Practical usefulness of lymphatic and connective tissue clearance for the carcinoma of the pancreas head

Long-term outcomes of prophylactic right-half dissection of the superior mesenteric artery nerve plexus in pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: five-year results from a randomized phase II trial

PURPOSES

In pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), Prophylactic right-half dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) nerve plexus has been attempted in pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In this study, we evaluated the significance of prophylactic right-half dissection of the SMA nerve plexus by extending the observation period to 5 years.

METHODS

From April 2014 to June 2018, 74 patients with PDAC in the pancreatic head were randomly assigned to either the dissection group, in which the right half of the nerve plexus of the SMA was dissected (n = 37) or the preservation group, in which the nerve plexus of the SMA was completely preserved (n = 37). The 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and incidence of diarrhea were prospectively compared between groups.

RESULTS

The median RFS (20 vs. 16 months, P = 0.503) and OS (37.0 vs. 30.0 months, P = 0.582) did not differ significantly between the dissection and preservation groups. There was no significant difference in locoregional recurrence (27.0% vs. 37.8%, P = 0.320) or distant metastasis (64.9% vs. 83.0%, P = 0.451). Postoperative diarrhea occurred in 64.9% and 62.2% of the cases in the dissection and preservation groups, respectively (P = 0.809).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic right half dissection of the SMA nerve plexus did not improve the RFS or OS.

[Evidence for the extent and oncological benefit of lymphadenectomy for pancreatic cancer]

Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed at a late stage and is characterized by early systemic metastases, which can also be present in the form of micrometastases that are not primarily visible. Lymphatic metastases in pancreatic cancer are common. The extent of lymph node removal (lymphadenectomy, LAD) in pancreatic cancer is defined in the guidelines of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) and according to currently available data has more diagnostic and prognostic relevance than therapeutic relevance; however, within the framework of modern multimodal treatment algorithms, radical surgery is the most relevant of all components of multimodal treatment with LAD playing an important role. According to current data, extended LAD without technical necessity in the surgery of the primary tumor brings no advantages for the patients but numerous limitations in the quality of life and should therefore not be performed as the standard. Important aspects of LAD for pancreatic cancer are the lymph node ratio, extended vs. standard LAD and innovations in LAD in the field of interaortocaval lymph nodes and the so-called triangle operation.

A striking elevation of CA19-9 after preoperative therapy negates prognostic benefit from radical surgery in resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Identifying patients who can be spared nonbeneficial surgery is crucial, as pancreatic cancer surgery is highly invasive, with substantial negative effects on quality of life. The study objective was to investigate a useful indicator of patients who do not gain prognostic benefit from radical surgery after neoadjuvant therapy for resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.

METHOD

We compared factors among 609 patients with resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy during 2005-2019. Patients were divided into a poor-prognosis group (no surgery or postresection recurrence within a year) and a good-prognosis group (no recurrence or recurrence >1 year after resection).

RESULTS

Patients who experience a recurrence within a year of resection (poor-prognosis group) did no better than patients who received neoadjuvant therapy and progressed but never made it to surgery. The value of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 after neoadjuvant therapy was the most significant indicator to predict the poor prognosis group and the elevation of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (>200 U/mL) identified only poor prognosis group with high specificity of 96.6%. The overall survival of patients with more than 200 of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 after neoadjuvant therapy was significantly very poor and their 2-year survival rate was only 41.4%.

CONCLUSION

A striking elevation of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 after neoadjuvant therapy for resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer is a good indicator of poor prognosis. Patients with carbohydrate antigen 19-9 >200 U/mL after neoadjuvant therapy should not undergo radical surgery.

Long-term impact of replaced right hepatic artery resection in pancreaticoduodenectomy

The clinical impact of replaced right hepatic artery (rRHA) resection during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) has not been thoroughly investigated. We therefore assessed the short- and long-term effects of rRHA resection during PD, with special reference to alterations in the volumetric profile of the liver. Patients with rRHA were divided into two groups based on the presence (R group) or absence (nR group) of resection. The nR group included cases of rRHA resection and reconstruction. We compared the postoperative short-term complications and detailed liver volume profile by CT volumetry in the long term between the R and nR groups. Forty-seven patients were eligible for the analyses of short-term outcomes (R: n = 7, nR: n = 40), and no marked difference was observed in the incidence of short-term postoperative complications. The patient cohort for the long-term investigations included 34 cases (R: n = 6, nR: n = 28), excluding patients with early recurrence. There was no significant difference in the preoperative liver volume profiles between the two groups. At 12 postoperative months, although the whole liver (WL) volume did not significantly change in either group, the ratio of the volume of the anterior/posterior sections significantly increased in the R group (R: pre- vs. 12 months, 1.01 vs. 1.28, p < 0.05; nR: pre- vs. 12 months, 1.40 vs. 1.33, p = 0.99). Long-term rRHA resection did not significantly affect the WL volume with alteration of the liver volumetric profile of each section.

Organ-specific variations in tumor marker dynamics in postoperative pancreatic cancer recurrence: Trends in lung and liver recurrence highlighting biological heterogeneity

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Although tumor recurrence after surgical resection in pancreatic cancer (PC) is generally considered incurable, it is well-accepted that clinical presentations and outcomes vary according to the recurrent sites (e.g., liver vs. lung recurrence), suggesting a possible biological inhomogeneity of PC recurrence. Understanding the behavior of biological factors, specifically tumor markers (TMs), at different recurrence sites may contribute to individualized treatment strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the dynamics of pre-recurrence TMs at liver and lung recurrence sites.

METHODS

Patients with isolated postoperative liver or lung recurrence as their first recurrence were enrolled. Starting from the recurrence date confirmed by imaging examinations, the values of TMs (carbohydrate antigen 19-9: CA19-9; carcinoembryonic antigen: CEA) were retrospectively evaluated 6 and 3 months before recurrence and at the time of recurrence.

RESULTS

Patients with liver recurrence displayed a significant increase in CA19-9 and CEA levels from as early as 6 months before recurrence. Contrastingly, patients with lung recurrence demonstrated a significant elevation of CA19-9 levels starting from 3 months before recurrence, with no increase in CEA levels, even at the time of recurrence. The relative change in CA19-9 and CEA levels during each period were significantly lower in patients with lung recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Both TMs exhibited organ-specific variations in patients with postoperative PC recurrence. This disparity may reflect the biological heterogeneity of PC between recurrence patterns, thereby highlighting the importance of conducting postoperative follow-up with consideration of this fact.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy with Para-aortic Lymph Node Dissection for Periampullary Cancer

There is no consensus on the utility of para-aortic lymph node dissection (PALND) in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for periampullary cancer. The objective of this study was to assess survival in patients who underwent PD with PALND for pancreatic (PAC) and non-pancreatic (non-PAC) adenocarcinoma. All patients who underwent PD and PALND between 2011 and 2019 were reviewed (n = 114). We looked at the impact of tumor type (PAC versus non-PAC) and pathologically confirmed PALN metastasis (PALNM) on overall survival (OS). Out of 114 patients, PALNM were pathologically confirmed in 17(14.9%) patients. Without PALND, pathological staging would be pN0 in1(0.8%), pN1 in 3(2.5%), and pN2 in 13(11.2%) patients. The 30-day mortality was 3(2.6%) and 65(57%) patients received adjuvant treatment. The 4-year OS for PAC and non-PAC was 9% and 39% (P = 0.001). Advanced nodal involvement (pN2) was seen in 14/17(82.4%) and 21/97(21.6%) patients with and without PALNM, respectively (P < 0.001). For PAC, 4-year OS for patients with pN0-N1, pN2, and PALNM was 12%, 8%, and not reached (P = 0.067). For non-PAC, 4-year OS was 45%, 19%, and 12% (P = 0.006). In patients with non-PAC, despite metastatic involvement of PALN, acceptable long-term survival can be achieved with curative resection. For PAC, survival benefit with curative resection remains questionable.

Prognostic Significance of Biologic Factors in Patients with a Modest Radiologic Response to Neoadjuvant Treatment for Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancers: Impact of the Combination Index of Sialyl-Lewis Antigen-Related Tumor Markers

BACKGROUND

Appropriate re-evaluation after neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) is important for optimal treatment selection. Nonetheless, determining the operative eligibility of patients with a modest radiologic response remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of biologic factors for patients showing a modest radiologic response to NAT and investigate the tumor markers (TMs), CA19-9 alone, DUPAN-II alone, and their combination, to create an index that combines these sialyl-Lewis antigen-related TMs associated with treatment outcomes.

METHODS

This study enrolled patients deemed to have a "stable disease" by RECIST classification with slight progression (tumor size increase rate, ≤20%) as their radiologic response after NAT. A sialyl-Lewis-related index (sLe index), calculated by adding one fourth of the serum DUPAN-II value to the CA19-9 value, was created. The prognostic significances of CA19-9, DUPAN-II, and the sLe index were assessed in relation to postoperative outcomes.

RESULTS

An sLe index lower than the cutoff value (45.25) was significantly associated with favorable disease-free survival. Moreover, the post-NAT sLe index had a higher area under the curve value for recurrence within 24 months than the post-NAT levels of CA19-9 or DUPAN-II alone. Multivariable analysis showed that a post-NAT sLe index higher than 45.25 was the single independent predictive factor for recurrence within 24 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Additional evaluation of biologic factors can potentially enhance patient selection, particularly for patients showing a limited radiologic response to NAT. The authors' index is a simple indicator for the biologic evaluation of multiple combined sialyl-Lewis antigen-related TMs and may offer a better predictive significance.

Pathological Nodal and Vascular Involvement Significantly Impacts the Recurrence Risk in Different Time Frames in Patients With Resectable and Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: Long-term Conditional Recurrence-free Survival Analysis in the Setting of a Neoadjuvant Treatment Strategy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the long-term dynamics of recurrence risk and the significance of prognostic variables using conditional recurrence-free survival (C-RFS) analysis in neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) for resectable (R) and borderline resectable (BR) pancreatic cancer (PC).

BACKGROUND

C-RFS analysis assesses the probability of achieving additional RFS according to the RFS already accrued.

METHODS

Patients with NAT and subsequent resection for R/BRPC were enrolled. In the C-RFS analysis, the actual 5-year RFS (5yRFS) rate was calculated separately in the subgroup that had already gained a given amount of RFS. The significance levels of prognostic variables associated with 5yRFS were assessed regarding their time-dependent dynamics in a conditional fashion.

RESULTS

Among the total 397 patients, 160 survived for more than 5 years without recurrence after surgery (actual 5yRFS rate: 45%). The probability of 5yRFS incrementally increased based on the RFS already accrued. Pathological nodal and vascular involvement were significant influencers of 5yRFS. The patients with nodal involvement consistently remained at significantly higher risk of recurrence than those without, even after 5yRFS, whereas positivity of vascular involvement was significantly associated with the risk of recurrence only during the early postoperative period and lost its significance after 3yRFS accrued.

CONCLUSIONS

In NAT for R/BRPC, the probability of gaining additional RFS increases as a function of RFS already accrued, and the significance of prognostic variables time-dependently evolves in their own patterns during the long-term postoperative period.

Total Superior Mesenteric Artery Nerve Plexus Preservation During Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) nerve plexus (PLsma) dissection has been performed to achieve R0 resection in pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in high-volume centers. However, full-extent PLsma preservation in PD is employed in our institution. The feasibility of the PLsma preservation strategy was investigated.

METHODS

Between January 2010 and December 2020, 156 patients underwent PLsma preservation PD for PDAC at our institution. Of these, 118 patients had resectable PDAC (R group) and 38 patients had borderline resectable artery (BR-A group). Clinical and oncological outcomes focusing on local recurrence, patient prognoses, and morbidities (including postoperative refractory diarrhea) were retrospectively analyzed and our postoperative outcomes were compared with those of other institutions.

RESULTS

Pathological R0 resection by PLsma preservation PD was achieved in 96 R group patients (81.4%) and 27 BR-A group patients (71.1%). The median postoperative hospital stay was 15.0 days in both groups. Local site-only recurrence was observed in 10.2% (12/118) of R-group and 10.5% (4/38) of BR-A-group patients, whereas distant site-only recurrence occurred in 21.2% (25/118) of R-group and 28.9% (11/38) of BR-A-group patients. Median survival times were 64.3 months (R group) and 35.4 months (BR-A group, p = 0.07). Median disease-free survival (DFS) times were 31.0 months (R group) and 12.0 months (BR-A group). No diarrhea requiring opioids was observed in either group. These results were equal or superior to those of PLsma dissection PD in other institutions.

CONCLUSIONS

PLsma preservation in PD was feasible compared to PLsma dissection in recurrence and overall survival.

Surgical management of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a narrative review

Background and Objective

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and is projected to become the second-leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. Despite advances in systemic and radiation therapy, for patients with surgically resectable PDAC, complete surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment option. The conduct of a safe, technically excellent pancreatectomy is essential to achieve optimal perioperative outcomes and long-term survival. In this narrative review, evidence from large, well-executed studies and clinical trials examining the technical aspects of pancreatectomy is reviewed.

Methods

A search was conducted in PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane Review databases to identify English-language randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews assessing surgical aspects of pancreatectomy for PDAC published between 2010 to 2023.

Key Content and Findings

We identified retrospective and prospective studies evaluating the technical aspects of surgery for PDAC. In this review, we evaluate data on surgical techniques of pancreatectomy for PDAC, including the role of minimally invasive techniques, extent of lymphadenectomy, reconstruction options after pancreatoduodenectomy, and the role of surgical drainage.

Conclusions

Surgical resection has a critical role in the treatment of operable PDAC. While pancreatic cancer surgery is an active area of research, conducting a technically excellent surgical resection maintains paramount importance for both oncological and perioperative outcomes. In this review, we summarize the latest evidence on surgical technique for operable PDAC.

Quality of life after pancreatic surgery - A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Surgery for patients with pancreatic cancer carries a high risk of major post-operative complications and only marginally improves overall survival. This review aims to assess the impact of surgical resection on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of pancreatic cancer patients.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. All studies assessing QOL using validated questionnaires in pancreatic cancer patients undergoing surgical resection were included.

RESULTS

Twenty-two studies were assessed. Patients reported a decrease in physical, social and global scales within the first 3 months after surgery. These values showed improvement and were comparable to baseline values by 6 months. Recovery in emotional functioning towards baseline figures was demonstrated in the first 3 months post-operatively. Symptom scales including pain, fatigue and diarrhoea deteriorated after surgery, but reverted to baseline after 3-6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical resection for pancreatic cancer has short-term negative impact on QOL. In the longer term, this will improve and eventually recover to baseline values after 6 months. Knowledge on the impact of surgery on QOL of pancreatic cancer patients is necessary to facilitate decision-making and tailoring of surgical techniques to the individual patient.

Surgery for pancreatic cancer: current controversies and challenges

Two areas that remain the focus of improvement in pancreatic cancer include high post-operative morbidity and inability to uniformly translate surgical success into long-term survival. This narrative review addresses specific aspects of pancreatic cancer surgery, including neoadjuvant therapy, vascular resections, extended pancreatectomy, extent of lymphadenectomy and current status of minimally invasive surgery. R0 resection confers longer disease-free survival and overall survival. Vascular and adjacent organ resections should be undertaken after neoadjuvant therapy, only if R0 resection can be ensured based on high-quality preoperative imaging, and that too, with acceptable post-operative morbidity. Extended lymphadenectomy does not offer any advantage over standard lymphadenectomy. Although minimally invasive distal pancreatectomies offers some short-term benefits over open distal pancreatectomy, safety remains a concern with minimally invasive pancreatoduodenectomy. Strict adherence to principles and judicious utilization of surgery within a multimodality framework is the way forward.

Extended lymphadenectomy benefits patients with borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer-a single-center retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Whether standard lymphadenectomy or extended lymphadenectomy should be performed is still under debate during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We aimed to compare their morbidity and mortality rates among patients with pancreatic head cancer (PHC).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, a total of 322 patients were enrolled. According to the scope of intraoperative lymph node dissection, patients were divided into extended lymphadenectomy group (n=120) and standard lymphadenectomy group (n=202). Based on the resectability of the tumor, there were 198 cases of resectable PHC and 124 cases of borderline resectable PHC, respectively, in which further stratified analysis was carried out according to the extent of lymph node dissection.

RESULTS

All patients completed the operation successfully, with a perioperative morbidity rate of 27.9% and mortality rate of 0.9%. As for the overall patients, patients in the extended lymphadenectomy group had higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), longer operation time, more intraoperative blood loss, lymph node dissection and patients with borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer (BRPHC) (P<0.05). The 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates of patients with extended lymphadenectomy and standard lymphadenectomy were 71.9%, 50.6%, 30.0% and 70.0%, 32.9%, 21.5%, respectively (P=0.068). With regards to patients with BRPHC, the number of lymph node dissection in the extended lymphadenectomy group was more (P<0.05), and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates of patients with extended lymphadenectomy and standard lymphadenectomy were 60.7%, 43.3%, 27.4% and 43.2%, 17.7%, 17.7%, respectively (P=0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with BRPHC tended to have vast lymph node metastasis. Extended lymphadenectomy can improve their long-term survival.

Optimal extent of lymphadenectomy for radical surgery of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: 2-year survival rate results of single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Radical pancreaticoduodenectomy is the only possible cure for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, and although several RCT studies have suggested the extent of lymph node dissection, this issue remains controversial. This article wanted to evaluate the survival benefit of different lymph node dissection extent for radical surgical treatment of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

A total of 240 patients were assessed for eligibility in the study, 212 of whom were randomly divided into standard lymphadenectomy group (SG) or extended lymphadenectomy group (EG), there were 97 patients in SG and 95 patients in EG receiving the radical pancreaticoduodenectomy.

RESULT

The demography, histopathology and clinical characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. The 2-year overall survival rate in the SG was higher than the EG (39.5% vs 25.3%; P = .034). The 2-year overall survival rate in the SG who received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was higher than the EG (60.7% vs 37.1%; P = .021). There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of complications between the 2 groups (P = .502). The overall recurrence rate in the SG and EG (70.7% vs 77.5%; P = .349), and the patterns of recurrence between 2 groups were no significant differences.

CONCLUSION

In multimodality therapy system, the efficacy of chemotherapy should be based on the appropriate lymphadenectomy extent, and the standard extent of lymphadenectomy is optimal for resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. The postoperative slowing of peripheral blood lymphocyte recovery might be 1 of the reasons why extended lymphadenectomy did not result in survival benefits.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02928081) in October 7, 2016. https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

Role of Node Dissection in Pancreatic Tumor Resection

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease, and, even with modern therapies, the mortality has not decreased significantly in decades. The prognostic importance of lymph node status is well defined; however, the role of extended lymphadenectomy to improve local recurrence and overall survival remains debated. Six randomized controlled trials have evaluated the extent of lymph node dissection in pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to review the current literature to evaluate the role of lymphadenectomy in pancreatic cancer. The impact of each trial and its contribution to the literature is discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

Multiple randomized trials have failed to note an improvement in overall survival with extended lymphadenectomy for pancreatic cancer. Rather, extended lymphadenectomy was associated with increased morbidity, operating room time, and length of stay.

Multicenter randomized phase II trial of prophylactic right-half dissection of superior mesenteric artery nerve plexus in pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer

AIM

Right-half dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) nerve plexus in pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer was initiated to accomplish R0 resection; however, subsequent refractory diarrhea was a major concern. This study aimed to evaluate the necessity of this technique.

METHODS

From April 2014 to June 2018, 74 patients with pancreatic head cancer were randomly allocated to either Group A, in which right-half dissection of the SMA nerve plexus was performed (n = 37), or Group B, in which total preservation of the nerve plexus was performed (n = 37). Short-term, long-term, and survival outcomes were prospectively compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The patient demographics, including the R0 resection rate, were not significantly different between the groups. Postoperative diarrhea occurred in 26 (70.3%) patients in Group A and 18 (48.6%) patients in Group B. There was a tendency for the development of severe diarrhea in Group A within 1 year postoperatively, and the frequency of diarrhea gradually decreased within 2 years, although that did not affect tolerance to adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no difference in either locoregional recurrence (27.0% vs 32.4%) or systemic recurrence (46.0% vs 46.0%). The median overall survival time in Groups A and B was 37.9 and 34.6 months, respectively (P = 0.77).

CONCLUSION

We did not demonstrate a clinical impact of right-half dissection of the SMA nerve plexus on locoregional recurrence or survival. Therefore, the prophylactic dissection of the SMA nerve plexus is unnecessary given that refractory diarrhea could be induced by this technique (UMIN000012241).

Pancreatic body and tail cancer and favorable metastatic lymph node behavior on the left edge of the aorta

BACKGROUND

Lymph node (LN) metastasis in pancreatic body-tail cancer is a poor prognostic factor and the optimal LN dissection area for distal pancreatectomy (DP) remains unclear. Lymphatic flow from the tumors is thought to depend on the tumor sites. We examined LN metastasis frequency based on tumor site and recurrent patterns post-DP.

METHODS

With a retrospective, single institutional study, we examined 100 patients who underwent DP as an upfront surgery for pancreatic cancer over 17 years. Tumor sites were classified as tumor confined to pancreatic body (and neck) (Pb(n)); and pancreatic tail (Pt). We compared metastatic LN and recurrence patterns based on tumor site. The median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed.

RESULTS

LN metastasis occurred in 59/100 (59.0%), with 23 and 25 tumors located in the Pb(n), and Pt, respectively. Those with the tumor in Pt had metastases to #10, #11d/p, and #18 LN mainly. However, the patients with the Pb(n) tumor had metastases to #8a/p, #11p, and #14p/d LN. There was no metastasis to #10 and #11d LN. The OS and DFS were 34 and 15 months, respectively. No significant difference was found in the OS, DFS, and recurrence patterns based on tumor sites.

CONCLUSION

Differences in metastatic LN sites were observed in pancreatic body-tail cancer when tumors were confined to the left or right of the left aortic edge. Although it is necessary to validate this finding with a large-scale study, organ-preserving DP might be a treatment option for selected patients depending on the tumor sites.

Meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomised controlled trials comparing standard versus extended lymphadenectomy in pancreatoduodenectomy for adenocarcinoma of the head of pancreas

PURPOSE

To compare baseline demographics, operative, and survival outcomes of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing standard lymphadenectomy versus extended lymphadenectomy in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer METHODS: In compliance with PRISMA standards we performed a meta-analysis of baseline demographics, operative, and survival outcomes of RCTs comparing standard lymphadenectomy versus extended lymphadenectomy in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer. The uncertainties associated with varying follow-up periods among the included studies were resolved by analysis of time-to-event outcomes. Moreover, we performed trial sequential analysis (TSA) to determine whether the available evidence is conclusive and to assess the risk of type 1 or type 2 errors.

RESULTS

Overall, 724 patients from 5 RCTs were included. The included populations were comparable in terms of baseline characteristics. There was no difference between standard and extended lymphadenectomy in terms of pancreatic fistula (OR 0.64, P = 0.11), delayed gastric emptying (OR 0.68, P = 0.40), bile leak (OR 0.33, P = 0.06), wound infection (OR 0.53, P = 0.06), abscess (OR 0.83, P = 0.63), total complications (OR 0.73, P = 0.27), postoperative mortality (OR 1.01, P = 0.85), and overall survival (HR 1.10, P = 0.46). TSA suggested that meta-analysis was conclusive with low risk of type 2 error. The results remained consistent through subgroup analyses based on lymph node positive or negative status and studies from the West and East.

CONCLUSIONS

Robust evidence from randomised controlled trials (Level 1) suggests no difference in postoperative and survival outcomes between standard and extended lymphadenectomy in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer. The findings were consistent in patients with positive and negative lymph node status and in studies from the West or East.

Role of lymphadenectomy in resectable pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the most devastating malignant diseases, predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. Despite advances in surgical techniques and in systemic therapy, the 5-year relative survival remains a grim 9% for all stages combined. The extent of lymphadenectomy has been discussed intensively for decades, given that even in early stages of PC, lymph node (LN) metastasis can be detected in approximately 80%.

PURPOSE

The primary objective of this review was to provide an overview of the current literature evaluating the role of lymphadenectomy in resected PC. For this, we evaluated randomized controlled studies (RCTs) assessing the impact of extent of lymphadenectomy on OS and studies evaluating the prognostic impact of anatomical site of LN metastasis and the impact of the number of resected LNs on OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Lymphadenectomy plays an essential part in the multimodal treatment algorithm of PC and is an additional therapeutic tool to increase the chance for surgical radicality and to ensure correct staging for optimal oncological therapy. Based on the literature from the last decades, standard lymphadenectomy with resection of at least ≥ 15 LNs is associated with an acceptable postoperative complication risk and should be recommended to obtain local radicality and accurate staging of the disease. Although radical surgery including appropriate lymphadenectomy of regional LNs remains the only chance for long-term tumor control, future studies specifically assessing the impact of neoadjuvant therapy on extraregional LNs are warranted.

The Necessity of Dissection of No. 14 Lymph Nodes to Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Based on the Embryonic Development of the Head of the Pancreas

Objectives: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) followed by lymphadenectomy is performed for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) located in the head of the pancreas. Because the head of the pancreas could be divided into dorsal or ventral primordium in relation to embryonic development, the metastasis of lymph node (LN) may differ. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the impact of extended or standard LN dissection for PDAC located in ventral or dorsal primordia of the pancreatic head.

Methods: From February 2016 to November 2018, 178 patients who underwent PD for PDAC were enrolled at the Pancreatic Disease Center, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. According to the tumor location and the range of LN dissection, all patients were divided into three groups: ventral primordium with extended lymphadenectomy (VE group), ventral primordium with standard lymphadenectomy (VS group), and dorsal primordium with extended lymphadenectomy (DE group). Clinical and pathological features were retrospectively analyzed as were the long-term survival outcomes.

Results: More patients in the VE group were detected with metastasis in the lymph nodes around the superior mesenteric artery (LN14) than those in the DE group (LN along the right side of the superior mesenteric artery, LN14ab): 22.9 vs. 5.9%, p = 0.005; (LN along the left side of the superior mesenteric artery, LN14cd): 10.0 vs. 0.0%, p = 0.022. LN14 was involved in more patients in the VE group than in the VS group (22.9 vs. 5.0%, p = 0.015). For IIb-stage patients in the VE group, the overall survival time (18.3 vs. 9.3 months, p < 0.001) and disease-free survival time (12.2 vs. 5.1 months, p = 0.045) were longer in those with LN14cd (–) than those with LN14cd (+).

Conclusion: This study suggested that patients with PDAC located in the ventral head of the pancreas had higher risk of LN14 involvement compared with those at dorsal. Thus, a thorough dissection of LN14 in PDAC located in the ventral head of the pancreas is recommended to optimize the regional extended lymphadenectomy.

Clinical implications of the serum CA19-9 level in "biological borderline resectability" and "biological downstaging" in the setting of preoperative chemoradiation therapy for pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Biological factors are emphasized in borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC), and CA19-9 is an important factor for biological borderline resectability (b-BR). The aim of this study was to investigate the cut-off value of CA19-9 for biological borderline resectability and "biological downstaging" in chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for pancreatic cancer (PC).

METHODS

A total of 407 patients with anatomically resectable PC (a-R) and BRPC (a-BR) received preoperative gemcitabine-based CRT. The b-BR was determined, according to the CA19-9 value prior to preoperative CRT (pre-CA19-9), as the subgroup of a-R cases in which the survival was comparable with that in a-BR cases. "Biological downstaging" was determined based on prognostic analyses regarding the CA19-9 value after preoperative CRT (post-CA19-9) in association with the survival of R cases (a-R cases without the b-BR factor).

RESULTS

The 5-year survival of a-R patients with pre-CA19-9 > 120 U/mL was comparable with that of a-BR patients (44% vs 34%, p = 0.082). The survival of b-BR patients with post-CRT CA19-9 ≤ 37 U/mL (normalized) was comparably favorable with that of R patients (56% vs 65%, p = 0.369). The incidence of distant recurrence was higher in b-BR patients without post-CA19-9 normalization than in those with post-CA19-9 normalization (70% vs 50%, p = 0.003), while the incidence of local recurrence was comparable between these two groups (12% vs 13%, p = 0.986).

CONCLUSIONS

Biological BRPC was determined to be an anatomically resectable disease with pre-CA19-9 > 120 U/mL, and post-CA19-9 normalization indicated "biological downstaging" in b-BR in the preoperative CRT strategy.

History of pancreatic surgery in Japan: Respect to the Japanese pioneers of pancreatic surgery

The first report of pancreatoduodenectomy was the abstract of Japan Surgical Society in 1946 by Kuru, followed by a publication by Yoshioka (Geka, 1950). The first report of total pancreatectomy was done by Honjo in 1950 (Shujutsu). Thus, the history of pancreatic surgery in Japan dawned in the 1950s. From 1970 to 1980, the American surgeon Fortner had reported the drastic concept of regional pancreatectomy with extensive dissection of vessels and connective tissues around the pancreas. A lot of Japanese surgeons were influenced by this concept and attempted to perform the extensive surgery of pancreatic cancer, especially the Japanese pioneers who had investigated the clinical benefits of extensive surgery with dissection of nerve plexus and lymph nodes around the superior mesenteric artery. Then, Japanese surgeons had a great attention for limited resection of the pancreas for borderline malignancies, and Japan was the number one country for pancreatic surgery for all pancreatic diseases, from advanced pancreatic cancer to borderline malignancies. The next step for these pioneers was how to reduce morbidities after pancreatic surgery, especially pancreatoduodenectomy. Due to the effects of technical development, drain management, and nutritional consideration, the incidences of pancreatic fistula and delayed gastric emptying decreased dramatically in the past 10 years. Moreover, the development of chemotherapeutic drugs has provided a new era of conversion surgery, similar to esophageal surgery, and one should pay great attention to more aggressive surgery, including distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR). Thus, we have to inherit the passion and mentality of the Japanese pioneers of pancreatic surgery and develop safer and more secure surgical techniques to reduce the morbidities and elongate the survival of pancreatic cancer patients.

Efficacy of extended versus standard lymphadenectomy in pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. An update meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection is the only possible cure for pancreatic cancer, it remains controversial whether extend lymphadenectomy in pancreatoduodenectomy (EPD) is better than standard lymphadenectomy in pancreatoduodenectomy (SPD). The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of EPD with SPD for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

A specific search of online databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane library was conducted from January 1990 to October 2018. Relative perioperative outcomes were synthesized. Single-arm meta-analysis was also performed.

RESULTS

A total of eight studies involving 687 (342 vs 345) patients were included for analysis in our study. The number of lymph nodes harvested [24.54 vs 13.29; weighted mean difference (WMD) -10.69, P = 0.000], operative time (469.84 min vs 354.85 min; WMD -99.09, P = 0.000), and diarrhea (postoperative three months) [45.1% vs 18.2%; odds radio (OR) 0.20, P = 0.014] were significantly higher in patients who underwent EPD than SPD. The perioperative complications (35% vs 28.8%; OR 0.79, P = 0.186), tumor size (3.27 cm vs 3.248 cm; WMD -0.11, P = 0.256), lymph node metastasis (66% vs 55.9%; OR 0.71, P = 0.105), and positive margin (10.4% vs 11.3%; OR 1.28, P = 0.392) were no significant differences between EPD group and SPD group. Extended lymphadenectomy in pancreatoduodenectomy dose not contribute to the overall survival of patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head [hazard ratio (HR) 0.95; 95% CI 0.78-1.15; P = 0.61].

CONCLUSION

The update meta-analysis shows that EPD failed to improve the overall survival, may even lead to increased morbidity.

Management of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: From where to where?

Pancreatic head adenocarcinoma (PHAC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies, and it has low long-term survival rates. Surgery is the only option for long-term survival. The difficulties associated with PHAC include higher frequencies of regional or distant lymph node metastases and vascular involvement, and positive resection margins in pancreatic and retroperitoneal tissues. Radical resections increase margin negativity and life expectancy; however, the extend of the surgery applied is controversial. Thus, western and eastern centers may use different approaches. Multiorgan, peripancreatic nerve plexus, and vascular resections have been discussed in relation to radical surgery for pancreatic cancer as have the roles of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy regimens. Determining the appropriate limits for surgery, standardizing definitions and surgical techniques according to guidelines, and centralizing pancreatic surgery within high-volume institutions to reduce mortality and morbidity rates are among the most important issues to consider. In this review, we evaluate the basic concepts underlying and the roles of radical surgery for PHAC, and lymphadenectomy, nerve plexus, retroperitoneal tissue, vascular, and multivisceral resections, total pancreatectomy, and liver metastases are discussed.

Prognostic Value of Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio in Pancreatic Cancer

Lymph node involvement in pancreatic adenocancer is one of the strongest predictors of prognosis. However, the extent of lymph node dissection is still a matter of debate and number of dissected nodes varies widely among patients. In order to homogenize this diverse group of patients and more accurately predict their prognosis, we aimed to analyze the effect of metastatic lymph node ratio as an independent prognostic factor. We retrospectively analyzed medical recordings of 326 patients with pancreatic cancer who were treated in a tertiary medical oncology center over a 10-year period. Both in univariate and multivariate analyses, metastatic lymph node ratio proved to be a strong predictor of prognosis which was unaffected from heterogeneity of our patient population and can be used to facilitate predict prognosis of patients who underwent lymph node dissection to various extents and with future studies it can emerge as a successful tool for creating prognostic subgroups of the disease.

Pancreatoduodenectomy with artery-first approach

"Artery-first approach" encompasses different aspects for the surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer. It is a surgical technique or set of techniques which share in common the dissection of the main arterial vasculature involved in pancreatic cancer, before any irreversible surgical step is performed. On the other hand it represents the need for a meticulous dissection of the arterial planes and clearing of the retropancreatic tissue between the superior mesenteric artery, the common hepatic artery and portal vein in an attempt to achieve R0 resections. The recent expansion of this approach is based mainly on three factors: venous involvement should not be considered a contraindication for resection, most of the pancreatic resections performed with a standard procedure may be in fact non-oncological (R1) resections and the postero-medial or vascular margin is the most frequently invaded by the tumor. This review aimed to summarize and update the artery-first approach in pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Portal encasement: Significant CT findings to diagnose local recurrence after pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

To demonstrate the utility of portal encasement as a criterion for early diagnosis of local recurrence (LR) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS

A total of 61 patients who underwent PD for PDAC were included in this retrospective study. Portal stenosis was evaluated by sequential postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans and correlated with disease recurrence. In addition to the conventional LR diagnostic criterion of a growing soft tissue mass, LR was evaluated using portal encasement as an additional diagnostic criterion. Portal encasement was defined as progressive stenosis of the portal system accompanied by a soft tissue mass, notwithstanding the enlargement of the mass.

RESULTS

Benign portal stenosis was found on the first postoperative CT imaging in 16 patients. However, stenosis resolved a median of 81 days later in all but one patient whose stenosis was due to portal reconstruction during PD. Portal encasement could be distinguished from benign portal stenosis based on the timing of emergence of the portal stenosis. Portal encasement developed in 13 of the 19 patients with LR, including 6 patients in whom the finding of portal encasement led to the diagnosis of LR a median of 147 days earlier with our diagnostic criterion compared with the conventional diagnostic criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Portal encasement should be considered as a promising diagnostic criterion for earlier diagnosis of LR after PD for PDAC.

Subclinical cancer cell dissemination in peritoneal lavage fluid detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction identifies patients at high risk for peritoneal recurrence and consequent impaired survival in the setting of preoperative chemoradiation therapy for pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Preoperative chemoradiation therapy is a promising strategy for pancreatic cancer. Peritoneal recurrence is a major recurrence pattern after surgery for pancreatic cancer following preoperative chemoradiation therapy, even in patients with negative peritoneal lavage fluid cytology. Previous reports have indicated that the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction is useful for evaluating subclinical tumor cell dissemination in peritoneal lavage fluid.

METHODS

Patients with resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer treated with preoperative gemcitabine-based chemoradiation therapy and subsequent surgery were enrolled in this study. In all patients, a conventional cytologic examination of peritoneal lavage fluid from laparotomy confirmed the negative peritoneal cytology status. Carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA was detected in the peritoneal lavage fluid at laparotomy using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Recurrence patterns and survival were evaluated in association with the carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA status in the peritoneal lavage fluid.

RESULTS

The peritoneal lavage fluid from 57 of the 237 patients (24%) was carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA(+). The carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA(+) patients had a significantly higher incidence of peritoneal recurrence than the carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA(-) patients (36% vs. 15%, P < .001). The 5-year survival rates of the carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA(+) and carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA(-) patients were 31% and 51%, respectively (P = .037). A multivariable analysis for survival revealed that borderline resectability, positive nodal status, and positive carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA status were independent variables for impaired survival.

CONCLUSION

Carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA(+) status was associated with a significantly increased incidence of peritoneal recurrence in patients with pancreatic cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiation therapy, resulting in impaired survival.

Long-term outcomes and recurrence patterns of standard versus extended pancreatectomy for pancreatic head cancer: a multicenter prospective randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND

Our previous randomized controlled trial revealed no difference in 2-year overall survival (OS) between extended and standard resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The present study evaluated the 5-year OS and recurrence patterns according to the extent of pancreatectomy.

METHODS

Between 2006 and 2009, 169 consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled and randomized to standard (n = 83) or extended resection (n = 86) groups to compare 5-year OS rate, long-term recurrence patterns and factors associated with long-term survival.

RESULTS

The surgical R0 rate was similar between the standard and extended groups (85.5 vs. 90.7%, P = 0.300). Five-year OS (18.4 vs. 14.4%, P = 0.388), 5-year disease-free survival (14.8 vs. 14.0%, P = 0.531), and overall recurrence rates (74.7 vs. 69.9%, P = 0.497) were not significantly different between the two groups, although the incidence of peritoneal seeding was higher in the extended group (25 vs. 8.1%, P = 0.014).

CONCLUSIONS

Extended pancreatectomy does not have better short-term and long-term survival outcomes, and shows similar R0 rates and overall recurrence rates compared with standard pancreatectomy. Extended pancreatectomy does not have to be performed routinely for all cases of resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, especially considering its associated increased morbidity shown in our previous study.

The Role of Intraoperative Therapy by Electron Beam and Combination of Adjuvant Chemotherapy and External Radiotherapy in Carcinoma of the Pancreas

Aims and background

In the treatment of pancreatic carcinomas, one modality is intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT). A study was carried out to assess the feasibility of IORT alone or in a multimodality approach with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and external radiotherapy and to compare local control and survival of patients. Another objective of this retrospective study was to verify prognostic factors in resected patients treated with IORT.

Methods

From January 1985 through September 1992, 54 adenocarcinomas of the pancreas (unresectable and resected patients) were treated with IORT by electron beam at the San Raffaele Hospital and then analyzed. Comparison was also carried out between IORT-treated resected patients and a non-randomized control group of resected patients treated without IORT in the same period.

Results

In unresectable patients treated by laparotomy bypass and IORT, overall median survival was 6 months and 8 months in non-metastatic patients. Relief of severe pain present in 14 patients was observed in 85% within 12 days of IORT. As regards resected patients, the most important finding was that significantly better local control resulted from IORT. In fact, overall, local relapses were 25% in the IORT group and 55.8% in the non-IORT group (control group); instead, survival of the IORT group was not significantly longer than that of the control group. From a statistical analysis of resected patients treated with IORT and performed on prognostic factors on the basis of available data, survival was significantly influenced by tumor pathologic grading and diameter; postoperative adjuvant therapy was not a significant prognosis factor.

Conclusions

IORT has a role in local control of unresectable pancreatic carcinomas and in control of resultant severe pain. In resected patients, IORT is effective in decreasing local recurrences but has little impact on survival. To obtain more satisfactory results, new and more effective adjuvant therapies and better abdominal prophylaxis should be tested.

CA19-9 level determines therapeutic modality in pancreatic cancer patients with para-aortic lymph node metastasis

BACKGROUND

In general, para-aortic lymph node (LN16) metastasis has been considered as a contraindication for pancreatic resection. However, some pancreatic cancer patients with LN16 metastasis have been reported to survive for longer than expected after pancreatectomy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pancreatic cancer patients with LN16 metastasis might benefit from surgery.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 201 consecutive patients with invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery at Osaka National Hospital between April 2003 and December 2012. These patients included 22 patients with LN16 metastasis who underwent an extended lymphadenectomy and 25 patients who underwent a palliative surgical biliary and gastric bypass. The clinicopathological data and outcomes were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The overall survival of the patients with LN16 metastasis was poorer than that of the LN16-negative patients (P = 0.0014). An overall survival analysis of the LN16-positive patients stratified according to the preoperative CA19-9 level showed a significant difference between patients with a low preoperative CA19-9 level (≤360 U/mL) and those with a high preoperative CA19-9 level (>360 U/mL) (P = 0.0301). No significant difference in overall survival of patients was observed between those with LN16 positivity and those who underwent bypass surgery. However, the overall survival of the LN16-positive patients with a CA19-9 level ≤360 U/mL (n = 11) was significantly higher than that of those who underwent bypass surgery (P = 0.0452).

CONCLUSION

Surgical resection and extended lymphadenectomy remains an option for pancreatic cancer patients with LN16-positivity whose CA19-9 level is ≤360 U/mL.

The More the Better-Lower Rate of Stage Migration and Better Survival in Patients With Retrieval of 20 or More Regional Lymph Nodes in Pancreatic Cancer: A Population-Based Propensity Score Matched and Trend SEER Analysis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of regional lymph node (RLN) retrieval on stage migration and survival in pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

A total of 7685 stage I and II pancreatic cancer patients were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database in 2004-2011. The impact of RLN was assessed using Cox regression, propensity score methods, and joinpoint regression.

RESULTS

In 3079 patients, 1 to 10 RLNs were retrieved; in 2799 patients, 11 to 19 RLNs, and in 1807 patients, 20+ RLNs. The rate of node-positive pancreatic cancer increased with the number of retrieved RLN. This trend continued beyond 10 retrieved RLN (P < 0.001). In unadjusted analysis, retrieval of RLN did not influence survival (P = 0.178). When adjusting for significant bias in staging variables (P < 0.001), retrieval of 20+ RLNs compared to 11 to 19 RLNs was associated with an increased survival in node-negative (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.98; P = 0.033) and node-positive cancer (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.93; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

This population-based propensity score-adjusted investigation demonstrated that more retrieved RLNs in pancreatic cancer decreases the rate of stage migration and improves the oncological outcome in node-negative and positive cancer. Contradictory results may be explained by a bias in the cancer characteristics for a different extent of RLN retrieval.

Number of evaluated lymph nodes and positive lymph nodes, lymph node ratio, and log odds evaluation in early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: numerology or valid indicators of patient outcome?

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the prognostic significance and universal validity of the total number of evaluated lymph nodes (ELN), number of positive lymph nodes (PLN), lymph node ratio (LNR), and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in a relatively large and homogenous cohort of surgically treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients.

METHODS

Prospectively accrued data were retrospectively analyzed for 282 PDAC patients who had pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) at our institution. Long-term survival was analyzed according to the ELN, PLN, LNR, and LODDS.

RESULTS

Of these patients, 168 patients (59.5 %) had LN metastasis (N1). Mean ELN and PLN were 13.5 and 1.6, respectively. LN positivity correlated with a greater number of evaluated lymph nodes; positive lymph nodes were identified in 61.4 % of the patients with ELN ≥ 13 compared with 44.9 % of the patients with ELN < 13 (p = 0.014). Median overall survival (OS) and 5-year OS rate were higher in N0 than in N1 patients, 22.4 vs. 18.7 months and 35 vs. 11 %, respectively (p = 0.008). Mean LNR was 0.12; 91 patients (54.1 %) had LNR < 0.3. Among the N1 patients, median OS was comparable in those with LNR ≥ 0.3 vs. LNR < 0.3 (16.7 vs. 14.1 months, p = 0.950). Neither LODDS nor various ELN and PLN cutoff values provided more discriminative information within the group of N1 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data confirms that lymph node positivity strongly reflects PDAC biology and thus patient outcome. While a higher number of evaluated lymph nodes may provide a more accurate nodal staging, it does not have any prognostic value among N1 patients. Similarly, PLN, LNR, and LODDS had limited prognostic relevance.

How Grim is Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic ductal carcinoma continues to be the most lethal malignancy with rising incidence. It is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the western world due to its low treatment success rate. In addition, because of its rapid growth and silent course, diagnosis is often only established in the advanced stages. As one of the most aggressive malignancies, the treatment of this disease is a great challenge to clinicians. This paper reviewed the natural history of pancreatic cancer, the current clinical practice and the future in pancreatic cancer management.

Clinical impact of preoperative endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Aim:

To reveal the impact of preoperative endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Materials and Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed 242 patients who underwent surgery for PDAC at our institution between January 1996 and July 2012. Among them, there were three patients with R2 resection and 30 patients with a follow-up period of less than 1 year, who were excluded because they did not meet the conditions for evaluating recurrence. Consequently, 209 patients were enrolled in the present study. The patients were divided into two groups: 126 patients who underwent preoperative EUS-FNA (FNA group) and 83 patients who did not (non-FNA group) undergo preoperative EUS-FNA.

Results:

There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between FNA and non-FNA groups except mean age (66.6 ± 8.9 years vs. 63.5 ± 8.9 years, respectively, P = 0.02) and the administration rate of gemcitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy (42.9% vs. 18.1%, P < 0.01). Sampling adequacy of preoperative EUS-FNA was 99.2% (125/126) and sensitivity for diagnosis was 92.9% (117/126). The rate of complications related to EUS-FNA was 1.6% (2/126); two patients experienced reduction in hemoglobin (≥2.0 g/dL). These two patients did not have any apparent bleeding and could be managed conservatively. No severe complications were seen. We evaluated long-term outcomes of preoperative EUS-FNA, especially disease-free survival, needle-track seeding and recurrence. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated no significant difference in disease-free survival between the two groups (P = 0.12). The site of recurrence was not significantly different between groups. Needle-track seeding was not observed in this study. Multivariate analysis of recurrence factors showed that preoperative EUS-FNA did not affect postoperative recurrence.

Conclusion:

Preoperative EUS-FNA for PDAC was shown to be a safe procedure with high diagnostic ability, and not a risk factor for postoperative recurrence.

Risk factors for vertebral compression fractures in preoperative chemoradiotherapy with gemcitabine for pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with gemcitabine (GEM) for pancreatic cancer is often accompanied by vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). This study aimed to establish the incidence of VCFs and identify the related risk factors (RFs) to elucidate how to decrease the overall incidence of VCF.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We investigated 220 patients with resectable or borderline-resectable pancreatic cancers who had completed preoperative CRT between 2006 and 2011. The RFs associated with VCF were analyzed in a total of 1308 thoracolumbar vertebral bodies.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven VCFs occurred in 25 patients (11%); the cumulative incidence at two years was 18.9%. Univariate analysis revealed female sex, age and high daily GEM concentration during radiotherapy as RFs for VCF. The multivariate mixed effects logistic regression model demonstrated that the most responsible factor was radiation dose (p<0.001). We estimated the radiation condition resulting in a fracture incidence of ⩽5% by counting the patient's number of the three RFs. For patients with three factors, the mean vertebral dose was 22.0 Gy.

CONCLUSIONS

The RFs for VCF after CRT were identified. The side effect of VCF might be avoided by regulating the radiation dose to neighboring vertebral bodies after considering the RFs.

Improving Survival of Pancreatic Cancer. What Have We Learnt?

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma still ranks high among cancer-related deaths worldwide. In spite of substantial strides in preoperative staging, surgery, perioperative care, and adjuvant treatment, the survival still remains dismal. A number of patient-, disease-, and surgeon-related factors play a role in deciding the eventual outcome of the patient. The aim of this commentary is to review the current knowledge of various factors and the recent advances that impact the survival of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A search of scientific literature using Embase and MEDLINE, for the years 1985-2015, was carried out for search terms "pancreatic cancer" and "survival." Further search was based on the various specific prognostic factors that contribute towards survival of patients with pancreatic cancer found in the literature. Most of the studies used for this review include those that deal with pancreatic head cancers, some include patients with pancreatic cancers in all locations while very few included patients with tumors of body and tail only. In spite of significant developments in pre- and perioperative management, increased rates of margin-negative resections, and use of adjuvant treatment, the survival rates of pancreatic cancer patients remains poor. A paradigm shift with more effective adjuvant regimen and genetic interventions may help change the outcomes of patients with pancreatic cancer.

The lymphatic system and pancreatic cancer

This review summarizes current knowledge of the biology, pathology and clinical understanding of lymphatic invasion and metastasis in pancreatic cancer. We discuss the clinical and biological consequences of lymphatic invasion and metastasis, including paraneoplastic effects on immune responses and consider the possible benefit of therapies to treat tumors that are localized to lymphatics. A review of current techniques and methods to study interactions between tumors and lymphatics is presented.

Extended Versus Standard Lymphadenectomy for Pancreatic Head Cancer: Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

INTRODUCTION

The evidence for improved prognostic assessment and long-term survival for extended pancreatoduodenectomy (EPD) compared to standard pancreatoduodenectomy (SPD) in patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas has not been considered from only randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

METHODS

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the outcomes comparing SPD and EPD in RCTs. Searches were performed on MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases using MeSH keyword combinations: 'pancreatic cancer', 'pancreaticoduodenectomy', 'extended', 'randomized' and 'lymphadenectomy'. RCTs published up to 2014 were included. Overall post-operative survival, morbidity, 30-day mortality and length of hospital stay were the outcomes assessed.

RESULTS

Five eligible RCTs with 546 participants were included (EPD = 276 and SPD = 270). EPD was associated with a significantly higher number of excised lymph nodes (LNs) compared to SPD (mean difference = 15.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 9.41-22.04; P < 0.00001; I(2) = 88%). LN metastasis was detected in 58-68 and 55-70% of patients who had EPD and SPD, respectively. EPD did not improve overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.75-1.03; P = 0.11) but did worsen post-operative morbidity compared to SPD (risk ratio (RR) = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.01-1.50; P = 0.004; I(2) = 9%). There were no differences in the 30-day mortality (RR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.32-2.06; P = 0.66; I(2) = 0%) or length of hospital stay (mean difference = 1.39, 95% CI = -2.31 to 5.09; P = 0.46; I(2) = 67%).

CONCLUSION

SPD is associated with reduced morbidity, but equivalent long-term benefits compared to patients undergoing EPD.

Meta-analysis of the efficacies of extended and standard pancreatoduodenectomy for ductal adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of extended pancreatoduodenectomy (EPD) and standard pancreatoduodenectomy (SPD) for ductal adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas via meta-analysis.

METHODS

Relevant articles (published between 1995 and 2012) were compiled from online data sources. A total of nine studies satisfied the selection criteria, including a total of 973 patients (478 in the SPD group and 495 in the EPD group). Evaluation parameters included 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival, as well as mortality, morbidity, and specific morbidity outcomes.

RESULTS

Meta-analysis revealed (1) differences in morbidity (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.740; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 0.840-3.600; P = 0.140), mortality (OR = 0.890; 95 % CI, 0.560-1.400; P = 0.620), 1-year overall survival (OS) rate (OR = 1.20; 95 % CI, 0.490-2.930; P = 0.69), 3-year OS rate (OR = 0.770; 95 % CI, 0.460-1.280; P = 0.190), and 5-year OS rate (OR = 1.12; 95 % CI, 0.690-1.810; P = 0.560) were not significant between EPD and SPD. (2) For bile leak (OR = 2.640; 95 % CI, 1.040-6.700; P = 0.040), pancreatic leak (OR = 1.740; 95 % CI, 1.040-2.91; P = 0.030), delayed gastric emptying (OR = 2.090; 95 % CI, 1.240-3.520; P = 0.006), and lymphatic fistula (OR = 6.120; 95 % CI, 1.06-35.320; P = 0.040) differences between EPD and SPD were significant, whereas other specific morbidities were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS

Extended pancreatoduodenectomy does not improve 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates compared to SPD and there is a trend toward increased bile leak, pancreatic leak, delayed gastric emptying, and lymphatic fistula after EPD.

Extent of lymphadenectomy to associate with pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with pancreatic head cancer for better tumor staging

OBJECTIVES

To define the extent of lymphadenectomy to associate with surgery for pancreatic head cancer.

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticoduodenectomy with extended lymphadenectomy fails to prolong patient survival.

METHODS

Prospective randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials (RCTs and NRCTs), meta-analyses, retrospective reviews, consensus conferences and pre- and intraoperative diagnoses of lymph node (LN) metastases were retrieved. Standard and extended lymphadenectomies were reviewed, including their effects on postoperative complications, mortality rate and long-term survival. The minimum total number of LN examined (TNLE) for adequate tumor staging, and the incidence of metastasis to each LN station were also considered. A pros and cons analysis was performed on the removal of each LN station.

RESULTS

Eleven retrospective studies (2514 patients), five prospective NRCTs (545 patients), and five prospective RCTs (586 patients) described different lymphadenectomies, which obtained similar long-term results. Five meta-analyses showed they did not influence long-term survival. However, N status is an important component of tumor staging. The recommended minimum TNLE is 15. The percent incidence of metastasis to each LN station was calculated considering at least 385 and up to 3725 patients. Preoperative imaging and intraoperative exploration frequently fail to identify metastatic nodes. A pros and cons analysis suggests that lymph node status is better established removing the following LN stations: 6, 8a-p, 12a-b-c, 13a-b, 14a-b-c-d, 16b1, 17a-b. Metastasis to 16b1 LNs significantly worsens prognosis. Their removal and frozen section examination, before proceeding with resection, may contraindicate resection.

CONCLUSION

A standard lymphadenectomy demands an adequate TNLE and removal of the LN stations metastasizing more frequently, without increasing the surgical risk.

Screening for Pancreatic Cancer

Neither extended surgery nor extended indication for surgery has improved survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. According to autopsy studies, presumably 90% are metastatic. The only cure is complete removal of the tumor at an early stage before it becomes a systemic disease or becomes invasive. Early detection and screening of individuals at risk is currently under way. This article reviews the evidence and methods for screening, either familial or sporadic. Indication for early-stage surgery and precursors are discussed. Surgeons should be familiar with screening because it may provide patients with a chance for cure by surgical resection.

[Surgery for pancreatic cancer: Evidence-based surgical strategies]

Pancreatic cancer surgery represents a challenge for surgeons due to its technical complexity, the potential complications that may appear, and ultimately because of its poor survival. The aim of this article is to summarize the scientific evidence regarding the surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer in order to help surgeons in the decision making process in the management of these patients .Here we will review such fundamental issues as the need for a biopsy before surgery, the type of pancreatic anastomosis leading to better results, and the need for placement of drains after pancreatic surgery will be discussed.

Mesopancreas: A boundless structure, namely the rationale for dissection of the paraaortic area in pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head carcinoma

This review highlights the rationale for dissection of the 16a2 and 16b1 paraaortic area during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for carcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Recent advances in surgical anatomy of the mesopancreas indicate that the retropancreatic area is not a single entity with well defined boundaries but an anatomical site of embryological fusion of peritoneal layers, and that continuity exists between the neuro lymphovascular adipose tissues of the retropancreatic and paraaortic areas. Recent advances in surgical pathology and oncology indicate that, in pancreatic head carcinoma, the mesopancreatic resection margin is the primary site for R1 resection, and that epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related processes involved in tumor progression may impact on the prevalence of R1 resection or local recurrence rates after R0 surgery. These concepts imply that mesopancreas resection during PD for pancreatic head carcinoma should be extended to the paraaortic area in order to maximize retropancreatic clearance and minimize the likelihood of an R1 resection or the persistence of residual tumor cells after R0 resection. In PD for pancreatic head carcinoma, the rationale for dissection of the paraaortic area is to control the spread of the tumor cells along the mesopancreatic resection margin, rather than to control or stage the nodal spread. Although mesopancreatic resection cannot be considered “complete” or “en bloc”, it should be “extended as far as possible” or be “maximal”, including dissection of 16a2 and 16b1 paraaortic areas.

Role of radiotherapy in the chemotherapy-containing multidisciplinary management of patients with resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

To analyze prognostic factors associated with long-term outcomes in patients with resected pancreatic cancer treated with chemotherapy (CT) and surgery with or without external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 1995 to December 2012, 95 patients with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and locoregional disease [clinical stage IB-IIA (n = 45; 47%), IIB-IIIC (n = 50; 53%)] were treated with curative resection [R0 (n = 52; 55%), R1 (n = 43, 45%)] and CT with (n = 60; 63%) or without (n = 35; 37%) EBRT (45-50.4 Gy). Additionally, 29 patients (48%) also received a pre-anastomosis IOERT boost (applicator diameter size, 7-10 cm; dose, 10-15 Gy; beam energy, 9-18 MeV).

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 17.2 months (range, 1-182), 2-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and locoregional control were 28, 20, and 53%, respectively. Univariate analyses showed that IIB-IIIC stage (HR, 2.23; p = 0.04), R1 margin resection status (HR, 2.09; p = 0.04), no vascular resection (HR, 0.42; p = 0.02), and not receiving external beam radiotherapy (HR, 2.70; p = 0.004) were associated with locoregional recurrence. In the multivariate analysis, only R1 margin resection status (HR, 2.63; p = 0.009) and not receiving EBRT (HR, 2.91; p = 0.002) retained significance with regard to locoregional recurrence. We observed no difference in toxicity between patients treated with or without EBRT (p = 0.44). Overall treatment mortality was 3%. No long-term treatment-related death occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Although adjuvant CT is still the standard of care for resected pancreatic tumors, OS remains modest owing to the high risk of distant metastases. Locoregional treatment needs to be tested in the context of more efficient systemic therapy.

Role of extended lymphadenectomy in the treatment of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Extended lymph node dissection has been established as the method of choice in the treatment of many digestive malignancies, but its role in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas remains controversial.

OBJECTIVES

The goal is to evaluate the role of extended lymph node dissection in pancreatic head adenocarcinoma and to review how it affects survival, morbidity, mortality and post-operative quality of life.

METHODS

A computerized search was made of the Medline database from January 1973 to October 2012. Fifteen non-duplicated studies, four randomized and 11 non-randomized, comparing extended radical pancreaticoduodenectomy (ERP) and standard pancreaticoduodenectomy were reviewed. Five-year overall survivals were compared using the MetaXL software in eight of these studies, where the necessary data were available.

RESULTS

The 5-year survival after ERP ranged from 6 to 33.4% and the local recurrence incidence from 8 to 36.1%, while the incidence of severe diarrhoea, one of the main complications, ranged from 10.8 to 42.4%. Meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.21-0.20, Z=0.07, P=0.94) for randomized control trials, (95% CI: -0.51-0.02, Z=1.85, P=0.07) for non-randomized control trials and (95% CI: -0.26-0.06, Z=1.20, P=0.23) for all the studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Although ERP is a safe procedure, it did not offer a significant improvement in survival, while at the same time leading to an increased incidence of severe diarrhoea for at least 1 year, thus leaving the standard pancreaticoduodenectomy as the surgical method of choice for the treatment of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.