Sporadic duodenal adenoma and association with colorectal neoplasia: a case-control study

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Nonampullary Duodenal Lesions: Expert Review

DESCRIPTION

Nonampullary duodenal polyps are found in up to 5% of all upper endoscopies; the vast majority are identified incidentally in asymptomatic patients. Although most are benign, adenomas are estimated to account for 10%-20% of these lesions. Most international guidelines recommend that all duodenal adenomas should be considered for endoscopic resection; this may be associated with a near 15% adverse event rate (predominantly bleeding and perforation) in prospective studies, with substantial local recurrence on surveillance. The aim of this American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Clinical Practice Update Expert Review was to describe how individuals should be evaluated and risk-stratified for duodenal polyps, the best approaches to endoscopic resection and surveillance, and management of complications, highlighting opportunities for future research to fill gaps in the existing literature.

METHODS

This expert review was commissioned and approved by the AGA Institute Clinical Practice Updates Committee and the AGA Governing Board to provide timely guidance on a topic of high clinical importance to the AGA membership, and underwent internal peer review by the Clinical Practice Updates Committee and external peer review through standard procedures of Gastroenterology. These Best Practice Advice statements were drawn from a review of the published literature and from expert opinion. Because systematic reviews were not performed, these Best Practice Advice statements do not carry formal ratings regarding the quality of evidence or strength of the presented considerations. Best Practice Advice Statements BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 1: Non-neoplastic duodenal lesions (eg, metaplastic foveolar epithelium and gastric heterotopia) may mimic neoplastic adenomatous pathology. Careful optical evaluation and pathologic correlation may be necessary to exclude dysplasia. Nondysplastic lesions do not require endoscopic resection unless they are symptomatic or bleeding. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 2: Ideal duodenal endoscopic inspection includes identification of the major and minor papilla with photodocumentation to ensure no involvement by the lesion. Adding a clear distal attachment device to a forward-viewing gastroscope improves visualization of the papilla and the medial wall. A side-viewing duodenoscope should be used when the major and minor papilla are not visible with the gastroscope and for most lesions on the medial wall of the duodenum within 5 cm of the ampulla. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 3: All duodenal polyps should be described according to their size, Paris morphology, suspected histologic layer of origin (mucosal lesion or subepithelial lesion), duodenal location (D1-4) and orientation (anterior, posterior, medial, or lateral wall), and proximity/relationship to the major papilla to facilitate therapeutic planning and subsequent surveillance. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 4: Given the high frequency of concomitant colonic adenomas in patients with duodenal adenomas, on identification of a duodenal adenoma, a colonoscopy should be performed if a high-quality examination has not been performed in the last 3 years. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 5: Routine small bowel investigation (ie, capsule endoscopy) is not advised in patients with sporadic and nonsporadic duodenal adenomas. Periodic small bowel inspection with capsule endoscopy may be of benefit in patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 6: Definitive treatment of duodenal adenomas by endoscopic resection is less morbid, resource-intensive, and expensive than surgery and is therefore the preferred treatment option. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 7: Due to the risk of malignant transformation, all sporadic duodenal adenomas should be considered for endoscopic resection. However, in comparison with colonic adenomas, the time course to malignant transformation may be more prolonged, and the risk of resection-related morbidity much greater. Therefore, the comorbidities and anticipated longevity of the patient must be carefully factored into the decision-making process. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 8: The approach to endoscopic duodenal resection (ie, hot vs cold and conventional vs underwater endoscopic mucosal resection) should be individualized to reduce bleeding risk, based on lesion size, morphology, patient comorbidities, and endoscopist comfort level with specific techniques. Piecemeal cold snare resection for flat duodenal adenomas mitigates postprocedural bleeding risk and, for lesions <20 mm, is effective and carries a minimal risk of recurrence. In patients with comorbidities with flat nonbulky lesions measuring < 20 mm, cold snare resection can be considered. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 9: Currently, duodenal adenomas >20 mm or with large Paris subtype Is components should be removed by conventional hot snare endoscopic mucosal resection. Thermal ablation of the post-endoscopic mucosal resection margin to mitigate the risk of recurrence to <2%-5% is safe and effective and should be considered. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 10: Endoscopists performing duodenal polyp resection should be aware of the increased risk of postprocedural bleeding (compared with elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract), which usually occurs in the first 48 hours after the procedure, with the risk proportional to the lesion size. For lesions >3 cm, bleeding risk is >25% and may be life-threatening and associated with hemodynamic compromise; however, after resuscitation, endoscopic hemostasis is generally effective. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 11: Evaluation of the postpolypectomy/endoscopic mucosal resection defect is critical to identify concerns for postprocedural duodenal perforation, which, if unrecognized and left untreated, may be life-threatening and often mandates surgery. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 12: Initial endoscopic surveillance for a completely resected duodenal adenoma should be undertaken at an interval of 6 months. Although usually diminutive, recurrence is often scarred and not amenable to conventional snare resection and may require avulsion techniques to achieve cure. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 13: Nonampullary duodenal adenomas associated with familial adenomatous polyposis should be considered for endoscopic resection based on size (≥1 cm), morphologic characteristics, advanced histology (ie, high-grade dysplasia), and/or based on Spiegelman criteria.

High frequency of colorectal neoplasia in patients with sporadic adenomas or adenocarcinomas of the papilla of Vater: The same adenoma-carcinoma sequence?

BACKGROUND

Data on the frequency of colorectal neoplasia in sporadic ampullary tumors remains scarce.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 135 patients undergoing endoscopic ampullectomy from January 2018 to July 2021, and identified 95 patients with sporadic ampullary adenoma who underwent total colonoscopy. Colonoscopy findings were compared with 380 asymptomatic controls using the chi-squared test. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on one patient with synchronous adenomas of the ampulla of Vater and ascending colon.

RESULTS

Colorectal polyps were present in 60% of Cases vs. 34.7% of Controls (P = 0.001), advanced adenoma in 20% vs. 5.5%, and adenocarcinoma in 4.2% vs. 0.8%. Cases tended to have larger polyps than Controls (P<0.001), while there was no difference in polyp location and histology between the two groups. The odds ratio of all the colorectal lesions, advanced colorectal adenoma and adenocarcinoma in Cases was 1.7, 4.2, and 4, respectively. WES in one patient revealed that both of ampullary adenoma and colonic adenoma shared somatic ABCB1 mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of colorectal polyps or neoplasia was significantly higher in Cases than Controls. We proposed that ampullary neoplasia is analogous to colon lesions and warrants total colonoscopy screening in patients diagnosed with ampullary tumors.

Endoscopic excision as a viable alternative to major resection for early duodenal cancers: A population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Duodenal cancer presents an elusive therapeutic challenge for clinicians to treat because of its highly malignant behavior and anatomical complexity. Endoscopic excision has been administered to treat early-stage cancers of upper gastrointestinal tract, especially esophagus and stomach cancer. There is currently a scarcity of data regarding the application and efficacy of endoscopic resection for early duodenal cancer due to its rarity. This study aimed at exploring the prevalence and efficacy of endoscopic excision in treatment for early duodenal cancer in comparison with major surgery.

METHODS

This cohort study retrospectively collected patients with primary Tis/T1-N0-M0 duodenal cancer in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2004 to 2017. Prevalence of endoscopic excision in duodenal cancer treatment, overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) of patients who received different tumor-resection procedures were estimated.

RESULTS

A total of 1354 patients with Tis/T1-stage duodenal cancer were identified. Most patients (69.4%) underwent tumor resection as initial treatments. Among them, 65.7% underwent endoscopic excision, while 34.3% underwent major surgery. The multivariable Cox analyses revealed that endoscopic excision was associated with a significantly favorable OS (HR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52-0.95, p = 0.02) and DSS (HR: 0.32; 95% CI: 0.17-0.60, p < 0.001), compared to major surgery, for Tis/T1-stage cancer patients. In addition to cancer-related deaths (p < 0.001), endoscopic resection manifested significantly lower cumulative mortality rate of post-operative infectious diseases (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Endoscopic resection currently accounted for approximately two-thirds of all procedures to resect Tis/T1-stage duodenal tumor. Endoscopic resection represents a viable therapeutic option in the management of Tis/T1-stage duodenal cancer for its oncological superiorities to major surgery and its capacity to reduce operative traumas and morbidities.

Small Bowel Malignancies in Patients Undergoing Capsule Endoscopy for Iron Deficiency Anemia

Small bowel malignancies are rare and usually asymptomatic or symptoms are nonspecific. Therefore, small bowel tumors are difficult to diagnose. In patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) who have negative bidirectional endoscopy results, the small bowel may be considered the source of bleeding. However, in asymptomatic IDA patients with negative bidirectional endoscopy results, evidence supporting the routine use of capsule endoscopy (CE) is insufficient. CE can be considered in selected patients with recurrent or persistent IDA. The frequency of small bowel malignancies is low in patients undergoing CE for IDA, but the usefulness of CE for the diagnosis of small bowel malignancies in younger age groups with IDA has been reported. For patients with risk factors for small bowel malignancy, investigation of the small bowel should be considered. Efforts should be made to prevent adverse events, such as capsule retention or capsule aspiration, through meticulous history taking and endoscopic capsule delivery as necessary.

The prevalence of small-bowel polyps on video capsule endoscopy in patients with sporadic duodenal or ampullary adenomas

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Although sporadic duodenal and/or ampullary adenomas (DAs) are uncommon, they are increasingly diagnosed during upper endoscopy. These patients have a 3- to 7-fold increased risk of colonic neoplasia compared with the normal population. It is unknown, however, whether they also have an increased risk of additional small-bowel (SB) polyps. Our aim was to establish the prevalence of SB polyps in patients with DA.

METHODS

In a single-center, prospective study, we used video capsule endoscopy (VCE) to investigate the prevalence of SB polyps in patients with a DA compared with patients undergoing VCE for obscure GI bleeding or iron deficiency anemia.

RESULTS

Over 25 months, 201 patients were enrolled in the study; the mean age was 65 years and 47% were male. There were 101 control patients and 100 cases of DA cases (mean size, 30 mm (range, 10-80 mm)). We did not identify any SB polyps in either group. Colonic polyps were found more frequently in the DA group compared with controls (61% versus 37%, respectively (P =.002)). Advanced colonic adenoma (high-grade dysplasia, >10 mm, villous histology) were found in 18% of the DA group and 5% of the control group (P =.018).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that patients with a DA are not at risk for additional SB polyps and hence do not support screening with VCE. However, colonoscopy is mandatory due to the significantly higher risk of colonic polyps including advanced adenomas. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT02470416.).

Clinical and endoscopic findings to assist the early detection of duodenal adenoma and adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Sporadic nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm in which poor prognosis is often associated with delayed diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE

A case-control study was designed to evaluate the clinical and endoscopic characteristics of patients with nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumours (NADETs).

METHODS

Patients with NADETs were chronologically divided into a discovery and a validation sets. Two age- and sex-matched control individuals for each case in the discovery set were randomly selected from individuals without NADET. A prediction model for the presence of NADET, constructed in the discovery set, was evaluated in the validation set.

RESULTS

In total, 368 adenomas, 81 adenocarcinomas, and 314 controls were analysed. Current smoking, Barrett oesophagus, fundic gland polyps, history of malignant disease, and absence of dyslipidaemia were independently associated with the presence of NADET. The combination of these five factors enabled significant discrimination for NADET in the bulb with a sensitivity of 0.81 in the validation set. We also showed that duodenal adenocarcinomas in the bulb had greater invasive potential than adenocarcinomas in the second portion.

CONCLUSION

The presence of a duodenal tumour in the bulb could be predicted by clinical and endoscopic findings, which helps improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.

Comparison of nonampullary duodenal adenomas in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis versus patients with sporadic adenomas

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Nonampullary duodenal adenomas are either sporadic or associated with a hereditary syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The aim of this study is to compare characteristics and outcomes of sporadic and FAP-associated duodenal adenomas.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected clinical, endoscopic, and pathologic data in patients diagnosed with duodenal adenomas at our institution and included all available follow-up.

RESULTS

Two hundred thirteen subjects were identified; 118 had FAP and 95 had sporadic adenomas. FAP subjects were more likely to have multifocal disease. Initial size was not significantly associated with dysplasia. Fourteen (12%) with FAP and 33 (35%) with sporadic adenomas underwent EMR. Among those subjects who did not undergo EMR or surgery, there was no difference between the FAP and sporadic groups with progression to new dysplasia or cancer. However, the FAP group was significantly more likely to have dysplasia at follow-up (P = .05). There was a significant difference in overall survival between the FAP and sporadic groups (log-rank test, P < .001). In the subgroup of patients aged 40 years old and older who did not undergo intervention, the FAP group had a shorter time to pathology progression compared with the similar sporadic subgroup. Range of time to progression to cancer was 3 to 161 months.

CONCLUSIONS

FAP subjects were more likely to be younger and have multifocal disease. Progression of pathology was more likely in the older FAP group compared with the sporadic group. Time to progression to cancer was widely variable and, therefore, unpredictable.

Insight to drug delivery aspects for colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer diagnosed worldwide in human beings. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapies are the conventional four approaches which are currently used for the treatment of CRC. The site specific delivery of chemotherapeutics to their site of action would increase effectiveness with reducing side effects. Targeted oral drug delivery systems based on polysaccharides are being investigated to target and deliver chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive agents directly to colon and rectum. Site-specific drug delivery to colon increases its concentration at the target site, and thus requires a lower dose and hence abridged side effects. Some novel therapies are also briefly discussed in article such as receptor (epidermal growth factor receptor, folate receptor, wheat germ agglutinin, VEGF receptor, hyaluronic acid receptor) based targeting therapy; colon targeted proapoptotic anticancer drug delivery system, gene therapy. Even though good treatment options are available for CRC, the ultimate therapeutic approach is to avert the incidence of CRC. It was also found that CRCs could be prevented by diet and nutrition such as calcium, vitamin D, curcumin, quercetin and fish oil supplements. Immunotherapy and vaccination are used nowadays which are showing better results against CRC.