Significance of High-Mobility Group A Protein 2 Expression in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Ampullary Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Pancreatic and ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC) are quite resistant to chemotherapy with high metastasis potential. Our study aimed to interpret high-mobility group A protein 2 (HMGA2) expression in benign and precursor pancreatic lesions and pancreatic and ampullary carcinoma and to evaluate its relationship with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and clinicopathological parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, normal-appearing pancreas, chronic pancreatitis (CP), low- (L) and high (H)-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and AAC were evaluated with the immunohistochemical marker of HMGA2. Vimentin and E-cadherin immunohistochemical stains were applied in PDAC and AAC.

RESULTS

The HMGA2 expression was not detected in normal-appearing pancreas, CP, and L-PanIN. A statistically significant expression was observed in PDAC and H-PanIN (P < .001). A statistically significant correlation was found between loss of membranous E-cadherin expression and vimentin positivity and HMGA2 expression (P > .05). The HMGA2 expression was observed to increase the risk of diseaserelated death and decrease overall survival (OS) in AAC and the neoplasia group (P = .002 and P = .016, respectively). There was no significant difference in OS and risk of death in PDAC (P > .05) with respect to HMGA2 positivity.

CONCLUSION

High-mobility group A protein 2 is a helpful immunohistochemical marker in differentiating CP from PDAC. It also plays a role in EMT and may serve as a potential new prognostic agent and therapeutic target in tumors of the periampullary region, especially AAC.

Nab-Paclitaxel and Gemcitabine as First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Ampullary Adenocarcinoma with a Novel R-Spondin2 RNA Fusion and NTRK3 Mutation

Ampullary adenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy that lacks standard systemic treatment. We describe a case of recurrent metastatic ampullary adenocarcinoma of the pancreaticobiliary subtype treated with nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel and gemcitabine as first-line treatment. This report also highlights the molecular profile of the ampullary adenocarcinoma and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). This is a case of pancreaticobiliary ampullary adenocarcinoma in a 67-year-old woman who initially presented with painless jaundice. Endoscopic and imaging evaluation revealed biliary ductal dilation secondary to an ampullary mass. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of ampullary adenocarcinoma of the pancreaticobiliary subtype. She underwent surgical resection of the tumor, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and capecitabine. The tumor subsequently recurred in the liver. She received palliative chemotherapy with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine, resulting in an objective tumor response for 14 months. Molecular profiling of the tumor and ctDNA revealed a novel MATN2-RSPO RNA fusion and a novel NTRK3 mutation, respectively. Our report suggests that long-term durable response can be achieved in metastatic pancreaticobiliary ampullary adenocarcinoma using nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine. Molecular profiling of the tumor identified a novel R-Spondin2 RNA fusion and NTRK3 mutation that can be potentially targeted for treatment.

At least 16 lymph nodes are recommended to examine during pancreaticoduodenectomy in ampullary adenocarcinoma

The minimum number of lymph nodes to be examined during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for patients with ampullary adenocarcinoma (AC) is still debatable due to limited clinical data. Therefore, here we explored the relationship between the number of examined lymph node (ELN) and the current N staging (American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, AJCC, 8 edition) after PD for AC as well as determined the minimum number of examined lymph nodes (MNELN) to ensure the accurate detection of nodal involvement. Patients underwent PD for AC in the National Cancer Center cohort of China (NCC cohort of China) from 1998 to 2020 and in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER database) from 2010 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed, and a total of 452 eligible patients were included in this study. The MNELN was evaluated by binomial probability law and best survival separation methods. Furthermore, the cut-off value of MNELN was validated in the NCC cohort of China using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression. Our analysis indicated that the median number of ELN was 14, and the number of ELN was positively correlated with N stage. The MNELN was 16, whereas the best survival separation of ELN was 38 in node-positive patients and 3 in node-negative patients. In the validation cohort, the number of 16 ELNs was identified as a predictive variable for lymph node metastasis with nonzero coefficients in the LASSO-logistic regression model. Together, we concluded that a greater number of ELN was associated with more accurate nodal status assessment in PD for AC patients. A minimum of 16 lymph nodes were required to during PD in AC patients.

Comparing the predictive performance of different lymph node staging systems for postoperative overall survival in patients with ampullary carcinoma

Aim

This study was to analyze and compare the predictive performance of the 7th and the 8th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) N staging system, lymph nodes ratio (LNR) and log odds of positive lymph node (LODDS) for the survival of patients with ampullary carcinomas (ACs).

Method

This retrospective cohort study included patients with primary ACs after surgery from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 2004-2015. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used. The study population was divided into a training set and a testing set in a ratio of 7-3. The C-index and area under the curve (AUC) were used to compare the predictive performance of the four staging on overall survival (OS) in the training set and the testing set.

Results

A total of 7,480 patients with primary ACs (1,178 survived and 1,128 dead) were in this study. The average follow-up time was 41.1 months. N1 stage and N2 stage of the 8th edition AJCC N staging system, LNR staging (0-0.3), LNR (>0.3), LODDS (-2.4 to -0.8) and LODDS (>-0.8) were associated with OS in AC patients after adjusting for age, race, pT stage, tumor size, grade, radiation, and insurance. The C-index of the 7th AJCC N staging was significantly lower than the C-index of the 8th AJCC N staging in the training set [0.608 vs. 0.629, P < 0.001] and testing set [0.635 vs. 0.658, P < 0.001]. The C-index of the LODDS staging was significantly higher than the C-index of the 8th AJCC N staging in the training set [0.641 vs. 0.629, P = 0.034] and testing set [0.671 vs. 0.658, P = 0.034]. LODDS staging may be a potential predictor of OS at 6 months [AUC = 0.687], 12 months (AUC = 0.692), and 48 months (AUC = 0.709), and LNR staging (AUC = 0.655) may be a potential predictor of OS at 24 months in AC patients. The predictive ability of LNR staging and LODDS staging were also found in different subgroups.

Conclusion

The LNR and LODDS staging systems' predictive performance for OS of AC patients were superior to the 8th edition AJCC N staging system, especially in patients ages ≥65 or with higher tumor grade (grade II and III). The LNR staging and the LODDS staging were potential predictors for 24-month OS, and 6, 12, 24 and 48-month OS, respectively.

Effects of Serum Lipids on the Long-Term Prognosis of Ampullary Adenocarcinoma Patients after Curative Pancreatoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND

Serum lipids (SLs), the prominent indicators of lipid metabolism, produce an intricate impact on proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. However, the effects of serum lipids on the prognosis of ampullary adenocarcinoma (AC) have not been investigated.

METHODS

Patients with AC in the National Cancer Center of China between January 1998 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Survival analysis for overall survival (OS, Time from operation to death) and recurrence-free survival (RFS, Time from operation to first-time recurrence) was performed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models.

RESULTS

A total of 232 AC patients were enrolled into the study. SLs levels were significantly lower in patients with vascular invasion compared to those without (all p < 0.05). The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS rates for AC patients were 86.1%, 64.1%, and 47.6% and 75.8%, 54.8%, and 46.5% for RFS. Biliary/pancreatic fistula (31.9%) and chemotherapy (81.4%) were the majority of postoperative complications and adjuvant therapy, respectively. According to Cox analysis, preoperative LDL-C was an independent prognostic factor for RFS (HR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21-0.85, p = 0.015), whereas no statistical significance existed in the analysis of HDL-C, TC, and TG.

CONCLUSIONS

High levels of preoperative LDL-C is a significant predictor of prolonged prognosis in AC patients, which was also observed to be a protective factor to reduce vascular invasion.

Predictive value of metabolic activity detected by pre-operative 18F FDG PET/CT in ampullary adenocarcinoma

In ampullary adenocarcinoma cases, the clinical effects of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) have not yet been well-studied, unlike other prognostic factors that have been reported till date. This study aimed to investigate the clinical impact of maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in predicting the prognosis of ampullary adenocarcinoma.Thirty-eight patients who underwent pre-operative 18F-FDG PET/CT and curative-intent resection of ampullary adenocarcinoma at Pusan National University Hospital (Pusan, South Korea) between 2008 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed in this study. We evaluated the clinicopathologic outcomes according to the SUVmax using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses and receiver operating characteristic analysis to arrive at a cutoff value.Lymph node metastasis was detected in 9 patients, and 15 patients experienced a recurrence during the follow-up period. Among 38 patients, 33 showed an increased FDG uptake by the main tumor. SUVmax of 4.55 was selected as a significant independent predictive factor for patient survival along with poor tumor differentiation and high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in multivariate analysis (P = .016, hazard ratio = 5.040). Patients with SUVmax under 4.55 exhibited significantly longer overall survival than the rest (<4.55 vs ≥4.55), and the 5-year overall survival was 82.8% versus 57.4% (P = .049).SUVmax of 4.55 on 18F-FDG PET/CT could be a predictive factor for tumor biology and long-term survival in patients with ampullary adenocarcinoma. Nevertheless, considering the cost aspect and its limited prognostic effect, this study seems to require more patient and multicenter studies.

Ampullary Adenocarcinoma Causing Small Intestinal Obstruction

Ampullary adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor that arises from the ampullary complex, distal to the confluence of common bile duct and pancreatic duct. It is a rare tumor and pathologically differentiated into intestinal or pancreaticobiliary in origin. Management is surgical resection. We report a case of a 67-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and constipation. Computed tomography scan showed a cystic mass compressing the duodenum and causing small intestinal obstruction. Pathologic evaluation was consistent with ampullary adenocarcinoma.

Duplicated Inferior Vena Cava in a Patient With Ampullary Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report and Literature Review of Anatomical Variations

Duplicated inferior vena cava (IVC) is a rare anatomical anomaly as a result of failed regression of the left supracardinal vein during the embryonic stage. This anatomical variation has certain surgical implications and could lead to potential catastrophe perioperatively. We hereby report a case of a 54 years old male in whom a whipple procedure was performed with type 1 duplicated IVC for ampullary adenocarcinoma. Review of current literature of such anatomical anomaly will also be discussed. This venous anomaly must be kept in mind in all surgical procedures involving the retroperitoneum to minimise the risk of incomplete lymph node dissection and life-threatening bleeding, and to guide management for deep vein thrombosis in the post-operative setting.

Laterally Spreading Adenocarcinoma Involving the Lower Bile Duct and Duodenum Expressing Heterogeneous Immunohistochemical Phenotypes

A 70-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to elevated levels of hepatobiliary and pancreatic enzymes. Computed tomography showed contrast-enhanced mucosal hypertrophy from the duodenal papilla to the distal bile duct. Endoscopic examinations revealed a laterally spreading granular tumor and ampullary swelling. After surgical resection, an examination revealed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the ampulla with tubular adenoma spreading from the distal common bile duct to the second part of the duodenum showing both bile duct and duodenal phenotypes. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a tumor spreading from the bile duct to the duodenum that exhibited multiple phenotypes.

'Bleeding Dilemma': The Story of a Periampullary Mass

Periampullary malignancies arise in the vicinity of the ampulla of Vater, a common passage for biliary and pancreatic secretions. Determining the anatomical origin of these tumors represents a diagnostic challenge. This is especially true for large tumors due to the transitional nature of this region, proximity to different structures, anatomical variations, and overlapping features among constituting structures. This determination has significant prognostic and therapeutic implications. Among them, primary ampullary adenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy that has the best overall prognosis with high rates of potentially curative resection and possible survival even in advanced disease. Due to its rarity, it is also a vague territory with no definitive guidelines regarding management and surveillance currently available. Acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a rare presentation of ampullary carcinoma that occurs secondary to tumor ulceration. We report an elderly male with a previously known large, initially asymptomatic periampullary mass who came for evaluation of melena and was noted to be hypotensive secondary to acute blood loss from the large tumor, later determined to be adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater.

Pancreatic panniculitis: A case series from a tertiary university hospital in Spain

Pancreatic panniculitis is a rare type that only occurs in 2-3% of all patients with pancreatic diseases. It is usually described in association with benign pancreatic disease and less commonly in association with pancreatic carcinoma. We describe a case of pancreatic panniculitis as the first manifestation of underlying ampullary adenocarcinoma and a new case of pancreatitis, panniculitis and polyarthritis (PPP-Syndrome). Pancreatic panniculitis may be the cutaneous manifestation of pancreatic allograft rejection after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

Development of a Prognostic Model That Predicts Survival After Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Ampullary Cancer

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to (i) identify independent predictors of survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampullary cancer and (ii) develop a prognostic model of survival.

METHODS

Data were analyzed retrospectively on 110 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between 2002 and 2013. Subjects were categorized into 3 nodal subgroups as per the recently proposed nodal subclassification: N0 (node negative), N1 (1-2 metastatic nodes), or N2 (≥3 metastatic nodes). Clinicopathological features and overall survival were compared by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 79.8%, 42.2%, and 34.9%, respectively. The overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for the N0 group were 85.2%, 71.9%, and 67.4%, respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates for the N1 and N2 subgroups were 81.5%, 49.4%, and 49.4% and 75%, 19.2%, and 6.4%, respectively (log rank, P < 0.0001). After performing a multivariate Cox regression analysis, vascular invasion and lymph node ratio were the only independent predictors of survival. Hence, a prediction model of survival was constructed based on those 2 variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Using data from a carefully selected cohort of patients, we created a pilot prognostic model of postresectional survival. The proposed model may help clinicians to guide treatments in the adjuvant setting.

Pathologic Subtypes of Ampullary Adenocarcinoma: Value of Ampullary MDCT for Noninvasive Preoperative Differentiation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2017;208:W71-W78. [PMID: 28095024 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.16.16723]

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of ampullary MDCT in the noninvasive, preoperative differentiation of pancreatobiliary and intestinal subtypes of ampullary adenocarcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 32 patients (20 men, 12 women; age range, 41-81 years) with resected ampullary adenocarcinoma who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced ampullary MDCT. Two radiologists, blinded to pathologic diagnosis of adenocarcinoma subtype, evaluated the presence of seven MDCT features independently. MDCT findings and ampullary adenocarcinoma subtypes were correlated using chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Interobserver agreement was evaluated using the Cohen kappa statistic.

RESULTS

When evaluated with ampullary MDCT, the intestinal and pancreatobiliary subtypes were significantly different in terms of lesion morphology (p < 0.0001), papillary shape (p < 0.0001), common bile duct (CBD) infiltration and dilatation (p = 0.003 and p = 0.0004, respectively), duodenopancreatic groove infiltration (p = 0.0009), and pancreaticoduodenal artery involvement (p = 0.004). Pancreatobiliary subtype tumors were more often infiltrative in morphology (18/18) and showed retracted papilla (14/18), CBD (18/18) and main pancreatic duct (MPD) infiltration (12/18), dilated CBD (18/18) and MPD (13/18), fixed duodenopancreatic groove appearance (15/18), and pancreaticoduodenal artery involvement (12/18). Intestinal subtype carcinomas were more frequently nodular (14/14) and had a bulging papilla (13/14), a free duodenopancreatic groove appearance (11/14), and no pancreaticoduodenal artery involvement (2/14). When all features were taken into account, MDCT showed sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 83.3% in differentiating intestinal and pancreatobiliary subtype tumors. Accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MDCT were 84.4%, 80%, and 88.2%, respectively. Interobserver agreement was almost perfect for the presence of each imaging feature (κ > 0.8).

CONCLUSION

Ampullary MDCT can be useful to differentiate pancreatobiliary and intestinal subtypes of ampullary adenocarcinoma preoperatively, provided the duodenum is optimally distended at imaging.

Bevacizumab combined with capecitabine and oxaliplatin in patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the small bowel or ampulla of vater: A single-center, open-label, phase 2 study

BACKGROUND

Capecitabine with oxaliplatin (CAPOX) has previously demonstrated clinical activity in patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) and ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC). Herein, the authors conducted a phase 2 trial to evaluate the benefit of adding bevacizumab to CAPOX.

METHODS

In this phase 2, single-arm, single-center, open-label study, patients aged ≥18 years with untreated, advanced SBA or AAC were recruited. Patients received capecitabine at a dose of 750 mg/m² orally twice daily on days 1 to 14, oxaliplatin at a dose of 130 mg/m² intravenously on day 1, and bevacizumab at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg intravenously on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months. Secondary objectives included response rate, overall PFS, overall survival, and toxicity.

RESULTS

Between August 2011 and November 2014, a total of 30 patients were enrolled into the study (male/female ratio of 13/17; median age of 63 years [range, 33-78 years]; and 7 patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status [ECOG PS] of 0, 20 patients with an ECOG PS of 1, and 3 patients with an ECOG PS of 2). Of the 30 patients, 23 (77%) had SBA (18 of duodenal origin and 5 of jejunal/ileal origin) and 7 patients (23%) had AAC (5 of pancreaticobiliary subtype, 1 of mixed subtype, and 1 of intestinal subtype). The most common grade 3 toxicities observed were fatigue and hypertension (7 patients each [23%]), neutropenia (6 patients [20%]), and diarrhea (3 patients [10%]) (toxicity was graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 4.0]). The probability of PFS at 6 months was 68% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 52% to 88%). The response rate was 48.3%, with 1 complete response and 13 partial responses; 10 patients achieved stable disease. At a median follow-up of 25.9 months, the median PFS was 8.7 months (95% CI, 4.9-10.5 months) and the median overall survival was 12.9 months (95% CI, 9.2-19.7 months).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study indicate that CAPOX with bevacizumab is an active and well-tolerated regimen for patients with SBA and AAC. These findings support the need for further investigation into the clinical benefit of targeting angiogenesis in patients with SBA and AAC. Cancer 2017;123:1011-17. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Late Pancreatic Fistula After Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Background: More than 100 years after its conception, the pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) remains a challenging procedure with significant morbidity, often due to a postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). Factors related to patient physiology, tumor anatomy/pathology, and surgeon/surgical technique have been studied, yielding results at times conflicting and difficult to reproduce. We present a case of a late POPF along with a brief review of the current literature.

Case Presentation: The patient is a 55-year-old female with a 20 pack-year smoking history and no history of alcohol abuse, who presented for evaluation of new nausea. Her laboratory tests and computed tomography (CT) imaging were suggestive of biliary obstruction. She was found to have an invasive ampullary adenocarcinoma and subsequently underwent a classic PD. She developed a POPF, managed through a closed suction drain placed intraoperatively. Her course was complicated by the development of an intra-abdominal abscess, managed percutaneously through CT-guided placement of two drains, subsequently removed without issues. She recovered uneventfully until 8 months after the operation, when she presented with abdominal pain and pancreatitis. She was found to have an intra-abdominal collection, again managed percutaneously via CT-guided drainage. This time, the amylase and lipase levels of the drainage fluid were 21,860 and 86,650 U/L, respectively, and cultures were sterile. Upon workup of her pancreatic fistula, a severe stricture at the pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) was identified. She underwent endoscopic placement of a Hobbs stent by the GI service.

Conclusion: Although commonly diagnosed in the days to weeks after a PD, we present a case of a POPF that manifested 8 months after the initial operation in association with a PJ stricture. This case highlights the importance of considering the diagnosis even months after the operation in a patient who presents with symptoms of pancreatitis and/or imaging findings consistent with an intra-abdominal collection.

KRAS mutation as a prognostic factor in ampullary adenocarcinoma: a meta-analysis and review

Ampullary adenocarcinoma (A-AC) is a rare malignancy arising from the ampulla of Vater. KRAS mutation is detected in 30-40% of patients with A-AC, but its clinical implication and prognostic value are not well described. We conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the association between KRAS mutation and prognosis in patients with A-AC. We searched Pubmed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases for articles including following terms in their titles, abstracts, or keywords: 'ampullary or periampullary or ampulla of vater', 'cancer or carcinoma', and 'KRAS'. There were five studies with survival data of patients. A total of 388 patients with A-AC from the 5 studies were included in the overall survival (OS) analysis, and 169 patients from 2 studies were eligible for the relapse-free-survival (RFS) analysis. Out of 388 patients, 175 (45%) had KRAS mutation. There was no association between KRAS mutation and OS (HR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.87-1.29, P = 0.58). However, there was a significant correlation between KRAS mutation and worse RFS (HR = 2.74, 95% CI: 1.52-4.92, P = 0.0008). In conclusion, this meta-analysis indicates that KRAS mutation is associated with poor RFS, but not with OS in patients with A-AC.

Synchronous gastric and ampullary adenocarcinomas in a hairy cell leukemia patient treated with pentostatin eight years prior

Hairy cell leukemia patients are at increased risk for second malignancies, including both solid and lymphoid neoplasms. Along with other factors, multiple immune defects present in hairy cell leukemia likely contribute to subsequent carcinogenesis. We report herein a case of synchronous high-grade gastric and ampullary adenocarcinomas in a patient with a history of hairy cell leukemia treated eight years prior with pentostatin. We include a review of immune alterations induced by both hairy cell leukemia and its therapies, and link them with the occurrence of second cancers in these patients.

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.

Factors predicting survival and pathological subtype in patients with ampullary adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater is uncommon. This study aimed to clarify predictors of survival for ampullary adenocarcinoma and to identify characteristics of its two major pathological subtypes.

METHODS

Medical records were reviewed for 86 patients who underwent curative resection for ampullary adenocarcinoma between 2000 and 2012 at 12 principal hospitals in Kagawa, Japan.

RESULTS

Resection was most common among 75-79-year-old patients. Actuarial 1-, 3-, and 5-year postoperative survival rates for ampullary adenocarcinoma were 90%, 72.3%, and 69.1%, respectively. Preoperative biliary drainage; serum CA19-9 and total bilirubin levels; pathological grade; perineural, vascular, pancreatic, and duodenal invasion; nodal metastasis; UICC-T stage; and pancreatobiliary subtype were predictors of poor survival. An elevated serum CA19-9 level; an elevated total bilirubin level; lymphatic, vascular, perineural, and pancreatic invasion; and advanced overall tumor stage were more common in patients with pancreatobiliary-type tumors than in patients with intestinal-type tumors. Additionally, pathologic subtype analysis showed that each subtype had distinct prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative elevated serum CA19-9 and total bilirubin levels are prognostic factors for ampullary adenocarcinoma, and are both associated with pancreatobiliary-type tumors. Surgeons should be aware of these factors because pancreatobiliary-type adenocarcinoma is aggressively invasive and is associated with poor survival.

Twenty-six cases of advanced ampullary adenocarcinoma treated with systemic chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE

Ampullary adenocarcinoma is a rare disease entity and little information regarding these tumors is available. The aim of the present study was to clarify the treatment outcome of systemic chemotherapy in patients with advanced ampullary adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

This study consisted of a retrospective review of data obtained from patients diagnosed as having advanced ampullary adenocarcinoma who received non-surgical treatment at a single institution between 1997 and 2010.

RESULTS

We identified 26 patients (15 men, 11 women; median age, 62.0 years) who received treatment for advanced ampullary adenocarcinoma. Twelve patients had Stage IV disease and 14 had recurrences. The chemotherapy regimens consisted of 5-fluorouracil-based regimens (5-fluorouracil + cisplatin, n = 3; tegafur-uracil + doxorubicin, n = 5 and tegafur, gimeracil and oteracil potassium, n = 3) and gemcitabine-based regimens (gemcitabine, n = 10 and gemcitabine + cisplatin, n = 5). The overall response rate was 7.7%. The median progression-free survival period was 3.2 months (2.5 months in the 5-fluorouracil group vs. 3.5 months in the gemcitabine group), and the median overall survival time was 9.1 months (8.0 months in the 5-fluorouracil group vs. 12.3 months in the gemcitabine group). The median overall survival was significantly longer in stage IV disease than in recurrent disease. The histological phenotype was determined in 10 of the 26 patients. Eight patients had intestinal-type adenocarcinomas and remaining two patients had pancreatobiliary-type adenocarcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS

The treatment outcome of patients with advanced ampullary adenocarcinoma was poor. Further development of novel treatments is necessary to improve the prognosis.

Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis presenting as ampullary adenocarcinoma

The risk of periampullary cancer in patients with classic familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is significantly increased compared with the general population. However, the incidence of this extracolonic manifestation in attenuated FAP (AFAP) is unknown. We report the case of a 38 year old woman with no known family history of polyposis or colorectal cancer, who presented with ampullary adenocarcinoma. Diagnosis of AFAP was made only after evaluation of the patient's extended family history and genetic testing. This case report suggests that AFAP should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with ampullary/duodenal tumours.