Chronic pancreatitis is a putative risk factor for pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the magnitude and temporality of this association. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for observational studies investigating the association between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. We computed overall effect estimates (EEs) with associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects meta-analytic model. The EEs were stratified by length of follow-up from chronic pancreatitis diagnosis to pancreatic cancer (lag period). Robustness of the results was examined in sensitivity analyses. We identified 13 eligible studies. Pooled EEs for pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis were 16.16 (95% CI: 12.59-20.73) for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within 2 years from their chronic pancreatitis diagnosis. The risk of pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis decreased when the lag period was increased to 5 years (EE: 7.90; 95% CI: 4.26-14.66) or a minimum of 9 years (EE: 3.53; 95% CI: 1.69-7.38). In conclusion, chronic pancreatitis increases the risk of pancreatic cancer, but the association diminishes with long-term follow-up. Five years after diagnosis, chronic pancreatitis patients have a nearly eight-fold increased risk of pancreatic cancer. We suggest that common practice on inducing a 2-year lag period in these studies may not be sufficient. We also recommend a close follow-up in the first years following a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis to avoid overlooking a pancreatic cancer.

In a nationwide, population-based, matched cohort study, we observed an association between a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and long-term risk of pancreatic cancer.

The present study, which is the largest ever conducted in this treatment area, supports the hypothesis that PC is an effective treatment modality for critically ill patients with ACC unfit for surgery and results in a low rate of 30-day mortality.

Background: Multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings have been adopted widely to ensure optimal treatment for patients with cancer. Agreements in tumour staging, resectability assessments and treatment allocation between different MDTs were assessed.Methods: Of all patients referred to one hospital, 19 patients considered to have non-metastatic pancreatic cancer for evaluation were selected randomly for a multicentre study of MDT decisions in seven units across Northern Europe. Anonymized clinical information and radiological images were disseminated to the MDTs. All patients were reviewed by the MDTs for radiological T, N and M category, resectability assessment and treatment allocation. Each MDT was blinded to the decisions of other teams. Agreements were expressed as raw percentages and Krippendorff's values, both with 95 per cent confidence intervals.Results: A total of 132 evaluations in 19 patients were carried out by the seven MDTs (1 evaluation was excluded owing to technical problems). The level of agreement for T, N and M categories ranged from moderate to near perfect (46⋅8, 61⋅1 and 82⋅8 per cent respectively), but there was substantial variation in assessment of resectability; seven patients were considered to be resectable by one MDT but unresectable by another. The MDTs all agreed on either a curative or palliative strategy in less than half of the patients (9 of 19). Only fair agreement in treatment allocation was observed (Krippendorff's 0⋅31, 95 per cent c.i. 0⋅16 to 0⋅45). There was a high level of agreement in treatment allocation where resectability assessments were concordant.Conclusion: Considerable disparities in MDT evaluations of patients with pancreatic cancer exist, including substantial variation in resectability assessments.

No abstract

Aims: acute acalculous cholecystitis can be treated with percutaneous cholecystostomy in critically ill patients unfit for surgery. however, the evidence on the outcome is sparse. We conducted a retrospective analysis of acute acalculous cholecystitis patients treated with percutaneous cholecystostomy during a 10-year study period.Methods: an observational study of 56 consecutive patients treated with percutaneous cholecystostomy for acute acalculous cholecystitis was conducted in the period from 1 June 2002 to 31 may 2012. all data were obtained by review of medical records.Results: a total of 56 consecutive patients were treated with percutaneous cholecystostomy for acute acalculous cholecystitis. six patients (10.7%) died within 30 days after the procedure. Percutaneous cholecystostomy could serve as a definitive treatment option in 45 patients (80.4%), whereas 1 patient (1.8%) required cholecystectomy due to recurrence of cholecystitis. four patients (7.1%) were treated with percutaneous cholecystostomy as a bridging procedure to subsequent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy within a median of 8.8 months (range: 7.7-33.4 months). there was no significant difference in the risk of cholecystitis recurrence between patients with (6/37) and without (2/3) contrast passage to the duodenum on cholangiography (p = 0.096).Conclusion: Percutaneous cholecystostomy is successful as a definitive treatment option in the majority of patients with acute acalculous cholecystitis. It is associated with a low rate of mortality and subsequent cholecystectomy.

POEM has a place in the treatment of esophageal achalasia in patients with a prior Heller myotomy and persistent symptoms as it is a safe procedure with acceptable long-term results.

Background: To identify demographic characteristics, comorbidities, medical procedures, and prescription drug use that may act as predictors of underlying pancreatic cancer in acute pancreatitis.Methods: A cohort study of all patients admitted to Danish hospitals with incident acute pancreatitis during 1999-2015. The ability of age, sex, selected comorbidities, medical procedures, and prescription drug use to predict underlying pancreatic cancer in acute pancreatitis (i.e., pancreatic cancer diagnosed up to one year after acute pancreatitis) was examined. The absolute risk and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of cancer was computed for each variable.Results: 28,231 patients with incident acute pancreatitis, of which 283 (1.0%) had underlying pancreatic cancer, were included. Age >50 years was a predictor of pancreatic cancer with highest risk in patients aged 56-70 years. New-onset chronic pancreatitis (multivariable OR: 2.36 [95% CI: 1.35-4.14])and new-onset diabetes (multivariable OR: 1.94 [95% CI: 1.30-2.92]) were also predictors of pancreatic cancer. Diagnoses of biliary or alcohol-related diseases were predictors of no underlying pancreatic cancer. Most variables examined had no or limited predictive ability. Conclusion:Age, new-onset chronic pancreatitis, new-onset diabetes, and absence of biliary or alcohol-related diseases were predictors of underlying pancreatic cancer in acute pancreatitis patients.