Are There Indications for Total Pancreatectomy in 2016?

Cross-sectional imaging after pancreatic surgery: The dialogue between the radiologist and the surgeon

Pancreatic surgery is nowadays considered one of the most complex surgical approaches and not unscathed from complications. After the surgical procedure, cross-sectional imaging is considered the non-invasive reference standard to detect early and late compilations, and consequently to address patients to the best management possible. Contras-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) should be considered the most important and useful imaging technique to evaluate the surgical site. Thanks to its speed, contrast, and spatial resolution, it can help reach the final diagnosis with high accuracy. On the other hand, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should be considered as a second-line imaging approach, especially for the evaluation of biliary findings and late complications. In both cases, the radiologist should be aware of protocols and what to look at, to create a robust dialogue with the surgeon and outline a fitted treatment for each patient.

Pancreatectomy and Pancreatic Surgery

Pancreatectomy, including pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), as well as central pancreatectomy (CP), distal pancreatectomy (DP) and total/subtotal pancreatectomy, is a major, complex and difficult surgical procedure performed for various benign and malignant pancreatic diseases: from chronic pancreatitis, through benign cystic tumors and neuroendocrine neoplasms to malignant neoplasms, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) [...].

Synchronous Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in the Head and Tail, a Double Trouble: A Case Report and Literature Review

Synchronous primary pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is very rare and can be formed either through multicentric carcinogenesis or intrapancreatic metastasis. We report the case of an 80-year-old man with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus who presented with abdominal pain and weight loss. Laboratory tests showed elevated levels of blood glucose and CA 19-9, and Computed Tomography revealed two hypoenhancing lesions in the head and tail of the pancreas. Endoscopic ultrasound, which is the imaging method of choice for pancreatic cancer, was performed with a fine needle biopsy, and the cytological analysis diagnosed PDAC in both lesions. The patient underwent total pancreatectomy, and pathologic evaluation revealed synchronous primary PDAC with moderate to poor differentiation in the head and tail in the setting of IPMN (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia) and chronic pancreatitis. After his recovery from postoperative pulmonary embolism, the patient was discharged home with sufficient glycemic control. Multifocal PDAC occurs more often when precursor lesions, such as IPMN, pre-exist. The optimal treatment for multiple lesions spread all over the pancreas is total pancreatectomy. Diabetes mellitus is a serious complication of total pancreatectomy (new-onset or type 3c), but overall, long-term survival has been significantly improved.

Bihormonal Artificial Pancreas With Closed-Loop Glucose Control vs Current Diabetes Care After Total Pancreatectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Glucose control in patients after total pancreatectomy is problematic because of the complete absence of α- and β-cells, leading to impaired quality of life. A novel, bihormonal artificial pancreas (BIHAP), using both insulin and glucagon, may improve glucose control, but studies in this setting are lacking.

Objective

To assess the efficacy and safety of the BIHAP in patients after total pancreatectomy.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This randomized crossover clinical trial compared the fully closed-loop BIHAP with current diabetes care (ie, insulin pump or pen therapy) in 12 adult outpatients after total pancreatectomy. Patients were recruited between August 21 and November 16, 2020. This first-in-patient study began with a feasibility phase in 2 patients. Subsequently, 12 patients were randomly assigned to 7-day treatment with the BIHAP (preceded by a 5-day training period) followed by 7-day treatment with current diabetes care, or the same treatments in reverse order. Statistical analysis was by Wilcoxon signed rank and Mann-Whitney U tests, with significance set at a 2-sided P < .05.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was the percentage of time spent in euglycemia (70-180 mg/dL [3.9-10 mmol/L]) as assessed by continuous glucose monitoring.

Results

In total, 12 patients (7 men and 3 women; median [IQR] age, 62.5 [43.1-74.0] years) were randomly assigned, of whom 3 did not complete the BIHAP phase and 1 was replaced. The time spent in euglycemia was significantly higher during treatment with the BIHAP (median, 78.30%; IQR, 71.05%-82.61%) than current diabetes care (median, 57.38%; IQR, 52.38%-81.35%; P = .03). In addition, the time spent in hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dL [3.9 mmol/L]) was lower with the BIHAP (median, 0.00% [IQR, 0.00%-0.07%] vs 1.61% [IQR, 0.80%-3.81%]; P = .004). No serious adverse events occurred.

Conclusions and Relevance

Patients using the BIHAP after total pancreatectomy experienced an increased percentage of time in euglycemia and a reduced percentage of time in hypoglycemia compared with current diabetes care, without apparent safety risks. Larger randomized trials, including longer periods of treatment and an assessment of quality of life, should confirm these findings.

Trial Registration

trialregister.nl Identifier: NL8871.

Feasibility and outcome of spleen and vessel preserving total pancreatectomy (SVPTP) in pancreatic malignancies - a retrospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Total pancreatectomy (TP) is most commonly performed to avoid postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) in patients with high-risk pancreas or to achieve tumor-free resection margins. As part of TP, a simultaneous splenectomy is usually performed primarily for the reason of oncologic radicality. However, the benefit of a simultaneous splenectomy remains unclear. Likewise, the technical feasibility as well as the safety of spleen and vessel preserving total pancreatectomy in pancreatic malignancies has hardly been evaluated. Thus, the aims of the study were to evaluate the feasibility as well as the results of spleen and vessel preserving total pancreatectomy (SVPTP).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patient characteristics, technical feasibility, perioperative data, morbidity, and mortality as well as histopathological results after SVPTP, mainly for pancreatic malignancies, from patient cohorts of two European high-volume-centers for pancreatic surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Mortality was set as the primary outcome and morbidity (complications according to Clavien-Dindo) as the secondary outcome.

RESULTS

A SVPTP was performed in 92 patients, predominantly with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (78.3%). In all cases, the splenic vessels could be preserved. In 59 patients, the decision to total pancreatectomy was made intraoperatively. Among these, the most common reason for total pancreatectomy was risk of POPF (78%). The 30-day mortality was 2.2%. Major complications (≥ IIIb according to Clavien-Dindo) occurred in 18.5% within 30 postoperative days. There were no complications directly related to the spleen and vascular preservation procedure. A tumor-negative resection margin was achieved in 71.8%.

CONCLUSION

We could demonstrate the technical feasibility and safety of SVPTP even in patients mainly with pancreatic malignancies. In addition to potential immunologic and oncologic advantages, we believe a major benefit of this procedure is preservation of gastric venous outflow. We consider SVPTP to be indicated in patients at high risk for POPF, in patients with multilocular IPMN, and in cases for extended intrapancreatic cancers.

Is it worthy to perform total pancreatectomy considering morbidity and mortality?: Experience from a high-volume single center

Total pancreatectomy (TP) is performed for diseases of the entire pancreas. However, reluctance remains regarding TP because of the fear of high morbidity and mortality. Our retrospective study aimed to evaluate the postoperative outcomes of TP performed at a high-volume single center and to identify the risk factors associated with major morbidities and mortality after TP. A total of 142 patients who underwent elective TP at Samsung Medical Center between 1995 and 2015 were included. TP was usually planned before surgery or decided during surgery [one-stage TP], and there were some completion TP cases that were performed to manage tumors that had formed in the remnant pancreas after a previous partial pancreatectomy [2-stage TP]. The differences between the 1-stage and 2-stage TP groups were analyzed. Chronological comparison was also conducted by dividing cases into 2 periods [the early and late period] based on the year TP was performed, which divided the total number of patients to almost half for each period. Among all TP patients, major morbidity occurred in 25 patients (17.6%), the rate of re-admission within 90-days was 20.4%, and there was no in-hospital and 30-days mortality. Between the 1-stage and 2-stage TP groups, most clinical, operative, and pathological characteristics, and postoperative outcomes did not differ significantly. Chronological comparison showed that, although the incidence of complications was higher, hospitalization was shorter due to advanced managements in the late period. The overall survival was improved in the late period compared to the early period, but it was not significant. A low preoperative protein level and N2 were identified as independent risk factors for major morbidity in multivariable analysis. The independent risk factors for poor overall survival were R1 resection, adenocarcinoma, and high estimated blood loss (EBL). TP is a safe and feasible procedure with satisfactory postoperative outcomes when performed at a high-volume center. More research and efforts are needed to significantly improve overall survival rate in the future.

Effects of Total Pancreatectomy on Survival of Patients With Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Population-Based Study

Background: Total pancreatectomy (TP) seems to be experiencing a renaissance in recent years. In this study, we aimed to determine the long-term survival of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients who underwent TP by comparing with pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), and formulate a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) for PDAC individuals following TP.

Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with PDAC and received PD (n = 5,619) or TP (n = 1,248) between 2004 and 2015 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. OS and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of the PD and TP groups were compared using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Furthermore, Patients receiving TP were randomly divided into the training and validation cohorts. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression were applied to identify the independent factors affecting OS to construct the nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was measured according to concordance index (C-index), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results: There were no significant differences in OS and CSS between TP and PD groups. Age, differentiation, AJCC T stage, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and lymph node ratio (LNR) were identified as independent prognostic indicators to construct the nomogram. The C-indexes were 0.67 and 0.69 in the training and validation cohorts, while 0.59 and 0.60 of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system. The calibration curves showed good uniformity between the nomogram prediction and actual observation. DCA curves indicated the nomogram was preferable to the AJCC staging system in terms of the clinical utility. A new risk stratification system was constructed which could distinguish patients with different survival risks.

Conclusions: For PDAC patients following TP, the OS and CSS are similar to those who following PD. We developed a practical nomogram to predict the prognosis of PDAC patients treated with TP, which showed superiority over the conventional AJCC staging system.

Indocyanine green fluorescence to ensure perfusion in middle segment-preserving pancreatectomy: a case report

Background

Middle segment-preserving pancreatectomy (MSPP) is an alternative to total pancreatectomy that allows for the preservation of the endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas. However, maintaining perfusion to the pancreatic remnant is of critical importance. We describe the first case to our knowledge in which indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence was used to confirm perfusion to the pancreatic remnant during MSPP.

Case presentation

A 79-year-old man with diabetes mellitus was referred to our hospital for treatment of a pancreatic tumor. Computed tomography revealed a hypovascular mass in the uncus of the pancreas and dilatation of the main pancreatic duct, measuring 13 mm in the tail of the pancreas. He was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreatic uncus via endoscopic ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration revealed a mixed-type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), along with high-risk stigmata in the tail of the pancreas. We performed MSPP and the length of the pancreatic remnant was 4.6 cm. The dorsal pancreatic artery was preserved and perfusion to the pancreatic remnant was confirmed by ICG fluorescence. Histopathological examination showed a pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in the uncus (pT1cN1M0, pStage 2B) and IPMN in the tail of the pancreas. The postoperative course was complicated by a grade B pancreatic fistula, but this was successfully treated with conservative management. The patient was transferred to a hospital 33 days after surgery. Insulin administration was necessary, but C-peptide was detectable and blood glucose was relatively well-controlled. He did not exhibit any exocrine dysfunction when pancreatic enzyme supplementation was administered.

Conclusion

ICG fluorescence can be used to evaluate perfusion to the pancreatic remnant during MSPP.

Contemporary indications for upfront total pancreatectomy

Currently, advances in surgical techniques, improvements in perioperative care, new formulations of intermediate and long-acting insulin and of modern pancreatic enzyme preparations have allowed obtaining good short and long-term results and quality of life, especially in high-volume centres in performing total pancreatectomy (TP).Thus, the surgeon's fear in performing TP is not justified and total pancreatectomy can be considered a viable option in selected patients in high-volume centres. The aim of this review was to define the current indications for this procedure, in particular for upfront TP, considering not only the pancreatic disease, but also the surgical approach (open, mini-invasive) and the relationship with vascular resection.

Glucose Metabolism After Pancreatectomy: Opposite Extremes Between Pancreaticoduodenectomy and Distal Pancreatectomy

CONTEXT

The rate of glucose metabolism changes drastically after partial pancreatectomy.

OBJECTIVE

This work aims to analyze changes in patients' glucose metabolism and endocrine and exocrine function before and after partial pancreatectomy relative to different resection types (Kindai Prospective Study on Metabolism and Endocrinology after Pancreatectomy: KIP-MEP study).

METHODS

A series of 278 consecutive patients with scheduled pancreatectomy were enrolled into our prospective study. Of them, 109 individuals without diabetes, who underwent partial pancreatectomy, were investigated. Data were compared between patients with pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD, n = 73) and those with distal pancreatectomy (DP, n = 36).

RESULTS

Blood glucose levels during the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (75gOGTT) significantly decreased after pancreatectomy in the PD group (area under the curve [AUC] -9.3%, P < .01), and significantly increased in the DP population (AUC + 16.8%, P < .01). Insulin secretion rate during the 75gOGTT and glucagon stimulation test significantly decreased after pancreatectomy both in the PD and DP groups (P < .001). Both groups showed similar homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values after pancreatectomy. Decrease in exocrine function quality after pancreatectomy was more marked in association with PD than DP (P < .01). Multiple regression analysis indicated that resection type and preoperative HOMA-IR independently influenced glucose tolerance-related postoperative outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Blood glucose levels after the OGTT differed markedly between PD and DP populations. The observed differences between PD and DP suggest the importance of individualization in the management of metabolism and nutrition after partial pancreatectomy.

The use and clinical outcome of total pancreatectomy in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden

BACKGROUND

Total pancreatectomy has high morbidity and mortality and differences among countries are currently unknown. This study compared the use and postoperative outcomes of total pancreatectomy among 4 Western countries.

METHODS

Patients who underwent one-stage total pancreatectomy were included from registries in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden (2014-2018). Use of total pancreatectomy was assessed by calculating the ratio total pancreatectomy to pancreatoduodenectomy. Primary outcomes were major morbidity (Clavien Dindo ≥3) and in-hospital mortality. Predictors for the primary outcomes were assessed in multivariable logistic regression analyses. Sensitivity analysis assessed the impact of volume (low-volume <40 or high-volume ≥40 pancreatoduodenectomies annually; data available for the Netherlands and Germany).

RESULTS

In total, 1,579 patients underwent one-stage total pancreatectomy. The relative use of total pancreatectomy to pancreatoduodenectomy varied up to fivefold (United States 0.03, Germany 0.15, the Netherlands 0.03, and Sweden 0.15; P < .001). Both the indication and several baseline characteristics differed significantly among countries. Major morbidity occurred in 423 patients (26.8%) and differed (22.3%, 34.9%, 38.3%, and 15.9%, respectively; P < .001). In-hospital mortality occurred in 85 patients (5.4%) and also differed (1.8%, 10.2%, 10.8%, 1.9%, respectively; P < .001). Country, age ≥75, and vascular resection were predictors for in-hospital mortality. In-hospital mortality was lower in high-volume centers in the Netherlands (4.9% vs 23.1%; P = .002), but not in Germany (9.8% vs 10.6%; P = .733).

CONCLUSION

Considerable differences in the use of total pancreatectomy, patient characteristics, and postoperative outcome were noted among 4 Western countries with better outcomes in the United States and Sweden. These large, yet unexplained, differences require further research to ultimately improve patient outcome.

Total Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Carcinoma: When, Why, and What Are the Outcomes? Results of a Systematic Review

The role of total pancreatectomy (TP) to treat pancreatic carcinoma is still debated. The aims of this study were to systematically review the previous literature and to summarize the indications and results of TP for pancreatic carcinoma. A systematic search was performed to identify all studies published up to November 2018 analyzing the survival of patients undergoing TP for pancreatic carcinoma. Clinical effectiveness was synthetized through a narrative review with full tabulation of results. Six studies published between 2009 and 2016 were retrieved, including 316 patients. The major indication was positive pancreatic margin at frozen section during partial pancreatectomy. The overall morbidity ranged from 36% to 69%, and mortality from 0% to 27%. Overall survival ranged from 52.7% to 67% at 1 year, from 20% to 42% at 3 years of follow-up, whereas the 5-year estimated overall survival ranged from 4.5% to 21.9%. Total pancreatectomy has an important role in the armamentarium of pancreatic surgeons. Postoperative morbidity and mortality are not negligible, but a trend for better postoperative outcomes in recent years is noticed. Mortality related to difficult glycemic control is rare. Long-term survival is comparable with survival after partial pancreatectomy for carcinoma.

Pancreaticojejunostomy-a review of modern techniques

Background

Pancreaticojejunal anastomosis is one of the most demanding procedures in surgery. Up to now, no technique has been proven to reduce the incidence of POPF when compared to the other methods.

Purpose

The aim of this review was to provide a concise and illustrated description of the most recent methods of pancreaticojejunostomy. Their development was directly related to the still ongoing search by surgeons for such a technique of anastomosis that would eliminate the problem of POPF.

Conclusions

Knowledge of various techniques of anastomosis may help the surgeon to find the most suitable and optimal method of pancreatic-intestinal anastomosis for the patient.

Systematic review of functional outcome and quality of life after total pancreatectomy

BACKGROUND

Surgeons have traditionally been reluctant to perform total pancreatectomy because of concerns for brittle diabetes and poor quality of life (QoL). Several recent studies have suggested that outcomes following total pancreatectomy have improved, but a systematic review is lacking.

METHODS

A systematic review was undertaken of studies reporting on outcomes after total pancreatectomy for all indications, except chronic pancreatitis. PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), and Cochrane Library were searched (2005-2018). Endpoints included functional outcome and QoL.

RESULTS

A total of 21 studies, including 1536 patients, fulfilled the eligibility criteria. During a median follow-up of 20·8 (range 1·5-96·0) months, 18·6 per cent (45 of 242 patients) were readmitted for endocrine-related morbidity, with associated mortality in 1·6 per cent (6 of 365 patients). No diabetes-related mortality was reported in studies including only patients treated after 2005. Symptoms related to exocrine insufficiency were reported by 43·5 per cent (143 of 329 patients) during a median follow-up of 15·9 (1·5-96·0) months. Overall QoL, reported by 102 patients with a median follow-up of 28·6 (6·0-66·0) months, using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire, showed a moderately reduced summary score of 76 per cent, compared with a general population score of 86 per cent (P = 0·004).

CONCLUSION

Overall QoL after total pancreatectomy is affected adversely, in particular by the considerable impact of diarrhoea that requires better treatment. There is also room for improvement in the management of diabetes after total pancreatectomy, particularly with regards to prevention of diabetes-related morbidity.

Multicentric study on total pancreatectomies

INTRODUCTION

Total pancreatectomy (TP) is an uncommon operation, with indications that have not been clearly defined and non-standardized postoperative results. We present a national multicentric study on TP and a comparison with the existing literature METHODS: A prospective observational study using data from the national registry of patients after pancreaticoduodenectomy and TP performed for any indication during the study period: January 1 to December 31, 2015 RESULTS: 1016 patients were included from 73 hospitals, 112 of whom had undergone TP. The percentage of TP from the total number of cases was 11%. The mean age was 63.5 years, and 57.2% were males. The most frequently suspected radiological diagnosis was pancreatic cancer (58/112 cases). The most common TP technique was "mesentery artery first" (43/112 cases). Venous resections were performed in 23 patients (20.5%). The percentage of postoperative complications within 90 days was 50%, but major complications (>IIIA) were only 20.7%. The overall 90-day mortality was 8% (9 patients). The average stay was 20.7 days. The 3most frequent definitive histological diagnoses were: adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and chronic pancreatitis. The R0 rate was 67.8%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that the morbidity and mortality results of TP in Spain are similar or superior to previous publications. More precise TP studies are necessary, focused on specific complications such as endocrine insufficiency.

Impact of different surgical procedures on survival outcomes of patients with adenocarcinoma of pancreatic neck

Background

The only curative treatment for pancreatic adenocarcinoma is radical surgical resection. Because of the special anatomic features of pancreatic neck, the selection of optimal surgical procedure for treatment of adenocarcinoma of pancreatic neck has always been a dilemma for surgeons. In this paper, we aim to investigate whether different surgical procedures can affect prognosis in the patient with adenocarcinoma of pancreatic neck.

Methods

We used the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database to review patients with adenocarcinoma of pancreatic neck diagnosed between 1998 and 2015. We calculated overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) of these patients using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression model.

Results

Overall, 1443 patients were included in the study, with 12.5% treated with surgical resection. Among them, 30 (18.8%) patients underwent distal pancreatectomy (DP), 105 (65.6%) patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), and 25 (15.6%) patients underwent total pancreatectomy (TP). Patients underwent DP were older than these underwent TP (70.5±10.7 vs. 62.2±14.1, P = 0.027). Patients underwent TP had higher percentages of nodal metastasis (N1 stage) than these underwent DP (68.0% vs. 34.5%, P = 0.014). The surgical procedures did not significantly affect either OS times (P = 0.924) or CSS times (P = 0.786) in Kaplan-Meier analysis, even if in any subgroup of AJCC stage. The multivariate Cox regression model showed that types of surgery were not associated with OS and CSS. Higher tumor grade and AJCC stage are independent prognostic factors for OS and CSS. No radiotherapy was associated with a worse CSS (HR 1.610, 95% CI 1.016–2.554, P = 0.043).

Conclusion

Different surgical procedures did not affect prognosis in the patients with adenocarcinoma of pancreatic neck. TP should be performed in carefully selective patients in high-volume pancreatic centers.

Total pancreatectomy for pancreatic malignancy with preservation of the spleen

BACKGROUND

Total pancreatectomy may be necessary to achieve margin-negative resection for pancreatic cancer. However, despite the desirability of saving the spleen, the feasibility, safety, and oncological outcomes of spleen-preserving total pancreatectomy have not been studied in patients with malignancy involving the pancreatic neck or proximal body. The aim of this study was to report the efficacy of spleen-preserving total pancreatectomy using the Warshaw technique for patients with pancreatic malignancies.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients who underwent total pancreatectomy for malignant pancreatic diseases between December 2006 and January 2018 focused on comparing the clinical outcomes between conventional operations with splenectomy and spleen-preserving total pancreatectomy using the Warshaw technique.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight patients among a total of 59 total pancreatectomies had the spleen preservation by the Warshaw operation. In this series, the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas resected with the Warshaw technique were of smaller tumor size but had greater rates of vascular invasion, resulting in the more frequent vascular resection. No patients had splenic complications requiring splenectomy, but two patients intended to have the Warshaw operation were converted to splenectomy because of splenic malperfusion. Asymptomatic perigastric varices were noted in 4 patients. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were comparable between the Warshaw and conventional operation groups. Recurrence-free and overall survival was similar in both groups.

CONCLUSION

In patients with pancreatic malignancy, total pancreatectomy with preservation of the spleen using the Warshaw technique achieves outcomes comparable with conventional total pancreatectomy with splenectomy in selected patients.

Curative and palliative surgery in patients with neuroendocrine tumors of the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) tract

The incidence of neuroendocrine tumors (NET) increases with age. Lately, the diagnosis of NET was mainly caused by early detection of small NET (<1 cm) in the rectum and stomach, which are depicted by chance during routine and prophylactic endoscopy. Also in patients with large and metastatic pancreatic and intestinal tumors thorough pathologic investigation with use of different immunohistologic markers discovers more neuroendocrine tumors with low differentiation grade (G2-G3) and more neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC), nowadays, than in former times. While gastric and rectal NET are discovered as small (<1 cm in diameter) and mainly highly differentiated tumors, demonstrating lymph node metastases in less than 10% of the patients, the majority of pancreatic and small bowel NET have already metastasized at the time of diagnosis. This is of clinical importance, since tumor stage and differentiation grade not only influence prognosis but also surgical procedure and may define whether a combination of surgery with systemic biologic therapy, chemotherapy or local cytoreductive procedures may be used. The indication for surgery and the preferred surgical procedure will have to consider personal risk factors of each patient (i.e. general health, additional illnesses, etc.) and tumor specific factors (i.e. tumor stage, grade of differentiation, functional activity, mass and variety of loco regional as well as distant metastases etc.). Together they define, whether radical curative or only palliative surgery can be applied. Altogether surgery is the only cure for locally advanced NET and helps to increase quality of life and overall survival in many patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors. The question of cure versus palliative therapy sometimes only can be answered with time, however. Many different aspects and various questions concerning the indication and extent of surgery and the best therapeutic procedure are still unanswered. Therefore, a close multidisciplinary cooperation of colleagues involved in biochemical and localization diagnostics and those active in various treatment areas is warranted to search for the optimal strategy in each individual patient. How far genetic screening impacts survival remains to be seen. Since surgeons do have a central role in the treatment of NET patients, they have to understand the need for integration into such an interdisciplinary team.

A case-matched comparison study of total pancreatectomy versus pancreaticoduodenectomy for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Total pancreatectomy (TP) is considered a viable option in some selected patients with pancreatic ductaladenocarcinoma (PDAC). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes between TP and pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) in patients with PDAC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 375 patients were selected from our center's database in China and classified into two groups: the PD group (n = 325) and the TP group (n = 50). A matched-pair analysis of the patients was conducted with a ratio of 1:1. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed for overall survival.

RESULTS

Overall morbidity was lower in the PD group than in the TP group (31.4% vs 52%, respectively, P = 0.004). However, no significant difference was observed in major morbidity between the two groups (24.9% vs 30%, P = 0.455). The rates of 5-year overall (P = 0.043) and disease-free (P = 0.037) survival were significantly higher in the PD group. Furthermore, the univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that adjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 0.684, 95%CI = 0.545-0.860, P = 0.001) and margin resection status (HR = 1.666, 95%CI = 1.196-2.321, P = 0.003) were significant prognostic factors. After the matched-pair analysis, there were no significant differences between the two groups regarding postoperative complications and overall survival. However, the matched PD group had greater estimated blood loss (P = 0.037) and blood transfusion (56% vs 36%, P = 0.045).

CONCLUSION

From our study, the postoperative outcomes and survival time of TP are similar to those of matched PD. It seems reasonable to suggest that TP can be considered as safe, feasible, and efficacious as PD for patients with PDAC.