Breast reconstruction:Review of current autologous and implantbased techniques and long-term oncologic outcome

Implant-based reconstruction is the most common method of breast reconstruction.Autologous breast reconstruction is an indispensable option for breast reconstruction demanding keen microsurgical skills and robust anatomical understanding.The reconstructive choice is made by the patient after a discussion with the plastic surgeon covering all the available options.Advantages and disadvantages of each technique along with long-term oncologic outcome are reviewed.

Does enhanced recovery after surgery programs improve clinical outcomes in liver cancer surgery?

Enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)programs have been widely applied in liver surgery since the publication of the first ERAS guidelines in 2016 and the new recommendations in 2022.Liver surgery is usually performed in oncological patients(liver metastasis,hepatocellular carcinoma,cholangiocarcinoma,etc.),but the real impact of liver surgery ERAS programs in oncological outcomes is not clearly defined.Theoretical advantages of ERAS programs are:ERAS decreases postoperative complication rates and has been demonstrated a clear relationship between complications and oncological outcomes;a better and faster posto-perative recovery should let oncologic teams begin chemotherapeutic regimens on time;prehabilitation and nutrition actions before surgery should also improve the performance status of the patients receiving chemotherapy.So,ERAS could be another way to improve our oncological results.We will discuss the literature about liver surgery ERAS focusing on its oncological implications and future investigations projects.

Contemporary outcomes of patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical cystectomy:A comparative analysis between intracorporeal ileal conduit and neobladder urinary diversions

Objective We aimed to compare perioperative and oncologic outcomes for patients undergoing robotic-assisted radical cystectomy(RARC)with intracorporeal ileal conduit(IC)and neobladder(NB)urinary diversion.Methods Patients undergoing RARC with intracorporeal urinary diversion between January 2017 and January 2022 at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,New York,NY,USA were indexed.Baseline demographics,clinical characteristics,perioperative,and oncologic outcomes were analyzed.Survival was estimated with Kaplan-Meier plots.Results Of 261 patients(206[78.9%]male),190(72.8%)received IC while 71(27.2%)received NB diversion.Median age was greater in the IC group(71[interquartile range,IQR 65-78]years vs.64[IQR 59-67]years,p<0.001)and BMI was 26.6(IQR 23.2-30.4)kg/m^(2).IC group was more likely to have prior abdominal or pelvic radiation(15.8%vs.2.8%,p=0.014).American Association of Anesthesiologists scores were comparable between groups.The IC group had a higher proportion of patients with pathological tumor stage 2(pT2)tumors(34[17.9%]vs.10[14.1%],p=0.008)and pathological node stages pN2-N3(28[14.7%]vs.3[4.2%],p<0.001).The IC group had less median operative time(272[IQR 246-306]min vs.341[IQR 303-378]min,p<0.001)and estimated blood loss(250[150-500]mL vs.325[200-575]mL,p=0.002).Thirty-and 90-day complication rates were 44.4%and 50.2%,respectively,and comparable between groups.Clavien-Dindo grades 3-5 complications occurred in 27(10.3%)and 34(13.0%)patients within 30 and 90 days,respectively,with comparable rates between groups.Median follow-up was 324(IQR 167-552)days,and comparable between groups.Kaplan-Meier estimate for overall survival at 24 months was 89%for the IC cohort and 93%for the NB cohort(hazard ratio 1.23,95%confidence interval 1.05-2.42,p=0.02).Kaplan-Meier estimate for recurrence-free survival at 24 months was 74%for IC and 87%for NB(hazard ratio 1.81,95%confidence interval 0.82-4.04,p=0.10).Conclusion Patients undergoing intracorporeal IC urinary diversion had higher postoperative cancer stage,increased nodal involvement,similar complications outcomes,decreased overall survival,and similar recurrence-free survival compared to patients undergoing RARC with intracorporeal NB urinary diversion.

A matched-pair analysis of laparoscopic versus open pancreaticoduodenectomy: oncological outcomes using Leeds Pathology Protocol

BACKGROUND： Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy（LPD）is a safe procedure. Oncological safety of LPD is still a matter for debate. This study aimed to compare the oncological outcomes,in terms of adequacy of resection and recurrence rate following LPD and open pancreaticoduodenectomy（OPD）.METHODS： Between November 2005 and April 2009, 12LPDs（9 ampullary and 3 distal common bile duct tumors）were performed. A cohort of 12 OPDs were matched for age,gender, body mass index（BMI） and American Society of Anesthesiologists（ASA） score and tumor site.RESULTS： Mean tumor size LPD vs OPD（19.8 vs 19.2 mm,P=0.870）. R0 resection was achieved in 9 LPD vs 8 OPD（P=1.000）. The mean number of metastatic lymph nodes and total number resected for LPD vs OPD were 1.1 vs 2.1（P=0.140）and 20.7 vs 18.5（P=0.534） respectively. Clavien complications grade I/II（5 vs 8）, III/IV（2 vs 6） and pancreatic leak（2 vs 1）were statistically not significant（LPD vs OPD）. The mean high dependency unit（HDU） stay was longer in OPD（3.7 vs 1.4 days,P〈0.001）. There were 2 recurrences each in LPD and OPD（logrank,P=0.983）. Overall mortality for LPD vs OPD was 3 vs 6（log-rank, P=0.283） and recurrence-related mortality was 2 vs 1.There was one death within 30 days in the OPD group secondary to severe sepsis and none in the LPD group.CONCLUSIONS： Compared to open procedure, LPD achieved a similar rate of R0 resection, lymph node harvest and longterm recurrence for tumors less than 2 cm. Though technically challenging, LPD is safe and does not compromise oncological outcome.

Adjuvant therapy for orbital non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma:comparison of long-term outcome between radiotherapy and chemotherapy

AIM:To illustrate clinicopathological features of orbital non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma(NRSTS),and to compare the treatment outcome between postoperative radiotherapy(RT) and chemotherapy in a retrospective analysis nearly 20y.METHODS:A retrospective cohort study of 56 patients with orbital NRSTS were reviewed,34 of whom received postoperative RT,and 22 received postoperative chemotherapy.The clinicopathological features,local recurrence,metastases,and survival data were recorded.Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS:During follow-up(111.8mo,ranged 8-233mo) for 56 patients,19 patients of them developed local recurrence,and 7 patients developed distant metastases.Fifteen patients died during follow-up period.Overall survival rates considering the whole study group was 78.57% at 5y,and 72.16% at 10y after the initial diagnosis.Compared with chemotherapy,RT was associated with lower risk of local recurrence [hazard ratio for RT vs chemotherapy,0.263,95% confidence interval(CI),0.095-0.728,P=0.0015];with lower risk of distant metastasis(hazard ratio for RT vs chemotherapy,0.073,95%CI,0.015-0.364,P=0.0014);and with lower risk of death from disease(hazard ratio for RT vs chemotherapy,0.066,95%CI,0.022-0.200,P<0.0001).The 5-year survival rate in RT group was 97.06% compared to 50% in chemotherapy group.CONCLUSION:In patients with orbital NRSTS,postoperative RT provides better control of local recurrence,distant metastasis,and death from disease than chemotherapy.RT is the more preferrable adjuvant therapy compared to chemotherapy possibly.

Short-and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic vs open surgery for T2 gallbladder cancer:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND With the development of laparoscopic techniques,gallbladder cancer(GBC)is no longer a contraindication to laparoscopic surgery(LS).Although LS is recommended for stage T1 GBC,the value of LS for stage T2 GBC is still controversial.AIM To evaluate the short-and long-term outcomes of LS in comparison to those of open surgery(OS)for stage T2 GBC.METHODS We searched the PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library,Ovid,Google Scholar,and Web of Science databases for published studies comparing the efficacy of LS and OS in the treatment of stage T2 GBC,with a cutoff date of September 2022.The Stata 15 statistical software was used for analysis.Relative risk(RR)and weighted mean difference(WMD)were calculated to assess binary and continuous outcome indicators,respectively.Begg’s test and Egger’s test were used for detecting publication bias.RESULTS A total of five studies were included,with a total of 297 patients,153 in the LS group and 144 in the OS group.Meta-analysis results showed that the LS group was better than the OS group in terms of operative time[WMD=-41.29,95%confidence interval(CI):-75.66 to-6.92,P=0.02],estimated blood loss(WMD=-261.96,95%CI:-472.60 to-51.31,P=0.01),and hospital stay(WMD=-5.67,95%CI:-8.53 to-2.81,P=0.0001),whereas there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of blood transfusion(RR=0.60,95%CI:0.31-1.15,P=0.13),complications(RR=0.72,95%CI:0.39-1.33,P=0.29),number of lymph nodes retrieved(WMD=–1.71,95%CI:-4.27 to-0.84,P=0.19),recurrence(RR=0.41,95%CI:0.06-2.84,P=0.36),3-year and 5-year overall survival(RR=0.99,95%CI:0.82-1.18,P=0.89 and RR=1.02,95%CI:0.68-1.53,P=0.92;respectively),and 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival(RR=1.01,95%CI:0.84-1.21,P=0.93 and RR=1.15,95%CI:0.90-1.46,P=0.26;respectively).CONCLUSION The long-term outcomes of LS for T2 GBC are similar to those of OS,but LS is superior to OS in terms of operative time,intraoperative bleeding,and postoperative hospital stay.Nevertheless,these findings should be validated via high-quality randomized controlled trials and longer follow-ups.

Oncology and reproductive outcomes over 16 years of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors treated by fertility sparing surgery

BACKGROUND Malignant ovarian germ cell tumors(MOGCT)are rare and frequently occur in women of young and reproductive age and the oncologic and reproductive outcomes after fertility-sparing surgery(FSS)for this disease are still limited.AIM To evaluate the oncology and reproductive outcomes of MOGCT patients who underwent FSS.METHODS All MOGCT patients who underwent FSS defined as the operation with a preserved uterus and at least one side of the ovary at our institute between January 2005 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.RESULTS Sixty-two patients were recruited for this study.The median age was 22 years old and over 77%were nulliparous.The three most common histology findings were immature teratoma(32.2%),dysgerminoma(24.2%),and yolk sac tumor(24.2%).The distribution of stage was as follows;Stage I,74.8%;stage II,9.7%;stage III,11.3%;and stage IV,4.8%.Forty-three(67.7%)patients received adjuvant chemotherapy.With a median follow-up time of 96.3 mo,the 10-year progressionfree survival and overall survival were 82.4%and 91%,respectively.For reproductive outcomes,of 43 patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy,18(41.9%)had normal menstruation,and 17(39.5%)resumed menstruation with a median time of 4 mo.Of about 14 patients who desired to conceive,four were pregnant and delivered good outcomes.Only one case was aborted.Therefore,the successful pregnancy rate was 28.6%CONCLUSION The oncology and reproductive outcomes of MOGCT treated by FSS are excellent.Many patients show a long survival time with normal menstruation.However,the obstetric outcome is not quite satisfactory.

Multidisciplinary discussion and management of synchronous colorectal liver metastases: A single center study in China

BACKGROUND The multidisciplinary team(MDT)has been carried out in many large hospitals now.However,given the costs of time and money and with little strong evidence of MDT effectiveness being reported,critiques of MDTs persist.AIM To evaluate the effects of MDTs on patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases and share our opinion on management of synchronous colorectal liver metastases.METHODS In this study we collected clinical data of patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases from February 2014 to February 2017 in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital and subsequently divided them into an MDT+group and an MDT-group.In total,93 patients in MDT+group and 169 patients in MDT-group were included totally.RESULTS Statistical increases in the rate of chest computed tomography examination(P=0.001),abdomen magnetic resonance imaging examination(P=0.000),and preoperative image staging(P=0.0000)were observed in patients in MDT+group.Additionally,the proportion of patients receiving chemotherapy(P=0.019)and curative resection(P=0.042)was also higher in MDT+group.Multivariable analysis showed that the population of patients assessed by MDT meetings had higher 1-year[hazard ratio(HR)=0.608,95%confidence interval(CI):0.398-0.931,P=0.022]and 5-year(HR=0.694,95%CI:0.515-0.937,P=0.017)overall survival.CONCLUSION These results proved that MDT management did bring patients with synchronous colorectal liver metastases more opportunities for comprehensive examination and treatment,resulting in better outcomes.

Outcomes of radical prostatectomy in a 20-year localized prostate cancer single institution series in China

The long-term survival outcomes of radical prostatectomy(RP)in Chinese prostate cancer(PCa)patients are poorly understood.We conducted a single-center,retrospective analysis of patients undergoing RP to study the prognostic value of pathological and surgical information.From April 1998 to February 2022,782 patients undergoing RP at Queen Mary Hospital of The University of Hong Kong(Hong Kong,China)were included in our study.Multivariable Cox regression analysis and Kaplan–Meier analysis with stratification were performed.The 5-year,10-year,and 15-year overall survival(OS)rates were 96.6%,86.8%,and 70.6%,respectively,while the 5-year,10-year,and 15-year PCa-specific survival(PSS)rates were 99.7%,98.6%,and 97.8%,respectively.Surgical International Society of Urological Pathology PCa grades(ISUP Grade Group)≥4 was significantly associated with poorer PSS(hazard ratio[HR]=8.52,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.42–51.25,P=0.02).Pathological T3 stage was not significantly associated with PSS or OS in our cohort.Lymph node invasion and extracapsular extension might be associated with worse PSS(HR=20.30,95%CI:1.22–336.38,P=0.04;and HR=7.29,95%CI:1.22–43.64,P=0.03,respectively).Different surgical approaches(open,laparoscopic,or robotic-assisted)had similar outcomes in terms of PSS and OS.In conclusion,we report the longest timespan follow-up of Chinese PCa patients after RP with different approaches.

Minimally invasive vs open pancreatectomy for nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

BACKGROUND The mainstay of treating nonfunctioning-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(NFPNETs)is surgical resection.However,minimally invasive approaches to pancreatic resection for treating NF-PNETs are not widely accepted,and the longterm oncological outcomes of such approaches remain unknown.AIM To determine the short-and long-term outcomes of minimally invasive pancreatic resection conducted in patients with NF-PNETs.METHODS Prospective databases from Severance Hospital were searched for 110 patients who underwent curative resection for NF-PNETs between January 2003 and August 2018.RESULTS The proportion of minimally invasive surgery(MIS)procedures performed for NF-PNET increased to more than 75%after 2013.There was no significant difference in post-operative complications(P=0.654),including pancreatic fistula(P=0.890)and delayed gastric emptying(P=0.652),between MIS and open approaches.No statistically significant difference was found in disease-free survival between the open approach group and the MIS group(median follow-up period,28.1 mo;P=0.428).In addition,the surgical approach(MIS vs open)was not found to be an independent prognostic factor in treating NF-PNET patients[Exp(β)=1.062;P=0.929].CONCLUSION Regardless of the type of surgery,a minimally invasive approach can be safe and feasible for select NF-PNET patients.

Robots in Cancer Surgery: A Boon or Bane

It is an ongoing task to keep exploring and applying the best available technology to alleviate the pain and sufferings of the cancer patients. Since the discovery of robotic surgery, da Vinci surgical systems have played a special and significant role in cancer surgeries worldwide, however, surgeons are still skeptical with the clinical and oncological outcomes which are almost comparable to the laparoscopic approach in several cancers. Many meta-analyses using mostly retrospective studies indicated significant advantage of robotic surgery over laparoscopic or open surgery approaches for various cancers, however, scarcity of technically sound robot savvy surgeons and quality multicentered, multinational, coordinated, random clinical trials had not done justice to the positives of robotic surgery which were quite often suppressed by the negative factors like operative cost and oncological outcomes. Nevertheless, robotic surgery approach has been clinically accepted for hysterectomy and prostatectomy. This overview briefly discusses the comparative approaches (open, laparoscopic, robotic assisted) and their clinical outcomes in the surgery of various cancers.

Transanal total mesorectal excision combined with intersphincteric resection has similar long-term oncological outcomes to laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection in low rectal cancer:a propensity score-matched cohort study

Background Transanal total mesorectal excision(taTME)or intersphincteric resection(ISR)has recently proven to be a valid and safe surgical procedure for low rectal cancer.However,studies focusing on the combination of these two technologies are limited.This study aimed to evaluate perioperative results,long-termoncologic outcomes,and anorectal functions of patients with low rectal cancer undergoing taTME combined with ISR,by comparing with those of patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection(laAPR).Methods After 1:1 propensity score matching,200 patients with low rectal cancer who underwent laAPR(n=100)or taTME combined with ISR(n=100)between September 2013 and November 2019 were included.Patient demographics,clinicopathological characteristics,oncological outcomes,and anal functional results were analysed.Results Patients in the taTME-combined-with-ISR group had less intraoperative blood loss(79.6672.6 vs 107.3665.1 mL,P=0.005)and a lower rate of post-operative complications(22.0%vs 44.0%,P<0.001)than those in the laAPR group.The overall local recurrence rates were 7.0%in both groups within 3 years after surgery.The 3-year disease-free survival rates were 86.3%in the taTME-combined-with-ISR group and 75.1%in the laAPR group(P=0.056),while the 3-year overall survival rates were 96.7%and 94.2%,respectively(P=0.319).There were 39 patients(45.3%)in the taTME-combined-with-ISR group who developed major low anterior resection syndrome,whereas 61 patients(70.9%)had good post-operative anal function(Wexner incontinence score≤10).Conclusion We found similar long-term oncological outcomes for patients with low rectal cancer undergoing laAPR and those undergoing taTME combined with ISR.Patients receiving taTME combined with ISR had acceptable post-operative anorectal function.

Radiofrequency ablation versus partial nephrectomy for the treatment of clinical stage 1 renal masses： a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Over the past two decades,the clinical presentation of renal masses has evolved,where the rising incidence of small renal masses （SRMs） and concomitant minimal invasive treatments have led to noteworthy changes in paradigm of kidney cancer.This study was to perform a proportional meta-analysis of observational studies on perioperative complications and oncological outcomes of partial nephrectomy （PN） and radiofrequency ablation （RFA）.Methods The US National Library of Medicine＇s life science database （Medline） and the Web of Science were exhaustly searched before August 1,2013.Clinical stage 1 SRMs that were treated with PN or RFA were included,and perioperative complications and oncological outcomes of a total of 9 565 patients were analyzed.Results Patients who underwent RFA were significantly older （P ＜0.001）.In the subanalysis of stage T1 tumors,the major complication rate of PN was greater than that of RFA （laparoscopic partial nephrectomy （LPN）/robotic partial nephrectomy （RPN）：7.2％,open partial nephrectomy （OPN）：7.9％,RFA：3.1％,both P ＜0.001）.Minor complications occurred more frequently after RFA （RFA：13.8％,LPN/RPN：7.5％,OPN：9.5％,both P ＜0.001）.By multivariate analysis,the relative risks for minor complications of RFA,compared with LPN and OPN,were 1.7-fold and 1.5-fold greater （both P ＜0.01）,respectively.Patients treated with RFA had a greater local progression rate than those treated by PN （RFA：4.6％,LPN/RPN：1.2％,OPN：1.9％,both P ＜0.001）.By multivariate analysis,the local tumor progression for RFA versus LPN/RPN and OPN were 4.5-fold and 3.1-fold greater,respectively （both P ＜0.001）.Conclusions The current data illustrate that both PN and RFA are viable strategies for the treatment of SRMs.Compared with PN,RFA showed a greater risk of local tumor progression but a lower major complication rate,which is considered better for poor candidates.PN is with no doubt the golden treatment for SRMs,and LPN has been widely accepted as the first option for nephron-sparing surgery by experienced urologists.RFA may be the best option for select patients with significant comorbidity.

Surgical route and pathological risk factors in early cervical cancer-Node Zero(SURPEC-N0)

Aim:The aim of this study is to compare disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)in patients with stage I cervical cancer(≤4cms,lymph node-negative)undergoing open radical hysterectomy(ORH)vs.minimally invasive radical hysterectomy(MIRH).Methods:All patients undergoing radical hysterectomy between January 2012-December 2018 from the largest tertiary referral cancer centre were included.A 1:1 propensity matching was done based on four independent prognostic factors to compare DFS and OS with the route of surgery.Results:One hundred and ninety-nine patients were included during the study period.The median age of the cohort was 50 years.The median follow-up of patients was 47 months.Following 1:1 propensity matching,a total of 174 patients were analysed for DFS and OS in ORH(n=87)and MIRH(n=87)groups.Protective measure was used in two-thirds of the patients during MIRH.Twenty-nine patients(16.7%)had recurrences.For the matched cohort(n=174),the DFS at 36 and 60 months was 84.8%(78.1%-89.6%)and 81%(73.4%-86.6%)respectively and the OS was 96.5%(91.7%-98.5%)and 95.6%(90.3%-98%)respectively.There was no statistically significant difference in DFS or OS between ORH and MIRH.Conclusion:The present study showed no difference in oncological outcomes in MIRH compared to ORH.Retrospective audits on patient characteristics such as screening/vaccination history along with surgical technique/load and matching for crucial risk factors should be factored in future studies to eliminate the possible methodological errors.