Department of Surgery, Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 234 East 149th Street, Bronx, NY 10451, USA.

A literature search revealed only five recent articles with specific information on the incidence of performance of pancreaticoduodenectomy when the preoperative diagnosis is uncertain. The collected incidence of benign diagnoses in the five papers was 13.1%. Five other papers describing patients from before 1990 reported rates of benign diagnoses of 9.7%, p<0.007 compared to the more recent series. The introduction of advanced diagnostic tests has not decreased the incidence of benign pathology after pancreaticoduodenectomy for presumed cancer. Pancreaticoduodenectomy should be performed without a definitive diagnosis of cancer if, in the opinion of an experienced surgeon, clinical suspicion is high.

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Objective: To determine physical activity (PA) self-efficacy correlates in breast cancer survivors. Methods: Mail survey of 192 breast cancer survivors. Results: Structural equation analyses demonstrated significant and direct associations for perceived PA barriers (beta=-.29), fatigue (beta=-.24), social support (beta=.12), enjoyment (beta=.12), and prediagnosis PA (beta=.11) with barriers self-efficacy. Prediagnosis PA (beta=.51), social support (beta=.26), and barriers self-efficacy (beta=.13) demonstrated direct associations with current leisure PA. Task self-efficacy analysis results were similar except perceived barriers and prediagnosis PA were not associated with task self-efficacy. Conclusions: Multiple potential efficacy correlates exist and may vary based on the aspect of self-efficacy examined.

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Liver Surgical Unit, First Surgical Department, “Agia Olga” Hospital, 3-5 Agias Olgas Street, 142 33 Athens, Greece.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection remains the treatment of choice for primary, secondary liver cancer and a number of benign liver lesions. Complications are mainly related to blood loss. Radiofrequency-assisted liver resection (RF-LR) has been proposed in order to achieve minimal blood loss during parenchymal transection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between May 2005 and April 2007, 46 consecutive patients with various hepatic lesions underwent RF-LR using Radionics, Cool-Tip(TM) System. There were 28 men and 18 women with median age 65 years (range 54-76 years). Twelve major and 34 minor hepatectomies were performed for various diseases: hepatocellular carcinoma (n=19), metastatic carcinoma (n=23), focal nodal hyperplasia (n=2) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) (n=2). Hepatic inflow occlusion was not used. RESULTS: No perioperative death was documented. Median blood loss was 100ml (range 30-300cm(3)). Blood transfusion was required postoperatively in one patient. Median transection time was 35min (15-60min). Three patients developed biliary fistulas, four patients pleural effusions, one patient hyperbilirubinemia, two pneumonia and four wound infection. The median postoperative hospital stay was 6 days (range 4-10 days). In a median 12 month follow-up (range 3-24 months), four patients with colorectal metastases (CRM) and one patient with ICC developed recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Cool-Tip RF device provides a unique, simple and safe method of bloodless liver resections and is indicated in cirrhotic patients with challenging hepatectomies (segment VIII, central resections).

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The London Breast Institute, The Princess Grace Hospital, London, UK; Department of Surgery, University College London, London, UK.

INTRODUCTION: The management of early breast cancer with skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) and immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is not based on evidence from randomised controlled trials. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the oncological safety, post-operative morbidity and patients’ satisfaction with SSM and IBR using the latissimus dorsi (LD) myocutaneous flap and/or breast prosthesis. METHODS: Eighty-three consecutive women underwent 93 SSMs with IBR (10 bilateral), using the LD flap plus implant (n=55) or implant alone (n=38), indications included early breast cancer and prophylaxis due to BRCA-1 gene mutation. Nipple reconstruction was performed in 38 patients, using the trefoil local flap technique, nipple sharing or Monocryl mesh. Twenty-three underwent contra-lateral surgery in order to optimise symmetry, including 15 augmentations and eight mastopexy/reduction mammoplasties. Patient satisfaction with the outcome of surgery was assessed on a linear visual analogue scale ranging from 0 (not satisfied) to 10 (most satisfied). RESULTS: There was no local recurrence (LR) after a median follow-up of 34 months (range=3-79 months). Overall survival was 98.8%, three patients developed distant disease and one patient died of metastatic breast cancer. No case of partial or total LD flap loss was observed. Morbidities included infection, requiring implant removal in two patients and one patient developed marginal ischaemia of the skin envelope. Significant capsule formation, requiring capsulotomy, was observed in 87% of patients who had either PMR or prior RT compared with 13% for those who did not have RT. Sixty-one (73.5%) of 83 patients completed the questionnaire with a median and mean satisfaction scores of 10.0 and 9.3, respectively (range=6-10). CONCLUSION: SSM with IBR is associated with low morbidity, high levels of patient satisfaction and is oncologically adequate for T(is), T1 and T2 tumours without extensive skin involvement.

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Athens Medical School, University of Athens, 8, Iassiou Street, GR-11521 Athens, Greece.

Neoadjuvant therapy improves patient outcomes substantially by increasing the rate of breast-conserving surgery. Following primary surgery, women with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer remain at risk for loco-regional and systemic recurrence. The most common relapse event, distant metastases, is associated with the poorest outcomes. As a neoadjuvant therapy, anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane have been investigated in phase 3 studies and have shown efficacy in this setting. All three aromatase inhibitors (AIs) significantly improved the rate of breast-conserving surgery. As initial adjuvant therapy, the third-generation AIs anastrozole and letrozole more effectively reduce recurrence risk compared with tamoxifen following surgery, especially in the first 2 years, when the risk is greatest. Tamoxifen, once the standard initial therapy, is associated with improved disease-free survival but may be more effective at reducing loco-regional recurrence than distant metastases. Initial adjuvant letrozole therapy has also shown a pronounced reduction in the risk of distant metastases early on in the course of therapy. If AIs are not used upfront, sequential use of exemestane or anastrozole following tamoxifen provides greater protection against relapse than continuing on tamoxifen. Side effects associated with estrogen deprivation of AIs are less serious than those of tamoxifen and are easily managed. Various molecular markers are under study as surrogates to predict response to neoadjuvant therapy, which may in turn predict responsiveness to adjuvant therapy. Surgeons treating breast cancer patients and prescribing endocrine therapy should be aware of all treatment strategies, including neoadjuvant and adjuvant hormonal therapy, and inform their patients of the benefits and the potential side effects. Early and long-term-risk reduction with AI treatment should be discussed with patients, as should the management of common AI-associated adverse events.

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