Multimodality management of gallbladder cancer can lead to a better outcome:Experience from a tertiary care oncology centre in North India

BACKGROUND Surgical resection is a treatment of choice for gallbladder cancer(GBC)patients but only 10%of patients have a resectable disease at presentation.Even after surgical resection,overall survival(OS)has been poor due to high rates of recurrence.Combination of surgery and systemic therapy can improve outcomes in this aggressive disease.AIM To summarize our single-center experience with multimodality management of resectable GBC patients.METHODS Data of all patients undergoing surgery for suspected GBC from January 2012 to December 2018 was retrieved from a prospectively maintained electronic database.Information extracted included demographics,operative and perioperative details,histopathology,neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy,follow-up,and recurrence.To know the factors associated with recurrence and OS,univariate and multivariate analysis was done using log rank test and cox proportional hazard analysis for categorical and continuous variables,respectively.Multivariate analysis was done using multiple regression analysis.RESULTS Of 274 patients with GBC taken up for surgical resection,172(62.7%)were female and the median age was 56 years.On exploration,102 patients were found to have a metastatic or unresectable disease(distant metastasis in 66 and locally unresectable in 34).Of 172 patients who finally underwent surgery,93(54%)underwent wedge resection followed by anatomical segment IVb/V resection in 66(38.4%)and modified extended right hepatectomy in 12(7%)patients.The postoperative mortality at 90 d was 4.6%.During a median follow-up period of 20 mo,71(41.2%)patients developed recurrence.Estimated 1-,3-,and 5-years OS rates were 86.5%,56%,and 43.5%,respectively.Estimated 1-and 3-year disease free survival(DFS)rates were 75%and 49.2%,respectively.On multivariate analysis,inferior OS was seen with pT3/T4 tumor(P=0.0001),perineural invasion(P=0.0096),and R+resection(P=0.0125).However,only pT3/T4 tumors were associated with a poor DFS(P<0.0001).CONCLUSION Multimodality treatment significantly improves the 5-year survival rate of patients with GBC up to 43%.R+resection,higher T stage,and perineural invasion adversely affect the outcome and should be considered for systemic therapy in addition to surgery to optimize the outcomes.Multimodality treatment of GBC has potential to improve the survival of GBC patients.

Management of hypersplenism in non-cirrhotic portal hypertension:a surgical series

BACKGROUND:Hypersplenism is commonly seen in patients with non-cirrhotic portal hypertension(NCPH).While a splenectomy alone can effectively relieve the hypersplenism,it does not address the underlying portal hypertension.The present study was undertaken to analyze the impact of shunt and non-shunt operations on the resolution of hypersplenism in patients with NCPH.The relationship of symptomatic hypersplenism,severe hypersplenism and number of peripheral cell line defects to the severity of portal hypertension and outcome was also assessed.METHODS:A retrospective analysis of NCPH patients with hypersplenism managed surgically between 1999 and 2009 at our center was done.Of 252 patients with NCPH,64(45 with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction and 19 with non-cirrhotic portal fibrosis) had hypersplenism and constituted the study group.Statistical analysis was done using GraphPad InStat.Categorical and continuous variables were compared using the chi-square test,ANOVA,and Student’s t test.The MannWhitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to compare non-parametric variables.RESULTS:The mean age of patients in the study group was 21.81±6.1 years.Hypersplenism was symptomatic in 70.3% with an incidence of spontaneous bleeding at 26.5%,recurrent anemia at 34.4%,and recurrent infection at 29.7%.The mean duration of surgery was 4.16±1.9 hours,intraoperative blood loss was 457±126(50-2000) mL,and postoperative hospital stay 5.5±1.9 days.Following surgery,normalization of hypersplenism occurred in all patients.On long-term followup,none of the patients developed hepatic encephalopathy and 4 had a variceal re-bleeding(2 after a splenectomy alone,1 each after an esophago-gastric devascularization and proximal splenorenal shunt).Patients with severe hypersplenism and those with defects in all three peripheral blood cell lineages were older,had a longer duration of symptoms,and a higher incidence of variceal bleeding and postoperative morbidity.In addition,patients with triple cell line defects had elevated portal pressure(P=0.001),portal biliopathy(P=0.02),portal gastropathy(P=0.005) and intraoperative blood loss(P=0.001).CONCLUSIONS:Hypersplenism is effectively relieved by both shunt and non-shunt operations.A proximal splenorenal shunt not only relieves hypersplenism but also effectively addresses the potential complications of underlying portal hypertension and can be safely performed with good long-term outcome.Patients with hypersplenism who have defects in all three blood cell lineages have significantly elevated portal pressures and are at increased risk of complications of variceal bleeding,portal biliopathy and gastropathy.

Palliative surgical bypass for unresectable periampullary carcinoma

BACKGROUND:Around 60%to 80%of patients with periampullary carcinoma are unresectable either due to distant metastasis or local vascular invasion.With the advancement of endoscopic interventional procedures,the role of surgical bypass has diminished.However,surgical bypass is still appropriate in patients with unresectable disease discovered at the time of surgery.This study was conducted to assess the results of palliative surgical bypass for patients with unresectable periampullary carcinoma at our hospital,a tertiary referral center of Northern India. METHOD:The study group comprised 204 patients who had undergone surgical bypass for advanced periampullary carcinoma over the last 15 years. RESULTS:Between January 1990 and December 2004,204 patients(128 males,76 females)consisting of 179 patients with carcinoma of head of the pancreas,14 patients with ampullary carcinoma,8 patients with lower end cholangiocarcinoma and 3 patients with duodenal carcinoma underwent surgical bypass.Their average age was 51 years (range 20-78 years).Both biliary and gastric bypasses were done in 158(77.45%),biliary bypass alone in 37(18.13%) and gastric bypass alone in 9(4.32%).Biliary bypass was done by Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy,and gastric bypass by retrocolic gastrojejunostomy.The overall postoperative mortality and morbidity were 0.98%and 26.9%,respectively The patients who died had undergone previously endoscopic intervention.Complications included wound infection in 12.25%of the patients,bile leak in 5.12%,delayed gastric emptying in 5.38%,ascitic leak from drains in 8.8%,and upper gastrointestinal bleeding in 1.96%.The incidences of wound infection and bile leak both were significantly higher in patients who had had preoperative biliary stenting None of the patients who had undergone Roux-en-Y hepati cojejunostomy+retrocolic gastrojejunostomy required any intervention later in their life.CONCLUSIONS:Surgical bypass is a safe procedure with negligible mortality and minimal morbidity.It has not lost its relevance and is an appropriate treatment in patients deemed unresectable on peroperative assessment.

Choledochal cyst with large stone cast and portal hypertension

BACKGROUND:Choledochal cysts in adults are more commonly associated with complications such as cystolithiasis,recurrent cholangitis,portal hypertension and malignancy,than in the pediatric age group.METHOD:We report a case of adult choledochal cyst with long-term complication of large stone cast and portal hypertension due to secondary biliary cirrhosis.RESULTS:A 50-year-old patient presented with obstructive jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly.On investigation,she was diagnosed as having a choledochal cyst with large stone cast and portal hypertension.Single stage resection of the choledochal cyst with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was done by meticulous dissection and ligation of collaterals.CONCLUSION:Single stage resection of a choledochal cyst is possible in spite of associated portal hypertension,if the portal vein is patent.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma associated with pancreatic ductal intraepithelial neoplasia:report of a case

BACKGROUND:The presence of pancreatic ductal intraepithelial neoplasia in patients with chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for development of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHOD:A case of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma associated with pancreatic ductal intraepithelial neoplasia was diagnosed in the setting of chronic pancreatitis. RESULTS:Distal pancreatectomy combined with splenec- tomy was performed with a diagnosis of pancreatic body carcinoma.Histopathological examination suggested adenocarcinoma associated with pancreatic ductal intraepithelial neoplasia.The tumor was detected in the remaining head of the pancreas,for which a total pancreatectomy was done. CONCLUSIONS:When a patient with pancreatic ductal intraepithelial neoplasia associated with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas in the setting of chronic pancreatitis is at an increased risk of recurrence in the remaining pancreatic parenchyma,total pancreatectomy may be feasible.