Malignancy risk factors and prognostic variables of pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasms in Chinese patients

BACKGROUND Pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasms(MCNs)represent one of the precursor lesions of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,and their detection has been facilitated by advances in preoperative imaging.Due primarily to the rarity of MCNs,however,there is limited knowledge regarding the prognostic variables and high-risk factors for malignant transformation.A more comprehensive and nuanced approach is necessary to fill this gap and provide a basis for improved treatment decisions and patient outcomes.AIM To investigate the high-risk factors associated with malignant MCNs and to explore the prognostic factors of MCN with associated invasive carcinoma(MCNAIC).METHODS All cases of resected MCNs from a single high-volume institution between January 2012 and January 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.Only cases with ovarian-type stroma verified by progesterone receptor staining were included.Preoperative features,histological findings and postoperative course were documented.Multivariate logistic regression was employed to investigate variables related to malignancy.Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier curve,and the prognostic factors were assessed to evaluate the postoperative course of patients with MCN-AIC.RESULTS Among the 48 patients,36 had benign MCNs,and 12 had malignant MCNs(1 high-grade atypical hyperplasia and 11 MCN-AIC).Age,tumour size,presence of solid components or mural nodules and pancreatic duct dilatation were identified as independent risk factors associated with malignancy.The follow-up period ranged from 12 mo to 120 mo,with a median overall survival of 58.2 mo.Only three patients with MCN-AIC died,and the 5-year survival rate was 70.1%.All 11 cases of MCN-AIC were stage I,and extracapsular invasion was identified as a prognostic factor for poorer outcomes.CONCLUSION The risk factors independently associated with malignant transformation of MCNs included age,tumour size,presence of solid components or mural nodules,and pancreatic duct dilatation.Our study also revealed that encapsulated invasion was a favourable prognostic factor in MCN-AIC patients.

Mucinous cystic neoplasm of the liver: A case report

BACKGROUND Mucinous cystic neoplasm of the liver(MCN-L)is a cyst-forming epithelial neoplasm.The most distinguishing feature is the ovarian-type subepithelial stroma on pathological examination.CASE SUMMARY An abdominal ultrasound incidentally revealed a liver tumor in a 32-year-old woman.Physical and laboratory examination results did not reveal any abnormalities.Enhanced abdominal computed tomography(CT)revealed a cystic space measuring 7.2 cm×5.4 cm in the liver.Subsequent CT showed an increase in tumor size.Thus,we performed surgical resection of the tumor and gallbladder.Postoperative histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of MCN-L.At the 6-mo of follow-up,no recurrence was observed on ultrasound or CT.CONCLUSION Since preoperative diagnosis of MCN-L is difficult,active surgery is recommended and helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of MCN-L.

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms:a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and management

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms present a complex diagnostic scenario encompassing low-and high-grade malignancies.Their prevalence varies widely,notably increasing with age,reaching 75%in individuals older than 80 years.Accurate diagnosis is crucial,as errors occur in approximately one-third of resected cysts discovered incidentally.Various imaging modalities such as computed tomography,magnetic resonance imaging,and endoscopic techniques are available to address this challenge.However,risk stratification remains problematic,with guideline inconsistencies and diagnostic accuracy varying according to cyst type.This review proposed a stepwisemanagement approach,considering patient factors,imaging results,and specific features.This patient-centered model offers a structured framework for optimizing the care of individuals with pancreatic cystic neoplasms.

Update on mucinous cystic neoplasm of the pancreas:a narrative review

Mucinous cystic neoplasm(MCN)of the pancreas is an exocrine cystic tumor with a potential of harboring malignancy.The latest World Health Organization classification of tumors of digestive system designates malignant MCN as MCN with associated invasive carcinoma(MCN-AIC).Since its separation from other pancreatic cystic tumors in 1978,much progress has been made in our understanding of MCN in epidemiology,clinical and pathological features,biological behavior,as well as prognostic characteristics.This review aims to summarize the current knowledge of MCN and MCN-AIC.

Validation of serum tumor biomarkers in predicting advanced cystic mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas

BACKGROUND Early detection of advanced cystic mucinous neoplasms[(A-cMNs),defined as high-grade dysplasia or malignancy]of the pancreas is of great significance.As a simple and feasible detection method,serum tumor markers(STMs)may be used to predict advanced intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms(IPMNs)and mucinous cystic neoplasms(MCNs).However,there are few studies on the usefulness of STMs other than carbohydrate antigen(CA)19-9 for early detection of A-cMNs.AIM To study the ability of five STMs-CA19-9,carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),CA125,CA724,and CA242 to predict A-cMNs and distinguish IPMNs and MCNs.METHODS We mainly measured the levels of each STM in patients pathologically diagnosed with cMNs.The mean levels of STMs and the number of A-cMN subjects with a higher STM level than the cutoff were compared respectively to identify the ability of STMs to predict A-cMNs and distinguish MCNs from IPMNs.A receiver operating characteristic curve with the area under curve(AUC)was also created to identify the performance of the five STMs.RESULTS A total of 187 patients with cMNs were identified and 72 of them showed AcMNs.We found that CA19-9 exhibited the highest sensitivity(SE)(54.2%)and accuracy(76.5%)and a moderate ability(AUC=0.766)to predict A-cMNs.In predicting high-grade dysplasia IPMNs,the SE of CA19-9 decreased to 38.5%.The ability of CEA,CA125,and CA724 to predict A-cMNs was low(AUC=0.651,0.583,and 0.618,respectively).The predictive ability of CA242 was not identified.The combination of STMs improved the SE to 62.5%.CA125 may be specific to the diagnosis of advanced MCNs.CONCLUSION CA19-9 has a moderate ability,and CEA,CA125,and CA724 have a low ability to predict A-cMNs.The combination of STM testing could improve SE in predicting A-cMNs.

Recent advances in the diagnostic evaluation of pancreatic cystic lesions

Pancreatic cystic lesions(PCLs)are becoming more prevalent due to more frequent abdominal imaging and the increasing age of the general population.It has become crucial to identify these PCLs and subsequently risk stratify them to guide management.Given the high morbidity associated with pancreatic surgery,only those PCLs at high risk for malignancy should undergo such treatment.However,current diagnostic testing is suboptimal at accurately diagnosing and risk stratifying PCLs.Therefore,research has focused on developing new techniques for differentiating mucinous from non-mucinous PCLs and identifying high risk lesions for malignancy.Cross sectional imaging radiomics can potentially improve the predictive accuracy of primary risk stratification of PCLs at the time of detection to guide invasive testing.While cyst fluid glucose has reemerged as a potential biomarker,cyst fluid molecular markers have improved accuracy for identifying specific types of PCLs.Endoscopic ultrasound guided approaches such as confocal laser endomicroscopy and through the needle microforceps biopsy have shown a good correlation with histopathological findings and are evolving techniques for identifying and risk stratifying PCLs.While most of these recent diagnostics are only practiced at selective tertiary care centers,they hold a promise that management of PCLs will only get better in the future.

Role of endoscopic ultrasound and cyst fluid tumor markers in diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cystic lesions(PCLs) are common in clinical practice. The accurate classification and diagnosis of these lesions are crucial to avoid unnecessary treatment of benign lesions and missed opportunities for early treatment of potentially malignant lesions.AIM To evaluate the role of cyst fluid analysis of different tumor markers such as cancer antigens [e.g., cancer antigen(CA)19-9, CA72-4], carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 1(SPINK1), interleukin 1 beta(IL1-β), vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A), and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)], amylase, and mucin stain in diagnosing pancreatic cysts and differentiating malignant from benign lesions.METHODS This study included 76 patients diagnosed with PCLs using different imaging modalities. All patients underwent endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) and EUS-fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) for characterization and sampling of different PCLs.RESULTS The mean age of studied patients was 47.4 ± 11.4 years, with a slight female predominance(59.2%). Mucin stain showed high statistical significance in predicting malignancy with a sensitivity of 87.1% and specificity of 95.56%. It also showed a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 93.1% and 91.49%, respectively(P < 0.001). We found that positive mucin stain, cyst fluid glucose, SPINK1, amylase, and CEA levels had high statistical significance(P < 0.0001). In contrast, IL-1β, CA 72-4, VEGF-A, VEGFR2, and PGE2 did not show any statistical significance. Univariate regression analysis for prediction of malignancy in PCLs showed a statistically significant positive correlation with mural nodules, lymph nodes, cyst diameter, mucin stain, and cyst fluid CEA. Meanwhile, logistic multivariable regression analysis proved that mural nodules, mucin stain, and SPINK1 were independent predictors of malignancy in cystic pancreatic lesions.CONCLUSION EUS examination of cyst morphology with cytopathological analysis and cyst fluid analysis could improve the differentiation between malignant and benign pancreatic cysts. Also, CEA, glucose, and SPINK1 could be used as promising markers to predict malignant pancreatic cysts.

An analysis of clinico-pathologic features of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas

The natural history and clinical manifestation of resected intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm(IPMN)of the pancreas were elucidated,and based on this,a retrospective pancreatic database was reviewed to identify patients with IPMN who were surgically managed in our department from 1999 to June 2006.Pathologic rereview of each case was performed,and the clinico-pathologic features were examined.Student’s T test and x2 analysis were used to identify factors associated with malignancy.Fifty-one patients were identified.There were 33 males and 18 females.One patient’s pancreas was unresectable,two patients underwent a total pancreatectomy,42 patients had a pancreatecoduodenectomy and five patients had distal pancreatectomy.Main-duct type carcinoma was identified in 24 patients;branch-duct type in 15 patients,and mixed type in 12 patients.Invasive carcinoma was present in 35 patients.Weight loss and jaundice occurred more commonly in the invasive group.The average serum CA19-9 level was significantly higher in the invasive group(1542μ vs 94.5μ).The average diameter of the pancreatic duct was also wider in the invasive group(8.7 mm vs 4.3 mm).Significant predictors of malignant IPMNs included weight loss,jaundice,a high level of serum CA19-9,a large pancreatic duct and main-duct type carcinoma.

A bibliometric study on pancreatic cystic disease research

Pancreatic cystic disease is being increasingly identified in patients,and many relevant papers have been published in this field.A bibliometric analysis was previously performed to identify the most influential studies in many subject areas,and the top 100 most cited papers on pancreatic cystic disease were analyzed in this study.The Web of Science database was searched for all papers related to pancreatic cystic disease on June 9,2018.The top 100 most cited papers were selected and listed in descending order based on the total number of citations(TCs).The author,journal,institution,country of origin,and research focus were further analyzed.The most cited papers were published between 1975 and 2015.Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm was the most commonly studied subtype(36%),followed by pancreatic pseudocyst(16%),solid pseudopapillary neoplasm(9%),and mucinous cystic neoplasm(7%).The average number of TCs was 282,and the average citation index value was 21.Thirty-eight journals published the top 100 papers;Annals of Surgery(n=14)and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy(n=11)published the most papers.Most papers were published in the United States of America(59%),with the majority from Johns Hopkins Medical Institution(15%).Canto MI from Johns Hopkins Medical Institution authored the largest number of most cited papers(n=8).This study reviews the significant achievements and developmental trends in pancreatic cystic disease.Abbreviations:CI=citation index,IPMN=intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm,MCN=mucinous cystic neoplasm,PP=pancreatic pseudocyst,SCN=serous cystic neoplasm,SPN=solid pseudopapillary neoplasm,TC=total number of citation.

Pancreatic cystic tumors:an update

Pancreatic cystic tumors(PCTs)comprise a heterogeneous group of entities,accounting for 2%to 10%of pancreatic lesions.The most common types are intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms(IPMNs),mucinous cystic neoplasm(MCN),and serous cystic neoplasm(SCN),which account for approximately 90%of PCTs.This review discusses updates in pathologic features,malignant transformation,biologic behavior,and molecular evolution of PCTs.IPMN includes main duct and branch duct types.These can also be classified into 4 histologic subtypes based on cell lineages of differentiation,and may be associated with different tumorigenic pathways and clinicopathologic characteristics.The gastric type is the most common and is rarely associated with carcinomas,whereas the pancreatobiliary type is significantly more associated with invasive carcinoma.MCN is a mucinous cystic lesion with the presence of ovarian-type pericystic stroma.Prognosis of the resected non-invasive MCN is excellent,but the long-term survival of MCNs with invasive carcinoma may be poor.SCN includes microcystic adenoma,macrocystic adenoma,and solid variant serous adenoma.Serous cystadenocarcinoma is defined by the presence of distant metastases,which is rare in literature.Intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm is characterized by uniformly high-grade dysplasia and ductal differentiation without overt production of mucin,with high risk for developing invasion.Acinar cell cystadenoma is a rare benign lesion with acinar differentiation.In addition,some pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors may assume a cystic configuration,sometimes referred to as cystic pancreatic endocrine neoplasm tumor,with a lower pathologic stage.Solid pseudopapillary tumor is composed of poorly cohesive monomorphic epithelial cells forming solid and pseudopapillary structures,with excellent prognosis.