Can pressurised intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy with oxaliplatin (PIPAC-O+) be added to standard treatment for resectable high-risk gastric cancer patients? A study protocol.

Objectives: Gastric cancer remains one of the most fatal cancers, despite an intensive treatment regime of chemotherapy-surgery-chemotherapy. Peritoneal metastatic disease is commonly diagnosed post treatment regime and once established, patients are likely to die in 3-9 months. Systemic chemotherapy does not increase survival for these patients due to the poor vascularisation of this area.

Liver resection in octogenarians: are the outcomes worth the risk?

Background: Australian life expectancy is high by world standards, largely because of advanced health care. It is therefore important to determine safety and oncological benefits of major surgical procedures in the elderly. This retrospective review examines outcomes of liver resection in octogenarians.

Liver resection for non-colorectal non-neuroendocrine metastases.

Objective: Liver resections for non-colorectal non-neuroendocrine liver metastases (NCNELM) are gaining popularity. This study examines the outcomes of liver resections in patients with NCNELM in an Australian hospital.

Method: A database search identified 21 attempted liver resections on 20 patients (12 men, eight women, mean age: 63.

Merkel cell carcinoma metastasis to the pancreas: report of a rare case and a review of the literature.

Context: Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare skin tumour which can metastasise to regional lymph nodes and occasionally to distant organs. Merkel cell carcinoma metastasis to the pancreas has been rarely reported.

Case Report: We describe the case of Merkel cell carcinoma metastasis to the pancreas and review the literature on this rare phenomenon.

Mycobacterial infection of the gallbladder masquerading as gallbladder cancer with a false positive pet scan.

Isolated mycobacterial infection of gall bladder is an extremely rare entity. Only anecdotal reports are evident in the literature. A preoperative diagnosis of mycobacterial infection of gallbladder is therefore very difficult.

Atypical mycobacterial infection mimicking metastatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Mycobacterial infections are rare in developed countries. Isolated involvement of the liver and biliary tree by mycobacterial infection is extremely rare. We report a case of a 45-year-old Caucasian female presenting with obstructive jaundice with a common bile duct stricture and multiple hypodense liver lesions raising suspicion of a metastatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Does patient volume affect clinical outcomes in adult intensive care units?

Purpose: This systematic review assessed if outcomes in adult intensive care units (ICUs) are related to hospital and ICU patient volume.

Methods: A systematic search strategy was used to identify studies reporting on volume-outcome relationship in adult ICU patients till November 2010. Inclusion of articles was established through a predetermined protocol.

Treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma with radiolabelled lipiodol.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common solid organ tumours, with approximately 500,000 new cases being reported each year. It has a very high prevalence in Asia, and almost two-thirds of all cases occur in this region. The incidence of this tumour in Australia has nearly doubled in the past decade.