Feasibility, criterion and construct convergent validity of the 2-minute walk test and the 10-meter walk test in an oncological context.

Objective: To examine the feasibility, the criterion, and the construct convergent validity of the 2-Minute Walk Test (2MWT) and the 10-Meter Walk Test (10MeWT) against the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) to assess walking capacity in people with cancer. The criterion concurrent validity of a self-test version of the 10MeWT (10MeWT) was also evaluated against the 10MeWT.

Methods: Fifty-six people with cancer performed the 2MWT, the 10MeWT at comfortable and fast speeds, the 6MWT, and the 10MeWT.

Liver resection for metastases not of colorectal, neuroendocrine, sarcomatous, or ovarian (NCNSO) origin: A multicentric study.

Background: Liver resection is a well-established treatment for colorectal, neuroendocrine and sarcomatous metastases but remains ill-defined for metastases from other primary sites. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of hepatic resection for metastases not of colorectal, neuroendocrine, sarcomatous, or ovarian (NCNSO) origin and to identify predictors of outcome.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing resection for NCNSO metastases in three western centers.

European experience of 573 liver resections for hepatocellular adenoma: a cross-sectional study by the AFC-HCA-2013 study group.

Background: Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a benign hepatic lesion that may be complicated by bleeding and malignant transformation. The aim of the present study is to report on large series of liver resections for HCA and assess the incidence of hemorrhage and malignant transformation.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study, from 27 European high-volume HPB units.

Enoxaparin Attenuates Mouse Colon Cancer Liver Metastases by Inhibiting Heparanase and Interferon-γ-inducible Chemokines.

Background/aim: Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) has been suggested to reduce the risk of cancer progression in both preclinical and clinical studies but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly explored. The aim of the study was to investigate the anti-metastatic role of enoxaparin, a clinically-used LMWH, in a murine model of colon cancer and to explore its underlying mechanisms.

Materials And Methods: Using a reproducible mouse model of colon carcinomas, we assessed the capacity of enoxaparin, a LMWH, to affect tumor metastasis of colon carcinoma cell lines in mice.

Second St. Gallen European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Gastrointestinal Cancer Conference: consensus recommendations on controversial issues in the primary treatment of rectal cancer.

Primary treatment of rectal cancer was the focus of the second St. Gallen European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Gastrointestinal Cancer Conference. In the context of the conference, a multidisciplinary international expert panel discussed and voted on controversial issues which could not be easily answered using published evidence.

Donor characteristics and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation.

Background: To date, studies assessing the risk of post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence have focused on tumour characteristics. This study investigated the impact of donor characteristics and graft quality on post-transplant HCC recurrence.

Methods: Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients patients with HCC who received a liver transplant between 2004 and 2011 were included, and post-transplant HCC recurrence was assessed.

Nodular Regenerative Hyperplasia in Patients Undergoing Liver Resection for Colorectal Metastases After Chemotherapy: Risk Factors, Preoperative Assessment and Clinical Impact.

Background: Nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) is a severe form of chemotherapy-related liver injury (CALI) that may worsen the short-term outcome of liver resection (LR) for colorectal metastases (CRLM). The present study aimed to clarify the incidence, risk factors, preoperative assessment, and clinical impact of NRH.

Methods: Overall, 406 patients undergoing 478 LRs for CRLM after chemotherapy between 2000 and 2012 were studied.

Surgical management of patients with colorectal cancer and simultaneous liver and lung metastases.

Background: The management of patients with colorectal cancer and simultaneously diagnosed liver and lung metastases (SLLM) remains controversial.

Methods: The LiverMetSurvey registry was interrogated for patients treated between 2000 and 2012 to assess outcomes after resection of SLLM, and the factors associated with survival. SLLM was defined as liver and lung metastases diagnosed 3 months or less apart.

Liver resection in patients with eight or more colorectal liver metastases.

Background: Patients with large numbers of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) are potential candidates for resection, but the benefit from surgery is unclear.

Methods: Patients undergoing resection for CRLMs between 1998 and 2012 in two high-volume liver surgery centres were categorized according to the number of CRLMs: between one and seven (group 1) and eight or more (group 2). Overall (OS) and recurrence-free (RFS) survival were compared between the groups.

Is Hepatic Resection for Large or Multifocal Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Justified? Results from a Multi-Institutional Collaboration.

Background: The role of surgical resection for patients with large or multifocal intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains unclear. This study evaluated the long-term outcome of patients who underwent hepatic resection for large (≥7 cm) or multifocal (≥2) ICC.

Methods: Between 1990 and 2013, 557 patients who underwent liver resection for ICC were identified from a multi-institutional database.

Risk factors for early and late biliary complications in pediatric liver transplantation.

BC are a common source of morbidity after pediatric LT. Knowledge about risk factors may help to reduce their incidence. Retrospective analysis of BC in 116 pediatric patients (123 LT) (single institution, 05/1990-12/2011, medium follow-up 7.

Toward a better liver graft allocation that accounts for candidates with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.

In some countries where the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is used for graft allocation, selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receive a fixed number of exception points at listing, and increasing priority on the list by accruing additional exception points at regular time intervals. This system originally aimed at balancing the risks of HCC patients of developing contraindications and of non-HCC patients of dying before transplantation, is not ideal because it appears to offer an advantage to HCC patients, regardless of tumor characteristics and response to loco-regional treatment. Scores modulated by HCC characteristics have been proposed.

Rectal outcomes after a liver-first treatment of patients with stage IV rectal cancer.

Background: The treatment of patients with metastatic rectal cancer remains controversial. We developed a reverse strategy, the liver-first approach, to optimize the chance of a curative resection. The aim of this study was to assess rectal outcomes after reverse treatment of patients with metastatic rectal cancer.

Initial cholecystectomy vs sequential common duct endoscopic assessment and subsequent cholecystectomy for suspected gallstone migration: a randomized clinical trial.

Importance: The optimal management of treatment for patients at intermediate risk of a common duct stone (including increased liver function tests but bilirubin <4 mg/dL and no cholangitis) is a matter of debate. Many stones migrate spontaneously into the duodenum, making preoperative common duct investigations unnecessary.

Objective: To compare strategies of cholecystectomy first vs a sequential endoscopic common duct assessment and cholecystectomy for the management of patients with an intermediate risk of a common duct stone.

Todani Type II Congenital Bile Duct Cyst: European Multicenter Study of the French Surgical Association and Literature Review.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to analyze clinical presentation, surgical management, and long-term outcome of patients suffering from biliary diverticulum, namely Todani type II congenital bile duct cyst (BDC).

Background: The disease incidence ranges between 0.8% and 5% of all reported BDC cases with a lack of information about clinical presentation, management, and outcome.

Tumor size predicts vascular invasion and histologic grade among patients undergoing resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

The association between tumor size and survival in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) undergoing surgical resection is controversial. We sought to define the incidence of major and microscopic vascular invasion relative to ICC tumor size, and identify predictors of microscopic vascular invasion in patients with ICC ≥5 cm. A total of 443 patients undergoing surgical resection for ICC between 1973 and 2011 at one of 11 participating institutions were identified.

The role of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury and liver parenchymal quality on cancer recurrence.

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common clinical challenge. Despite accumulating evidence regarding its mechanisms and potential therapeutic approaches, hepatic I/R is still a leading cause of organ dysfunction, morbidity, and resource utilization, especially in those patients with underlying parenchymal abnormalities. In the oncological setting, there are growing concerns regarding the deleterious impact of I/R injury on the risk of post-surgical tumor recurrence.

Pre-retrieval reperfusion decreases cancer recurrence after rat ischemic liver graft transplantation.

Background & Aims: Liver transplantation from marginal donors is associated with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) lesions, which may increase the risk of post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. Graft reperfusion prior to retrieval (as for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation--ECMO) can prevent I/R lesions. The impact of I/R on the risk of cancer recurrence was assessed on a syngeneic Fischer-rat liver transplantation model.

Alloimmune activation promotes anti-cancer cytotoxicity after rat liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) results in a specific condition where the immune response is potentially directed against both allogeneic and cancer antigens. We have investigated the level of anti-cancer immunity during allogeneic immune response. Dark Agouti-to-Lewis and Lewis-to-Lewis rat liver transplantations were performed and the recipients anti-cancer immunity was analysed at the time of alloimmune activation.

Validation of a dropout assessment model of candidates with/without hepatocellular carcinoma on a common liver transplant waiting list.

The model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score is often used for liver graft allocation, and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receive exception points (22 in the US). A better model is desirable for patients with HCC as they tend to have a privileged access to transplantation, without taking HCC characteristics into account. A new simpler model designed from a training set of US patients (n = 49 026) was tested on two validation sets (US and UK patient cohorts with, respectively, n = 20 475 and n = 1781).

A nomogram to predict long-term survival after resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: an Eastern and Western experience.

Importance: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a primary cancer of the liver that is increasing in incidence, and the prognostic factors associated with outcome after surgery remain poorly defined.

Objective: To combine clinicopathologic variables associated with overall survival after resection of ICC into a prediction nomogram.

Design, Setting, And Participants: We performed an international multicenter study of 514 patients who underwent resection for ICC at 13 major hepatobiliary centers in the United States, Europe, and Asia from May 1, 1990, through December 31, 2011.

Complete pathological response (ypT0N0M0) after preoperative chemotherapy alone for stage IV rectal cancer.

Background: Complete pathological response occurs in 10-20% of patients with rectal cancer who are treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy prior to pelvic surgery. The possibility that complete pathological response of rectal cancer can also occur with neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone (without radiation) is an intriguing hypothesis.

Case Presentation: A 66-year old man presented an adenocarcinoma of the rectum with nine liver metastases (T3N1M1).

Accurate computed tomography-based portal pressure assessment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background & Aims: Liver resection is generally restricted to patients without clinically significant portal hypertension (Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient - HVPG - ⩽10mmHg) and several teams perform transjugular HVPG measurements as part of the pre-operative work-up. The present study investigates whether a non-invasive Computed Tomography (CT)-based assessment could be as accurate as the invasive transjugular measurement.

Methods: A cohort of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated by resection (n=36) or transplantation (n=39) was selected (mean age: 61±9.

Current status of robotic liver resection: a systematic review.

Robotic surgery is an emerging technique for the management of patients with liver disease, and only a limited number of reports are available. A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, Embase and Cochrane), including only case series with more than five patients, identified nine series (with one from our institution), which totaled to 232 patients. Overall, the peri-operative outcomes of the reported patients are similar to those utilizing the laparoscopic and open approaches.