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Biomedical subjects

Anthony W Kim

Publications and source records attributed to Anthony W Kim.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Central pancreatectomy for the resection of benign or low malignant potential neoplasms.

Central pancreatectomy is an uncommonly performed procedure that may be particularly useful for the removal of benign and low malignant potential lesions in the neck and body of the pancreas. This procedure may have fewer major complications and better preserve endocrine and exocrine function than the more commonly performed pancreaticoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy. We report our recent experience with central pancreatectomy and review the literature on this topic.

Adult↗

Greater local recurrence occurs with "berry picking" than neck dissection in thyroid cancer.

Managing cervical lymph node metastases in well-differentiated thyroid cancer with either "berry picking" (BP) or anatomic neck dissection (AND) has not been shown to alter survival. Nevertheless local control of thyroid cancer is important. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the local recurrence rate of well-differentiated thyroid cancer is equivalent with BP versus AND. A retrospective analysis revealed 41 patients with well-differentiated thyroid cancer and cervical node metastases seen by a single surgeon from 1985 to 2002. A total of 83 initial and repeat neck operations were performed (nine BPs, 30 central neck dissections, and 44 modified radical neck dissections). Recurrence of cancer, intervention for recurrence, and complications of the BP and AND groups were evaluated. All nine (100%) patients undergoing a limited BP operation had local recurrence of cancer. Only three of the 32 (9%) patients undergoing an initial formal neck operation had local recurrence of tumor. The recurrences after BP (100%) were significantly greater than the recurrences after AND (9%) (P < 0.001). The incidence of surgical complications with BP and AND was not different. Six of 32 (19%) initial formal neck dissection patients and four of nine (44%) BP patients had surgical complications. We conclude that BP is associated with greater local recurrence of thyroid cancer. Patients with nodal metastases should be managed with ANDs.

Adolescent↗

Differential heparanase-1 expression in malignant and benign pheochromocytomas.

INTRODUCTION: Extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation is an essential step that allows tumor cells to penetrate a tissue barrier and become metastatic. Heparanase-1 (HPR) is an endoglycosidase that specifically degrades heparan sulfate proteoglycans, a chief component of the ECM. Previous studies have demonstrated HPR expression in various malignancies and that there is differential HPR expression between benign and malignant tumors. Currently, there is no technique that can reliably predict the malignant behavior of some pheochromocytomas. This study tests whether HPR is differentially expressed in malignant and benign pheochromocytomas. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded specimens from 29 pheochromocytomas were evaluated. The tissues were collected from surgical specimens over a 10-year period from 26 patients (8 males, 18 females) with a mean age of 47 years (range 19-78 years, median 47 years). One female patient underwent 3 separate operations for malignant pheochromocytoma and thus provided 3 specimens. Another female patient had both the primary tumor and a liver metastasis processed, and therefore provided 2 specimens. Patient charts and pathology reports were reviewed to classify the pheochromocytomas as either benign or malignant. Based on clinical behavior and/or pathological evidence of metastasis or invasion into surrounding tissues, 10 specimens were malignant and 19 had benign behavior. As a control, normal adrenal tissue from 3 nephrectomy specimens was included in the study, as was tissue from 1 adrenocortical adenoma. All 33 specimens were tested for HPR gene expression by in situ hybridization (ISH) with an antisense RNA probe and immunohistochemistry (IHC) with an anti-HPR antibody. Statistical analysis was done using the chi(2) test of proportions to determine if HPR expression correlated with malignancy using ISH, IHC, or both tests together. RESULTS: Using ISH, the percentage of HPR expression in the malignant pheochromocytomas was 50% while HPR expression in the benign tumors was 21% (P = 0.11). Using IHC, the percentage of HPR expression in the malignant pheochromocytomas was 80% while HPR expression in the benign tumors was 32% (P = 0.01). Considering both tests cumulatively, all 10 malignant pheochromocytomas stained positive for HPR by ISH and IHC, while only 37% of the benign tumors were positive for HPR expression (P = 0.001). The one adrenal adenoma and the 3 normal adrenal glands processed stained negative for HPR expression by both ISH and IHC. CONCLUSIONS: HPR expression is higher in malignant pheochromocytomas than in benign pheochromocytomas or normal tissue. HPR may contribute to the invasive characteristics of malignant pheochromocytomas and might be used as a marker to distinguish malignant from benign pheochromocytomas. HPR expression might also be used as a prognostic tool in guiding long-term patient follow-up.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

Vascular complications associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy adversely affect clinical outcome.

BACKGROUND: Early survival after pancreaticoduodenectomy has improved, but its morbidity remains high. The purpose of this study is to determine how the intra-operative (OR) occurrence of major vascular complications affects the outcome of pancreaticoduodenectomy. METHODS: The medical records of 180 consecutive patients having pancreaticoduodenectomy from 1991 to 2001 were reviewed. Vascular complications were defined as "an unanticipated injury or thrombosis of a major vessel necessitating intervention." Age, sex, type of pancreaticoduodenectomy, tumor size, estimated blood loss, OR time, time in intensive care, post-OR hospitalization, and survival were compared. RESULTS: Eighteen vascular complications were identified. Differences in age, sex, and type of resection between patients with or without vascular complications were not significant. OR time, estimated blood loss, blood transfusions, tumor size, time in intensive care, and post-OR hospitalization were all significantly greater in patients with vascular complications. Median survival for patients with vascular complications was significantly shorter than for patients without vascular complications. Thirty-day mortality was greater in patients with vascular complications. CONCLUSION: Vascular complications significantly affect the outcome of pancreaticoduodenectomy increasing OR time, estimated blood loss, blood transfusion requirements, time in intensive care, post-OR hospitalization, and mortality.

Adult↗

Histopathologic changes induced by cellophane wrapping of the pancreas are unaffected by cigarette smoke exposure in hamsters.

This study tests whether exposure to cigarette smoke alone or combined with cellophane wrapping of the pancreas increases the development of microscopic abnormalities in the pancreas of Syrian golden hamsters. Ninety hamsters were randomly divided into 4 groups. Thirty-five hamsters were exposed to 3 continuous hours of cigarette smoke daily for 3 months following celiotomy to cellophane wrap the gastric lobe of the pancreas (group 1). Thirty-two hamsters were not exposed to continuous cigarette smoke and had the wrap surgery alone (group 2). Twelve hamsters were exposed to cigarette smoke and had no surgery (group 3). Eleven hamsters had no exposure to cigarette smoke and no surgery (group 4). All of the hamsters were sacrificed after 3 months. The gastric (wrapped) and splenic (unwrapped) lobes of the pancreas were reviewed grossly and histologically. In all 4 groups, there were no gross abnormalities in either lobe of the pancreas. Histopathologic evaluation of the gastric lobes from group 1 showed that 13 of 35 lobes (37%) had pancreatitis (11 chronic, 1 acute, and 1 both). In group 2, 12 of 32 (38%) gastric lobes had pancreatitis (10 chronic, 2 acute). The incidence of pancreatitis in groups 1 and 2 was significantly higher than in groups 3 (0/12; p < 0.04) and 4 (0/11; p < 0.03), respectively. A significantly lower incidence of pancreatitis was found in the splenic lobes of all 4 groups when compared to gastric lobes in groups 1 and 2. Three of the 67 cellophane-wrapped glands had ductal hyperplasia. The effects of cellophane wrapping of the pancreas, both in the wrapped and unwrapped areas, induced changes of pancreatitis and hyperplasia that may be preneoplastic. Cigarette smoking, alone or combined with cellophane wrapping, did not cause these changes. Longer exposure to cigarette smoke may be needed to cause premalignant changes in the hamster pancreas.

Animals↗

Central pancreatectomy for a pancreatic ganglioneuroma in a patient with previous neuroblastoma.

This is a case presentation of a 28-year-old woman with a mass at the junction of the neck and the body of the pancreas and a childhood history of a resected adrenal neuroblastoma. A central pancreatectomy was performed in this patient. The pathology revealed a benign ganglioneuroma. Ganglioneuromas and their association with a neuroblastoma are briefly reviewed. The indications and contraindications for, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of, a central pancreatic resection are discussed.

Adult↗

Human heparanase-1 gene expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Extracellular matrix degradation is an essential step that allows tumor cells to penetrate a tissue barrier and become metastatic. Heparanase-1 (HPR1) is an endoglycosidase that specifically degrades heparan sulfate proteoglycans, a chief component of the extracellular matrix. HPR1 is not expressed in normal epithelial cells but can be detected in a variety of malignancies. In the present study, we examined HPR1 expression in pancreatic cancer by using in situ hybridization and tested whether HPR1 expression correlated with any clinicopathlogic parameters. HPR1 was not detected in the ductal cells of normal pancreas samples obtained from 10 patients at autopsy. However, HPR1 was detected in 77 (78%) of 99 pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Among them, 69 (78%) of 89 primary pancreatic adenocarcinomas and 8 (80%) of the 10 metastases were HPR1 positive. Age, sex, tumor stage, and lymph node status were not predictive of HPR1 expression. Log-rank test of the Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that HPR1 expression in early-stage tumors was associated with decreased survival. HPR1 expression was frequent in pancreatic adenocarcinomas and was associated with decreased survival in early-stage tumors. This suggests that HPR1 may contribute to the highly invasive and early metastatic behavior of pancreatic cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗