Principles of Surgical Management of Small Intestinal NET

Introduction: Small-intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (siNETs) account for 25% of gastroenteropancreatic NETs. Multiple siNETs appear to develop in a limited segment of the small bowel (SB), 89% of them being located in the ileum, most often within 100 cm of the ileocecal valve (ICV). According to the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) and the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), all localized siNETs should be considered for radical surgical resection with adequate lymphadenectomy irrespective of the absence of lymphadenopathy or mesenteric involvement. Surgical management of siNETs: The preoperative workout should include a precise evaluation of past medical and surgical history, focusing on the symptoms of carcinoid syndrome (flush, diarrhea, and cardiac failure). Morphological evaluation should include a CT scan including a thin-slice arterial CT, a PET/CT with 68 Ga, and a hepatic MRI in cases of suspected metastasis. Levels of 24 h urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid are needed. Regarding surgery, the limiting component is the number of free jejunal branches allowing a resection without risk of short small bowel syndrome. The laparoscopic approach has been poorly studied, and open laparotomy remains the gold standard to explore the abdominal cavity and entirely palpate the small bowel through bidigital palpation and compression. An extensive lymphadenectomy is required. A prophylactic cholecystectomy should be performed. In case of emergency surgery, current recommendations are not definitive. However, there is expert agreement that it is not reasonable to initiate resection of the mesenteric mass without comprehensive workup and mapping. Conclusion: The surgery of siNETs is in constant evolution. The challenge lies in the ability to propose a resection without imposing short small bowel syndrome on the patients. The oncological benefits supported in the literature led to recent changes in the recommendations of academic societies. The next steps remain the dissemination of reproducible quality criteria to perform these procedures.

EP.FRI.265 Laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy with Complete Mesocolic Excision for a T4 Caecal Tumour with Associated Phlegmon

A 67-years-old female presented with right lower abdominal pain and raised inflammatory markers. A computed tomography scan showed marked inflammatory changes with collections adjacent to terminal ileum. Patient was managed with intravenous antibiotics initially. Subsequent colonoscopy showed a bulky 8cm caecal pole tumour involving ileocaecal valve. Histopathology confirmed a diagnosis of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Staging CT was negative for distant metastases. The patient subsequently proceeded to laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision (CME). Intraoperatively the ileocolic vein was clipped just at the level of its confluence with superior mesenteric vein. The ileocolic artery was divided at its origin form superior mesenteric artery followed by division of right colic artery. The caecal mass was dissected off the abdominal wall. Proximally small bowel was resected 25cm form the ileocaecal valve and distally colon was divided up till mid transverse point. The specimen was extracted through a 9 cm Pfannenstiel incision. An intracorporeal isoperistaltic ileocolic side to side anastomosis was performed using a novel technique.1 The patient made full recovery and proceeded to adjuvant chemotherapy. Histology showed moderately differentiated T4 adenocarcinoma with tumour free lymph nodes. This case demonstrates intraoperative steps of laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision. CME is now becoming a standard due to improved oncological outcomes as it yields higher number of resected lymph nodes and better tumour clearance margins. This approach can be challenging due to variability in vascular anatomy, however, in experienced hands it is feasible and safe resulting in extensive lymphadenectomy and better oncological radicality. 1.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28833963/

Reconstruction methods during laparoscopic gastrectomy

Gastric surgery is one of the most relevant fi elds of development for minimally invasive technologies. Laparoscopy is now widespread, and several studies have demonstrated its feasibility and safety even in some advanced oncological procedures. Robotic surgery has several intrinsic advantages that theoretically can improve an extensive lymphadenectomy or the reconstruction phase. Much remains to be addressed in this field and further studies are necessary to offer the patient the best possible approach based on his characteristics and the stage of his disease. The present report off ers an overview on robotics and its role in gastric surgery.

Robotic surgery for gastric cancer: expert opinion from a western perspective

Gastric surgery is one of the most relevant felds of development for minimally invasive technologies. Laparoscopy is now widespread, and several studies have demonstrated its feasibility and safety even in some advanced oncological procedures. Robotic surgery has several intrinsic advantages that theoretically can improve an extensive lymphadenectomy or the reconstruction phase. Much remains to be addressed in this field and further studies are necessary to offer the patient the best possible approach based on his characteristics and the stage of his disease. The present report off ers an overview on robotics and its role in gastric surgery.

Sublobar resection for node-negative lung cancer 2–5 cm in size

OBJECTIVES Sublobar resection (SLR) is an alternative to lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Outcomes following SLR for tumours >2 cm are not well described. We sought to determine the utilization of SLR for stage I tumours >2–5 cm in size and to determine predictors of outcome. METHODS We utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER)-Medicare database to identify NSCLC patients with primary lung cancer ≥66 years old with stage I cancers >2–5 cm in size. We evaluated overall survival and cancer-specific survival among cohorts undergoing lobectomy versus SLR. Propensity score matching was performed. We compared patient characteristics and survival between groups. RESULTS For the study time period (2007–2012), among patients with tumours >2 cm and ≤5 cm (n = 4582), 3890 lobectomies (85%) and 692 SLR (15%) were performed. Patients undergoing SLR were older, had smaller tumours and more comorbidities. Patients undergoing lobectomy were much more likely to have any lymph nodes removed (95.6% vs 65.6%, P < 0.001) and to have >10 nodes removed (29.6% vs 7.5%, P < 0.001). All-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.65, confidence interval (CI) 1.48–1.85] and cancer-specific (HR 1.63, CI 1.29–2.06) mortality were higher following SLR. At 3 years, overall survival (60.9%, CI 57.0–64.6% vs 54.4%, CI 50.4–58.2%) and cancer-specific survival (87.3%, CI 83.5–90.3% vs 76.5%, CI 71.0–81.1%) favoured lobectomy over SLR. In propensity-matched groups, both all-cause (HR 1.27, CI 1.10–1.47) and cancer-specific (HR 1.54, CI 1.11–2.16) mortality rates were higher with SLR. CONCLUSIONS In pathologically staged patients, SLR appears inferior to lobectomy for stage I NSCLC 2–5 cm in size. SLR is associated with less extensive lymphadenectomy and with worse survival than lobectomy in this cohort of patients. However, the 76.5% 3-year cancer-specific survival in patients undergoing SLR may exceed that of other localized treatment options for NSCLC. As such, SLR may be an appropriate option for high-risk patients with carefully staged 2–5 cm N0 tumours.