Introduction: The Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, devastated large areas of northeastern Japan. Medical students participated in the medical support teams dispatched by Tohoku University Hospital to the devastated areas. However, whether participation in such medical support teams affects the learning attitudes and future careers of medical students has not been examined.
  Methods: We used a questionnaire to investigate how 19 students who participated in medical support teams thought their participation would affect their learning attitudes and future careers. We analyzed the results by simple tabulation.
  Results: After participating, many students thought that they would have to study harder because they had been able to do nearly nothing by themselves for the people in the devastated areas. They also stated that they wanted to work in the Tohoku district in the future.
  Discussion: These results suggest that the participation of medical students in medical support teams for devastated areas encourages them to study harder, probably because they recognize the importance of health care in society. The results also suggest that participation provides students with opportunities to consider their future careers from a different point of view.

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes in older adult patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: The background and perioperative factors of patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients aged 75 years or over (older adults) were significantly associated with hypertension, upfront surgery, and lower prognostic nutritional index. In addition, these patients had a significantly lower rate of portal vein resection, less blood loss, and shorter operation time than patients aged less than 75 years (non-older adults). During the postoperative course, older adult patients had a higher rate of pneumonia and lower overall survival than younger patients, although recurrence‐free survival was comparable. In addition, older adult patients showed preoperative malnutrition as a risk factor for postoperative in‐hospital death. Conclusion Surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer in older adult patients was performed safely. However, preoperative malnutrition is a risk factor for in‐hospital death and such patients require nutritional support and less‐invasive surgery.

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes in older adult patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: The background and perioperative factors of patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients aged 75 years or over (older adults) were significantly associated with hypertension, upfront surgery, and lower prognostic nutritional index. In addition, these patients had a significantly lower rate of portal vein resection, less blood loss, and shorter operation time than patients aged less than 75 years (non-older adults). During the postoperative course, older adult patients had a higher rate of pneumonia and lower overall survival than younger patients, although recurrence‐free survival was comparable. In addition, older adult patients showed preoperative malnutrition as a risk factor for postoperative in‐hospital death. Conclusion Surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer in older adult patients was performed safely. However, preoperative malnutrition is a risk factor for in‐hospital death and such patients require nutritional support and less‐invasive surgery.

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes in older adult patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: The background and perioperative factors of patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients aged 75 years or over (older adults) were significantly associated with hypertension, upfront surgery, and lower prognostic nutritional index. In addition, these patients had a significantly lower rate of portal vein resection, less blood loss, and shorter operation time than patients aged less than 75 years (non-older adults). During the postoperative course, older adult patients had a higher rate of pneumonia and lower overall survival than younger patients, although recurrence‐free survival was comparable. In addition, older adult patients showed preoperative malnutrition as a risk factor for postoperative in‐hospital death. Conclusion Surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer in older adult patients was performed safely. However, preoperative malnutrition is a risk factor for in‐hospital death and such patients require nutritional support and less‐invasive surgery.

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes in older adult patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: The background and perioperative factors of patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients aged 75 years or over (older adults) were significantly associated with hypertension, upfront surgery, and lower prognostic nutritional index. In addition, these patients had a significantly lower rate of portal vein resection, less blood loss, and shorter operation time than patients aged less than 75 years (non-older adults). During the postoperative course, older adult patients had a higher rate of pneumonia and lower overall survival than younger patients, although recurrence‐free survival was comparable. In addition, older adult patients showed preoperative malnutrition as a risk factor for postoperative in‐hospital death. Conclusion Surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer in older adult patients was performed safely. However, preoperative malnutrition is a risk factor for in‐hospital death and such patients require nutritional support and less‐invasive surgery.

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of preoperative nutritional status on postoperative outcomes in older adult patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Methods: The background and perioperative factors of patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 2007 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients aged 75 years or over (older adults) were significantly associated with hypertension, upfront surgery, and lower prognostic nutritional index. In addition, these patients had a significantly lower rate of portal vein resection, less blood loss, and shorter operation time than patients aged less than 75 years (non-older adults). During the postoperative course, older adult patients had a higher rate of pneumonia and lower overall survival than younger patients, although recurrence‐free survival was comparable. In addition, older adult patients showed preoperative malnutrition as a risk factor for postoperative in‐hospital death. Conclusion Surgical treatment for pancreatic cancer in older adult patients was performed safely. However, preoperative malnutrition is a risk factor for in‐hospital death and such patients require nutritional support and less‐invasive surgery.