Prognostic impact of lymph node parameters in distal cholangiocarcinoma after pancreaticoduodenectomy

Differences in Lymph Node Metastases Patterns Among Non-pancreatic Periampullary Cancers and Histologic Subtypes: An International Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study and Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Standard lymphadenectomy for pancreatoduodenectomy is defined for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and adopted for patients with non-pancreatic periampullary cancer (NPPC), ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC), distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA), or duodenal adenocarcinoma (DAC). This study aimed to compare the patterns of lymph node metastases among the different NPPCs in a large series and in a systematic review to guide the discussion on surgical lymphadenectomy and pathology assessment.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included patients after pancreatoduodenectomy for NPPC with at least one lymph node metastasis (2010-2021) from 24 centers in nine countries. The primary outcome was identification of lymph node stations affected in case of a lymph node metastasis per NPPC. A separate systematic review included studies on lymph node metastases patterns of AAC, dCCA, and DAC.

RESULTS

The study included 2367 patients, of whom 1535 had AAC, 616 had dCCA, and 216 had DAC. More patients with pancreatobiliary type AAC had one or more lymph node metastasis (67.2% vs 44.8%; P < 0.001) compared with intestinal-type, but no differences in metastasis pattern were observed. Stations 13 and 17 were most frequently involved (95%, 94%, and 90%). Whereas dCCA metastasized more frequently to station 12 (13.0% vs 6.4% and 7.0%, P = 0.005), DAC metastasized more frequently to stations 6 (5.0% vs 0% and 2.7%; P < 0.001) and 14 (17.0% vs 8.4% and 11.7%, P = 0.015).

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to comprehensively demonstrate the differences and similarities in lymph node metastases spread among NPPCs, to identify the existing research gaps, and to underscore the importance of standardized lymphadenectomy and pathologic assessment for AAC, dCCA, and DAC.

Prevalence and predictive value of sarcopenia in surgically treated cholangiocarcinoma: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis

Background

Sarcopenia, marked by a reduction in skeletal muscle mass and function, is a condition that can manifest in elderly patients with cancer and has been recognized as a possible adverse factor affecting the survival of individuals diagnosed with malignant tumors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the prevalence of sarcopenia in individuals with cholangiocarcinoma while concurrently investigating the potential correlations between the presence of sarcopenia and various critical factors, including survival outcomes and postoperative complications.

Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CNKI, employing keywords such as sarcopenia, cholangiocarcinoma, and prognosis. This research explored the prognostic value of sarcopenia on the survival of cholangiocarcinoma. The findings of this meta-analysis were presented using forest plots and a summarized effects model. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was employed to evaluate the quality of the studies included in the analysis.

Results

A total of 33 articles from five databases were in in the quantitative analysis. A comprehensive meta-analysis revealed that the overall prevalence of sarcopenia among individuals diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma was43%. Moreover, the analysis revealed a significant and noteworthy correlation between sarcopenia and key clinical parameters such as overall survival (OS), Recurrence-Free Survival (RFS), and Disease-Free Survival (DFS) in patients with cholangiocarcinoma. Subgroup analysis revealed that, when categorized by various ethnicities, diagnostic techniques, and tumor locations, sarcopenia consistently retained its status as a negative predictive factor. Furthermore, sarcopenia has emerged as a risk factor for postoperative complications. All included studies had an NOS score greater than 5, indicating a high quality of evidence.

Conclusion

The results suggest that sarcopenia is significantly related to survival outcomes and postoperative complications in cholangiocarcinoma. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of sarcopenia should be implemented to improve the prognosis of individuals with cholangiocarcinoma.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023479866, identifier CRD42023479866.

Surgical Treatment of Distal Cholangiocarcinoma

Distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA) is a rare malignancy arising from the epithelial cells of the distal biliary tract and has a poor prognosis. dCCA is often clinically silent and patients commonly present with locally advanced and/or distant disease. For patients identified with early stage, resectable disease, surgical resection with negative margins remains the only curative treatment strategy available. However, despite appropriate treatment and diligent surveillance, risk of recurrence remains high with nearly 50% of patients experiencing recurrence at 5 years subsequent to surgical resection; therefore, it is prudent to continue to optimize neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies in order to reduce the risk of recurrence and improve overall survival. In this review, we discuss the clinical presentation, workup and surgical treatment of dCCA.

Comparison of Four Lymph Node Stage Methods for Predicting the Prognosis of Distal Cholangiocarcinoma Patients After Surgery

Background

The metastatic status of regional lymph nodes is an effective risk factor for the prognosis of distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA). But existing lymph node staging is not accurate enough and is susceptible to interference. This study aims to explore the predictive ability of the log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) staging system of dCCA compared with existing lymph node staging systems.

Methods

A total of 928 dCCA patients were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database as the training cohort, and 207 dCCA patients from West China Hospital who underwent surgery were reviewed as the validation cohort. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression were conducted to identify the most meaningful factors relevant to prognosis. The performance of four lymph node stage systems was compared by a model-based approach.

Result

Age at diagnosis, pathological grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor 7th T stage, tumor size, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and lymph node stage system were independent prognostic factors. The model with the LODDS system had a better model fit with the highest C-index (0.679) and 1-/3-/5- area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (0.739/0.671/0.658) as well as the lowest Akaike information criterion (AIC) (5,020.52). External validation results from 207 dCCA patients showed a C-index of 0.647 and 1-/3-/5-AUC of 0.740/0.683/0.589. Compared with the lymph node ratio (LNR), AJCC 8th N system, and 7th N system, the 5-year net reclassification improvement (NRI) of the LODDS system was 0.030 (95% CI: -0.079 to 0.147), 0.042 (95% CI: -0.062 to 0.139), and 0.040 (95% CI: -0.057 to 0.146), respectively. The integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) of LODDS improved compared with the LNR model (0.016; 95% CI: -0.001 to 0.036), AJCC 8th N system (0.020; 95% CI: 0.003-0.037), and AJCC 7th N system (0.019; 95% CI: 0.002-0.036). Decision curve analysis (DCA) also shows a greater net benefit of LODDS. In lymph node-negative patients, LODDS reveals a positive linear relationship with the hazard ratio (HR). The stage capacity of LODDS in a subgroup analysis stratified by examined lymph node number (ELNN) was consistent.

Conclusions

The LODDS lymph node stage system has superior predictive performance as compared with the LNR, AJCC 7th, and 8th lymph node stage systems. Meanwhile, LODDS has a more detailed staging ability and good stability.

Combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma: MRI features correlated with tumor biomarkers and prognosis

OBJECTIVES

To determine how MRI features are correlated to biomarkers, and to the prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) patients.

METHODS

The study enrolled 160 cHCC-CCA patients pathologically confirmed according to the 2019 WHO classification. The preoperative MRI features and clinical data were retrospectively evaluated and compared between patients grouped by AFP or CA19-9 level and with pathological findings. The RFS and OS of cHCC-CCA patients were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and compared using the log-rank test. Moreover, predictors of RFS and OS were investigated using Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty patients (mean age, males vs. females: 55.7 ± 10.2 years vs. 54.9 ± 14.0 years) were evaluated. The incidence of nodule-in-nodule architecture, mosaic architecture, intratumoral hemorrhage, hepatic capsule retraction, arterial phase peritumoral enhancement, and portal vein thrombus was significantly higher in patients with AFP > 20 ng/ml (all p < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that age (HR 1.031, p = 0.03), CA19-9 > 37 U/ml (HR 1.880, p = 0.04), arterial phase peritumoral enhancement (HR 2.287, p = 0.01), and delayed enhancement (HR 0.377, p = 0.02) were independent predictors of poor RFS, while arterial phase peripheral enhancement (HR 2.391, p = 0.04) was an independent predictor of poor OS.

CONCLUSIONS

cHCC-CCA imaging features are complex and not correlated with AFP or CA19-9. Age, CA19-9 > 37 U/ml, arterial phase peritumoral enhancement, and delayed enhancement are independent predictors of poor RFS. Arterial phase peripheral enhancement is an independent predictor of poor OS.

KEY POINTS

• The imaging features of combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma are complex and are not correlated with the alpha fetoprotein or CA19-9 levels. • Age, CA19-9 > 37 U/ml, arterial phase peritumoral enhancement, and delayed enhancement are independent predictors of poor recurrence-free survival in combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma patients. • Arterial phase peripheral enhancement is an independent predictor of poor overall survival in patients with combined hepatocellular carcinoma-cholangiocarcinoma.

The Impact of Intraoperative Frozen Section on Resection Margin Status and Survival of Patients Underwent Pancreatoduodenectomy for Distal Cholangiocarcinoma

Background

Intraoperative frozen section (FS) is broadly used during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) to ensure a negative margin status, but its survival benefits on obtaining a secondary R0 resection for distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA) is controversial and unclear.

Methods

Clinical data of 107 patients who underwent PD for dCCA was retrospectively collected and divided into different groups based on use of FS (FS and non-FS groups) and status of resection margin (pR0, sR0 and R1 groups), and clinical parameters and survival of patients were compared and analyzed accordingly.

Results

There were 50 patients in FS group with a median survival of 28 months, 57 patients in non-FS group with a median survival of 27 months. There was no statistical difference between the two groups with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (P = 0.347). There were 98 patients in R0 group (88 in pR0 and 10 in sR0) and nine patients in R1 group, with a median survival of 29 months and 22 months respectively, which showed a better survival in R0 group than in R1 group (P = 0.006). Survival analyses between subgroups revealed difference between pR0 and R1 group (P = 0.005), while no statistical difference concerning pR0 vs. sR0 (P = 0.211) and sR0 vs. R1 groups (P = 0.262). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed resection margin status, pre-operative biliary drainage and lymph node invasion to be independent prognostic factors for dCCA patients.

Conclusions

Intraoperative FS should be recommended as it significantly increased the rate of R0 resection, which was positively related to a better survival. A primary R0 resection should also be encouraged and if not, a secondary R0 could be considered at the discretion of surgeons as it showed similar survival with primary R0 resection.

The Prognostic Value of Postoperative Lymph Node Ratio in Gastric Adenocarcinoma Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Objective

In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of postoperative lymph node ratio (LNR)in locally advanced gastric cancer (GC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Methods

LNR was calculated as the ratio of positive LNs to the total LNs removed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to estimate the cut-off value of LNR for recurrence. The area under the curve of LNR was 0.714 (95% CI: 0.604-0.825, p<0.001) with 60% sensitivity and >0.255 with 76% specificity. Patients were grouped as group I (≤0.255) and group II (>0.255).

Results

In this study, 157 GC patients were included (39.5% female and 60.5% male). Of the patients, 97 (61.8%) were in group I and 60 (38.2%) were in group II. Disease‑free survival (DFS) was not reached in group I, and it was 16 months in group II (p<0.001). Overall survival (OS) was 58 months in group I and 28 months in group II (p>0.001). In multivariate analysis, lymphovascular invasion, neoadjuvant response, adjuvant treatment, and LNR were found to be the factors associated with DFS and OS (p<0.05).

Conclusion

In our study, it was observed that LNR can predict survival rates better than LN staging.