Introduction: Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PNENs) are uncommon neoplasms with a wide spectrum of clinical behavior. The objective of this study was to assess in a large cohort of patients the relative impact of prognostic factors on survival. Methods: From June 2001 through October 2010, 1,271 patients were prospectively registered online (www.getne.org) at the Spanish National Cancer Registry for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (RGETNE) by participating centers. Clinical and histopathological features were assessed as potential prognostic factors by uni- and multivariate analyses. Results: Of 483 PNENs, 171 (35%) were functional (F) and 312 (65%) non-functional (NF). NF-PNENs were associated with a higher incidence of histological features denoting more aggressive disease, such as poor tumor differentiation, Ki-67 >20%, or vascular invasion (NF- vs. F-PNENs, respectively, p < 0.05). Nevertheless, functionality was not a significant predictor of survival (p = 0.19). Stage at diagnosis, Ki-67 index, tumor differentiation and surgical resection of the primary tumor were all significant prognostic factors in univariate analysis. However, Ki-67 (>20 vs. ≤2%) (hazard ratio (HR) 2.21, p = 0.01) and surgical resection (yes vs. no) (HR 0.92, p = 0.001) were the only independent predictors of survival in multivariate analysis. Among patients who underwent surgery, high Ki-67 index (HR 10.37, p = 0.02) and poor differentiation (HR 8.16, p = 0.03) were the only independent predictors of clinical outcome. Conclusion: Ki-67 index and tumor differentiation are key prognostic factors influencing survival of patients with PNENs and, in contrast to what it is observed for other solid malignancies, they seem to have a greater impact on survival than the extent of disease. This should be borne in mind by physicians in order to appropriately tailor therapeutic strategies and surveillance of these patients.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains one of the most aggressive tumors with an increasing incidence rate and reduced survival. Although surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for PC, only 15–20% of patients are resectable at diagnosis. To select the most appropriate treatment and thus improve outcomes, the diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for each patient with PC should be discussed within a multidisciplinary expert team. Clinical decision-making should be evidence-based, considering the staging of the tumor, the performance status and preferences of the patient. The aim of this guideline is to provide practical and evidence-based recommendations for the management of PC.

Multi-drug resistant infections in the surgical population are increasing. The most common clinical profile is a 65-year-old male, with previous comorbidities, who has undergone a surgical intervention, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and invasive procedures and who has acquired the MDR infection in the nosocomial setting.

Efficacy of ertapenem in biliary tract infections in daily practice was retrospectively analyzed. Records of patients admitted to five Spanish hospitals (January 2007/February 2011) with biliary infections (cholecystitis/cholangitis) treated with ertapenem for ≥72 hours were reviewed. A total of 187 patients (mean 63.8±19.3 years, 52.9% males) were identified. Up to 96 (51.3%) were operated, with cholecystectomy (97.9%) and primary laparoscopy approach (75%) as most frequent intervention. Non-operated patients presented higher age (71.0±17.5 vs 56.9±18.5 years; P<0.001), heart insufficiency (11.0 vs 3.1%; P = 0.044) and the Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis score (2.99±2.26 vs 1.94±2.34; P<0.001); and longer length of stay (10.3±6.6 vs 9.1±7.0; P = 0.005). Mean duration of treatment was 6.89±3.38 days. Overall favourable response was 87.7% (95% CI = 83.0-92.4) at the end of treatment. In the multivariate analysis (P<0.001, R² Cox = 0.10), non-favourable response was associated with Charlson index≥5 (OR = 18.71; 95% CI: 1.26-278.55; P = 0.034), pericholecystic abscess (OR = 5.30; 95% CI: 1.26-22.37; P = 0.023) and >3 days from symptoms start to admission (OR = 3.02; 95% CI: 1.13-8.04; P = 0.027).

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