Diagnosis Of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Research Articles

Experiences of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis-related complex care needs and their caregivers

BackgroundPatients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) frequently undergo palliative procedures, yet these patients and their caregivers report being unprepared to manage ostomies, drains, and other complex care needs at home. The purpose of this study was to characterize the unique needs of these patients and their caregivers during care transitions. MethodsPatients completed measures of health status and advance care planning, caregivers completed measures of preparedness and burden, and all participants completed measures of depression and anxiety. Participants detailed their experiences in individual, semi-structured interviews. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis. ResultsSixty-one patients and 39 caregivers completed baseline measures. Twenty-four (39.3%) patients acknowledged their terminal illness and seven (11.5%) had discussed end-of-life care preferences with clinicians. Most (26/39, 66.7%) caregivers provided daily care. Among caregivers who managed symptoms, few were taught how to do so (6/20, 30%). Seven patients (11.5%) and seven caregivers (17.9%) met case criteria for anxiety, while 15 patients (24.6%) and two caregivers (5.1%) met case criteria for depression. Interview participants described a diagnosis of PC as a turning point for which there is no road map and identified the need for health systems change to minimize suffering. ConclusionPatients with PC and their caregivers are highly burdened by symptoms and care needs. Patients' prognostic understanding and advance care planning are suboptimal. Interventions that train patients with PC and their caregivers to perform clinical care tasks, facilitate serious illness conversations, and provide psychosocial support are needed.

Randomized crossover trial of ‘Roll-over’ technique of abdominal paracentesis versus standard technique in suspected malignant ascites

ABSTRACT Background The sensitivity of single abdominal paracentesis for diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) varies from 40–70%. We hypothesized that rolling-over the patient before paracentesis might improve the cytological yield. Research design and methods This was a single center pilot study with a randomized cross-over design. We compared the cytological yield of fluid obtained by roll-over technique (ROG) with standard paracentesis (SPG) in suspected PC. In the ROG group, patients were rolled side-to-side thrice, and the paracentesis was done within 1 minute. Each patient served as their own control, and the outcome assessor (cytopathologist) was blinded. The primary objective was to compare the tumor cell positivity between SPG and ROG groups. Results Of 71 patients, 62 were analyzed. Of 53 patients with malignancy-related ascites, 39 had PC. Most of the tumor cells were adenocarcinoma (30, 94%) with one patient each having suspicious cytology and one having lymphoma. The sensitivity for diagnosis of PC was (31/39) 79.49% in SPG group and (32/39) 82.05% in ROG group (p = 1.00). The cellularity was similar between both the groups (good cellularity in 58% of SPG and 60% of ROG, p = 1.00) Conclusions Rollover paracentesis did not improve the cytological yield of abdominal paracentesis. Trial registration CTRI/2020/06/025887 and NCT04232384

New views on pathogenesis and diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis

Peritoneal metastasis occurs in a number of heterogeneous tumors originating from the ovaries, stomach, intestines, pancreas, lungs, breast, and melanoma. Peritoneal carcinomatosis significantly reduces overall survival. While being almost unresponsive to treatment, dissemination of tumor cells along the peritoneum aggravates the course of the disease. Despite the use of locoregional treatment, peritoneal carcinomatosis is still considered to be an aggravating factor with a poor prognosis. Peritoneal carcinomatosis cannot be defined as a separate locoregional process with its own biology and oncogenesis due to the lack of clear understanding the molecular and biological features of peritoneal metastasis, as well as generally recognized standards for diagnosis and treatment of malignant neoplasms with various localizations. Addressing peritoneal carcinomatosis as a separate developing molecular event will enhance the understanding of its morpho- and oncogenesis and strengthen the search for therapeutic, diagnostic and preventive approaches to its management. Th e paper presents a bibliographic study of publications on exploring peritoneal metastases from various sites, including the abdominal and pelvic organs. Th e known mechanisms of tumors metastasis to the peritoneum are characterized in the paper. Diagnostic approaches to peritoneal carcinomatosis were assessed and compared. Th e collected data analysis revealed the main gaps in the understanding of peritoneal carcinomatosis oncogenesis.

Gastric adenocarcinoma peritoneal carcinomatosis: a narrative review.

Background and Objective:To describe the diagnosis, workup, management, and areas of active research for peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) arising from gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). The peritoneum is a common site of metastasis and recurrence for GA. Unlike other cancers of the peritoneal surface, there are no approved locoregional techniques to address peritoneal disease in GA. PC has a unique natural history, therapeutic response, and outlook that sets it apart from solid organ metastases.Methods:A search of PubMed and Google Scholar databases was performed for the terms “Gastric Adenocarcinoma Peritoneal Carcinomatosis” for English articles published between 2000 and October, 2021. A narrative review was undertaken to summarize literature pertaining to current diagnosis and management strategy of PC from GA. Future directions of diagnosis and treatment were discussed, including intraperitoneal chemotherapy and molecular diagnosis.Key Content and Findings:Incidence of carcinomatosis varies between Asia and Western populations, driving important differences in therapeutic algorithms and clinical trial eligibility. Determination of the extent of PC is a diagnostic challenge, with surgical staging as the most important modality. Systemic chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with carcinomatosis. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy holds promise for patients with PC, but techniques are still considered experimental due to the paucity of data demonstrating improved survival.Conclusions:PC from gastric cancer represents both a significant clinical challenge and an area of great therapeutic potential.

Diagnostic Laparoscopy in Patients With Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Is Safe and Does Not Delay Cytoreductive Surgery With Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy.

Outcomes of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) among patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) depend largely on the extent of peritoneal disease. Since PC is not reliably evaluated with cross-sectional imaging, tumor burden is often evaluated with diagnostic laparoscopy (DLS). The aims of this study are to evaluate the safety of DLS in patients with peritoneal disease and determine if DLS delays time to CRS-HIPEC. We performed an institutional retrospective review of 145 patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC between 2013 and 2020. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those who underwent an electively scheduled DLS prior to CRS-HIPEC and those who did not. Intraoperative and postoperative complications associated with DLS were determined from the surgeon's operative report. Time from diagnosis of PC to CRS-HIPEC was compared between the 2 groups. Of the 145 patients available for analysis, 47% (68) underwent DLS and 44% (64) did not. Of all the diagnostic laparoscopies performed, there was 1 (1.5%) intraoperative complication. The duration between diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis and surgery was 4.9months among patients who underwent DLS prior to CRS-HIPEC and 4.3months among patients who did not (P = .79). In this retrospective analysis, diagnostic laparoscopy prior to CRS-HIPEC demonstrated a comparable rate of DLS-associated complications compared to other gastrointestinal malignancies and does not prolong time from diagnosis to CRS-HIPEC. Thus, in patients undergoing evaluation for CRS-HIPEC, diagnostic laparoscopy provides significant value in patient selection without incurring perioperative risk or delay in CRS-HIPEC.

Effect of Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy on the Survival Rate of Patients with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis of Gastric Origin.

Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) is a new surgical technique for the treatment of initially unresectable peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). Our objective was to compare the results of PIPAC associated with systemic chemotherapy (PIPAC_CHEM) with those of systemic chemotherapy alone (ONLY_CHEM) in patients with gastric PC without metastasis other than peritoneal, and the WHO performance status < 3. This was a retrospective, single center, comparative non-randomized study. Seventeen PIPAC_CHEM patients were compared to 29 ONLY_CHEM patients. The primary endpoint was overall survival at 6months from diagnosis of PC. Ninety-eight patients were screened and 46 were included (PIPAC_CHEM, n = 17; ONLY_CHEM, n = 29). The PIPAC_ CHEM population was significantly younger (median 64years [56; 68] vs 74years [61; 79]; p = 0.0054). Median PIPAC session per patient is 2 [1-3]. Six-month survival was significantly higher in the PIPAC_CHEM group than in the ONLY_CHEM group 16/17 (94.1% [65-99.2]) vs 19/29 (65.5% [45.4-79.7]), respectively; p = 0.029. Over the entire follow-up, median survival [95% CI] was 12.8months [7.2-34.3] with PIPAC vs 9.1months [5.4-11.5] without, p = 0.056. At 6months, median length of additional hospitalization was significantly less for PIPAC_CHEM (median 2days [2-7]) than without PIPAC (median 11days [3-21]) (p = 0.045). The overall survival at 6months after the diagnosis of carcinomatosis was significantly better for PIPAC_CHEM patients. This difference appears to continue until at least 18months. At 6months, days of additional hospitalization was significantly less in the PIPAC_CHEM group. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT 04,879,953.

Risk factors for gastric perforation after cytoreductive surgery in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis: Splenectomy and increased body mass index.

Gastric perforation after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) is an infrequent complication. There is lack of evidence regarding the risk factors for this postoperative complication. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of postoperative gastric perforation in patients undergoing CRS for peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and to evaluate risk factors predisposing to this complication. We designed a unicentric retrospective study to identify all patients who underwent an open upfront or interval CRS after a primary diagnosis of PC of different origins between March 2007 and December 2018 at a French Comprehensive Cancer Center. The main outcome was the occurrence of postoperative gastric perforation. Five hundred thirty-three patients underwent a CRS for PC during the study period and 13 (2.4%) presented a postoperative gastric perforation with a mortality rate of 23% (3/13). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 283 (53.1%) patients and 99 (18.6%) received hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). In the univariate analysis, body mass index (BMI), peritoneal cancer index, splenectomy, distal pancreatectomy, and histology were significantly associated with postoperative gastric perforation. After multivariate analysis, BMI (OR [95%CI] = 1.13 [1.05-1.22], p = 0.002) and splenectomy (OR [95%CI] = 26.65 [1.39-509.67], p = 0.029) remained significantly related to the primary outcome. Gastric perforation after CRS is a rare event with a high rate of mortality. While splenectomy and increased BMI are risk factors associated with this complication, HIPEC does not seem to be related. Gastric perforation is probably an ischemic complication due to a multifactorial process. Preventive measures such as preservation of the gastroepiploic arcade and prophylactic suture of the greater gastric curvature require further assessment.

Peritoneal dissemination of breast cancer diagnosed by laparoscopy

The accuracy of modern imaging techniques for the diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis is poor. A breast cancer patient with a high serum CA15-3 level did not receive a definitive diagnosis of peritoneal dissemination by imaging examination and then underwent laparoscopy. Pathological examination showed peritoneal dissemination of breast cancer, but the biological markers were different from the primary lesion: ER(−), PgR(−), and Her2:3 +. T-DM1 therapy was very effective, and her systemic symptoms disappeared. Since biomarkers of metastatic lesions may sometimes change, laparoscopic biopsy is very important and useful.

Visual PET/CT scoring of mesenteric fdg uptake to differentiate between tuberculous peritonitis and peritoneal carcinomatosis.

We aimed to differentiate tuberculous peritonitis (TBP) from peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) using a visual positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scoring system based on mesenteric fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake. PET/CT scans from 31 patients with TBP and 92 patients with PC were retrospectively reviewed. A visual PET/CT scoring system for mesenteric FDG uptake was used according to the following characteristics: FDG uptake intensity (low = 0, moderate = 1, high = 2), FDG uptake deposits (uniform = 0, irregular = 1, ascitic = 2), FDG uptake focality (diffuse = 0, segmental = 1, focal = 2), nodularity on the corresponding CT (nonnodular = 0, micronodular = 1, macronodular = 2) and mesenteric lymphadenopathy (absent = 0, lymphadenopathy without FDG uptake = 1, lymphadenopathy with FDG uptake = 2). The FDG uptake intensity, deposits, focality, nodularity and mesenteric lymphadenopathy scores between TBP and PC were compared using chi-square tests. The diagnostic performance of this scoring system for differentiating TBP from PC was analyzed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Twenty-four patients with TBP (77.4%) and 56 patients with PC (60.9%) had mesenteric FDG uptake (P = 0.095) and were included for evaluation with the visual PET/CT scoring system. PC lesions scored higher than TBP lesions in FDG uptake deposits (P < 0.001), focality (P < 0.001) and nodularity (P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between PC and TBP lesions in FDG uptake intensity (P = 0.396) and lymphadenopathy (P = 0.074). The total score that combined deposits, focality and nodularity had significant value for differentiating TBP from PC (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.869, P < 0.001), and a cutoff > 1 had a sensitivity (the accuracy for diagnosis of PC) of 80.4% and a specificity (the accuracy for diagnosis of TBP) of 75.0%. A visual PET/CT scoring system based on mesenteric FDG uptake performed well in differentiating between TBP and PC.

CA125, CEA, CA19-9, and Heteroploid Cells in Ascites Fluid May Help Diagnose Peritoneal Carcinomatosis in Patients with Gastrointestinal and Ovarian Malignancies.

BackgroundThis study explored the value of ascites and serum CA125, CEA, and CA19-9 levels and ascites DNA ploidy analysis for the diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) in patients with gastrointestinal and ovarian malignancies, which can cause ascites and may disseminate peritoneally.MethodsWe measured ascites and serum levels of CA125, CEA, CA19-9 and performed an ascites DNA ploidy analysis in 58 patients with PC and 44 patients without PC.ResultsWe found that a high expression level of CA125 in ascites fluid was associated with the occurrence of PC in patients with gastrointestinal and ovarian malignancies (P<0.001), and that high CEA and CA19- 9 levels in ascites fluid were associated with PC in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies (P=0.001, P=0.002). But, these tumor marker expression levels in ascites fluid were not significantly associated with the PC stage (P>0.05). We found similar serum levels of CA125, CEA, and CA19-9 between patients with gastrointestinal and ovarian malignancies and PC and those without PC (P>0.05). We found that the presence of three or more cells with heteroploid in the ascites samples was significantly associated with PC in gastrointestinal and ovarian malignancies (P<0.001). In addition, the best ROC curves and highest AUCs were achieved by combining the CA125 level and heteroploid cell analysis results (AUC for gastrointestinal and ovarian malignancies, 0.815, AUC for gastrointestinal malignancies, 0.873). Moreover, the combined ascites CA125 level and result of heteroploid cell analysis provided the best diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for PC (75.9% and 79.5%, respectively, in gastrointestinal and ovarian malignancies; 85.0% and 86.7%, respectively, in gastrointestinal malignancies).ConclusionAscites levels of CA125, CEA, CA19-9, and heteroploid cells can be considered valuable markers for the diagnosis of PC in patients with gastrointestinal and ovarian cancer.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Random Omental Fine Needle Aspiration: A Novel Technique for the Diagnosis of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.

Background/AimsDiagnostic abdominal paracentesis has been described in literature to have variable sensitivity of 50%–75% for the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). We believe that random needle aspirates from the omentum, even in the absence of obvious deposits by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), could prove malignancy in patients with PC. MethodsConsecutive patients who underwent EUS for diagnosis and staging of cancer and found to have ascites were included after obtaining informed consent. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) from random sites in the omentum was performed through the transgastric route using a linear echoendoscope. ResultsFifty-four patients underwent EUS during October 2015 to April 2017 for detection, staging, or FNA of a suspected malignant lesion. Ascites was seen in 17 patients and 15 patients who fulfilled the criteria were included. The procedure was successful in all patients. Cytology was suggestive of malignancy in 12 (80%) but not suggestive of malignancy in 3 (20%) patients. Three patients who tested negative had hyperbilirubinemia with biliary obstruction. Their ascitic fluid analysis result was also negative. ConclusionsRandom FNA of the omentum in patients with malignancy-related ascites is highly effective in the diagnosis of PC and could be employed during EUS evaluation of malignancies.

Магнитно-резонансная томография в диагностике перитонеального канцероматоза при распространенном раке яичников

Магнитно-резонансная томография в диагностике перитонеального канцероматоза при распространенном раке яичников

Assessment of circulating VEGF as a predictive biomarker of peritoneal carcinomatosis in gastric cancer

Introduction: Early diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis is difficult in patients with gastric cancer who are at high risk of developing peritoneal metastases. The measurement of serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) has proven to be a useful prognostic factor in gastric cancer, but it also could be a predictive factor for peritoneal metastases since the VEGF signalling pathway is directly involved in the development of peritoneal metastases. Methods: This is a retrospective study from 2005 to 2017. We reviewed the peritoneal recurrence pattern of a cohort of 59 gastric cancer patients in whom serum VEGF was measured before surgery and after completion of adjuvant treatment Results: Preoperative serum VEGF (pre-VEGF) level was identified as an independent prognostic factor for developing peritoneal metastases. The optimal cut-off value of pre-VEGF levels was 507 pg/mL, which presented a sensitivity of 66 % and a specificity of 78% to predict the development of peritoneal metastases. Patients with high pre-VEGF levels (&gt;507 pg/mL) were at greater risk of developing peritoneal metastases than patients with low pre-VEGF levels (&lt;507 pg/mL) (p=0.023). Conclusions: VEGF plays a crucial role in the development of peritoneal metastases, and serum VEGF meets the requirements of a potential predictive marker for peritoneal carcinomatosis. Therefore, the measurement of serum VEGF levels could be useful during the follow-up of patients with advanced gastric cancer.

The incidence of peritoneal carcinomatosis and impact on outcomes in relapsed early T4 colorectal cancer.

73 Background: There is limited data regarding the association between peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined the incidence of PC and explored the relationship to survival (RFS &amp; OS) in CRC. Methods: The demographic and clinical details of patients with stage II/III CRC referred to a tertiary centre in Western Sydney between 2009-2016 were obtained. Associations between clinical outcomes and baseline prognostic factors were investigated using proportional hazards regression models. The effect of prognostic factors on outcome were examined by tumour stage. Results: 495 patients were identified, 281 (57%) with stage II and 214 (43%) with stage III. Median follow-up was 38 months. 330 (67%) had T3 and 165 (33%) had T4 disease. Median age at diagnosis was 72 years (19 -94). 104 (21%) patients relapsed, 24 (23%) had PC and of those, 6 had PC as their only site of metastasis. 10% (n = 5) with T3 developed PC compared with 35% (n = 19) with T4 disease (P = 0.02). Compared with non-PC, PC was associated with poorer median OS (28 Vs 46 m; p = 0.03). Median RFS for T3 was 16 months, T4, 14 months (NS). Median OS for T3 was 34 months Vs T4 28 months (P = 0.45). Of those with PC relapse, the diagnosis of PC was highest in the first two years post-operatively (88%). 9 patients (38%) with PC died due to bowel obstruction Vs 4 (5%) patients with non-PC relapse (P &lt; 0.01). Poorer OS was associated with PC (HR 1.74; p = 0.03), right sided primary (HR 1.602; P = 0.05), T4 stage (HR 1.69; P = 0.03), LVI (HR 1.95; p &lt; 0.01), N stage (HR 1.51; P &lt; 0.01), and number of metastases at baseline (HR 1.25; p = 0.04). On multivariable analysis right sided primary and T4 stage remained significant. Conclusions: Patients with PC relapse have an 18 month shorter median OS than those with non-PC relapse. Further, PC recurrence is more common in patients with T4 compared with T3 CRC and was the only site of metastatic disease in 7% of relapsed patients with T4 CRC. Consideration for peritonectomy and/or HIPEC should be given for patients with PC metastases. For patients with resected early stage T4 CRC, consideration should be given for surveillance laparoscopy.

A computed tomography-based nomogram for preoperative prediction of synchronous peritoneal carcinomatosis in colorectal cancer.

14 Background: Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) of colorectal cancer remain poor and is considered to be the terminal stage. Early detection of PC can bring survival benefit for chances of complete cytoreductive surgery. In this study, we have developed and validated a CT-based nomogram for preoperative prediction of synchronous PC in CRC. Methods: The CT-based nomogram optimized for image classification of PC was developed and validated in a large cohort. The specific features of synchronous PC were extracted from preoperative CT arterial stage scans by radiologists. A CT-based model was constructed by Boruta algorithm and multivariate logistic regression in the training set and validated in the test set. A CT-based nomogram was then built to predict the risk value of PC. The performance and efficacy of this nomogram to discriminate PC were assessed. Results: A total of 170 eligible CRC patients with synchronous PC were randomly divided into a training set (n = 92) and a validation set (n = 78). After processing and partition, five items of PC-related features including tumor location, cT stage, distant metastasis, thickened greater omentum and pelvic nodules were enrolled into this CT-based model. In the training set, the ROC shows AUC of CT-based model was 0.929(95% CI: 0.764-0.946). The sensitivity was 73.2% and the specificity was 98.3%. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 82.26%, while the negative predictive value (NPV) was 100%. In the test set, AUC by the ROC was 0.855(95% CI: 0.764-0.946). The sensitivity of CT-based model was 72.7% and the specificity was 93.3%. The PPV was 82.35%, while the NPV was 88.89%. These results show high predicted accuracy of CT-based model in diagnosis of synchronous PC both in the training set and test set. A nomogram based on these five preoperative predictors of PC was created. This CT-based nomogram showed good diagnostic performance by calibration curve. The decision curves analysis revealed high benefit of this CT-based nomogram in clinical decision. Conclusions: The CT-based nomogram has shown great potential in the detection and diagnosis of synchronous peritoneal metastasis in colorectal cancer.

Role of ultrasound in advanced peritoneal malignancies.

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer among women in the developed world, and most women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease, when large intraperitoneal dissemination has already occurred. An accurate preoperative assessment of the tumor dissemination is pivotal for adequate counseling among risks and benefits of an aggressive surgical procedure, often required to achieve a complete cytoreduction. When performed by an experienced sonographer, ultrasound has an invaluable role in the primary diagnosis of gynecological cancer, in the assessment of tumor extent in the pelvis and abdominal cavity; however, there is a paucity of data on its use in the evaluation of the extent of disease of such patients. The search retrieved 208 articles in the best matching results list. Selection by abstract and full-text, yielded 15 publications that contained information on the role of ultrasound examination in the assessment of diffused peritoneal malignancies. Sonographic appearance of metastatic nodules in peritoneum and omentum were firstly analyzed in preliminar descriptive studies, together with a systematic method to scan the abdomen and pelvis in in the staging of diffused gynecological malignancies. To date, three prospective studies mainly focused on the specific role of ultrasound (without comparison with other imaging modalities) in the evaluation of intra-abdominal tumor extension in ovarian cancer patients. In these studies, authors were in agreement to conclude that ultrasound has a very reliable role in the staging of ovarian cancer. In particular, ultrasound examination showed a high sensitivity (range 81.4-91%) and specificity (range 88-96%) in the diagnosis of peritoneal carcinomatosis, as well as in omental involvement (sense 67-94%, specificity 90%). In a recent prospective study ultrasound shows similar accuracy of CT scan in the staging of ovarian cancer patients (71% vs. 75%) when compared with surgical results. Even if ultrasound is a largely diffuse and practice imaging technique, there is a paucity of data in literature on its use in the evaluation of the extent of disease in ovarian cancer patiens. Nevertheless, this review has demonstrated that ultrasound has a high accuracy in staging advanced ovarian cancer patients. In certain settings, ultrasound has already replaced CT scan in the pre-operative evaluation of pelvic and abdominal disease. Finally, ultrasound allows to perform a biopsy in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis obtaining an adequate specimen for histologic diagnosis.

Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Diagnosis and Treatment in China: Focusing on Training and Collaboration.

Cancer has become the number one killer. The most difficult part of cancer treatment is the treatment of metastasis, particularly the peritoneal metastasis, generally referred to as peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). Internationally, the integrated treatment strategy of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been developed to be the standard treatment for PC. Although the development in this field has been relatively slow, as a result of the hard work put in over the last 20years, there has been outstanding progress and gratifying achievements in both the diagnosis and treatment of PC in China. Our center (Department of Peritoneal Cancer Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University) focuses on the research in diagnostic methods for PC, CRS+HIPEC, and management of perioperative adverse events. Based on these, "Chinese expert consensus on cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal malignancies" is developed. Our center that is the pioneering center for this treatment in China has accumulated a wealth of experiences and achievements with more than 1000 cases of CRS+HIPEC. Additionally, our center establishes a nationwide professional training program to promote and standardize the practice of CRS+HIPEC gradually.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis in non-small-cell lung cancer: retrospective multicentric analysis and literature review.

We investigated outcomes in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and peritoneal involvement. NSCLC patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) were included. We evaluated mOS1 (overall survival [OS] from NSCLC diagnosis) and mOS2 (OS from diagnosis of PC). In total, 60 NSCLC patients were diagnosed with PC, 12 (20%) patients had a diagnosis of NSCLC and synchronous PC with a median OS of 9months. Smokers had a shorter mOS1 and mOS2 compared with never-smokers; EGFR-mutated patients on tyrosine kinase inhibitors had longer mOS1 and mOS2 than EGFR wild-type patients. Metachronous PC is correlated to a short survival, irrespective of treatment line. Never-smokers and EGFR-mutated patients had improved mOS1 and mOS2 when compared with smokers and EGFR wild-type population.

Expression of microRNAs in the ascites of patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis and peritonitis.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PCA) has a prognostic role in patients with gastrointestinal cancers. The differential diagnosis may be challenging due to the low sensitivity of cytology. Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have been a focus of various specimens and diseases, to the best of the authors' knowledge only limited knowledge exists regarding ascites. Herein, the authors systematically evaluated preanalytical factors and the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers of ascites. The authors prospectively analyzed samples from patients with PCA, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), and portal hypertension (no SBP/PCA). Various preanalytical factors such as extraction kits, sample storage, stability, and processing were systematically evaluated. MiRNA expression profiling using TaqMan Low Density Array and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate miRNA expression. All selected miRNAs were found to be reliably detectable in ascites samples. Ascites miRNAs were well preserved from degradation with required short-term and long-term stability. MiRNA expression profiling in patients with PCA compared with those with no SBP/PCA revealed miR-21, miR-186, miR-222, and miR-483-5p to be upregulated and miR-26b to be downregulated. MiRNA expression validation analysis confirmed higher expression levels of miR-21 and miR-186 in patients with PCA compared with those with no SBP/PCA, whereas miR-223 was significantly upregulated in patients with SBP. A simple proportion score between miR-21 and miR-223 allowed the authors to discriminate between the patients with PCA and those with SBP with an area under the curve of 0.982 (95% confidence interval, 0.943-1.022). The data from the current study provide novel evidence of the differential expression of miRNAs in ascites from patients with PCA and SBP, which may offer an additional miRNA-based molecular approach for the differential diagnosis of PCA. Cancer Cytopathol 2018;126:353-63. © 2018 American Cancer Society.

Diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis; a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The current review aimed to investigate the performance of the diagnostic accuracy of 18F- fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT) in detecting peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The MEDLINE via PubMed and EMBASE from the earliest available date of indexing to 31 March 2017, were searched for studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG PET/CT in detecting PC. We evaluated the pooled sensitivities and specificities across included studies, calculated positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-), and plotted summary receiver operating characteristic curves. Deek's funnel plot asymmetry tests were used to assess the possible underlying publication bias. The current meta-analysis demonstrated no significant publication bias (p = 0.21). Across 14 studies (671 patients), the overall sensitivity of 18F-FDG PET/CT was 0.87 [95% CI (0.77-0.93)] with heterogeneity (χ2 = 94.2, p = 0.00) and a pooled specificity of 0.92 [95% CI; (0.89-0.94)] with heterogeneity (χ2 = 20.6, p = 0.08). LR syntheses gave an overall LR+ of 10.4 [95% CI (7.5-14.5)] and LR- of 0.14 [95% CI (0.08-0.26)]. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 73 [95% CI (34-159)]. In univariate meta-regression analysis, publication year and cohort homogeneity were the potent sources of heterogeneity. However, in multivariate meta-regression, no definite variable was the source of the study heterogeneity. 18F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity for the detection of PC. Further large multicentre studies would be necessary to substantiate the diagnostic accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of PC in various cancers. Advances in knowledge: 18F-FDG PET/CT showed good diagnostic performance in the evaluation of PC and could provide additional information for that purpose in various cancers.