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 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer usually depends upon symptoms; consequently it is late when there is no chance for cure. At this point, pain, anorexia, early satiety, sleep problems and weight loss are present. Back pain also may be prominent, which predicts unresectability and shortened survival after resection. However, earlier recognition of symptoms of pancreatic cancer might improve early detection of the cancer. For example, 25% of patients have symptoms compatible with upper abdominal disease up to 6 months prior to diagnosis and 15% of patients may seek medical attention more than 6 months prior to diagnosis. These symptoms erroneously may be attributed to problems such as irritable syndrome. Symptoms, however, may be less common. For example a quarter of patients with pancreatic cancer may have no pain at diagnosis, and half, particularly those with pancreatic head tumors, may have little pain compared with patients with body-tail tumors. However, if the tumor is suspected because of predisposing conditions, earlier diagnosis may be possible. These conditions include diseases such as chronic pancreatitis, intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (IPMT), and recent onset of diabetes mellitus, particularly if the diabetes occurs during or beyond the sixth decade. In addition inherited syndromes also are associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer including familial pancreatic cancer, hereditary pancreatitis, familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome (FAP) and familial atypical multiple mole melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome (hereditary dysplastic nevus syndrome). Of these conditions, recent onset of diabetes may be the best clue and should be included in a clinical profile of patients prior to the onset of symptoms to identify a high-risk group to apply screening strategies for detection of early disease. Contrary to a clinical aphorism that pancreatic cancer patients are elderly, lean and recently may have developed diabetes, we found that patients who develop pancreatic cancer are overweight prior to onset of symptoms compared to controls (body mass index, 28 vs 25). Forty percent had the diagnosis of diabetes made at the time of diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and more patients with a resectable tumor had diabetes (58%) compared to patients with locally unresectable or metastatic disease (37%). Perhaps, screening overweight persons who have new-onset diabetes may lead to a diagnosis of asymptomatic, early, resectable pancreatic cancer.
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PMID:Pancreatic cancer: clinical presentation, pitfalls and early clues. 1043 7

The purpose of this study was to compare prospectively computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging before and after mangafodipir trisodium infusion for the detection and staging of focal pancreatic lesions. From November 1996 to October 1997, 43 consecutive patients suspected to have a focal pancreatic lesion were included in a phase III study. Triphasic helical CT was performed, as well as MRI at 1.5 T, as follows: axial T1-weighted (T1w) turbo spin echo (TSE), spectral presaturation with inversion recovery (SPIR) T1w TSE, T1w turbo field echo (TFE), and SPIR T2w TSE before and after mangafodipir trisodium (0.01 mmol/ml, 0.5 ml/kg) infusion. Imaging results were correlated with surgery, laparoscopy, laparoscopic ultrasound, and biopsy. Objective measurements were performed by measuring signal intensities (SIs) of lesion and parenchyma and calculating contrast indexes (CIs) and contrast-to-noise-ratios (CNRs) to assess the delineation of the tumor. SIs were correlated with four phantom standards with a known SI. Thirty-eight pancreatic adenocarcinomas were present, as well as one cystadenoma, two papillomas, and two cases of focal pancreatitis. SI measurements revealed significant increases in CIs for the lesion compared with the parenchyma in T1w TSE (69.7 vs 152.7; P = 0. 0003) and T1w TFE (107.8 vs 194.2; P = 0.0002). These series also revealed significant increases in CNRs (for T1w TSE: 9.7 vs 13.0; P = 0.0407 and for T1w TFE: 14.5 vs 26.1; P = 0.0001). In the other series, there was no significant increase. CT detected 38 lesions, MRI without mangafodipir trisodium detected 39 lesions, and MRI with mangafodipir trisodium detected 40 lesions, giving detection accuracy rates of 88%, 91%, and 93%, respectively. Staging accuracy rates for vascular ingrowth were 81%, 75%, and 81%, respectively. Overall staging accuracy rates were 57%, 54%, and 54%, respectively, mostly due to undetected small metastases in the peritoneum, omentum, or liver (< 1 cm). This study indicates that a) MRI after mangafodipir trisodium gives a better delineation of the tumor in T1w series, but b) does not significantly improve the detection rate and staging accuracy of focal pancreatic lesions over MRI without this contrast medium.
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PMID:MRI with mangafodipir trisodium in the detection and staging of pancreatic cancer. 1093 89

Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in the United States. It affects men and women fairly equally and is most frequently diagnosed in the eighth decade of life. It may occur as part of hereditary/familial pancreatitis with an identified genetic mutation, and smokers are at increased risk. Cancer most often occurs in the pancreatic head and often leads to biliary obstruction with a clinical presentation of painless jaundice. The principal diagnostic modality is dedicated pancreatic computed tomography (CT) scanning, although other imaging techniques have a role. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is generally reserved for obtaining tissue, for which it is insensitive, or for palliative stenting. Surgery with the Whipple procedure offers the only chance of cure. Patients are staged as resectable if there are no distant metastases to lymph nodes or organs and there is no major vessel involvement. The 5-year survival rate for resectable patients is about 10% with a median survival of 12 to 18 months. Unresectable patients live about 6 months. Adjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or gemcitabine provides modest benefits. Palliative biliary decompression, pain control, and maintenance of gastric drainage are the usual forms of therapy.
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PMID:New developments in pancreatic cancer. 1095 Apr 64

Microcystic adenoma of the pancreas is a benign tumor with no malignant potential and may not require surgery if it is asymptomatic. In the past, a mass containing more than six small (<2-cm) cysts at ultrasonography (US) has been considered to be diagnostic for microcystic adenoma. However, a retrospective study of 36 patients with focal or diffuse pancreatic lesions containing over six small cysts demonstrated that this finding can occur in a wide variety of neoplastic and inflammatory lesions, most of which are malignant. These lesions included adenocarcinoma (n = 18), mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (n = 2), islet cell carcinoma (n = 1), lymphoma (n = 1), sarcoma (n = 1), metastases (n = 2), pancreatitis (n = 4), and adenoma (n = 7). Thus, a finding of multiple small cysts in a pancreatic mass is not specific for microcystic adenoma, and if diagnosis is based on US findings alone, many malignant tumors will be misdiagnosed as microcystic adenomas. Furthermore, computed tomography provides only limited assistance in this setting due to overlapping findings. Needle biopsy can be highly accurate in diagnosing both microcystic adenoma and other malignant lesions and should generally be performed for all lesions with the US features described earlier.
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PMID:Microcystic features at US: a nonspecific sign for microcystic adenomas of the pancreas. 1170 16

Pancreatic masses are common in daily imaging practice. The advent of helical CT and breathold MRI has provided a new impetus to the study of the pancreas not only for the potential of characterizing pancreatic masses and pancreatitis but also because of the more accurate staging of pancreatic neoplasms using this technique. Pancreatic tumors are classified according to its histologic origin. Ductal adenocarcinoma is the most common. Regarding ductal adenocarcinoma, despite the fast evolving imaging techniques promising an earlier diagnosis and an accurate staging, still the prognosis is extremely poor. However, new surgical data indicate that long-term survival although rare, occurs on resected tumors less than 2 cm, without vascular encasement or adenopathy. Logically, early detection and accurate staging of tumors has become the main focussing in pancreatic imaging since it may result in an increase in the survival of these patients. In this context, the role of imaging to identify, characterize and stage pancreatic neoplasms will be described. Furthermore, the key radiological features of a gamut of more uncommon pancreatic neoplasms will be illustrated. These include other exocrine epithelial tumors (anaplastic carcinoma, pancreatoblastoma, acinar cell carcinoma serous cystic pancreatic adenoma, mucinous cystic tumors, intraductal mucinous papillary tumor, and solid pseudopapillary neoplasm), endocrine tumors or islet cell tumors (insulinoma, gastrinoma, gluconoma, vipoma, non-functioning tumors), rare non-epithelial tumors (lymphoma, teratoma) and metastases to the pancreas.
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PMID:Imaging features of pancreatic neoplasms. 1181 75

Helical computed tomography (CT) is useful in identifying postoperative anatomic changes, complications, and tumor recurrence in gastric cancer patients who have undergone gastrectomy. Postoperative anatomic changes can usually be identified on consecutive CT scans. Complications include anastomotic leakage, duodenal stump leakage, intraabdominal bleeding, wound complications, and other less common complications (postoperative pancreatitis, retention of surgical foreign bodies, diffuse peritonitis). The degree and extent of bowel wall thickening is important in diagnosing tumor recurrence; however, CT lacks specificity. Large or conglomerated lymph node metastases can be easily diagnosed at CT; however, small solitary or focal metastases may not be detected or differentiated from nonmetastatic nodes. Ascites, a common finding with peritoneal seeding in gastrointestinal tumors, is well depicted at CT. Hematogenous metastases from gastric carcinoma are most frequently seen in the liver and are best demonstrated with helical CT performed during the portal venous phase of enhancement (sensitivity >90% for the detection of lesions >1 cm). The sophisticated surgical procedures used in gastrectomy can alter normal anatomy and make image interpretation difficult; thus, familiarity with the appearance of postoperative anatomic changes, complications, and tumor recurrence is essential for accurate CT evaluation of affected patients.
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PMID:Postoperative anatomic and pathologic findings at CT following gastrectomy. 1189 22

The postoperative outcome and survival were studied in patients operated for renal cancer with involvement of the liver. 9 patients have undergone radical nephrectomy and 12 patients--hepatic resections for direct hepatic involvement (2), synchronous (2) and metachronous (8) metastases of renal cell carcinoma. Right hemihepatectomy was performed in 2 and wedge resection in 10 cases. A complete resection was performed in 8 of 9 patients while one patient with direct hepatic invasion was found to have positive surgical margins. Postoperative lethality was absent but complications occurred in 6 patients: pancreatitis (1), pneumonia (3), hepatic abscess (1), hepatic and renal failure followed by GI bleeding (1). At follow-up, two patients died of progressive disease 4 and 68 months after the surgery and one was lost for follow-up. One patient with positive surgical margins is alive with pulmonary and liver metastases 16 months after surgery. Five patients are alive with no evidence of relapse 6, 10, 12, 19 and 56 months after the operation. Thus, the aggressive surgical approach is justified and should be considered in patients with renal cancer and hepatic involvement.
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PMID:[Liver resection in locally-spread and metastatic kidney cancer]. 1207 26

From 1984 to 2001, 486 operations were carried out at the surgical clinic in Gera for pancreatic neoplasms, including 49 patients with rare neoplasms of the pancreas. In 23 patients malignant pancreatic tumors were present (9 solitary metastases, 9 endocrine carcinomas, 2 cystadenocarcinomas, 2 schwannomas and one non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). In 28 benign lesions a resection of the tumor was performed, concerning 8 insulinomas, 8 serous cystadenomas, 3 mucinous cystadenomas and 4 rare cystic tumors. A sarcoidosis, an autoimmune pancreatitis and a radiation fibrosis were diagnosed in 3 patients operated under the suspicion of a malignant pancreatic tumor. By means of own case examples and data from the literature these rare entities are described with their diagnostic and therapeutic special features.
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PMID:[Rare tumors of the pancreas]. 1281 44

Recent advances in technology and techniques have opened the gates widely to a wide range of applications of minimally invasive surgery in patients with inflammatory and neoplastic diseases of the pancreas. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the gold standard treatment for prevention of further attacks of acute biliary pancreatitis. Bile duct calculi detected at intraoperative cholangiography in patients with mild attacks of pancreatitis may be safely managed with laparoscopic bile duct exploration. Laparoscopic internal drainage of large, persistent and symptomatic pancreatic pseudocysts is safely applicable to most patients, achieves adequate drainage and facilitates debridement, and brings recognised benefits over open surgery and endoscopic approaches. Laparoscopic pancreatic necrosectomy for infected necrosis is feasible in some patients but the benefits of this approach in this high-risk group of patients remain to be shown. Staging laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasound avoids unnecessary laparotomy in approximately one-fifth of patients with pancreatic cancer, but their routine application in patients with ampullary and duodenal cancers is not warranted. The majority of patients with periampullary cancer have locally advanced or metastatic disease at presentation and their management is entirely palliative. Laparoscopic surgery therefore has its place in the relief of biliary and gastric outlet obstruction, and has its advantages over endoscopic biliary and duodenal stenting in patients with predicted better prognosis, though these advantages ought to be confirmed in randomised controlled trials. Thoracoscopic splanchnicectomy is beneficial in the short-to-medium term for the palliation of intractable opiate-dependent abdominal pain of locally advanced pancreatic cancer and that of chronic pancreatitis with demonstrable improvements in quality of life. Laparoscopic enucleation of neuroendocrine tumours of the pancreas, and distal or subtotal pancreatectomy with or without preservation of the splenic vessels and spleen for neuroendocrine and cystic tumours, and in some patients with chronic pancreatitis is feasible and safe. In experienced hands, this minimally invasive approach reduces postoperative hospital stay and expedites recovery. However, the incidence of pancreatic fistula following distal resection is not any less than that of open surgery. Although the previous limited experience with laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy was discouraging, the recent experience with the hand-assisted approach is quite favourable and is likely to expand.
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PMID:Pancreatic surgery in the laparoscopic era. 1461 98

Endoluminal scanning under endoscopic guidance, or endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), has become the most significant advance for imaging the gastrointestinal (GI) tract wall and contiguous organs in the past 20 years. It was originally designed to overcome the limitations in humans to imaging the abdominal organs transabdominally, such as large penetration depths and GI air. This imaging modality provides detailed images of pathological processes both within and outside of the GI wall since a high-frequency transducer can be brought into close proximity with the target regions. It has found most success in humans for the staging of lung, gastric, and esophageal cancer, the detection of both lymphatic and hepatic metastases, and diagnosis of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, as well as achieving an important role in interventional and therapeutic procedures. The EUS examination can be performed to examine both the thorax and abdomen in animals when both conventional transthoracic or transabdominal ultrasound are inadequate due to intervening air, bone, large penetration depths, or obesity. The echoendoscope is similar to a conventional endoscope but has an ultrasound transducer at its tip. Both radial and linear multifrequency scanners are available. Linear scanners allow fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of the bowel wall or extraluminal structures. Transducer coupling is either by direct mucosal contact or by inflation of a water-filled balloon surrounding the transducer. Current thoracic applications for EUS in veterinary medicine include examination of the mediastinum, bronchial lymph nodes, esophagus, and pulmonary lesions as well as FNA of pulmonary masses. Abdominal applications include examination of both pancreatic limbs and the liver, including portosystemic shunts, detection of lymphadenomegaly, and examination of the gastric wall, duodenum, and jejunum. Other potential applications in dogs and cats include tumor staging and intrapelvic ultrasound.
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PMID:Endoscopic ultrasound instrumentation, applications in humans, and potential veterinary applications. 1470 50


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