Pilot trial of endoscopic ultrasound-guided interstitial chemoradiation of UICC-T4 pancreatic cancer

A meta-analysis on the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasonography for treatment of pancreatic cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Endoscopic Ultrasonography (EUS) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched from the inception of the databases to June 2022. RevMan 5.3.0 software was utilized for data analysis. In total, 13 self-descriptive studies, which enrolled 382 patients, were finally included.

RESULTS

It was revealed that EUS for the treatment of pancreatic cancer exhibited a lower incidence of adverse reactions (Relative Risk Ration [RR = 0.23], 95 % Confidence interval [95 % CI 0.23-0.23]), a higher success rate (RR = 0.90, 95 % CI 0.90-0.90), and a low failure rate (RR = 0.06, 95 % CI 0.06-0.06). Moreover, EUS-guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis (EUS-CPN) not only significantly relieved pancreatic cancer patients' pain (RR = 0.83, 95 % CI 0.83-0.83), but also significantly eliminated pain in some patients (RR = 0.09, 95 % CI 0.09-0.09). The effects of EUS on pancreatic cancer treatment were satisfactory, and few adverse reactions were found.

CONCLUSION

Owing to the restricted sample size in this meta-analysis, primarily consisting of descriptive studies, it was imperative to conduct more rigorously designed, multi-center, long-term follow-up, larger sample, and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) to validate the findings.

Endoscopic ultrasound guided interventions in the management of pancreatic cancer

There has been a growing interest in developing endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided interventions for pancreatic cancer, some of which have become standard of care. There are two main factors that drive these advancements to facilitate treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer, ranging from direct locoregional therapy to palliation of symptoms related to inoperable pancreatic cancer. Firstly, an upper EUS has the capability to access the entire pancreas-lesions in the pancreatic head and uncinate process can be accessed from the duodenum, and lesions in the pancreatic body and tail can be accessed from the stomach. Secondly, there has been a robust development of devices that allow through-the-needle interventions, such as placement of fiducial markers, brachytherapy, intratumoral injection, gastroenterostomy creation, and ablation. While these techniques are rapidly emerging, data from a multicenter randomized controlled trial for some procedures are awaited prior to their adoption in clinical settings.

Endoscopic ultrasound role in pancreatic adenocarcinoma treatment: A review focusing on technical success, safety and efficacy

The impressive technological advances in recent years have rapidly translated into the shift of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) from diagnostic modality into an interventional and therapeutic tool. Despite the great advance in its diagnosis, the majority of pancreatic adenocarcinoma cases are inoperable when diagnosed, thus demanding alternative optional therapies. EUS has emerged as an easy, minimally invasive modality targeting this carcinoma with different interventions that have been reported recently. In this review we summarize the evolving role of interventional therapeutic EUS in pancreatic adenocarcinoma management.

New Isotopes for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer in Collaboration With CERN: A Mini Review

The use of radioactivity in medicine has been developed over a century. The discovery of radioisotopes and their interactions with living cells and tissue has led to the emergence of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. The CERN-MEDICIS infrastructure, recently inaugurated at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), provides a wide range of radioisotopes of interest for diagnosis and treatment in oncology. Our objective is to draw attention to the progress made in nuclear medicine in collaboration with CERN and potential future applications, in particular for the treatment of aggressive tumors such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma, through an extensive review of literature. Fifty seven out of two hundred and ten articles, published between 1997 and 2020, were selected based on relevancy. Meetings were held with a multi-disciplinary team, including specialists in physics, biological engineering, chemistry, oncology and surgery, all actively involved in the CERN-MEDICIS project. In summary, new diagnostic, and therapeutic modalities are emerging for the treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Targeted radiotherapy or brachytherapy could be combined with existing therapies to improve the quality of life and survival of these patients. Many studies are still in the pre-clinical stage but open new paths for patients with poor prognosis.

Hepatic subcapsular hematoma post-ERCP: Case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is one of the most frequently performed minimally invasive procedures currently available for diagnosis and treatment of biliary and pancreatic diseases. Though considered a safe procedure, it has the highest rate of complications among the other endoscopic procedures, such as duodenal perforation and hepatic subcapsular hematoma (HSH). We are a presenting a case report and review of the current literature.

METHOD

We report one case HSH rupture, in a 25 years old female patient, 15 cm in diameter, affecting liver segments VI, VII and VIII, who underwent surgical treatment and performed a systematic literature review with the descriptors: endoscopic retrograde colangiopancreatography and hepatic subcapsular hematoma. All articles were reviewed and data on cases that presented rupture of the HSH analyzed separately.

RESULTS

Sixty one cases of HSH were described in the literature, fourteen of them ruptured. When analyzing only the subgroup of patients who had ruptured subcapsular hematoma, we showed a significant increase in the mortality rate of patients when compared to non-ruptured (21.4% × 2.2%). We also report that patients with rupture required some type of intervention, of which 78.6% required surgery. Conservative treatment may be the conduct and will suffice for most cases of non-ruptured hematomas. For patients who evolve with rupturing, surgical resolution, although non-mandatory, is necessary in most cases.

CONCLUSION

HSH ruptured is a rare and potentially fatal post-ERCP complication whose treatment is eminently surgical.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Direct Intervention for Solid Pancreatic Tumors

Development and use of linear-array echoendoscope and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) have made endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) more of an interventional procedure than a purely diagnostic procedure. This is a literature review of previously published clinical studies on EUS-guided direct intervention for solid pancreatic tumors, including EUS-guided fine needle injection (EUS-FNI) of antitumor agents, EUS-guided fiducial marker placement, EUS-guided brachytherapy and EUS-guided tumor ablation.

Subcapsular hepatic haematoma after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancrea-tography: An unusual case

Subcapsular hepatic haematoma is a rare complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancrea-tography (ERCP), and there are few reports about this unusual complication worldwide. The primary symptom of most cases reported in the literature is abdominal pain. We report an unusual case with the primary symptom of fever. A 56-year-old man who had a six-month history of recurrent episodes of upper abdominal pain was diagnosed with a common bile duct stone by magnetic resonance cholangiopancrea-tography. Endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy was performed, and stones from the common bile duct were successfully extracted with a basket. The patient had a persistent fever after ERCP, and treatment with intravenous antibiotics was unsuccessful. Computed tomography showed a 13 cm × 6 cm subcapsular hepatic haematoma filled with air and liquid on the surface of the right hepatic lobe. The patient was successfully treated with peritoneal drainage under B-ultra guidance. Subcapsular liver haematoma should be considered when hard-to- explain symptoms persist in the early period after ERCP. Percutaneous drainage is an effective treatment.