Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, Version 2.2021, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

Exosome applications for the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: An update (Review)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a malignant neoplasm that typically manifests with subtle clinical manifestations in its early stages and frequently eludes diagnosis until the advanced phases of the disease. The limited therapeutic options available for PDAC significantly contribute to its high mortality rate, highlighting the urgent need for novel biomarkers capable of effectively identifying early clinical manifestations and facilitating precise diagnosis. The pivotal role of cellular exosomes in both the pathogenesis and therapeutic interventions for PDAC has been underscored. Furthermore, researchers have acknowledged the potential of exosomes as targeted drug carriers against regulatory cells in treating PDAC. The present article aims to provide a comprehensive review encompassing recent advancements in utilizing exosomes for elucidating mechanisms underlying disease development, patterns of metastasis, diagnostic techniques and treatment strategies associated with PDAC.

Impact of Preoperative Osteosarcopenia and Postoperative Administration of Pancrelipase on the Prognosis of Borderline Resectable and Unresectable Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify postoperative recurrence and prognostic factors, including osteosarcopenia for borderline resectable (BR) and unresectable locally advanced (UR-LA) pancreatic cancer and to examine the impact of postoperative pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).

METHODS

We retrospectively examined 32 resected patients with BR and UR-LA pancreatic cancer. We investigated independent factors in the disease-free survival and overall survival. The relation of osteosarcopenia with the clinicopathological factors was investigated. Additionally, the association of the administration of a standard dose of pancrelipase, the amount of lipase required for patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, for ≥6 months postoperatively with improvement of sarcopenia, osteopenia, and osteosarcopenia and completion rate of adjuvant chemotherapy was investigated.

RESULTS

Multivariate analyses identified osteosarcopenia (P = 0.049) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.01) as independent recurrence predictors, and osteosarcopenia (P = 0.002), maximum tumor diameter ≥40 mm (P = 0.006), and no adjuvant therapy (P = 0.01) as independent prognostic predictors. In the osteosarcopenia group, serum CA19-9 levels were higher (P = 0.03). The administration of a standard dose of pancrelipase for ≥6 months postoperatively was none in the osteosarcopenia group (0% vs 42.9%, P = 0.01), while significantly improved postoperative sarcopenia (33% vs 0%, P = 0.004), increased number of cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 6 vs n = 3, P = 0.03), and the completion rate of adjuvant chemotherapy in excluding cases interrupted because of recurrence (86% vs 25%, P = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Osteosarcopenia was an independent recurrent and prognostic factor in patients after pancreatectomy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Appropriate postoperative PERT may contribute to a better prognosis by improving sarcopenia and increasing the completion rate of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Pancreatic cancer and long survivors: a survey of Italian society of oncological surgery (SICO)

Long-term survivors after pancreatic resection for PDAC are rare, constituting a specific subset of patients that remains poorly understood. The aim of this survey is to describe the current landscape related to survival in the Italian context and identify factors associated with long-term survival. An online survey, conducted by the Italian Society of Oncological Surgery (SICO) and endorsed by Italian Association of the Study of the Pancreas (AISP) and Italian Association of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery (AICEP), was distributed to surgeons in July 2023. The survey included 27 multiple-choice questions covering demographics, professional details, clinical practices, and long-term survival data. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression to identify factors related to long-term survival. The majority of surgeons (46.9%) considered LTS as "alive at 5 years, regardless of disease-free status". The percentage of patients alive at 5 years post-2013 was higher compared to pre-2013. Almost all centers (93.2%) held multidisciplinary discussions. Very high-volume centers (> 100 resections/year) in comparison to very low-volume (< 10 resections/year) showed better long-term survival rates. No difference in survival were observed between centers with low, medium, high, and very high volumes. In addition, centers with multidisciplinary approach showed better survival rates. Centers with more neoadjuvant chemotherapy rates, low-grade and low-stage tumors were also associated with improved survival outcomes. This survey has allowed to understand the Italian scenario regarding survival in patients undergoing surgery for PDAC.

Routine Imaging or Symptomatic Follow-Up After Resection of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

IMPORTANCE

International guidelines lack consistency in their recommendations regarding routine imaging in the follow-up after pancreatic resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Consequently, follow-up strategies differ between centers worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

To compare clinical outcomes, including recurrence-focused treatment and survival, in patients with PDAC recurrence who received symptomatic follow-up or routine imaging after pancreatic resection in international centers affiliated with the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (E-AHPBA).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This was a prospective, international, cross-sectional study. Patients from a total of 33 E-AHPBA centers from 13 countries were included between 2020 and 2021. According to the predefined study protocol, patients who underwent PDAC resection and were diagnosed with disease recurrence were prospectively included. Patients were stratified according to postoperative follow-up strategy: symptomatic follow-up (ie, without routine imaging) or routine imaging.

EXPOSURES

Symptomatic follow-up or routine imaging in patients who underwent PDAC resection.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Overall survival (OS) was estimated with Kaplan-Meier curves and compared using the log-rank test. To adjust for potential confounders, multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between follow-up strategy and recurrence-focused treatment. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to study the independent association between follow-up strategy and OS.

RESULTS

Overall, 333 patients (mean [SD] age, 65 [11] years; 184 male [55%]) with PDAC recurrence were included. Median (IQR) follow-up at time of analysis 2 years after inclusion of the last patient was 40 (30-58) months. Of the total cohort, 98 patients (29%) received symptomatic follow-up, and 235 patients (71%) received routine imaging. OS was 23 months (95% CI, 19-29 months) vs 28 months (95% CI, 24-30 months) in the groups who received symptomatic follow-up vs routine imaging, respectively (P = .01). Routine imaging was associated with receiving recurrence-focused treatment (adjusted odds ratio, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.22-5.41; P = .01) and prolonged OS (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.56-.99; P = .04).

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

In this international, prospective, cross-sectional study, routine follow-up imaging after pancreatic resection for PDAC was independently associated with receiving recurrence-focused treatment and prolonged OS.

Assessment of Outcomes by Intention-to-Treat Comparison for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Population-Derived Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

The overall treatment response among patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is poorly understood as most studies report solely on resected patients. We aimed to investigate the outcomes in patients with LAPC as an intention-to-treat-analysis from the time of diagnosis from a complete source population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

An observational cohort study in a population-defined region within a universal healthcare system. All consecutive patients discussed at multi-disciplinary tumour board (MDT), aged ≥ 18 years and diagnosed with LAPC were included. Exposure was set as recommended treatment by MDT (i.e. upfront surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, palliative treatment or best supportive care). Outcome measures were overall survival analysed by Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and multivariable analyses using logistic regression for odds ratios (OR) and Cox proportional hazard analysis for hazard ratios (HR).

RESULTS

In total, 8803 MDT events (6055 unique patients) with pancreatic disease were held during the study period. Some 1436 (24%) had pancreatic cancer, of which 162 (11%) had LAPC and 134 met the population-defined criteria. In overall survival analyses, the patients who were recommended neoadjuvant therapy (± surgery) demonstrated no significant difference to palliative chemotherapy (median 11.0 months vs. 11.8 months; p = 0.226). In multivariable analysis, adjusted OR for overall survival comparing the treatment groups was 0.27 (95% CI 0.02-3.29, p = 0.306) and Cox proportional HR 0.96 (95% CI 0.58-1.59, p = 0.865).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with LAPC, survival was not statistically different between those recommended for attempt at neoadjuvant (± surgery) compared with those recommended palliative chemotherapy. The findings suggest that conversion/downstaging chemotherapy is successful in only a select few.

Novel machine-learning model for predicting lymph node metastasis in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Aim

Lymph node metastasis is an adverse prognostic factor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. However, it remains a challenge to predict lymph node metastasis using preoperative imaging alone. We used machine learning (combining preoperative imaging findings, tumor markers, and clinical information) to create a novel prediction model for lymph node metastasis in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Methods

The data of patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery between September 1991 and October 2022 were retrospectively examined. Machine-learning software (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Modeler) was used to create a prediction model, and parameter tuning was performed to improve the model's accuracy. We also analyzed the contribution of each feature to prediction using individual conditional expectation and partial dependence plots.

Results

Of the 331 cases included in the study, 241 comprised the training cohort and 90 comprised the test cohort. After parameter tuning, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for the training and test cohorts were 0.780 and 0.795, respectively. Individual conditional expectation and partial dependence plots showed that larger tumor size and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and Duke pancreatic monoclonal antigen type 2 levels were associated with positive lymph node metastasis prediction in this model; neoadjuvant treatment was associated with negative lymph node metastasis prediction.

Conclusion

Machine learning may contribute to the creation of an effective predictive model of lymph node metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Prediction models using machine learning may contribute to the development of new treatment strategies in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Clinical Outcomes and Molecular Profiling of Pancreatic Acinar Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study

PURPOSE

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC) is a rare and aggressive form of pancreatic cancer that originates in the acinar cells of the exocrine pancreas. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and molecular characteristics of patients with PACC at our institution.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of patients with PACC seen at Mayo Clinic between 2002 and 2023. Baseline patient characteristics, tumor pathology, treatment strategies used, and survival outcomes were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were estimated using newsurv macros in SAS.

RESULTS

The study included a total of 65 patients with PACC. The median age at diagnosis was 66 years. Almost half of the patients (48%) presented with resectable/borderline-resectable disease (n = 28). Five-year overall survival (OS) for resectable/borderline-resectable, locally advanced/unresectable, and metastatic disease were 72.0%, 21.6%, and 20.9%, respectively. Somatic and germline next-generation sequencing identified numerous potentially actionable targets including homologous recombination (43% somatic, 33% germline), RAF alterations (29% somatic), and mismatch repair (14% somatic).

CONCLUSION

Our findings underscore the heterogeneity and aggressive nature of PACC. Despite the improved prognosis for patients with resectable/borderline-resectable disease, OS remains poor, particularly for those with locally advanced or metastatic disease. The identification of actionable molecular targets in a significant proportion of patients highlights the potential for personalized therapeutic approaches. Future research should focus on tailored treatment strategies to exploit these molecular vulnerabilities, which may offer new options for improving outcomes in this rare malignancy.

An update on pancreatic cancer imaging, staging, and use of the PACT-UK radiology template pre- and post-neoadjuvant treatment

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma continues to have a poor prognosis, although recent advances in neoadjuvant treatments (NATs) have provided some hope. Imaging assessment of suspected tumours can be challenging and requires a specific approach, with pancreas protocol CT being the primary imaging modality for staging with other modalities used as problem-solving tools to facilitate appropriate management. Imaging assessment post NAT can be particularly difficult due to a current lack of robust radiological criteria to predict response and differentiate treatment induced fibrosis/inflammation from residual tumour. This review aims to provide an update of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with particular focus on three points: tumour staging pre- and post-NAT including vascular assessment, structured reporting with introduction of the PAncreatic Cancer reporting Template-UK (PACT-UK) radiology template, and the potential future role of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer.

Novel Predictive Strategy Using CA19-9 and Fecal Elastase Levels to Make Treatment Decisions for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospective Study

Background: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is used as a marker to predict recurrence and survival of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Recently, fecal elastase-1 (FE-1) has been shown to correlate with prognosis in patients with PDAC. Method: A total of 536 patients who underwent curative intent surgery between 2010 and 2019 were included in the study. The cutoff points of preoperative CA19-9 and FE-1 levels were extracted from the Youden index and previous studies. Cox proportional hazard models were used to investigate the association between preoperative tumor marker levels and survival after surgery. Results: Patients with CA19-9 ≥ 385 had more advanced T-/N-stages and lower survival rates compared to those with CA19-9 < 385. Multivariate Cox analyses demonstrated that combining preoperative tumor markers was associated with worse 3-year overall survival (both CA19-9 and FE-1 low, HR = 1.41, p = 0.044; both high, HR = 1.44, p = 0.047; CA19-9 high and FE-1 low, HR = 2.00, p < 0.001; and p for trend < 0.001). The same trend was confirmed in the analysis with recurrence-free survival. Conclusions: This study presents a new predictive strategy using combined CA19-9 and FE-1 levels to determine the treatment for resectable pancreatic cancer.

Indole 3-acetate and response to therapy in borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Background/Aims

It was recently reported that a higher concentration of the bacterially produced metabolite indole 3-acetate (3-IAA) in blood was linked to a better response to chemotherapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we aimed to extend these observations to patients diagnosed with non-metastatic PDAC.

Method

We measured circulating 3-IAA in samples from a prospective population-based cohort of 124 patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced PDAC, collected before initiating neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The majority (61%) of the patients were treated with FOLFIRINOX. We used univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the association between pre-treatment 3-IAA and overall survival.

Results

The median serum 3-IAA concentration before chemotherapy was 290 (interquartile range 203-417) ng/mL. The unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for pre-treatment log2(3-IAA) was 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.74-1.16], p=0.52. When adjusting for age, ECOG, CA19-9 and tumor classification, the HR for log2(3-IAA) was 0.87, 95% CI [0.68-1.12], p=0.28.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the potentiating effect of 3-IAA observed in metastatic PDAC undergoing chemotherapy may not translate to borderline resectable or locally advanced PDAC. We recommend additional clinical validation of 3-IAA's predictive value in different categories of PDAC before implementation attempts in human studies are initiated.

Efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant S-1-based chemoradiotherapy in resectable and borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer: a long-term follow-up study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and long-term outcomes of S-1-based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) in patients with resectable or borderline-resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with PDAC who underwent S-1-based NACRT at our institute between 2010 and 2017.

RESULTS

Forty patients were included in the study, including 15 (37.5%) with resectable PDAC and 25 (62.5%) with borderline-resectable PDAC. The NACRT completion and resection rates were 85.0% (n = 34) and 67.5% (n = 27), respectively. Several grade 3 adverse events were observed, including leukopenia (25.0%), anorexia (17.5%), neutropenia (10.0%), thrombocytopenia (7.5%), febrile neutropenia (2.5%), elevated aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (2.5%) levels, and hyponatremia (2.5%). The R0 resection rate was 70.4% (n = 19/27) in patients who underwent pancreatectomy. Grades 1, 2, and 3 according to the College of American Pathologists grading system were observed in 1 (3.7%), 12 (44.4%), and 14 (51.9%) patients, respectively. Over a median follow-up period of 32.9 months (interquartile range, 9.1-68.0), the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 81.4%, 45.5%, and 30.3%, respectively, in the intention-to-treat analysis. In the curative-intent surgery cohort (n = 27), the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 88.9%, 48.2%, and 37.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

S-1-based NACRT is safe and yields acceptable long-term outcomes for patients with resectable or borderline-resectable PDAC.

A novel model based on clinical and computed tomography (CT) indices to predict the risk factors of postoperative major complications in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background

Postoperative complications are prone to occur in patients after radical pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). This study aimed to construct and validate a model for predicting postoperative major complications in patients after PD.

Methods

The clinical data of 360 patients who underwent PD were retrospectively collected from two centers between January 2019 and December 2023. Visceral adipose volume (VAV) and subcutaneous adipose volume (SAV) were measured using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) reconstruction. According to the Clavien-Dindo classification system, the postoperative complications were graded. Subsequently, a predictive model was constructed based on the results of least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) multivariate logistic regression analysis and stepwise (stepAIC) selection. The nomogram was internally validated by the training and test cohort. The discriminatory ability and clinical utility of the nomogram were evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

The major complications occurred in 13.3% (n = 48) of patients after PD. The nomogram revealed that high VAV/SAV, high system inflammation response index (SIRI), high triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI), low prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and CA199 ≥ 37 were independent risk factors for major complications. The C-index of this model was 0.854 (95%CI [0.800-0.907]), showing excellent discrimination. The calibration curve demonstrated satisfactory concordance between nomogram predictions and actual observations. The DCA curve indicated the substantial clinical utility of the nomogram.

Conclusion

The model based on clinical and CT indices demonstrates good predictive performance and clinical benefit for major complications in patients undergoing PD.

The Effects of Adverse Events and Associated Costs on Value-Based Care for Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Background: Rising oncology healthcare costs have led to value-based care reimbursement models that coordinate care and improve quality while reducing overall spending. These models are increasingly important for traditional Medicare and other payers. Objectives: To compare the incidence of adverse events (AEs), AE-associated excess costs, and total cost of care (TCOC) of 3 cohorts receiving first-line treatment for metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of administrative claims data from 2018 to 2022 using the Medicare 100% Research Identifiable Files. We examined 3 cohorts receiving mPDAC treatment: FOLFIRINOX (FFX) (oxaliplatin, irinotecan, leucovorin, 5-FU bolus and infusion); modified FFX, (5-FU infusion only); and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (gem/abrax). We compared the incidence of clinically significant AEs, TCOC, components of TCOC, and costs related to AEs/treatment toxicity. Results: Patient AE rates ranged from 6.2% to 51.7%. AEs occurred more frequently in patients receiving FFX with all 4 components. Patients receiving brand name gem/abrax had lower rates of febrile neutropenia (6.2%) and neutropenia (22.2%) than those receiving FFX with no 5-FU bolus (febrile neutropenia, 9.9%; neutropenia, 36.9%) and FFX with all 4 components (febrile neutropenia, 6.9%; neutropenia, 30.4%). Rates of most nonhematologic AEs were higher in patients receiving FFX with all 4 components, with diarrhea occurring in 28.3%, abdominal pain in 31.5%, and nausea/vomiting in 41.5% of patients. TCOC was lower in the gem/abrax cohort: 6505 v s F F X w i t h n o 5 - F U b o l u s ( 6995) and FFX with all 4 components ( 7142 ) p e r a d m i n i s t r a t i o n . T h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a n y s t u d i e d h e m a t o l o g i c A E w a s a s s o c i a t e d w i t h a m e a n e x c e s s c o s t o f 5993 per administration, while the development of any studied nonhematological AE was associated with a mean per-administration excess cost of $3665. Discussion: Treatment decisions intended to minimize chemotherapy costs may lead to suboptimal decisions if the goal is to reduce TCOC. Our research suggests FFX is more costly than gem/abrax (TCOC per administration). Patients receiving gem/abrax were older and had higher baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index scores; however, other factors may be important in driving cost differences. Conclusions: Irrespective of drug cost, chemotherapy leading to a significant increase in AEs is associated with higher TCOC.

Prognostic biomarker MICAL2 and associates with proliferation, migration and immune infiltration in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

To elucidate the crucial function of MICAL2 as a potential immunotherapeutic target and a predictive biomarker in PAAD. The expression of MICAL2 in pan-cancer was investigated using public database, and the expression of MICAL2 in PAAD was validated using tissue samples. The diagnostic and prognostic significance of MICAL2 in PAAD was assessed through the application of ROC curves and Kaplan-Meier curves. The correlation between MICAL2 and infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints in PAAD was researched using the TIMER and TCGA databases. In vitro studies involved the evaluation of the biological functions of MICAL2 in human PAAD cells through the knockdown of MICAL2 expression using shRNA. Compared to corresponding normal tissues, the expression of MICAL2 exhibits significant differences in various cancers. Specifically, the level of MICAL2 expression is significantly increased in PAAD. Moreover, MICAL2 demonstrates considerable diagnostic potential in PAAD patients, and its elevated expression is indicative of an unfavorable prognosis. The differential expression of MICAL2 is related to infiltrating immune cells, immune cell markers, and immune checkpoints in PAAD. In ASPC-1 and PANC-1 cells, when MICAL2 was knocked down, there was a notable suppression of proliferation, migration, and invasion. MICAL2 functions as a significant predictor and promising immunotherapeutic target for prognosis assessment in PAAD. It has a pivotal function in fostering the growth and migration of PAAD cells.

Nomogram for predicting post-progression-free survival in patients with recurrent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma after radical surgery: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Radical resection is the only curative method for patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, nearly 85% of PDAC patients suffer from local or distant recurrence within 5 years after curative resection. The progression of recurrent lesions accelerates the mortality rate in PDAC patients. However, the influence of clinicopathological factors on post-progression-free survival (PPFS), defined as the period from tumor recurrence to the timing of the progression of recurrent lesions, has rarely been discussed. The present study aimed to explore the independent prognostic factors for PPFS and construct a nomogram for PPFS prediction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The 200 recurrent PDAC patients were divided into training and validation groups by leave-one-out cross-validation. The patients' clinicopathological characteristics were compared through a chi-square test. Meanwhile, these factors were enrolled in the univariate and multivariate COX regression to find the independent prognostic factors of PPFS. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis based on the independent prognostic factors was performed. Finally, we constructed a nomogram model for PPFS prediction, followed by an effectiveness examination.

RESULTS

PDAC patients who received multi-agent chemotherapy after surgery showed a longer PPFS than the single-agent chemotherapy group. PDAC patients who received multi-agent chemotherapy after recurrence showed a similar PPFS compared to the single-agent chemotherapy group. Local recurrence with distant metastases, early recurrence, lympho-vascular invasion, higher T stage, and higher N stage predicted shorter PPFS in recurrent PDAC patients. Finally, a nomogram to indicate the progression of recurrent lesions was constructed.

CONCLUSION

Multi-agent chemotherapy is recommended for PDAC patients after surgery. Meanwhile, single-agent chemotherapy also deserves consideration after tumor recurrence. Moreover, the nomogram could be used in PPFS prediction.

Assessment of vascular invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma based on CE-boost black blood CT technique

OBJECTIVES

To explore the diagnostic efficacy of advanced intelligent clear-IQ engine (AiCE) and adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR 3D), combination with and without the black blood CT technique (BBCT), for detecting vascular invasion in patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS

A total of 35 consecutive patients diagnosed with PDAC, proceeding with contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scans, were enrolled in this study. The arterial and portal venous phase images were reconstructed using AiCE and AIDR 3D. The corresponding BBCT images were established as AiCE-BBCT and AIDR 3D-BBCT, respectively. Two observers scored the image quality independently. Cohen's kappa (k) value or intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to analyze consistency. The diagnostic performance of four algorithms in detecting vascular invasion in PDAC patients was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC).

RESULTS

The AiCE and AiCE-BBCT groups demonstrated superior image noise and diagnostic acceptability compared with AIDR 3D and AIDR 3D-BBCT groups (all p < 0.001), and the k value was 0.861-0.967 for both reviewers. In terms of diagnostic capability for vascular invasion in PDAC, the AiCE-BBCT group exhibited higher specificity (95.0%) and sensitivity (93.3%) compared to the AIDR 3D and AIDR 3D-BBCT groups, with an AUC of 0.942 (95% CI: 0.849-1.000, p < 0.05). Furthermore, all vascular evaluations conducted using AiCE-BBCT demonstrated better consistency (ICC: 0.847-0.935).

CONCLUSION

The BBCT technique in conjunction with AiCE could lead to notable enhancements in both the image quality of PDAC images and the diagnostic performance for tumor vascular invasion.

CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

Better diagnostic accuracy of vascular invasion of PDAC based on BBCT in combination with an AiCE is a critical factor in determining treatment strategies and patient outcomes.

KEY POINTS

Identifying vascular invasion of PDAC is important for prognostication. Combined images provide improved image quality and higher diagnostic accuracy. Combined images can excellently display the vascular wall and invasion.

Synchronized Contrast-Enhanced 4DCT Simulation for Target Volume Delineation in Abdominal SBRT

Background/Objectives: To present the technical aspects of contrast-enhanced 4DCT (ce4DCT) simulation for abdominal SBRT. Methods: Twenty-two patients underwent two sequential 4DCT scans: one baseline and one contrast-enhanced with personalized delay time (tdelay) calculated to capture the tumor in the desired contrast phase, based on diagnostic triple-phase CT. The internal target volume (ITV) was delineated on ten contrast phases, and a panel of three experts qualitatively evaluated tumor visibility. Aortic HU values were measured to refine the tdelay for subsequent patients. The commonly used approach of combining triple-phase CT with unenhanced 4DCT was simulated, and differences in target delineation were evaluated by volume, centroid shift, Dice and Jaccard indices, and mean distance agreement (MDA). The margins required to account for motion were calculated. Results: The ce4DCT acquisitions substantially improved tumor visibility over the entire breathing cycle in 20 patients, according to the experts' unanimous evaluation. The median contrast peak time was 54.5 s, and the washout plateau was observed at 70.3 s, with mean peak and plateau HU values of 292 ± 59 and 169 ± 25. The volumes from the commonly used procedure (ITV2) were significantly smaller than the ce4DCT volumes (ITV1) (p = 0.045). The median centroid shift was 4.7 mm. The ITV1-ITV2 overlap was 69% (Dice index), 53% (Jaccard index), and 2.89 mm (MDA), with the liver volumes showing significantly lower indices compared to the pancreatic volumes (p ≤ 0.011). The margins required to better encompass ITV1 were highly variable, with mean values ≥ 4 mm in all directions except for the left-right axis. Conclusions: The ce4DCT simulation was feasible, resulting in optimal tumor enhancement with minimal resource investment, while significantly mitigating uncertainties in SBRT planning by addressing poor visibility and respiratory motion. Triple-phase 3DCT with unenhanced 4DCT led to high variability in target delineation, making the isotropic margins ineffective.

Prognostic significance of creatine kinase in resected pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Creatine kinase (CK) levels decrease with cancer progression and muscle wasting, but its association with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate CK as a prognostic biomarker and surrogate marker for muscle mass in patients with PDAC.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 476 patients with PDAC was conducted. CK levels were categorized into low and high groups using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

RESULTS

Among the 476 patients, 200 (42.0%) and 276 (58.0%) were classified into the low and high CK groups, respectively. The low CK group had significantly poorer overall survival (p < .001) and recurrence-free survival (p < .001) compared to the high CK group. Multivariate analysis identified low CK as an independent poor prognostic factor (p < .001). The low CK group had significantly lower skeletal muscle index (p = .048) than the high CK group; however, the difference was slight and not significantly associated with sarcopenia. Additionally, combined risk assessment incorporating CK and resectability facilitated a more nuanced prognostic stratification.

CONCLUSIONS

CK served as a reliable prognostic marker independent from resectability but was less effective as a marker for sarcopenia in PDAC.

Intraoperative liquid biopsy as a tool for detecting R1 resection during pancreatoduodenectomy in patients with pancreatic carcinoma: the CETUPANC trial (part II)

INTRODUCTION

A positive surgical margin (R1 resection) is a relevant risk factor for local recurrence in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (PDAC). An intraoperative liquid biopsy (ILB) based on tumor cell mobilization could help to detect R1 resection intraoperatively.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the potential role of the intraoperative circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and cluster mobilization on the R0/R1 detection.

METHODS

Sixty-three patients with resectable PDAC of the head of the pancreas were prospective enrolled under the CETUPANC trial. Open pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) was done in all patients. Intraoperative CTCs and clusters were determined during PD.

RESULTS

The overall rate of R1 resection was 34.9% (22/63 patients). Multivariate analysis showed that factors associated with R1 resection (AUC=0.920) were the presence of undifferentiated G3 tumor (P=0.017), microscopic vascular invasion (P=0.016), and the intraoperative increase of both free CTCs and clusters in portal vein determination from the beginning to the end of the surgery (P=0.002 and P=0.005, respectively). A specific logistic regression model, including delta end to baseline CTCs and cluster mobilization to achieve a combined cut-off to detect R1 detection was calculated (AUC=0.799). The obtained R1-index based on ILB had 84% of sensitivity and 68% of specificity to detect R1 resection.

CONCLUSIONS

The ILB based on the intraoperative mobilization of CTCs and clusters from the beginning to the end of the PD was a predictive factor to detect R1 resection in patients with PDAC.

Trends in the Care of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer in the Modern Era of Chemotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Current guidelines for treatment for locally advanced pancreatic cancer recommend chemotherapy ± radiation, or radiation alone when multimodal therapy is contraindicated. In a subset of patients, guideline-recommended treatment (GRT) achieves sufficient response to qualify for potentially curative resection. This study evaluated trends in treatment utilization and aimed to identify barriers to GRT.

METHODS

Patients with clinical T4M0 disease in the National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2017 were included. Potential predictors were assessed by relative risk regression with Poisson distribution and compared by log-link function.

RESULTS

In total, 28 056 patients met the criteria. Among 17 059 (67.67%) patients treated primarily with chemotherapy, 41.19% also had radiation and 8.89% went onto resection. Many received no cancer-directed treatment or failed to receive GRT. Another 710 patients had radiation (±surgery) without chemotherapy despite few contraindications to chemotherapy. Over time, patients were more likely to undergo resection after chemotherapy (aRR = 1.58; p < 0.0001) and less likely to have chemoradiation (aRR = 0.78; p < 0.0001) or go untreated (aRR = 0.90; p < 0.0001). Socioeconomic factors (race, education, income, and insurance status) affected the likelihood of receiving chemotherapy and surgery. Median overall survival (OS) was significantly improved for patients treated with chemotherapy and particularly in those patients who went on to receive RT or undergo surgical resection. OS was also longer for patients treated at high-volume academic centers. Patients insured by Medicaid, Medicare, or those without insurance had worse OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite improvement over time, many patients go untreated. Clinical factors were influential, but the impact of vulnerable social standing suggests persistent inequity in access to care.

Factors affecting peripheral neuropathy induced by nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel in patients with pancreatic cancer

AIM

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major toxicity limiting the use of nab-paclitaxel (Nab-P) in treating patients with pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the factors affecting CIPN using patient-reported outcome measures and the minimally invasive volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) technique.

METHODS

The maximum concentrations of paclitaxel (Cmax) were measured from 81 VAMS samples collected from 44 participants with pancreatic cancer. The association between CIPN development and demographic, clinical and pharmacokinetic factors was determined using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. The association between CIPN severity and the factors was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation. The impact of Cmax and the number of treatment cycles on the severity was assessed using multivariable linear regression.

RESULTS

The development of CIPN was significantly associated with cumulative dose (odds ratio 1.005, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.003-1.007), treatment cycles (3.47, 2.25-5.85), alkaline phosphate (0.992, 0.985-0.998) and age (1.092, 1.020-1.179), with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.95). The severity of CIPN significantly worsened with increasing cumulative dose (coefficient 0.58, 95% CI 0.44-0.69), treatment cycles (0.57, 0.44-0.68) and age (0.18, 0.00-0.35). The severity of CIPN was predictable from treatment cycles (P = .0002) and Cmax (P = .01).

CONCLUSION

The higher the cumulative dose of Nab-P, treatment cycles and age, the more frequently and severely do the patients experience CIPN. In predicting the severity of CIPN using Cmax, minimally invasive VAMS is a feasible alternative to venous blood sampling.

Clinicopathological predictive factors in long-term survivors who underwent surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A single-center propensity score matched analysis

BACKGROUND

Long-term survivors (LTSs) after pancreatic resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represent a particular subgroup of patients that remains poorly understood. The primary endpoint was to identify clinicopathological factors associated with LTSs after pancreatic resection for PDAC.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of patients who had undergone pancreatic resection for PDAC. Long survival was defined as a patient who survived at least 60 months. Patients were divided in two groups: LTS and short-term survivor (STS). The two groups were compared regarding epidemiological, clinical, and pathological data. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce selection bias with a 1:2 ratio. Multivariable analysis of significative predictive factors before and after PSM was done.

RESULTS

Three hundred and thirty-three patients were enrolled: 46 (13.8%) in the LTS group and 287 (86.2%) in the STS group. Using PSM, 138 patients were analyzed: 46 in the LTS group and 92 in the STS group. At the multivariate analysis of significative predictive factor after PSM, adjuvant chemotherapy, well-differentiated tumors (G1), and R0 status were related to long-term survival (p = 0.052, 0.010 and p = 0.019, respectively). Kaplan-Meier survival curves confirmed these data. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that pathological stage I was a favorable factor with respect to stage II, III, and IV.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term survival is possible after pancreatic cancer resection, even if in a small percentage. Significant predictors of long-term survival are administration of adjuvant chemotherapy, American Join Committee on Cancer stage I, well-differentiated tumor (G1), and R0 resection.

Image-guided percutaneous microwave ablation for unresectable pancreatic cancers: A multicenter retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of image-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA) for unresectable pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 72 patients from four hospitals were enrolled between November 2009 and October 2022. Descriptive statistics were employed to describe the patients' characteristics and prognostic factors. The primary endpoint compassed the complete ablation rate (CAR), incidence of complications and the pain relief rate (PRR).

RESULTS

The median age of the 72 patients was 61 (interquartile range (IQR) 52.5-67.0) years, with 62.5 % (45/72) being male. 26 cases received computed tomography (CT) guidance; 46 cases received ultrasound guidance. A total of 74 tumors were identified (2 in 2 patients), with 56.8 % (42/74) at the body and tail, and the rest at the head and neck. Overall, 73 ablation sessions were carried out, achieving a technical success rate (TSR) of 100 %. The CAR was 40.5 % (30/74). The median follow-up time was 4.6 (1-43.4) months. 50 % (36/72) of patients had died with a median overall survival (OS) of 5.6 (1-27) months. Regarding complications, 18.1 % (13/72) of cases were classified as grade I and II, and 9.8 % (7/72) as grade IIIa. Before surgery, 33 patients experienced pain symptoms, and the postoperative PRR was 96.7 % (32/33). The average pain score decreased from 6.3 (4-10) before surgery to 2.0 (0-8) after ablation (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Image-guided PMWA for unresectable pancreatic cancer is safe and feasible, effectively relieving cancer pain and improving patients' the quality of life.

Performance of fibroblast activating protein inhibitor PET imaging for pancreatic neoplasms assessment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have shown the potential of fibroblast activating protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET imaging for pancreatic cancer assessment.

PURPOSE

This article is dedicated to comparing the diagnostic efficacy of FAPI PET and [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET in the evaluation of primary tumors, lymph nodes, and distant metastases in pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

In this review, we conducted a systematic search of studies published in PubMed and Web of Science databases up to September 18, 2023. All included studies used radionuclide labeled FAPI and FDG as PET diagnostic tracers to evaluate their applicability in patients with pancreatic cancer.

RESULTS

The FAPI PET imaging group showed significantly higher sensitivity in the detection of primary lesions (1.000, [95% CI: 0.999-1.000]), lymph node metastases (0.624 [95% CI: 0.391-0.834]) and distant metastatic (0.965 [95% CI: 0.804-1.000]) in pancreatic cancer compared to the FDG PET imaging group (0.889 [95% CI: 0.788-0.966], 0.373 [95% CI: 0.163-0.606] and 0.889 [95% CI: 0.689-0.999], respectively). Furthermore, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in FAPI PET imaging is significantly higher than that in FDG imaging for primary lesions (mean difference (MD) = 7.51, 95% CI: 5.34-9.67).

CONCLUSION

Compared with [18F]FDG PET/CT, FAPI PET imaging showed higher sensitivity, SUVmax. This method can be effectively utilized for the evaluation of pancreatic cancer.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

Fibroblast activating protein inhibitor PET may be a better alternative to [18F]FDG in evaluating primary pancreatic cancer, lymph node metastases, and distant metastases.

KEY POINTS

Fibroblast activating protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET is compared with FDG PET for evaluating pancreatic cancer. Multiple radiolabeled FAPI variants have shown promising results in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. FAPI PET imaging effectively helps clinicians diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer.

Prospective Comparison of [18F]FDG and [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT in the Evaluation of Potentially Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

Accurate clinical staging of potentially resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is critical for establishing optimal treatment strategies. While the efficacy of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in clinical staging is unclear, PET/CT detecting fibroblast-activation protein (FAP) expression has recently received considerable attention for detecting various tumors, including PDAC, with high sensitivity. We explored the efficacy of [18F]FDG and [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT in the initial evaluation of potentially resectable PDAC.

PROCEDURES

Between 2021 and 2022, twenty participants with newly diagnosed potentially resectable PDAC were enrolled. After the initial evaluation with pancreatic CT, [18F]FDG PET/CT, and [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT, treatment strategies were determined considering the participant's general status, clinical staging, and resectability. Pathological information from the surgical specimens was only available in 17 participants who underwent curative-intent surgery. Head-to-head comparisons of quantitative radiotracer uptake and diagnostic performance were performed among imaging modalities.

RESULTS

[18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT showed a significantly higher maximum standardized uptake value than [18F]FDG PET/CT did in evaluating primary pancreatic lesions (median [interquartile range]; 12.6 [10.7-13.7] vs. 6.3 [4.8-9.2]; P < 0.001). In contrast, [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT showed a significantly lower mean standardized uptake value than [18F]FDG PET/CT did in evaluating background organ (median [interquartile range]) 0.8 [0.7-0.9] vs. 2.6 [2.3-2.7]; P < 0.001). In addition, the sensitivity of [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT in detecting metastatic lymph nodes was higher than that of [18F]FDG PET/CT (50.0% vs. 0.0%; P = 0.026).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that [18F]AIF-FAPI-74 PET/CT could improve the clinical staging of potentially resectable PDAC.

Spatial interactions of immune cells as potential predictors to efficacy of toripalimab plus chemotherapy in locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a phase Ib/II trial

Advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a dismal prognosis. Immunotherapy alone offers limited efficacy, but it is still unknown whether its combination with chemotherapy could offer synergistic anti-tumor effects. This phase Ib/II study evaluated the safety and efficacy of combining toripalimab with the gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP) regimen as first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic PDAC and explored predictive biomarkers (ChiCTR2000032293). The primary endpoints were safety and overall survival (OS). The secondary outcomes were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and progression-free survival (PFS). Immune-related biomarkers including programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, genetic status, cytokine levels, and spatial features of the tumor immune microenviroment (TIME) were investigated. Neither serious treatment-related adverse events nor grade 4 immune-related adverse events were reported. Among the 72 patients, the median OS was 8.9 months, 12-month OS rate was 31.9%, with median PFS of 5.6 months, ORR of 33.3%, and DCR of 90.3%. Higher PD-L1 expression, without liver metastases were associated with higher ORR, however these factors could not effectively distinguish responders and non-responders. Importantly, dendritic cells - T helper cells - cytotoxic T lymphocytes (DC-Th-CTL) enriched immune niche and their spatial interactions were dominant predictors of response based on TIME analysis using a cyclic multiplex tissue staining assay, with an area under the curve value of 0.8. Overall, GnP plus toripalimab exhibited good safety and differentiated efficacy in selected population, and the spatial interactions of DC-Th-CTL represent promising predictors to efficacy of immunochemotherapy in locally advanced or metastatic PDAC.

Effectiveness and Safety of Irreversible Electroporation When Used for the Ablation of Stage 3 Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: Initial Results from the DIRECT Registry Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Overall survival for patients with Stage 3 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains limited, with a median survival of 12 to 15 months. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a local tumor ablation method that induces cancerous cell death by disrupting cell membrane homeostasis. The DIRECT Registry study was designed to assess the effectiveness and safety of IRE when combined with standard of care (SOC) treatment for Stage 3 PDAC versus SOC alone in a real-world setting after at least 3 months of induction chemotherapy; Methods: Patients with Stage 3 PDAC treated with IRE plus SOC or SOC alone were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter registry study. Enrollment required 3 months of active multi-agent chemotherapy with no progression before enrollment. Endpoints were 30- and 90-day mortality and adverse events (AEs).

RESULTS

Eighty-seven IRE and 27 SOC subjects were enrolled in the registry. Mean ages were 64.0 ± 8.4 and 66.4 ± 9.9 years, and mean anterior/posterior tumor diameters were 2.2 ± 0.7 cm and 3.2 ± 1.3 for the IRE and SOC groups respectively (p = 0.0066). All IRE procedures were performed using an open approach. The 90-day all-cause mortality was 5/83 (6.0%) and 2/27 (7.4%) for the IRE and SOC groups, respectively. Two subjects in the IRE group died from treatment-related complications, and one patient in the SOC group died due to chemotherapy-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Initial results from the DIRECT registry study indicate the use of IRE for curative intent tumor ablation in combination with induction chemotherapy has equivalent morbidity and mortality rates when compared to standard-of-care chemotherapy alone.

Critical Role of Preoperative Hyperglycemia in Association with GFAT-1 Expression in Resected Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

Hyperglycemia is involved in malignant transformation of pancreatic cancer via the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP). However, few studies have verified this mechanism based on clinical data. This study investigated the complementary effects of hyperglycemia and HBP on pancreatic cancer prognosis using detailed clinical data.

METHODS

The study analyzed data of 477 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent pancreatectomy between 2006 and 2020. The patients were divided into normoglycemia and hyperglycemia groups based on their HbA1c levels. Immunostaining for glutamine fructose-6-phosphate transaminase-1 (GFAT-1), the rate-limiting enzyme in HBP, CD4, CD8, and Foxp3, was performed to evaluate the association between survival outcomes, HBP, and local tumor immunity.

RESULTS

Overall survival (OS) was significantly poorer in the hyperglycemia group than in the normoglycemia group (mean survival time [MST]: 35.0 vs. 47.9 months; p = 0.007). The patients in the hyperglycemia group with high GFAT-1 expression had significantly poorer OS than those with low GFAT-1 expression (MST, 49.0 vs. 27.6 months; p < 0.001). However, the prognosis did not differ significantly between the patients with high and low GFAT-1 expression in the normoglycemia group. In addition, the patients with hyperglycemia and high GFAT-1 expression had fewer CD4+ (p = 0.015) and CD8+ (p = 0.017) T cells and a lower CD8+/Foxp3+ ratio (p = 0.032) than those with hyperglycemia and low GFAT-1 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

The patients with hyperglycemia and high GFAT-1 expression levels had an extremely poor prognosis. Furthermore, the tumors in these patients were characterized as immunologically cold tumors.

Efficiency evaluation of dual-energy CT to predict the postoperative early recurrence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of quantitative parameters from dual-energy CT (DECT) and basic CT features in predicting the postoperative early recurrence (ER) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS

In this study, patients with PDAC who underwent radical resection and DECT from 2018 to 2022 were enrolled and categorised into ER and non-ER groups. The clinical data, basic CT features and DECT parameters of all patients were analyzed. Independent predictors of ER were identified with Logistic regression analyses. Three models (model A: basic CT features; model B: DECT parameters; model C: basic CT features + DECT parameters) were established. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was utilized to evaluate predictive performance.

RESULTS

A total of 150 patients were enrolled (ER group: n = 63; non-ER group: n = 87). Rim enhancement (odds ratio [OR], 3.32), peripancreatic strands appearance (OR, 2.68), electron density in the pancreatic parenchymal phase (P-Rho; OR, 0.90), arterial enhancement fraction (AEF; OR, 0.05) and pancreatic parenchyma fat fraction in the delayed phase (OR, 1.25) were identified as independent predictors of ER. Model C showed the highest area under the curve of 0.898. In addition, the corresponding ER risk factors were identified separately for resectable and borderline resectable PDAC subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

DECT quantitative parameters allow for the noninvasive prediction of postoperative ER in patients with PDAC, and the combination of DECT parameters and basic CT features shows a high prediction efficiency. Our model can help to identify patients with high-risk factors to guide preoperative decision making.

SBRT for Pancreatic Cancer: A Radiosurgery Society Case-Based Practical Guidelines to Challenging Cases

The use of radiation therapy (RT) for pancreatic cancer continues to be controversial, despite recent technical advances. Improvements in systemic control have created an evolving role for RT and the need for improved local tumor control, but currently, no standardized approach exists. Advances in stereotactic body RT, motion management, real-time image guidance, and adaptive therapy have renewed hopes of improved outcomes in this devastating disease with one of the lowest survival rates. This case-based guide provides a practical framework for delivering stereotactic body RT for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. In conjunction with multidisciplinary care, an intradisciplinary approach should guide treatment of the high-risk cases outlined within these guidelines for prospective peer review and treatment safety discussions.

Surgical Outcome After Distal Pancreatectomy With and Without Portomesenteric Venous Resection in Patients with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Transatlantic Evaluation of Patients in North America, Germany, Sweden, and The Netherlands (GAPASURG)

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma located in the pancreatic body might require a portomesenteric venous resection (PVR), but data regarding surgical risks after distal pancreatectomy (DP) with PVR are sparse. Insight into additional surgical risks of DP-PVR could support preoperative counseling and intraoperative decision making. This study aimed to provide insight into the surgical outcome of DP-PVR, including its potential risk elevation over standard DP.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study including all patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent DP ± PVR (2018-2020), registered in four audits for pancreatic surgery from North America, Germany, Sweden, and The Netherlands. Patients who underwent concomitant arterial and/or multivisceral resection(s) were excluded. Predictors for in-hospital/30-day major morbidity and mortality were investigated by logistic regression, correcting for each audit.

RESULTS

Overall, 2924 patients after DP were included, of whom 241 patients (8.2%) underwent DP-PVR. Rates of major morbidity (24% vs. 18%; p = 0.024) and post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage grade B/C (10% vs. 3%; p = 0.041) were higher after DP-PVR compared with standard DP. Mortality after DP-PVR and standard DP did not differ significantly (2% vs. 1%; p = 0.542). Predictors for major morbidity were PVR (odds ratio [OR] 1.500, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.086-2.071) and conversion from minimally invasive to open surgery (OR 1.420, 95% CI 1.032-1.970). Predictors for mortality were higher age (OR 1.087, 95% CI 1.045-1.132), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 4.167, 95% CI 1.852-9.374), and conversion from minimally invasive to open surgery (OR 2.919, 95% CI 1.197-7.118), whereas concomitant PVR was not associated with mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

PVR during DP for pancreatic adenocarcinoma in the pancreatic body is associated with increased morbidity, but can be performed safely in terms of mortality.

The Oncological Stress Test of Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Systematic Review in Outcomes of Neoadjuvant Therapy Compared to Upfront Resection Approach for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, increasingly diagnosed in the United States, has a disheartening initial resection rate of 15%. Neoadjuvant therapy, particularly FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine-based regimens, is gaining favor for its potential to improve resectability rates and achieving microscopically negative margins (R0) in borderline resectable cases, marked by intricate arterial or venous involvement. Despite surgery being the sole curative approach, actual benefit of neoadjuvant therapy remains debatable. This study scrutinizes current literature on oncological outcomes post-resection of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. A MEDLINE/PubMed search was conducted to systematically compare oncological outcomes of patients treated with either neoadjuvant therapy with intent of curative resection or an "upfront resection" approach. A total of 1293 studies were initially screened and 30 were included (n = 1714) in this analysis. All studies included data on outcomes of patients with borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma being treated with neoadjuvant therapy (n = 1387) or a resection-first approach (n = 356). Patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy underwent resection 52% of the time, achieving negative margins of 43% (n = 601). Approximately 77% of patients who received an upfront resection underwent a successful resection, with 39% achieving negative margins. Neoadjuvant therapy remains marginally efficacious in treatment of borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, as patients undergo an operation and successful resection less often when treated with neoadjuvant therapy. Rates of curative resection are comparable, despite neoadjuvant therapy being a primary recommendation in borderline resectable cases and employed more often than upfront resection. Upfront resection may offer improved resection rates by intention-to-treat, which can provide more patients with paths to curative resection.

Development of a Novel Protocol for Germline Testing in Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

Guidelines now recommend universal germline genetic testing (GGT) for all pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Testing provides information on actionable pathogenic variants and guides management of patients and family. Since traditional genetic counseling (GC) models are time-intensive and GC resources are sparse, new approaches are needed to comply with guidelines without overwhelming available resources.

METHODS

A novel protocol was developed for physician-led GGT. Completed test kits were delivered to the GC team, who maintained a prospective database and mailed all orders. If results revealed pathogenic variants for PDAC, patients were offered comprehensive GC, whereas negative and variant of uncertain significance (VUS) test results were reported to patients via brief calls.

RESULTS

During protocol implementation between January 2020 and December 2022, 310 (81.5%) patients underwent GGT, with a physician compliance rate of 82.6% and patient compliance rate of 98.7%. Of 310 patients tested, 44 (14.2%) patients had detection of pathogenic variants, while 83 (26.8%) patients had VUS. Pathogenic variants included BRCA1/BRCA2/PALB2 (n = 18, 5.8%), ATM (n = 9, 2.9%), CFTR (n = 4, 1.3%), EPCAM/MLH1/MSH2/MSH6/PMS2 (n = 3, 1.0%), and CDKN2A (n = 2, 0.7%). The GC team successfully contacted all patients with pathogenic variants to discuss results and offer comprehensive GC.

CONCLUSION

Our novel protocol facilitated GGT with excellent compliance despite limited GC resources. This framework for GGT allocates GC resources to those patients who would benefit most from GC. As we continue to expand the program, we seek to implement methods to ensure compliance with cascade testing of high-risk family members.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of gastrointestinal cancer liver metastases and drug resistance

Distant metastases and drug resistance account for poor survival of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies such as gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. GI cancers most commonly metastasize to the liver, which provides a unique immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment to support the development of a premetastatic niche for tumor cell colonization and metastatic outgrowth. Metastatic tumors often exhibit greater resistance to drugs than primary tumors, posing extra challenges in treatment. The liver metastases and drug resistance of GI cancers are regulated by complex, intertwined, and tumor-dependent cellular and molecular mechanisms that influence tumor cell behavior (e.g. epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, or EMT), tumor microenvironment (TME) (e.g. the extracellular matrix, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells), tumor cell-TME interactions (e.g. through cytokines and exosomes), liver microenvironment (e.g. hepatic stellate cells and macrophages), and the route and mechanism of tumor cell dissemination (e.g. circulating tumor cells). This review provides an overview of recent advances in the research on cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate liver metastases and drug resistance of GI cancers. We also discuss recent advances in the development of mechanism-based therapy for these GI cancers. Targeting these cellular and molecular mechanisms, either alone or in combination, may potentially provide novel approaches to treat metastatic GI malignancies.

Clinical outcomes of liposomal irinotecan in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer previously treated with conventional irinotecan: A meta-analysis of real-world evidence

BACKGROUND

Pivotal clinical trials supported survival benefits of liposomal irinotecan (nal-IRI) plus fluorouracil/leucovorin in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who previously received gemcitabine-based therapy. There are concerns about the benefits of nal-IRI in patients who received FOLFIRINOX (combined fluorouracil, leucovorin, IRI, and oxaliplatin) because of potential cross-resistance to IRI. The objective of this meta-analysis was to characterize the impact of the previous receipt of IRI on the outcomes of nal-IRI regimens in patients with advanced PDAC.

METHODS

Real-world studies evaluating the outcomes of nal-IRI in patients who had prior IRI exposure published up to April 2023 were searched using electronic databases. The meta-analysis was conducted using a random effects model to estimate pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Eight studies (n = 1368 patients) were included. The pooled median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.02 months (95% CI, 1.43-2.57 months), and the median overall survival (OS) was 4.26 months (95% CI, 3.03-5.39 months). Patients with prior IRI exposure had PFS (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.94-1.47; p = .17) and OS (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.95-1.42; p = .16) comparable to patients without prior IRI exposure. Likewise, patients who had progressive disease on conventional IRI had PFS (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.73-3.08; p = .24) and OS (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 0.68-4.27; p = .26) with nal-IRI comparable to patients who had no progressive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Prior IRI exposure does not affect the survival outcomes of nal-IRI regimens in patients who have advanced PDAC. The selection of later lines of chemotherapy regimens should be based on the differential safety profile, patient status, the cost of treatment, and health-related quality of life.

Adequacy of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration and fine-needle biopsy for next-generation sequencing in pancreatic malignancies: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and Objectives

A majority of pancreatic malignancies are unresectable at the time of presentation and require EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration or fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNA/FNB) for diagnosis. With the advent of precision therapy, there is an increasing need to use EUS-FNA/FNB sample for genetic analysis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a preferred technology to detect genetic mutations with high sensitivity in small specimens. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the adequacy of EUS-FNA/FNB for NGS in pancreatic malignancies.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from database inception to November 11, 2023. The primary outcome was the proportion of sufficient sample acquired by EUS-FNA/FNB in pancreatic malignancies for NGS. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of sufficient sample for NGS in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the detection rates of mutations in KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4 and actionable mutations in PDAC. The pooled proportions were calculated using a random-effects model. Potential sources of heterogeneity were investigated with subgroup analyses and meta-regression.

Results

Twenty studies with 881 samples were included. The pooled adequacy of EUS-FNA/FNB sample for NGS was 89.9% (95% CI, 80.8%-96.7%) in pancreatic malignancies and 92.0% (95% CI, 81.3%-98.8%) in PDAC. Screening sample suitability before NGS testing was associated with lower adequacy in subgroup analysis (79.7% vs. 98.4%, P = 0.001). The pooled prevalences of mutations in KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4 in PDAC were 87.4% (95% CI, 83.2%-91.2%), 62.6% (95% CI, 53.2%-71.7%), 20.6% (95% CI, 11.9%-30.8%), and 19.4% (95% CI, 11.2%-29.1%), respectively. The pooled prevalence of potentially actionable mutations in PDAC was 14.5% (95% CI, 8.2%-22.0%).

Conclusions

In the majority of cases, EUS-FNA/FNB can acquire adequate sample for NGS and identify tumor-specific mutations in patients with pancreatic malignancies. Strict pre-analysis screening criteria may negatively impact the sample adequacy and the success rate for NGS.

Distinct Indications for Adjuvant Therapy in Resected Invasive Mucinous Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas Compared with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Surgical and adjuvant management of mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) lacks formal guidelines and data is limited to institutional studies. Factors associated with receipt of adjuvant therapy and any associated impact on survival remain to be clarified. In the absence of other data, guidelines that recommend adjuvant chemotherapy for invasive pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been extrapolated to MCN.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The National Cancer Database (2004-2019) was utilized to identify all patients that underwent pancreatic resection for invasive MCNs. Patients that received neoadjuvant therapy or did not undergo lymphadenectomy were excluded. Patient, tumor, and treatment factors associated with survival were assessed.

RESULTS

For 161 patients with invasive MCN, median overall survival (OS) was 133 months and 45% of patients received adjuvant therapy. Multivariable analysis demonstrated that poorly differentiated tumors [odds ratio (OR) 4.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.47-11.98; p = 0.008] and positive lymph node status (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.02-6.98; p = 0.042) were independent predictors of receiving adjuvant therapy. Lymph node positivity [hazard ratio (HR) 2.90, 95% CI 1.47-5.73; p = 0.002], positive margins (HR 5.28, 95% CI 2.28-12.27; p < 0.001), and stage III disease (HR 12.46, 95% CI 1.40-111.05; p = 0.024) were associated with worse OS. Receipt of adjuvant systemic therapy was independently associated with decreased risk of mortality in node positive patients (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.10-0.69; p = 0.002). Survival was not associated with adjuvant therapy in patients with negative lymph nodes or margin negative status.

CONCLUSION

In contrast to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), where adjuvant therapy improves OS for every tumor stage, surgery alone for invasive MCN is not associated with improved OS compared with surgery plus adjuvant therapy in node-negative patients. Surgery alone is likely sufficient for a subset of invasive MCN.

Biliary drainage in patients with malignant distal biliary obstruction: results of an Italian consensus conference

BACKGROUND

Malignant Distal Biliary Obstruction (MBDO) is a common event occurring along the natural history of both pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. Epidemiological and biological features make MBDO one of the key elements of the clinical management of patients suffering for of pancreatic cancer or cholangiocarcinoma. The development of dedicated biliary lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) is changing the clinical work up of patients with MBDO. i-EUS is an Italian network of clinicians and scientists with a special interest in biliopancreatic endoscopy, EUS in particular.

METHODS

The scientific methodology was chosen in line with international guidance and in a fashion similar to those applied by broader scientific associations. PICO questions were elaborated and subsequently voted by a broad panel of experts within a simplified Delphi process.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The manuscripts describes the results of a consensus conference organized by i-EUS with the aim of providing an evidence based-guidance for the appropriate use of the techniques in patients with MBDO.

Familial Pancreatic Cancer Research: Bridging Gaps in Basic Research and Clinical Application

Familial pancreatic cancer (FPC) represents a significant yet underexplored area in pancreatic cancer research. Basic research efforts are notably limited, and when present, they are predominantly centered on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations due to the scarcity of other genetic variants associated with FPC, leading to a limited understanding of the broader genetic landscape of FPC. This review examines the current state of FPC research, focusing on the molecular mechanisms driving pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progression. It highlights the role of homologous recombination (HR) and its therapeutic exploitation via synthetic lethality with PARP inhibitors in BRCA1/2-deficient tumors. The review discusses various pre-clinical models of FPC, including conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell lines, patient-derived organoids (PDOs), patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), as well as new advancements in FPC research.

Impact of the radiological morphology of the mesopancreas on the outcome after pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The most frequently invaded margins on pancreatoduodenectomy specimens for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are vascular margins, particularly the superior mesenteric artery (or mesopancreatic) margin. Due to limited exploration of the radiological aspect of the mesopancreas, the aim of this study was to evaluate mesopancreatic infiltration through imaging of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy, to correlate these findings with histopathology and evaluate their impact on survival.

METHODS

Data for all patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma from 2015 to 2021 were reviewed, including review of surgical margin histopathology and blinded review of preoperative diagnostic imaging. According to qualitative radiological assessment, the mesopancreas was characterized as having normal fat, fat stranding, or solid infiltration. Survival data were analysed using Cox regression.

RESULTS

A total of 149 patients were included. At baseline imaging, mesopancreatic fat stranding or solid infiltration was present in 47 patients (31.5%) and 20 patients (13.4%) respectively. Median overall survival and disease-free survival were significantly lower with mesopancreatic solid infiltration (17 and 8 months) compared with normal fat (30 and 14 months) and fat stranding (29 and 16 months) (P = 0.017 and 0.028 respectively). In multivariable analysis, pathological tumour size was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival, and tumour location in the uncinate process and pathological tumour size were independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

At diagnostic imaging, solid infiltration (but not fat stranding) of the mesopancreas is associated with a poor prognosis for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients who undergo pancreatoduodenectomy. Pathological tumour size significantly influences the prediction of overall survival, and tumour location in the uncinate process and pathological tumour size significantly influence the prediction of disease-free survival, suggesting further exploration of underlying mechanisms related to retroperitoneal tumoral invasion of vascular margins and the mesopancreas.

Recurrence scoring system predicting early recurrence for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma undergoing pancreatectomy and portomesenteric vein resection

BACKGROUND

Pancreatectomy with concomitant portomesenteric vein resection (PVR) enables patients with portomesenteric vein (PV) involvement to achieve radical resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, however, early recurrence (ER) is frequently observed.

AIM

To predict ER and identify patients at high risk of ER for individualized therapy.

METHODS

Totally 238 patients undergoing pancreatectomy and PVR were retrospectively enrolled and were allocated to the training or validating cohort. Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were performed to construct serum recurrence score (SRS) based on 26 serum-derived parameters. Uni- and multivariate Cox regression analyses of SRS and 18 clinicopathological variables were performed to establish a Nomogram. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate the predictive accuracy. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test.

RESULTS

Independent serum-derived recurrence-relevant factors of LASSO regression model, including postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9, postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen, postoperative carbohydrate antigen 125, preoperative albumin (ALB), preoperative platelet to ALB ratio, and postoperative platelets to lymphocytes ratio, were used to construct SRS [area under the curve (AUC): 0.855, 95%CI: 0.786-0.924]. Independent risk factors of recurrence, including SRS [hazard ratio (HR): 1.688, 95%CI: 1.075-2.652], pain (HR: 1.653, 95%CI: 1.052-2.598), perineural invasion (HR: 2.070, 95%CI: 0.827-5.182), and PV invasion (HR: 1.603, 95%CI: 1.063-2.417), were used to establish the recurrence nomogram (AUC: 0.869, 95%CI: 0.803-0.934). Patients with either SRS > 0.53 or recurrence nomogram score > 4.23 were considered at high risk for ER, and had poor long-term outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The recurrence scoring system unique for pancreatectomy and PVR, will help clinicians in predicting recurrence efficiently and identifying patients at high risk of ER for individualized therapy.

Intestinal obstruction following antituberculosis therapy in a patient with pancreatic carcinoma and pulmonary tuberculosis: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Intestinal obstruction is a common complication in patients with advanced malignancies, often attributed to the disease itself or as a side effect of opioid analgesics used for pain management. However, the occurrence of intestinal obstruction following antituberculosis therapy is rare.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a unique case of a 58-year-old Asian male diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic carcinoma and pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient was initiated on a regimen of ethambutol hydrochloride, pyrazinamide, rifampicin, and isoniazid tablets (II) for tuberculosis, alongside morphine for the management of severe cancer-related pain. Subsequently, he developed symptoms indicative of intestinal obstruction. Despite discontinuation of morphine, the patient's symptoms persisted until he autonomously ceased all medications, leading to a rapid improvement in his condition. This unexpected resolution highlighted the antituberculosis drugs as the probable cause of his intestinal obstruction.

CONCLUSIONS

This case underscores the importance of considering antituberculosis drugs as a potential cause of intestinal obstruction, especially in patients who do not respond to conventional management strategies for drug-induced gastrointestinal side effects. It also emphasizes the need for heightened vigilance and monitoring when prescribing these medications to patients with advanced malignancies, to promptly identify and address rare but significant side effects.

Bringing Hope to Improve Treatment in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma-A New Tool for Molecular Profiling of KRAS Mutations in Tumor and Plasma Samples

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) incidence is rising, and prognosis remains poor due to late diagnosis and limited effective therapies. Currently, patients are treated based on TNM staging, without molecular tumor characterization. This study aimed to validate a technique that combines the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) with high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) for detecting mutations in codon 12 of KRAS in tumor and plasma, and to assess its prognostic value.

METHODS

Prospective study including patients with newly diagnosed PDAC with tumor and plasma samples collected before treatment. Mutations in codon 12 of KRAS (G12D, G12V, G12C, and G12R) were detected using ARMS-HRMA and compared to Sanger sequencing (SS). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of these mutations.

RESULTS

A total of 88 patients, 93% with ECOG-PS 0-1, 57% with resectable disease. ARMS-HRMA technique showed a higher sensitivity than SS, both in tumor and plasma (77% vs. 51%; 25 vs. 0%, respectively). The most frequent mutation was G12D (n = 32, 36%), followed by G12V (n = 22, 25%). On multivariate analysis, patients with G12D and/or G12C mutations, either in tumor or plasma, had lower PFS (HR 1.792, 95% CI 1.061-3.028, p = 0.029; HR 2.081, 95% CI 1.014-4.272, p = 0.046, respectively) and lower OS (HR 1.757, 95% CI 1.013-3.049, p = 0.045; HR 2.229, 95% CI 1.082-4.594, p = 0.030, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

ARMS-HRMA is a rapid and cost-effective method for detecting KRAS mutations in PDAC patients, offering the potential for stratifying prognosis and guiding treatment decisions. The presence of G12D and G12C mutations in both tumor and plasma is associated with a poorer prognosis.

Real-World Analysis of the Correlation between Overall Survival and Progression-Free Survival in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: Results of NAPOLEON-1 and 2 Studies

INTRODUCTION

Fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) improve overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with pancreatic cancer, compared with gemcitabine (GEM). However, whether PFS is a surrogate marker of OS in pancreatic cancer chemotherapy focusing on FOLFIRINOX or GEM plus nab-paclitaxel remains unknown. We aimed to verify whether PFS can be a surrogate marker of OS in prognosis prediction.

METHODS

This was an integrated analysis of the NAPOLEON study and retrospective cohort of the NAPOLEON-2 study - a multicenter observational study conducted in Japan, using real-world data. The primary and secondary endpoints were OS and PFS, respectively. The correlation between OS and PFS in first- and second-line treatments was assessed using Method of Moments estimation. An analysis was performed in patients with confirmed OS at the end of follow-up. The NAPOLEON-2 cohort included only patients who received 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and nanoliposomal irinotecan (NFF) as second-line treatment.

RESULTS

Among 479 patients, the correlation between PFS and OS from first- and second-line chemotherapies was calculated in 310 and 225 patients, respectively. The R-squared values for the correlation between PFS and OS from first- and second-line chemotherapies were 0.74 and 0.76, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in first-line treatment between the FOLFIRINOX and GEM plus nab-paclitaxel groups (p = 0.92). Therefore, the FOLFIRINOX group may not have shown a stronger correlation than the NFF group.

CONCLUSION

PFS can be a surrogate marker of OS in first- and second-line therapies. Appropriate prognostic estimation might contribute to proper treatment selection.

Evaluating the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing radical pancreatectomy after neoadjuvant therapy-a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

More and more patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) received neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) and then underwent radical pancreatectomy. However, the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for these patients is still controversial. This study is designed to determine the benefits of postoperative AC for patients with PC undergoing NAT and radical resection.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases, covering the period from their inception until 10 September 2023. Our analysis focused on the assessment of overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) through meta-analysis. The fixed-effects model and the random-effects model were used to process the data. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were employed to determine the necessary of administering AC for patients with PC who have undergone NAT and radical resection. We retrieved 3,063 search results, of which 3,048 were excluded because of duplication or after applying our inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results

A total of 15 studies with 21,113 patients (7,794 patients in the AC group and 13,319 in the non-AC group) were included, all of which reported OS, and three studies reported disease-free survival (DFS)/tumor-specific survival (CSS)/RFS. The final results showed that AC significantly improved OS and DFS/CSS/RFS in patients with PC who underwent pancreatectomy after NAT [OS: HR = 0.80, 95% CI (0.75∼0.86), P < 0.00001, I2 = 48%; DFS/CSS/RFS: HR = 0.53, 95% CI (0.41~0.69), P < 0.00001, I2 = 0%]. Furthermore, we performed subgroup analyses and demonstrated that AC provided a significant survival benefit for patients with PC after NAT and resection regardless of the tumor size [<2-cm subgroup: HR = 0.72, 95% CI (0.5∼0.94), P = 0.01; ≥2-cm subgroup: HR = 0.79, 95% CI (0.65∼0.96), P = 0.02] and the margin status [R0 subgroup: HR = 0.83, 95% CI (0.77∼0.88), P < 0.00001; R2 subgroup: HR = 0.75, 95% CI (0.61∼0.92), P = 0.007]. AC also benefited the patients with a stage N0 [HR = 0.79, 95% CI (0.74~0.84), P < 0.00001], N1 [HR = 0.78, 95% CI (0.72∼0.85), P < 0.00001], or poorly/undifferentiated tumor [HR = 0.76, 95% CI (0.66∼0.87), P < 0.0001] in survival but not in patients with a stage N2 [HR = 0.69, 95% CI (0.43∼1.09), P = 0.11] or well/moderately differentiated tumor [HR = 0.97, 95% CI (0.66∼1.42), P = 0.87].

Conclusions

Although AC showed survival benefit for patients with PC undergoing radical pancreatectomy after NAT, we still need to consider the lymph node stage and the degree of differentiation of the tumor when we gave AC to a patient. High-quality prospective randomized controlled studies are required to well disclose the value of AC in patients with PC undergoing radical pancreatectomy after NAT.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023461365.

Is chemotherapy beneficial? A retrospective study of chemotherapy in patients with invasive intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinoma

Background and aim

Whether chemotherapy can improve the prognosis of invasive intraductal papillary-mucinous carcinoma (IPMC) still remains unclear. The aim of this study is to observe the difference in survival time of patients with invasive IPMC receiving or not receiving chemotherapy.

Methods

117 patients with invasive IPMC were included in The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. These patients were subsequently divided into two subgroups according to whether they received chemotherapy or not: the non-chemotherapy group (patients who did not receivechemotherapy, N = 58), the chemotherapy group (patients who received chemotherapy, N = 59). The overall survival (OS) and cancer specific survival (CSS) of two treatment groups were evaluated.

Results

Before adjusting for pathology grade, the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the difference of survival time is not significant between non-chemotherapy group and chemotherapy group (P > 0.05), but the land-mark analysis showed that short-term death risk of the chemotherapy group is significantly lower than non-chemotherapy group (P < 0.05). After adjust the pathology grade, survival time of the chemotherapy group is significantly longer than non-chemotherapy group (P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression showed that chemotherapy was an independent prognostic protective factor for invasive IPMC (P < 0.05). Land-mark analysis showed that short-term death risk of the chemotherapy group is significantly lower than non-chemotherapy group in N1-N2 subgroup (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Chemotherapy is an independent protective factor IPMC, especially reducing the risk of short-term death for IPMC patients with lymph node metastasis.

Consensus, debate, and prospective on pancreatic cancer treatments

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most aggressive solid tumors. As a systemic disease, despite the improvement of multi-modality treatment strategies, the prognosis of pancreatic cancer was not improved dramatically. For resectable or borderline resectable patients, the surgical strategy centered on improving R0 resection rate is consensus; however, the role of neoadjuvant therapy in resectable patients and the optimal neoadjuvant therapy of chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy in borderline resectable patients were debated. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy of gemcitabine/capecitabine or mFOLFIRINOX is recommended regardless of the margin status. Chemotherapy as the first-line treatment strategy for advanced or metastatic patients included FOLFIRINOX, gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel, or NALIRIFOX regimens whereas 5-FU plus liposomal irinotecan was the only standard of care second-line therapy. Immunotherapy is an innovative therapy although anti-PD-1 antibody is currently the only agent approved by for MSI-H, dMMR, or TMB-high solid tumors, which represent a very small subset of pancreatic cancers. Combination strategies to increase the immunogenicity and to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment may sensitize pancreatic cancer to immunotherapy. Targeted therapies represented by PARP and KRAS inhibitors are also under investigation, showing benefits in improving progression-free survival and objective response rate. This review discusses the current treatment modalities and highlights innovative therapies for pancreatic cancer.

Validation of a targeted next-generation sequencing panel for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is reported to be amongst the cancers with the lowest survival rate at 5 years. In the present study we aimed to validate a targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) panel to use in clinical routine, investigating genes important for PDAC diagnostic, prognostic and potential theragnostic aspect. In this NGS panel we also designed target regions to inquire about loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of chromosome 18 that has been described to be possibly linked to a worse disease progression. Copy number alteration has also been explored for a subset of genes. The last two methods are not commonly used for routine diagnostic with tNGS panels and we investigated their possible contribution to better characterize PDAC. A series of 140 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) PDAC samples from 140 patients was characterized using this panel. Ninety-two % of patients showed alterations in at least one of the investigated genes (most frequent KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, CDKN2A and RNF43). Regarding LOH evaluation, we were able to detect chr18 LOH starting at 20% cell tumor percentage. The presence of LOH on chr18 is associated with a worse disease- and metastasis-free survival, in uni- and multivariate analyses. The present study validates the use of a tNGS panel for PDAC characterization, also evaluating chr18 LOH status for prognostic stratification.

Treatment of oligo-metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to the liver: is there a role for surgery? A narrative review

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a prognostically unfavorable malignancy that presents with distant metastases at the time of diagnosis in half of patients. Even if patients with metastatic PDAC have not been traditionally considered candidates for surgery, an increasing number of researchers have been investigating the efficacy of surgical treatment for patients with liver-only oligometastases from PDAC, showing promising results in extremely selected patients, mainly with metachronous metastases after perioperative chemotherapy. Nevertheless, a standardized definition of oligometastatic disease should be adopted and additional investigations focusing on the role of perioperative chemotherapy and tumor biology are warranted to reliably assess the role of resection for PDAC metastatic to the liver.

Pancreatic cancer screening in high-risk individuals

The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing, although globally it represents less than 3% of all cancers. Despite advances in medical and surgical management, survival rates have not significantly improved in recent years. Consequently, pancreatic cancer, though relatively uncommon, is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. This is primarily due to the disease´s late detection. Symptoms appear late and are nonspecific, and over 80% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage and unsuitable for curative surgery, resulting in a five-year survival rate below 10%. However, the exceptional cases that are diagnosed early show five-year survival rates exceeding 80%. Therefore, one of the keys to improving pancreatic cancer prognosis lies in early detection, making screening in high-risk individuals a potentially crucial strategy.