Rapid Induction of Liver Regeneration for Major Hepatectomy (REBIRTH): A Randomized Controlled Trial of Portal Vein Embolisation versus ALPPS Assisted with Radiofrequency.

To avoid liver insufficiency following major hepatic resection, portal vein embolisation (PVE) is used to induce liver hypertrophy pre-operatively. Associating liver partition with portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy assisted with radiofrequency (RALPPS) was introduced as an alternative method. A randomized controlled trial comparing PVE with RALPPS for the pre-operative manipulation of liver volume in patients with a future liver remnant volume (FLRV) ≤25% (or ≤35% if receiving preoperative chemotherapy) was conducted.

Glypican-1 is enriched in circulating-exosomes in pancreatic cancer and correlates with tumor burden.

Background: Glypican-1 (GPC1) is expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells and adjacent stromal fibroblasts. Recently, GPC1 circulating exosomes (crExos) have been shown to be able to detect early stages of PDAC. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of crExos GPC1 as a biomarker for PDAC.

Complete laparoscopic excision of a giant retroperitoneal paraganglioma.

Paragangliomas (or 'extra-adrenal phaeochromocytomas') are rare tumours arising from neural crest cells. They occur most commonly in the abdomen along the paraspinal sympathetic ganglion. The malignancy rate can be up to 35% and surgical resection is the recommended treatment.

Gene of the month: HGF.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional cytokine with important roles in cell proliferation, survival, motility and morphogenesis. Secreted by cells of mesenchymal origin, HGF is the specific ligand for the tyrosine-kinase receptor c-MET (cellular mesenchymal-epithelial transition), also called MET, which is expressed in different types of epithelial, endothelial and haematopoietic progenitor cells. The HGF/MET axis is involved in several biological processes, such as embryogenesis, organogenesis, adult tissue regeneration (including wound healing and liver regeneration) and carcinogenesis, for both solid and haematological malignancies.