Background
Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) for rectal cancer has emerged as an alternative to the traditional abdominal approach. However, concerns have been raised about local ...recurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate local recurrence after TaTME. Secondary aims included postoperative mortality, anastomotic leak and stoma rates.
Methods
Data on all patients who underwent TaTME were recorded and compared with those from national cohorts in the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry (NCCR) and the Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery (NoRGast). Kaplan–Meier estimates were used to compare local recurrence.
Results
In Norway, 157 patients underwent TaTME for rectal cancer between October 2014 and October 2018. Three of seven hospitals abandoned TaTME after a total of five procedures. The local recurrence rate was 12 of 157 (7·6 per cent); eight local recurrences were multifocal or extensive. The estimated local recurrence rate at 2·4 years was 11·6 (95 per cent c.i. 6·6 to 19·9) per cent after TaTME compared with 2·4 (1·4 to 4·3) per cent in the NCCR (P < 0·001). The adjusted hazard ratio was 6·71 (95 per cent c.i. 2·94 to 15·32). Anastomotic leaks resulting in reoperation occurred in 8·4 per cent of patients in the TaTME cohort compared with 4·5 per cent in NoRGast (P = 0·047). Fifty‐six patients (35·7 per cent) had a stoma at latest follow‐up; 39 (24·8 per cent) were permanent.
Conclusion
Anastomotic leak rates after TaTME were higher than national rates; local recurrence rates and growth patterns were unfavourable.
Antecedentes
La resección total del mesorrecto transanal (transanal total mesorectal excision, TaTME) para el cáncer de recto se ha propuesto como una alternativa al abordaje abdominal tradicional. Sin embargo, la recidiva local (local recurrence, LR) después de este procedimiento es motivo de preocupación. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la LR en pacientes operados mediante TaTME. Los objetivos secundarios incluyeron la mortalidad postoperatoria, las fugas anastomóticas y el porcentaje de estomas.
Métodos
Se registraron los datos de todos los pacientes operados mediante TaTME y se compararon con las cohortes nacionales del Registro Noruego de Cáncer Colorrectal (Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry, NCCR) y del Registro Noruego de Cirugía Gastrointestinal (Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery, NoRGast) utilizando estimaciones de Kaplan‐Meier y la prueba de log‐rank para comparar curvas de LR.
Resultados
En Noruega, 157 pacientes se sometieron a TaTME por cáncer de recto entre octubre de 2014 y octubre de 2018. Tres de siete hospitales abandonaron el TaTME después de un total de cinco procedimientos. La LR observada fue 12/157 (7,6%), siendo ocho de ellas multifocales o extensas. La tasa estimada de LR a 2,4 años fue de 11,6 % (i.c. del 95% 6,6 a 19,9) versus 2,4 % (1,4 a 4,3) en el NCCR (log rank P < 0,001). El cociente de riesgos instantáneos (hazard ratio, HR) ajustado fue 6,7 (i.c. del 95% 2,9 a 15,3). Las fugas anastomóticas que precisaron una reintervención después de TaTME ocurrieron en un 8,4% versus 4,5% en el registro NoRGast (P = 0,047). Cincuenta y seis pacientes (35,7%) tenían un estoma en el último seguimiento; 39 (24,8%) eran permanentes.
Conclusión
Las tasas de fuga anastomótica tras una TaTME fueron más altas que los datos nacionales con tasas de LR y patrones de crecimiento desfavorables.
The local recurrence rate after transanal total mesorectal excision was high. The adjusted estimated hazard ratio compared with the national cohort after 2·4 years was 6·71. The anastomotic leak rate and the rate of permanent stomas were unfavourable.
Worrying results
Background
Recent randomized trials demonstrated that laparoscopic lavage compared with resection for Hinchey III perforated diverticulitis was associated with similar mortality, less stoma formation ...but a higher rate of early reintervention. The aim of this study was to compare 1‐year outcomes in patients who participated in the randomized Scandinavian Diverticulitis (SCANDIV) trial.
Methods
Between February 2010 and June 2014, patients from 21 hospitals in Norway and Sweden presenting with suspected perforated diverticulitis were enrolled in a multicentre RCT comparing laparoscopic lavage and sigmoid resection. All patients with perforated diverticulitis confirmed during surgery were included in a modified intention‐to‐treat analysis of 1‐year results.
Results
Of 199 enrolled patients, 101 were assigned randomly to laparoscopic lavage and 98 to colonic resection. Perforated diverticulitis was confirmed at the time of surgery in 89 and 83 patients respectively. Within 1 year after surgery, neither severe complications (34 versus 27 per cent; P = 0·323) nor disease‐related mortality (12 versus 11 per cent) differed significantly between the lavage and surgery groups. Among the 144 patients with purulent peritonitis, the rate of severe complications (27 per cent (20 of 74) versus 21 per cent (15 of 70) respectively; P = 0·445) and disease‐related mortality (8 versus 9 per cent) were similar. Laparoscopic lavage was associated with more deep surgical‐site infections (32 versus 13 per cent; P = 0·006) but fewer superficial surgical‐site infections (1 versus 17 per cent; P = 0·001). More patients in the lavage group underwent unplanned reoperations (27 versus 10 per cent; P = 0·010). Including stoma reversals, a similar proportion of patients required a secondary operation (28 versus 29 per cent). The stoma rate at 1 year was lower in the lavage group (14 versus 42 per cent in the resection group; P < 0·001); however, the Cleveland Global Quality of Life score did not differ between groups.
Conclusion
The advantages of laparoscopic lavage should be weighed against the risk of secondary intervention (if sepsis is unresolved). Assessment to exclude malignancy (although uncommon) is advised. Registration number: NCT01047462 (
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Fewer stomas with lavage
Background and Aims:
There is an increasing demand for high-quality data for the outcome of health care. Diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract involve large patient groups often presenting with ...serious or life-threatening conditions. Complications may affect treatment outcomes and lead to increased mortality or reduced quality of life. A continuous, risk-adjusted monitoring of major complications is important to improve the quality of health care to patients undergoing gastrointestinal resections. We present the development of the Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery, a national registry for colorectal, upper gastrointestinal, and hepato-pancreato-biliary resections in Norway.
Materials and Methods:
A narrative and qualitative presentation of the development and current state of the registry.
Results:
We present the variables and the analysis tools and provide examples for the potential in quality improvement and research. Core characteristics include a strictly limited set of variables to reflect important risk factors, the procedure performed, and the clinical outcomes.
Conclusion:
A registry with the potential to present complete national cohort data is a powerful tool for quality improvement and research.
Aim
Evaluation of ≥ 12 lymph nodes (LNs) is recommended after surgery for colon cancer. A harvest of ≤ 8 is considered poor, but few reports have evaluated risk factors associated with a poor ...harvest. This aims of this study were to analyse the clinical, surgical and pathological factors associated with poor LN harvest (LNH), the total number of examined nodes and the effect of LN number on stage.
Method
All patients reported to the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry during 2007 and 2008 who underwent curative resection for Stage I–III colon cancer were studied. Risk factors for poor LNH and the proportion of Stage III disease were analysed by univariate and multivariate analyses.
Results
A total of 2879 patients were included in the study. The median LNH was 14. Overall, 69.9% had ≥ 12 lymph nodes and 14.4% had ≤ 8 LN (poor harvest). Multivariate analysis showed that male sex, age > 75 years, sigmoid tumours, pT category 1–2, failure to use the pathology report template and distance of ≤ 5 cm from the bowel resection margin were all independent factors for poor LNH. Age < 65 years, pT category 3–4, and poor tumour differentiation were independent predictors of Stage III disease. An increased LNH did not increase the proportion of patients identified as being LN positive at the ≤ 8, 9–11 and ≥ 12 LN levels.
Conclusion
Adequate LNH was achieved in the majority of curative colon cancer resections in this national cohort. Elderly, male patients with sigmoid cancers, and a short distal margin were at increased risk of a poor LNH.
Snell's Law for Spin Waves Stigloher, J; Decker, M; Körner, H S ...
Physical review letters,
2016-Jul-15, Volume:
117, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We report the experimental observation of Snell's law for magnetostatic spin waves in thin ferromagnetic Permalloy films by imaging incident, refracted, and reflected waves. We use a thickness step ...as the interface between two media with different dispersion relations. Since the dispersion relation for magnetostatic waves in thin ferromagnetic films is anisotropic, deviations from the isotropic Snell's law known in optics are observed for incidence angles larger than 25° with respect to the interface normal between the two magnetic media. Furthermore, we can show that the thickness step modifies the wavelength and the amplitude of the incident waves. Our findings open up a new way of spin wave steering for magnonic applications.
Prediction models are useful tools in the clinical management of colon cancer patients, particularly when estimating the recurrence rate and, thus, the need for adjuvant treatment. However, the most ...used models (MSKCC, ACCENT) are based on several decades-old patient series from clinical trials, likely overestimating the current risk of recurrence, especially in low-risk groups, as outcomes have improved over time. The aim was to develop and validate an updated model for the prediction of recurrence within 5 years after surgery using routinely collected clinicopathologic variables.
A population-based cohort from the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry of 16,134 stage I-III colon cancer cases was used. A multivariable model was constructed using Cox proportional hazards regression. Three-quarters of the cases were used for model development and one quarter for internal validation. External validation was performed using 12,769 stage II-III patients from the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Registry. The model was compared to previous nomograms.
The nomogram consisted of eight variables: sex, sidedness, pT-substages, number of positive and found lymph nodes, emergency surgery, lymphovascular and perineural invasion. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.78 in the model, 0.76 in internal validation, and 0.70 in external validation. The model calibrated well, especially in low-risk patients, and performed better than existing nomograms in the Swedish registry data. The new nomogram's AUC was equal to that of the MSKCC but the calibration was better.
The nomogram based on recently operated patients from a population registry predicts recurrence risk more accurately than previous nomograms. It performs best in the low-risk groups where the risk-benefit ratio of adjuvant treatment is debatable and the need for an accurate prediction model is the largest.
Aim National guidelines recommend enrollment of patients in surveillance programmes following curative resection of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in order to detect recurrence or distant metastasis at ...an asymptomatic/early stage when secondary curative treatment can be offered. Little is known about surgeons’ adherence to such guidelines. In this national survey we analyse adherence and attitudes to postoperative follow up among Norwegian gastrointestinal surgeons involved in the care of patients with CRC.
Method We performed a nationwide survey of all hospitals performing surgery for colon and/or rectum cancer. The presence of a surveillance programme, the type of programme, adherence to national guidelines or report on any deviation thereof, location of follow up at the hospital or with a general practitioner (GPs) and the estimated annual volume of surgery were queried through mail and telephone.
Results All hospitals (n = 41) performing colorectal surgery responded, of which 25 (61%) conducted postoperative follow up by surgeons in the hospital outpatient clinics, four (10%) carried out follow up with a combination of hospital outpatient visits and visits to GPs, and 12 (29%) referred surveillance to the GP alone. For total reported patient numbers, almost two‐thirds (60%) received surveillance according to national recommendations through outpatient visits with the surgeon or GP, while one‐third (37%) were subject to other alternative routines. A small number (2%) received informal ‘ad hoc’ surveillance only. More liberal use of imaging outside guideline recommendations was reported for rectal cancer patients, while colon cancer patients treated in larger hospitals were more likely to be referred for GP surveillance.
Conclusion All hospitals reported having a strategy for surveillance after surgery for colon and rectal cancer, but there was considerable variance in strategy. A scientific audit of the true level of compliance, effectiveness and cost‐benefit is warranted at a national level.
Aim
An anastomotic leak after surgery for colon cancer is a recognized complication but how it may adversely affect long‐term survival is less clear because data are scarce. The aim of the study was ...to investigate the long‐term impact of Grade C anastomotic leak in a large, population‐based cohort.
Method
Data on patients undergoing resection for Stage I–III colon cancer between 2008 and 2012 were collected from the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish Colorectal Cancer Registries. Overall relative survival and conditional 5‐year relative survival, under the condition of surviving 1 year, were calculated for all patients and stratified by stage of disease.
Results
A total of 22 985 patients were analysed. Anastomotic leak occurred in 849 patients (3.7%). Five‐year relative survival in patients with anastomotic leak was 64.7% compared with 87.0% for patients with no leak (P < 0.001). Five‐year relative survival among the patients who survived the first year was 88.6% vs 81.3% (P = 0.003). Stratification by cancer stage showed that anastomotic leak was significantly associated with decreased relative survival in patients with Stage III disease (P = 0.001), but not in patients with Stage I or II (P = 0.950 and 0.247, respectively).
Conclusion
Anastomotic leak after surgery for Stage III colon cancer was associated with significantly decreased long‐term relative survival.
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