The British journal of surgery
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Risk score to predict biliary leakage after elective liver resection.
Biliary leakage remains a major cause of morbidity after liver resection. Previous prognostic studies of posthepatectomy biliary leakage (PHBL) lacked power, population homogeneity, and model validation. The present study aimed to develop a risk score for predicting severe PHBL. ⋯ The present risk score reliably predicts severe PHBL. It represents a multi-institutionally validated prognostic tool that can be used to identify a subset of patients at high risk of severe PHBL after elective hepatectomy.
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Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment for many solid tumours. A wide variety of imaging modalities are available before surgery for staging, although surgeons still rely primarily on visual and haptic cues in the operating environment. Image and molecular guidance might improve the adequacy of resection through enhanced tumour definition and detection of aberrant deposits. Intraoperative modalities available for image- and molecular-guided cancer surgery are reviewed here. ⋯ Each modality has its strengths and weaknesses; no single technique will be suitable for all surgical procedures. Strict selection of modalities per cancer type and surgical requirements is required as well as combining techniques to find the optimal balance.
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The optimal extent of groin completion lymph node dissection (CLND) (inguinal or ilioinguinal dissection) in patients with melanoma is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the extent of groin CLND after a positive sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is associated with improved outcome. ⋯ There was no significant difference in recurrence pattern and survival rates between patients undergoing inguinal or ilioinguinal dissection after a positive SNB, even after stratification for a positive CLND result. An inguinal dissection is a safe first approach as CLND in patients with a positive SNB.
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Although surgery for early-stage melanoma offers the best chance of cure, recent advances in molecular medicine have revolutionized the management of late-stage melanoma, leading to significant improvements in clinical outcomes. Research into the genomic drivers of disease and cancer immunology has not only ushered in a new era of targeted and immune-based therapies for patients with metastatic melanoma, but has also provided new tools for monitoring disease recurrence and selecting therapeutic strategies. These advances present new opportunities and challenges to the surgeon treating patients with melanoma. ⋯ Surgery remains central for managing primary melanoma, and is an important element of integrated multidisciplinary care in advanced disease, particularly for patients with resectable metastases. The field will undergo further change as clinical trials address the relationships between surgery, radiotherapy and systemic therapy for patients with high-risk, early-stage and advanced melanoma.
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Modern advances in genetic sequencing techniques have allowed for increased availability of genetic testing for hereditary cancer syndromes. Consequently, more people are being identified as mutation carriers and becoming aware of their increased risk of malignancy. Testing is commonplace for many inheritable cancer syndromes, and with that comes the knowledge of being a gene carrier for some patients. With increased risk of malignancy, many guidelines recommend that gene carriers partake in risk reduction strategies, including risk-reducing surgery for some syndromes. This review explores the quality-of-life consequences of genetic testing and risk-reducing surgery. ⋯ Although the overwhelming quality-of-life implications of surgery are neutral to positive, risk-reducing surgery is irreversible and can be associated with short- and long-term side-effects.