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.

Objective: Eye drops may contain certain preservatives, and there is concern in patients who use them on a daily basis for the treatment of diseases, including corneal epithelial disorder and glaucoma. PF eye drops (Rohto Nitten Co., Ltd.) are used widely; however, their usability may be difficult in patients prescribed these medications for the first time. Therefore, fact-finding was performed on the usability of PF eye drops, particularly the difficulty in squeezing out these eye drops. Methods: The squeezing forces for various eye drops in 11 different shapes were determined. A sensuality evaluation examination on “the easiness of pushing out the eye drops” was performed in addition to a questionnaire survey targeting patients who used eye drops at a community pharmacy. Results: The squeezing forces ranged from 2.0 to 17.1 N. This study showed that the squeezing force tended to increase as the drop got closer to the opening of the container. Significant differences in the sensuality examination scores were found: 3.09 points for Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; 3.07 points for Senju Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; 2.47 points for Sawai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; and 1.37 points for PF eye drops for any place other than Santen and Senju (p<0.001). Conclusion: When eye drops were prescribed for an elderly individual, the pharmacist considered it necessary to suggest an alternative agent to the doctor depending on body function. In addition, it is important to explain to the patient that an additional squeezing force is required to push out the drop as it gets closer to the opening of the container.

Background/Aims: The optimal length of the uncovered portion of partially covered self-expandable metal stents (PCSEMSs) used in endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS) remains unclear. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of PCSEMSs with different uncovered lengths, with a focus on stent migration and time to recurrent biliary obstruction (RBO). Methods: Outcomes of patients undergoing EUS-HGS using PCSEMSs with 5-mm and 20-mm uncovered portions at our institution from January 2016 to December 2021 were compared. Results: Sixty-two patients underwent EUS-HGS using PCSEMS (5/20-mm uncovered portions: 32/30). Stent migration occurred only in the 5-mm group. There were no differences in RBO rates (28.1% vs. 40.0%) or median time to RBO (6.8 vs. 7.1 months) between the two groups. Median overall survival (OS) was longer in the 20-mm group (3.1 vs. 4.9 months, p=0.037) due to the higher number of patients that resumed chemotherapy after EUS-HGS (56.7% vs. 28.1%, p=0.029). Good performance status, absence of hepatic metastases, and chemotherapy after EUS-HGS were independent predictors of longer OS. Conclusions No migration was observed in patients treated with PCSEMS with 20-mm uncovered portions. Patients treated with PCSEMS with 20-mm uncovered portions performed at least as well as those treated with 5-mm uncovered portions in all material respects.

Background: No consensus exists regarding which anthropometric measurements are related to bone mineral density (BMD), and this relationship may vary according to sex and age. A large Japanese cohort was analyzed to provide an understanding of the relationship between BMD and anthropometry while adjusting for known confounding factors. Methods: Our cohort included 10,827 participants who underwent multiple medical checkups including distal forearm BMD scans. Participants were stratified into four groups according to age (≥50 years or <50 years) and sex. The BMD values were adjusted for confounding factors, after which single and partial correlation analyses were performed. The prevalence of osteopenia was plotted for each weight index (weight or body mass index [BMI]) class. Results: Cross-sectional studies revealed that weight was more favorably correlated than BMI in the older group (R=0.278 and 0.212 in men and R=0.304 and 0.220 in women, respectively), whereas weight and BMI were weakly correlated in the younger age groups. The prevalence of osteopenia exhibited a negative linear relationship with weight among older women ≥50 years of age, and an accelerated increase was observed with decreasing weight in older men weighing <50 kg and younger women weighing <60 kg. When weight was replaced with BMI, the prevalence was low in most subgroups classified by weight. Conclusions Weight, rather than BMI, was the most important indicator of osteopenia but it might not be predictive of future bone loss.

Objective: The purposes of this trial were to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the hybrid of intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy (HBT) for locally advanced cervical cancer patients in the phase I/II prospective clinical trial. Methods: Patients with FIGO stage IB2-IVA uterine cervical cancer pretreatment width of which was ≥5 cm measured by magnetic resonance imaging were eligible for this clinical trial. The protocol therapy included 30–30.6 Gy in 15–17 fractions of whole pelvic radiotherapy concurrent with weekly CDDP, followed by 24 Gy in 4 fractions of HBT and pelvic radiotherapy with a central shield up to 50–50.4 Gy in 25–28 fractions. The primary endpoint of phase II part was 2-year pelvic progression-free survival (PPFS) rate higher than historical control of 64%. Results: Between October 2015 and October 2019, 73 patients were enrolled in the initial registration and 52 patients proceeded to the secondary registration. With the median follow-up period of 37.3 months (range, 13.9–52.9 months), the 2- PPFS was 80.7% (90% confidence interval [CI]=69.7%–88%). Because the lower range of 90% CI of 2-year PPFS was 69.7%, which was higher than the historical control ICBT data of 64%, therefore, the primary endpoint of this study was met. Conclusion The effectiveness of HBT were demonstrated by a prospective clinical study. Because the dose goal determined in the protocol was lower than 85 Gy, there is room in improvement for local control. A higher dose might have been needed for tumors with poor responses.

Objective: The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score is a useful tool in defining the clinical conditions and describing the acute morbidity of patient populations with critical illness. This study was performed to assess the usefulness of the SOFA score in predicting the prognosis among cardiac or thoracic aortic postoperative patients. Methods: In total, 123 patients who entered the intensive care unit after a cardiac or thoracic aortic operation from August 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively investigated. The SOFA score cut-off value from the admission day to postoperative day 3 calculated in the first 60 patients (derivation group) was validated in the latter 63 patients (validation group). Additionally, the Japan SCORE cut-off value calculated in the derivation group was validated in the validation group. Results: The perioperative mortality rate, in-hospital mortality rate and hospital transfer rate were 4.9, 7.3, and 13.2%, respectively. A SOFA score cut-off value of ≥7 for prediction of in-hospital mortality resulted in a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 81% on postoperative day 2, followed by high sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95% on postoperative day 3. A SOFA score cut-off value of ≥6 for prediction of hospital transfer resulted in a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 67% on postoperative day 2. Conclusion: The SOFA score on postoperative day 2 provides good discriminatory power for in-hospital mortality among cardiac or thoracic aortic postoperative patients. The SOFA scoring system could be useful for predicting short-term prognosis of patients who undergo cardiac or thoracic aortic surgery.