Is distal pancreatectomy with en-bloc celiac axis resection effective for patients with locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma? -Multicenter surgical group study.

We retrospectively investigated the operative outcomes of patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy (DP) for invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) located at the body and tail. Data from 395 patients with PDAC who underwent DP with margin-negative resection (R0 or R1) were collected from seven high-volume centers in Japan from 2001 to 2012. Among them, 72 patients underwent DP with en-bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR). The remaining 323 patients underwent conventional DP with splenectomy (DP-S). To determine the efficacy of DP-CAR, clinicopathological data were compared between the DP-CAR and the DP-S groups. The DP-S group consisted mainly of patients with resectable disease (93%), and conversely, all patients in the DP-CAR group had borderline resectable or unresectable disease. The overall morbidity was significantly higher in the DP-CAR group than in the DP-S group (63% vs 47%, respectively; P = 0.017). The median survival time (MST) of the DP-CAR group was significantly shorter than that of the DP-S group (17.5 vs 28.6 months, respectively; P = 0.004). However, the MST of patients in the DP-CAR group (n = 61, 85%) who received adjuvant therapy was significantly longer than that of patients in the DP-S group (n = 65, 20%) who underwent R1 resection (21.9 vs 16.7 months, respectively; P = 0.024). DP-CAR followed by adjuvant chemotherapy provided an acceptable overall survival rate in patients with highly advanced PDAC, but should be performed with great caution because of high morbidity. Patients with a high risk of positive surgical margins with DP-S may be candidates for DP-CAR.

Yamamoto T ，Satoi S ，Kawai M ，Motoi F ，Sho M ，Uemura KI ，Matsumoto I ，Honda G ，Okada KI ，Akahori T ，Toyama H ，Kurata M ，Yanagimoto H ，Yamaue H ，Unno M ，Kon M ，Murakami Y ... -  《-》

Survival impact of distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic body carcinoma.

The survival benefit associated with distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) for patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic body carcinoma is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of DP-CAR following neoadjuvant chemotherapy on survival in patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic body carcinoma. Medical records of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent distal pancreatectomy (DP, n = 102) and DP-CAR following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 32) between 2008 and 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Short- and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. All patients who underwent DP-CAR had tumor contact with the celiac axis. Of these, 30 patients underwent preoperative embolization of the common hepatic artery. The pretreatment tumor size of patients who underwent DP-CAR was larger (P < 0.001), and rates of blood transfusion (P = 0.003) and postoperative complications (P = 0.016) were higher in patients who underwent DP-CAR compared with patients who underwent DP. The 5-year survival rate of patients who underwent DP and DP-CAR were 50.6% and 41.1%, respectively (median survival time, 65.9 vs 37.0 months). For all 134 patients, pretreatment serum CA19-9 levels (P < 0.001), adjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.001), and lymph node status (P = 0.035) were independent prognostic factors of overall survival by multivariate analysis. DP-CAR following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with borderline resectable or locally advanced pancreatic body carcinoma may bring the same survival impact as DP, despite increased morbidity.

Murakami Y ，Nakagawa N ，Kondo N ，Hashimoto Y ，Okada K ，Seo S ，Otsuka H ... -  《-》

The role of coeliac axis resection in resected ductal adenocarcinoma of the distal pancreas: A result of tumour topography or a prognostic factor?

Whether coeliac axis resection (CAR) results from tumour topography or a prognostic factor for distal pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. We aimed to compare the clinicopathological data between distal pancreatectomy with en bloc CAR (DP-CAR) and distal pancreatectomy plus splenectomy (DP-S) and analyse the prognostic factors. We retrospectively analysed clinicopathological data from 102 patients who underwent distal pancreatectomy for PDAC and the factors affecting disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Of these patients, 45 and 57 underwent DP-CAR and DP-S, respectively. DP-CAR was associated with more operative challenges than DP-S: more portomesenteric vein resections (48.9% vs. 14.0%), longer operations (320 vs. 242 min), and greater estimated blood loss (EBL) (600 vs. 200 ml). DP-CAR had larger tumours (5 vs. 4 cm), more perineural invasion (91.1% vs. 73.7%), and more microscopically positive surgical margins (20% vs. 3.5%), compared to DP-S. The major complication was clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (20.6%). The median DFS was 15.8 months and the median OS was 20.1 months. CAR was not associated with DFS or OS. EBL>700 ml, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and adjuvant chemotherapy independently affected DFS and OS. DP-CAR was associated with larger tumours and more surgical challenges but not with poorer DFS and OS than DP-S. CAR was more likely to result from tumour topography rather than from an adverse prognostic factor for resected distal PDAC. EBL>700 ml, LVI, and adjuvant chemotherapy were independent factors affecting the survival of patients with distal PDAC who underwent surgical resection.

Liu B ，Wu J ，Li C ，Li Y ，Qiu H ，Lv A ，Liu Q ，Liu D ，Wang Z ，Hao C ... -  《-》

Modified Appleby procedure for borderline resectable/locally advanced distal pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A major procedure for selected patients.

In distal pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), distal pancreatectomy with en bloc splenectomy and celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) can allow curative resection in case of tumor extension to celiac axis. From 2008 to 2013, of 102 patients with localized distal PDAC, 7 patients with celiac axis involvement were planned to undergo DP-CAR with curative intent. All patients received neoadjuvant treatment followed by preoperative coil embolization to enlarge collateral arterial pathways, except if a replaced right hepatic artery arising from superior mesenteric artery was present and sufficient for the blood supply. We herein analyzed indications, technique and outcomes of DP-CAR. After neoadjuvant treatment and arterial embolization, two patients experienced tumor progression and were not operated while five underwent DP-CAR. No patient required arterial reconstruction. Postoperative mortality was nil, but morbidity was 100%, mainly represented by pancreatic fistula. Postoperatively, there was a complete pain relief but chronic diarrhea was observed in all patients. Resections were R0 in three patients. One operated patient was alive and disease free at 60 months whereas median overall survival of patients who underwent resection was 24 months. DP-CAR for borderline resectable/locally advanced distal PDAC is associated with high morbidity and mixed long-term functional results. Neoadjuvant treatment may prevent from unnecessary surgery for patients with progressive disease and may facilitate resection with acceptable long-term survival.

Cesaretti M ，Abdel-Rehim M ，Barbier L ，Dokmak S ，Hammel P ，Sauvanet A ... -  《Journal of Visceral Surgery》

Feasibility and safety of distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) combined with neoadjuvant therapy for borderline resectable and unresectable pancreatic body/tail cancer.

Yoshitomi H ，Sakai N ，Kagawa S ，Takano S ，Ueda A ，Kato A ，Furukawa K ，Takayashiki T ，Kuboki S ，Miyzaki M ，Ohtsuka M ... -  《-》