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Pancreatology : Official Journal of the... Mar 2024This study group aimed to revise the 2017 international consensus guidelines for the management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas, and... (Review)
Review
This study group aimed to revise the 2017 international consensus guidelines for the management of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas, and mainly focused on five topics; the revision of high-risk stigmata (HRS) and worrisome features (WF), surveillance of non-resected IPMN, surveillance after resection of IPMN, revision of pathological aspects, and investigation of molecular markers in cyst fluid. A new development from the prior guidelines is that systematic reviews were performed for each one of these topics, and published separately to provide evidence-based recommendations. One of the highlights of these new "evidence-based guidelines" is to propose a new management algorithm, and one major revision is to include into the assessment of HRS and WF the imaging findings from endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and the results of cytological analysis from EUS-guided fine needle aspiration technique, when this is performed. Another key element of the current guidelines is to clarify whether lifetime surveillance for small IPMNs is required, and recommends two options, "stop surveillance" or "continue surveillance for possible development of concomitant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma", for small unchanged BD-IPMN after 5 years surveillance. Several other points are also discussed, including identifying high-risk features for recurrence in patients who underwent resection of non-invasive IPMN with negative surgical margin, summaries of the recent observations in the pathology of IPMN. In addition, the emerging role of cyst fluid markers that can aid in distinguishing IPMN from other pancreatic cysts and identify those IPMNs that harbor high-grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma is discussed.
Topics: Humans; Pancreatic Intraductal Neoplasms; Pancreas; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Endosonography; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal
PubMed: 38182527
DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2023.12.009 -
Gut May 2018Evidence-based guidelines on the management of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN) are lacking. This guideline is a joint initiative of the European Study Group on Cystic...
Evidence-based guidelines on the management of pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCN) are lacking. This guideline is a joint initiative of the European Study Group on Cystic Tumours of the Pancreas, United European Gastroenterology, European Pancreatic Club, European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association, European Digestive Surgery, and the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. It replaces the 2013 European consensus statement guidelines on PCN. European and non-European experts performed systematic reviews and used GRADE methodology to answer relevant clinical questions on nine topics (biomarkers, radiology, endoscopy, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), serous cystic neoplasm, rare cysts, (neo)adjuvant treatment, and pathology). Recommendations include conservative management, relative and absolute indications for surgery. A conservative approach is recommended for asymptomatic MCN and IPMN measuring <40 mm without an enhancing nodule. Relative indications for surgery in IPMN include a main pancreatic duct (MPD) diameter between 5 and 9.9 mm or a cyst diameter ≥40 mm. Absolute indications for surgery in IPMN, due to the high-risk of malignant transformation, include jaundice, an enhancing mural nodule >5 mm, and MPD diameter >10 mm. Lifelong follow-up of IPMN is recommended in patients who are fit for surgery. The European evidence-based guidelines on PCN aim to improve the diagnosis and management of PCN.
Topics: Europe; Evidence-Based Practice; Humans; Pancreas; Pancreatic Cyst; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Practice Guidelines as Topic
PubMed: 29574408
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2018-316027 -
CA: a Cancer Journal For Clinicians Sep 2020Despite tremendous gains in the molecular understanding of exocrine pancreatic cancer, the prognosis for this disease remains very poor, largely because of delayed... (Review)
Review
Despite tremendous gains in the molecular understanding of exocrine pancreatic cancer, the prognosis for this disease remains very poor, largely because of delayed disease detection and limited effectiveness of systemic therapies. Both incidence rates and mortality rates for pancreatic cancer have increased during the past decade, in contrast to most other solid tumor types. Recent improvements in multimodality care have substantially improved overall survival, local control, and metastasis-free survival for patients who have localized tumors that are amenable to surgical resection. The widening gap in prognosis between patients with resectable and unresectable or metastatic disease reinforces the importance of detecting pancreatic cancer sooner to improve outcomes. Furthermore, the developing use of therapies that target tumor-specific molecular vulnerabilities may offer improved disease control for patients with advanced disease. Finally, the substantial morbidity associated with pancreatic cancer, including wasting, fatigue, and pain, remains an under-addressed component of this disease, which powerfully affects quality of life and limits tolerance to aggressive therapies. In this article, the authors review the current multidisciplinary standards of care in pancreatic cancer with a focus on emerging concepts in pancreatic cancer detection, precision therapy, and survivorship.
Topics: Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Clinical Decision-Making; Clinical Trials as Topic; Early Detection of Cancer; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Neoplasm Staging; Pancreas; Pancreatectomy; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Patient Care Team; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; Risk Factors; Standard of Care
PubMed: 32683683
DOI: 10.3322/caac.21626 -
Digestive Surgery 2020The prevalence of undefined pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) is high in the general population, increasing with patient age. PCNs account for different biological... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of undefined pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) is high in the general population, increasing with patient age. PCNs account for different biological entities with different potential for malignant transformation. The clinician must balance his or her practice between the risk of surgical overtreatment and the error of keeping a malignant lesion under surveillance.
METHODS
We review and discuss the clinical management of PCNs. Specifically, we analyze the main features of PCNs from the surgeon's point of view, as they present in the outpatient clinic. We also review the different consensus guidelines, address recent controversies in the literature, and present the current clinical practice at 4 different European Centers for pancreatic surgery.
RESULTS
The main features of PCNs were analyzed from the surgeon's point of view as they present in the outpatient clinic. All aspects of surgical management were discussed, from indications for surgery to intraoperative management and surveillance strategies.
CONCLUSIONS
Management of PCNs requires a selective approach with the aim of minimizing clinically relevant diagnostic mistakes. Through the evaluation of clinical and radiological features of a PCN, the surgeon can elaborate on a diagnostic hypothesis and assess malignancy risk, but the final decision should be tailored to the individual patient's need.
Topics: Humans; Pancreas; Pancreatectomy; Pancreatic Cyst; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Precancerous Conditions
PubMed: 30636253
DOI: 10.1159/000496509 -
Neuroendocrinology 2020The traditionally promulgated perspectives of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) as rare, indolent tumours are blunt and have been outdated for the last 2 decades. Clear... (Review)
Review
The traditionally promulgated perspectives of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) as rare, indolent tumours are blunt and have been outdated for the last 2 decades. Clear increments in their incidence over the past decades render them increasingly clinically relevant, and at initial diagnosis many present with nodal and/or distant metastases (notably hepatic). The molecular pathogenesis of these tumours is increasingly yet incompletely understood. Those arising from the small bowel (SB) or pancreas typically occur sporadically; the latter may occur within the context of hereditary tumour predisposition syndromes. NENs can also be associated with endocrinopathy of hormonal hypersecretion. Tangible advances in the development of novel biomarkers, functional imaging modalities and therapy are especially applicable to this sub-set of tumours. The management of SB and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NET) may be challenging, and often comprises a multidisciplinary approach wherein surgical, medical, interventional radiological and radiotherapeutic modalities are implemented. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of SB and pancreatic NETs. Moreover, we provide an outlook of the future in these tumour types which will include the development of precision oncology frameworks for individualised therapy, multi-analyte predictive biomarkers, artificial intelligence-derived clinical decision support tools and elucidation of the role of the microbiome in NEN development and clinical behaviour.
Topics: Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Pancreatic Neoplasms
PubMed: 31557758
DOI: 10.1159/000503721 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology May 2020Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with complicated treatment options that depend on pathological grading, clinical staging,... (Review)
Review
Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with complicated treatment options that depend on pathological grading, clinical staging, and presence of symptoms related to hormonal secretion. With regard to diagnosis, remarkable advances have been made: Chromogranin A is recommended as a general marker for pNETs. But other new biomarker modalities, like circulating tumor cells, multiple transcript analysis, microRNA profile, and cytokines, should be clarified in future investigations before clinical application. Therefore, the currently available serum biomarkers are insufficient for diagnosis, but reasonably acceptable in evaluating the prognosis of and response to treatments during follow-up of pNETs. Surgical resection is still the only curative therapeutic option for localized pNETs. However, a debulking operation has also been proven to be effective for controlling the disease. As for drug therapy, steroids and somatostatin analogues are the first-line therapy for those with positive expression of somatostatin receptor, while everolimus and sunitinib represent important progress for the treatment of patients with advanced pNETs. Great progress has been achieved in the combination of systematic therapy with local control treatments. The optimal timing of local control intervention, planning of sequential therapies, and implementation of multidisciplinary care remain pending.
Topics: Ablation Techniques; Antineoplastic Agents; Biomarkers, Tumor; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Combined Modality Therapy; Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Lymph Node Excision; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasm Grading; Neoplasm Staging; Neuroendocrine Tumors; Pancreas; Pancreatectomy; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Patient Care Team; Prognosis; Progression-Free Survival; Somatostatin; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32476795
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i19.2305 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Jun 2014Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, and has a poor, five-year survival rate of 5%. Although complete surgical resection is the only... (Review)
Review
Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the deadliest cancers worldwide, and has a poor, five-year survival rate of 5%. Although complete surgical resection is the only curative therapy for pancreatic cancer, less than 20% of newly-diagnosed patients undergo surgical resection with a curative intent. Due to the lack of early symptoms and the tendency of pancreatic adenocarcinoma to invade adjacent structures or to metastasize at an early stage, many patients with pancreatic cancer already have advanced disease at the time of their diagnosis and, therefore, there is a high mortality rate. To improve the patient survival rate, early detection of PC is critical. The diagnosis of PC relies on computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), or biopsy or fine-needle aspiration using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Although multi-detector row computed tomography currently has a major role in the evaluation of PC, MRI with MRCP facilitates better detection of tumors at an early stage by allowing a comprehensive analysis of the morphological changes of the pancreas parenchyma and pancreatic duct. The diagnosis could be improved using positron emission tomography techniques in special conditions in which CT and EUS are not completely diagnostic. It is essential for clinicians to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the various pancreatic imaging modalities in order to be able to make optimal treatment and management decisions. Our study investigates the current role and innovative techniques of pancreatic imaging focused on the detection of pancreatic cancer.
Topics: Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal; Critical Pathways; Diagnostic Imaging; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Multimodal Imaging; Neoplasm Staging; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Positron-Emission Tomography; Predictive Value of Tests; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 24976723
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i24.7864 -
Acta Cytologica 2023The World Health Organization (WHO), the International Academy of Cytology, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, with expert contributors from around the... (Review)
Review
The World Health Organization (WHO), the International Academy of Cytology, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, with expert contributors from around the world, present an international approach to standardized reporting of pancreaticobiliary cytopathology. This reporting system is one of the first in a series from various body sites that mirror the WHO Classification of Tumours series and provides an evidence-based terminology system with associated risk of malignancy and diagnostic management recommendation per diagnostic category. The WHO Reporting System for Pancreaticobiliary Cytopathology (WHO system) revises the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology (PSC) system for Reporting Pancreaticobiliary Cytology published in 2015 and replaces the six-tiered system with a seven-tiered system: "insufficient/inadequate/nondiagnostic"; "benign (negative for malignancy)," "atypical," "pancreaticobiliary neoplasm of low risk/low grade," "pancreatic neoplasm of high risk/high grade," "suspicious for malignancy," and "malignant." The principal differences between the WHO and the PSC systems revolve around the classification of neoplasia. In the PSC system, there was a single category for "neoplastic" lesions that includes two groups, one for "benign neoplasms" [primarily serous cystadenoma] and one named "other," dominated by premalignant intraductal neoplasms (primarily intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms) and low-grade malignant neoplasms [pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) and solid pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs)]. In the WHO system, benign neoplasms with virtually no risk of malignancy are included in the "benign" category and low-grade malignancies (PanNET and SPN) are included in the "malignant" category, as per the WHO Classification of Digestive System Tumours, thus leaving in the "neoplasm" category primarily those noninvasive premalignant lesions of the ductal system. These neoplasms are divided by the cytomorphological grade of the epithelium into low risk/low-grade and high risk/high-grade, with distinctly different risks of malignancy. As with the PSC system, the WHO system advocates close correlation with imaging and encourages incorporation of ancillary testing into the final diagnosis, such as biochemical (CEA and amylase) and molecular testing of cyst fluid and bile duct brushings. Key diagnostic cytopathological features of specific lesions or neoplasms, ancillary studies for diagnostic and prognostic evaluation, and implications of diagnosis for patient care and management are discussed. In addition, the WHO system includes reporting and diagnostic management options that recognize the variations in the availability of diagnostic and prognostic ancillary testing modalities in low- and middle-income countries, where cytopathology is particularly useful and is increasingly available in the absence of histopathological services.
Topics: Humans; Societies, Medical; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Precancerous Conditions; Cytodiagnosis
PubMed: 36516741
DOI: 10.1159/000527912 -
World Journal of Gastroenterology Feb 2022Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) are becoming more prevalent due to more frequent abdominal imaging and the increasing age of the general population. It has become... (Review)
Review
Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) are becoming more prevalent due to more frequent abdominal imaging and the increasing age of the general population. It has become crucial to identify these PCLs and subsequently risk stratify them to guide management. Given the high morbidity associated with pancreatic surgery, only those PCLs at high risk for malignancy should undergo such treatment. However, current diagnostic testing is suboptimal at accurately diagnosing and risk stratifying PCLs. Therefore, research has focused on developing new techniques for differentiating mucinous from non-mucinous PCLs and identifying high risk lesions for malignancy. Cross sectional imaging radiomics can potentially improve the predictive accuracy of primary risk stratification of PCLs at the time of detection to guide invasive testing. While cyst fluid glucose has reemerged as a potential biomarker, cyst fluid molecular markers have improved accuracy for identifying specific types of PCLs. Endoscopic ultrasound guided approaches such as confocal laser endomicroscopy and through the needle microforceps biopsy have shown a good correlation with histopathological findings and are evolving techniques for identifying and risk stratifying PCLs. While most of these recent diagnostics are only practiced at selective tertiary care centers, they hold a promise that management of PCLs will only get better in the future.
Topics: Cyst Fluid; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration; Humans; Pancreas; Pancreatic Cyst; Pancreatic Neoplasms
PubMed: 35317424
DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i6.624 -
Surgery Today Jan 2020The current treatment strategy for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), based on the international consensus guideline, has been accepted widely. However,... (Review)
Review
The current treatment strategy for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), based on the international consensus guideline, has been accepted widely. However, reported outcomes after surgical resection for IPMN show that once the tumor progresses to invasive intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC), recurrence is not uncommon. The surgical treatment for IPMN is invasive and sometimes followed by complications. Therefore, the best timing for resection might be at the point when high-grade dysplasia (HGD) is evident. According to previous reports, main duct type IPMN has a high malignant potential and its surgical resection is universally accepted, whereas, the incidence of HGD/invasive IPMC in branch duct and mixed type IPMNs is thought to be lower. In addition to mural nodules and a dilated main pancreatic duct, cytology and measurement of the carcinoembryonic antigen level in the pancreatic juice might be useful to differentiate HGD/invasive IPMC from low-grade dysplasia. The nomogram proposed recently to predict the risk of HGD/invasive IPMC in IPMN patients might help surgeons decide on the best treatment strategy, depending on the patient's age and general condition. Second resection for high-risk lesions in the remnant pancreas might improve the survival of IPMN patients.
Topics: Age Factors; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoembryonic Antigen; Humans; Lymph Node Excision; Neoplasm Grading; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Pancreas; Pancreatectomy; Pancreatic Intraductal Neoplasms; Pancreatic Juice; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Reoperation; Risk; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31807871
DOI: 10.1007/s00595-019-01931-5