Purpose: A small proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgical patients will require an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) within the early postoperative period. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to an ICU following CRC surgery per hospital type (metropolitan vs. rural) over a decade in Australia. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was undertaken of all adult patients admitted to a participating Australian ICUs following CRC surgery between January 2011 and December 2021. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: Over the 10-year period, 19,611 patients were treated in 122 metropolitan ICUs and 4,108 patients were treated in 42 rural ICUs. Rural ICUs had a lower proportion of annual admissions following CRC surgery (20 vs. 36, P<0.001). Patients admitted to a rural ICU were more likely to have undergone emergency CRC surgery compared to those admitted to a metropolitan cohort (28.5% vs. 13.8%, P<0.001). There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between metropolitan and rural hospitals (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.35; P=0.500). There was a general trend for lower mortality in later years of the study with the odds of death in the final year of the study (2021) almost half that of the first study year (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34–0.80; P=0.003). Conclusion There was no difference between in-hospital mortality outcomes for CRC surgical patients requiring ICU admission between metropolitan and rural hospitals. These findings may contribute to discussions regarding rural scope of colorectal practice within Australia and globally.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive primary liver malignancy often diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in a poor prognosis. Accurate risk stratification and early detection of HCC are critical unmet needs for improving outcomes. Several blood-based biomarkers and imaging tests are available for early detection, prediction, and monitoring of HCC. However, serum protein biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein have shown relatively low sensitivity, leading to inaccurate performance. Imaging studies also face limitations related to suboptimal accuracy, high cost, and limited implementation. Recently, liquid biopsy techniques have gained attention for addressing these unmet needs. Liquid biopsy is non-invasive and provides more objective readouts, requiring less reliance on healthcare professional’s skills compared to imaging. Circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, and extracellular vesicles are targeted in liquid biopsies as novel biomarkers for HCC. Despite their potential, there are debates regarding the role of these novel biomarkers in the HCC care continuum. This review article aims to discuss the technical challenges, recent technical advancements, advantages and disadvantages of these liquid biopsies, as well as their current clinical application and future directions of liquid biopsy in HCC.

Purpose: A small proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgical patients will require an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) within the early postoperative period. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to an ICU following CRC surgery per hospital type (metropolitan vs. rural) over a decade in Australia. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was undertaken of all adult patients admitted to a participating Australian ICUs following CRC surgery between January 2011 and December 2021. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: Over the 10-year period, 19,611 patients were treated in 122 metropolitan ICUs and 4,108 patients were treated in 42 rural ICUs. Rural ICUs had a lower proportion of annual admissions following CRC surgery (20 vs. 36, P<0.001). Patients admitted to a rural ICU were more likely to have undergone emergency CRC surgery compared to those admitted to a metropolitan cohort (28.5% vs. 13.8%, P<0.001). There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between metropolitan and rural hospitals (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.35; P=0.500). There was a general trend for lower mortality in later years of the study with the odds of death in the final year of the study (2021) almost half that of the first study year (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34–0.80; P=0.003). Conclusion There was no difference between in-hospital mortality outcomes for CRC surgical patients requiring ICU admission between metropolitan and rural hospitals. These findings may contribute to discussions regarding rural scope of colorectal practice within Australia and globally.

Purpose: A small proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgical patients will require an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) within the early postoperative period. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to an ICU following CRC surgery per hospital type (metropolitan vs. rural) over a decade in Australia. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was undertaken of all adult patients admitted to a participating Australian ICUs following CRC surgery between January 2011 and December 2021. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: Over the 10-year period, 19,611 patients were treated in 122 metropolitan ICUs and 4,108 patients were treated in 42 rural ICUs. Rural ICUs had a lower proportion of annual admissions following CRC surgery (20 vs. 36, P<0.001). Patients admitted to a rural ICU were more likely to have undergone emergency CRC surgery compared to those admitted to a metropolitan cohort (28.5% vs. 13.8%, P<0.001). There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between metropolitan and rural hospitals (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.35; P=0.500). There was a general trend for lower mortality in later years of the study with the odds of death in the final year of the study (2021) almost half that of the first study year (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34–0.80; P=0.003). Conclusion There was no difference between in-hospital mortality outcomes for CRC surgical patients requiring ICU admission between metropolitan and rural hospitals. These findings may contribute to discussions regarding rural scope of colorectal practice within Australia and globally.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive primary liver malignancy often diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in a poor prognosis. Accurate risk stratification and early detection of HCC are critical unmet needs for improving outcomes. Several blood-based biomarkers and imaging tests are available for early detection, prediction, and monitoring of HCC. However, serum protein biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein have shown relatively low sensitivity, leading to inaccurate performance. Imaging studies also face limitations related to suboptimal accuracy, high cost, and limited implementation. Recently, liquid biopsy techniques have gained attention for addressing these unmet needs. Liquid biopsy is non-invasive and provides more objective readouts, requiring less reliance on healthcare professional’s skills compared to imaging. Circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, and extracellular vesicles are targeted in liquid biopsies as novel biomarkers for HCC. Despite their potential, there are debates regarding the role of these novel biomarkers in the HCC care continuum. This review article aims to discuss the technical challenges, recent technical advancements, advantages and disadvantages of these liquid biopsies, as well as their current clinical application and future directions of liquid biopsy in HCC.

Purpose: A small proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgical patients will require an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) within the early postoperative period. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to an ICU following CRC surgery per hospital type (metropolitan vs. rural) over a decade in Australia. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was undertaken of all adult patients admitted to a participating Australian ICUs following CRC surgery between January 2011 and December 2021. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: Over the 10-year period, 19,611 patients were treated in 122 metropolitan ICUs and 4,108 patients were treated in 42 rural ICUs. Rural ICUs had a lower proportion of annual admissions following CRC surgery (20 vs. 36, P<0.001). Patients admitted to a rural ICU were more likely to have undergone emergency CRC surgery compared to those admitted to a metropolitan cohort (28.5% vs. 13.8%, P<0.001). There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between metropolitan and rural hospitals (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.35; P=0.500). There was a general trend for lower mortality in later years of the study with the odds of death in the final year of the study (2021) almost half that of the first study year (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34–0.80; P=0.003). Conclusion There was no difference between in-hospital mortality outcomes for CRC surgical patients requiring ICU admission between metropolitan and rural hospitals. These findings may contribute to discussions regarding rural scope of colorectal practice within Australia and globally.

Purpose: A small proportion of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgical patients will require an admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) within the early postoperative period. This study aimed to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to an ICU following CRC surgery per hospital type (metropolitan vs. rural) over a decade in Australia. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was undertaken of all adult patients admitted to a participating Australian ICUs following CRC surgery between January 2011 and December 2021. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: Over the 10-year period, 19,611 patients were treated in 122 metropolitan ICUs and 4,108 patients were treated in 42 rural ICUs. Rural ICUs had a lower proportion of annual admissions following CRC surgery (20 vs. 36, P<0.001). Patients admitted to a rural ICU were more likely to have undergone emergency CRC surgery compared to those admitted to a metropolitan cohort (28.5% vs. 13.8%, P<0.001). There was no difference in in-hospital mortality between metropolitan and rural hospitals (odds ratio [OR], 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73–1.35; P=0.500). There was a general trend for lower mortality in later years of the study with the odds of death in the final year of the study (2021) almost half that of the first study year (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34–0.80; P=0.003). Conclusion There was no difference between in-hospital mortality outcomes for CRC surgical patients requiring ICU admission between metropolitan and rural hospitals. These findings may contribute to discussions regarding rural scope of colorectal practice within Australia and globally.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive primary liver malignancy often diagnosed at an advanced stage, resulting in a poor prognosis. Accurate risk stratification and early detection of HCC are critical unmet needs for improving outcomes. Several blood-based biomarkers and imaging tests are available for early detection, prediction, and monitoring of HCC. However, serum protein biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein have shown relatively low sensitivity, leading to inaccurate performance. Imaging studies also face limitations related to suboptimal accuracy, high cost, and limited implementation. Recently, liquid biopsy techniques have gained attention for addressing these unmet needs. Liquid biopsy is non-invasive and provides more objective readouts, requiring less reliance on healthcare professional’s skills compared to imaging. Circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNA, and extracellular vesicles are targeted in liquid biopsies as novel biomarkers for HCC. Despite their potential, there are debates regarding the role of these novel biomarkers in the HCC care continuum. This review article aims to discuss the technical challenges, recent technical advancements, advantages and disadvantages of these liquid biopsies, as well as their current clinical application and future directions of liquid biopsy in HCC.

Colitis caused by vasculitis is a rare and poorly understood pathology. Little evidence exists on its clinical presentation, path to diagnosis, and surgical management. In this report, we present a case report and literature review. A healthy 20-year-old male patient presented with hemorrhagic colitis requiring total colectomy with end ileostomy. Pathological examination showed pancolitis with multiple ulcers, transmural inflammation, hemorrhage, and microvascular thrombosis. Extensive serological testing revealed elevated cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (c-ANCA) and eosinophilia, leading to a diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and vasculitis-induced colitis. A literature review was subsequently conducted. Nineteen studies were found documenting vasculitis-induced colitis in the absence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Systemic signs of vasculitis, hemorrhagic colitis, and progression to fulminant colitis were present. Of all patients, 40.0% required colorectal surgery and 62.5% of those patients received a stoma; 25% underwent emergency surgery following failed immunosuppression. All cases relied on clinical correlation with serology and/or histopathology to reach a final diagnosis. We report a case of vasculitis-induced colitis caused by c-ANCA−positive EGPA. The review shows that vasculitis-induced colitis without IBD is an important differential that clinicians should be aware of in patients presenting with colitis.

Purpose: A patient presented to a regional surgical center with Fournier gangrene (FG) and concurrent multifocal necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Given the rarity, it was decided to undertake a systematic review to investigate the incidence and prevalence of FG with multifocal NF and consequently determine the treatment and approach to management of such presentation. Methods: Firstly, the report of the 56-year-old male patient is discussed regarding his surgical management. Secondly, a systematic review was undertaken according to PRISMA guidelines using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Embase databases. Searches used the following MeSH terms: (“fournier’s gangrene”) AND ((necrotising fasciitis) OR (necrotising soft tissue infection)). Once the search results were obtained, duplicate articles were removed. Titles, abstracts, and articles were reviewed by 2 authors. Results: The search strategy using the 3 databases revealed a total of 402 studies. Fifty-seven studies were removed due to duplication. A total of 345 records were screened via title and abstract, of which 115 were excluded. Two hundred and thirty studies were reviewed for eligibility. A total of all 230 studies were excluded; 169 were excluded as they included the incorrect patient population (patients suffered from FG or NF, but not both collectively), 60 studies were excluded due to incorrect study designs, and 1 report occurred in the wrong setting. Conclusion This highlights that while being a relatively known, uncommon infection both FG and NF are well documented separately within the literature. However, FG with concurrent multifocal NF has not been documented within the literature.