Palliation With Endoscopic Metal Stents May Be Preferable to Surgical Intervention for Patients With Obstructive Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma. Int Surg. 2015;100:1104-1110. [PMID: 26414833 DOI: 10.9738/intsurg-d-14-00274.1]

Double Stenting for Malignant Biliary and Duodenal Obstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Data about the efficacy of palliative double stenting for malignant duodenal and biliary obstruction are limited.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed to assess the feasibility and optimal method of double stenting for malignant duodenobiliary obstruction compared with surgical double bypass in terms of technical and clinical success, adverse events, reinterventions, and survival. Event rates with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

RESULTS

Seventy-two retrospective and 8 prospective studies published until July 2018 were included. Technical and clinical success rates of double stenting were 97% (95%-99%) and 92% (89%-95%), respectively. Clinical success of endoscopic biliary stenting was higher than that of surgery (97% [94%-99%] vs 86% [78%-92%]). Double stenting was associated with less adverse events (13% [8%-19%] vs 28% [19%-38%]) but more frequent need for reintervention (21% [16%-27%] vs 10% [4%-19%]) than double bypass. No significant difference was found between technical and clinical success and reintervention rate of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), percutaneous transhepatic drainage, and endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage. ERCP was associated with the least adverse events (3% [1%-6%]), followed by percutaneous transhepatic drainage (10% [0%-37%]) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (23% [15%-33%]).

DISCUSSION

Substantially high technical and clinical success can be achieved with double stenting. Based on the adverse event profile, ERCP can be recommended as the first choice for biliary stenting as part of double stenting, if feasible. Prospective comparative studies with well-defined outcomes and cohorts are needed.

How to treat intestinal obstruction due to malignant recurrence after Whipple’s resection for pancreatic head cancer: Description of 2 new endoscopic techniques

The prognosis of pancreatic cancer remains poor, even after initial surgical therapy. Local recurrence after Whipple’s pancreatico-duodenectomy may lead to intestinal obstruction at the level of the afferent limb or the alimentary limb. Endoscopic insertion of a self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) into the intestinal malignant stricture is the preferred method of choice for palliation. We describe two new endoscopic techniques to treat a malignant intestinal obstruction with the insertion of a SEMS into the afferent limb and the alimentary limb. A case of malignant gastric outlet obstruction after a Whipple’s resection was treated by the creation of an endoscopic gastrojejunostomy by the insertion of a lumen apposing HotAxios stent in between the stomach and the alimentary limb under fluoroscopic and endoscopic ultrasound control. Biliary obstruction and jaundice caused by a malignant stricture of the afferent limb after a Roux-en-Y Whipple’s resection was treated by the insertion of a SEMS by means of the single-balloon overtube-assisted technique under fluoroscopic control. Feasibility and advantages of both techniques are discussed.

Is routine hepaticojejunostomy at the time of unplanned surgical bypass required in the era of self-expanding metal stents?

BACKGROUND

Hepaticojejunostomy is routinely performed in patients when inoperable disease is found at planned pancreatoduodenectomy; however, in the presence of self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) hepaticojejunostomy may not be required. The aim of this study was to assess biliary complications and outcomes in patients with unresectable disease at time of planned pancreaticoduodenectomy stratified by the management of the biliary tract.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing surgery in January 2010-December 2015. Complications were measured using the Clavien-Dindo scale.

RESULTS

Of 149 patients, 111 (75%) received gastrojejunostomy and hepaticojejunostomy (double bypass group) and 38 (26%) received a single bypass in the presence of SEMS (single bypass group). Post-operative non-biliary [7 (18%) vs 43 (38%), (p = 0.028)] and biliary [0% vs 12 (11%), (p = 0.037)] complications were lower in the single bypass group. Hospital readmissions were significantly higher in the double bypass group (p = 0.021). Overall survival and the time to start chemotherapy were equivalent (p = n.s.).

CONCLUSIONS

Complications are more common following double bypass compared to single bypass with SEMS suggesting that gastric bypass is adequate surgical palliation in presence of SEMS. This study adds further evidence that preoperative SEMS should be used in preference to plastic stents for suspected periampullary malignancy.

Interventional Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer

BACKGROUND

Palliative therapy and primarily chemoradiotherapy are the mainstream treatments in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer (PC). Conventional endoscopy and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided interventional therapy has emerged as an important procedure for PC management. In this review, the progress in conventional endoscopy and EUS for PC management is discussed.

SUMMARY

For local palliative therapy against PC, EUS-guided fine needle injection (FNI) could deliver different kinds of agents, such as radioactive seeds and fiducials. Although their feasibility and safety have been proven, the long-term efficiency of EUS-FNI is still not established. For pain, EUS-celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) is effective. However, CPN can only relieve the pain to a limited degree, with short duration. Endoscopy-guided stent placement is the preferred strategy for biliary and duodenal obstruction. Plastic and metal stents are equally effective for the relief of obstructive jaundice. The functional times of metal stents are longer than those of a plastic stent.

KEY MESSAGE

For biliary obstruction, a metal stent is the first choice. The long-term efficiency of EUS-FNI still needs further study.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Endoscopy and EUS-guided interventions have gradually become the mainstream method for local treatment of PC due to mini-invasiveness and real-time observation. PC is the second most common gastrointestinal malignancy and the sixth leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States, leading to about 4.0% of all cancer deaths [Siegel et al: CA Cancer J Clin 2014;64:9-29]. The only curative approach for patients with PC is surgical resection, but unfortunately 80-90% of patients have a surgically inoperable disease, with 53% having local metastases at the time of diagnosis [Weinberg et al: Oncology (Williston Park) 2015;29:809-820, 886]. Therefore, palliative therapy and primarily chemoradiotherapy are the mainstream of treatment in patients with locally advanced or metastatic PC. Although overall survival has improved from 6 to 8.5-11 months (some of them even survived for a year or more), the overall survival rate has not improved, and the 5-year survival is less than 4% [Weinberg et al: Oncology (Williston Park) 2015;29:809-820, 886; Greenlee et al: CA Cancer J Clin 2001;51:15-36; Zhang et al: Gastroenterol Res Pract 2016;2016:8962321]. Hence, it is crucial to develop more effective local treatment strategies for tumor tissue and symptom palliation. At present, endoscopy has gradually become the mainstream method for local treatment of gastrointestinal cancer due to mini-invasiveness and real-time observation. Conventional endoscopy can be used to manage the complication caused by PC, including endoscopic biliary stent placement for obstructive jaundice, and duodenal stent placement for duodenal obstruction. In addition, in those cases in whom obstructive jaundice failed to be relieved by endoscopic biliary stent placement, EUS-guided biliary drainage has emerged as an alternative procedure. Furthermore, antitumor agents can be delivered into tumor tissue or celiac plexus directly under interventional EUS guided to manage the tumor or the pain caused by the tumor. In this review, the progress in conventional endoscopy and EUS for PC management is discussed.