Factors predictive of survival in ampullary carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To review the recent Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center experience with adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater and to identify clinicopathologic factors that have an impact on patient survival. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: The prognosis for patients with tumors of the ampulla of Vater is improved relative to other periampullary neoplasms. Identification of independent prognostic factors in ampullary tumors has been limited by small numbers of tumors and a lack of pathologic review. METHODS: Data were collected prospectively for patients presenting with periampullary carcinomas to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between October 15, 1983 and June 30, 1995. The correlation between clinicopathologic variables and survival of ampullary carcinoma was tested by the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards regression. Survival of patients with periampullary adenocarcinomas was compared by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In 123 patients presenting with ampullary carcinoma, 101 tumors (82.1%) were resected. Factors significantly correlated with improved survival were resection (p < 0.01), and in resected tumors, negative nodes (p = 0.04) and margins (p = 0.02) independently predicted for improved survival. In periampullary tumors, the highest rates of resection and overall survival (median, 43.6 months) were found in ampullary carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: Factors predictive of improved survival in ampullary carcinoma include resection, negative margins, and negative nodes. Improved overall survival in ampullary relative to periampullary adenocarcinoma is due in part to a significantly higher rate of resection.     

Long-term follow-up of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis undergoing pancreaticoduodenal surgery

Adenomatous polyps and adenocarcinomas of the periampullary region are the most common upper gastrointestinal neoplasms encountered in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients. Tumors arising from the liver, biliary tract, and pancreas have also been reported. The purpose of this study was to review the clinical outcome of FAP patients after pancreaticoduodenal surgery for periampullary neoplasms. Of the 61 individuals participating in our prospective FAP registry, 8 underwent surgical resection of periampullary neoplasms between 1987 and 1998. The charts of these individuals were reviewed for clinical indications, type of pancreaticoduodenal surgery, postoperative complications, and outcome. Of the 8 patients identified, 7 had pancreaticoduodenectomy and 1 had duodenotomy with ampullectomy. The indications for surgery were periampullary cancer (3), severe dysplasia within a duodenal villous tumor (4), and solid-pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas (1). At the time of pancreaticoduodenal surgery, patients ranged in age from 29–65 years, and all but one had undergone colorectal surgery, on average 16 years beforehand. Pancreatic ascites after a pylorus-sparing pancreaticoduodenectomy was the only surgical complication. At a median follow-up of 70.5 months (range 37–162), 2 patients had died, neither from their periampullary neoplasm. The patient treated by local excision subsequently developed gastric cancer arising from a polyp and went on to gastrectomy. Another patient developed confluent benign jejunal adenomas just beyond the gastroenteric anastomosis almost 12 years after pancreaticoduodenectomy for severe dysplasia of a duodenal villous adenoma. Pancreaticoduodenectomy is a safe and appropriate surgical option for FAP patients with duodenal villous tumors containing severe dysplasia or carcinoma. Postoperative morbidity was minimal and there was no perioperative mortality. Good long-term prognosis can be expected in completely resected patients although subsequent proliferative and/or neoplastic lesions may still be detected in the gastrointestinal tract with prolonged follow-up. Presented at the Forty-Second Annual Meeting of The Society of the Alimentary Tract, Atlanta, Georgia, May 20–23, 2001 (poster presentation).     

Pancreatoduodenectomy with pylorus preservation for adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas

For many years, the classical Whipple procedure has been the standard operative treatment for resectable periampullary cancer. Recently, the pylorus preservation operation has also been applied to periampullary tumours. This newer procedure has potential advantages in terms of ease of performance and postoperative physiology, but has yet to be proved as an adequate cancer operation. We, therefore, undertook the present retrospective analysis to compare the outcome following the pylorus preservation operation (n = 13) with that of the classical Whipple resection (n = 13) in 26 patients with histologically proved adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas. The two groups of patients were comparable for age, sex, pre-operative laboratory data, and resected margins free from tumour. More patients undergoing the classical Whipple resection had Stage I disease (10 versus 4, P less than 0.05). However, this difference would not be significant if the two patients in the pylorus preservation group with carcinomas in situ were considered to have stage I disease. Mean tumour diameter in the pylorus preservation patient group (3.2 +/- 0.6 cm) was smaller (P less than 0.05) than in the classical Whipple group (4.1 +/- 1.0 cm) but more patients in the pylorus preservation group also had metastases to the regional lymph nodes (54 versus 23 per cent). Overall operative morbidity (31 per cent) and mortality (4 per cent) was acceptable and did not differ between the two groups. Five year actuarial survival for pylorus preservation (25 per cent) was comparable to that observed for the Whipple procedure in this and other series.     

Defining a role for endoscopic ultrasound in staging periampullary tumors

BACKGROUND: The goal of the preoperative workup in patients with suspected periampullary carcinoma is to establish the diagnosis with a high degree of certainty. In this study we compared endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and computed tomography (CT) scans for the detection of tumor, lymph node metastasis, and vascular invasion in patients with suspected periampullary carcinoma in order to define a role for EUS in the preoperative staging of these patients. METHODS: Thirty-seven consecutive patients received EUS and CT scanning followed by operation for presumed periampullary carcinoma during a 30-month period. Both imaging modalities were reviewed in a blinded fashion and the results compared with pathology and operative reports on all patients. RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for tumor detection by EUS were 97%, 33%, 94%, and 50%, respectively, compared with 82%, 66%, 97%, and 25% for CT scan. For lymph nodes the values were 21%, 80%, 57%, and 44%, respectively, for EUS compared with 42%, 73%, 67%, and 50% for CT. For vascular invasion, the values were 20%, 100%, 100%, and 89%, respectively, for EUS, compared with 80%, 87%, 44%, and 96% for CT. CONCLUSIONS: CT is the initial study of choice in patients with suspected periampullary tumors. EUS is superior for detecting tumor and for predicting vascular invasion. Therefore, EUS should be used for patients in whom CT does not detect a mass and for those with an identifiable mass on CT in whom vascular invasion cannot be ruled out.     

Effect of preoperative chemoradiotherapy on surgical margin status of resected adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas

We examined the effect of preoperative chemoradiotherapy on the ability to obtain pathologically negative resection margins in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Between 1987 and 2000, 100 patients underwent Whipple resection with curative intent for primary adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas. Pathologic assessment of six margins (proximal and distal superior mesenteric artery, proximal and distal superior mesenteric vein, pancreas, retroperkoneum, common bile duct, and hepatic artery) was undertaken by either frozen section (pancreas and common duct) or permanent section. A margin was considered positive if tumor was present less than 1 mm from the inked specimen. Margins noted to be positive on frozen section were resected when-ever possible. Of the 100 patients treated, 47 (47%) underwent postoperative radiation and chemotherapy (group I) and 53 (53%) received preoperative chemoradiotherapy (group II) with either 5-fluorouracil (32 patients) or gemcitabine (21 patients). Patient demographics and operative parameters were similar in the two groups, with the exception of preoperative tumor size (CT scan), which was greater in group II (P <0.001), and number of previous operations, which was greater in group II (P <0.0001). Statistical analysis of the number of negative surgical margins clear of tumor was performed using Fisher’s exact test. All patients (100%) had six margins assessed for microscopic involvement with tumor. In the preoperative therapy group, 5 (7.5%) of 53 patients had more than one positive margin, whereas 21 (44.7%) of 47 patients without preoperative therapy had more than one margin with disease extension (P < 0.001). Additionally, only 11 (25.6%) of the 47 patients without preoperative therapy had six negative margins vs. 27 (50.9%) of 53 in the group receiving preoperative therapy (P = 0.013). Survival analysis reveals a significant increase in survival in margin-negative patients (P = 0.02). Similarly, a strong trend toward improved disease-free and overall survival is seen in patients with a single positive margin vs. multiple margins. Overall, we find a negative impact on survival with an increasing number of positive margins (P = 0.025, hazard ratio 1.3). When stratified for individual margin status, survival was decreased in patients with positive superior mesenteric artery (P = 0.06) and vein (P = 0.04) margins. However, this has not yet resulted in a significant increase in disease-free or overall survival for patients receiving preoperative therapy (P = 0.07). Presented at the Forty-First Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, San Diego, Calif., May 21–24, 2000.     

Is there a role for incomplete resection in the management of retroperitoneal liposarcomas?

Complete surgical resection is the most effective modality for the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcomas. Previous studies of all types of retroperitoneal sarcomas have not shown a survival benefit of incomplete resection over no resection. Because death often occurs as a result of local progression in retroperitoneal liposarcomas (RPLS), it is possible that incomplete resection may be beneficial in this histologic type. In this study we have sought to determine the clinical outcomes in patients with incompletely resected and unresected RPLS with the aim of defining patients who may benefit from palliative resection. From a prospective clinical database 55 patients with incompletely resected (n = 43) or unresected (n = 12) RPLS were identified between 1982 and 1999. Statistical analyses were performed using the log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier estimates with disease-specific survival as the primary end point. Variables studied included age, gender, recurrent versus primary disease, tumor grade, and tumor size. The patient population consisted of 34 men and 21 women with a mean age of 61 +/- 14 (SD) years. The median time to death was 10 months (range 1 to 83 months) with a median followup of 12 months (range 1 to 60 months) for survivors. Partial resection was an independent factor for increased survival as compared with exploration or biopsy only (median survival 26 versus 4 months, p < 0.0001). Of patients who received incomplete resections, locally recurrent presentation (n = 19) versus primary disease (n = 24) was a negative prognostic variable (median survival 17 versus 46 months, p = 0.009). Successful palliation of symptoms was achieved in 24 of 32 patients (75%) with preoperative symptoms. In select patients with unresectable RPLS, incomplete surgical resection can provide prolongation in survival and successful symptom palliation. Most likely to benefit are those patients presenting with primary tumors, suggesting that surgical resection should be attempted in the majority of patients.     

超声内镜与CT对胰腺及壶腹部周围肿瘤的术前诊断价值

目的评估超声内镜(endoscopic ultrasonography,EUS)和CT对胰腺及壶腹部周围肿瘤的术前诊断价值。方法回顾性分析33例胰腺及壶腹部肿瘤患者术前EUS、CT资料,与手术探查及术后病理结果对照,从肿瘤大小、部位等角度筛选出影响EUS准确性的因素。结果 EUS在判断胰周脂肪浸润、胆管扩张、胰周脏器侵犯、血管侵犯等方面敏感性、特异性与CT的差异无统计学意义(P>0．05);EUS在胰管扩张及淋巴结转移方面的诊断价值优于CT(P=0．039和P=0．004); EUS判断胰周脂肪浸润和胰周脏器侵及的准确性与肿瘤大小有关(P=0．015和P=0．022),判断胰管扩张的准确性与肿瘤部位有关(P<0．001)。结论 EUS对胰腺及壶腹部周围肿瘤诊断的临床价值很高,结合CT检查有助于加强对患者术前评价的认识。     

Renal cell carcinoma metastatic to the pancreas: Results of surgical management

Metastatic tumors to the pancreas are uncommon. Renal cell carcinoma is one of the few tumors known to metastasize to the pancreas. The purpose of the current report is to evaluate the surgical management and long-term outcome of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. A retrospective review of patients undergoing pancreatic resection for renal cell carcinomas metastatic to the pancreas or periampullary region between April 1989 and May 1999, inclusive, was performed. Time from initial presentation, other metastatic sites, surgical outcomes, and long-term survival were evaluated. During the 10-year time period, 10 patients underwent pancreatic resection for renal cell carcinoma metastases. Ofthose, six underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and two underwent distal pancreatectomy, whereas the two remaining patients underwent total pancreatectomy for extensive tumor involvement throughout the entire gland. The mean time from nephrectomy for resection of the primary tumor to reoperation for periampullary recurrence was 9.8 years (median 8.5 years). The range was 0 to 28 years, with one patient presenting with a synchronous metastasis. The mean age of the patients was 61.2 years with 60% of patients being male and 90% being white. Pathologic findings included histologically negative lymph nodes and negative surgical margins in all patients. One patient had tumor involving the retroperitoneal soft tissue, but final margins were negative. The mean live patient follow-up was 30 months (median =1.5 months), with eight patients remaining alive. The Kaplan-Meier actuarial 5-year survival was 75%, with the longest survivor still alive 117 months following resection. The patient with retroperitoneal soft tissue involvement died 4 months after resection. The pancreas is an uncommon site of metastasis for renal cell carcinoma, typically occurring years after treatment of the primary tumor. When the metastatic focus is isolated and the tumor can be resected in its entirety, patients can experience excellent S-year survival rates. The current report suggests that pancreatic metastases from renal cell carcinoma should be managed aggressively with complete resection when possible. Presented at the Forty-First Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, San Diego, Calif., May 2l–24, 2000.     

Endoscopic ultrasound for preoperative staging of esophageal carcinoma

Background Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is potentially the best method for pretreatment staging of esophageal carcinoma once distant metastases have been excluded by other methods. However, its apparent accuracy might be influenced by the use of neoadjuvant therapy. To determine the accuracy of EUS in patients undergoing esophageal resection, the authors reviewed their experience with EUS. Methods A total of 73 patients with esophageal carcinoma who underwent an esophagectomy between April 2000 and February 2005 were examined using preoperative EUS and computed tomography (CT). Of these patients, 39 also underwent preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Both EUS and CT scan were used to determine the depth of tumor penetration (T-stage) and the presence of lymph node metastases (N-stage). These results then were compared with staging determined after pathologic examination of the resected surgical specimen. Results For patients not undergoing neoadjuvant therapy, T-stage was accurately determined by EUS in 79%, N-stage in 74%, and tumor node metastasis (TNM) classification in 65% of the cases. However, when patients who had undergone neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were included, the overall accuracy of EUS was 64% for T-stage, 63% for N-stage, and 53% for TNM classification. For the patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy, EUS indicated a more advanced T-stage in 49%, N-stage in 38%, and TNM classification in 51% of the cases, as compared with pathology. The overall accuracy of EUS for T- and N-stage carcinomas was superior to that of CT scanning. Conclusion For patients who do not undergo preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, EUS is a more accurate method for determining T- and N-stage resected esophageal carcinomas. Neoadjuvant therapy, however, results in apparent overstaging, predominantly because of tumor downstaging, and this reduces the apparent accuracy of EUS (and CT scanning) in this patient group. Nevertheless, EUS staging before neoadjuvant therapy could be more accurate than pathologic staging after treatment, thereby providing better initial staging information, which can be used to facilitate treatment.     

Factors influencing survival after resection for periampullary neoplasms

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine predictors of survival after resection for periampullary neoplasms. METHODS: Over a 15-year period, 208 patients underwent laparotomy for periampullary neoplasms. Data were analyzed to assess predictors of survival. RESULTS: Pathologic examination showed pancreatic cancer (n = 136; 65%), ampullary cancer (n = 28; 13%), distal common bile duct cancer (n = 10; 5%), duodenal cancer (n = 4; 2%), neuroendocrine tumor (n = 11; 5%), cystadenocarcinoma (n = 4; 2%), cystadenoma (n = 5; 2%), and other (n = 10; 5%). A total of 129 patients underwent pancreatic resection (71 Whipples, 35 total pancreatectomies, 21 distal pancreatectomies, and 2 partial pancreatectomies) whereas 79 patients were found to be unresectable and underwent palliative bypass and/or biopsy. Median survival was 20.4 months for resectable patients versus 4.5 months for unresectable patients (P<0.001). Of the 129 resected patients, factors significantly (P<0.05) favoring long-term survival on univariate analysis included well-differentiated histology, common bile duct or ampullary adenocarcinoma, early stage, tumor diameter <2 cm, negative margins, and absence of lymph node metastases, perineural, or vascular invasion. Age, sex, race, and type of procedure had no influence on survival. On multivariate analysis, only tumor differentiation appeared independently related to survival. Using Kendall's tau analysis, tumor type and grade correlated significantly with all other predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Of all variables studied, tumor type and poor tumor differentiation in periampullary neoplasms appear to be markers that predict a constellation of other adverse findings.     

超声双重造影在胃癌术前TN分期中的价值

目的 在胃癌术前分期中,通过与超声内镜检查(EUS)对比分析超声双重造影(DCUS)检查的价值.方法 选择162例经病理活检证实为胃癌并进行手术切除的患者,手术前5 d内进行EUS及DCUS检查,并进行TNM分期,与术后病理检查结果对照得出正确率,并进行相互比较.结果 本组162例胃癌患者中TNM分期:42例为T1期,49例为T2期,56例为T3期,15例为T4期.DCUS和EUS术前T分期总的正确率分别为77.2%、74.7%(χ2=0.273,P=0.603),而在T3分期上DCUS优于EUS(χ2=5.009,P=0.025);在N分期上两者总的正确率分别为78.4%、57.4%(χ2=16.370,P=0.001),而两者的敏感性和特异性分别为78.4%比49.5%、78.5%比69.2%.在对阳性淋巴结诊断上DCUS的正确率较高(78.4%比49.5%,χ2=17.523,P<0.01),尤其是对低分化腺癌患者阳性淋巴结的诊断正确率较高(81.5%比42.6%,χ2=17.338,P<0.01).结论 DCUS检查在胃癌术前分期中有较好的应用价值,其在预测阳性淋巴结方面,尤其是判断低分化腺癌患者有无淋巴结转移上正确率高于EUS检查.     

A Prospective Evaluation of an Algorithm Incorporating Routine Preoperative Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration in Suspected Pancreatic Cancer

Background Whether tissue diagnosis is required in the preoperative evaluation of patients with suspected pancreatic cancer remains controversial. We prospectively evaluated the accuracy, safety, and potential impact on surgical intervention of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in the preoperative evaluation of suspected pancreatic cancer. Methods All patients who underwent EUS-FNA at our institution (n = 547) over a 4.5-year period were enrolled. Patients underwent surgical exploration and resection based on their comorbidity status, evidence of resectability based on spiral computed tomography (CT) and EUS imaging reviewed in a multidisciplinary approach. Results Of 547 patients enrolled (median age 64 years, 60% male), 49% presented with obstructive jaundice. The operating characteristics of EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic masses were: sensitivity 95% (95% CI: 93.2–95.4), specificity 92% (95% CI: 86.6–95.7), positive predictive value 98% (95% CI: 97–99), negative predictive value 80% (95% CI: 74.9–82.7). The overall accuracy of EUS-FNA was 94.1% (95% CI: 92.0–94). Of the 414 true positive patients by EUS-FNA, 138 (33%) were explored. Of patients deemed operable by combined imaging, 42% had surgical resection. Eighty-two percent of true positive patients were ultimately found inoperable and received palliative therapy or chemotherapy. Of the 94 patients with true negative cytology based on extended follow-up, only 7 (7%) underwent surgical resection. Of those with false negative diagnoses (n = 24), 5 patients underwent exploration/resection based on detection of mass lesions by EUS. The remaining patients had unresectable disease. Mild self-limiting pancreatitis occurred in (0.91%). Conclusions EUS-FNA is a safe and highly accurate method for tissue diagnosis in suspected pancreatic cancer. This approach allows for preoperative counseling of patients, minimizing surgeon’s operative time in cases of unresectable disease, and avoids surgical biopsies in the majority of patients with inoperable disease. In addition, it allows for conservative management of patients with benign biopsies. We still, however, recommend exploration of patients with clinical scenario suspicious for pancreatic cancer, a mass found on EUS or CT, but inconclusive or negative cytology. Received a Poster of Distinction Award at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract held May 20 to 24, 2006 in Los Angeles, California.     

Randomized clinical trial of pylorus-preserving duodenopancreatectomy versus classical Whipple resection-long term results

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether pylorus-preserving duodenopancreatectomy is as effective as the classical Whipple procedure in the resection of pancreatic and periampullary tumours. A prospective randomized trial was undertaken to compare the results of the two procedures. METHODS: Clinical data, histological findings, short-term results, survival and quality of life of all patients having surgery for suspected pancreatic or periampullary cancer between June 1996 and September 2001 were analysed. RESULTS: Two hundred and fourteen patients were randomized to undergo either a standard or a pylorus-preserving Whipple resection. After exclusion of 84 patients on the basis of intraoperative findings, 130 patients (66 standard Whipple operation and 64 pylorus-preserving resection) were entered into the trial. Of these, 110 patients with proven adenocarcinoma (57 standard Whipple and 53 pylorus-preserving resection) were analysed for long-term survival and quality of life. There was no difference in perioperative morbidity. Long-term survival, quality of life and weight gain were identical after a median follow-up of 63.1 (range 4-93) months. At 6 months, capacity to work was better after the pylorus-preserving procedure (77 versus 56 per cent; P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: Both procedures were equally effective for the treatment of pancreatic and periampullary cancer. Pylorus-preserving Whipple resection offers some minor advantages in the early postoperative period, but not in the long term.     

Fluorescence bronchoscopy for selection of surgical procedure in patients with early staged endobronchial carcinoma

BACKGROUND: It is sometimes difficult to determine the extent of resection in patients with endobronchial carcinoma because preoperative white-light bronchoscopic (WLB) examination is not sensitive enough to examine the extent fully. Light-Induced Fluorescence Endoscopy (LIFE) is recognized as a useful modality for the diagnosis of early staged bronchial carcinoma, but there have been no reports of its significance in surgical treatment. We have studied the influence of LIFE upon the selection of surgical procedures or other treatments in patients with endobronchial carcinoma preoperatively. METHODS: Conventional WLB and LIFE were performed within 7 days of operation. Biopsy specimens were taken from the marginal regions of the areas that were suspicious for malignancy on LIFE examination and WLB. We decided the resection line before operation and kept the resected central margin 1 cm apart from the area revealed as suspicious by LIFE. RESULTS: From January 1999 to March 2003, 75 patients underwent LIFE. LIFE was performed to decide the surgical procedures for 12 patients (16.0%). Surgical therapy was performed in 8 (66.7%). LIFE findings dramatically changed the surgical procedures for 3 patients, lobectomy changed to sleeve lobectomy in 2 and laser therapy to segmentectomy in 1. LIFE revealed larger abnormal areas of bronchial cancer compared to WLB in 7 (58.3%). Conversely, WLB overestimated the extent of abnormal area in 1 (8.3%). WLB revealed the same cancer area as LIFE in 4. In all patients, the resected bronchial margins were cancer free intraoperatively and postoperatively. CONCLUSION: LIFE can be more sensitive than WLB and be more beneficial for judging the extent of neoplastic bronchial changes for some patients. LIFE may be a useful modality for the preoperative selection of surgical procedures, especially whether sleeve resection is needed or not, for some centrally located superficial endobronchial carcinoma.     

Cytology from Pancreatic Cysts Has Marginal Utility in Surgical Decision-Making

Background  Preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cystic neoplasms is problematic. We evaluated our experience with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to determine the utility of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in surgical decision-making. Methods  Patients evaluated for pancreatic cysts with EUS fine-needle aspiration (FNA) from 3/1996–10/2003 were included. Patients undergoing both preoperative EUS-FNA and pancreatic resection were identified. FNAC read as a mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), suspicious for neoplasia, or mucinous epithelial/atypical cells were classified as “concerning.” Cytology with no malignant cells was negative. FNAC read as indeterminate, atypical cells of undetermined significance, or possible contamination was nondiagnostic. Results  Of 95 patients evaluated with EUS FNAC, 29 underwent resection. On final pathology, 7/29 lesions (24%) were malignant [two neuroendocrine tumors, three adenocarcinomas, one invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), and one metastatic uterine tumor], 4/29 (14%) were benign (three serous cystadenomas and one chronic pancreatitis), and 18/29 (62%) were premalignant (ten MCNs and eight IPMNs). Seven patients had concerning FNAC. All seven harbored malignant or premalignant lesions. Nine patients had negative FNAC: three (33%) with benign lesions and six (67%) with premalignant lesions. Thirteen of the 29 patients (45%) had nondiagnostic FNAC with 12/13 (92%) harboring a malignant or premalignant lesion. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 28%, 100%, 100%, and 18%, respectively. Conclusion  The decision to proceed with nonoperative management should not be based on a negative or nondiagnostic FNAC alone, as 67% of negative and 92% of nondiagnostic specimens were associated with malignant or premalignant pathology.     

Clinical Significance of Intraoperative Bile Duct Margin Assessment for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma

Background  Frozen section analysis of bile duct margins is often used to guide the extent of surgical resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA), but the usefulness of this practice is unknown. Methods  The association between disease-specific survival (DSS) and pathologic margin status determined during and after surgical resection for HCCA was assessed retrospectively for 101 patients between 1992 and 2005. Final histopathology identified three subgroups on the basis of resection margin status: wide margin (bile duct and specimen margins negative for adenocarcinoma), narrow margin (bile duct margin negative but specimen margins positive), and positive margin (bile duct and specimen margins positive). Results  On the basis of frozen section analysis alone, 90 patients were thought to have a disease-negative bile duct margin intraoperatively. Final histopathology showed that eight patients (9%) had invasive adenocarcinoma in the cuff of bile duct submitted for frozen section analysis. Of the 82 patients with negative final bile duct margins, 54 patients were categorized as having wide margins, and 28 patients had narrow margins. The median DSS for patients with wide margins was 56 months compared with 38 months for patients with narrow margins and 32 months for margin-positive patients (P = .01). Conclusion  Frozen section analysis of the proximal bile duct margin is misleading in 9% of patients. Among patients with HCCA who are determined to have negative duct margins intraoperatively, only 60% will have margins adequately wide enough to be associated with an improvement in DSS. Presented in part at the 61st Annual Cancer Symposium of The Society of Surgical Oncology, March 14, 2008, Chicago, IL.     

Comparison of Linear Array Endoscopic Ultrasound and Helical Computed Tomography for the Staging of Periampullary Malignancies

Background: The purpose of this study was to compare linear array endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and helical computed tomography (CT) scan in the preoperative local staging evaluation of patients with periampullary tumors.Methods: Patients evaluated with EUS and CT for suspected periampullary malignancies from 1996 to 2000 were analyzed. Surgical/pathology staging results were the reference standard.Results: Forty-eight patients (28 men and 20 women; mean age, 62 ± 4.9 years; range, 18–90 years) were identified. Malignancy was histologically confirmed in 44 patients. Parameters evaluated included tumor size, lymph node metastases, and major vascular invasion. EUS was significantly more sensitive (100%), specific (75%), and accurate (98%) than helical CT (68%, 50%, and 67%, respectively) for evaluation of the periampullary mass (P < .05). In addition, EUS detected regional lymph node metastases in more patients than helical CT. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of EUS were 61%, 100%, and 84%, in comparison to 33%, 92%, and 68%, respectively, with CT. Major vascular involvement was noted in 9 of 44 patients. EUS correctly identified vascular involvement in 100% compared with 45% with CT (P < .05).Conclusions: Linear array EUS was consistently superior to helical CT in the preoperative local staging of periampullary malignancies.Presented in part at the Society of Surgical Oncology Parallel Session, Washington, DC, March 2001.     

壶腹周围病变超声内镜诊断价值的探讨

目的 探讨超声内镜（EUS）对壶腹周围病变的诊断价值。方法 对56例壶腹周围病变患（肿瘤性病变44例，非肿瘤性病变12例）施行超声内镜检查，并与体外超声（US），CT检查比较。结果 对照手术结果，EUS对肿瘤性病变正确诊断率为88.6%(39/44)，漏诊3例，误诊2你；非肿瘤性病变正确诊断率83.4%(10/12)，误诊2例。EUS对全部病例的诊断符合率为87.5%(49/56)。US与CT分别为53.6%(30/56）与46.4%(26/56)。有显差异（P=0.011)。结论 EUS是诊断壶腹周围病变的良好手段，特别是对小病变有显的优越性。     

Lessons learned from laparoscopic treatment of gastric and gastroesophageal junction stromal cell tumors

Background Stromal cell tumors of the gastric and gastroesophageal junction are rare neoplasms that traditionally have been resected for negative margins using an open approach. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy laparoscopic resection of gastric and gastroesophageal stromal cell tumors and the lessons learned from experience with this method. Methods This retrospective review evaluated all patients who underwent laparoscopic resection of gastric or esophageal stromal cell tumors at a tertiary referral center between December 2002 and March 2005. Medical records were reviewed with regard to patient demographics, preoperative evaluation, operative approach, tumor location and pathology, length of operation, complications, and length of hospital stay. Results A total of 12 consecutive patients with a mean age of 55 ± 5.9 years were treated. Preoperative endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was performed for 11 of 12 patients with a diagnostic accuracy of 100%, whereas EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed for 10 of 12 patients with a diagnostic accuracy of 50%. Four patients with symptomatic gastroesophageal junction leiomyomas were treated with enucleation and Nissen fundoplication. Eight patients were treated with laparoscopic wedge resection of gastric lesions. Complete R0 resection was achieved for all the patients undergoing laparoscopic resection. Intraoperative endoscopy was performed for four patients and resulted in shorter operative times. The average operative time for this entire series was 169 ± 17 min: 199 ± 24 min for the first six cases and 138 ± 19 min for the last six cases. The median hospital length of stay was 2 days. One patient with esophageal leiomyoma had persistent dysphagia at the 12-month follow-up assessment. There were no other complications and no deaths in this series of patients. Conclusions Laparoscopic resection of gastric and gastroesophageal junction stromal cell tumors may be performed safely with low patient morbidity. This approach can achieve adequate surgical margins and lead to short hospital stays. Improvements in the technique have led to shorter operative times. Presented at the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) meeting, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 15 April 2005     

壶腹部癌的诊断和治疗

Ampullary cancer is a relatively uncommon cancer,which is often considered to have a best prognosis among periampullary cancers.Preoperative endoscopic uhrasonography and transpapillary intraductal ultrasonography Call provide useful information not only for tumor staging but also for making therapeutic decisions,especially in patients who are appropriate for endoscopic papillectomy.Whipple resection and pylrus preserring panereaticoduodenectomy are considered to be the standard treatment for ampullary cancer.Although transduedenal ampullectomy is regarded as a less-invasive treatment compared with Whipple resection,it has a high morbidity and hish rate of cancer-cell remnant at the resected margin.Endoscopic papiilectomy may be the treatment of choice for selected cases of ampullary cancer. As to unresectable ampullary cancer,the performance of a biliary-enteric bypass is considered routine to solve obstructive ianndice.The decision as to whether to perform gastrojejunostomy in patients without obvious gastroduodenal obstruction secondary to the tumor remains controversial.We believe that prophylactic gastrojejunostomy should be performed routinely when a patient is undergoing surgical palliation for unresectable ampullary cancer.