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Kevin C Conlon

Publications and source records attributed to Kevin C Conlon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Training in laparoscopic appendectomy.

BACKGROUND: The role of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) in surgical training is unclear. Although LA as a therapeutic modality is potentially superior to open surgery, it has failed to become established as standard in training hospitals. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcome of LA performed by inexperienced surgeons in a training environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all attempted LA performed over a 12-month period was undertaken. Data collected included operator grade (experienced and inexperienced), conversion rate and duration of surgery, complications, and postoperative stay. RESULTS: During the study period, 169 appendectomies were performed. The conversion rate to open surgery declined significantly from 28% in the first quarter to 9% in the last quarter, with no difference in the conversion rate between experienced and inexperienced surgeons. Operative time shortened significantly in the inexperienced group. Postoperative complications occurred in 8% of patients, independent of operative grade. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that LA may be safely introduced as a teaching procedure. Time-to-train should not preclude institutions from adopting the laparoscopic approach in the treatment of acute appendicitis.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Intraductal papillary mucinous tumors of the pancreas.

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas (IPMNs) are increasingly recognized in clinical practice. They are a unique clinicopathologic entity that is characterized by mucin production, cystic dilation of the pancreatic ducts, and intraductal papillary growth. Histologically, they may demonstrate a spectrum of cellular atypia ranging from minimal mucinous hyperplasia to frank invasive carcinoma. Similar to invasive ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, patients with IPMN generally present in the seventh or eighth decade of life with the head of the gland being the predominant disease site. The majority of patients are symptomatic at presentation with abdominal pain, weight loss, and diarrhea being the predominant symptoms. Traditionally, the diagnosis was made following an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. However, a cross-sectional imaging study such as a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging is now the radiological imaging studies of choice. Current thinking suggests that at best IPMN represents a premalignant condition and, as such, surgical intervention should be recommended. The aim should be to resect all gross disease while attempting to achieve a negative surgical margin, which in the majority of cases can be achieved by a partial pancreatectomy. The disease seems to be somewhat indolent with resection of noninvasive disease being curative in the majority of patients with 5- and 10-year actuarial survival rates of 75% and 60% reported. However, up to 50% of cases will have invasive cancer, and for this cohort the prognosis is more guarded. The role of adjuvant therapies is unclear, and further studies are required in this area.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed2005

Pleomorphic pancreatic endocrine neoplasms: a variant commonly confused with adenocarcinoma.

Most pancreatic endocrine neoplasms (PENs) have distinctive endocrine growth patterns and uniform nuclear morphology; they are regarded as relatively low-grade tumors. Significant nuclear pleomorphism is a feature that may raise concerns about aggressive behavior or even obscure the endocrine nature of the neoplasm. Eight PENs exhibiting marked nuclear pleomorphism (>20% of the tumor cells) were identified during a review of 136 PENs (5.9%) from the pathology files of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The histologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural (4 cases), and clinical features were reviewed. There were 6 males and 2 females ranging from 30 to 69 years (mean, 55 years). The tumors averaged 5.8 cm (range, 1.5-14 cm). Six tumors (75%) were initially misdiagnosed in 5 cases as adenocarcinoma and in one as solid-pseudopapillary tumor; in 2 cases, the misdiagnosis was based on fine needle aspiration cytology and in 4 on histologic examination. The architectural features of the tumors resembled those of other PENs, but the nuclei were markedly enlarged, irregularly shaped, and hyperchromatic, with frequent bizarre forms. Cells with pleomorphic nuclei also generally had abundant cytoplasm, sometimes with large perinuclear glassy inclusions. The mitotic rate was not elevated compared with other PENs, averaging 1.9 (range, 0-7) per 50 high power fields. Immunohistochemical findings were (number positive/number stained): chromogranin (8 of 8), synaptophysin (7 of 8), progesterone receptor (4 of 7), CD99 (2 of 5), S-100 protein (3 of 7), and p53 (0 of 6). Scattered cells expressed peptide hormones in a minority of cases. By electron microscopy, abundant dense core granules were identified, in some cases embedded within perinuclear arrays of intermediate filaments. Six patients underwent curative resection; at follow-up, 4 were free of disease at 11, 13, 30, 112 months (mean, 42 months), 1 developed liver metastases at 77 months and was alive with disease at 94 months, and 1 was lost to follow-up. Two patients had unresectable tumors and were alive with disease at 10 and 78 months. Striking nuclear pleomorphism may occur in otherwise typical PENs and commonly causes difficulties in the distinction from adenocarcinoma. There does not appear to be prognostic significance to these nuclear changes, and the morphologic features of pleomorphic PENs otherwise resemble those of their conventional counterparts.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvic floor in patients with idiopathic combined fecal and urinary incontinence.

The etiologies of combined fecal and urinary incontinence may be interrelated but remain poorly understood. A potential variable in this process is global pelvic floor dysfunction. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the use of phased-array, body coil dynamic MRI in identifying pelvic floor abnormalities in patients with combined incontinence symptoms. Symptomatic patients were compared to asymptomatic control subjects and were selected from those referred to the pelvic physiology laboratory with complaints of combined urinary and fecal incontinence. All patients underwent standard urodynamic studies and anorectal physiologic assessment. Colonoscopy and endoanal ultrasonography were also performed. A standardized protocol was used for dynamic MRI, and the parameters were measured using workstation software (callipers, compass, and densitometer). In the incontinent group there was a significant difference, when compared to control subjects, in the angle of the levator ani muscle arch of the levator plate complex (3.0+/-5 degrees vs. 14+/-10 degrees; P=0.004), the width of the levator hiatus (58.3+/-8 mm vs. 46.5+/-8 mm; P=0.001), the area and tissue density of the levator ani muscle (19.5+/-1 mm(2) vs. 26.9+/-1 mm(2); P=0.001, and 157.3+/-47 pixels vs. 126.1+/-23 pixels; P=0.025, respectively), and in the length of the external anal sphincter (20.0+/-5 mm vs. 26.6+/-13 mm; P=0.03). Body coil dynamic MRI is a noninvasive and well-tolerated imaging modality. Our data show that it can identify changes in pelvic muscle morphology in patients with disorders of incontinence, and this may help in planning better management strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Electromyographic biofeedback can improve subjective and objective measures of fecal incontinence in the short term.

Electromyographic biofeedback therapy has demonstrated subjective improvement in patients with fecal incontinence that is comparable to surgery. We assessed the efficacy of biofeedback therapy in a consecutive heterogeneous group of patients using both subjective and objective assessment criteria. These 28 patients with fecal incontinence were studied retrospectively. Patients were assessed using a quality-of-life questionnaire (QOL), the Vaizey and Wexner incontinence scoring systems, and anorectal manometry for efficacy of treatment, before and after biofeedback therapy. Eighty-six percent of patients completed the study. Median follow-up was 18 months. Eighty percent of patients demonstrated significant improvements in their Vaizey and Wexner scores (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). The mean QOL score improved from 62 to 77 (P<0.01). Significant improvements were also demonstrated in the mean resting pressure (P<0.01), peak amplitude of squeeze (P<0.01), and the duration of squeeze pressure (P<0.05). The deferred 15-minute evacuation time also significantly increased (P<0.001). This study reported significant short-term improvement in fecal incontinence with electromyographic biofeedback therapy using validated subjective and objective scoring systems. Similarly, this treatment also significantly improved anorectal manometric findings. Our data confirm the role of biofeedback therapy in the multimodality approach to patients with fecal incontinence.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Is there a role for staging laparoscopy in patients with locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma?

The study objective was to determine the incidence of laparoscopically detected metastasis in patients with radiographically staged locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer are considered candidates for novel treatment protocols. Stratification of patients into locally advanced disease versus metastatic disease is imperative to accurately evaluate treatment outcome. Between 1994 and 2000, 100 consecutive patients undergoing staging laparoscopy with radiologic evidence of unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer were identified from a prospective database. All patients had preoperative contrast-enhanced, thin-cut computed tomography scanning or magnetic resonance imaging and had no evidence of detectable metastatic disease. There were 53 men and 47 women, with a median age of 64 years. The disease site was the pancreatic head in 69 cases and the body or tail in 31. Radiographic assessment of nonresectability was due to encasement of the celiac or hepatic artery in 37 patients, of the portal vein and superior mesenteric vessels in 56, and extrapancreatic extension in 7. Laparoscopy identified metastatic disease in 37% of patients, not seen on preoperative imaging. Peritoneal disease was noted in 12 cases and liver metastasis in 18 cases, and 7 patients had both. Neither the primary tumor size nor location influenced the incidence of metastatic disease. Standard imaging modalities failed to detect metastatic disease in 37% of patients who were considered to have locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients considered for treatment protocols for locally unresectable pancreatic cancer should be staged laparoscopically before initiation of therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: an analysis of clinicopathologic features and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To define the natural history of resected intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) of the pancreas and to identify clinical and pathologic prognostic features. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: IPMN of the pancreas is a recently described pancreatic tumor. Because of a limited number of cases, prognostic factors and the natural history of resected cases have not been well defined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective pancreatic database was reviewed to identify patients with IPMN who were surgically managed. Pathologic re-review of each case was performed, and the clinicopathologic features were examined. Log rank and chi2 analysis were used to identify factors predictive of survival and recurrence. RESULTS: Over a 17-year period, 63 patients were identified. One patient was unresectable, 6 (10%) underwent a total pancreatectomy, and 56 (89%) had a partial pancreatectomy. Invasive carcinoma was present in 30 patients (48%). Transection margins were involved with atypia or carcinoma in 32 patients (51%). The median follow-up for survivors was 38 months. Disease-specific 5- and 10-year survival were 75% and 60%, respectively. Significant predictors of poor outcome included presentation with elevated bilirubin, presence of invasive carcinoma, increasing size and percentage of invasive carcinoma, histologic type of invasive carcinoma, positive lymph nodes, and vascular invasion. The presence of atypia or carcinoma in situ at the ductal resection margin was not associated with a poor outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, IPMN has a favorable prognosis. Poor outcome in a subset of patients is largely the result of the presence, extent, and type of an invasive component, lymph node metastases, and vascular invasion.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed2003

Is extended resection for adenocarcinoma of the body or tail of the pancreas justified?

Patients with body or tail tumors of the pancreas often have contiguous organ involvement or portal-splenic confluence adherence requiring extensive resection in order to obtain grossly negative margins. The aim of this study was to determine whether long-term survival is possible after contiguous organ or portal vein resection in patients with adenocarcinoma of the body or tail of the pancreas. Between 1983 and 2000, a total of 513 patients with adenocarcinoma of the body or tail of the pancreas were identified from a prospective database. Distal pancreatectomy with or without splenectomy was performed in 57 patients (11%). Extended resection was necessary in 22 patients (39%): 14 (64%) for contiguous organ involvement and eight (36%) for portal vein resection Estimated blood loss, blood transfused, and length of hospital stay were significantly greater in patients requiring extended resection compared to standard resection (P=0.02, P=0.01, and P=0.02, respectively). Median follow-up for patients still alive was 84 months (range 40 to 189 months). Median survival following resection was 15.9 months compared to 5.8 months in patients who were not resected (P<0.0001). Actual 5- and 10-year survival rates were 22% and 18%, respectively, following extended resection, 8% and 8% following standard resection, and 0% and 0% if no resection was attempted because of locally unresectable disease. Patients undergoing extended resection for adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic body or tail have long-term survival rates similar to those for patients undergoing standard resection; they also have markedly improved long-term survival compared to those who are not considered resectable because of locally advanced disease. Extended distal pancreatectomy is justified in this group of patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2003

Cystic lesions of the pancreas: selection criteria for operative and nonoperative management in 209 patients.

Because of the inability to determine benign from malignant, many have recommended that all cystic lesions of the pancreas be resected. Patients evaluated between January 1995 and December 2000 for the ICD-9 diagnosis of pancreatic cyst (577.2) or benign neoplasm of the pancreas (211.6) were reviewed. Patient, cyst, and treatment characteristics were recorded. Comparisons were made between patients who underwent operative and nonoperative management. Over the 5-year period, 209 patients were evaluated. Nonoperative treatment was initially chosen for 144 patients (69%). In this group the average cyst diameter was 2.5 cm (range 0.5 cm to 13.0 cm), and the median change in diameter during follow-up was zero cm (range 1.5 cm to 4.0 cm). In six patients (4%) changes occurred within the cyst that resulted in resection. None of these patients had a malignant diagnosis. Operative treatment was initially chosen for 65 (31%) of the 209 patients. Malignancy was found in six of the operative patients (6 [9%] of 65). Differences in patient and cyst characteristics between groups included the cyst size, septations, a solid component, and the presence of symptoms. Selected patients with cystic lesions of the pancreas may be safely followed radiographically. Selection criteria identified in this study (symptoms, cyst size, solid component, and septations) and the utilization of new imaging techniques allow the creation of treatment plans for these patients that can be prospectively tested.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2003

An evidence-based approach to the surgical management of resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Randomized prospective trials have addressed various treatment approaches to pancreatic adenocarcinoma in order to improve on the dismal prognosis associated with this disease. We conducted a comprehensive review of prospective randomized clinical trials and summarized the contemporary treatment of resectable pancreatic carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: A literature search strategy identified prospective randomized clinical trials for pancreatic carcinoma using standard medical subject heading terms. The articles were critically reviewed and ranked according to a standardized three-tiered system (Ia, Ib, Ic) by a panel of experts. RESULTS: Surgical studies have demonstrated that morbidity and mortality are similar for pylorus-preserving and classic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Extended retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy can be performed with similar mortality but increased morbidity compared with standard pancreaticoduodenectomy but does not prolong survival. Pancreaticogastrostomy and pancreaticojejunostomy appear to be comparable techniques for pancreatic duct reconstruction. Pancreatic-enteric anastomosis is associated with lower rates of pancreatic fistula and endocrine insufficiency than duct occlusion without anastomosis. Intraperitoneal drainage after pancreatic resection is unwarranted and may contribute to intraabdominal complications. Routine use of prophylactic octreotide does not lower the rate of pancreatic fistula; it should be considered for reoperative pancreatic resection or for a soft gland. Early trials found that adjuvant chemoradiation therapy prolongs survival. But in more recent studies chemoradiation after resection has failed to show a survival advantage over surgery alone. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection remains the only potentially curative therapy for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. There is no clear indication as to a single preferable resection approach.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2003

Role of the DPC4 tumor suppressor gene in adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: analysis of 140 cases.

The K-ras oncogene is activated in approximately 90% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas, and the DPC4 (MADH4/SMAD4) tumor suppressor gene is inactivated in approximately 55% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas. The contributions of these genetic alterations to the development of adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater have not been fully established. One hundred forty surgically resected ampullary adenocarcinomas (76 with associated adenomas with high-grade dysplasia) were immunohistochemically labeled for the DPC4 gene product, and in 85 cases the results were correlated with the status of the K-ras oncogene from previously reported data. The results were correlated with clinical outcome and with other pathologic predictors of prognosis. Complete loss of Dpc4 labeling was identified in 34% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26%, 43%) of the invasive carcinomas and in none (upper 95% CI: 6%) of the associated adenomas. Focal loss of Dpc4 was seen in three (4%; 95% CI: 1%, 14%) of the areas of high-grade dysplasia. Complete loss of Dpc4 expression was seen in 28/77 intestinal-type tumors, in 17/46 pancreaticobiliary-type tumors, and in 0/10 colloid carcinomas. Activating point mutations in the K-ras gene were identified in 40% of the invasive cancers. There was no correlation between K-ras gene mutations and Dpc4 expression and no correlation between these variables and survival. The overall 5-year survival rate was 38%. Lymph node metastases were associated with shorter survival (P =.03). Loss of Dpc4 expression occurs in approximately one third of invasive ampullary cancers but is not seen in adenomas; thus, loss of Dpc4 expression occurs late in ampullary carcinogenesis. Although ampullary and pancreatic adenocarcinomas share histologic and molecular features, ampullary carcinomas are less likely to show loss of Dpc4 expression or K-ras gene mutations.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2002

Prognostic factors in pancreatic endocrine neoplasms: an analysis of 136 cases with a proposal for low-grade and intermediate-grade groups.

PURPOSE: In some organs (eg, the lung), endocrine tumors are classified on the basis of mitotic rate and necrosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors in pancreatic endocrine neoplasms recently treated at a single institution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 136 patients undergoing surgery from 1979 to 1998, the influence on disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) of tumor size, mitotic rate, vascular invasion, necrosis, metastases, and nuclear grade was determined. Cases were further grouped according to an existing proposed classification system and then regrouped on the basis of mitotic rate (< 2 mitoses per 50 high-power fields v higher) and necrosis (present or absent) into low- and intermediate-grade groups. RESULTS: Correlations with DFS and DSS in univariate analysis included < or = 2 mitoses per 50 high-power fields (P =.001, P =.002), vascular invasion (P =.02, P =.04), size < or = 2 cm (P =.01, P =.05), metastases (P =.0002, P =.07), necrosis (P =.002, P =.16), and nuclear grade (P =.04, P =.33), respectively. By multivariate analysis, for DFS, tumor necrosis and presence of metastases retained significance (P =.01, P =.04, respectively). For DSS, only mitotic rate was a prognostic factor (P =.02). Among the 18 macroadenomas, eight borderline tumors, and 48 low-grade carcinomas, there was no significant difference in DSS between any groups (P =.3). However, in evaluating our newly proposed groups, the differences in DFS and DSS between low- and intermediate-grade groups were highly significant (P =.0007, P =.006, respectively). CONCLUSION: Pancreatic endocrine neoplasms exhibit a spectrum of biologic behavior, and the proposed benign (macroadenoma) and borderline groups contain potentially aggressive tumors. An alternative system based on mitotic rate and necrosis correlates strongly with survival without specifically designating any group as benign.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: an analysis of in situ and invasive carcinomas in 28 patients.

BACKGROUND: Intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas are intraductal tumors with variable amounts of papilla formation, mucin production, and cytoarchitectural atypia. Associated invasive carcinomas, reported to occur in up to 30% of patients, often are mucinous and clinically indolent. METHODS: The clinical and pathologic features of 28 IPMNs resected at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1983 and 1997 were reviewed. RESULTS: There were 16 females and 12 males with a mean age of 68 years (range, 44-79 years) and a mean tumor size of 4.5 cm (range, 1.5-11.0 cm). The head of the gland was the predominant tumor site (89%). Abdominal pain, weight loss, and acholic stool were the most common symptoms at presentation. According to histology, two types of papillae were identified: intestinal (22 patients) and pancreatobiliary (6 patients). In the intraductal component, cytologic atypia was minimal (i.e., intraductal papillary-mucinous [IPM] adenoma) in 2 patients and moderate (IPM borderline tumor) in 5 patients, and severe atypia (IPM carcinoma in situ) was seen at least focally in 21 patients. In addition, invasive carcinoma was identified in 15 patients (53%), 4 of whom had only microscopic foci. Invasive carcinoma was of the mucinous type (colloid) in six patients and of the tubular type (conventional ductal adenocarcinoma) in nine patients. At a median follow-up of 35 months, four patients died of disease; two of these patients had only borderline atypia with no identified in situ or invasive carcinoma in the sections submitted. Eighteen patients had no evidence of disease, 1 patient was alive with recurrent disease, and 5 patients died of other causes. The actuarial 5-year disease free survival rate was 78%. Of the 14 patients with invasive carcinoma, 5 of 6 patients with colloid type tumors were free of tumor at a mean of 55 months. Of the patients with tubular type invasive carcinoma, two patients died of their disease (at 4 years and 7 years), three patients died of other causes, and four patients were alive (three were free of disease, and one experienced disease recurrence) at an average follow-up of 7.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Two distinct patterns of intraductal papillae are seen in patients with IPMNs: intestinal and pancreatobiliary. Both in situ and invasive carcinoma may be encountered more commonly than previously recognized. Tubular type invasive carcinomas occur as well as mucinous type (colloid) carcinomas. Although the neoplasms are less aggressive as a group than conventional pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, patients with IPMNs may pursue a deadly course, even in the absence of identifiable invasive carcinoma. Conversely, patients with tubular type invasive carcinoma arising in the background of IPMN may follow a more favorable course than patients with conventional ductal adenocarcinoma without IPMN, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the IPMN component in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed2002

The value of splenic preservation with distal pancreatectomy.

HYPOTHESIS: Splenic-preserving distal pancreatectomy for benign or low-grade malignant disease is associated with decreased perioperative morbidity compared with conventional distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. DESIGN: A retrospective review of a prospective database of patients. SETTING: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. PATIENTS: All patients (N = 211) undergoing distal pancreatectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perioperative complications, length of postoperative stay, and overall survival times were analyzed. RESULTS: After excluding patients with adenocarcinoma and those who had other major organ resection, 125 patients underwent distal pancreatectomy for benign or low-grade malignant disease with splenectomy (n = 79) or splenic preservation (n = 46). Perioperative complications occurred in 39 (49%) of the 79 patients following splenectomy and 18 (39%) of the 46 patients following splenic preservation (P =.21). Perioperative infectious complications and severe complications were significantly higher in the splenectomy group (28% and 11%) compared with the splenic preservation group (9% and 2%) (P =.01 and.05), respectively. Length of hospital stay was 9 days (range, 5-41 days) following splenectomy and 7 days (range, 5-26 days) following splenic preservation (P<.01). No difference in length of surgery, units of blood transfused, or perioperative mortality was noted between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Splenic preservation following distal pancreatectomy for benign or low-grade malignant disease is safe and is associated with a reduction in perioperative infectious complications, severe complications, and length of hospital stay compared with conventional distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy. Therefore, splenic preservation should be considered in this group of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Port site metastasis after diagnostic laparoscopy for upper gastrointestinal tract malignancies: an uncommon entity.

BACKGROUND: The role of laparoscopy for diagnosing, staging, and treating intra-abdominal malignancies is increasing. This study was designed to examine the incidence of port site metastasis and open incision site metastasis for upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) malignancies. METHODS: From a prospective database maintained by the Department of Surgery, patients undergoing laparoscopy for upper GI malignancies were identified. Clinical outcomes and recurrences were noted. RESULTS: Between January 1993 and January 2001, 1965 laparoscopic procedures were identified. After those patients lost to follow-up were excluded, 1650 procedures were performed in 1548 patients. Port site implantation for all laparoscopies occurred in 13 (.79%) of 1650, with a median time to recurrence of 8.2 months. After laparotomy, open incision site recurrence occurred in 9 (.86%) of 1040 (not significant). Among the patients resected, there were 5 (.60%) of 830 port site recurrences and 7 (.84%) of 830 open incision site recurrences. At the time of diagnosis of recurrence, all of the patients with port site and five of seven with open site implantation had distant or local disease, or both, as well. CONCLUSIONS: Port site implantation after diagnostic laparoscopy for upper GI malignancy is uncommon, does not seem to be different from open incision site recurrence, and occurs in the setting of advanced disease. Therefore, the risk of port site recurrence cannot be used as an argument against laparoscopy in upper GI malignancy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Results after pancreatic resection for metastatic lesions.

BACKGROUND: Unlike primary pancreatic carcinoma, isolated metastatic lesions to the pancreas are uncommon. Although the value of surgical resection is poorly documented, resection may be deemed appropriate in selected cases. The aim of this study was to review our experience with the operative management of pancreatic metastases. METHODS: Sixteen patients who underwent pancreatic resection for the treatment of metastatic disease were identified from a prospective pancreatic database. The clinical features of and results after resection were examined. RESULTS: Renal cell carcinoma was the most frequent primary histopathology (10 of 16; 62%). In the remaining patients, the primary histopathology was non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 3), sarcoma (n = 1), melanoma (n = 1), or transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (n = 1). A prolonged disease-free interval (median, 7.5 years) was characteristic of most patients. Operative procedures performed included eight pancreaticoduodenectomies, seven distal pancreatectomies, and one total pancreatectomy. The operative mortality was 6%, and the morbidity was 25%. The overall 2- and 5-year actuarial survival rates were 62% and 25%, respectively. A trend toward improved survival was observed in the renal cell carcinoma patients, but this finding was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survival after pancreatic resection for metastatic disease is achievable, and patients with primary renal cell carcinoma seem to have a more favorable prognosis. Surgical resection should thus be offered to selected patients with isolated metastatic disease to the pancreas.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Does neoadjuvant chemoradiation downstage locally advanced pancreatic cancer?

Recent studies suggest that neoadjuvant chemoradiation can downstage locally advanced pancreatic tumors. There is limited evaluable data to support this approach. We review our experience with preoperative chemoradiation for surgically staged, locally advanced pancreatic cancer to determine whether patients are downstaged with multimodal therapy allowing for curative resection. A prospectively collected database from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center was reviewed. Patients admitted between January 1993 and March 1999 with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma were identified (N = 163). Chemoradiation was administered to 87 (53.3%) of 163, and regimens varied from standard 5-fluorouracil/gemcitabine-based therapies to experimental protocols. Only three patients (3/87; 3.4%) had a sufficient clinical response on restaging to warrant reexploration. Of these, two thirds were unresectable on subsequent laparoscopy because of extensive vascular involvement or metastatic disease. Only one patient underwent a potentially curative resection, with a survival of 18 months despite negative margins and no nodal involvement. The overall median survival for all patients with locally advanced disease treated with chemoradiation was 11 months (6.5 months without multimodal therapy; P = 0.004). Although chemoradiation is associated with improved overall survival in locally advanced disease, it rarely leads to surgical "downstaging" allowing for potentially curative pancreatic resections. Novel multimodality approaches are required.

Adenocarcinoma↗