Clinical relevance of the 3-cm threshold in sigmoid diverticulitis with abscess: consensus or quandary?

Purpose: Diverticular abscess is a common manifestation of acute complicated diverticulitis. We aimed to analyze the clinical course of patients with diverticular abscess initially treated conservatively.

Methods: All patients with diverticular abscess undergoing elective or urgent/emergency surgery from October 2004 to October 2022 were identified from our institutional database.

Predictive factors of 90-day mortality after curative hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: a western single-center observational study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify predictive risk factors associated with 90-day mortality after hepatic resection (HR) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: All patients undergoing elective resection for HCC from a single- institutional and prospectively maintained database were included. Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify pre- and intraoperative as well as histopathological predictive factors of 90-day mortality after elective HR.

Optimizing Growth of the Future Liver Remnant and Making In-Situ Liver Transsection Safe-A Standardized Approach to ISLT or ALPPS.

In-situ splitting of the liver before extended resection has gained broad attention. This two-step procedure requires several measures to make an effective and safe procedure. Although the procedure is performed in many institutions, there is no consensus on a uniform technique.

Clinicopathological and Prognostic Value of Survivin Expression in Surgically Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Survival after surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains poor. Thus, novel therapeutic concepts focus on the development of targeted therapies. In this context, inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) survivin is regarded as a promising oncotherapeutic target.

N, LNR or LODDS: Which Is the Most Appropriate Lymph Node Classification Scheme for Patients with Radically Resected Pancreatic Cancer?

Background: Even though numerous novel lymph node (LN) classification schemes exist, an extensive comparison of their performance in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has not yet been performed.

Method: We investigated the prognostic performance and discriminative ability of 25 different LN ratio (LNR) and 27 log odds of metastatic LN (LODDS) classifications by means of Cox regression and C-statistic in 319 patients with resected PDAC. Regression models were adjusted for age, sex, T category, grading, localization, presence of metastatic disease, positivity of resection margins, and neoadjuvant therapy.

Quality of Life in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) substantially affects cancer patients due to adverse outcomes and disruptions in cancer care. Recent studies have indicated the additional stress and anxiety burden arising from the pandemic and impairing quality of life in this vulnerable group of patients. However, patients with cancer represent a heterogenous group.

Effectiveness of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery with Bullectomy and Partial Pleurectomy in the Treatment of Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax-A Retrospective Long-Term Single-Center Analysis.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with bullectomy and partial pleurectomy (VBPP) is an increasingly used and well-established surgical treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, reports on its effectiveness and long-term outcomes are limited. The aim of this study was to assess and compare long-term recurrence rates following VBPP and chest tube (CT) treatment and to identify potential risk factors for disease recurrence in patients with PSP.

A single center comparative retrospective study of split plus portal vein ligation conventional two-stage hepatectomy for cholangiocellular carcinoma.

Introduction: Cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCA) has a poor prognosis and the goldstandard even in locally advanced cases remains radical surgical resection. This approach however is limited by the future liver remnant volume (FLRV) after extensive parenchymal dissection leading to post-operative liver failure and high mortality rates. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of in situ liver transection with portal vein ligation (ISLT) procedure and conventional two-stage hepatectomy with portal vein embolization (PVE/TSH) in patients with CCA.

Neoadjuvant Treatment Lowers the Risk of Mesopancreatic Fat Infiltration and Local Recurrence in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Survival following surgical treatment of ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC) remains poor. The recent implementation of the circumferential resection margin (CRM) into standard histopathological evaluation lead to a significant reduction in R0 rates. Mesopancreatic fat infiltration is present in ~80% of PDAC patients at the time of primary surgery and recently, mesopancreatic excision (MPE) was correlated to complete resection.

HNF1A recruits KDM6A to activate differentiated acinar cell programs that suppress pancreatic cancer.

Defects in transcriptional regulators of pancreatic exocrine differentiation have been implicated in pancreatic tumorigenesis, but the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. The locus encoding the transcription factor HNF1A harbors susceptibility variants for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), while KDM6A, encoding Lysine-specific demethylase 6A, carries somatic mutations in PDAC. Here, we show that pancreas-specific Hnf1a null mutant transcriptomes phenocopy those of Kdm6a mutations, and both defects synergize with Kras to cause PDAC with sarcomatoid features.

Stromal heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis.

Background/objectives: An abundant stromal reaction is a hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and chronic pancreatitis (CP). The cells mainly responsible for the stromal reaction are activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs). Despite their crucial role, PSCs are not well characterized.