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Background

There is conflicting evidence regarding whether postoperative complications after breast cancer surgery are associated with worse oncological outcome. This study aimed to assess the risk of systemic breast cancer recurrence after surgical site infection and also the impact of surgical site infection on locoregional recurrence, breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival.

Methods

This nationwide cohort study included patients who underwent surgery for primary breast cancer in Sweden between January 2008 and September 2019. The study cohort was identified in the Breast Cancer Database Sweden 3.0, a database linking the National Breast Cancer Quality Register to national population-based healthcare registers held by the National Board of Health and Welfare and Statistics Sweden. The primary exposure was surgical site infection within 90 days from surgery, and the primary outcome was systemic recurrence of breast cancer. Secondary outcomes included locoregional recurrence, overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the association between exposure, predictors and outcomes.

Results

Of 82 102 patients included in the study, 15.7% experienced a surgical site infection within 90 days of surgery. Surgical site infection was not significantly associated with systemic recurrence, locoregional recurrence or breast cancer-specific survival after adjustment for confounding variables. Surgical site infection was significantly associated with worse overall survival, but the significant association disappeared in a sensitivity analysis excluding all patients with any kind of malignancy before breast cancer diagnosis.

Conclusion

Surgical site infection after breast cancer surgery does not significantly increase the risk of systemic recurrence. All possible actions should nevertheless be taken to reduce complication rates.

Background Small bowel neuroendocrine tumours often present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence-based recommendations regarding (controversial) topics in the surgical management of advanced small bowel neuroendocrine tumours.Methods A working group of experts was formed by the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons. The group addressed 11 clinically relevant questions regarding surgery for advanced disease, including the benefit of primary tumour resection, the role of cytoreduction, the extent of lymph node clearance, and the management of an unknown primary tumour. A systematic literature search was performed in MEDLINE to identify papers addressing the research questions. Final recommendations were presented and voted upon by European Society of Endocrine Surgeons members at the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons Conference in Mainz in 2023.Results The literature review yielded 1223 papers, of which 84 were included. There were no randomized controlled trials to address any of the research questions and therefore conclusions were based on the available case series, cohort studies, and systematic reviews/meta-analyses of the available non-randomized studies. The proposed recommendations were scored by 38-51 members and rated 'strongly agree' or 'agree' by 64-96% of participants.Conclusion This paper provides recommendations based on the best available evidence and expert opinion on the surgical management of locally advanced and metastatic small bowel neuroendocrine tumours. This paper provides evidence-based recommendations on the surgical management of locally advanced and metastatic small bowel neuroendocrine tumours, primary tumour resections in the setting of metastatic disease, and surgical indications for grade 3 small bowel neuroendocrine tumours and small bowel neuroendocrine carcinomas. The recommendations are the result of a working group of experts, created by the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons. The group addressed 11 relevant clinical questions regarding surgery for advanced disease, emphasizing and confirming the key role of the surgeon for advanced small bowel neuroendocrine tumours.

This European Society of Endocrine Surgeons (ESES) guideline provides evidence-based recommendations based on the surgical management for locally advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, indications for neoadjuvant therapy, primary tumor resections in the setting of metastatic disease and surgical indications for Grade 3 pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours and pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Background

A previous nationwide study from Sweden showed that the rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism is high and under-rated in the Swedish Quality Register. This retrospective population-based study aimed to validate the rate and diagnosis of permanent hypoparathyroidism found in the previous study. A secondary aim was to assess the relationship between the rate of low parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels within 24 h after surgery and the rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism.

Methods

All patients who underwent total thyroidectomy from 2005 to 2015 in a region of Sweden were included. Data were retrieved from local health records, the National Patient Registry, the Swedish Prescribed Drug Registry, and the Swedish Quality Register. A strict definition of permanent hypoparathyroidism was used, including biochemical data and attempts to stop the treatment.

Results

A total of 1636 patients were included. Altogether, 143 patients (8.7 per cent) developed permanent hypoparathyroidism. Of these, 102 (6.2 per cent) had definitive permanent hypoparathyroidism, whereas 41 (2.5 per cent) had possible permanent hypoparathyroidism, because attempts to stop the treatment were lacking (28) or patients were lost to follow-up (13). The agreement between the Swedish Quality Register and the chart review was 29.3 per cent. A proportion of 23.2 per cent with a PTH level below the reference value corresponded to a 6.7 per cent rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism.

Conclusion

The risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy is high. Some patients are overtreated because attempts to stop the treatment are lacking. Quality registers might underestimate the risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism. Approximately one-quarter of all patients with low PTH levels immediately after surgery developed permanent hypoparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND: The use of liver transplantation (LT) in patients with stage IV neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors (pan-NET) is under debate. Previous studies report a 5-year survival of 27-53% after LT in pan-NET and up to 92.7% in patients with mixed NETs. This study aimed to determine survival rates of patients with stage IV pan-NET meeting criteria for LT while only subjected to multimodal treatment.

METHODS: Medical records of patients with pan-NET diagnosed from 2000 to 2021 at a tertiary referral center were evaluated for eligibility. Patients without liver metastases, who did not undergo primary tumor surgery, age > 75 years and with grade 3 tumors were excluded. The patients were divided into groups; all included patients, patients meeting the Milan, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) or the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) criteria for LT. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to calculate overall survival.

RESULTS: Out of 519 patients with pan-NET, 41 patients were included. Mean follow-up time was 5.4 years. Overall survival was 9.3 years (95% Cl 6.8-11.7), and 5-year survival was 64.7% (95% CI 48.2-81.2). Patients meeting the Milan, ENETS and UNOS criteria for LT had a 5-year survival of 64.9% (95% CI 32.2-97.6), 85.7% (95% CI 59.8-100.0) and 55.4% (95% CI 26.0-84.8), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with stage IV pan-NET, grade 1 and 2, with no extra abdominal disease, 5-year survival was 64.7% (95% CI 48.2-81.2). As these survival rates exceed previously published series of LT for pan-NET, the evidence base for this treatment is very weak.

Objective: To determine the association of primary tumor resection in stage IV pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (Pan-NET) and survival in a propensity-score matched study.

Background: Pan-NET are often diagnosed with stage IV disease. The oncologic benefit from primary tumor resection in this scenario is debated and previous studies show contradictory results.

Methods: Patients from 3 tertiary referral centers from January 1, 1985, through December 31, 2019: Uppsala University Hospital (Uppsala, Sweden), Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Gothenburg, Sweden), and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, USA) were assessed for eligibility. Patients with sporadic, grade 1 and 2, stage IV pan-NET, with baseline 2000–2019 were divided between those undergoing primary tumor resection combined with oncologic treatment (surgery group [SG]), and those who received oncologic treatment without primary tumor resection (non-SG). A propensity-score matching was performed to account for the variability in the extent of metastatic disease and comorbidity. Primary outcome was overall survival.

Results: Patients with stage IV Pan-NET (n = 733) were assessed for eligibility, 194 were included. Patients were divided into a SG (n = 65) and a non-SG (n = 129). Two isonumerical groups with 50 patients in each group remained after propensity-score matching. The 5-year survival was 65.4% (95% CI, 51.5-79.3) in the matched SG and 47.8% (95% CI, 30.6-65.0) in the matched non-SG (log-rank, P = 0.043).

Conclusions: Resection of the primary tumor in patients with stage IV Pan-NET and G1/G2 grade was associated with prolonged overall survival compared to nonoperative management. A surgically aggressive regime should be considered where resection is not contraindicated.

BACKGROUND: Despite the low recurrence rate of resected nonfunctional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-pNETs), nearly all patients undergo long-term surveillance. A prediction model for recurrence may help select patients for less intensive surveillance or identify patients for adjuvant therapy. The objective of this study was to assess the external validity of a recently published model predicting recurrence within 5 years after surgery for NF-pNET in an international cohort. This prediction model includes tumor grade, lymph node status and perineural invasion as predictors.

METHODS: Retrospectively, data were collected from 7 international referral centers on patients who underwent resection for a grade 1-2 NF-pNET between 1992 and 2018. Model performance was evaluated by calibration statistics, Harrel's C-statistic, and area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve for 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS). A sub-analysis was performed in pNETs >2 cm. The model was improved to stratify patients into 3 risk groups (low, medium, high) for recurrence.

RESULTS: Overall, 342 patients were included in the validation cohort with a 5-year RFS of 83% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 78-88%). Fifty-eight patients (17%) developed a recurrence. Calibration showed an intercept of 0 and a slope of 0.74. The C-statistic was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.70-0.83), and the AUC for the prediction of 5-year RFS was 0.74. The prediction model had a better performance in tumors >2 cm (C-statistic 0.80).

CONCLUSIONS: External validity of this prediction model for recurrence after curative surgery for grade 1-2 NF-pNET showed accurate overall performance using 3 easily accessible parameters. This model is available via www.pancreascalculator.com.

Background

Hypocalcaemia is a common complication after total thyroidectomy (TT). Treatment consists of calcium and active vitamin D supplementation. Low levels of vitamin D before surgery have been shown to be a risk factor for postoperative hypocalcaemia, yet studies examining routine preoperative vitamin D supplementation have shown conflicting results. This retrospective cohort study aims to investigate the potential benefit of preoperative active vitamin D supplementation on hypocalcaemia and its symptoms after TT.

Methods

This study included patients undergoing TT at Uppsala University Hospital from January 2013 to December 2020, resulting in a total of 401 patients after exclusion. Routine preoperative alfacalcidol treatment was initiated for all TT patients in January 2017 resulting in two groups for comparison: one group (pre-January 2017) that was prescribed preoperative alfacalcidol and one that was not. Propensity score matching was used to reduce bias. The primary outcome was early postoperative hypocalcaemia (serum calcium, S-Ca less than 2.10 mmol/l); secondary outcomes were symptoms of hypocalcaemia and length of stay.

Results

After propensity score matching, there were 108 patients in each group. There were 2 cases with postoperative day one S-Ca less than 2.10 in the treated group and 10 cases in the non-treated group (P < 0.001). No patients in the treated group had a S-Ca below 2.00 mmol/l. Preoperative alfacalcidol was associated with higher mean serum calcium level day one (2.33 versus 2.27, P = 0.022), and reduced duration of hospital stay (P < 0.001). There was also a trend toward fewer symptoms of hypocalcaemia (18.9 per cent versus 30.5 per cent, P = 0.099).

Conclusions

Prophylactic preoperative alfacalcidol was associated with reduced biochemical hypocalcaemia and duration of hospital stay following TT. Also, with this protocol, it is suggested that routine day 1 postoperative S-Ca measurement is not required.

Background; Surgical site infection (SSI) is a well-known complication after breast cancer surgery. The primary aim was to assess risk factors for SSI. Risk factors for other wound complications were also studied.

Materials and Methods: In this prospectively registered cohort study, patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy between May 2017 and May 2019 were included. Data included patient and treatment characteristics, infection, and wound complication rates. Risk factors for SSI and wound complications were analyzed with simple and multiple logistic regression.

Results: The study cohort consisted of 592 patients who underwent 707 procedures. There were 66 (9.3%) SSI and 95 (13.4%) wound complications. "BMI > 25, " "oncoplastic BCS, " "reoperation within 24 hour, " and "prolonged operative time " were risk factors for SSI with simple analysis. BMI 25-30 and > 30 remained as significant risk factors for SSI with adjusted analysis. Risk factors for "any wound complication " with adjusted analysis were "mastectomy with/without reconstruction " in addition to "BMI 25-30 " and "BMI > 30. "

Conclusion: The only significant risk factor for SSI on multivariable analysis were BMI 25-30 and BMI > 30. Significant risk factors for "any wound complication " on multivariable analysis were "mastectomy with/without reconstruction " as well as "BMI 25-30 " and "BMI > 30. "