Cystic tumors of the pancreas: Opportunities and risks

Differential diagnosis of pancreatic cystic neoplasms through a radiomics-assisted system

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) are a group of heterogeneous diseases with distinct prognosis. Existing differential diagnosis methods require invasive biopsy or prolonged monitoring. We sought to develop an inexpensive, non-invasive differential diagnosis system for PCNs based on radiomics features and clinical characteristics for a higher total PCN screening rate. We retrospectively analyzed computed tomography images and clinical data from 129 patients with PCN, including 47 patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), 49 patients with serous cystadenomas (SCNs), and 33 patients with mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs). Six clinical characteristics and 944 radiomics features were tested, and nine features were finally selected for model construction using DXScore algorithm. A five-fold cross-validation algorithm and a test group were applied to verify the results. In the five-fold cross-validation section, the AUC value of our model was 0.8687, and the total accuracy rate was 74.23%, wherein the accuracy rates of IPMNs, SCNs, and MCNs were 74.26%, 78.37%, and 68.00%, respectively. In the test group, the AUC value was 0.8462 and the total accuracy rate was 73.61%. In conclusion, our research constructed an end-to-end powerful PCN differential diagnosis system based on radiomics method, which could assist decision-making in clinical practice.

The use of ace inhibitors influences the risk of progression of BD-IPMNs under follow-up

BACKGROUND

Chemoprevention's ability to slow down or prevent the progression of BD-IPMNs is extremely appealing. Aspirin (ASA), Ace Inhibitors/Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ACEIs/ARBs) and Statins (STATs) are frequently prescribed drugs with a possible beneficial effect on different cancer types. Their effect on IPMNs is largely unknown.

AIM

To evaluate the association between the use of ASA, ACEIs/ARBs and STATs and the risk of progression of BD-IPMNs in follow-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

multicenter, retrospective cohort study on patients with presumed BD-IPMNs without relative or absolute indication for surgery. Pharmacological exposures and risk factors were collected. We identified clinically relevant progression (occurrence of radiological absolute or relative indication for surgery) and any progression (occurrence of clinically relevant progression OR any dimension increase OR the occurrence of new cysts).

RESULTS

Overall 594 patients were included. ACEIs were associated with a lower occurrence of any progression (HR = 0.70; 95% CI 0.49-0.98, p = 0.04) and clinically relevant progression, HR = 0.42 (95% CI 0.20-0.88; p = 0.02). No significant effect was shown for factors associated with the occurrence of pancreas cancer such as smoking, alcohol consumption and 1st degree family history of pancreas cancer. Among pharmacological exposures, no convincing effect was shown for the chronic use of ASA, ARB and STAT.

CONCLUSIONS

ACEIs might have an effect in slowing the progression of BD-IPMNs. ASA, STAT and ARBs show no convincing effect on the progression of BD-IPMNs. Further, prospective, and long-term multicenter studies are needed to verify such association and to define the potential underlying mechanisms.

The faith of non-surveilled pancreatic cysts: a bicentric retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Incidental discovery of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCLs) is a common and steadily increasing occurrence. The aim of this study was to investigate a cohort of patients presenting with incidentally detected PCLs which were not included in a surveillance protocol, and to compare their risk of malignant evolution with that of systematically surveilled lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A population of PCLs which did not receive surveillance over a period >10 years (population A) was selected at the Medical University of Vienna. A group of "low risk" branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm ≤15 mm in size upon diagnosis undergoing a regular follow-up of at least 5 years at the University of Verona was selected as control (population B). The incidence of pancreatic cancer (PC), cumulative risk of PC and disease-specific survival were compared.

RESULTS

Overall, 376 patients with non-surveilled PCLs were included in study group A and compared to 299 patients in group B. This comparison resulted in similar incidence rates of PC (1.6% vs 1.7%, p = 0.938), a strong similarity in terms of disease-specific mortality rates (1.3% vs 0.3%, p = 0.171) and the 5- and 10-year cumulative risk of PC (≅ 1% and 2%, p = 0.589) and DSS (≅ 100% and 98%, p = 0.050).

CONCLUSION

The "price to pay" for a negligence-based policy in the population of non-surveilled PCLs was reasonable, and the incidence of PC was comparable to that reported for a population of low-risk cysts enrolled to a standardized surveillance protocol.

Integrated targeted metabolomic and lipidomic analysis: A novel approach to classifying early cystic precursors to invasive pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) are a highly prevalent disease of the pancreas. Among PCNs, Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMNs) are common lesions that may progress from low-grade dysplasia (LGD) through high-grade dysplasia (HGD) to invasive cancer. Accurate discrimination of IPMN-associated neoplastic grade is an unmet clinical need. Targeted (semi)quantitative analysis of 100 metabolites and >1000 lipid species were performed on peri-operative pancreatic cyst fluid and pre-operative plasma from IPMN and serous cystic neoplasm (SCN) patients in a pancreas resection cohort (n = 35). Profiles were correlated against histological diagnosis and clinical parameters after correction for confounding factors. Integrated data modeling was used for group classification and selection of the best explanatory molecules. Over 1000 different compounds were identified in plasma and cyst fluid. IPMN profiles showed significant lipid pathway alterations compared to SCN. Integrated data modeling discriminated between IPMN and SCN with 100% accuracy and distinguished IPMN LGD or IPMN HGD and invasive cancer with up to 90.06% accuracy. Free fatty acids, ceramides, and triacylglycerol classes in plasma correlated with circulating levels of CA19-9, albumin and bilirubin. Integrated metabolomic and lipidomic analysis of plasma or cyst fluid can improve discrimination of IPMN from SCN and within PMNs predict the grade of dysplasia.

A new combined criterion to better predict malignant lesions in patients with pancreatic cystic neoplasms

Objective:

Cystic lesions of the pancreas have been increasingly recognized. Some lesions exhibit benign behavior, while others have unequivocal malignant potential. Thus, accurate identification of malignancy in patients diagnosed with pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) remains a major challenge. The aim of this study was to define a combined criterion to better predict malignant lesions in patients with PCNs.

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed 165 patients who underwent resection of PCNs from October 2011 to May 2017. The relationship among malignancy and serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the presence of enhanced solid component on imaging was analyzed.

Results:

NLR before surgery in patients with malignant PCNs (2.81±2.14) was significantly higher than that in patients diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (1.90±0.69, P=0.013) or healthy volunteers (1.40±0.48; P<0.001). Serum CA19-9 ≥39 U/mL, NLR >1.976 and presence of enhanced solid component were independent predictors of PCN malignancy. A combined criterion meeting any two or more of the three elements including CA19-9 ≥39 U/mL, NLR >1.976, and presence of enhanced solid component on computed tomography imaging is an indicator with a high positive predictive value of 80.5% and a high negative predictive value of 87.9%, and thus, represents a highly accurate test (86.1%).

Conclusions:

The new combined criterion is an effective predictor of tumor malignancy in patients with PCNs.

Survival Analysis and Risk for Progression of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasia of the Pancreas (IPMN) Under Surveillance: A Single-Institution Experience

Purpose

While surveillance of the majority of patients with IPMN is considered best practice, consensus regarding the duration of follow-up is lacking. This study assessed the survival rate and risk for progression of IPMN under surveillance.

Methods

All patients diagnosed with and surveyed for IPMN between January 2008 and December 2013 were identified and assigned to two groups: patients without indication for surgery (Group 1), and patients whose IPMN required surgery but were inoperable for general reasons (Group 2). Disease progression and survival data were compared between both groups.

Results

In total 503 patients were identified, of whom 444 (88.3%) were followed up. Group 1 included 395 patients, and Group 2 had 49. In Group 1, IPMN-specific 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 100, 100, and 94.2%, respectively. Four patients died of associated or concomitant pancreatic cancer, and 230 patients (58.2%) experienced disease progression. The 1-, 4-, 10-year cumulative risk for progression and for surgery was 11.2, 70.6, 97.5, and 2.9, 26.2, 72.1%, respectively. In Group 2, the 1-, 5-, 10-year IPMN-specific survival rate was 90.7, 74.8, and 74.8%, respectively.

Conclusions

This study confirmed the safety of surveillance for patients with IPMN who do not require surgery. However, the risk for disease progression and for surgery increases significantly over time. The study results support International and European guidelines not to discontinue IPMN surveillance and validate the European recommendation to intensify follow-up after 5 years. The fairly good prognosis of patients whose IPMN requires surgery but cannot undergo resection suggests a relatively indolent disease biology.

Current therapeutic strategies for advanced pancreatic cancer: A review for clinicians

Pancreatic cancer (PC) would become the second leading cause of cancer death in the near future, despite representing only 3% of new cancer diagnosis. Survival improvement will come from a better knowledge of risk factors, earlier diagnosis, better integration of locoregional and systemic therapies, as well as the development of more efficacious drugs rising from a deeper understanding of disease biology. For patients with unresectable, non-metastatic disease, combined strategies encompassing primary chemotherapy and radiation seems to be promising. In fit patients, new polychemotherapy regimens can lead to better outcomes in terms of slight but significant survival improvement associated with a positive impact on quality of life. The upfront use of these regimes can also increase the rate of radical resections in borderline resectable and locally advanced PC. Second line treatments showed to positively affect both overall survival and quality of life in fit patients affected by metastatic disease. At present, oxaliplatin-based regimens are the most extensively studied. Nonetheless, other promising drugs are currently under evaluation. Presently, in addition to surgery and conventional radiation therapy, new locoregional treatment techniques are emerging as alternative options in the multimodal approach to patients or diseases not suitable for radical surgery. As of today, in contrast with other types of cancer, targeted therapies failed to show relevant activity either alone or in combination with chemotherapy and, thus, current clinical practice does not include them. Up to now, despite the fact of extremely promising results in different tumors, also immunotherapy is not in the actual therapeutic armamentarium for PC. In the present paper, we provide a comprehensive review of the current state of the art of clinical practice and research in PC aiming to offer a guide for clinicians on the most relevant topics in the management of this disease.