The influence of prognostic factors and adjuvant chemoradiation on survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampullary carcinoma

The Prognostic Significance of the CALLY Index in Ampullary Carcinoma: An Inflammation-Nutrition Retrospective Analysis

Background

As a novel inflammatory-nutritional biomarker, the C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte (CALLY) index has demonstrated significant prognostic value in various malignancies. However, research on its association with the prognosis of ampullary carcinoma (AC) is rare. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the CALLY index and the prognosis of patients with AC.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from 201 patients with AC at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. Several clinicopathological factors and biomarkers were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, along with competing risk analysis, were performed to identify prognostic factors for AC after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Only factors with significant results in univariate analysis were included in multivariate analysis. To ensure the robustness of our findings, propensity score matching (PSM) analyses were conducted to assess survival differences according to the CALLY index.

Results

The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that pathological type, N stage, T stage, postoperative chemotherapy regimen, and the CALLY index were all statistically significant prognostic factors for patients with AC after PD (all P values < 0.05). Taking into account non-cancer-related mortality as competing hazards, these factors remained significant predictors (all P values < 0.05). After PSM, the survival advantage observed between the low and high CALLY groups remained discernible and consistent.

Conclusion

This study indicated that a reduced CALLY index correlates with a poorer cancer-specific survival in AC patients after PD, highlighting its utility as a prognostic marker for this condition.

Survival benefit of adjuvant treatment for ampullary cancer with lymph nodal involvement: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of adjuvant treatment (AT) in ampullary cancer (AmC) remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the role of AT for AmC.

DATA SOURCES

A comprehensive systematic search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Studies comparing overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients who underwent AT or not following AmC resection were included.

RESULTS

A total of 3971 patients in 21 studies were analyzed. Overall pooled data showed no significant difference in effect on the OS by AT [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.998, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.768-1.297]. No significant difference in recurrence between the AT and non-AT (nAT) groups was noted (HR = 1.158, 95% CI: 0.764-1.755). In subgroup analysis, patients who received AT showed favorable outcomes in the OS compared with those who received nAT in nodal-positive AmC (HR = 0.627, 95% CI: 0.451-0.870). Neither AT consisted of adjuvant chemotherapy with radiotherapy (HR = 0.804, 95% CI: 0.563-1.149) nor AT with adjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 0.883, 95% CI: 0.642-1.214) showed any significant effect on the OS.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of AT in AmC on survival and recurrence did not show a significant benefit. Furthermore, effectiveness according to AT strategies did not show enhancement in survival. AT had an advantage in survival compared with nAT strategy in nodal-positive AmC. In cases of AmC with positive lymph nodal involvement, AT may be warranted regardless of detailed strategies.

Survival and surgical outcomes of robotic versus open pancreatoduodenectomy for ampullary cancer: A propensity score-matching comparison

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy in ampullary cancer has never been studied. This study aimed to clarify the feasibility and justification of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy in ampullary cancer in terms of surgical risks, and oncologic and survival outcomes.

METHODS

A propensity score-matching comparison of robotic and open pancreaticoduodenectomy based on seven factors commonly used to predict the survival outcomes in ampullary cancer patients.

RESULTS

A total of 147 patients were enrolled, of which 101 and 46 underwent robotic and open pancreaticoduodenectomies, respectively. After propensity score-matching with a 2:1 ratio, 88 and 44 patients in the robotic and open pancreaticoduodenectomy groups were included. The operation time was of no significant difference after matching. The median intraoperative blood loss was much less in those who underwent robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy, both before (median, 120 vs. 320 c.c. P < 0.001) and after (100 vs. 335 mL P < 0.001) score-matching. There were no significant differences in terms of surgical risks, including surgical mortality, surgical morbidity, Clavien-Dindo severity classification, postoperative pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying, post-pancreatectomy hemorrhage, chyle leak, bile leak, and wound infection, both before or after score-matching. The survival outcomes were also similar between the two groups, regardless of matching.

CONCLUSIONS

Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampullary cancer is not only technically feasible and safe without increasing surgical risks, but also oncologically justifiable without compromising surgical radicality and survival outcomes.

Ampullary Cancer: Histological Subtypes, Markers, and Clinical Behaviour-State of the Art and Perspectives

There are different cancers in the peri-ampullary region, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), duodenum cancers (DCs), and ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC). Here, significant morphological-molecular characterizations should be necessary for the distinction of primary tumours and classifications of their subtypes of cancers. The sub classification of AACs might include up to five different variants, according to different points of view, concerning the prevalence of the two more-cellular components found in the ampulla. In particular, regarding the AACs, the most important subtypes are represented by the intestinal (INT) and the pancreato-biliary (PB) ones. The subtyping of AACs is essential for diagnosis, and their identifications have been impacting clinical management responses to treatments and overall survival (os) after surgery. Pb is associated with a worse clinical outcome. Otherwise, the criteria, through which are possible to attribute its subtype classification, are not well established. A triage of immune markers represented by CK7, CK20, and CDX-2 seem to represent the best compromise in order to split the cohort of AAC patients in the INT and PB groups. The test of choice for the sub-classification of AACs is represented by the immuno-histochemical approach, in which its molecular classification acquires its diagnostic, predictive, and prognostic value for both the INT and PB patients.

Predictors and Recurrence Patterns After Radical Surgery in Ampulla of Vater Cancer: Comparative Analysis Between Early and Late Recurrence

Objective

Tumor recurrence remains the main dilemma after surgical treatment of ampulla of Vater carcinoma. This study was designed to identify the prognostic factors and evaluate the recurrence patterns of ampulla of Vater cancer.

Methods

A total of 286 patients who underwent surgical resection of ampulla of Vater cancer in two medical centers from January 2000 to October 2016 were collected. Data on clinicopathologic factors, survival rate, and recurrence patterns were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

A total of 158 patients (55.2%) survived without evidence of recurrence (non-recurrence), whereas 65 (22.7%) and 63 patients (22.1%) suffered from recurrence of the disease within 12 months (early recurrence) and after 12 months (late recurrence), respectively. Early-recurrence patients exhibited a more advanced disease (advanced tumor stage, lymph node involvement, pancreas invasion, and late TNM stage) than late-recurrence patients. The first or primary location of cancer recurrence in 33 patients (25.8%) was locoregional. Metastasis developed in the liver in 30 patients (23.4%), peritoneum in 13 patients (10.2%), lungs in 10 patients (7.8%), and para-aortic or superior mesenteric artery lymph node in 10 patients (7.8%). Multiple metastases were observed in 26 patients (20.3%).

Conclusion

The most common patterns of postoperative recurrence are locoregional and recurrent liver metastasis. The recurrence patterns with the worst prognosis are peritoneal and multiple metastases.

Efficacy and safety of adjuvant therapy after curative surgery for ampullary carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Ampullary carcinoma patients require radical resection for optimal survival; however, the outcomes are often unsatisfactory. The utility of adjuvant therapy among such patients is unclear, probably owing to its potential side effects. Therefore, this study investigated the benefits and safety of adjuvant therapy in resected ampullary carcinoma.

METHODS

Cochrane, Embase, Medline, and PubMed databases were systematically searched for eligible studies, and those comparing adjuvant therapy and surgical treatment alone were included. Hazard ratios for survival outcomes and the number of adverse events for safety endpoints were extracted and subjected to pooled analyses through a random-effects model.

RESULTS

In total, 27 studies involving 3,538 patients were included. Adjuvant therapy was significantly associated with decreased mortality risk (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.40-0.84), especially for chemoradiotherapy (hazard ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval 0.28-0.62). Furthermore, adjuvant therapy was significantly associated with increased overall survival among high-risk patients (hazard ratio, 0.63; 95% confidence interval 0.48-0.82) or those with the pancreaticobiliary subtype (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.85). By contrast, adjuvant therapy was not associated with improved overall survival among low-risk patients (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval 0.52-1.68) or those with the intestinal subtype (hazard ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval 0.57-1.95). Regarding the safety of adjuvant therapy, no intervention-related mortality occurred, and severe adverse events were within the acceptable range (risk difference, 0.04; 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.08).

CONCLUSION

The present results suggest that adjuvant therapy is safe and extends survival in high-risk patients or those with the pancreaticobiliary subtype of ampullary carcinoma.

Upregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α and the lipid metabolism pathway promotes carcinogenesis of ampullary cancer

Ampullary cancer is a rare periampullary cancer currently with no targeted therapeutic agent. It is important to develop a deeper understanding of the carcinogenesis of ampullary cancer. We attempted to explore the characteristics of ampullary cancer in our dataset and a public database, followed by a search for potential drugs. We used a bioinformatics pipeline to analyze complementary (c)DNA microarray data of ampullary cancer and surrounding normal duodenal tissues from five patients. A public database from the National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus (NCBI GEO) was applied for external validation. Bioinformatics tools used included the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), MetaCore, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Hallmark, BioCarta, Reactome, and Connectivity Map (CMap). In total, 9097 genes were upregulated in the five ampullary cancer samples compared to normal duodenal tissues. From the MetaCore analysis, genes of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) and retinoid X receptor (RXR)-regulated lipid metabolism were overexpressed in ampullary cancer tissues. Further a GSEA of the KEGG, Hallmark, Reactome, and Gene Ontology databases revealed that PPARA and lipid metabolism-related genes were enriched in our specimens of ampullary cancer and in the NCBI GSE39409 database. Expressions of PPARA messenger (m)RNA and the PPAR-α protein were higher in clinical samples and cell lines of ampullary cancer. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs, including alvespimycin, trichostatin A (a histone deacetylase inhibitor), and cytochalasin B, may have novel therapeutic effects in ampullary cancer patients as predicted by the CMap analysis. Trichostatin A was the most potent agent for ampullary cancer with a half maximal inhibitory concentration of < 0.3 μM. According to our results, upregulation of PPARA and lipid metabolism-related genes are potential pathways in the carcinogenesis and development of ampullary cancer. Results from the CMap analysis suggested potential drugs for patients with ampullary cancer.

Prognostic factors and benefits of adjuvant therapy for ampullary cancer following pancreatoduodenectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Ampullary cancer is a relatively rare gastrointestinal malignancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors for survival and assess the benefits of adjuvant therapy following pancreaticoduodenectomy for this entity. Medline and EMBASE databases were searched to identify eligible studies from January 2000 to August 2019. Review Manager 5.3 statistical software was used for meta-analysis. 71 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis for a total of 8280 patients. The median (range) 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 58% (32-82%) and 51% (28-73%) respectively. In meta-analysis, age >65 years at diagnosis, tumor size >20 mm, poor differentiation, pancreaticobiliary histotype, pT3-4 stage disease, presence of metastatic lymph node, number of metastatic nodes, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, vascular invasion, pancreatic invasion, and positive surgical margins were independently associated with worse overall survival, whereas adjuvant therapy was associated with improved overall survival. In summary, in patients with ampullary cancer undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy, tumor factors are the main predictors of worse survival and adjuvant treatment confers a survival benefit.

Adjuvant therapy for true ampullary cancer: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Given the lack of evidence on the best adjuvant approach, this review closely examines optimal adjuvant management for resected true ampullary cancer and its histological subtypes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed was performed to identify studies on resected true ampullary cancers, published between January 2010 and December 2018. Data including the use of radiation, chemotherapy or chemoradiation and the outcomes were extracted.

RESULTS

A total of 116 records were identified, of which 65 screened were selected. Finally, nine studies were included. Only two of the studies reported separately the outcomes of pancreatobiliary and intestinal subtypes. Patients in the selected studies were treated with a pancreaticoduodenectomy with negative margins. Patients treated with adjuvant therapy were more likely to be pT3-4 and have positive nodes; median survival ranged from 30 to 47 months. A significant benefit for adjuvant treatment was observed in four of the studies, restricted to patients at stage IIB or higher. Likewise, patients with positive nodes may have a longer median survival with adjuvant chemoradiation compared to observation.

CONCLUSIONS

The present review suggests a benefit for adjuvant treatment for patients with locally advanced tumors. Randomized trials are needed to ascertain the topic, as well as studies reporting toxicity and quality of life of resected true ampullary cancer patients.

The Role of Log Odds of Positive Lymph Nodes in Predicting the Survival after Resection for Ampullary Adenocarcinoma

Lymph node metastasis is a important factor on survival in ampullary adenocarcinoma. Log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) is a novel prognostic indicator on lymph node status. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of LODDS for the patients with ampullary adenocarcinoma who underwent R0 pancreaticoduodenectomy. The study includes 42 patients.. LODDS was calculated as "log (number of metastatic lymph nodes+0.5)/(number of total harvested nodes - metastatic lymph nodes+0.5)". LODDS subgroups were created based on their LODDS value: LODDS1(LODDS≤ - 1.5), LODDS2(-1.5 < LODDS≤ - 1.0), LODDS3(-1.0 < LODDS≤ - 0.5), LODDS4(LODDS> - 0.5). The mean survival time was 72.7 ± 7.82 months. Survival rates for 1, 3 and 5 years were 93%, 65% and 45%, respectively. The mean LODDS value was -1.0466 ± 0.51. LODDS subgroups show strong correlation with Overall Survival(OS). The mean survival were 114.8, 81.8, 56.6 and 25.6 months in LODDS subgroups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively (Log-rank; p = 0.002), in addition LOODS values shows correlation with perineural invasion and micro vascular invasion (p = 0.015 and p = 0.001 respectively). Findings in our patient group support the hypothesis that LODDS subgroups correlate with OS, and that value of LODDS has considerable role in prediction of OS as well.

Immunohistochemical Predictors for Intestinal and Pancreatobiliary Types of Adenocarcinoma of The Ampulla of Vater

OBJECTIVES

To investigate immunohistochemical predictors for intestinal and pancreatobiliary types of adenocarcinoma of ampulla of Vater and identify clinicopathological characteristics associated with the histological types and patient survival.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical markers included MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, CDX2, CK7, and CK20. The data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate methods. The two-step cluster method was used to determine the best immunohistochemical markers to discriminate the intestinal from the pancreatobiliary type.

RESULTS

This study identified 9 (33.3%) intestinal and 21 (66.7%) pancreatobiliary tumors. CK7 and CDX2 achieved the highest value (= 1) as predictor markers, while CK20, MUC1, and MUC2 showed degrees of importance equal to 0.77, 0.71, and 0.68, respectively. MUC5AC did not reach 0.50 of importance. In the univariate analysis, lymph node involvement, staging (TNM), and angiolymphatic and perineural invasions were associated with histological types. The independent clinicopathological variable in the multivariate model to predict the histological type was angiolymphatic invasion (p = 0.005), OR = 17 (95% CI 2.33 to 123.83). The final model showed positive nodes (N1) associated with shorter survival (HR = 9.5; p = 0.006). Overall survival at 12, 36, and 60 months was 88.5, 67.0, and 47.6%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

CDX2 and CK7 were the immunohistochemical markers that best discriminated the intestinal from the pancreatobiliary type. Lymph node involvement had a high impact on survival and proved to be more frequent in the pancreatobiliary type.

Adjuvant radiation provides survival benefit for resected pancreatic adenocarcinomas of the tail

BACKGROUND

The appropriate adjuvant treatment for resected pancreatic cancer remains a controversy. We sought to determine the effect of adjuvant treatment on overall survival (OS) in patients with pancreatic tail adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Retrospective review of patients with upfront surgically resected pancreatic tail cancer treated at our institution between 2000-2012 was performed to determine outcomes of patients treated with and without adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). Survival curves were calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate analysis (UVA) and multivariate analysis (MVA) were performed using the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Thirty-four patients met inclusion criteria. 79% received adjuvant chemotherapy, either concurrent with RT or alone. The groups were well matched, with the only significant difference being patient sex. On both UVA and MVA there was significantly worse survival in patients with a post-op CA19-9 >90 [hazard ratio (HR) 5.55; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-25.7, P=0.03] and improved survival in patients treated with adjuvant RT (HR 0.15; 95% CI: 0.04-0.58, P=0.006). The median and 2-year OS were 21.6 months and 47% for patients treated with adjuvant RT compared with 11.3 months and 21% for those treated without RT.

CONCLUSIONS

Although few in patient numbers, this data suggests integration of adjuvant RT in resected pancreatic tail adenocarcinoma may improve OS.

Impact of preoperative endoscopic cholangiography and biliary drainage in Ampulla of Vater cancer

BACKGROUND

Ampulla of Vater (AOV) carcinoma is a rare malignancy but has a relatively good prognosis. The aims of this study were to determine the clinicopathologic factors associated with survival and disease recurrence in patients with AOV cancer, focusing on the impact of preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and type of biliary drainage (endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage [ERBD] or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage [PTBD]).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 80 patients who underwent curative resection for AOV cancer at a single institution between 1995 and 2015. The clinicopathologic factors associated with survival and disease recurrence were analyzed using univariate and multivariable tests.

RESULTS

The 5-year disease-free and overall actuarial survival rates were 39.3% and 51.3%, respectively. Moderate or poor differentiation, preoperative ERCP, advanced T stage, lymph node metastases, advanced stage and lymphovascular invasion were associated with disease-free survival in univariate analyses. The prognosis was worse in patients who underwent ERBD than in patients who underwent PTBD or no biliary drainage. Multivariable analysis showed that advanced AJCC stage and preoperative ERCP were independent risk factors for recurrence. Patient who underwent preoperative ERCP had a significantly higher rate of early distant metastasis within 1 year, especially in patients with early stage AOV cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative ERCP was an independent risk factor for postoperative recurrence in patients with AOV cancer, and is characterized by early distant metastasis in early stage cancer. Therefore, unnecessary ERCP should be avoided in patients with AOV cancer. If biliary drainage is necessary, PTBD may be preferred to ERBD in AOV cancer.

Prognostic factors and benefits of adjuvant therapy after pancreatoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma: Mayo Clinic experience

INTRODUCTION

Ampullary adenocarcinoma is a rare entity with limited data on prognostic factors. The aim of this study is to identify prognostic factors and assess the benefit of adjuvant therapy in patients with ampullary adenocarcinoma who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy.

METHODS

A cohort of 121 consecutive patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma from 2006 to 2016 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. All patients were confirmed by independent pathologic review to have ampullary carcinoma. Patient survival and its correlation with patient and tumor variables were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Fifty three patients (45%) received adjuvant therapy (34 patients had chemotherapy alone, while 19 patients received both chemotherapy and radiation therapy). Fifty seven percent of the patients were diagnosed with advanced stage disease (Stage IIB or higher). Nearly all patients (98.3%) had negative surgical margins. Median overall survival (OS) was 91.8 months (95% CI:52.6 months-not reached). In multivariate analysis, excellent performance status (ECOG: 0), adjuvant therapy, and advanced stage remained statistically significant. Adjuvant therapy was independently associated with improved disease free survival (Hazard ratio [HR]:0.52, P = 0.04) and overall survival (HR:0.45, P = 0.03) in patients with advanced disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant therapy was associated with improved survival in patients with resected ampullary cancer, especially with advanced stage disease. A multi-institutional randomized trial is needed to further assess the role of adjuvant therapy in ampullary adenocarcinoma.

Role of adjuvant chemotherapy in T2N0M0 periampullary cancers

AIMS

Surgery is the only modality that offers cure for periampullary adenocarcinoma. However, surgery alone results in failure in 60% of patients. Studies have shown some benefits of chemotherapy in node positive and higher tumor stage patients. We sought to determine the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in early tumors with uninvolved nodes.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of patients resected of periampullary tumors from 2007 to 2014 was performed. Patients were studied for adverse risk factors, adjuvant therapy received and the survival.

RESULTS

Of 105 patients, 14 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and 85 were observed. After a median follow-up of over 36 months, the overall 3-year survival was 94.2% in the observed group and 100% in the group that received chemotherapy (P = 0.33), with the 3-year disease-free survival being 81.9% and 90.9%, respectively, (P = 0.477). Serum CA 19-9 levels above 100 U/mL were a poor prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

This study did not find a benefit with the use of adjuvant chemotherapy, but chemotherapy might improve survival. The benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy needs further confirmation in prospective trials.

Meta-analysis of adjuvant therapy following curative surgery for periampullary adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Periampullary cancers are uncommon malignancies, often amenable to surgery. Several studies have suggested a role for adjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in improving survival of patients with periampullary cancers, with variable results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the survival benefit of adjuvant therapy for periampullary cancers.

METHODS

A systematic review was undertaken of literature published between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2015 to elicit and analyse the pooled overall survival associated with the use of either adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy versus observation in the treatment of surgically resected periampullary cancer. Included articles were also screened for information regarding stage, prognostic factors and toxicity-related events.

RESULTS

A total of 704 titles were screened, of which 93 full-text articles were retrieved. Fourteen full-text articles were included in the study, six of which were RCTs. A total of 1671 patients (904 in the control group and 767 who received adjuvant therapy) were included. The median 5-year overall survival rate was 37·5 per cent in the control group, compared with 40·0 per cent in the adjuvant group (hazard ratio 1·08, 95 per cent c.i. 0·91 to 1·28; P = 0·067). In 32·2 per cent of patients who had adjuvant therapy, one or more WHO grade 3 or 4 toxicity-related events were noted. Advanced T category was associated worse survival (regression coefficient -0·14, P = 0·040), whereas nodal status and grade of differentiation were not.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review found no associated survival benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of periampullary cancer.

Updated therapeutic outcome for patients with periampullary and pancreatic cancer related to recent translational research

Chemotherapy with improved effect in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer has recently been established, launching a new era for patients with this very aggressive disease. FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel are different regimens, both capable of stabilizing the disease, thus increasing the number of patients who can reach second line and even third line of treatment. Concurrently, new windows of opportunity open for nutritional support and other therapeutic interventions, improving quality of life. Also pancreatic surgery has changed significantly during the latest years. Extended operations, including vascular/multivisceral resections are frequently performed in specialized centers, pushing borders of resectability. Potentially curative treatment including neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy is offered new patient groups. Translational research is the basis for the essential understanding of the ongoing development. Even thou biomarkers for clinical management of patients with periampullary tumors have almost been lacking, biomarker driven trials are now in progress. New insight is constantly made available for clinicians; one recent example is selection of patients for gemcitabine treatment based on the expression level of the human equilibrium nucleoside transporter 1. An example of new diagnostic tools is identification of early pancreatic cancer patients by a three-biomarker panel in urine: The proteins lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1, regenerating gene 1 alpha and translation elongation factor 1 alpha. Requirement of treatment guideline revisions is intensifying, as combined chemotherapy regimens result in unexpected advantages. The European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer 4 trial outcome is an illustration: Addition of capecitabine in the adjuvant setting improved overall survival more than expected from the effect in advanced disease. Rapid implementation of new treatment options is mandatory when progress finally extends to patients with this serious disease.

Clinicopathologic and survival analysis of resected ampullary adenocarcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC) is a rare neoplasm. We sought to determine the clinicopathologic factors contributing to the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free (RFS) survival.

METHODS

Patients (pts) with resected AAC were identified from 1996 to 2015 and reviewed for clinicopathologic factors and correlated with outcome.

RESULTS

We identified and evaluated 106 pts diagnosed with AAC. The median age was 70.2 years (range 41-86) and 60 (56.6%) were male. Overall, 105 pts (99.1%) had a pancreaticoduodenectomy. An R0 resection was achieved in 101 (95%) pts. Median follow-up was 19 months with a median OS of 49.3 months. Lymph node metastasis and poorly differentiated tumors adversely affected OS on multivariate analysis (MVA). Twenty patients (18.9%) developed recurrence. The median RFS was 27 months. RFS was adversely affected by lymph node count and metastasis, tumor differentiation, and histological subtype on MVA. Survival was not affected by the addition of adjuvant therapy. Retrieval of ≤12 lymph nodes and lymph node ratio ≥0.10 resulted in worse OS on Kaplan-Meier analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data show retrieval of ≤12 nodes, involvement of nodes with AAC, moderately or poorly differentiated tumors, and pancreaticobiliary subtype adversely affected survival, while the use of adjuvant therapy demonstrated no significant benefit. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:170-175. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Substaging Nodal Status in Ampullary Carcinomas has Significant Prognostic Value: Proposed Revised Staging Based on an Analysis of 313 Well-Characterized Cases

BACKGROUND

Current nodal staging (N-staging) of ampullary carcinoma in the TNM staging system distinguishes between node-negative (N0) and node-positive (N1) disease but does not consider the metastatic lymph node (LN) number.

METHODS

Overall, 313 patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma were categorized as N0, N1 (1-2 metastatic LNs), or N2 (≥3 metastatic LNs), as proposed by Kang et al. Clinicopathological features and overall survival (OS) of the three groups were compared.

RESULTS

The median number of LNs examined was 11, and LN metastasis was present in 142 cases (45 %). When LN-positive cases were re-classified according to the proposed staging system, 82 were N1 (26 %) and 60 were N2 (19 %). There was a significant correlation between proposed N-stage and lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, increased tumor size (each p < 0.001), and surgical margin positivity (p = 0.001). The median OS in LN-negative cases was significantly longer than that in LN-positive cases (107.5 vs. 32 months; p < 0.001). Patients with N1 and N2 disease had median survivals of 40 and 24.5 months, respectively (p < 0.0001). In addition, 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 88, 76, 62 %, respectively, for N0; 90, 55, 31.5 %, respectively, for N1; and 68, 34, 30 %, respectively for N2 (p < 0.001). Even with multivariate modeling, the association between higher proposed N stage and shorter survival persisted (hazard ratio 1.6 for N1 and 1.9 for N2; p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS

Classification of nodal status in ampullary carcinomas based on the number of metastatic LNs has a significant prognostic value. A revised N-staging classification system should be incorporated into the TNM staging of ampullary cancers.

The number and ratio of positive lymph nodes affect pancreatic cancer patient survival after neoadjuvant therapy and pancreaticoduodenectomy

AIMS

This study is to examine the significance of the number and ratio of positive nodes in post-neoadjuvant therapy pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Our study population consisted of 398 consecutive PDAC patients, who completed neoadjuvant therapy and PD between 1999 and 2012. Lymph node status was classified as ypN0 (node-negative), ypN1 (1-2 positive nodes) and ypN2 (≥3 positive nodes) and correlated with disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The ypN0, ypN1 and ypN2 was present in 183 (46.0%), 117 (29.4%) and 98 (24.6%) patients, respectively. Additionally, 162 (40.7%) had a lymph node ratio (LNR) ≤0.19 and 53 (13.3%) had a LNR >0.19. Patients with ypN1 disease had shorter DFS and OS than those with ypN0 disease, but better DFS and OS than those with ypN2 disease (P < 0.05). Similarly, patients with a LNR ≤ 0.19 had better DFS and OS than those with a LNR > 0.19 (P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, both the number of positive nodes and LNR were independent prognostic factors for DFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Subclassification of post-therapy node-positive group into ypN1 (1-2 positive nodes) and ypN2 (≥3 positive nodes) should be incorporated into the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging of PDAC patients.

Survival in ampullary cancer: potential role of different KRAS mutations

OBJECTIVE

The prognosis of ampullary adenocarcinoma (AA) usually is favorable; however, a subset of AA have poor biology and outcomes similar to pancreatic cancer. Patients in this subset will have early recurrence and death usually within 2 years. To date, there are no genetic markers to identify these patients. This study identifies the high-risk subset of AA and evaluates the mutational status of KRAS in predicting poor outcome.

METHODS

The tumor registry of an academic center was reviewed for data on patients managed operatively with AA. KRAS genotypes were determined for these patients using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay on clinical specimens. Analysis of variance and χ(2) tests was used to categorize continuous and categorical variables. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox methods, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 146 patients were identified with AA between 1982 and 2008. After stringent pathologic review, 97 patients were confirmed with AA, of whom 75 had tissue specimens available for analysis. Genotyping revealed 67% were wild-type (KRAS(WT)), and 33% were mutant for KRAS. Patients with KRAS(G12D) (n = 9), the most common mutational genotype, had poorer median survival (62 months) compared with those with KRAS(non-G12D) mutants (median survival not reached, mean 145 months) and KRAS(WT) patients (155 months, P = .05). Patients with survival ≤30 months were labeled "high-risk." Of the 9 patients with KRAS(G12D), 56% were in this high-risk subset, compared with 18% of KRAS(WT) (P = .02) and 31% of KRAS(non-G12D) (P > .05) populations. Patients with KRAS(G12D) also were more likely to present with advanced T stage.

CONCLUSION

The KRAS(G12D) mutation identifies a subset of AA patients with poor prognoses and may be used to identify patients at risk of early recurrence and poorer survival who may benefit from adjuvant therapy.

Cancer of the ampulla of vater: current evaluation and therapy

Ampullary cancer is a relatively rare cancer of the digestive tract. In contrast to pancreatic cancer, ampullary cancer is often curable if detected at an early stage. The evaluation and management of ampullary cancer is similar to, but distinct from, that of other pancreaticobiliary tumors. This manuscript will review the current evaluation, diagnosis, and therapy of patients with ampullary cancer. The diagnosis of ampullary cancer is complicated by its similar clinical presentation to pancreatic cancer as well as its nonspecific laboratory findings. Diagnostic modalities such as ERCP, EUS, and biopsy are necessary for differentiating the 2 cancers, and noninvasive imaging techniques such as MRI and CT may be used for tumor staging. Although pancreaticoduodenectomy is considered the primary curative surgical option, consensus guidelines regarding adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapies are lacking.

Patterns of failure for stage I ampulla of Vater adenocarcinoma: a single institutional experience

BACKGROUND

Ampullary adenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy associated with a relatively favorable prognosis. Given high survival rates in stage I patients reported in small series with surgery alone, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has traditionally been recommended only for patients with high risk disease. Recent population-based data have demonstrated inferior outcomes to previous series. We examined disease-related outcomes for stage I tumors treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy, with and without CRT.

METHODS

All patients with stage I ampullary adenocarcinoma treated from 1976 to 2011 at Duke University were reviewed. Disease-related endpoints including local control (LC), metastasis-free survival (MFS), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

Forty-four patients were included in this study. Thirty-one patients underwent surgery alone, while 13 also received adjuvant CRT. Five-year LC, MFS, DFS and OS for patients treated with surgery only and surgery with CRT were 56% and 83% (P=0.13), 67% and 83% (P=0.31), 56% and 83% (P=0.13), and 53% and 68% (P=0.09), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis for patients diagnosed with stage I ampullary adenocarcinoma may not be as favorable as previously described. Our data suggests a possible benefit of adjuvant CRT delivery.

Review of the investigation and surgical management of resectable ampullary adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Ampullary adenocarcinoma is considered to have a better prognosis than either pancreatic or bile duct adenocarcinoma. Pancreaticoduodenectomy is associated with significant mortality and morbidity. Some recent publications have advocated the use of endoscopic papillectomy for the treatment of early ampullary adenocarcinoma. This article reviews investigations and surgical treatment options of ampullary tumours.

METHODS

A systematic review of English-language articles was carried out using an electronic search of the Ovid MEDLINE (from 1996 onwards), PubMed and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases to identify studies related to the investigation and management of ampullary tumours.

RESULTS

Distinguishing between ampullary adenoma and adenocarcinoma is challenging given the inaccuracy of endoscopic biopsy, for which high false negative rates of 25-50% have been reported. Endoscopic ultrasound is the most accurate method for local staging of ampullary lesions, but distinguishing between T1 and T2 adenocarcinomas is difficult. Lymph node metastasis occurs early in the disease process; it is lowest for T1 tumours, but the risk is still high at 8-45%. Case reports of successful endoscopic resection and transduodenal ampullectomy of T1 adenocarcinomas have been published, but their duration of follow-up is limited.

CONCLUSIONS

Optimal staging should be used to distinguish between ampullary adenoma and adenocarcinoma. Pancreaticoduodenectomy remains the treatment of choice for all ampullary adenocarcinomas.

A high positive lymph node ratio is associated with distant recurrence after surgical resection of ampullary carcinoma

BACKGROUND

For ampullary carcinoma (AC), the lymph node ratio (LNR) has been associated with overall survival. However, the use of the LNR to predict distant recurrence risk remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine if the LNR is associated with distant recurrence risk.

METHODS

One hundred forty three patients with AC who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between 1989 and 2011 were identified from a single-institution prospective database. Data on clinicopathologic factors and recurrence were analyzed.

RESULTS

At a median follow-up of 43 months (62 months for survivors), 55 patients (38 %) had developed recurrent disease, with a median time to recurrence of 13 months. Patients with a LNR ≥ 0.15 were more likely to have T3/4 tumors, advanced stage lymphovascular (LVI), or perineural invasion (PNI) and develop recurrent disease. Univariate analysis demonstrated that T-stage, lymph node status, AJCC stage, LVI, PNI, and LNR were significantly associated with decreased time to distant recurrence (TTDR). In multivariate stepwise regression, only LNR and LVI were significantly associated with decreased TTDR.

CONCLUSIONS

A high positive LNR is associated with distant recurrence after surgical resection of AC. Given the high risk of disease recurrence, consideration for adjuvant therapy is warranted in patients with a LNR ≥ 0.15.

Adjuvant treatment in biliary tract cancer: To treat or not to treat?

Biliary tract cancer is a rare malignant tumor. There is limited knowledge about biology and natural history of this disease and considerable uncertainty remains regarding its optimal diagnostic and therapeutic management. The role of adjuvant therapy is object of debate and controversy. Although resection is identified as the most effective and the only potentially curative treatment, there is no consensus on the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy on the high incidence of disease recurrence and on survival. This is mainly due to the rarity of this disease and the consequent difficulty in performing randomized trials. The only two prospectively controlled trials concluded that adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve survival. Most of the retrospective trials, which had limited sample size and included heterogeneous patients population and non-standardized therapies, suggested a marginal benefit of chemoradiotherapy in reducing locoregional recurrence and an uncertain impact on survival. Well-designed multi-institutional randomized trials are necessary to clarify the role of adjuvant therapy. Two ongoing phase III trials may provide relevant information.