Radiofrequency-assisted transection of the pancreas versus stapler in distal pancreatectomy: study protocol for a multicentric randomised clinical trial (TRANSPAIRE)

INTRODUCTION

To date, no pancreatic stump closure technique has been shown to be superior to any other in distal pancreatectomy. Although several studies have shown a trend towards better results in transection using a radiofrequency device (radiofrequency-assisted transection (RFT)), no randomised trial for this purpose has been performed to date. Therefore, we designed a randomised clinical trial, with the hypothesis that this technique used in distal pancreatectomies is superior in reducing clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) than mechanical closures.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

TRANSPAIRE is a multicentre randomised controlled trial conducted in seven Spanish pancreatic centres that includes 112 patients undergoing elective distal pancreatectomy for any indication who will be randomly assigned to RFT or classic stapler transections (control group) in a ratio of 1:1. The primary outcome is the CR-POPF percentage. Sample size is calculated with the following assumptions: 5% one-sided significance level (α), 80% power (1-β), expected POPF in control group of 32%, expected POPF in RFT group of 10% and a clinically relevant difference of 22%. Secondary outcomes include postoperative results, complications, radiological evaluation of the pancreatic stump, metabolomic profile of postoperative peritoneal fluid, survival and quality of life. Follow-ups will be carried out in the external consultation at 1, 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

TRANSPAIRE has been approved by the CEIM-PSMAR Ethics Committee. This project is being carried out in accordance with national and international guidelines, the basic principles of protection of human rights and dignity established in the Declaration of Helsinki (64th General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013), and in accordance with regulations in studies with biological samples, Law 14/2007 on Biomedical Research will be followed. We have defined a dissemination strategy, whose main objective is the participation of stakeholders and the transfer of knowledge to support the exploitation of activities.

REGISTRATION DETAILS

ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04402346).

Radiofrequency-assisted transection of the pancreas vs stapler in distal pancreatectomy: a propensity score matched cohort analysis

To demonstrate the efficacy of radiofrequency for pancreatic stump closure in reducing the incidence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) in distal pancreatectomy (DP) compared with mechanical transection methods. Despite all the different techniques of pancreatic stump closure proposed for DP, best practice for avoiding POPF remains an unresolved issue, with an incidence of up to 30% regardless of center volume or surgical expertise. DP was performed in a cohort of patients by applying radiofrequency to stump closure (RF Group) and compared with mechanical closure (Control Group). A propensity score (PS) matched cohort study was carried out to minimize bias from nonrandomized treatment assignment. Cohorts were matched by PS accounting for factors significantly associated with either undergoing RF transection or mechanical closure through logistic regression analysis. The primary end-point was the incidence of clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF). Of 89 patients included in the whole cohort, 13 case patients from the RF-Group were 1:1 matched to 13 control patients. In both the first independent analysis of unmatched data and subsequent adjustment to the overall propensity score-matched cohort, a higher rate of CR-POPF in the Control Group compared with the RF-Group was detected (25.4% vs 5.3%, p = 0.049 and 53.8% vs 0%; p = 0.016 respectively). The RF Group showed better outcomes in terms of readmission rate (46.2% vs 0%, p = 0.031). No significant differences were observed in terms of mortality, major complications (30.8% vs 0%, p = 0.063) or length of hospital stay (5.7 vs 5.2 days, p = 0.89). Findings suggest that the RF-assisted technique is more efficacious in reducing CR-POPF than mechanical pancreatic stump closure.

KRAS Assessment Following ESMO Recommendations for Colorectal Liver Metastases. Is It Always Worth It?

Background: Genetic evaluation is essential in assessing colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM). The aim of this study was to determine the pragmatic value of KRAS on oncological outcomes after CRLM according to the ESMO recommendations and to query whether it is necessary to request KRAS testing in each situation. Methods: A retrospective cohort of 126 patients who underwent surgery for hepatic resection for CRLM between 2009 and 2020 were reviewed. The patients were divided into three categories: wild-type KRAS, mutated KRAS and impractical KRAS according to their oncological variables. The impractical (not tested) KRAS group included patients with metachronous tumours and negative lymph nodes harvested. Disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and hepatic recurrence-free survival (HRFS) were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method, and a multivariable analysis was conducted using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: Of the 108 patients identified, 35 cases had KRAS wild-type, 50 cases had a KRAS mutation and the remaining 23 were classified as impractical KRAS. Significantly longer medians for OS, HRFS and DFS were found in the impractical KRAS group. In the multivariable analyses, the KRAS mutational gene was the only variable that was maintained through OS, HRFS and DFS. For HRFS (HR: 13.63; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.35–100.62; p = 0.010 for KRAS), for DFS (HR: 10.06; 95% CI: 2.40–42.17; p = 0.002 for KRAS) and for OS (HR: 4.55%; 95% CI: 1.37–15.10; p = 0.013). Conclusion: Our study considers the possibility of unnecessary KRAS testing in patients with metachronous tumours and negative lymph nodes harvested. Combining the genetic mutational profile (i.e., KRAS in specific cases) with tumour characteristics helps patient selection and achieves the best prognosis after CRLM resection.