Promising biomarker panel to monitor therapeutic efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer patients.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) can provide improved survival outcomes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients who respond to treatment, but currently available biomarkers cannot reliably predict NAC response. This study aimed to determine the potential of a previously identified diagnostic and prognostic biomarker panel (i.e.

Novel serum protein biomarker panel for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers. Late presentation of disease at the time of diagnosis is one of the major reasons for dismal prognostic outcomes for PDAC patients. Currently, there is a lack of clinical biomarkers, which can be used to diagnose PDAC patients at an early resectable stage.

3D visualization systems improve operator efficiency during difficult laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a retrospective blinded review of surgical videos.

Background: 3D visualization systems in laparoscopic surgery have been proposed to improve manual task handling compared to 2D, however, few studies have compared the intra-operative efficacy in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The aim of this study is to determine if there is a benefit in intra-operative efficiency when using a 3D visualization system in difficult LC compared to traditional 2D visualization systems.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 'difficult' LCs (Grades 3 or 4) was completed.

Serum and tissue metallome of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients have late presentation at the time of diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Metal dyshomeostasis is known to play a role in cancer progression. However, the blood and tissue metallome of PDAC patients has not been assessed.

Heterogeneous tumor microenvironment in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: An emerging role of single-cell analysis.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest malignancies in the world, for which the mortality is almost as high as the disease incidence and is predicted to be the second-highest cause of cancer-related deaths by 2030. These cancerous tumors consist of diversified gene expressions within the different cellular subpopulations that include neoplastic ductal cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and immune cells, all of which collectively facilitate cellular heterogeneity in the PDAC tumor microenvironment (TME). Active intratumoral interaction within the cell populations in TME induces the proliferation of cancerous cells, accounting for tumorigenesis and rapid metastasis.

Gene expression profiling of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Aim: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the lowest survival rate of all major cancers. Chemotherapy is the mainstay systemic therapy for PDAC, and chemoresistance is a major clinical problem leading to therapeutic failure. This study aimed to identify key differences in gene expression profile in tumors from chemoresponsive and chemoresistant patients.

A Comparison of Three-Dimensional Visualization Systems and Two-Dimensional Visualization Systems During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Narrative Review.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a common procedure for the definitive treatment for cholecystitis and symptomatic cholelithiasis. One advancement in minimally invasive surgery has been the development of three-dimensional (3D) visualization systems to provide stereopsis. It is yet to be determined whether this innovation is beneficial to the surgeon or simply just a gimmick.

Drain fluid biomarkers for the diagnosis of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula: a diagnostic accuracy systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Pancreatectomy is the only curative treatment available for pancreatic cancer and a necessity for patients with challenging pancreatic pathology. To optimize outcomes, postsurgical complications such as clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) should be minimized. Central to this is the ability to predict and diagnose CR-POPF, potentially through drain fluid biomarkers.

The artery first technique: re-examining the critical view of safety during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Introduction: Significant discrepancies exist between surgeon-documented and actual rates of critical view of safety (CVS) achievement on retrospective review following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This discrepancy may be due to surgeon utilisation of the artery first technique (AFT), an exception to the CVS first described by Strasberg et al. The present study aims to characterise the use of the AFT, hypothesising it is used as an adjunct in difficult dissections to maximise exposure of the hepato-cystic triangle ensuring safe cholecystectomy.

The role of repeated imaging in detecting complications in the post-operative period following pancreaticoduodenectomy: Serial CT imaging post-pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background: Post-pancreaticoduodenectomy haemorrhage is a potentially life-threatening complication. Delay in the detection and subsequent management of complications contribute significantly to post-operative mortality and morbidity associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Methods: All patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy at an Australian-based tertiary referral center between 2017 and 2022 were reviewed retrospectively.

Caution in Transnasal Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube: Middle Ear Penetration of Catheter Tip in a Cadaveric Model.

Objective: To investigate the degree to which transnasal eustachian tube (ET) dilation balloon catheters are able to be passed through the ET in a cadaver model.

Patients And Interventions: A cadaveric study of 8 cadaver heads (16 ears), which underwent transnasal ET insertion with a 3 × 20-mm balloon catheter with transtympanic endoscopic visualization and grading.

Results: Catheter tip incursion into the protympanum or mesotympanum occurred in all ears.

The effect of surgical weight loss on upper airway fat in obstructive sleep apnoea.

Purpose: Obesity is a reversible risk factor for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Weight loss can potentially improve OSA by reducing fat around and within tissues surrounding the upper airway, but imaging studies are limited. Our aim was to study the effects of large amounts of weight loss on the upper airway and volume and fat content of multiple surrounding soft tissues.

Use of prospective video analysis to understand the impact of technical difficulty on operative process during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: An understanding of the impact of operative difficulty on operative process in laparoscopic cholecystectomy is lacking. The aim of the present study was to prospectively analyse digitally recorded laparoscopic cholecystectomy to assess the impact of operative technical difficulty on operative process.

Methods: Video of laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures performed at Christchurch Hospital, NZ and North Shore Private Hospital, Sydney Australia were prospectively recorded.

Necrosis is an independent predictor of disease-free and overall survival in pancreatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (NETs): a proposal to include it in grading systems.

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are currently graded using the World Health Organization (WHO) 2019 system, which is based solely on mitotic count and Ki-67 proliferative index. Although necrosis is a well recognised adverse prognostic feature that is included in the grading systems of NETs of certain types such as pulmonary carcinoid and medullary thyroid carcinoma, there is currently insufficient evidence to support its inclusion in the grading of pancreatic NETs. Therefore, we sought to investigate the prognostic significance of tumour necrosis in our cohort of resected pancreatic NETs, with a view to providing evidence to support its incorporation into the WHO grading scheme.

Autophagy: A Key Player in Pancreatic Cancer Progression and a Potential Drug Target.

Pancreatic cancer is known to have the lowest survival outcomes among all major cancers, and unfortunately, this has only been marginally improved over last four decades. The innate characteristics of pancreatic cancer include an aggressive and fast-growing nature from powerful driver mutations, a highly defensive tumor microenvironment and the upregulation of advantageous survival pathways such as autophagy. Autophagy involves targeted degradation of proteins and organelles to provide a secondary source of cellular supplies to maintain cell growth.

Synchronous Operable Pancreatic and Breast Cancer Without Genetic Mutation: A Literature Review and Discussion.

Background: Synchronous cancers are rarely detected when working-up a patient for a primary cancer. Neoadjuvant management of synchronous breast and pancreatic cancers, without a germline mutation, has yet to be discussed. Two patients were diagnosed with synchronous breast and pancreatic cancers at our institution over the last decade.

Cancer-associated stroma reveals prognostic biomarkers and novel insights into the tumour microenvironment of colorectal cancer and colorectal liver metastases.

Background And Aims: Cancer-associated stroma (CAS) is emerging as a key determinant of metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, little is known about CAS in colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). This study aimed to validate the prognostic significance of stromal protein biomarkers in primary CRC and CRLM. Secondly, this study aimed to describe the transcriptome of the CAS of CRLM and identify novel targetable pathways of metastasis.

Corrigendum: Serum Biomarker Panel for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.

Urinary metabolite prognostic biomarker panel for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

Background: Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have a very low survival rate and surgical resection is the only curative intent treatment available. However, the majority of patients relapse after surgery and identification of biomarkers for accurate prognostication of PDAC patients is required. We have recently identified a six biomarker (i.

Serum Biomarker Panel for Diagnosis and Prognosis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas.

Background: Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have late diagnosis which results in poor prognosis. Currently, surgical resection is the only option for curative intent. Identifying high-risk features for patients with aggressive PDAC is essential for accurate diagnosis, prognostication, and personalised care due to the disease burden and risk of recurrence despite surgical resection.

A unique urinary metabolomic signature for the detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Our study aimed to identify a urinary metabolite panel for the detection/diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). PDAC continues to have poor survival outcomes. One of the major reasons for poor prognosis is the advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis.

PSMD11, PTPRM and PTPRB as novel biomarkers of pancreatic cancer progression.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has the lowest survival rate of all major cancers. Surgery is the only curative intent therapy, but the majority of patients experience disease relapse. Thus, patients who do not benefit from highly morbid surgical resection needs to be identified and offered palliative chemotherapy instead.

Small Molecule KRAS Inhibitors: The Future for Targeted Pancreatic Cancer Therapy?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest solid tumors in the world. Currently, there are no approved targeted therapies for PDAC. Mutations in () are known to be a major driver of PDAC progression, but it was considered an undruggable target until recently.

Identification of Novel Biomarkers in Pancreatic Tumor Tissue to Predict Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has been of recent interest as an alternative to upfront surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, a subset of patients does not respond to NAC and may have been better managed by upfront surgery. Hence, there is an unmet need for accurate biomarkers for predicting NAC response in PDAC.