Positive Intraoperative Peritoneal Lavage Cytology is a Negative Prognostic Factor in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

Safety and feasibility of percutaneous abdominal lavage cytology screening (PACS) prior to surgical resection for pancreatic cancer

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, diagnostic yield, and technical aspects of percutaneous abdominal lavage cytology screening (PACS) in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

This single-center, retrospective study included patients with resectable pancreatic cancer who underwent PACS before pancreatectomy between May 2022 and October 2023. The technical success rate, position of the drainage tube, volume of fluid administered, volume of fluid retrieved, fluid retrieval rate, and adverse events were evaluated. The cytological results of PACS were compared with those of surgical peritoneal lavage performed during pancreatectomy.

RESULTS

Forty-four patients were enrolled in this study. The technical success rate for PACS was 100%. Drainage tube placement was outside the pouch of Douglas in all patients in the right-sided abdominal approach group (n = 10), whereas the placement was in the pouch of Douglas in all patients in the suprapubic approach group (n = 34). The mean volume of fluid administered, mean volume of fluid retrieved, and fluid retrieval rate were 185.0 ± 22.9 ml vs. 97.1 ± 32.0 ml (p < 0.001), 36.8 ± 25.6 ml vs. 50.5 ± 21.6 ml (p = 0.059), and 19.0 ± 12.4% vs. 54.9 ± 21.9% (p < 0.001) in the right abdominal approach and suprapubic approach groups, respectively. No adverse events were reported. The cytological results were benign in 42 patients; no discrepancy was observed in the results of surgical peritoneal lavage (n = 36).

CONCLUSION

PACS is a feasible and safe procedure that can be performed before pancreatectomy in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. the suprapubic approach may be ideal and PACS could be a screening method to detect carcinomatous peritonitis.

Use of Diagnostic Laparoscopy and Peritoneal Washings for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy that often presents with advanced disease. Accurate staging is essential for treatment planning and shared decision-making with patients. Staging laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that can detect radiographically occult metastatic disease. Its routine use with the collection of peritoneal washings in patients with pancreatic cancer remains controversial. We, herein, review the current literature concerning staging laparoscopy and peritoneal washings in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Clinical impact of high-quality testing for peritoneal lavage cytology in pancreatic cancer

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients, the importance of peritoneal lavage cytology, which indicates unresectability, remains controversial. This study sought to determine whether positive peritoneal lavage cytology (CY+) precludes pancreatectomy. Furthermore, we propose a novel liquid biopsy using peritoneal lavage fluid to detect viable peritoneal tumor cells (v-PTCs) with TelomeScan F35, a telomerase-specific replication-selective adenovirus engineered to express green fluorescent protein. Resectable cytologically or histologically proven PDAC patients (n = 53) were enrolled. CY was conducted immediately following laparotomy. The resulting fluid was examined by conventional cytology (conv-CY; Papanicolaou staining and MOC-31 immunostaining) and by the novel technique (Telo-CY; using TelomeScan F35). Of them, 5 and 12 were conv-CY+ and Telo-CY+, respectively. All underwent pancreatectomy. The two double-CY+ (conv-CY+ and Telo-CY+) patients showed early peritoneal recurrence (P-rec) postoperatively, despite adjuvant chemotherapy. None of the three conv-CY+ Telo-CY- patients exhibited P-rec. Six of the 10 Telo-CY+ conv-CY- patients (60%) relapsed with P-rec. Of the remaining 38 double-CY- [conv-CY-, Telo-CY-, conv-CY± (Class III)] patients, 3 (8.3%) exhibited P-rec. Although conv-CY+ status predicted poor prognosis and a higher risk of P-rec, Telo-CY was more sensitive for detecting v-PTC. Staging laparoscopy and performing conv-CY and Telo-CY are needed to confirm the indication for pancreatectomy.

LC-1000 flow cytometry system complements intraoperative peritoneal cytology for pancreatic and biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND

The exfoliative cell analyzer, LC-1000, is medical device that utilizes the principles of flow cytometry, and might provide digital diagnostic information for cytology using a different approach from conventional cytomorphology. In this study, wae examined the usefulness of the LC-1000 as a diagnostic support system for intraoperative peritoneal lavage cytology and its prognostic impact for pancreatic (PC) and biliary tract cancer (BTC).

METHODS

Patients with PC and BTC who underwent surgical treatment were included. First, we identified useful indicators of LC-1000 and established cutoff values to discriminate positive cytology. Next, we verified the validity of these cutoff values.

RESULTS

In the test set (n = 48), of the LC-1000 indicators examined, only MR-CPIx was significantly different between the negative and positive cytology groups, yielding a cutoff value of 0.86. In the validation set (n = 52), the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of the LC-1000 for cytology results was 1.0, 0.49, 0.11 and 1.0, respectively. In patients who had undergone radical resection, recurrence-free survival rate was significantly higher in the LC-1000 negative group than in the positive group in PC, but not in BTC.

CONCLUSION

The LC-1000 was useful as digital support system for peritoneal cytology, and it might have potential as a prognostic factor for PC.

Prognostic Impact of Positive Peritoneal Lavage Cytology on Resectable Pancreatic Body and Tail Cancer: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

The prognostic impact of positive peritoneal lavage cytology on pancreatic cancer is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate its impact in resectable pancreatic body and tail cancer.

METHODS

Between January 2006 and December 2019, 97 patients with pancreatic body and tail cancer underwent peritoneal lavage cytology and curative resection at our institution. We analyzed the impact of positive peritoneal lavage cytology on clinicopathological factors and on the prognosis of pancreatic body and tail cancer.

RESULTS

Malignant cells were detected in 14 patients (14.4%) using peritoneal lavage cytology. In these patients, the tumor diameter was significantly larger (p < 0.001) and anterior serosal invasion (p = 0.034), splenic artery invasion (p = 0.013), lympho-vessel invasion (p = 0.025), and perineural invasion (p = 0.008) were significantly more frequent. The R1 resection rate was also significantly higher in patients with positive peritoneal lavage cytology than in negative patients (p = 0.015). Positive peritoneal lavage cytology had a significantly poor impact on overall survival (p = 0.001) and recurrence-free survival (p < 0.001). This cytology was also an independent poor prognostic factor for recurrence (p = 0.022) and was associated with peritoneal dissemination and liver metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive peritoneal lavage cytology is considered to be indicative of more systemic disease in patients with resectable pancreatic body and tail cancer than in patients with negative peritoneal lavage cytology. Early detection of pancreatic cancer before it develops micrometastases is important to improve prognosis, and CY+ patients require more intensive multimodality treatment than standard treatment for resectable pancreatic cancer.

Clinical significance of immunocytochemical staining for peritoneal lavage cytology in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Peritoneal lavage cytology for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is conducted with both an intraoperative rapid diagnosis by Papanicolaou staining (cytology-rapid) and a final diagnosis by immunocytochemical staining at a later date (cytology-final) in our hospital. However, the clinical significance of cytology-final has not yet been elucidated.

METHODS

A total of 675 pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients who underwent pancreatectomy and cytology between 2002 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Diagnostic results of cytology-rapid and cytology-final and survival outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 43 patients (6.4%) were diagnosed as cytology-rapid (+), and all of them were ultimately diagnosed as cytology-final (+). Among the 632 patients with cytology-rapid (-), 19 (3.0%) were eventually diagnosed as cytology-final (+). The overall survival of patients with cytology-rapid (+) and that of patients with cytology-rapid (-) did not differ to a statistically significant extent (median survival time 26.4 vs 32.9 months; P = .106). In contrast, the overall survival of patients who were diagnosed as a false-negative result by cytology-rapid was significantly worse than that of patients diagnosed as a true negative (18.7 vs 34.8 months; P = .031). The overall survival of patients with cytology-final (+) was significantly worse than that of patients with cytology-final (-) (23.6 vs 34.8 months; P = .012). A multivariate analysis showed that cytology-final (+) was an independent prognostic factor for the OS (hazard ratio = 1.43; P = .049), whereas cytology-rapid (+) was not.

CONCLUSION

Immunocytochemical staining may be a useful complement to a diagnosis of cytology by conventional Papanicolaou staining in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients.

Prognostic Significance of Intraoperative Peritoneal Lavage Cytology in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Single-Center Experience and Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

The prognostic significance of peritoneal lavage cytology (PLC) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of PLC status in PDAC patients.

METHODS

Patients intending to undergo resection for PDAC between 2007 and 2020 were included. Survival was compared among patients who underwent resection with negative or positive PLC status and those who did not undergo resection. Univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted to evaluate the prognostic impact of positive PLC status. A systematic literature review was performed to evaluate the correlation between prognosis and the positive PLC rate.

RESULTS

A total of 480 patients formed the study cohort and were divided as follows: 438 in the negative PLC group, 18 in the positive PLC group, and 24 in the no resection group. Although the median survival time significantly differed between the negative and positive PLC groups (35.7 vs. 13.6 months, P < 0.001), it did not significantly differ between the positive PLC and no resection groups (13.6 vs. 12.2 months, P = 0.605). Multivariable analyses demonstrated that positive PLC status (hazard ratio = 3.54, 95% confidence interval = 1.97-6.38, P < 0.001) was the strongest poor prognostic factor. Based on statistical analyses for the systematic review, the prognostic impact of positive PLC status weakened significantly as the institutional positive PLC rate increased (P = 0.044).

CONCLUSIONS

Resection did not improve the prognosis of patients with positive PLC status in our cohort. The institutional positive PLC rate may be a good reference for surgical indication in these patients.

Diagnostic Cytopathology of Peritoneal Washings

Peritoneal washings used for cytologic evaluation are collected at the outset of surgical exploration of women with gynecologic cancers to assist in determining extent of disease and follow-up therapy.

While there are similarities to ascites, these samples have differences that must be recognized in order to avoid false positive interpretations. Non-neoplastic mesothelial alterations including heterogeneous reactive changes, endosalpingiosis , endometriosis and tumor rupture are typically not seen in ascites samples but can be seen in peritoneal washings from women with malignancies that have not extended to the peritoneal cavity.

Awareness of these potential pitfalls and knowledge of the associated tumor type will facilitate accurate interpretation. When these caveats are recognized, peritoneal washing cytology results are a useful adjunct in helping to determine patient follow-up in women with gynecologic malignancies.

Prognostic Value of Peritoneal Lavage Cytology in Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Stratified by the Resectability Status

BACKGROUND

The prognostic value of peritoneal lavage cytology (CY) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial. We assessed the prognostic impact of CY status stratified by resectability in PDAC patients treated with surgical resection.

METHODS

Clinical data from 440 patients with PDAC who underwent surgical resection were retrospectively analyzed to examine the association of CY status with clinicopathological factors and survival.

RESULTS

Positive CY status (CY+) was found in 30 patients (7%). These patients had significantly worse overall survival in both the resectable (R) (P = 0.002) and borderline resectable (BR) (P < 0.001) groups. The median survival time of CY+ patients in the R and BR groups was 25.6 and 6.7 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that CY+ was an independent prognostic factor in the BR group (P < 0.001) but not in the R group (P = 0.08). In the R group, CY+ patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy had significantly longer overall survival than those without adjuvant chemotherapy (34.3 vs. 9.8 months, respectively; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of CY+ patients in the BR group was extremely poor. In the R group, surgical resection combined with adjuvant chemotherapy may improve the prognosis of CY+ patients.

Extended lymphadenectomy benefits patients with borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer-a single-center retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Whether standard lymphadenectomy or extended lymphadenectomy should be performed is still under debate during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We aimed to compare their morbidity and mortality rates among patients with pancreatic head cancer (PHC).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, a total of 322 patients were enrolled. According to the scope of intraoperative lymph node dissection, patients were divided into extended lymphadenectomy group (n=120) and standard lymphadenectomy group (n=202). Based on the resectability of the tumor, there were 198 cases of resectable PHC and 124 cases of borderline resectable PHC, respectively, in which further stratified analysis was carried out according to the extent of lymph node dissection.

RESULTS

All patients completed the operation successfully, with a perioperative morbidity rate of 27.9% and mortality rate of 0.9%. As for the overall patients, patients in the extended lymphadenectomy group had higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), longer operation time, more intraoperative blood loss, lymph node dissection and patients with borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer (BRPHC) (P<0.05). The 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates of patients with extended lymphadenectomy and standard lymphadenectomy were 71.9%, 50.6%, 30.0% and 70.0%, 32.9%, 21.5%, respectively (P=0.068). With regards to patients with BRPHC, the number of lymph node dissection in the extended lymphadenectomy group was more (P<0.05), and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates of patients with extended lymphadenectomy and standard lymphadenectomy were 60.7%, 43.3%, 27.4% and 43.2%, 17.7%, 17.7%, respectively (P=0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with BRPHC tended to have vast lymph node metastasis. Extended lymphadenectomy can improve their long-term survival.

MiR-194-5p in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Peritoneal Washings is Associated with Peritoneal Recurrence and Overall Survival in Peritoneal Cytology-Negative Patients

BACKGROUND

Peritoneal dissemination is one of the major recurrence patterns in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and is associated with poor prognosis. Here, we assessed the diagnostic potential of microRNA (miRNA) profiles in peritoneal washings for prediction of peritoneal dissemination in PDAC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From January 2016 to July 2017, peritoneal washings were obtained prospectively from 59 patients with PDAC undergoing surgery the Yokohama City University Hospital. MiRNA expression was evaluated by Agilent human miRNA microarray and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS

Microarray analysis identified upregulated and downregulated miRNAs in peritoneal washings of patients with peritoneal dissemination. We validated four miRNAs (miR-141-3p, miR-194-3p, miR-194-5p, and miR-200c-3p) with high expression in peritoneal washings. The cumulative incidence rate of peritoneal recurrence in peritoneal cytology-negative patients in the miR-194-5p high group was significantly higher than that in the miR-194-5p low group (p = 0.002). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that high miR-194-5p was associated with overall survival (OS).

CONCLUSIONS

High expression of miR-194-5p in peritoneal washings is associated with peritoneal recurrence and poor OS in patients with peritoneal cytology-negative PDAC.

Conversion surgery for positive peritoneal washing cytology in pancreatic cancer

Positive peritoneal washing cytology (PPC) of pancreatic carcinoma is defined as distant metastasis in the American Joint Committee on Cancer or Union for International Cancer Control's tumour, node, metastases classification. However, surgical resection was believed to be the only method that prolong survival; thus, many institutions perform pancreatectomy for PPC, despite the unfavourable prognosis. Therefore, a more preferable alternative treatment for PPC is required. A 64-year-old man with resectable pancreatic tail cancer presented to our hospital. PPC was detected at first laparotomy; thus, pancreatectomy was avoided and gemcitabine with nabpaclitaxel (GnP) was administered. After four courses of GnP treatment, PPC converted to negative, as evaluated by abdominal port cytology. Thus, distal pancreatectomy was performed, and R0 resection was achieved. He has been healthy for more than 24 months since the first laparotomy. Initial chemotherapy with the intention of converting the cytological status followed by surgical treatment might become a useful treatment strategy for PPC.

Outcome of head compared to body and tail pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 93 studies

Background

Even when resectable pancreatic cancer (PC) is associated with a dismal prognosis. Initial presentation varies according with primary tumor location. Aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the prognosis associated with site (head versus body/tail) in patients with PC.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, Web of Science, EMBASE, Google Scholar, LILACS, and CINAHL databases from inception to March 2018. Studies reporting information on the independent prognostic role of site in PC and comparing overall survival (OS) in head versus body/tail tumors were selected. Data were aggregated using hazard ratios (HRs) for OS of head versus body/tail PC according to fixed- or random-effect model.

Results

A total of 93 studies including 254,429 patients were identified. Long-term prognosis of head was better than body/tail cancers (HR =0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-0.99; P=0.02). A pooled HR of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92-0.99, P=0.02) from multivariate analysis only (n=77 publications) showed that head site was an independent prognostic factor for survival.

Conclusions

Primary tumor location in the head of the pancreas at the time of diagnosis is a predictor of better survival. Such indicator should be acknowledged when designing future studies, in particular in the operable and neoadjuvant setting.

Percutaneous Peritoneal Lavage for the Rapid Staging of Gastric and Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

Positive peritoneal cytology is classified as M1 disease in gastric and pancreatic cancer. While peritoneal cytology is typically obtained by laparoscopic peritoneal lavage, this study sought to examine the feasibility and safety of performing this percutaneously, with monitored anesthesia care and in combination with other diagnostic procedures to condense and expedite the staging process.

METHODS

Patients with gastric or pancreatic cancer scheduled for laparoscopy with peritoneal lavage were prospectively enrolled to undergo intraoperative percutaneous peritoneal lavage prior to laparoscopic peritoneal lavage. Saline was infused through a percutaneously-inserted catheter and fluid was collected for peritoneal cytology. Three-quadrant washings collected during laparoscopy were also sent for peritoneal cytology. The primary outcome was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of percutaneous peritoneal lavage for detecting positive peritoneal cytology compared with the gold standard of laparoscopic peritoneal lavage, while the secondary outcome was to determine safety.

RESULTS

Percutaneous peritoneal lavage was successfully performed in 70 of 76 patients (92%). Ten of 48 gastric cancer patients (21%) and three of 22 pancreatic cancer patients (14%) had positive percutaneous and laparoscopic peritoneal cytology. Two additional gastric cancer patients had positive laparoscopic peritoneal cytology only. Sensitivity and specificity of percutaneous peritoneal lavage compared with laparoscopic peritoneal lavage were 87% and 100%, respectively. No complications occurred with percutaneous peritoneal lavage.

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous peritoneal lavage is a safe and effective minimally invasive alternative to laparoscopic peritoneal lavage for the diagnosis of metastatic gastric and pancreatic cancer. It is possible this can be utilized in an outpatient setting, such as during endoscopy, to allow for earlier diagnosis of M1 disease and decreased time to appropriate treatment.

Prognostic significance of positive peritoneal cytology in resectable pancreatic cancer: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Although peritoneal cytology has been used to determine pancreatic cancer staging for more than three decades, its prognostic significance in potentially resectable pancreatic cancer is inconclusive. We therefore conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the impact of peritoneal cytology status on the clinicopathological features and survival outcomes in potentially resectable pancreatic cancer. Ten studies were identified for this meta-analysis after searching the PubMed, Web of Science and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) electronic databases. Our results showed that positive peritoneal cytology was associated with tumor size (OR 11.65, P = 0.001), tumor location (OR 0.37, P = 0.000), serosal invasion (OR 3.89, P = 0.000), portal vein invasion (OR 1.82, P = 0.016), lymph vessel invasion (OR 2.71, P = 0.026), T stage (OR 2.65, P = 0.037) and N stage (OR 2.34, P = 0.001) in resectable pancreatic cancer. Patients with positive peritoneal cytology demonstrated poor overall survival (OS; HR 3.18, P = 0.000) and disease-free survival (DFS; HR 2.88, P = 0.000) times. Based on our meta-analysis, we conclude that positive peritoneal cytology is an indicator of advanced stage pancreatic cancer with a poor prognosis; hence, radical resection should not be performed on these patients.

Prognostic significance of intraoperative peritoneal washing cytology for patients with potentially resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The prognostic significance of intraoperative peritoneal washing cytology (IPWC) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains controversial, and the treatment strategy for PDAC patients with positive cytology has not been established.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of IPWC in PDAC patients.

METHODS

This study included a retrospective cohort of 166 patients with curatively resected PDAC who underwent IPWC.

RESULTS

Overall, 17 patients (10%) had positive cytology (CY+), and 149 (90%) patients were negative (CY-). Tumor location in the pancreatic body and/or tail and pancreatic anterior capsular invasion were independent predictors of a CY+ status (P = 0.012 and 0.041, respectively). The initial recurrence occurred at the peritoneum with a significantly higher frequency in CY+ patients (50%) than in CY- patients (12%) (P = 0.003). The median overall survival (OS) for CY+ patients was 12 months. The OS rates at 1 and 3 years were significantly higher for CY- patients (75.1% and 35.3%, respectively) versus CY+ patients (47.1% and 17.6%, respectively; P = 0.012). However, one CY+ patient survived for 66 months, and another two CY+ patients have survived for more than three years after surgery without evidence of peritoneal recurrence. In the multivariate analysis, the independent predictors of OS were a CY+ status, lymph node metastasis, and adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that positive IPWC predicts early peritoneal recurrence and a poor prognosis for PDAC patients. However, a small but not insignificant subset of CY+ patients with PDAC may avoid peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Prognostic value of occult tumor cells obtained by peritoneal lavage in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer and no ascites: A systematic review

The poor survival of patients with resectable pancreatic cancer might be related to the presence of occult peritoneal tumor cells (OPTC). This systematic review studies the prognostic value of cytology and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) by real-time polymerase chain reaction in peritoneal fluid. The results suggest that presence of OPTC is related to a worse survival in patients with resectable pancreatic cancer. Future studies should investigate its possible role in selecting patients for specific treatment strategies. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:743-751. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.