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World J Gastroenterol 2020 Jun;26(24):3458-3471

Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612, United States.

Background: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are non-invasive pancreatic precursor lesions that can potentially develop into invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Currently, the International Consensus Guidelines (ICG) for IPMNs provides the basis for evaluating suspected IPMNs on computed tomography (CT) imaging. Despite using the ICG, it remains challenging to accurately predict whether IPMNs harbor high grade or invasive disease which would warrant surgical resection. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2020 Jul 11;20(1):220. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Department of Surgery, Shizuoka City Shimizu Hospital, 1231 Miyakami, Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, 424-8636, Japan.

Background: Therapy targeting programmed death-1 or programmed death-1 ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) has been developed for various solid malignant tumors, such as melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but this approach has little effect in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) is a rare pancreatic malignancy having unique morphology and is considered a variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although UCOGC has been reported to have better prognosis than conventional PDAC, the optimal treatment for UCOGC with distant metastases has not been determined. Read More

Strahlenther Onkol 2020 Jul 7. Epub 2020 Jul 7.

Department of Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with a 5-year survival rate of 20-25%. As approximately only 20% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer are initially staged as resectable, it is necessary to evaluate new therapeutic approaches. Hence, neoadjuvant (radio)chemotherapy is a promising therapeutic option, especially in patients with a borderline resectable tumor. Read More

Front Surg 2020 18;7:38. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

University Hospital for Visceral Surgery, Pius-Hospital, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.

Bühler's anastomosis (or Bühler's arcade) is an embryonic relic and represents an arterio-arterial connection between the superior mesenteric artery and the celiac trunk. It can be found as a variety in 1-2% of patients. We present a case of a patient with metatastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. Read More

Ann Gastroenterol 2020 Jul-Aug;33(4):418-425. Epub 2020 May 10.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Bhaveshkumar Patel, Muslim Atiq).

Background: The mainstay for the definitive diagnosis of pancreatic lesions is endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). However, there is evidence that EUS-FNA has low sensitivity in the setting of chronic pancreatitis (CP). This single-center retrospective study aimed to compare and analyze the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA for solid pancreatic lesions in the presence and absence of CP, and to further investigate strategies for overcoming the low diagnostic yield in the setting of CP. Read More

Surg Case Rep 2020 Jul 3;6(1):157. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Surgery, Kitakyushu Municipal Medical Center, 2-1-1 Bashaku, Kokurakita-Ku, Kitakyushu, 802-0077, Japan.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most aggressive malignancies. The prognosis for recurrence after surgery is extremely unfavorable, and liver metastasis of PDAC confers poor prognosis despite resection.

Case Presentation: A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for further examination and treatment, including surgery for a pancreatic tumor. Read More

Pol J Radiol 2020 8;85:e230-e244. Epub 2020 May 8.

Department of Radiology, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.

Herein we reviewed the computed tomography (CT) findings of a spectrum of pathological entities affecting the duodenum. We discuss the CT findings of some congenital, inflammatory, traumatic, and neoplastic pathologies of the duodenum along with the conventional barium studies of selected conditions. Pathologies of this C-shaped intestinal segment, derived from both foregut and midgut, are often overlooked in clinical practice and radiological literature. Read More

Langenbecks Arch Surg 2020 Jun 30. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Department for Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Triemli Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Purpose: Vascular encasement or infiltration of the portomesenteric veins can compromise resectability and local tumour control in pancreatic resections. So far, there is no consensus on how vascular reconstruction should be performed. Bovine pericardium has shown promising results, particularly in infected arterial vascular reconstructions. Read More

Cancer Cytopathol 2020 Jun 29. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

The Leopold G. Koss Division of Cytology, The Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a sensitive and specific tool in the risk stratification of pancreatic lesions, including cysts. The sensitivity and specificity of EUS-FNA has been shown to improve when cytology is combined with next-generation sequencing (NGS). Ideally, fresh cyst fluid is used for NGS. Read More

Tech Vasc Interv Radiol 2020 Jun 25;23(2):100675. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit-Cancer Center Amsterdam in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Several minimally invasive image guided tumor ablation techniques have been added to the treatment spectrum for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Irreversible electroporation (IRE) might have a significant additive value in the management of this difficult-to-treat disease. As opposed to thermal ablative techniques, IRE induces cell death by the delivery of high-voltage electrical pulses. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2020 Jun 26;20(1):202. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/ Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.

Background: Undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UC-OGC) is an extremely uncommon pancreatic neoplasm that comprises less than 1% of all exocrine pancreatic tumors. To date, cases and data from whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis have been reported by specific studies. We report a case of pancreatic UC-OGC with a literature review, and provide novel insights into the molecular characteristics of this tumor entity. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 Jun;99(26):e20854

Department of Pathology, Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin Third Central Hospital affiliated to Nankai University, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases.

Introduction: Although primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas, whose prognostic mechanisms remain unclear, are rare, coexistence of neuroendocrine carcinomas and other tumors is rarer. In this report, we describe a unique case of coexistence between primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma and a distal cholangiocarcinoma in the pancreas.

Patient Concerns: A 64-year-old woman with a history of diabetes, but none of hepatitis, was admitted to hospital because of intermittent epigastric distension and pain discomfort for more than 1 month aggravated 1 day. Read More

Endosc Ultrasound 2020 May-Jun;9(3):154-161

Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.

Numerous clinical pathways exist for patients presenting with a suspicious pancreatic mass. These range from direct surgical intervention following staging, with preoperative cross-sectional imaging, EUS with or without fine-needle aspiration or fine-needle core biopsy; neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy; or palliation. Although international guidelines exist for pancreas cancer management, the ideal workup and treatment for a suspicious pancreas mass is unclear. Read More

J Transl Med 2020 Jun 24;18(1):255. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Background: Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models of cancer have been recognized as better mouse models that recapitulate the characteristics of original malignancies including preserved tumor heterogeneity, lineage hierarchy, and tumor microenvironment. However, common challenges of PDX models are the significant time required for tumor expansion, reduced tumor take rates, and higher costs. Here, we describe a fast, simple, and cost-effective method of expanding PDX of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in mice. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2020 Jun 22;12(6). Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mainz, JGU-Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany.

Extensive desmoplastic stroma is a hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and contributes to tumor progression and to the relative resistance of tumor cells towards (radio) chemotherapy. Thus, therapies that target the stroma are under intense investigation. To allow the stratification of patients who would profit from such therapies, non-invasive methods assessing the stroma content in relation to tumor mass are required. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2020 Jun 21;12(6). Epub 2020 Jun 21.

Metastasis Research Laboratory (MRL), GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, University of Liège, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.

Pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers where surgery remains the main survival factor. Mitochondria were described to be involved in tumor aggressiveness in several cancer types including pancreas cancer. We have previously reported that myoferlin controls mitochondrial structure and function, and demonstrated that myoferlin depletion disturbs the mitochondrial dynamics culminating in a mitochondrial fission. Read More

Invest Radiol 2020 Jun 18. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

From the Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.

Early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents the most significant step toward the treatment of this aggressive lethal disease. Previously, we engineered a preclinical Thy1-targeted microbubble (MBThy1) contrast agent that specifically recognizes Thy1 antigen overexpressed in the vasculature of murine PDAC tissues by ultrasound (US) imaging. In this study, we adopted a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) site-specific bioconjugation approach to construct clinically translatable MBThy1-scFv and test for its efficacy in vivo in murine PDAC imaging, and functionally evaluated the binding specificity of scFv ligand to human Thy1 in patient PDAC tissues ex vivo. Read More

J Vis Exp 2020 Jun 6(160). Epub 2020 Jun 6.

Department of Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam;

Radical resection margins, resection of Gerota's (perirenal) fascia, and adequate lymph node dissection are crucial for an adequate oncological resection of left-sided pancreatic cancer. Several surgical techniques have been described in recent years, but few were specifically designed for minimally invasive approaches. This study describes and demonstrates a standardized and reproducible technique for an adequate oncological resection of pancreatic cancer: laparoscopic radical left pancreatectomy (LRLP). Read More

J Vasc Interv Radiol 2020 Jul;31(7):1168-1169

Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL 33612; Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida.

Pancreatology 2020 May 27. Epub 2020 May 27.

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Background: Venous invasion is not included in the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) staging, and its correlation with prognosis remains unclear. We evaluated the prognostic impact of radiographic portal/superior mesenteric vein (PV/SMV) invasion, and its possibility of complementing T staging.

Methods: We identified patients with non-metastatic PDAC using our institutional cohort, and divided them according to PV/SMV invasion at imaging, defined as >180-degree tumor-vessel interface or contour deformity. Read More

Surg Case Rep 2020 Jun 18;6(1):141. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

Department of Pathology, Fukui-ken Saiseikai Hospital, Fukui, Japan.

Background: Heterotopic pancreas (HP) is defined as pancreatic tissue in organs with no anatomical continuity with the orthotopic pancreas. Based on the number of cases reported in the literature between the year 2000 and 2020, HP is rarely found causing malignant transformation of the duodenum. We herein report a case of adenocarcinoma arising from the HP in the first portion of the duodenum. Read More

Tomography 2020 Jun;6(2):261-271

Departments of Radiology.

We aimed to assess longitudinal changes in quantitative imaging metric values obtained from diffusion-weighted (DW-) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE)-MRI at pre-treatment (TX[0]), immediately after the first fraction of stereotactic body radiotherapy (D1-TX[1]), and 6 weeks post-TX (Post-TX[2]) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Ten enrolled patients (n = 10) underwent DW- and DCE-MRI examinations on a 3.0 T scanner. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2020 Jun 11;12(6). Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Background: Diabetes is a risk factor associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and new adult-onset diabetes can be an early sign of pancreatic malignancy. Development of blood-based biomarkers to identify diabetic patients who warrant imaging tests for cancer detection may represent a realistic approach to facilitate earlier diagnosis of PDAC in a risk population.

Methods: A spectral library-based proteomic platform was applied to interrogate biomarker candidates in plasma samples from clinically well-defined diabetic cohorts with and without PDAC. Read More

Cureus 2020 May 13;12(5):e8085. Epub 2020 May 13.

General Surgery, Grandview Medical Center, Dayton, USA.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a malignant cancer seen predominantly in males presenting with high-risk factors including chronic pancreatitis, familial history of cancer, and tobacco and alcohol abuse. The etiology of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is deceptive, and research continues to investigate its molecular patterns. Herein, we present a case of a 74-year-old Caucasian male who presented to the emergency department (ED) with tarry stools and hematochezia in the rectum for two weeks. Read More

Biomaterials 2020 Jun 3;255:120157. Epub 2020 Jun 3.

Department of Chemical Engineering/Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. Electronic address:

The therapeutic outcome of pancreatic cancer remains unsatisfactory, despite many attempts to improve it. To address this challenge, an oral drug delivery system that spontaneously initiates an effervescent reaction to form gas-bubble carriers is proposed. These carriers concurrently deliver lipophilic paclitaxel (PTX) and hydrophilic gemcitabine (GEM) in the small intestine. Read More

J Vasc Interv Radiol 2020 Jul 10;31(7):1060-1068. Epub 2020 Jun 10.

Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612. Electronic address:

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium-90 (Y)-labeled glass microspheres in pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients with liver-dominant metastatic disease.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, single-center study evaluated 26 patients (12 men and 14 women; mean age, 65.5 ± 11. Read More

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020 Jun 12. Epub 2020 Jun 12.

Center for Cancer and Cell Biology, Van Andel Institute

Background: Patients afflicted with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) face a dismal prognosis, but headway could be made if physicians could identify the disease earlier. A compelling strategy to broaden the use of surveillance for PDAC is to incorporate molecular biomarkers in combination with clinical analysis and imaging tools.

Methods: This article summarizes the components involved in accomplishing biomarker validation and an analysis of the requirements of molecular biomarkers for disease surveillance. Read More

Ultrasound Med Biol 2020 Jun 8. Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Department of Diagnostic Pathology and Cytology, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan.

The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for the characterization of small and early stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) were performed in 200 cases, with pancreatic hypoechoic regions detected with ultrasonography. Assuming that hypo-enhancement was indicative of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the sensitivity of each imaging modality was calculated. Read More

Ann Nucl Med 2020 Jun 8. Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Department of Biofunction Imaging Analysis, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan.

Objective: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers. Since αvβ6 integrin has been reported as a promising target for PDAC diagnosis, we previously developed H-Cys(mal-NOTA-Ga)-(Gly)6-A20FMDV2-NH ([Ga]CG6) as an αvβ6 integrin-targeting probe. Although [Ga]CG6 specifically binds to αvβ6 integrin-positive xenografts, the uptake of [Ga]CG6 in the organs surrounding the pancreas, such as the liver and spleen, was comparable to that in the αvβ6 integrin-positive xenografts. Read More

Biosci Rep 2020 Jun;40(6)

Medical Imaging Center-Intervention Room, Taihe Hospital, Shiyan City, Hubei Province, China.

Although the oncological outcomes in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have markedly improved over the past decade, the survival prediction is still challenging. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and analyze the relationship of between the NLR and immune cells phenotypes in patients with PDAC. Sixty-seven consecutive patients with PDAC were recruited in this study. Read More

Am J Transl Res 2020 15;12(5):2201-2211. Epub 2020 May 15.

Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University Chicago, IL, USA.

There is a lack of a well-established approach for assessment of early treatment outcomes for modern therapies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) e.g. dinaciclib or dendritic cell (DC) vaccination. Read More

Biomaterials 2020 May 30;255:120161. Epub 2020 May 30.

Department of Diagnostic Imaging, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. Electronic address:

Early detection and diagnosis are the most important endeavors for reducing associated morbidity and mortality of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Developing molecular imaging probes that can specifically and effectively target cancer-associated biological pathways is one of the key points for sensitive and accurate diagnosis for PDAC. Herein, a small-sized, bispecific fusion protein constructed by genetic fusion of different binding domains of antibodies, termed Bi50, with enhanced targeting effect for PDAC is reported. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2020 Jun 3;12(6). Epub 2020 Jun 3.

Department of Radiology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama 589-8511, Japan.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of radiologic experience on the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT) vs. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reporting on the liver metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (LM of PDAC). Intra-individual CT and MRI examinations of 112 patients with clinically proven LM of PDAC were included. Read More

Acad Radiol 2020 Jun 1. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Radiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 737 N. Michigan Ave, 16th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60611; Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address:

Rationale And Objectives: To develop classification and regression models interpreting tumor characteristics obtained from structural (T1w and T2w) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data for early detection of dendritic cell (DC) vaccine treatment effects and prediction of long-term outcomes for LSL-Kras; LSL-Trp53; Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) transgenic mice model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Materials And Methods: Eight mice were treated with DC vaccine for 3 weeks while eight KPC mice were used as untreated control subjects. The reproducibility of the computed 264 features was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Read More

Immunol Invest 2020 Jun 4:1-16. Epub 2020 Jun 4.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center , Rochester, NY, USA.

Introduction: The tumor-draining lymph node (TDLN) plays a role in tumor immunity. Intratumorally administered microspheres (MS) that encapsulate immunomodulatory agents have emerged as a treatment strategy capable of causing profound changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and eliciting potent antitumor effects. We hypothesized that local delivery of MS to the TME may also drain to and therefore target the TDLN to initiate antitumor immune responses. Read More

Intern Med 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Japan.

A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of appetite loss. Imaging showed a nodular tumor in the perihilar bile duct and a second flat lesion in the distal bile duct. Right hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy was performed, and the histopathological findings demonstrated that the perihilar and distal lesions were moderately and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma, respectively, and anatomically separated. Read More

J Exp Med 2020 Aug;217(8)

Department of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS European Institute of Oncology, Milano, Italy.

CD8+ T cells are master effectors of antitumor immunity, and their presence at tumor sites correlates with favorable outcomes. However, metabolic constraints imposed by the tumor microenvironment (TME) can dampen their ability to control tumor progression. We describe lipid accumulation in the TME areas of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) populated by CD8+ T cells infiltrating both murine and human tumors. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2020 May 31;12(6). Epub 2020 May 31.

Experimental Hepatology and Drug Targeting (HEVEFARM) Group, University of Salamanca, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), 37007 Salamanca, Spain.

The diagnosis of adenocarcinomas located in the pancreas head, i.e., distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), constitutes a clinical challenge because they share many symptoms, are not easily distinguishable using imaging techniques and accurate biomarkers are not available. Read More

Curr Med Imaging 2020 ;16(5):622-624

Department of Radiology, St. Savvas Anticancer Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece.

Introduction: Coexistance of pancreatic carcinoma and Leriche syndrome is an extremely rare pathological condition. Leriche syndrome is defined as occlusion of the distal aorta at the bifurcation into the common iliac arteries.

Case Report: We report the case of a 57-year old male patient with a locally advanced pancreatic tumor that during chemotherapy presented Leriche syndrome. Read More

Theranostics 2020 27;10(13):5802-5814. Epub 2020 Apr 27.

Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, USA.

: The evaluation of early treatment response is critical for patient prognosis and treatment planning. When the current methods rely on invasive protocols that evaluate the expression of DNA damage markers on patient biopsy samples, we aim to evaluate a non-invasive PET imaging approach to monitor the early expression of the phosphorylated histone γH2AX in the context of pancreatic cancer targeted radionuclide therapy. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a poor patient prognosis due to the absence of curative treatment for patients with advanced disease. Read More

Am J Clin Oncol 2020 May 29. Epub 2020 May 29.

Cancer Research Center, HealthPartners/Park Nicollet.

Objectives: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is frequently associated with pain requiring opioid therapy. Opioids, however, have been implicated in causing tumor progression, ultimately shortening survival. We examined the impact of pain, opioid use, and the mu-opioid receptor (MOP-R) expression in tumor tissue on progression-free survival and overall survival of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 May;99(22):e20197

Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center.

Rationale: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are neoplasms that can arise from the neuroendocrine cells distributed widely throughout the body. Majority of NETs overexpress somatostatin receptors (SSTR) on their cell surface. This biologic characteristic is exploited by SSTR-based imaging such as In octreotide scintigraphy and Ga DOTATATE positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT), which are considered standard for initial evaluation of NETs. Read More

Front Oncol 2020 12;10:620. Epub 2020 May 12.

Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Alabama in Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is becoming increasingly more common. Treatment for PDAC is dependent not only on stage at diagnosis, but complex anatomical relationships. Recently, the therapeutic approach to this disease has shifted from upfront surgery for technically resectable lesions to a neoadjuvant therapy first approach. Read More

J Pathol 2020 Jun 1:e5474. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Advances in tissue clearing and microscopy make it possible to study human diseases in three dimensions (3D). High-grade tumor budding is known to be associated with poor prognosis in various cancers; however, little is known about the 3D architecture of TB. Using tissue clearing, we analyzed the 3D structure of tumor budding and E-cadherin expression in 31 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas. Read More

BMC Gastroenterol 2020 May 27;20(1):161. Epub 2020 May 27.

Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA.

Background: Emerging evidence demonstrates that surveillance of individuals at high-risk (HRIs) of developing pancreatic adenocarcinoma allows for identification and treatment of resectable tumors with improved survival. Population-based data suggest that hyperglycemia may be present up to three years before the development of pancreatic cancer. We investigated whether elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is associated with the development of pancreatic cysts in a pancreatic surveillance program. Read More

Ann Surg Oncol 2020 May 25. Epub 2020 May 25.

Department of Surgery, Hepatopancreatobiliary Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York, NY, USA.

Background: The association between a positive surgical margin and local recurrence after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been reported. Assessment of the location of the a positive margin and the specific site of local recurrence has not been well described.

Methods: A prospectively maintained database was queried for patients who underwent R0/R1 pancreaticoduodenectomy for PDAC between 2000 and 2015. Read More

Cancer Immunol Immunother 2020 May 24. Epub 2020 May 24.

Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is characterized by a strong immunosuppressive network with a dense infiltration of myeloid cells including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Two distinct populations of MDSC have been defined: polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC) and monocytic MDSC (M-MDSC). Several factors influence the development and function of MDSC including the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4). Read More

Abdom Radiol (NY) 2020 Aug;45(8):2476-2484

Department of Radiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.

Purpose: To evaluate the pancreatic duct cutoff sign in detecting pancreatic adenocarcinoma using CT and MRI.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with a pancreatic duct (PD) cutoff sign on CT or MRI from 2000 to 2019 was performed. The primary outcome measured was the presence or absence of a malignant pancreatic tumor. Read More

Pancreas 2020 May/Jun;49(5):675-682

From the Departments of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the risk factors for poor survival of the patients with anatomically resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), focusing on detailed computed tomography (CT) findings of tumor extent to the peripancreatic tissue.

Methods: The study included 192 patients who underwent upfront pancreaticoduodenectomy for anatomically resectable PDAC. Preoperative CT images were rereviewed by an experienced radiologist for the pattern of tumor extension to the surrounding tissue: biliary, duodenal, serosal, retroperitoneal, portal venous, arterial, extrapancreatic nerve plexus, and other-organ invasion. Read More