Optimal lymph node dissection area for pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms by tumor location, size, and grade.

Background: Lymph node dissection is required for many pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. However, the need for such dissection has rarely been examined in detail by the tumor size, tumor location, or World Health Organization grading. The objective is to determine which characteristics of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms require lymph node dissection, and to what extent lymph node dissection should be performed.

Neoadjuvant gemcitabine and S-1 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Effects on nutritional status and pancreaticoduodenectomy outcomes.

Background: With the advent of improved chemotherapy options, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has gained acceptance as a multidisciplinary treatment approach for localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to clarify whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and S-1 influences preoperative nutritional status and postoperative outcomes, particularly in patients undergoing highly invasive pancreatic resection.

Methods: Patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy as upfront surgery or after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and S-1 between January 2015 and December 2022 were assessed.

Chronological evolution in liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: Prognostic trends across three decades in early to advanced stages.

Background: While liver resection remains the best curative option for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it is unclear whether the consistent progress of multidisciplinary approaches in managing HCC over several decades has influenced the outcomes of liver resection.

Methods: Patients undergoing liver resection for HCC from 1993 to 2022 in our institution were retrospectively assessed and stratified into three periods according to the year of liver resection, P1 (1993-2000), P2 (2001-2009), and P3 (2010-2022), and tumor status using the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system.

Results: A total of 1257 patients were included (P1:P2:P3 = 385:490:382, BCLC stage 0/A:B:C = 908:214:135).

Risk factor analysis of postoperative pancreatic fistula after distal pancreatectomy with a focus on the peritoneum to portal vein distance on computed tomography.

Background: Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a major complication of distal pancreatectomy (DP). Although the visceral fat area (VFA) is a risk factor for POPF in DP, its measurement is complicated. This study aimed to identify a simple marker as a predictive indicator of POPF.

RAS mutation associated with short surgically controllable period in colorectal liver metastases: a retrospective study.

Background: The prognostic implications of the RAS status in colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) remain unclear. This study investigated the prognostic significance of RAS status after curative hepatectomy, focusing on surgical controllability.

Methods: This retrospective study included liver-only CRLM patients who underwent the first hepatectomy between 2015 and 2022 at the National Cancer Center Hospital.

Safety and feasibility of percutaneous abdominal lavage cytology screening (PACS) prior to surgical resection for pancreatic cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, diagnostic yield, and technical aspects of percutaneous abdominal lavage cytology screening (PACS) in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included patients with resectable pancreatic cancer who underwent PACS before pancreatectomy between May 2022 and October 2023. The technical success rate, position of the drainage tube, volume of fluid administered, volume of fluid retrieved, fluid retrieval rate, and adverse events were evaluated.

[A case of R0 resection in conversion surgery after duodenal stent placement for locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer with duodenal stenosis].

A 67-year-old man presented to our hospital with vomiting. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy revealed duodenal stenosis and atypical epithelium. A tumor in the pancreatic head, about 30mm in size, involving the superior mesenteric artery and a superior mesenteric vein was identified using abdominal contrast computed tomography (CT).

Comparative analysis of liver resection in Non-B Non-C and hepatitis virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The incidence of non-hepatitis B and non-hepatitis C hepatocellular carcinoma (NBNC-HCC) is increasing in our country. This study assesses the feasibility of employing an identical surgical treatment strategy for resectable NBNC-HCC as that for hepatitis virus-associated HCC (HV-HCC).

Methods: A retrospective analysis (1993-2023) of 1321 curative liver resections for HCC at a single institution was performed.

Oligo-like liver metastasis: A novel prognostic indicator to improve survival in pancreatic cancer.

Purpose: Whether surgical intervention for patients with oligometastatic recurrence can improve their post-recurrent prognosis is unclear. In this study, we introduce a novel concept of oligometastasis in post-surgical pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients with hepatic recurrence, which we call "oligo-like liver metastasis (OLLM)." Patients with OLLM have better post-recurrence prognosis and could therefore be eligible for surgical intervention.

Novel insights into the intraepithelial spread of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: clinicopathological study of 382 cases on extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) is a rare and aggressive disease and consisted of conventional eCCA and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB). Intraepithelial spread (IES) of cancer cells beyond the invasive area is often observed in IPNBs; however, the prevalence of IES remains to be examined in conventional eCCAs. Here, we evaluated the clinicopathological features of eCCAs according to tumor location, with a focus on the presence of IES.

Clinicopathological Findings and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Primary Hepatobiliary Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Retrospective Single-institution Analysis.

Objective Primary hepatobiliary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are rare tumors exhibiting several morphological and behavioral characteristics. Considering the lack of relevant data on this topic, we evaluated the clinicopathological features and treatment outcomes of patients with primary hepatobiliary NENs. Methods/Patients We examined 43 consecutive patients treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital with pathological diagnoses of primary hepatobiliary NEN between 1980 and 2016.

NEXUS trial: a multicenter phase II clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of the perioperative use of encorafenib, binimetinib, and cetuximab in patients with previously untreated surgically resectable BRAF V600E mutant colorectal oligometastases.

Background: The optimal treatment strategy for resectable BRAF V600E mutant colorectal oligometastases (CRM) has not been established due to the rarity and rapid progression of the disease. Since the unresectable recurrence rate is high, development of novel perioperative therapies are warranted. On December 2020, the BEACON CRC triplet regimen of encorafenib, binimetinib, and cetuximab was approved for unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer in Japan.

Objective Definition and Optimized Strategy for "Biologically Borderline Resectable" Colorectal Liver Metastases.

Background: The prognostic benefit of preoperative chemotherapy leading to conversion surgery for unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) is well recognized, while that of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) compared with upfront surgery (UFS) for resectable CRLM is negligible. This study aims to assess the prognostic benefit and search for optimal indication of NAC for resectable advanced CRLM by establishing an objective definition of biologically borderline resectable (bBR) CRLM.

Methods: A bicentric retrospective analysis of patients with CRLM undergoing curative-intent initial liver resection between 2007 and 2021 was performed.

Recent updates in the use of pharmacological therapies for downstaging in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver cancer, but only 20-30% of patients benefit from potentially curative treatments such as liver resection or transplantation. This article reviews conventional treatments and recent progress in pharmacotherapy for advanced HCC, with a focus on downstaging unresectable tumors to resectable status.

Areas Covered: In this article, conventional treatments and recent progress in pharmacotherapy for advanced HCC, aiming at downstaging from unresectable to resectable status, are reviewed.

Efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition for solid pancreatic lesions 20 mm or less in diameter suspected as neuroendocrine tumors or requiring differentiation.

Background: For non-functioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) ≤ 20 mm, most guidelines consider follow-up observations as an option; however, the various treatment strategies are defined by size alone, even though the Ki-67 index is important for malignancy grading. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) is the standard for the histopathological diagnosis of solid pancreatic lesions; however, recent results for small lesions remain unclear. Therefore, we examined the efficacy of EUS-TA for solid pancreatic lesions ≤ 20 mm suspected as pNETs or requiring differentiation and the non-increase rate in tumor size in follow-up cases.

Enhanced Recognition Confidence of Millimeter-Sized Intrahepatic Targets by Real-Time Virtual Sonography.

Objectives: Real-time virtual sonography (RVS) is an artificial-intelligence-assisted ultrasonographic navigation system that displays synchronized preoperative computed tomography (CT) images corresponding to real-time intraoperative ultrasonograms (IOUS). This study aimed to investigate whether RVS can enhance IOUS identification of small intrahepatic targets found in preoperative CT.

Methods: Patients with small intrahepatic targets detected by preoperative thin-slice dynamic CT before liver resection were included.

Chronological improvement of pancreatectomy for resectable but advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Background: Progress of non-surgical treatments in the last decade has improved the prognosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNEN). However, the improvement of surgery for advanced PanNEN remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the chronological changes of the clinical impact of pancreatectomy for PanNEN.

Automated Three-Dimensional Liver Reconstruction with Artificial Intelligence for Virtual Hepatectomy.

Objective: To validate the newly developed artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted simulation by evaluating the speed of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and accuracy of segmental volumetry among patients with liver tumors.

Background: AI with a deep learning algorithm based on healthy liver computer tomography images has been developed to assist three-dimensional liver reconstruction in virtual hepatectomy.

Methods: 3D reconstruction using hepatic computed tomography scans of 144 patients with liver tumors was performed using two different versions of Synapse 3D (Fujifilm, Tokyo, Japan): the manual method based on the tracking algorithm and the AI-assisted method.

A novel endoscopic technique using fully covered self-expandable metallic stents for benign strictures after hepaticojejunostomy: the saddle-cross technique (with video).

Background: In recent years, the number of patients with hepaticojejunostomy anastomotic strictures has increased. Balloon dilation and placement of multiple plastic stents have proven effective for hepaticojejunostomy anastomotic strictures. However, for refractory strictures, there is often a need for repeated endoscopic procedures within a short period.