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Background: The application of single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) to splenectomy is still challenging with much room for technical improvement. The purpose of this study was to describe the tug-exposure technique, an innovative technique for performing safe single-incision laparoscopic splenectomy (SILS-Sp).Methods: We performed SILS-Sp in ten consecutive adult patients with a variety of pathology requiring total splenectomy. A SILS™ Port with three 5-mm trocars was placed in the umbilicus as a single-access site. A flexible 5-mm laparoscope and an articulating grasper were used in addition to standard laparoscopic equipment. A cloth tape was introduced intraperitoneally to encircle and tug the splenic hilum. Both ends of the tape were extracted through an extra needle hole in the skin. Pulling the tape in appropriate directions provided excellent exposure of the splenic hilum (the tug-exposure technique). Under sufficient tension and exposure by tugging the spleen, a linear stapler was introduced for stapling and dividing the splenic hilum and the splenic artery and vein. The spleen was extracted through the umbilical wound within a retrieval bag. The umbilical wound was closed with subcutaneous sutures.Results: The tug-exposure technique was successfully used in all patients and markedly improved the exposure of the splenic hilum during SILS-Sp. The median intraoperative blood loss was 15 (range 0-1,000) ml. Only one patient (10%) required conversion to open surgery. Median operative time was 230 (range, 150-378) min, the median extracted spleen weight was 260 (range, 100-580) g, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 7 (range, 4-9) days. All patients were discharged uneventfully. The umbilical incision was nearly invisible at the 1-month follow-up.Conclusions: The tug-exposure technique is an innovative technique that enables easy and safe SILS splenectomy by experienced surgeons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Prognosis of pancreatic cancer is improved by combining postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with surgery, while the importance of extended dissection surgery has decreased. To better understand prognostic factors of recurrence, we focused on the timing of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer., Methods: One hundred patients who underwent pancreatectomy or pancreaticoduodenectomy and chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer were classified into early and late postoperative adjuvant therapy initiation groups. Prognosis was evaluated retrospectively using known prognostic factors., Results: On receiver operating characteristic analysis, optimum cut-off between the early (<52 days; n = 60) and late adjuvant initiation groups (≥52 days; n = 40) was 52 days. The two groups were well-matched, except the early initiation group had more surgeries with D2 lymph node dissection (75 % vs 48 %; p = 0.01); fewer postoperative complications (17 % vs 59 %; p = 0.04), including less postoperative pancreatic fistula (13 % vs 35 %; p = 0.03); and longer disease-free survival (0.7 years v 0.5 years; p = 0.02). On multivariate evaluation, early initiation and completion of adjuvant therapy were associated with increased overall survival, while early initiation was associated with prolonged disease-free survival., Conclusions: Prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer is improved by earlier rather than later initiation of postoperative adjuvant therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of changes in clinicopathological factors during preoperative chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, including skeletal muscle volume, on recurrence and prognosis after pancreatectomy., Methods: Data from 41 patients who underwent resection for pancreatic cancer after preoperative chemotherapy from 2012 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Skeletal muscle volume was substituted for the psoas muscle area (PMA) at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. We investigated the relationship of clinicopathological factors during preoperative chemotherapy with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The association between clinicopathological factors and a decrease in PMA was investigated., Results: In the multivariate analyses for DFS and OS, the factors associated with recurrence were as follows: decrease in PMA ( P = 0.003) and the absence of adjuvant therapy ( P = 0.03), and the factors associated with poor prognosis were as follows: decrease in PMA ( P = 0.04) and the absence of adjuvant therapy ( P = 0.008), and the resectability of borderline resectable and unresectable-locally advanced tumors ( P = 0.033). All patients with partial response according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1) had no decrease in PMA ( P = 0.01). The proportion of patients with Evans classification ≥ II was significantly higher in the group without a decrease in PMA ( P = 0.02). The proportion of patients with an average relative dose intensity of adjuvant therapy ≥0.6 was significantly higher in the group without a decrease in PMA ( P = 0.02)., Conclusion: Changes in preoperative skeletal muscle volume during preoperative chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer is a potential predictor of recurrence and prognosis after pancreatectomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purposes: The optimal surgical technique and perioperative management to prevent postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) formation after pancreaticoduodenectomy have not yet been established. This study examined the perioperative outcomes of pancreaticogastrostomy with endoscopic transgastric drainage., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 191 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between 2016 and 2023. They were divided into two groups: pancreaticojejunostomy group (n = 135) and pancreaticogastrostomy group (n = 56). We compared preoperative factors and postoperative outcomes. We performed endoscopic drainage only in the pancreaticogastrostomy group., Results: Preoperative factors were similar between the two groups. Operative time [480 (404-542) vs. 382 (346-458) minutes], blood loss [505 (270-850) vs. 315 (145-535) g], pseudoaneurysm formation (7 % vs. 0 %), and postoperative hospital stay [28 (22-38) vs. 19 (17-24) days] were significantly lower in the pancreaticogastrostomy group. In the analysis of 41 patients with POPF, postoperative hospital stay [40 (23-108) vs. 27 (18-54) days] and hospital stay after POPF diagnosis [30 (10-99) vs. 15 (5-35) days] were significantly shorter in the pancreaticogastrostomy group. Endoscopic transgastric drainage was performed in 77 % of patients in the pancreaticogastrostomy group, and drainage was successfully completed in all patients., Conclusion: Pancreaticogastrostomy with endoscopic transgastric drainage could be effective for the safe management of pancreaticoduodenectomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: Radiotherapy (RT) for advanced oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is effective, especially when combined with chemotherapy (CRT). However, its success can vary depending on factors, such as tumor stage, HPV infection (p16 status), and the patient's nutritional and immune status. This study examined the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and tumor immunity as predictive factors for treatment outcomes in OPC, aiming to develop a personalized risk score., Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 84 patients with OPC treated with definitive RT or CRT, and survival outcomes were compared based on various factors, including BMI, CONUT score, CD8 expression, and HLA class II expression., Results: We observed better overall survival (OS) rates in CD8-positive patients and those with higher HLA class II expression. The univariate analysis identified stage, p16 status, BMI, CONUT score, and CD8 expression as significantly associated with OS. In multivariate analysis, stage, BMI, and CONUT score remained significant predictors of OS. A risk scoring system was developed based on stage, p16 status, BMI, CONUT score, and CD8 expression. Patients were categorized into low-risk and high-risk groups, with significantly better survival in the low-risk group., Conclusion: A combined risk score incorporating clinical, nutritional, and immune factors can improve the prediction of treatment outcomes for OPC patients. This risk stratification may enable personalized treatment plans and improve ΟS rates., Competing Interests: The Authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in relation to this study., (©2024 The Author(s). Published by the International Institute of Anticancer Research.)

Background/aim: The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for isolated locoregional recurrence after pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer., Patients and Methods: Twenty-eight patients who had isolated locoregional recurrence after pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer between 2007 and 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. We investigated the effect of the treatment method [radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy (radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy)] on progression-free survival (PFS) and post-recurrence survival (PRS)., Results: The median disease-free survival was 16.1 months (range=4.7-47.1 months). Five patients received radiotherapy and 21 patients received chemoradiotherapy [radiotherapy concurrent with gemcitabine (GEM) or S-1] for locoregional recurrence. All patients except one patient with interstitial pneumonia were treated with salvage chemotherapy after irradiation. The median PFS rates of the radiotherapy group and the chemoradiotherapy group were 2.8 months (range=1.5-5.4 months) and 16.8 months (range=2.7-42.8 months), respectively. The median PRS rates were 23.7 months (range=8.1-26.4 months) for the radiotherapy group and 26.2 months (range=6.0-64.7 months) for the chemoradiotherapy group. Multivariate analysis identified radiotherapy [hazard ratio (HR)=12.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=3.29-45.6, p<0.001] and serum DUPAN-2 >150 U/ml (HR=2.90, 95%CI=1.22-6.93, p=0.02) as independent predictors of PFS, and UICC TNM Stage ≥III (HR=3.23, 95%CI=1.17-8.96, p=0.02) and modified Glasgow prognostic score before the treatment for the recurrence 1 or 2 (HR=3.05, 95%CI=1.15-8.08, p=0.03) as independent predictors of PRS., Conclusion: Chemoradiotherapy for isolated locoregional recurrence after pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer could suppress re-recurrence more effectively than radiotherapy., (Copyright © 2024 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), an indicator of systemic arteriosclerosis, is associated with short- and long-term outcomes in malignancies. We investigated the prognostic impact of AAC in patients who underwent hepatectomy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC)., Methods: The study cohort comprised 46 patients who underwent hepatectomy for IHCC between January 2008 and September 2020. The AAC volume measured by preoperative computed tomography was used to construct a model of the calcified segment from the renal artery to the common iliac artery bifurcation. We investigated the relationship between AAC and the long-term outcomes. The AAC volume cutoff value was calculated from a receiver-operating characteristic curve based on the three-year survival., Results: According to our cutoff AAC volume of 3,700 mm 3 , 11 patients (24%) had high AAC volumes. The high-AAC group was significantly older than the low-AAC group (73 vs. 62 years old, p < 0.01). A multivariate analysis of the cancer-specific survival showed that a high serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 concentration (hazard ratio [HR] 5.57, p = 0.01), high AAC volume (HR 3.03, p = 0.04), and [high?] T3 or T4 levels (HR 9.05, p < 0.01) were independently associated with a poor prognosis., Conclusion: AAC is a useful predictor of the oncological prognosis in patients undergoing hepatectomy for IHCC., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Background/aim: This study evaluated the association between programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and prognosis in patients with cervical cancer treated with postoperative radiation and the impact of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) on this association., Patients and Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on biopsy specimens from 42 patients who did not receive NAC and from paired samples before (biopsies) and after (resected tissues) chemotherapy from 46 patients who received NAC to determine the association of PD-L1 with radiotherapy outcomes., Results: In the non-NAC group, patients with ≥10% PD-L1-expressing tumor cells prior to treatment had better recurrence-free survival (RFS) than those with <10% PD-L1-expressing tumor cells (p=0.001). In the NAC group, RFS was significantly lower (p=0.005) in the group with a ≥5% reduction of PD-L1 expression in tumor cells after chemotherapy than in those with <5% reduction. In multivariate analysis, only PD-L1 expression (non-NAC group) and the change in PD-L1 expression (NAC group) were associated with RFS., Conclusion: Low PD-L1 expression in a cervical tumor prior to treatment was identified as a risk factor for a poor outcome after postoperative radiotherapy. Furthermore, NAC induces an immunological shift that reduces PD-L1 levels in tumor cells, thereby negatively impacting treatment outcomes., (Copyright © 2024 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study examined the impact of osteosarcopenia on recurrence and the prognosis after resection for extrahepatic biliary tract cancer (EBTC)., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 138 patients after resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (11), distal cholangiocarcinoma (54), gallbladder carcinoma (30), or ampullary carcinoma (43). Osteosarcopenia is defined as the concomitant occurrence of osteopenia and sarcopenia. We investigated the relationship between osteosarcopenia and the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in univariate and multivariate analyses., Results: Osteosarcopenia was identified in 38 patients (27.5%) before propensity score (PS) matching. In the multivariate analysis, the independent recurrence factors were the prognostic nutrition index (p = 0.015), osteosarcopenia (p < 0.001), poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (p = 0.004), perineural invasion (p = 0.002), and non-curability (p = 0.008), whereas the independent prognostic factors were prognostic nutrition index (p = 0.030), osteosarcopenia (p < 0.001), poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (p = 0.007), lymphatic invasion (p = 0.018), and non-curability (p = 0.004). After PS matching, there was no significant difference in the variables between the patients with and without osteosarcopenia (n = 34 each). The 5-year DFS and OS after PS matching in patients with osteosarcopenia were significantly worse than in patients without osteosarcopenia (17.6% vs. 38.8%, p = 0.013 and 20.6% vs. 57.4%, p = 0.0005, respectively)., Conclusions: Preoperative osteosarcopenia could predict the DFS and OS of patients after resection for EBTC., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Background/aim: Automated measurement of immunostained samples can enable more convenient and objective prediction of treatment outcome from radiotherapy. We aimed to validate the performance of the QuPath image analysis software in immune cell markers detection by comparing QuPath cell counting results with those of physician manual cell counting., Patients and Methods: CD8- and FoxP3-stained cervical, CD8-stained oropharyngeal, and Ku70-stained prostate cancer tumor sections were analyzed in 104 cervical, 92 oropharyngeal, and 58 prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy at our Institution., Results: QuPath and manual counts were highly correlated. When divided into two groups using ROC curves, the agreement between QuPath and manual counts was 89.4% for CD8 and 88.5% for FoxP3 in cervical cancer, 87.0% for CD8 in oropharyngeal cancer and 80.7% for Ku70 in prostate cancer. In cervical cancer, the high CD8 group based on QuPath counts had a better prognosis and the low CD8 group had a significantly worse prognosis [p=0.0003; 5-year overall survival (OS), 65.9% vs. 34.7%]. QuPath counts were more predictive than manual counts. Similar results were observed for FoxP3 in cervical cancer (p=0.002; 5-year OS, 62.1% vs. 33.6%) and CD8 in oropharyngeal cancer (p=0.013; 5-year OS, 80.2% vs. 47.2%). In prostate cancer, high Ku70 group had worse and low group significantly better outcome [p=0.007; 10-year progression-free survival (PFS), 56.0% vs. 93.8%]., Conclusion: QuPath showed a strong correlation with manual counting, confirming its utility and accuracy and potential applicability in clinical practice., (Copyright © 2024, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: We investigated the prognostic impact of osteosarcopenia, defined as the combination of osteopenia and sarcopenia, in patients undergoing pancreatic resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)., Methods: The relationship of osteosarcopenia with disease-free survival and overall survival was analyzed in 183 patients who underwent elective pancreatic resection for PDAC. Computed tomography was used to measure the pixel density in the midvertebral core of the 11th thoracic vertebra for evaluation of osteopenia and in the psoas muscle area of the 3rd lumbar vertebra for evaluation of sarcopenia. Osteosarcopenia was defined as the simultaneous presence of both osteopenia and sarcopenia. The study employed a retrospective design to examine the relationship between osteosarcopenia and survival outcomes., Results: Osteosarcopenia was identified in 61 (33%) patients. In the univariate analysis, disease-free survival was significantly worse in patients with male sex (p = 0.031), pathological stage ≥ III PDAC (p = 0.001), NLR, ≥ 2.71 (p = 0.041), sarcopenia (p = 0.027), osteopenia (p = 0.001), and osteosarcopenia (p < 0.001), and overall survival was significantly worse in patients with male sex (p = 0.001), pathological stage ≥ III PDAC (p = 0.001), distal pancreatectomy (p = 0.025), sarcopenia (p = 0.003), osteopenia (p < 0.001), and osteosarcopenia (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of disease-free survival were osteosarcopenia (p < 0.001) and pathological stage ≥ III PDAC (p = 0.002), and the independent predictors of overall survival were osteosarcopenia (p < 0.001), male sex (p = 0.006) and pathological stage ≥ III PDAC (p = 0.001)., Conclusion: Osteosarcopenia has an adverse prognostic impact on long-term outcomes in patients undergoing pancreatic resection for PDAC., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: Signal intensity ratio of pancreas to spleen (SI ratio p/s ) on fat-suppressed T1-weighted images of magnetic resonance imaging has been associated with pancreatic exocrine function. We here investigated the predictive value of the SI ratio p/s for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD)., Materials and Methods: This study comprised 208 patients who underwent PD. NAFLD was defined as a liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio of <0.9 calculated by a computed tomography 1 year after surgery. SI ratio p/s was calculated by dividing the average pancreas SI by the spleen SI. We retrospectively investigated the association of clinical variables including the SI ratio p/s and NAFLD by univariate and multivariate analyses., Results: NAFLD after 1 year was developed in 27 patients (13%). In multivariate analysis, the SI ratio p/s < 1 ( P < 0.001) was an independent predictor of incidence of NAFLD. The SI ratio p/s < 1 was associated with low amylase level of the pancreatic juice ( P < 0.001) and progressed pancreatic fibrosis ( P = 0.017). According to the receiver operating characteristics curve, the SI ratio p/s had better prognostic ability of NAFLD than the remnant pancreas volume., Conclusions: The SI ratio p/s is useful to predict NAFLD development after PD. Moreover, the SI ratio p/s can be a surrogate marker, which represents exocrine function of the pancreas., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The preoperative platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been reported as an important prognostic index for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); however, the significance of the postoperative (post-op) PLR for this disease has not been elucidated., Methods: We analyzed data on 118 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head PDAC, collected from a prospectively maintained database. The post-op PLR was obtained by dividing the platelet count after surgery by the lymphocyte count on post-op day (POD) 14. The patients were divided into two groups according to a post-op PLR of < 310 or ≥ 310. Survival data were analyzed., Results: A high post-op PLR was identified as a significant prognostic index on univariate analysis for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The post-op PLR remained significant, along with tumor differentiation and adjuvant chemotherapy, on multivariate analysis for OS (hazard ratio = 2.077, 95% confidence interval: 1.220-3.537; p = 0.007). The post-op PLR was a significant independent prognostic index for poor DFS, along with tumor differentiation and lymphatic invasion, on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 1.678, 95% confidence interval: 1.056-2.667; p = 0.028)., Conclusions: The post-op PLR in patients with pancreatic head PDAC was an independent predictor of DFS and OS after elective resection., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.)

Aim: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma treatment is mainly based on the anatomical resectability classification. However, prognosis-based classification may be more reasonable. In this study, we stratified resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma according to preoperative factors and reconsidered treatment strategies., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 131 patients who underwent upfront surgery for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2019. Recurrence within 1 year after surgery was defined as early recurrence, and the risk factors for early recurrence were identified using preoperative factors. Subsequently, we calculated the scores and stratified the participant groups., Results: Fifty-five (42 %) patients who relapsed within 1 year showed significantly poorer survival than those without recurrence (median overall survival, 14.0 vs. 80.6 months; p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that a tumor diameter of ≥24 mm (p < 0.01) and preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level of ≥380 U/mL (p = 0.04) were the independent risk factors for early recurrence. Early recurrence score was created using these factors, stratifying the participant group into three groups of 0-2 points, and the prognosis was significantly different (median overall survival, 49.3 vs. 31.2 vs. 16.0 months; p < 0.01)., Conclusion: We stratified the upfront surgical cases of resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The group with a score of 0 had a good prognosis, and upfront surgery was possibly not futile on patients in poor general condition. The group with a score of 2 had a poor prognosis and may require stronger preoperative treatment., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Pancreatic cancer in contact with the superior mesenteric vein/portal vein is classified as resectable pancreatic cancer; however, the biological malignancy and treatment strategy have not been clarified., Methods: Data from 186 patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer were evaluated using a prospectively maintained database. The patients were classified as having resectable tumors without superior mesenteric vein/portal vein contact and with superior mesenteric vein/portal vein contact of ≤180°. Disease-free survival, overall survival, and prognostic factors were analyzed., Results: In the univariate analysis, superior mesenteric vein/portal vein contact in resectable pancreatic cancer was a significant prognostic index for disease-free survival and overall survival. In the multivariate analysis for poor disease-free survival, the superior mesenteric vein/portal vein contact remained significant (hazard ratio = 2.13, 95% confidence interval: 1.29-3.51; p < 0.01). In the multivariate analysis, superior mesenteric vein/portal vein contact was a significant independent prognostic index for overall survival (hazard ratio = 2.17, 95% confidence interval: 1.27-3.70; p < 0.01), along with sex, tumor differentiation, nodal involvement, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Portal vein resection for superior mesenteric vein/portal vein contact did not improve the overall survival (p = 0.86)., Conclusions: Superior mesenteric vein/portal vein contact in resectable pancreatic cancer was found to be an independent predictor of disease-free survival and overall survival after elective resection. Thus, pancreatic cancer in contact with the superior mesenteric vein/portal vein may be considered as borderline resectable pancreatic cancer., Competing Interests: Declaration 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Preoperative intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy (IACRT) can improve the outcome and reduce the extent of surgery in patients with advanced oral cancer. However, the response to this regimen varies among patients, which may be related to the immune status of the tumor. We investigated the effects of proteins involved in tumor immunity on the outcomes of combined IACRT and surgery for oral cancer. We examined CD8 + and FoxP3 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on immune cells and tumor cells in pretreatment biopsy samples from 69 patients diagnosed with oral cancer treated with IACRT at our institution during 2000-2020. Patients with abundant CD8 + TILs had significantly better 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) compared to that of patients with less infiltration of these cells (P = 0.016). Patients with higher FoxP3 + T-cells invasion had significantly better DSS compared to that of less FoxP3 (P = 0.005). Patients with high PD-L1 expression in tumor cells and immune cells had significantly better DSS than that of patients with low PD-L1 expression in these cells (P = 0.009 and P = 0.025, respectively). Collectively, these results suggest that the tumor immune microenvironment could affect outcomes of IACRT treatment in oral cancer., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society for Clinical Molecular Morphology.)

Radiation can induce DNA double-stranded breaks, which are typically detected by the fluorescence of phosphorylated histone H2AX. In this study, we examined the usefulness of the dynamics of radiation-induced gamma-H2AX foci of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs), as a marker of DNA repair ability, in predicting late adverse events from radiotherapy. A total of 46 patients with cervical, vaginal and anal canal cancers treated with radical radiotherapy between 2014 and 2019 were included in this analysis. Concurrent chemotherapy was administered in 36 cases (78.3%). Peripheral blood was obtained before treatment, and then irradiated ex vivo with 1 Gy X-ray. The ratio of radiation-induced gamma-H2AX foci in PBLs measured at 30 min and at 4 h was defined as the foci decay ratio (FDR). With a median follow-up of 54 months, 9 patients (19.6%) were observed to have late genitourinary or gastrointestinal (GU/GI) toxicity. The FDR ranged from 0.51 to 0.74 (median 0.59), with a significantly higher incidence of Grade 1 or higher late adverse events in the FDR ≥ 0.59 group. In multivariate analysis, FDR ≥ 0.59 and hypertension also emerged as significant factors associated with the development of late toxicities. Overall, our results suggest that measurement of radiation-induced gamma-H2AX foci in PBLs may predict the risk of late GU/GI toxicities from chemoradiotherapy, which can enable tailoring the radiation dose to minimize adverse effects., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japanese Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.)

Background/aim: Surgical resection is recommended for nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NF-pNENs). However, metastasis is rare in patients with small lesions with histological grade 1 (G1); thus, observation is an optional treatment approach for small NF-pNENs. Texture analysis (TA) is an imaging analysis mode for quantification of heterogeneity by extracting quantitative parameters from images. We retrospectively evaluated the utility of TA in predicting histological grade of resected NF-pNENs in a multicenter retrospective study., Patients and Methods: The utility of TA in preoperative prediction of grade were evaluated with 29 patients treated by pancreatectomy for NF-pNEN who underwent preoperative dynamic computed tomography scan between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2020 at three hospitals affiliated with the Jikei University School of Medicine. TA was performed with dedicated software for medical imaging processing for determining histological tumor grade using dynamic computed tomography images., Results: Histological tumor grades based on the 2017 World Health Organization Classification for Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms were grade 1, 2 and 3 in 18, 10 and one patient, respectively. Preoperative grades by TA were 1 and 2/3 in 15 and 14 patients, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve for TA-oriented grade 1 lesions were 1.00, 0.889 and 0.965 (95% confidence interval=0.901-1.000), respectively., Conclusion: TA is useful for predicting grade 2/3 NF-pNEN and can provide a safe option for observation for patients with small grade 1 lesions., Competing Interests: All the Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare in relation to this study., (Copyright 2023, International Institute of Anticancer Research.)

Background/aim: This study aimed to identify the optimal duration of pretreatment for unresectable locally advanced (UR-LA) pancreatic cancer and analyze its effect on the prognosis., Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 39 patients with UR-LA pancreatic cancer after pancreatectomy. The cutoff period of preoperative therapy was determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve. We investigated the relationship between preoperative and intraoperative clinical variables and overall survival (OS) in univariate and multivariate analyses. The relationship between the preoperative therapy duration and the clinicopathological variables was investigated. OS was compared according to preoperative therapy duration and the presence or absence of adjuvant surgery., Results: After pretreatment, 15 patients underwent adjuvant surgery and 24 patients continued on chemotherapy without surgery. The multivariate analysis demonstrated preoperative therapy duration ≥6 months was an independent prognostic factor [hazard ratio (HR)=0.10, p=0.04]. No significant difference in the clinicopathological variables was observed between the two groups according to preoperative therapy duration. The OS was significantly better in patients who underwent adjuvant surgery after preoperative therapy duration ≥6 months than in those after preoperative therapy duration <6 months and in those without adjuvant surgery (5-year OS rates: 80% vs. 0%; p=0.01 and 5-year OS rates: 80% vs. 0%; p=0.004, respectively). The OS was not significantly better in patients with adjuvant surgery after preoperative therapy duration <6 months than in those without adjuvant surgery (2-year OS rates: 45.7% vs. 38.1%; p=0.98)., Conclusion: Preoperative therapy for UR-LA pancreatic cancer for ≥6 months is necessary to improve prognosis after adjuvant surgery., (Copyright © 2023 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have reported that laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) has an advantage in reducing blood loss over open distal pancreatectomy (ODP). This study was performed to investigate whether blood loss is truly reduced in LDP., Methods: A total of 113 patients undergoing DP from 2014 to 2022 were classified into Open and LDP groups and compared by statistical analysis. Estimated blood loss (EBL) was calculated from the perioperative changes in the hematocrit, hemoglobin, or red blood cell volume, and actual blood loss (ABL) was taken from the operative record., Results: ABL was significantly lower in the LDP than ODP group (50[5-1350] vs 335 [5-1950] ml, P < .01). However, there were no significant differences in EBL calculated from the hematocrit (406 [66-1990] vs 540 [23-1490] ml, P = .14), hemoglobin, or red blood cell volume. EBL showed more linear correlations with ABL in the ODP group (r = 0.64-0.73) than in the LDP group (r = 0.52-0.57). In the multivariate analysis for ABL, ODP (P = .02) and operative time (P < .01) were significant factors. In contrast, no significant factors were found for EBL., Conclusions: Intraoperative blood loss may be underestimated in LDP, and a new evaluation method needs to be established., (© 2023 Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.)

Aims: Immediate bleeding after cold snare polypectomy (CSP) for colorectal polyps might interfere with confirmation of residuals and prolong the time required for resection. We investigated whether submucosal epinephrine-added saline injection reduces the time required for the CSP procedure., Methods: We conducted a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial (clinical trial registration number: UMIN000046770). Patients with colorectal polyps ≤ 10 mm were randomly allocated to either CSP with epinephrine-added submucosal injection (CEMR group) or conventional CSP (CSP group). The primary outcome was the time required for resection defined as the time from the initiation of resection (the first insertion of the snare in the CSP group or the injection needle in the CEMR group) to the end of resection (confirming complete resection endoscopically after recognizing the cessation of immediate bleeding) in each lesion, and the secondary outcome was the time to spontaneous cessation of immediate bleeding after resection defined as the time from ensnaring the lesion to confirming the spontaneous cessation of immediate bleeding., Results: A total of 126 patients were randomly assigned. Finally, 261 lesions in 118 patients (CEMR group, n = 59; CSP group, n = 59) were analyzed. The time required for resection calculated using the least-square mean was significantly shorter in the CEMR group (106.3 s, 95% CI 97.5 to 115.4 s) than in the CSP group (130.9 s, 95% CI 121.2 to 140.7 s) (P < 0.001). The time to spontaneous cessation of immediate bleeding was also significantly shorter in the CEMR group (20.4 s, 95% CI 14.3 to 26.5 s) than in the CSP group (74.2 s, 95% CI 67.6 to 80.7 s) (P < 0.001). Neither group had cases requiring hemostasis, perforation, or delayed bleeding., Conclusions: CEMR shortened the time for resection by shortening the time to cessation of immediate bleeding compared with conventional CSP in colorectal polyps ≤ 10 mm., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Katagiri et al.)

Background: Although primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is considered a good indication for living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), the postoperative results are not well known., Methods: At Jikei University Hospital, 14 patients with PBC underwent LDLT from February 2007 to June 2022. We consider PBC with a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score of <20 to indicate LDLT. We performed a retrospective analysis of the patients' clinical records., Results: The patients' median age was 53 years, and 12 of the 14 patients were female. A right graft was used in 5 patients, and 3 ABO-incompatible transplants were performed. The living donors were children in 6 cases, partners in 4 cases, and siblings in 4 cases. The preoperative MELD scores ranged from 11 to 19 (median, 15). The graft-to-recipient weight ratio ranged from 0.8 to 1.1 (median, 1.0). The median operative time for donors and recipients was 481 and 712 minutes, respectively. The median operative blood loss of donors and recipients was 173 and 1,800 mL, respectively. The median postoperative hospital stay of donors and recipients was 10 and 28 days, respectively. All recipients recovered satisfactorily and remained well during a median follow-up of 7.3 years. Three patients underwent a liver biopsy after LDLT because of acute cellular rejection without histologic findings of PBC recurrence., Conclusions: Living-donor liver transplantation provides satisfactory long-term survival for patients with PBC with a graft-to-recipient weight ratio of >0.7 and MELD score of <20 without hepatocellular damage and only portal vein hypertension., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Horiuchi and colleagues assessed the benefits of adding the Pringle maneuver to laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis. Compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy without the Pringle maneuver, including it reduced intraoperative bleeding. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy with the Pringle maneuver is a safe and feasible option that avoids conversion to open laparotomy and prevents serious complications., (© 2022 Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.)