Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) are major postoperative complications (POCs) following distal pancreatectomy (DP). Notably, POPF may worsen the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. Previously reported risks for POCs include body mass index, pancreatic texture, and albumin levels. Moreover, the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) is a valuable parameter for prognostication. On the other hand, POCs sometimes lead to a worse prognosis in several cancer types. Thus, we assumed that CAR could be a risk factor for POPFs. This study investigated whether CAR can predict POPF risk in patients with pancreatic cancer following DP. This retrospective study included 72 patients who underwent DP for pancreatic cancer at Ehime University between January 2009 and August 2022. All patients underwent preoperative CAR screening. Risk factors for POPF were analyzed. POPF were observed in 17 of 72 (23.6%) patients. POPF were significantly associated with a higher CAR (p = 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined the cutoff value for CAR to be 0.05 (sensitivity: 76.5%, specificity: 88.9%, likelihood ratio: 6.88), indicating an increased POPF risk. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that CAR ≥ 0.05 was a statistically independent factor for POPF (p < 0.001, p = 0.013). Therefore, CAR has the potential to predict POPF following DP.

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) following pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is a potentially lethal complication, and it is clinically important to determine its risk preoperatively. Although C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) is reported to be a prognostic marker for postoperative complications in several cancers, no evidence is currently available regarding the association between preoperative CAR and POPF following PD for periampullary tumors. This study examined whether preoperative CAR could predict POPF following PD. Clinical data were retrospectively retrieved from Ehime University Hospital. The optimal cut-off value for CAR was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. This study enrolled 203 consecutive patients undergoing PD for periampullary tumors. The CAR value was significantly higher in the POPF group than in the non-POPF group (p < 0.001). According to the ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value for CAR was 0.09. Patients with CAR ≥ 0.09 had higher incidence rates of POPF than their counterparts. CAR ≥ 0.09 was a risk factor for POPF in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio 34.5, 95% confidence interval 11.75–101.38, p < 0.001). This is the first report demonstrating an association between CAR and POPF following PD. Preoperative CAR is an independent predictive marker for POPF following PD.

Background: Variations in hepatic arteries are frequently encountered during pancreatoduodenecomy. Identifying anomalies, especially the problematic aberrant right hepatic artery (aRHA), is crucial to preventing vascular-related complications. In cases where the middle hepatic artery (MHA) branches from aRHAs, their injury may lead to severe liver ischemia. Nevertheless, there has been little information on whether MHA branches from aRHAs. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between aRHAs and the MHA based on the embryological development of visceral arteries. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed contrast-enhanced computed tomography images of 759 patients who underwent hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery between January 2011 and August 2022. The origin of RHAs and MHA courses were determined using three-dimensional reconstruction. All cases of aRHAs were categorized into those with or without replacement of the left hepatic artery (LHA). Results: Among the 759 patients, 163 (21.4%) had aRHAs. Five aRHAs patterns were identified: (Type 1) RHA from the gastroduodenal artery (2.7%), (Type 2) RHA from the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) (12.7%), (Type 3) RHA from the celiac axis (2.1%), (Type 4) common hepatic artery (CHA) from the SMA (3.5%), and (Type 5) separate branching of RHA and LHA from the CHA (0.26%). The MHA did not originate from aRHAs in Types 1–3, whereas in Type 4, it branched from either the RHA or LHA. Conclusions: Based on the developmental process of hepatic and visceral arteries, branching of the MHA from aRHAs is considered rare. However, preoperative recognition and intraoperative anatomical assessment of aRHAs is essential to avoid injury.

Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) with S-1 after radical surgery for resectable pancreatic cancer (PC) has shown a significant survival advantage over surgery alone. Consequently, ensuring that patients receive a consistent, uninterrupted S-1 regimen is of paramount importance. This study aimed to investigate whether the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) could predict S-1 AC completion in PC patients without dropout due to adverse events (AEs). We retrospectively enrolled 95 patients who underwent radical pancreatectomy and S-1 AC for PC between January 2010 and December 2022. A statistical analysis was conducted to explore the correlation of predictive markers with S-1 completion, defined as continuous oral administration for 6 months. Among the 95 enrolled patients, 66 (69.5%) completed S-1, and 29 (30.5%) failed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed 0.05 as the optimal CAR threshold to predict S-1 completion. Univariate and multivariate analyses further validated that a CAR ≥ 0.05 was independently correlated with S-1 completion (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). Furthermore, a significant association was established between a higher CAR at initiation of oral administration and acceptable recurrence-free and overall survival (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). CAR ≥ 0.05 serves as a predictive marker for difficulty in completing S-1 treatment as AC for PC due to AEs.

In this review, we define “malnutrition” according to the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria (phenotypic and etiologic components) and “cachexia” as a multifactorial syndrome characterized by progressive skeletal muscle loss—unresponsive to conventional nutrition—and systemic inflammation (e