10.2). Among the 107 radiomic features extracted, stable features were selected to evaluate the inter-class correlation (ICC) (cut-off ICC > 0.8). Stable features were compared between the two groups (T-test or Mann−Whitney), and the significant features were selected for univariate and multivariate logistic regression to build a predictive radiomic model. The radiomic model was then validated with an external cohort. In total, 58/108 were classified as High-risk and 50/108 as No-risk. A total of 35 radiomic features were stable (0.81 ≤ ICC < 0.92). Among these, 28 features were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05), and only 9 features were selected to build the radiomic model. The radiomic model yielded an AUC of 0.73 in the internal cohort and 0.75 in the external cohort. In conclusion, the radiomic model could be seen as a performant, non-invasive imaging tool to properly stratify colon cancers with high-risk disease.

Comparison of the Mineral and Nutraceutical Profiles of Elephant Garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.) Grown in Organic and Conventional Fields of Valdichiana, a Traditional Cultivation Area of Tuscany, Italy.

In the Valdichiana area (Tuscany, Italy) an ancient native landrace of elephant garlic (Allium ampeloprasum L.), locally known as "Aglione della Valdichiana", has long been cultivated. The aim of this study was to check whether there are differences in the mineral and nutraceutical profiles of the Aglione della Valdichiana cultivated conventionally and organically. Based on the analysis by ICP-MS of a wide array of major, minor, essential, and non-essential trace elements as well as rare earth elements, and the evaluation of the content of polyphenols, flavonoids, antioxidants, soluble proteins, soluble sugars, and starch, as well as the weight and water content, it was concluded that differences in the mineral and nutraceutical profiles of organically and conventionally grown bulbs were very limited. Only a statistically (p < 0.05) higher concentration of Cd (+2620%), Co (+113%), Mn (+55%), Rb (+180%), and Sb (+180%), as well as glucose (+37%) in conventionally cultivated bulbs emerged. Cadmium was the only element slightly higher than in the "reference plant," but with a negligible risk (three orders of magnitude lower) for human health based on consumption. It is concluded that we failed to find evidence of healthier food or a higher nutraceutical quality for organically cultivated elephant garlic.

Gastric microbiota composition in patients with corpus atrophic gastritis.

BACKGROUND: In corpus atrophic gastritis (CAG), hypochlorhydria makes plausible the overgrowth of intragastric bacteria, whose role in gastric carcinogenesis is under debate. AIMS: To characterize the antrum/corpus composition of the gastric bacterial microbiota in CAG patients compared to controls without CAG. METHODS: A cross-sectional monocentric study on consecutive patients with known histological diagnosis of CAG undergoing gastroscopy for gastric cancer surveillance and patients without CAG undergoing gastroscopy for dyspepsia or anemia (108 biopsies from 55 patients, median age 61.5). Genomic DNA from one antral and one corpus biopsy from each case (n = 23) and control (n = 32) was extracted. Gastric microbiota was assessed by sequencing hypervariable regions of the 16SrRNA gene. RESULTS: Bacterial abundance and diversity were significantly lower in CAG cases than in controls (p < 0.001). Firmicutes were more frequent in cases, Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria in controls (p < 0.0001). Streptococcaceae were more abundant in cases (p < 0.0001), Prevotellaceae in controls (p < 0.0001). The genus Streptococcus was positively correlated with severe OLGA/OLGIM stages linked to a higher risk of gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Gastric bacterial microbiota in CAG showed a reduced abundance and complexity but was characterized by higher colonization of Firmicutes, in particular Streptococcus, increased in subjects with severe atrophy/metaplasia stages at higher risk of gastric cancer.

The Water Content Drives the Susceptibility of the Lichen Evernia prunastri and the Moss Brachythecium sp. to High Ozone Concentrations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of lichens (Evernia prunastri) and mosses (Brachythecium sp.) to short-term (1 h), acute (1 ppm) O3 fumigation under different hydration states (dry, <10% water content, metabolism almost inactive; wet, >200% water content, metabolism fully active). We hypothesized that stronger damage would occur following exposure under wet conditions. In addition, we checked for the effect of recovery (1 week) after the exposure. Ozone fumigation negatively affected the content of chlorophyll only in wet samples, but in the moss, such a difference was no longer evident after one week of recovery. Photosynthetic efficiency was always impaired by O3 exposure, irrespective of the dry or wet state, and also after one week of recovery, but the effect was much stronger in wet samples. The antioxidant power was increased in wet moss and in dry lichen, while a decrease was found for wet lichens after 1 week. Our results confirm that the tolerance to O3 of lichens and mosses may be determined by their low water content, which is the case during the peaks of O3 occurring during the Mediterranean summer. The role of antioxidant power as a mechanism of resistance to high O3 concentrations needs to be further investigated.