Pancreatic cancer is the most challenging issue in the field of pancreatic surgery. Accurate preoperative diagnosis is the key to improving prognosis. Currently, there have been research reports on the application of artificial intelligence(AI) in the early diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and stratified diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. This article summarized the representative studies and focused on introducing their innovative thinking, modeling methods, research results, and clinical significance, demonstrating the application potential of AI in preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, with the aim of providing inspiration for subsequent research in this field.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant digestive system tumor. Due to its rapid progression and difficulty in early diagnosis, patients are often diagnosed at an advanced stage or with metastases. Liver is the most common metastatic site of pancreatic cancer, and its prognosis and treatment are not optimistic. In recent years, with the progress of basic research, the research on the molecular mechanism of liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer has also made great progress. This paper briefly summarize the current progress of molecular mechanism research of liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer.

Objective:To explore whether perioperative oral probiotic therapy reduces infectious complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), aiming to obtain higher-level evidence for clinical practice.Methods:A total of 81 participants undergoing PD at the Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital & Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, from May 2024 to December 2024 were enrolled in this single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. The participants were randomly divided into a probiotic treatment group and a control group (receiving conventional treatment without probiotics) using a random number method. The primary outcomes included the incidence of postoperative infectious complications and intra-abdominal infection, and the secondary outcomes were the recovery of gastrointestinal function, postoperative hospital stay, and duration and costs of antibiotic use. The hematological indicators including inflammation and immune markers on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 7 were also compared between these two groups.Results:Finally 72 cases (39 males and 33 females) were analyzed, with 36 patients in the probiotic treatment group and 36 patients in the control group. Compared to the control group, the probiotic treatment group showed statistically significant reductions in the incidence of infectious complications (33.3% vs. 66.7%, P=0.029), intra-abdominal infection (27.8% vs. 58.3%, P=0.030), and incidence of delayed gastric emptying (0 vs. 16.7%, P=0.033). Also, the probiotic treatment group exhibited significantly faster recovery in postoperative bowel movements and shorter time to defecation, liquid diet, and semi-liquid diet (all P<0.05). Additionally, the probiotic treatment group had significantly shorter hospital stay, reduced duration of antibiotic use, and lower antibiotic costs (all P<0.05). Finally, the probiotic treatment group had significantly higher lymphocyte counts on POD 1 ( P<0.05) and showed a significant downward trend in inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 on PODs 3 and 5 and C-reactive protein on POD 7 (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Perioperative application of probiotic preparations in PD may reduce the incidence of postoperative infectious complications, especially intra-abdominal infection. Additionally, it can prevent delayed gastric emptying, promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function, shorten hospital stay, and reduce the use of antibiotics. These benefits may be related to the improvement of postoperative inflammatory status.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis,and surgical resection remains the only potentially curative treatment.However,since most patients are diagnosed at a locally advanced or metastatic stage,the feasibility of upfront surgery is limited.In recent years,neoadjuvant and conversion therapy have emerged as crucial strategies for borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer,aiming to increase the R0 resection rate and improve survival outcomes.Studies have shown that FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel are commonly used neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens,with the former being more suitable for patients with good performance status,while the latter is better tolerated across a broader patient population due to its lower toxicity.Additionally,radiotherapy,such as stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT),can enhance local tumor control,increase tumor cell eradication,and minimize damage to normal tissues,thereby optimizing overall treatment efficacy.Despite the significant advantages of this approach,challenges remain,including the management of toxic side effects and the optimization of treatment protocols.Future research will focus on personalized precision medicine,integrating genomic sequencing and radiomics to refine neoadjuvant/conversion therapy strategies and exploring the combination of chemotherapy,radiotherapy,immunotherapy,and targeted therapy to improve long-term survival in pancreatic cancer patients.This paper summarizes recent advancements in neoadjuvant/conversion therapy combined with radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer and discusses its potential role in modulating tumor biology and optimizing treatment strategies.

Objective:To explore whether perioperative oral probiotic therapy reduces infectious complications following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), aiming to obtain higher-level evidence for clinical practice.Methods:A total of 81 participants undergoing PD at the Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital & Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, from May 2024 to December 2024 were enrolled in this single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. The participants were randomly divided into a probiotic treatment group and a control group (receiving conventional treatment without probiotics) using a random number method. The primary outcomes included the incidence of postoperative infectious complications and intra-abdominal infection, and the secondary outcomes were the recovery of gastrointestinal function, postoperative hospital stay, and duration and costs of antibiotic use. The hematological indicators including inflammation and immune markers on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, 5, and 7 were also compared between these two groups.Results:Finally 72 cases (39 males and 33 females) were analyzed, with 36 patients in the probiotic treatment group and 36 patients in the control group. Compared to the control group, the probiotic treatment group showed statistically significant reductions in the incidence of infectious complications (33.3% vs. 66.7%, P=0.029), intra-abdominal infection (27.8% vs. 58.3%, P=0.030), and incidence of delayed gastric emptying (0 vs. 16.7%, P=0.033). Also, the probiotic treatment group exhibited significantly faster recovery in postoperative bowel movements and shorter time to defecation, liquid diet, and semi-liquid diet (all P<0.05). Additionally, the probiotic treatment group had significantly shorter hospital stay, reduced duration of antibiotic use, and lower antibiotic costs (all P<0.05). Finally, the probiotic treatment group had significantly higher lymphocyte counts on POD 1 ( P<0.05) and showed a significant downward trend in inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6 on PODs 3 and 5 and C-reactive protein on POD 7 (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Perioperative application of probiotic preparations in PD may reduce the incidence of postoperative infectious complications, especially intra-abdominal infection. Additionally, it can prevent delayed gastric emptying, promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function, shorten hospital stay, and reduce the use of antibiotics. These benefits may be related to the improvement of postoperative inflammatory status.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis,and surgical resection remains the only potentially curative treatment.However,since most patients are diagnosed at a locally advanced or metastatic stage,the feasibility of upfront surgery is limited.In recent years,neoadjuvant and conversion therapy have emerged as crucial strategies for borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancer,aiming to increase the R0 resection rate and improve survival outcomes.Studies have shown that FOLFIRINOX and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel are commonly used neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens,with the former being more suitable for patients with good performance status,while the latter is better tolerated across a broader patient population due to its lower toxicity.Additionally,radiotherapy,such as stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT),can enhance local tumor control,increase tumor cell eradication,and minimize damage to normal tissues,thereby optimizing overall treatment efficacy.Despite the significant advantages of this approach,challenges remain,including the management of toxic side effects and the optimization of treatment protocols.Future research will focus on personalized precision medicine,integrating genomic sequencing and radiomics to refine neoadjuvant/conversion therapy strategies and exploring the combination of chemotherapy,radiotherapy,immunotherapy,and targeted therapy to improve long-term survival in pancreatic cancer patients.This paper summarizes recent advancements in neoadjuvant/conversion therapy combined with radiotherapy for pancreatic cancer and discusses its potential role in modulating tumor biology and optimizing treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVE To explore the role of clinical pharmacists participating in the standardized perioperative nutritional management process for pancreaticoduodenectomy （PD） on improving postoperative recovery in patients. METHODS The clinical data of 100 patients undergoing PD in the Department of Biliary and Pancreatic Surgery， Drum Tower Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University School of Medicine from November 2019 to February 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the different perioperative nutrition management plans， they were divided into clinical pharmacist intervention group （n＝51， clinical pharmacists intervened according to the standardized nutrition management process） and control group （n＝49， clinical pharmacists only performed preoperative nutrition evaluation， and clinical physicians took nutrition support according to the patient’s condition）. The differences in postoperative recovery index， economic evaluation index， hospitalization length， postoperative complications， and postoperative enteral nutrition support route were compared between 2 groups. RESULTS The time of postoperative diet， the first postoperative ventilation， the first postoperative defecation， and postoperative drainage time of abdominal drain were significantly earlier in the clinical pharmacist intervention group than in the control group （P＜0.05）； the hospitalization cost， medication cost， nutritional support cost， parenteral nutrition cost， albumin preparation cost， and the length of postoperative hospitalization were significantly lower/shorter in the clinical pharmacist intervention group than in the control group （P＜0.05）； there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups （P＞0.05）； there was statistically significant difference in the perioperative enteral nutrition support pathways between two groups （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Clinical pharmacists’ participation in perioperative nutritional management for PD can significantly reduce hospitalization costs and nutritional support costs， improve patients’ perioperative nutritional status， and shorten hospital stays. wanglina668@163.com

Objective:To study the effect of first drainage failure on the prognosis of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCC).Methods:The clinical data of 68 patients with PHCC undergoing surgery in the Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated to the Medical School of Nanjing University, from April 2014 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 46 males and 22 females, aged (63±9) (range, 39-80) years old. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether the first drainage was successful: successful group ( n=34) and failed group ( n=34). The patient's age, gender, first drainage, complications and other clinical data were collected. Patients were followed up by outpatient or telephone review. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and log-rank test was used for survival comparison. Results:Compared to the successful group, the drainage time [41(28, 52) d vs. 20(14, 28) d], the drainage tube adjustment rate [32.4%(11/34) vs. 0(0/34)], and the incidence of complications after drainage [88.2% (30/34) vs. 0(0/34)] were all increased in the failed group, with the adjustment rate of drainage position decreased [82.4%(28/34) vs. 100%(34/34)] (all P<0.05). Compared to the successful group, the incidence of abdominal infection was higher [70.6%(24/34) vs. 44.1%(15/34)] in the failed group ( P=0.027). The 5-year cumulative survival rates of the failed group and the successful group were 61.4% and 44.1%, respectively ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Compared to the patients of PHCC with first successful drainage, the risk of abdominal infection is increased when first drainage failed, while the incidence of postoperative complications, in-hospital mortality and long-term survival rate are comparable.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC).Methods:A retrospective case-control study analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 15 PACC patients admitted to Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University from June 2010 to May 2023. The clinical features and prognosis were analyzed.Results:Among the 15 patients with PACC, there were 9 males and 6 females, with a median age of 56 years, age ranged from 34 to 78 years. Abdominal pain was the initial symptom in 80.0% (12/15) of patients. Only 3 patients had elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein or carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels. 80.0% (12/15) of the tumors were located in the pancreatic head, with an mean maximum diameter was (5.85±3.27) cm. CT scans showed heterogeneous enhancement in all patients, with cystic changes observed in 10 patients′ tumors. 7 patients underwent surgical treatment, including 1 patient involving venous resection and 2 patients involving partial gastrectomy; postoperative staging revealed that stage IB in 3 patients, IIA in 3 patients, and stage Ⅲ in 1 patient. Immunohistochemistry showed that there were 5 cases of Syn (+ ), 3 cases of CgA (+ ), 2 cases of AFP (+ ), 7 cases of Trypsin (+ ), 2 cases of CK7 (+ ), 2 cases of CK19 (+ ), 7 cases of β-catenin (+ ) and 2 cases of CD56 (+ ). Treatment after surgery included adjuvant chemotherapy for all surgical patients. 4 patients received systemic therapy, while 4 patients did not receive any treatment. Follow-up was completed for 11 patients, and lost in 4 patients; among the 7 patients who underwent surgical resection, 3 patients died with an average survival time of 44 months, ranged from 24 to 74 months, while the remaining 4 patients were alive with an average follow-up time of 26 months, ranged from 14 to 38 months. Among the 4 patients treated with systemic therapy, the average survival time was 16 months, ranged from 2 to 41 months.Conclusions:PACC is a rare pancreatic tumor that mainly affects elderly men. Clinical symptoms are often atypical, and there are no specific serum markers. The characteristic imaging findings include uneven enhancement with cystic changes, and positivity for trypsin on immunohistochemistry. Surgical resection combined with adjuvant therapy can provide long-term survival for patients, while those with distant metastasis have a poorer prognosis.

Objective:To explore the feasibility and safety of retrograde single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) with combined suspension of ligamentum teres hepatis.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect clinical data of 570 cases of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) admitted to the Department of Pancreatic and Bariatric Surgery of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from December 2021 to December 2023. Based on the operation methods, 282 cases were classified into retrograde SILC group, 288 cases were classified into three incision LC group. Observation indicators including surgical related index, and incidence of postoperative complications. The continuity data were presented as medium, and compared using Mann-Whitney U test. The comparison of count data between groups was conducted using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability test. Results:All cases were successfully performed cholecystectomy. The duration of surgery and the proportion of changes in surgical methods in the SILC group were 45(35, 55) minutes and 12.1%, respectively, while in the three port group they were 50(40, 65) minutes and 1.4%, respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative hospitalization time, and total hospitalization cost of the SILC group were 20(16, 28) mL, 1(1, 1) day, and 13.4(12.9, 14.1) thousand yuan, respectively. The three port group was 18(16, 23) mL, 1(1, 1) day, and 13.4(12.4, 14.6) thousand yuan, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups( P>0.05). In terms of postoperative complications, the overall incidence of SILC and three port group were 4.6% and 3.5% respectively, which did not reach significant statistically difference( P>0.05). Meanwhile, there was no statistically significant difference( P>0.05) in the incidence of biliary tract injury, postoperative bile leakage, postoperative bleeding, incision liquefaction infection, and incision hernia between the two groups. Conclusion:The retrograde single incision laproscopic retrograde cholecystectomy combined with ligamentum teres hepatis suspension can achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects without increasing the surgical duration.