SARS-CoV-2 Blood RNA Load Predicts Outcome in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA loads in patient specimens may act as a clinical outcome predictor in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: We evaluated the predictive value of viral RNA loads and courses in the blood compared with the upper and lower respiratory tract loads of critically ill COVID-19 patients. Daily specimen collection and viral RNA quantification by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed in all consecutive 170 COVID-19 patients between March 2020 and February 2021 during the entire intensive care unit (ICU) stay (4145 samples analyzed).

Patient Characteristics and Clinical Course of COVID-19 Patients Treated at a German Tertiary Center during the First and Second Waves in the Year 2020.

In this study, we directly compared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients hospitalized during the first (27 February-28 July 2020) and second (29 July-31 December 2020) wave of the pandemic at a large tertiary center in northern Germany. Patients who presented during the first ( = 174) and second ( = 331) wave did not differ in age (median [IQR], 59 years [46, 71] vs. 58 years [42, 73]; = 0.

Prognostic value of positive histological margins in patients with pancreatic head ductal adenocarcinoma and lymph node involvement: an international multicentric study.

Background: Resection margin status and lymph node (LN) involvement are known prognostic factors for patients who undergo pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This study aimed to compare overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) by resection margin status in patients with PDAC and LN involvement.

Methods: A retrospective international multicentric study was performed including four Western centers.

Oligometastases in pancreatic cancer (Synchronous resections of hepatic oligometastatic pancreatic cancer: Disputing a principle in a time of safe pancreatic operations in a retrospective multicenter analysis).

The aim of the present review was to analyze the current data on surgery of synchronous liver metastases in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in curative intent. A review of the literature was carried out to identify the current international concepts regarding surgery of liver metastases of PDAC and, furthermore, we addressed the current challenges of resection of liver metastases of PDAC. Resection of liver metastases in PDAC may provide survival benefit without compromising safety and quality of life in a highly selected group of patients.

Expression of ICAM-1, E-cadherin, periostin and midkine in metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

Development and progression of malignant tumors is in part characterized by the ability of a tumor cell to overcome cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion and to disseminate in organs distinct from that in which they originated. This study was undertaken to analyze the clinical significance of the expression of the following cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion molecules in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) and synchronous liver metastases: intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), E-cadherin, periostin, and midkine (MK). ICAM-1, E-cadherin, periostin and MK expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing 34 PDACs and 12 liver metastasis specimens.

Hamburg-Glasgow classification: preoperative staging by combination of disseminated tumour load and systemic inflammation in oesophageal carcinoma.

Background: The aim of this study was to establish a new preoperative staging classification and evaluate its comparability to the post-operative tumour stage, lymph node invasion and metastasis (TNM) classification. To date, adequate, preoperative staging in patients with oesophageal carcinoma (EC) is still missing but urgently needed. Systemic inflammation and disseminated tumour load have a pivotal role in recurrence and oncological outcome.

Prognostic Significant or Not? The Positive Circumferential Resection Margin in Esophageal Cancer: Impact on Local Recurrence and Overall Survival in Patients Without Neoadjuvant Treatment.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the circumferential resection margin (CRM) in esophageal cancer on survival and recurrence in patients without pretreatment.

Background: Whereas the infiltration of the proximal or distal resection margin is associated with poor survival and higher recurrence, studies looking at the role of the circumferential resection margin on survival and local recurrence after esophagectomy are conflicting.

Methods: Influence of CRM infiltration according to the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and Royal College of Pathologists (RCP) on long-term survival of 180 patients with resected pT3 tumors and without neoadjuvant therapy was analyzed.

Non-trauma Emergency Pancreatoduodenectomies: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.

Objective: To retrospectively assess the frequency and indications for emergency pancreatoduodenctomies in a tertiary referral center.

Methods: Pancreatoduodenectomies between January 2005 and January 2014 were retrospectively assessed for emergency indications defined as surgery following unplanned hospital admission in less than 24 h. Data on indications and on the intraoperative as well as the post-operative course were collected.

Locally advanced esophageal carcinoma: is there still a role of surgery alone without neoadjuvant treatment?

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of upfront surgery without neoadjuvant pretreatment on survival in patients with clinically staged locally advanced esophageal carcinoma before the new era of neoadjuvant therapy regimes.

Material And Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients with clinically advanced esophageal cancer (cT3) and without neoadjuvant treatment who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) in curative intent between 1992 and 2009. Locally advanced esophageal cancer was defined based on presurgical computertomography, endoscopy, and endosonography findings as a tumor infiltrating the paraesophageal tissue or the adjacent structures, with or without lymph node affection.

Salvage Completion Pancreatectomies as Damage Control for Post-pancreatic Surgery Complications: A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Post-pancreatic surgical morbidity is frequent but often manageable by less invasive means than re-operation. Yet, some complications can become hazardous and life threatening. Herein, the results of a completion pancreatectomy (CP) to cope with severe post-operative pancreatic fistulas (POPF) and bleeding complications after major pancreatic resections for suspected pancreatic malignancy are presented.

Cyclin D1 is a strong prognostic factor for survival in pancreatic cancer: analysis of CD G870A polymorphism, FISH and immunohistochemistry.

Background And Objective: Cyclin D1 is an important regulator protein for the G1-S cell cycle phase transition. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the impact of the CCND1 polymorphism G870A and corresponding protein expression and CCND1 amplification on the survival of the patients.

Methods: 425 patients with ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent resection were included after histopathological confirmation.

Preoperative Pancreatic Resection (PREPARE) score: a prospective multicenter-based morbidity risk score.

Objectives: Development of a simple preoperative risk score to predict morbidity related to pancreatic surgery.

Background: Pancreatic surgery is standardized with little technical diversity among institutions and unchanging morbidity and mortality rates in recent years. Preoperative identification of high-risk patients is potentially one of the rare avenues for improving the clinical course of patients undergoing pancreatic surgery.

What should be the gold standard for the surgical component in the treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer: transthoracic versus transhiatal esophagectomy.

Objective: To analyze survival differences between transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) and limited transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) in clinically (cT3) and pathologically (pT3) staged advanced tumors without neoadjuvant treatment.

Background: Debate exists whether in the type of resection in locally advanced cancer plays a role in prognosis and whether THE is a valuable alternative to TTE regarding oncological doctrine and overall survival.

Methods: In a retrospective study of 2 high-volume centers, 468 patients with cT3NXM0 esophageal cancer, including 242 (51.

Depth of submucosal tumor infiltration and its relevance in lymphatic metastasis formation for T1b squamous cell and adenocarcinomas of the esophagus.

Background: Surgery for early esophageal carcinoma has been challenged by less invasive endoscopic approaches. Selecting patients in need for surgical intervention according to their risk of lymphatic spread is mandatory.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for lymphatic metastasis formation in T1b esophageal carcinomas.

Lymphatic invasion predicts survival in patients with early node-negative non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of lymphatic and vascular invasion on overall survival in patients with surgically resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without lymph node and distant metastases.

Methods: From January 1999 to December 2009, a total of 190 NSCLC patients with node-negative pT1-pT4 disease underwent radical resection with lymphadenectomy. Pathologic reports were reclassified to the TNM-7 version, and the influence of lymphatic and vascular invasion on overall survival was examined using Kaplan-Meier and adjusted Cox proportional hazards analyses.

C-X-C motif receptor 2, endostatin and proteinase-activated receptor 1 polymorphisms as prognostic factors in NSCLC.

The progress of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is dependent on sufficient angiogenesis. Thrombin induced activation of proteinase-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) on platelets leads to platelet secretion and aggregation. This influences cell survival, apoptosis and angiogenesis by the release of VEGF and Endostatin (ES), a potent angiogenesis inhibitor.

Surgery for advanced and metastatic pancreatic cancer--current state and trends.

Due to the late onset of symptoms in pancreatic cancer, patients are often presented with an already advanced or metastatic state of disease. Only in a minority of patients is a tumor resection indicated, e.g.

Selectin binding is essential for peritoneal carcinomatosis in a xenograft model of human pancreatic adenocarcinoma in pfp--/rag2-- mice.

Background And Objective: E- and P-selectins expressed on the luminal surface of mesodermally derived endothelial cells play a crucial role in the formation of haematogenous metastases in a number of malignancies. As peritoneal mesothelial cells are also derived form the mesoderm, it was hypothesised that selectins are also of importance in peritoneal tumour spread.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to identify selectin expression on normal human peritoneum and isolated mesothelial cells.

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 gene polymorphisms as predictors for tumor recurrence and overall survival in non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: VEGFR-2 gene displays several functional germline polymorphisms with impact on VEGFR-2 mediated angiogenesis. Our purpose was to evaluate VEGFR-2 polymorphisms as prognostic markers for tumor recurrence and overall survival (OS) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: In total, 209 Caucasian patients who had been surgically treated for NSCLC between 1996 and 2010 were included in this study.

An attempt at validation of the Seventh edition of the classification by the International Union Against Cancer for esophageal carcinoma.

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate the ability of the Seventh edition of the classification by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) to identify patients at higher risk and to predict the overall survival in patients with esophageal carcinoma.

Methods: Demographic and clinical data of 605 patients, who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma between 1992 and 2009, were analyzed. Tumor stage and grade were classified according to the sixth and seventh editions of the UICC classification.

Human prostate cancer in a clinically relevant xenograft mouse model: identification of β(1,6)-branched oligosaccharides as a marker of tumor progression.

Purpose: To establish xenograft mouse models of metastatic and nonmetastatic human prostate cancer and to apply these models to the search for aberrant glycosylation patterns associated with tumor progression in vivo and in patients.

Experimental Design: Prostate cancer cells (LNCaP, PC-3, LuCaP 23.1, and DU-145) were xenografted subcutaneously into immunodeficient pfp(-/-)/rag2(-/-) mice.

Trastuzumab has anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic activity in a spontaneous metastasis xenograft model of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

HER-2/neu over-expression occurs in 10-40% of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Therefore, inhibitory effects of trastuzumab on proliferation, neoangiogenesis and metastatic spread of the esophageal adenocarcinoma cell line PT1590 were investigated (subcutaneous xenograft model). PT1590 revealed an amplified copy number of c-erbB2 and HER-2/neu over-expression occured in xenograft tumors and spontaneous lung metastases.

High surgical morbidity following distal pancreatectomy: still an unsolved problem.

Background: High surgical morbidity following distal pancreatectomy, especially pancreatic fistula, remains an unsolved problem. The aim of this study was to identify potential risk factors for surgical morbidity with a focus on the development of pancreatic fistula.

Methods: Clinicopathologic parameters were collected for 283 patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy between January 2000 and May 2010.