“Oligometastatic pancreatic cancer”definition:The first step

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is nowadays the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide,but according to recent estimations it will become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the USA up to 2030,following lung cancer.The implementation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy during recent years led to an increase of overall survival at 35 months in PDAC after R0 resection[1].However,pancreatic cancer has a particularity that makes it a real challenge for clinicians:only 20%of patients are diagnosed early enough to have a resectable pancreatic cancer,whereas 40%of patients present with locally advanced or non-resectable disease,while the rest present with distant metastases[2].Systemic chemotherapy plays the main role in metastatic PDAC treatment:polychemotherapy regimens such as FOLFIRINOX(folinic acid,5-fluorouracil,irinotecan and oxaliplatin)or combination of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel seemed to improve median overall survival from 6.8 to 11.1 months and 6.7 to 8.5 months,respectively[3].

From diagnosis to treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: An epidemic problem for both developed and developing world

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is the most frequent primary liver malignancy and the third cause of cancer-related death in the Western Countries. The well-established causes of HCC are chronic liver infections such as hepatitis B virus or chronic hepatitis C virus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, consumption of aflatoxins and tobacco smocking. Clinical presentation varies widely; patients can be asymptomatic while symptomatology extends from right upper abdominal quadrant paint and weight loss to obstructive jaundice and lethargy. Imaging is the first key and one of the most important aspects at all stages of diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of patients with HCC. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging System remains the most widely classification system used for HCC management guidelines. Up until now, HCC remains a challenge to early diagnose, and treat effectively; treating management is focused on hepatic resection, orthotopic liver transplantation, ablative therapies, chemoembolization and systemic therapies with cytotocix drugs, and targeted agents. This review article describes the current evidence on epidemiology, symptomatology, diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Impact of CYP2D*6 in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer patients with tamoxifen

Biotransformation of tamoxifen to the potent antiestrogen endoxifen is performed by cytochrome P450(CYP) enzymes, in particular the CYP2D6 isoform. CYP2D6*4 is one of the most frequent alleles associated with loss of enzymatic activity. The incidence of CYP2D6*4 among Caucasians is estimated up to 27%, while it is present in up to 90% of all poor metabolizers within the Caucasian population. The hypothesis under question is whether the presence of one or two non-functioning(null) alleles predicts an inferior outcome in postmenopausal women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen. The numerous existing studies investigating the association of CYP2D6 with treatment failure in breast cancer are inconsistent and give rather conflicting results. Currently, routine CYP2D6 testing among women with breast cancer is not recommended and the significance of CYP2D6 phenotype in decision making regarding the administration of tamoxifen is unclear. The present study summarizes current literature regarding clinical studies on CYP2D6*4, par-ticularly in terms of response to tamoxifen therapy and breast cancer outcome.

Small intestine diverticula:Is there anything new?

AIM:To globally approach the clinical entity of small bowel diverticulosis and, at the same time, set out the treatment options. METHODS: We analysed 77 cases of diverticula located in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum that were treated in our department, evaluating the symptoms, diagnostic approach and offered treatment. RESULTS: Almost half of the diverticula (46.7%) were incidentally discovered and Meckel's diverticula represented the majority (43%) that were actually the only true diverticula. A high complication rate (53%) which included inflammation with or without perforation (22%), bleeding (10%) or obstructive ileus (12%) due to small bowel diverticulosis was reported. The preoperative diagnosis was often impossible (44% of complicated cases). CONCLUSION: Although small bowel diverticulosis has a low incidence, it should be in the clinician's mind in order to avoid misdiagnosis.

Trimodality treatment in gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancers:Current approach and future perspectives

Gastric and gastroesophageal junction(GEJ)cancers represent an aggressive group of malignancies with poor prognosis even when diagnosed in relatively early stage,with an increasing incidence both in Asia and in Western countries.These cancers are characterized by heterogeneity as a result of different pathogenetic mechanisms as shown in recent molecular analyses.Accordingly,the understanding of phenotypic and genotypic correlations/classifications has been improved.Current therapeutic strategies have also advanced and moved beyond surgical extirpation alone,with the incorporation of other treatment modalities,such as radiation and chemotherapy(including biologics).Chemoradiotherapy has been used as postoperative treatment after suboptimal gastrectomy to ensure local disease control but also improvement in survival.Preoperative chemoradiotherapy/chemotherapy has been employed to increase the chance of a successful R0 resection and pathologic complete response rate,which is associated with improved long-term outcomes.Several studies have defined various chemotherapy regimens to accompany radiation(before and after surgery).Recently,addition of immunotherapy after trimodality of gastroesophageal cancer has produced an advantage in disease-free interval.Targeted agents used in the metastatic setting are being investigated in the early setting with mixed results.The aim of this review is to summarize the existing data on trimodality approaches for gastric and GEJ cancers,highlight the remaining questions and present the current research effort addressing them.