Upper gastrointestinal and hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery in New Zealand: Balancing the volume-outcome relationship with accessibility in a surgically low volume country.

INTRODUCTION: New Zealand has a population of only 5.5 million meaning that for many surgical procedures the country qualifies as a "low-volume center." However, the health system is well developed and required to provide complex surgical procedures that benchmark internationally against comparable countries. This investigation was undertaken to review regional variation and volumes of complex resection and palliative upper gastrointestinal (UGI) surgical procedures within New Zealand. METHODS: Data pertaining to patients undergoing complex resectional UGI procedures (esophagectomy, gastrectomy, pancreatectomy, and hepatectomies) and palliative UGI procedures (esophageal stenting, enteroenterostomy, biliary enteric anastomosis, and liver ablation) in a New Zealand hospital between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2019 were obtained from the National Minimum Dataset. RESULTS: New Zealand is a low-volume center for UGI surgery (229 hepatectomies, 250 gastrectomies, 126 pancreatectomies, and 74 esophagectomies annually). Over 80% of patients undergoing hepatic resection/ablation, gastrectomy, esophagectomy, and pancreatectomy are treated in one of the six national cancer centers (Auckland, Waikato, Mid-Central, Capital Coast, Canterbury, or Southern). There is evidence of the decreasing frequency of these procedures in small centers with increasing frequency in large centers suggesting that some regionalization is occurring. Palliative procedures were more widely performed. Indigenous Maori were less likely to be treated in a nationally designated cancer center than non-Maori. CONCLUSIONS: The challenge for New Zealand and similarly sized countries is to develop and implement a system that optimizes the skills and pathways that come from a frequent performance of complex surgery while maintaining system resilience and ensuring equitable access for all patients.

Trends in gastric surgery operative experience among general surgery residents in the United States: A nationwide retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gastric surgery is a crucial component of general surgery training. However, there is a paucity of high-quality data on operative volume and the diversity of surgical procedures that general surgery residents are exposed to. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of operative case logs of all general surgery residents graduating from the American College of Graduate Medical Education-accredited program from 2009 to 2022. Data on the mean number of gastric procedures, including the mean in each subcategory, were retrieved. A Mann-Kendall trend test was used to investigate trends in operative volume. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2022, the mean overall logged gastric procedures rose significantly (τ = 0.722, P < .001) from 36.2 in 2009 to 49.2 in 2022 (35.9% increase). The most substantial growth was seen in laparoscopic gastric reduction for morbid obesity (mean 1.9 in 2017 to 19 in 2022; τ = 0.670, P = .009). A statistically significant increase was also seen in laparoscopic partial gastric resections, repair of gastric perforation, and "other major stomach procedures" (P < .05 for all comparisons). Open gastrostomy, open partial gastric resections, and open vagotomy all significantly decreased (P < .05 for all comparisons). There was no significant change in the volume of laparoscopic gastrectomy, total gastric resections, and non-laparoscopic gastric reductions for morbid obesity (P > .05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSION: There has been a substantial increase in the volume of gastric surgery during residency over the past 14 years, driven mainly by an increase in laparoscopic gastric reduction. However, there may still be a need for further gastric surgical training to ensure well-rounded general surgeons.

Trends in bariatric surgery training: bariatric operations performed by Fellowship Council trainees from 2012 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Fellowship Certificate was created to ensure satisfactory training and requires a minimum number of anastomotic cases. With laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy becoming the most common bariatric procedure in the United States, this may present a challenge for fellows to obtain adequate numbers for ASMBS certification. OBJECTIVES: To investigate bariatric fellowship trends from 2012 to 2019, the types, numbers, and approaches of surgical procedures performed by fellows were examined. SETTING: Academic training centers in the United States. METHODS: Data were obtained from Fellowship Council records of all cases performed by fellows in ASMBS-accredited bariatric surgery training programs between 2012 and 2019. A retrospective analysis using standard descriptive statistical methods was performed to investigate trends in total case volume and cases per fellow for common bariatric procedures. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2019, sleeve gastrectomy cases performed by all Fellowship Council fellows nearly doubled from 6,514 to 12,398, compared with a slight increase for gastric bypass, from 8,486 to 9,204. Looking specifically at bariatric fellowships, the mean number of gastric bypass cases per fellow dropped over time, from 91.1 cases (SD = 46.8) in 2012-2013 to 52.6 (SD = 62.1) in 2018-2019. Mean sleeve gastrectomy cases per fellow increased from 54.7 (SD = 31.5) in 2012-2013 to a peak of 98.6 (SD = 64.3) in 2015-2016. Robotic gastric bypasses also increased from 4% of all cases performed in 2012-2013 to 13.3% in 2018-2019. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric fellowship training has seen a decrease in gastric bypasses, an increase in sleeve gastrectomies, and an increase in robotic surgery completed by each fellow from 2012 to 2019.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy conversion to gastric bypass: conversion rate over time, predictors of conversion, and weight loss outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is the most common Bariatric procedure in the United States; however, the frequency of conversion to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim was to determine the conversion rate over time from LSG to RYGB. The secondary objectives were to evaluate factors associated with conversion and postconversion weight loss outcomes. SETTING: Single Academic Institution, Center of Bariatric Excellence. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all LSG from 2011 to 2020 was done. Kaplan-Meier analysis was utilized to estimate the conversion rate over time after LSG. Cox regression was utilized to identify predictors of future conversion. RESULTS: Of 875 LSGs, 46 were converted to RYGB from 2011 to 2020. Median follow-up was 2.6 years, and 7-year follow-up rate was 59.9%. The 1-year conversion rate was 1.4%, increasing to 3.8%, 9.0%, and 12.6% at 3, 5, and 7 years respectively. Female gender (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.2, P = .05) and age <55 (HR = 3.5, P = .04) were associated with greater chance of conversion. Preoperative asthma (HR = 1.7, P = .14) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (HR = 1.5, P = .18) trended toward higher conversion but were not significant. Of those with body mass index (BMI) >35 at time of conversion, the mean total body weight loss (TBWL) was 13.0% at the time of conversion. This subgroup had additional 13.6% of TBWL 1-year after conversion. CONCLUSIONS: Conversion of LSG to RYGB increased with time to 12.6% conversion rate at 7-years. Patients with GERD prior to LSG had a nonsignificant trend toward conversion, while younger patients and females had significantly higher rates of conversion. There may be additional weight loss benefit for patients converted to RYGB.

Weekday of gastrectomy and long-term survival in gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cancer surgery conducted late during the working week might decrease long-term survival for some tumours. Studies on how weekday of gastrectomy influences long-term survival following gastric cancer are few and show conflicting results, which prompted the present investigation. METHODS: This population-based cohort study included almost all patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma in Sweden between 2006 and 2015, with follow-up throughout 2020. Associations between weekday of gastrectomy and 5-year all-cause mortality (main outcome) and 5-year disease-specific mortality (secondary outcome) were analysed using multivariable Cox regression. The hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were adjusted for age, sex, education, comorbidity, pathological tumour stage, tumour sub-location, neoadjuvant therapy, annual surgeon volume of gastrectomy, and calendar year. RESULTS: Among 1678 patients, surgery on Thursday-Friday was not associated with any statistically significantly increased risk of 5-year all-cause mortality (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.91-1.22) or 5-year disease-specific mortality (HR 1.04, 95% CI 0.89-1.23) compared to Monday-Wednesday. No associations were found when each weekday was analysed separately, with point estimates close to 1.00 (range 0.98-1.00) Monday-Thursday, but increased for Friday (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.89-1.68) when fewer patients underwent surgery (4% of all). Stratified analyses by age, comorbidity, tumour stage, neoadjuvant therapy, surgeon volume, and tumour sub-location did not reveal any associations between weekday of surgery on Thursday-Friday compared with Monday-Wednesday and risk of 5-year all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Weekday of gastrectomy might not influence the 5-year survival in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Hospital volume, postoperative mortality, and costs after gastrectomy for gastric cancer in colombia: is there any association? / Volume hospitalar, mortalidade pós-operatória e custos após gastrectomia por câncer gástrico na colômbia: existe associação?

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: There are no information in the literature associating the volume of gastrectomies with survival and costs for the health system in the treatment of patients with gastric cancer in Colombia. AIMS: The aim of this study was to analyze how gastrectomy for gastric cancer is associated with hospital volume, 30-day and 180-day postoperative mortality, and healthcare costs in Bogotá, Colombia. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study based on hospital data of all adult patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy between 2014 and 2016 using a paired propensity score. The surgical volume was identified as the average annual number of gastrectomies performed by the hospital. RESULTS: A total of 743 patients were included in the study. Hospital mortality at 30 and 180 days postoperatively was 36 (4.85%) and 127 (17.09%) patients, respectively. The average health care cost was USD 3,200. A total of 26 or more surgeries were determined to be the high surgical volume cutoff. Patients operated on in hospitals with a high surgical volume had lower 6-month mortality (HR 0.44; 95%CI 0.27-0.71; p=0.001), and no differences were found in health costs (mean difference 398.38; 95%CI-418.93-1,215.69; p=0.339). CONCLUSIONS: This study concluded that in Bogotá (Colombia), surgery in a high-volume hospital is associated with better 6-month survival and no additional costs to the health system.

RESUMO RACIONAL: Não há informações na literatura relacionando o volume de gastrectomias bem como a sobrevida e os custos para o sistema de saúde, no tratamento de pacientes com câncer gástrico na Colômbia. OBJETIVOS: analisar como a gastrectomia para câncer gástrico está associada ao volume hospitalar, mortalidade pós-operatória de 30 e 180 dias e custos de saúde em Bogotá, Colômbia. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte retrospectivo baseado em dados hospitalares de todos os pacientes adultos com câncer gástrico submetidos à gastrectomia entre 2014 e 2016, utilizando um escore de propensão pareado. O volume cirúrgico foi identificado como o número médio anual de gastrectomias realizadas pelo hospital. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos no estudo 743 pacientes. A mortalidade hospitalar aos 30 e 180 dias de pós-operatório, foram respectivamente, 36 (4,85%) e 127 (17,09%) pacientes. O custo médio de saúde foi de US$ 3.200. Vinte e seis ou mais cirurgias foram determinadas como ponto de corte de alto volume cirúrgico. Pacientes operados em hospitais de alto volume cirúrgico tiveram menor mortalidade em seis meses (HR 0,44; IC95% 0,27-0,71; p=0,001) e não foram encontradas diferenças nos custos com saúde (diferença média 398,38; IC95% −418,93-1215,69; p=0,339). CONCLUSÕES: Este estudo concluiu que em Bogotá (Colômbia), a cirurgia em um hospital com alto volume cirúrgico está associada a uma melhor sobrevida de seis meses e não há custos adicionais para o sistema de saúde.

Association of Bariatric Surgery With Cancer Risk and Mortality in Adults With Obesity.

Importance: Obesity increases the incidence and mortality from some types of cancer, but it remains uncertain whether intentional weight loss can decrease this risk. Objective: To investigate whether bariatric surgery is associated with lower cancer risk and mortality in patients with obesity. Design, Setting, and Participants: In the SPLENDID (Surgical Procedures and Long-term Effectiveness in Neoplastic Disease Incidence and Death) matched cohort study, adult patients with a body mass index of 35 or greater who underwent bariatric surgery at a US health system between 2004 and 2017 were included. Patients who underwent bariatric surgery were matched 1:5 to patients who did not undergo surgery for their obesity, resulting in a total of 30 318 patients. Follow-up ended in February 2021. Exposures: Bariatric surgery (n = 5053), including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, vs nonsurgical care (n = 25 265). Main Outcomes and Measures: Multivariable Cox regression analysis estimated time to incident obesity-associated cancer (a composite of 13 cancer types as the primary end point) and cancer-related mortality. Results: The study included 30 318 patients (median age, 46 years; median body mass index, 45; 77% female; and 73% White) with a median follow-up of 6.1 years (IQR, 3.8-8.9 years). The mean between-group difference in body weight at 10 years was 24.8 kg (95% CI, 24.6-25.1 kg) or a 19.2% (95% CI, 19.1%-19.4%) greater weight loss in the bariatric surgery group. During follow-up, 96 patients in the bariatric surgery group and 780 patients in the nonsurgical control group had an incident obesity-associated cancer (incidence rate of 3.0 events vs 4.6 events, respectively, per 1000 person-years). The cumulative incidence of the primary end point at 10 years was 2.9% (95% CI, 2.2%-3.6%) in the bariatric surgery group and 4.9% (95% CI, 4.5%-5.3%) in the nonsurgical control group (absolute risk difference, 2.0% [95% CI, 1.2%-2.7%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.53-0.87], P = .002). Cancer-related mortality occurred in 21 patients in the bariatric surgery group and 205 patients in the nonsurgical control group (incidence rate of 0.6 events vs 1.2 events, respectively, per 1000 person-years). The cumulative incidence of cancer-related mortality at 10 years was 0.8% (95% CI, 0.4%-1.2%) in the bariatric surgery group and 1.4% (95% CI, 1.1%-1.6%) in the nonsurgical control group (absolute risk difference, 0.6% [95% CI, 0.1%-1.0%]; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.52 [95% CI, 0.31-0.88], P = .01). Conclusions and Relevance: Among adults with obesity, bariatric surgery compared with no surgery was associated with a significantly lower incidence of obesity-associated cancer and cancer-related mortality.

A novel DNA methylation signature associated with lymph node metastasis status in early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an important factor for both treatment and prognosis of early gastric cancer (EGC). Current methods are insufficient to evaluate LNM in EGC due to suboptimal accuracy. Herein, we aim to identify methylation signatures for LNM of EGC, facilitate precision diagnosis, and guide treatment modalities. METHODS: For marker discovery, genome-wide methylation sequencing was performed in a cohort (marker discovery) using 47 fresh frozen (FF) tissue samples. The identified signatures were subsequently characterized for model development using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples by qPCR assay in a second cohort (model development cohort, n = 302, training set: n = 151, test set: n = 151). The performance of the established model was further validated using FFPE samples in a third cohorts (validation cohort, n = 130) and compared with image-based diagnostics, conventional clinicopathology-based model (conventional model), and current standard workups. RESULTS: Fifty LNM-specific methylation signatures were identified de novo and technically validated. A derived 3-marker methylation model for LNM diagnosis was established that achieved an AUC of 0.87 and 0.88, corresponding to the specificity of 80.9% and 85.7%, sensitivity of 80.6% and 78.1%, and accuracy of 80.8% and 83.8% in the test set of model development cohort and validation cohort, respectively. Notably, this methylation model outperformed computed tomography (CT)-based imaging with a superior AUC (0.88 vs. 0.57, p < 0.0001) and individual clinicopathological features in the validation cohort. The model integrated with clinicopathological features demonstrated further enhanced AUCs of 0.89 in the same cohort. The 3-marker methylation model and integrated model reduced 39.4% and 41.5% overtreatment as compared to standard workups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A novel 3-marker methylation model was established and validated that shows diagnostic potential to identify LNM in EGC patients and thus reduce unnecessary gastrectomy in EGC.

Ultrasound Image-Guided Nerve Block Combined with General Anesthesia under an Artificial Intelligence Algorithm on Patients Undergoing Radical Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer during and after Operation.

This study was aimed at investigating the location of gastric cancer by using a gastroscope image based on an artificial intelligence algorithm for gastric cancer and the effect of ultrasonic-guided nerve block combined with general anesthesia on patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. A total of 160 patients who were undergoing gastric cancer surgery from March 2019 to March 2021 were collected as the research objects, and the convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm was used to segment the gastroscope image of gastric cancer. The patients were randomly divided into a simple general anesthesia group of 80 cases and a transversus abdominis plane block combined with rectus abdominis sheath block combined with the general anesthesia group of 80 cases. Then, compare the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) at the four time points T0, T1, T2, and T3. The times of analgesic drug use within 48 hours after operation and postoperative adverse reactions were recorded. The visual analog scale (VAS) scores were also recorded at 4 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h. The results show that the image quality after segmentation is good: the accuracy of tumor location is 75.67%, which is similar to that of professional endoscopists. Compared with the general anesthesia group, the transversus abdominis plane block combined with the rectus sheath block combined with the general anesthesia group had fewer anesthetics, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with the general anesthesia group, SBP, DBP, and HR were significantly reduced at T1, T2, and T3 in the transverse abdominis plane block combined with rectus sheath block and general anesthesia group (P < 0.05). Compared with the simple general anesthesia group, the VAS scores of the transversus abdominis plane block combined with rectus sheath block combined with the general anesthesia group decreased at 4 h, 12 h, and 24 h after surgery, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The number of analgesics used in transversus abdominis plane block combined with the rectus sheath block combined with the general anesthesia group within 48 hours after operation was significantly less than that in the general anesthesia group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The average incidence of adverse reactions in the nerve block combined with the general anesthesia group was 2.5%, which was lower than the average incidence of 3.75% in the general anesthesia group. In summary, the CNN algorithm can accurately segment the lesions in the ultrasonic images of gastric cancer, which was convenient for doctors to make a more accurate judgment on the lesions, and provided a basis for the preoperative examination of radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Ultrasonic-guided nerve block combined with general anesthesia can effectively improve the analgesic effect of radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, reduced intraoperative and postoperative adverse reactions and analgesic drug dosage, and had a good effect on postoperative recovery of patients. The combined application of these two methods can further improve the precision treatment of gastric cancer patients and accelerate postoperative recovery.

Safety and outcomes of performing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy at an ambulatory site of a tertiary care hospital in Ontario.

BACKGROUND: In Ontario, bariatric surgery is publicly funded and is performed only in accredited tertiary care hospitals. The purpose of our study was to report on the safety and outcomes of performing bariatric surgery at an ambulatory site of a tertiary care hospital in southern Ontario. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all adult (age ≥ 18 yr) patients who underwent primary laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) or laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) at the ambulatory site of our tertiary care hospital between September 2016 and August 2018. The 2 sites are 1.4 km apart. Patient demographic characteristics, duration of surgery, intraoperative and 90-day postoperative complications, number of transfers and readmission to the tertiary care hospital, and emergency department visits were collected. RESULTS: A total of 314 patients (285 women [90.8%] and 29 men [9.2%] with a mean age of 41.8 yr [standard deviation (SD) 8.9 yr]) underwent surgery: LRYGB in 295 cases (93.9%) and LSG in 19 (6.0%). The mean body mass index was 45.3 (SD 5.1), the median American Society of Anesthesiologists score was 3 (range 2-4), and the median Edmonton Obesity Staging System score was 2 (range 0-4). The mean operative time was 119.8 (SD 23.1) minutes for LRYGB and 96.2 (SD 22.0) minutes for LSG, and the mean length of stay was 2.1 (SD 0.6) days and 2.1 (SD 0.2) days, respectively. Thirteen patients (4.1%) required transfer to the tertiary care hospital for a postoperative complication. Of 312 patients, 29 (9.3%) presented to emergency department within 90 days after surgery, and 8 (2.6%) required readmission to hospital; no deaths were reported. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that LRYGB and LSG can be performed safely at an ambulatory site of a tertiary care hospital. However, caution should be exercised in performing these procedures at an ambulatory site without a tertiary care hospital affiliation, as patients may require urgent transfer for a serious postoperative complication.

Gastrointestinal Hormones and ß-Cell Function After Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Oseberg).

CONTEXT: Whether Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) differentially affect postprandial gastrointestinal hormones and ß-cell function in type 2 diabetes remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare gastrointestinal hormones and ß-cell function, assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 5 weeks and 1 year after surgery, hypothesizing higher glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels and greater ß-cell response to glucose after RYGB than after SG. METHODS: This study was a randomized, triple-blind, single-center trial at a tertiary care center in Norway. The primary outcomes were diabetes remission and IVGTT-derived ß-cell function. Participants with obesity and type 2 diabetes were allocated (1:1) to RYGB or SG. We measured gastrointestinal hormone profiles and insulin secretion as ß-cell glucose sensitivity (ß-GS) derived from 180-minute OGTTs. RESULTS: Participants were 106 patients (67% women), mean (SD) age 48 (10) years. Diabetes remission rates at 1 year were higher after RYGB than after SG (77% vs 48%; P = 0.002). Incremental area under the curve (iAUC0-180) GLP-1 and ß-GS increased more after RYGB than after SG, with 1-year between-group difference 1173 pmol/L*min (95% CI, 569-1776; P = 0.0010) and 0.45 pmol/kg/min/mmol (95% CI, 0.15-0.75; P = 0.0032), respectively. After surgery, fasting and postprandial ghrelin levels were higher and decremental AUC0-180 ghrelin, iAUC0-180 glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, and iAUC0-60 glucagon were greater after RYGB than after SG. Diabetes remission at 1 year was associated with higher ß-GS and higher GLP-1 secretion. CONCLUSION: RYGB was associated with greater improvement in ß-cell function and higher postprandial GLP-1 levels than SG.

Bariatric surgery versus medical treatment in mildly obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japan: Propensity score-matched analysis on real-world data.

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: To compare glycemic control 1 year after treatment in patients with mildly obese (body mass index 27.5-34.9 kg/m2 ) type 2 diabetes mellitus who underwent bariatric surgery (BS) to those who received medical treatment (MT) in Japan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study using real-world data was carried out in electronic medical records from a tertiary care hospital and in the Japanese Medical Data Center Inc. claim database from 2008 to 2019. Each patient was propensity score-matched between the BS and the MT group by age, sex, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin and type 2 diabetes mellitus duration, and compared from the index date to the 1 year post-index. RESULTS: The study included 78 patients in the BS group and 238 patients in the MT group. The mean body mass index in the BS and the MT group was 32.1 and 32.0 kg/m2 , respectively. In the BS group, the patients underwent either laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy with or without duodenojejunal bypass. The diabetes remission rate (glycated hemoglobin <6.5% without diabetes medication) at 1 year was 59.0% in the BS group and 0.4% in the MT group (P < 0.0001). Optimal glycemic control of glycated hemoglobin <7.0% was achieved in 75.6% in the BS group and in 29.0% in the MT group (P < 0.0001). The median monthly drug costs for metabolic syndrome decreased from $US126.5 (at baseline) to $US0.0 (at 1 year) in the BS group, whereas it increased from $US52.4 to $US58.3 in the MT group. CONCLUSIONS: BS for mildly obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is more clinically- and cost-effective than MT in Japan.

Impact of COVID-19 on gastric cancer treatment in Japanese high-volume centers: a JCOG stomach cancer study group survey.

PURPOSES: The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected socioeconomic and healthcare systems in many countries. Accordingly, many individuals may have canceled their annual health-check programs, including esophagogastroduodenoscopy, which would have resulted in lower numbers of newly diagnosed patients with gastric cancer in comparison to other times. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to 62 hospitals every week from May 2020 to August 2020 (total 744) through mailing lists of the Stomach Cancer Study Group of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group. The number of patients with gastric cancer and hospital systems during the COVID-19 pandemic were surveyed. RESULTS: In total, 74% (551 out of 744) of the questionnaires were answered and analyzed. In early May, approximately 50% of hospitals had to restrict surgical slots due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they gradually loosened the restrictions thereafter. The number of gastrectomies was < 80% that of the same period in the previous year, and hospitals in Tokyo were seriously affected by a 50% decrease in the number of gastrectomies. CONCLUSIONS: The number of gastrectomies was lower than that in the previous year. Further multi-center follow-up studies are required to evaluate the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer.

The long-term survival outcomes of gastric cancer patients with total intravenous anesthesia or inhalation anesthesia: a single-center retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the type of anesthesia and the survival outcomes of gastric cancer patients is uncertain. This study compared the overall outcome of gastric cancer patients after surgery with total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) or inhalation anesthesia (IHA). METHODS: Clinicopathological variables of gastric cancer patients were retrieved from the database of the Surgical Gastric Cancer Patient Registry in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Patients were grouped according to whether they received TIVA or IHA during the operation. Propensity score (PS) matching was used to balance the baseline variables, and survival outcomes were compared between these two groups. In addition, studies comparing survival outcomes between TIVA and IHA used for gastric cancer surgery and published before April 20th, 2020, were identified, and their data were pooled. RESULTS: A total of 2827 patients who underwent surgical treatment from Jan 2009 to Dec 2016 were included. There were 323 patients in the TIVA group and 645 patients in the IHA group, with 1:2 PS matching. There was no significant difference in overall survival outcomes between the TIVA and IHA groups before matching the cohort (p = 0.566) or after matching the cohort (p = 0.679) by log-rank tests. In the Cox hazard regression model, there was no significant difference between the TIVA and IHA groups before (HR: 1.054, 95% CI: 0.881-1.262, p = 0.566) or after (HR: 0.957, 95% CI: 0.779-1.177, p = 0.679) PS matching. The meta-analysis of survival outcomes between the TIVA and IHA groups found critical statistical value in the before PS matching cohort (HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57-0.96 p < 0.01) and after PS matching cohort (HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.94, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Combined with the results of previous studies, total intravenous anesthesia has been shown to be superior to inhalation anesthesia in terms of overall survival for gastric cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment. The selection of intravenous or inhalation anesthesia for gastric cancer surgery should take into account the long-term prognosis of the patient.

Computational modelling of self-reported dietary carbohydrate intake on glucose concentrations in patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass versus one-anastomosis gastric bypass.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to investigate in a real-life setting the use of machine learning for modelling the postprandial glucose concentrations in morbidly obese patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB). METHODS: As part of the prospective randomized open-label trial (RYSA), data from obese (BMI ≥35 kg/m2) non-diabetic adult participants were included. Glucose concentrations, measured with FreeStyle Libre, were recorded over 14 preoperative and 14 postoperative days. During these periods, 3-day food intake was self-reported. A machine learning model was applied to estimate glycaemic responses to the reported carbohydrate intakes before and after the bariatric surgeries. RESULTS: Altogether, 10 participants underwent RYGB and 7 participants OAGB surgeries. The glucose concentrations and carbohydrate intakes were reduced postoperatively in both groups. The relative time spent in hypoglycaemia increased regardless of the operation (RYGB, from 9.2 to 28.2%; OAGB, from 1.8 to 37.7%). Postoperatively, we observed an increase in the height of the fitted response curve and a reduction in its width, suggesting that the same amount of carbohydrates caused a larger increase in the postprandial glucose response and that the clearance of the meal-derived blood glucose was faster, with no clinically meaningful differences between the surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: A detailed analysis of the glycaemic responses using food diaries has previously been difficult because of the noisy meal data. The utilized machine learning model resolved this by modelling the uncertainty in meal times. Such an approach is likely also applicable in other applications involving dietary data. A marked reduction in overall glycaemia, increase in postprandial glucose response, and rapid glucose clearance from the circulation immediately after surgery are evident after both RYGB and OAGB. Whether nondiabetic individuals would benefit from monitoring the post-surgery hypoglycaemias and the potential to prevent them by dietary means should be investigated.KEY MESSAGESThe use of a novel machine learning model was applicable for combining patient-reported data and time-series data in this clinical study.Marked increase in postprandial glucose concentrations and rapid glucose clearance were observed after both Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and one-anastomosis gastric bypass surgeries.Whether nondiabetic individuals would benefit from monitoring the post-surgery hypoglycaemias and the potential to prevent them by dietary means should be investigated.

Tumor downstaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy determines survival after surgery for gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Since 2006, surgery combined with perioperative chemotherapy is the standard of care for resectable gastric adenocarcinoma in Europe. Specific effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy remain unknown. The aim was to evaluate the rate of tumor downstaging and its impact on survival in patients undergoing curative resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NeoCT) for gastric adenocarcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients treated in a curative intent for gastric or esophagogastric junction adenocarcinomas between 1996 and 2016 in our high-volume center were retrospectively included. Tumor downstaging after NeoCT was defined as ypTN inferior to cTN. The accuracy of clinical staging was evaluated in patients treated by upfront surgery before 2006. RESULTS: During the study period, 491 patients were operated for gastric adenocarcinoma, and 449 patients were finally analyzed. Among the 163 (36.3%) patients who received NeoCT, 61 (37.4%) had tumor downstaging. Overall survival and disease-free survival were longer in patients with tumor downstaging compared to patients without it (5-year survival: 84.8% vs 49.7%; P = .002 and 61.7% vs 43.4%; P = .054). In multivariate analysis tumor downstaging was an independent prognosis factor for better overall survival (HR = 5.258; P = .002) and disease-free survival (HR = 2.286; P = .028). Moreover, 45.5% of patients staged cT1-T2N0, in whom upfront surgery was performed, were understaged and ultimately had a more advanced tumor on pathological analysis. CONCLUSION: Response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy constitutes a major prognostic factor for overall and disease-free survival. In the absence of predictive factors for tumor downstaging, the indication for perioperative chemotherapy should remain broad, in particular because of the low accuracy of pretherapeutic staging and therefore the high risk of understaging tumors.

Prognostic effect of perineural invasion in successive years in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.

AIM: The present study evaluates the prognostic significance of perineural invasion (PNI) on 2-year, 5-year, and overall survival in patients undergoing gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy due to locally advanced gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Included in the study were 231 patients who underwent surgery between November 2006 and October 2018 due to stage 1B and over locally advanced gastric cancer, whose records were reviewed retrospectively. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The variables in the presence or absence of PNI were compared between the two groups with a Chi-square test, a Fisher's exact test, a likelihood ratio, and a Mann-Whitney U test. Overall survival data were evaluated with a Kaplan-Meier test. Prognostic factors were evaluated with a stepwise Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: PNI was identified in 167 (72.3%) of the patients. The 2-year, 5-year, and overall survival rates at the end of the follow-up period were 85.9%, 70.3%, and 64.1% in those without PNI, and 52.7%, 38.3%, and 36.5% in those with PNI, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, PNI appeared to be a significant prognostic factor for 2-year survival (P = 0.04) but had no effect on 5-year and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Survival was shorter in patients with PNI than in patients without PNI, and PNI had no effect on overall survival, although it was found to be of prognostic significance for 2-year survival.

Clinical Outcomes Following Regionalization of Gastric Cancer Care in a US Integrated Health Care System.

PURPOSE: In 2016, Kaiser Permanente Northern California regionalized gastric cancer care, introducing a regional comprehensive multidisciplinary care team, standardizing staging and chemotherapy, and implementing laparoscopic gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy for patients eligible for curative-intent surgery. This study evaluated the effect of regionalization on outcomes. METHODS: The retrospective cohort study included gastric cancer cases diagnosed from January 2010 to May 2018. Information was obtained from the electronic medical record, cancer registry, state vital statistics, and chart review. Overall survival was compared in patients with all stages of disease, stage I-III disease, and curative-intent gastrectomy patients using annual inception cohorts. For the latter, the surgical approach and surgical outcomes were also compared. RESULTS: Among 1,429 eligible patients with gastric cancer with all stages of disease, one third were treated after regionalization, 650 had stage I-III disease, and 394 underwent curative-intent surgery. Among surgical patients, neoadjuvant chemotherapy utilization increased from 35% to 66% (P < .0001), laparoscopic gastrectomy increased from 18% to 92% (P < .0001), and D2 lymphadenectomy increased from 2% to 80% (P < .0001). Dissection of ≥ 15 lymph nodes increased from 61% to 95% (P < .0001). Surgical complication rates did not appear to increase after regionalization. Length of hospitalization decreased from 7 to 3 days (P < .001). Overall survival at 2 years was as follows: all stages, 32.8% pre and 37.3% post (P = .20); stage I-III cases with or without surgery, 55.6% and 61.1%, respectively (P = .25); and among surgery patients, 72.7% and 85.5%, respectively (P < .03). CONCLUSION: Regionalization of gastric cancer care within an integrated system allowed comprehensive multidisciplinary care, conversion to laparoscopic gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy, increased overall survival among surgery patients, and no increase in surgical complications.

Palliative gastrectomy for metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma: A national population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of palliative gastrectomy for metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, especially by site of metastasis remains unclear. METHODS: The National Cancer Database, 2010-2015, was used to identify patients with clinical metastatic (cM1) gastric adenocarcinoma (n = 19,411) at diagnosis. The main variable was index management for cM1 gastric adenocarcinoma (ie, no treatment, palliative chemotherapy, or palliative gastrectomy). Cox multivariable analyses were used to account for treatment selection bias and reported as hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: Of 19,411 patients, 10,893 (56%) received palliative chemotherapy, and only 1,101 (6%) received palliative gastrectomy only. The median survival was 6.1 months, and 5-year survival was 4% in the entire cohort. Patients receiving palliative gastrectomy had a significantly longer survival than patients without any treatment or palliative chemotherapy (median: 12.8 vs 1.8 vs 9.5 months, P < .001), which remained after multivariable adjustment (HR: 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.81, P < .001) compared with palliative chemotherapy. Stratified analyses by clinical nodal stage (cN) demonstrated survival benefit with palliative gastrectomy: cN0 (HR: 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.82), cN1 (HR: 0.68, 95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.79), cN2 (HR: 0.86, 95% confidence interval: 0.70-0.94), and cN3 (HR: 0.82, 95% confidence interval: 0.70-0.92) over palliative chemotherapy. Stratified analyses by metastasis site demonstrated that palliative gastrectomy remained superior compared with palliative chemotherapy for metastatic disease limited to liver, bone, and peritoneum, but equivalent to lung metastasis and inferior to brain metastasis. CONCLUSION: Palliative gastrectomy appears to have a modest survival benefit over palliative chemotherapy alone. Differences in outcomes by site of metastasis warrant further research to understand tumor biology and identify specific subgroups which may benefit from palliative gastrectomy.