Pain in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A multidisciplinary,International guideline for optimized management

Abdominal pain is an important symptom in most patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Adequate control of pain is often unsatisfactory due to limited treatment options and significant variation in local practice, emphasizing the need for a multidisciplinary approach. This review contends that improvement in the management of PDAC pain will result from a synthesis of best practice and evidence around the world in a multidisciplinary way. To improve clinical utility and evaluation, the evidence was rated according to the GRADE guidelines by a group of international experts. An algorithm is presented, which brings together all currently available treatment options. Pain is best treated early on with analgesics with most patients requiring opioids, but neurolytic procedures are often required later in the disease course. Celiac plexus neurolysis offers medium term relief in a substantial number of patients, but other procedures such as splanchnicectomy are also available. Palliative chemotherapy also provides pain relief as a collateral benefit. It is stressed that the assessment of pain must take into account the broader context of other physical and psychological symptoms. Adjunctive treatments for pain, depression and anxiety as well as radiotherapy, endoscopic therapy and neuromodulation may be required in selected patients. There are few comparative studies to help define which combination and order of these treatment options should be applied. New pain therapies are emerging and could for example target neural transmitters. However, until better methods are available, management of pain should be individualized in a multidisciplinary setting to ensure optimal care.     

Update on pituitary surgery

Transsphenoidal surgery has an important role in the management of pituitary tumors and remains the primary treatment for most adenomas, with the exception of prolactinomas. This update will review the recent neurosurgical literature; modifications to the traditional microscopic approach, including the potential utility of endoscopy and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging, are discussed. The value of experienced surgical judgment and expertise remains clear, over and above the possible advantages of current technology. Preliminary data on the relative cost-effectiveness of surgery vs. medical treatment suggest that surgical approaches compare favorably. It will be important to incorporate future technological advances in surgical technique with new medical therapies in a combined multidisciplinary approach for improved treatment algorithms.     

Critical review of the management of early-stage breast cancer in elderly women

The treatment of elderly women (> or =70 years) with early-stage breast cancer is an emerging clinical problem in the setting of an ageing population. There is a lack of clinical trial evidence to formulate clinical guidelines for management because of the small number of elderly women included in previous clinical trials of adjuvant therapy. This often results in elderly patients being denied standard management based on age alone. The often-complex interaction between age, comorbid conditions and function complicate the planning and outcomes of surgery and can have an effect on the delivery of postoperative adjuvant therapy. A comprehensive assessment of the elderly patient is essential to determine overall prognosis and morbidity risk from treatments; however, a simple comorbidity scale for use in routine clinical practice remains elusive. Thus, treatment decisions should be tailored to the individual to ensure that therapies are not unduly withheld and are appropriate for the patient's overall condition. The assessment of the elderly patient with breast cancer requires the involvement of a multidisciplinary team. The evidence for efficacy, safety and potential risks of surgery and adjuvant therapies (including radiotherapy, hormone therapy and chemotherapy) in the elderly population is discussed in this review and the role of comprehensive geriatric assessment is outlined.     

Home parenteral and enteral nutrition

Home parenteral and enteral nutrition (HPEN) has evolved to become a very successful, lifesaving treatment in the management of patients with intestinal and oral failure, respectively. Nevertheless, the provision of HPEN remains intrusive, expensive, and continues to be associated with significant morbidity. The management of HPEN by a nutrition support team that optimally includes an experienced clinician, nurse specialist, dietitian, and pharmacist reduces HPEN-related morbidity and may reduce costs associated with its use. Because clinical expertise in the management of patients receiving HPEN is not widely available, the referral of these patients to experienced centers for periodic assessment should be encouraged.     

Can radiotherapy salvage isolated local recurrence following radical prostatectomy?

The optimal management of isolated local recurrence of prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy remains unknown. Salvage radiotherapy to the prostatic bed is one of management options. This article reviews the efficacy of salvage radiotherapy. The available data suggest that salvage radiotherapy offers excellent clinical local control. However, the probability of long-term disease free survival with salvage radiotherapy alone appears small as a significant proportion of patients develop distant metastases and rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) following radiotherapy. A strategy of combining systemic therapy with local salvage treatment needs to be explored for this poor prognostic group.     

肝细胞癌诊治中的若干问题

随着肝细胞癌（HCC）肿瘤标志物和CT／MRI诊断的应用、手术切除及局部消融等治疗方法的进步,使HCC的5年生存率达到了63．4％。但是由于我国HCC早期诊断水平的不均衡,可进行手术切除的病例仅仅有20％～30％。对于高危人群定期开展血清肿瘤标志物和肝脏超声检查;提高三期动态增强CT和Gd—DTPA增强MRI等影像学诊断水平,同时积极开展多学科会诊,制定个性化治疗方案和减少术后肝功能衰竭发生等若干问题,是提高我国HCC早期诊断水平,提高治疗效果,延长生存期的有效手段。     

Clinical review 110: Diagnosis and treatment of pituitary tumors

We are fortunate to have multiple safe and effective therapeutic options available for the treatment of pituitary tumors. These options include medical therapy, transsphenoidal surgery and radiotherapy. The treatment of choice depends on the type of pituitary tumor. The majority, of PRL-secreting tumors can be effectively treated with dopamine agonists. Transsphenoidal surgery is also an effective option for patients who are resistant to or intolerant of these drugs. Transsphenoidal surgery remains the treatment of choice for the majority of patients with GH, ACTH, and TSH-secreting tumors and for large nonsecreting tumors. Medical therapy with somatostatin analogs and/or dopamine agonists should be undertaken in patients with persistent elevations of GH and IGF-I levels; radiotherapy should be considered for patients with significant residual tumor in whom medical therapy is unsuccessful. Radiotherapy is also indicated for ACTH-secreting tumors not cured by surgery; medical therapy with ketoconazole and other adrenal enzyme inhibitors can be used as adjunctive therapy to lower cortisol levels. Postoperative radiotherapy for nonsecreting tumors is also an option if there is considerable residual tumor or evidence of tumor growth on follow-up MRI. Evaluation and treatment of hypopituitarism is an important part of the management of all patients with pituitary tumors. Patients also should be monitored for the development of new deficits, particularly after radiotherapy. The development of new medical therapies, such as GH antagonists, as well as refinements of surgical, radiotherapy, and imaging techniques should continue to improve our management of pituitary tumors.     

Bariatric surgery for diabetes: the International Diabetes Federation takes a position

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity are both complex and chronic medical disorders, each with an escalating worldwide prevalence. When obesity is severe, and/or available medical therapies fail to control the diabetes, bariatric surgery becomes a cost-effective therapy for T2D. When there are other major comorbidities and cardiovascular risk, the option of bariatric surgery becomes even more worthy of consideration. National guidelines for bariatric surgery need to be developed and implemented for people with T2D. With this in mind, the International Diabetes Federation convened a multidisciplinary working group to develop a position statement. The key recommendations cover describing those eligible for surgery and who should be prioritized, incorporating bariatric surgery into T2D treatment algorithms, performing surgery in centers with multidisciplinary teams that are experienced in the management of both obesity and diabetes, and developing bariatric surgery registries and reporting standards.     

Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is a serious health problem, with nearly 500000 women developing the disease each year worldwide. Most cases occur in less developed countries where no effective screening systems are available. Risk factors include exposure to human papillomavirus, smoking, and immune-system dysfunction. Most women with early-stage tumours can be cured, although long-term morbidity from treatment is common. Results of randomised clinical trials have shown that for women with locally advanced cancers, chemoradiotherapy should be regarded as the standard of care; however, the applicability of this treatment to women in less developed countries remains largely untested. Many women with localised (stage IB) tumours even now receive various combinations of surgery and radiotherapy, despite unresolved concern about the morbidity of this approach compared with definitive radiotherapy or radical surgery. Treatment of recurrent cervical cancer remains largely ineffective. Quality of life should be taken into account in treatment of women with primary and recurrent cervical cancer.     

Stereotactic Linear Accelerator Radiotherapy for Pituitary Tumors

Last decade has seen important advances in radiotherapy technology which combine precise tumor localization with accurate targeted delivery of radiation. This technique of high precision conformal radiotherapy, described as stereotactic radiotherapy or radiosurgery, uses modern linear accelerators available in most radiation oncology departments. The article describes the new technique as applied to the treatment of pituitary adenoma and reviews published clinical results.     

Recommendations on multidisciplinary management of elective surgery in people with haemophilia

Planning and undertaking elective surgery in people with haemophilia (PWH) is most effective with the involvement of a specialist and experienced multidisciplinary team (MDT) at a haemophilia treatment centre. However, despite extensive best practice guidelines for surgery in PWH, there may exist a gap between guidelines and practical application. For this consensus review, an expert multidisciplinary panel comprising surgeons, haematologists, nurses, physiotherapists and a dental expert was assembled to develop practical approaches to implement the principles of multidisciplinary management of elective surgery for PWH. Careful preoperative planning is paramount for successful elective surgery, including dental examinations, physical assessment and prehabilitation, laboratory testing and the development of haemostasis and pain management plans. A coordinator may be appointed from the MDT to ensure that critical tasks are performed and milestones met to enable surgery to proceed. At all stages, the patient and their parent/caregiver, where appropriate, should be consulted to ensure that their expectations and functional goals are realistic and can be achieved. The planning phase should ensure that surgery proceeds without incident, but the surgical team should be ready to handle unanticipated events. Similarly, the broader MDT must be made aware of events in surgery that may require postoperative plans to be changed. Postoperative rehabilitation should begin soon after surgery, with attention paid to management of haemostasis and pain. Surgery in patients with inhibitors requires even more careful preparation and should only be undertaken by an MDT experienced in this area, at a specialized haemophilia treatment centre with a comprehensive care model.     

Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary embolism: a multidisciplinary approach

The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) is frequently considered in patients presenting to the emergency department or when hospitalized. Although early treatment is highly effective, PE is underdiagnosed and, therefore, the disease remains a major health problem. Since symptoms and signs are non specific and the consequences of anticoagulant treatment are considerable, objective tests to either establish or refute the diagnosis have become a standard of care. Diagnostic strategy should be based on clinical evaluation of the probability of PE. The accuracy of diagnostic tests for PE are high when the results are concordant with the clinical assessment. Additional testing is necessary when the test results are inconsistent with clinical probability. The present review article represents the consensus-based recommendations of the Interdisciplinary Association for Research in Lung Disease (AIMAR) multidisciplinary Task Force for diagnosis and treatment of PE. The aim of this review is to provide clinicians a practical diagnostic and therapeutic management approach using evidence from the literature.     

Update on advances and controversy in rectal cancer treatment

Changes in the multidisciplinary treatment of rectal cancer have been recently proposed. We performed a comprehensive review of the current data on neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer, focussing on chemoradiotherapy treatment and timing of surgery. Six components were proposed as the framework for the treatment of rectal cancer: neoadjuvant therapy and changing patterns in patient selection, long- or short-course radiotherapy, adverse effects of radiotherapy, timing of surgery, non-operative management of rectal cancer and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Lack of a consistent difference in terms of local recurrence has been observed between short-course radiotherapy and long-course chemoradiotherapy. Indications for preoperative radiotherapy have been reconsidered in the last years. An interval of 10–11 weeks seemed to be the optimal timing, with no impact on patient safety. Since assessment criteria of clinical complete response are not well defined, and the basis for non-operative management of rectal cancer is still not clear, further investigations are required. There is controversy about standard treatments for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer that are being analyzed by ongoing studies. Tailored treatments could avoid over-treatment for a large number of patients without any impairment of the oncologic results.     

Thromboembolism occurrence and diagnosis in the medical intensive care unit

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) represents an unrelenting and formidable challenge in the critical care setting even for the most experienced clinician. The morbidity and mortality attributed to untreated VTE have been substantiated by increasing series of epidemiologic and postmortem studies. As a larger group of the general population grows older, with increasing requirements for critical care services, challenges for the intensivist in the diagnosis and management of VTE are expected to grow. Moreover, despite the tremendous development of many critical care technologies, complexities of medical conditions commonly encountered in the critically ill have detracted from suspicion of VTE and made prompt recognition difficult. The approach to diagnosis of VTE should optimize diagnostic yield and outcomes with responsible use of resources. Key to an appropriate approach of VTE diagnosis in the intensive care unit is an understanding of the predisposing risk factors--pretest probability and the strengths and weaknesses of available diagnostic tools. Rational use of ultrasound, impedance plethysmography, computed tomography (CT), echocardiography, contrast venography, angiography, and D-dimer assays have provided the clinicians with a more substantial armamentarium, albeit incomplete, to facilitate diagnosis of VTE. The best use of these diagnostic tests often are dependent on local availability and expertise as part of a multidisciplinary team. With application of sound clinical principles in identifying select patients at risk and disciplined use of diagnostic technologies using simple algorithms, improvements in the diagnosis and management of VTE in the intensive care unit may be expected.     

How I treat relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma

Relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma is a challenging problem for clinicians who treat hematologic malignancies. The standard management of these patients should include the use of salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in patients who are chemotherapy sensitive. Open issues in this area include the role of functional imaging, the specific chemotherapy regimen to be used before ASCT, and the role of consolidative radiotherapy. Some patients will not be eligible for ASCT, and alternative approaches with conventional chemotherapy alone or with salvage radiotherapy should be considered. Prognostic factors for relapsed/refractory disease have been identified but generally are not used as a part of risk-adapted therapy. Allogeneic transplantation may offer the potential of a graft-versus-lymphoma effect, but this therapy has significant toxicity and results in few long-term disease-free survivors; hence, it should only be offered in the context of disease-specific clinical trials. An expanding list of novel drugs has exhibited promising single-agent activity. Patients have effective options beyond primary therapy, and continued progress through controlled trials remains a tangible goal in the treatment of relapsed and refractory disease.     

Radiotherapy for prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors

Review the medical and surgical management of patients with prolactinomas and provide an in-depth appraisal of the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of prolactinomas. A thorough review of the pertinent literature was carried out and relevant topics were identified. Topics covered in this comprehensive review include: indications for the use of radiotherapy, choice between conventional radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery, as well as the benefits and potential complications associated with each modality. Due to the excellent response rates with medical management, and rapid symptom relief afforded by resection or debulking surgery in patients who do not respond or tolerate medical therapy, radiotherapy is reserved for patients who do not respond to dopamine agonists and surgery. Both external beam radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery retain important roles in the treatment of refractory or recurrent prolactinomas. Choosing the optimal approach is crucial in maximizing tumor control outcomes and minimizing the risks associated with treatment. The primary determinants of optimal radiation approach are proximity of the tumor to the optic apparatus and tumor size, with radiosurgery being our recommended treatment of choice unless the tumor is larger than 3-4 cm or within 3 mm of the optic nerves, chiasm or tracts. Optimal multidisciplinary management requires the identification of appropriate candidates for radiotherapy in order to take full advantage of treatment options available for each patient.     

New strategies for the early detection of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a deadly disease and early detection through screening is likely to be our best hope to improve survival. Considering the low incidence of PC, population-based screening is not feasible, but is advisable for high-risk patients. Screening individuals at high risk for developing PC leads to the detection of premalignant lesions. High-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm are the targets for early detection of PC. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and magnetic resonance imaging are considered the most accurate techniques for pancreatic imaging; in particular EUS has emerged as a promising imaging test given its potential for tissue sampling to obtain diagnosis and to provide material for molecular profiling of PC. At the moment, screening should be performed within research protocols at experienced centers with a specific clinical and research interest, where a multidisciplinary team of specialists is available.     

Behavioral approaches to pain management in the elderly

Pain is a complex phenomenon, influenced by many individual and external factors, and may be experienced differently with age. The detrimental health and social effects of chronic pain are well known. Age-related disorders, such as dementia, may interfere with the communication of pain. Health care provider bias and cultural expectations also may be barriers to the recognition and management of pain in the elderly. A multidisciplinary and multimodal approach in older adults is essential to effective assessment and management. Behavioral approaches to pain should be considered and incorporated into treatment where appropriate.     

Multidisciplinary management of early and locally advanced esophageal cancer

Clinical management of esophageal cancer is a multidisciplinary challenge. Diagnosis is associated with a high mortality and approximately 40% of patients have locally advanced disease at clinical presentation. Surgery remains one of the fundamental parts of treatment, but multimodal approaches including chemotherapy and radiation are associated with improved outcomes. This comprehensive review addresses the multidisciplinary management of early and locally advanced esophageal cancer.     

From standard to new genome-based therapy of gastric cancer

Randomized trials and meta-analyses have established surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy in the multidisciplinary treatment of gastric cancer. However, personalized prediction of both therapeutic resistance and recurrence or metastatic disease progression still remains a researcher’s dream. In this editorial, we summarize standard treatment approaches as well as their limitations, with an effort to highlight novel, next-generation sequencing technology-based clinical approaches for gastric cancer treatment.