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Purpose: Accurate staging of disease is vital in determining appropriate care for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). It has been shown that the quality of scans and the experience of a radiologist can impact computed tomography (CT) based assessment of disease. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of the rereading of outside hospital (OH) CT by an expert radiologist and a repeat pancreatic protocol CT (PPCT) on staging of disease., Methods: Patients evaluated at the our institute's pancreatic multidisciplinary clinic (2006 to 2014) with OH scan and repeat PPCT performed within 30 days were included. In-house radiologists staged disease using OH scans and repeat PPCT, and factors associated with misstaging were determined., Results: The study included 100 patients, with a median time between OH scan and PPCT of 19 days (IQR: 13-23 days.) Stage migration was mostly accounted for by upstaging of disease (58.8 % to 83.3 %) in all comparison groups. When OH scans were rereviewed, 21.5 % of the misstaging was due to missed metastases, however, when rereads were compared to the PPCT, occult metastases accounted for the majority of misstaged patients (62.5 %). Potential factors associated with misstaging were primarily related to imaging technique., Conclusion: A repeat PPCT results in increased detection of metastatic disease that rereviews of OH scans may otherwise miss. Accessible insurance coverage for repeat PPCT imaging even within 30 days of an OH scan could help optimize delivery of care and alleviate burdens associated with misstaging., Competing Interests: Declarations of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors display a wide range of biological behavior, and nodal disease is associated with metastatic disease and poorer survival. The aim of this study was to develop a tool to predict nodal disease in patients with small (≤2 cm) nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors., Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was performed on patients undergoing resection for small nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Patients with genetic syndromes, metastatic disease at diagnosis, neoadjuvant therapy, or positive resection margin were excluded. Factors associated with nodal disease were identified to develop a predictive model. Internal validation was performed using bootstrap with 1,000 resamples., Results: Nodal disease was observed in 39 (11.1%) of the 353 patients included. Presence of nodal disease was significantly associated with lower 5-year disease-free survival (71.6% vs 96.2%, P < .001). Two predictors were strongly associated with nodal disease: G2 grade (odds ratio: 3.51, 95% confidence interval: 1.71-7.22, P = .001) and tumor size (per mm increase, odds ratio: 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.25, P = .009). Adequate discrimination was observed with an area under the curve of 0.71 (95% confidence interval: 0.63-0.80). Based on risk distribution, 3 risk groups of nodal disease were identified; low (<5%), intermediate (≥5% to <20%), and high (≥20%) risk. The observed mean risk of nodal disease was 3.7% in the low-risk patients, 9.6% in the intermediate-risk patients, and 30.4% in the high-risk patients (P < .001). The 10-year disease-free survival in the low, intermediate, and high-risk groups was 100%, 88.8%, and 50.1%, respectively., Conclusion: Our model using tumor grade and size can predict nodal disease in small nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Integration of this tool into clinical practice could help guide management of these patients., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the third-leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in the US. While 20% of patients have resectable disease at diagnosis, improved control of systemic disease using effective chemotherapeutic regimens allows for aggressive operations involving complex vascular resection and reconstruction. A pancreas protocol computed tomography (PPCT) is the gold standard imaging modality in determining local resectability (degree of tumor-vessel involvement), however, it is limited by the inter-operator variability. While post-processing-3D-rendering helps, it does not allow for real-time dynamic assessment of resectability. A recent development in post-process-rendering called cinematic rendering (CR) overcomes this by utilizing advanced light modeling to generate photorealistic 3D images with enhanced details. Cinematic rendering allows for nuanced visualization of areas of interest. Our preliminary experience, as one of the first centers to incorporate the routine use of CR, has proven very useful in surgical planning. For local determination of resectability, vascular mapping allows for accurate assessment of major arteries and the portovenous system. For the portovenous anatomy it assists in determining the optimal surgical approach (extent of resection, appropriate technique for reconstruction, and need for mesocaval shunting). For arterial anatomy, vessel encasement either represents dissectible involvement via periadventitial dissection or true vessel invasion that is unresectable. CR could potentially provide superior ability than traditional PPCT to discern between the two. Additionally, CR allows for better 3D visualization of arterial anatomic variants which, if not appreciated preoperatively, increases risk of intraoperative ischemia and postoperative complications. Lastly, CR could help avoid unnecessary surgery by enhanced identification of occult metastatic disease that is metastatic disease that is otherwise not appreciated on a standard PPCT., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The unprecedented impact of the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic (COVID-19) has strained the healthcare system worldwide. The impact is even more profound on diseases requiring timely complex multidisciplinary care such as pancreatic cancer. Multidisciplinary care teams have been affected significantly in multiple ways as healthcare teams collectively acclimate to significant space limitations and shortages of personnel and supplies. As a result, many patients are now receiving suboptimal remote imaging for diagnosis, staging, and surgical planning for pancreatic cancer. In addition, the lack of face-to-face interactions between the physician and patient and between multidisciplinary teams has challenged patient safety, research investigations, and house staff education. In this study, we discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our high-volume pancreatic multidisciplinary clinic, the unique challenges faced, as well as the potential benefits that have arisen out of this situation. We also reflect on its implications for the future during and beyond the pandemic as we anticipate a hybrid model that includes a component of virtual multidisciplinary clinics as a means to provide accessible world-class healthcare for patients who require complex oncologic management., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Most patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are classified as nonoperative candidates based on the contemporary guidelines of resectability. The advent of more potent control of systemic disease using neoadjuvant chemotherapy has enabled more aggressive operative interventions. In our multidisciplinary practice, patients with Stage III, locally advanced pancreatic cancer and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) encasement are now carefully triaged with high quality, preoperative imaging to determine if they can be considered candidates for operative resection with periadventitial dissection of the SMA. Patients displaying a "halo sign," where the encased SMA remains fully patent and free from arterial invasion, are now candidates for SMA periadventitial dissection. This procedure involves the surgical stripping of the infiltrated neurolymphatic tissue off the SMA leaving behind a bare "skeletonized artery." Alternatively, the "string sign" involving the SMA confers a more likely case of arterial invasion, where a complete oncologic resection cannot be achieved successfully. This method of patient selection in case of SMA involvement abandons the traditional metrics of circumferential degrees of the arterial encasement to guide surgical decisions. Our institutional approach has allowed us to meaningfully expand our operative methods of resection with the potential for improved longitudinal outcomes to pancreatic cancer patients who were deprived historically from the more effective and possibly curative treatment., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: In pancreatic cancer, extensive tumor involvement of the mesenteric venous system poses formidable challenges to operative resection. Such involvement can result from cavernous collateral veins leading to increased intraoperative blood loss or long-segment vascular defects of not only just the superior mesenteric vein but also even jejunal/ileal branches. Strategies to facilitate margin-free resection and safe vascular reconstruction in pancreatic surgery are important, particularly because systemic control of the tumor is improving with multi-agent chemotherapy regimens., Methods: We describe a systematic, multidisciplinary assessment for patients with pancreatic cancer that involves the superior mesenteric vein, as well as the preoperative planning of those undergoing operative resection. In addition, detailed descriptions of operative approaches and technical strategies, which evolved with increasing experience at a high-volume center, are presented., Results: For the preoperative evaluation of tumor-free, vascular locations for potential reconstruction and collateralization, computed tomographic imaging with high-resolution of vascular structures (used with 3-dimensional or cinematic rendering) allows a precise calibration of radiographic data with intraoperative findings. From an operative perspective, we identified 5 potential strategies to consider for resection: collateral preservation, mesoportal bypass (preresection), mesoportal interposition graft (postresection), mesocaval shunt, and various combinations of these strategies. Many of these techniques use interposition grafts, making it essential to assess autologous veins (preferred conduit for reconstruction) or to prepare cryopreserved vascular allografts (an alternative conduit, which must be thawed and should be matched for size and blood type)., Conclusion: Herein we share operative strategies to overcome involvement of the superior mesenteric vein in pancreatic cancer. Improvements in preoperative planning and operative technique can address common barriers to resection with curative intent., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with high body mass index are associated with a higher risk of complications after open pancreatectomy. We aimed to investigate the perioperative outcome for patients with high body mass index after robotic pancreatectomy., Methods: This is a retrospective, propensity-score matched cohort analysis. From our prospectively maintained database, we identified consecutive patients with body mass index >25 who underwent robotic pancreatectomy between January 2016 and December 2018. Propensity score matching with open pancreatectomy was applied in 1:2 fashion based on age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, surgery type, histology, neoadjuvant therapy, and body mass index during the same study period., Results: A total of 127 patients were included. The mean age for all patients was 61.7 ± 12.8 years and 65 (51.2%) were male. Median body mass index was 29.9 (interquartile range, 27.0-31.8) for both groups. Propensity score matching provided equally distributed general demographic and clinicopathological factors. Robotic pancreatectomy was associated with decreased blood loss (100 mL vs 300 mL, P < .001) and shorter hospital stay (7 vs 9 days, P = .019)., Conclusion: Robotic pancreatectomy is associated with decreased blood loss and shorter length of hospital stay in overweight patients. Robotic approach may help alleviate morbidity in overweight patients undergoing pancreatectomy., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy is considered a standard approach, 10% to 40% of these are converted. The preoperative risk factors for conversion are not well described. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors associated with conversion., Methods: Clinicopathological variables of 211 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy between January 2007 and December 2015 at Johns Hopkins were analyzed to identify factors associated with conversion. Furthermore, the learning curve for laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy was studied., Results: On univariate analysis of diabetes mellitus, preoperative diagnosis of malignant disease, multiorgan resection, surgeons' years and case experience were significantly associated with conversion (all P < .05). Risk factors independently associated with conversion included diagnosis of malignant disease (odds ratio = 5.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.93-15.12, P = .001), multiorgan resection (odds ratio = 7.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.60-31.53, P = .01), and surgeons' case experience (odds ratio = 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.85, P = .023). Intraoperative reasons for conversion included presence of excessive intraabdominal and retroperitoneal fat (N = 10, 32.3%), adhesions (N = 10, 32.3%), extent of tumor invasion (N = 8, 25.8%), anatomy of vessels (N = 6, 19.4%), and intraoperative bleeding (N = 2, 6.5%)., Conclusion: Patients undergoing laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy with a preoperative diagnosis of malignant disease or possible multiorgan resection are at a higher risk of conversion. Surgeon experience of performing >15 procedures significantly reduces the risk of conversion., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)