Summary Background 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03471494 . Findings Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit.

When confronting a biliary stricture, both benign and malignant etiologies must be carefully considered as a variety of benign biliary strictures can masquerade as hilar cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Therefore, patients could undergo a major surgery despite the possibility of a benign biliary disease. Approximately 15% to 24% of patients undergoing surgical resection for suspected biliary malignancy will have benign pathology. Eosinophilic cholangitis (EC) is a rare benign disorder of the biliary tract, which can cause obstructive jaundice and can pose a difficult diagnostic task.We present a rare case of a young woman who was referred to our hospital with obstructive painless jaundice due to a biliary stricture at the confluence of the hepatic bile ducts, with a provisional diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma.Though, during her work up she was found to have EC, an extremely rare benign cause of biliary stricture, which is characterized by a dense eosinophilic infiltration of the biliary tree causing stricturing, fibrosis, and obstruction and which is reversible with short-term high-dose steroids.Despite its rarity, EC should be taken into consideration when imaging modalities demonstrate a biliary stricture, especially if preoperative diagnosis of malignancy cannot be made, in the setting of peripheral eosinophilia and the absence of cardinal symptoms of malignancy.

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An appendiceal mucocele is a dilatation of the appendix and it is the result of benign or malignant diseases, which cause the obstruction of the appendix and the consequent accumulation of mucus secretion. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to non-specific clinical manifestations of the disease. We present a case of an 83-year-old female patient with a history of breast cancer that was referred to our hospital for an evaluation of a right adnexal mass discovered during her yearly follow-up. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy with a provisional diagnosis of a right adnexal mass. A perioperative, appendiceal mucocele was diagnosed. She underwent a formal appendectomy and histopathology of the specimen revealed a low-grade mucinous neoplasm. Appendiceal mucinous neoplasms represent a rare form of pathology among all appendectomy specimens. A preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to the lack of specific symptoms and it is often misdiagnosed as an adnexal mass. The perforation of the appendix and subsequent extravasation of its contents into the abdominal cavity may lead to pseudomyxoma peritonei, which has a very poor prognosis if not treated properly.

Immune checkpoint inhibition therapy using targeted monoclonal antibodies is a new therapeutic approach with significant survival benefit for patients with several cancer types. However, their use can be associated with unique immune-related adverse effects as a consequence of impaired self-tolerance due to loss of T-cell inhibition via a nonselective activation of the immune system. Nivolumab is an anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor that was recently developed for cancer immunotherapy with remarkable responses in nonsmall cell lung cancer patients. We present a 62-year-old Caucasian male with recurrent lung adenocarcinoma and currently under third-line therapy with nivolumab, who was admitted in our hospital with abdominal distension. Radiologic findings were consistent with small bowel ileus. After four days of conservative treatment, the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy where no cause of ileus was discovered. Postoperative the ileus persisted and considering that an adverse effect of the immune checkpoint inhibition therapy occurred, the patient received high-dose prednisone resulting in gradual improvement of symptoms. Immune checkpoint inhibitors may induce adverse effects to unaffected organ systems and tissues including the skin, gastrointestinal, hepatic, pulmonary, and endocrine system. The mainstay treatment consists of immunosuppression with corticosteroids in the majority of cases. As the clinical use of immune checkpoint inhibitors is expanding rapidly, there is an emergence of unique immune-related adverse effects in a growing patient population. Gaining early awareness is essential in these patients in order to ensure prompt diagnosis and management.

Lymph Node Dissection (SLND) is standard of care for diagnosing sentinel lymph node (SLN) status in patients with early breast cancer. Study aim was to determine whether the combination of Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) MRI-lymphography (MRI-LG) and a Magnetic-guided Axillary UltraSound (MagUS) with biopsy can allow for minimally invasive, axillary evaluation to de-escalate surgery. Patients were injected with 2 mL of SPIO and underwent MRI-LG for SN mapping. Thereafter MagUS and core needle biopsy (CNB) were performed. Patients planned for neoadjuvant treatment, the SLN was clipped and SLND was performed after neoadjuvant with the addition of isotope. During surgery, SLNs were controlled for signs of previous biopsy or clip. The primary endpoint was MagUS SLN detection rate, defined as successful SLN detection of at least one SLN of those retrieved in SLND. In 79 patients, 48 underwent upfront surgery, 12 received neoadjuvant and 19 had recurrent cancer. MagUS traced the SLN in all upfront and neoadjuvant cases, detecting all patients with macrometastases (n = 10). MagUS missed only one micrometastasis, outperforming baseline axillary ultrasound AUS (AUC: 0.950 vs. 0.508, p < 0.001) and showing no discordance to SLND (p = 1.000). MagUS provides the niche for minimally invasive axillary mapping that can reduce diagnostic surgery.

Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma (RGN) is a rare benign tumor that arises from the retroperitoneal sympathetic ganglia composed of mature Schwann cells, ganglion cells and nerve fibers. These tumors can occur anywhere along the paravertebral sympathetic plexus and occasionally from adrenal medulla. Although they grow in excessive size, they may cause compression to adjacent organ or structures thus giving rise to symptoms. Resecting RGN’s is a challenging endeavor, as they tend to encase neighboring vessels to their site of origin. The reported case is a 43-year-old male who presented with lumbar pain that increased progressively in intensity over the last 6 months. Preoperative investigations revealed a large tumor with encasement of the origins of the superior mesenteric artery and bilateral renal arteries. The tumor was completely resected and the final pathology confirmed the diagnosis of RGN.

Case seriesPatient: Fenale, 77 • Female, 46 • Female, 33Final Diagnosis: Caustic injurySymptoms: —Medication: —Clinical Procedure: SurgerySpecialty: SurgeryObjective:Unusual clinical courseBackground:Ingestion of caustic substances is a medical emergency in both the adult and pediatric population and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The extent of injuries after ingestion of caustic substances depends on the nature, amount, and concentration of the agent and on the exposure time. Acutely, caustic substances may cause massive hemorrhage and gastrointestinal tract perforation; the most markedly affected cases require urgent surgical treatment. Patients surviving the initial event may present with aorto-enteric or gastrocolic fistulae, esophageal strictures, dysphagia, and increased risk of esophageal cancer as long term sequelae.Case Report:The features of three cases of caustic ingestion are reported to demonstrate significantly different complaints presented at the emergency department. Two patients had free gastric perforation, one at presentation, and one delayed. The third patient presented with late severe strictures of the esophagus and pylorus. The outcomes of the three patients are discussed in detail along with the most current management strategies.Conclusions:Among adults, ingestion of caustic substances is usually associated with more severe lesions due to the increased amount of ingested substance, as compared with pediatric patients. The most serious presentation is that of visceral perforation, most commonly of the stomach and rarely of the esophagus. Management involves urgent resuscitation with correction of fluid and electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities and immediate surgical exploration in those patients with signs of perforation. Once the perioperative period is managed successfully, the long-term results can be satisfactory. Managing of strictures or else reconstructive procedures must be well timed to allow for psychological and nutritional rehabilitation.