Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, and bariatric surgery is considered the primary treatment for long-term weight loss and managing obesity-related health issues. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are the most performed procedures. Nutritional deficiencies are a significant concern following bariatric surgery and can have serious consequences. This study aims to compare the incidence of nutritional deficiencies in patients undergoing RYGB and SG. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the nutritional status of 505 consecutive patients who underwent either RYGB or SG between January and December 2019. Data were collected regarding vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin D, calcium, PTH, magnesium, hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, and transferrin at preoperative, 6-month, and 12-month intervals post-surgery. The RYGB group showed significantly higher excess weight loss. Vitamin B12, hemoglobin, and ferritin levels were consistently higher in the SG group throughout the study. Vitamin D deficiency was prevalent, with no significant difference between the groups. Vitamin B12 deficiency was significantly more common in the RYGB group (6 months: 17.46% vs. 4.69%, p < 0.001; 12 months: 16.74% vs. 0.93%, p < 0.001). Despite differences in their mechanisms, bariatric surgeries were associated with nutritional deficiencies. It is crucial to efficiently assess, prevent, and manage these deficiencies tailored to each surgical procedure.

Background: Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) is an emerging technique for delivering chemotherapy directly to the peritoneum via a pressurized aerosol. Its growing attention stems from its effectiveness in treating peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) originating from various primary tumors, with gastric cancer (GC) being among the most prevalent. This study aimed to systematically investigate PIPAC’s therapeutic role in gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis (GCPM). Methods: The systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searching Pubmed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases. The meta-analysis of relative risks and mean differences compared patients undergoing one or two PIPAC sessions with those completing three or more, assessing various outcomes. Results: Eighteen studies underwent qualitative analysis, and four underwent quantitative analysis. Patients with three or more PIPAC procedures had shorter hospital stays (MD = −1.2; 95%CI (−1.9; −0.5); p < 0.001), higher rates of histopathological response (RR = 1.77, 95%CI 1.08; 2.90; p = 0.023), and significantly improved overall survival (MD = 6.0; 95%CI 4.2; 7.8; p < 0.001). Other outcomes showed no significant differences. Conclusions: PIPAC demonstrated efficacy in carefully selected patients, enhancing histopathologic response rates and overall survival without prolonging hospital stays. This study underscores the necessity for randomized controlled trials and precise selection criteria to refine PIPAC’s implementation in clinical practice.

The genus Helicobacter is composed of bacteria that colonize both the human and animal gastrointestinal tract. Helicobacter pylori infects half of the world’s population, causing various disorders, such as gastritis, duodenitis and gastric cancer. Additionally, non-Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter species (NHPH) are commonly found in the stomach of pigs, dogs and cats. Most of these species have zoonotic potential and prevalence rates of 0.2–6.0%, and have been described in human patients suffering from gastric disorders undergoing a gastric biopsy. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence of Helicobacter spp. in the stomach of patients with gastric cancer (n = 17) and obese (n = 63) patients. Furthermore, the outcome of the Helicobacter eradication treatment and the current infection status was evaluated. Overall, based on the genus-specific PCR followed by sequencing, DNA from Helicobacter spp. was detected in 46.3% of the patients, including single infections with H. pylori in 43.8% of the patients and mixed infections with H. pylori and canine- or feline-associated H. felis in 2.5%. About 32.5% of the patients had been subjected to previous Helicobacter eradication therapy and the triple standard therapy was the most frequent scheme (42.3%). In 48.0% of the patients who received eradication treatment, bacteria were still detected, including one mixed infection. In 23.1% of the patients who reported that a subsequent test had been performed to confirm the elimination of the bacteria, Helicobacter were still detected. In conclusion, although in a smaller percentage, NHPH may also be present in the human stomach. Thus, specific NHPH screening should be included in the diagnostic routine. The continued presence of H. pylori in the stomach of patients recently subjected to eradication schemes raises questions about the efficacy of the current Helicobacter treatments.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most incident cancer in the world, accounting for 25% of new cancers per year in females. It is the most frequent malignancy in women, being the fifth cause of death from cancer worldwide. Approximately 5 to 10% of patients already present with metastases at diagnosis, and the liver is the site of metastases in half of these cases. Liver metastasis (LM) resection, performed after neoadjuvant systemic treatment, has been reported to increase median overall survival in this population. Aim: The aim of this analysis is to assess the outcomes of patients undergoing breast cancer liver metastasis surgical resection, including impact on survival, compared to patients where metastasectomy was not performed. Methods: retrospective review of 55 female patients with breast cancer liver metastases, diagnosed and treated in a single tertiary university hospital from January 2011 to December 2016 was performed. Results: In 32/55 patients (58.2%), multi-organ metastases were identified (the most common sites being bone, lungs, and lymph nodes). Of the remaining 23 patients, the liver was the unique metastatic site; thirteen patients had diffuse bilobar hepatic metastases. The remaining ten patients were proposed for surgical treatment; three of them had peritoneal carcinomatosis identified during surgery, and no hepatic metastasectomy was performed. As a result, only seven (12.7%) patients underwent liver metastasectomy. Overall survival was higher in patients who had LM surgery (65 months [Interquartile Range (IQR) 54–120]), in comparison to those diagnosed with diffuse bilobar hepatic metastases (17.5 months [IQR 11–41]), and with those showing concurrent liver and bone metastases (16.5 months [IQR 6–36]) (p = 0.012). In univariable analysis, the latter two groups showed worse overall survival outcomes (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 3.447, 95%CI: 1.218–9.756, p = 0.02 and HR = 3.855, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.475–10.077, p = 0.006, respectively) when compared to patients with LM. Conclusion: In our series, patients submitted to metastasectomy had a median overall survival after diagnosis of LM three times greater than the non-operated patients with isolated LM, or concurrent LM and bone metastases (65 vs. 17.5 and 16.5 months, respectively). As is vastly known for colorectal cancer liver metastasis, resection of breast cancer liver metastasis may reduce tumor burden, and therefore may improve patient outcome.