Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2023; 29(20): 3119-3132
Published online May 28, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i20.3119
Malignancy risk factors and prognostic variables of pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasms in Chinese patients
Qing Xia, Fan Li, Rui Min, Shuai Sun, Yue-Xin Han, Zhen-Zhong Feng, Nan Li
Qing Xia, Rui Min, Nan Li, Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233004, Anhui Province, China
Fan Li, Shuai Sun, Department of Pathology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, Anhui Province, China
Yue-Xin Han, School of Clinical Medicine, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu 233030, Anhui Province, China
Zhen-Zhong Feng, Nan Li, Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230601, Anhui Province, China
Author contributions: Xia Q collected the clinical data and prepared the manuscript; Xia Q and Li F designed the study and supervised the statistical data; Xia Q and Min R designed the research and contributed to the analyses; Sun S, Han YX, and Feng ZZ provided clinical advice; Li N made the pathologic diagnosis and supervised the report; and all authors read and approved the final version.
Supported by the Natural Science Key Project in Universities of Anhui Province, No. KJ2021A0701; Natural Science Key Project of Bengbu Medical College, No. 2020byzd030; and Postgraduate Scientific Research Innovation Program of the Bengbu Medical College, No. Byycx22016.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College (approval No. 2021085).
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: We have no financial relationships to disclose.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nan Li, Doctor, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Professor, Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, No. 287 Changhuai Road, Bengbu 233004, Anhui Province, China. linanangel100@sina.com
Received: March 3, 2023
Peer-review started: March 3, 2023
First decision: April 12, 2023
Revised: April 21, 2023
Accepted: May 4, 2023
Article in press: May 4, 2023
Published online: May 28, 2023
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) are recognized as precursor lesions of pancreatic cancer. Despite their rarity, the detection of MCNs is on the rise due to advancements in preoperative imaging techniques. Thus, there is a pressing need to increase our knowledge of MCNs to ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment decisions.

Research motivation

An inadequate understanding of MCNs can hinder the treatment of patients, underscoring the importance of research on MCNs.

Research objectives

To investigate the risk factors for malignancy in MCNs and the prognostic factors associated with MCN-associated invasive carcinoma (MCN-AIC) to advance our comprehension of this uncommon tumour.

Research methods

This study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical and pathological data, imaging records, and outcomes of patients diagnosed with MCNs at our research centre over a 10-year period. We then investigated the risk factors for malignancy in MCNs and the prognostic factors associated with MCN-AIC.

Research results

A total of 48 patients with MCNs, accounting for 2.8% of pancreatic lesions resected during the study period, were included in this study. Among these patients, 36 had benign MCNs, while 12 had malignant MCNs. We conducted a comparative analysis of clinical and imaging features and discovered that age, tumour size, solid components or wall nodules, and pancreatic duct dilation were significantly associated with malignancy. Subsequently, we performed a prognostic analysis of malignant MCNs and observed that all malignant MCNs in our study were at stage I, and extracapsular invasion was identified as a significant prognostic factor for poor outcomes.

Research conclusions

Age, tumour size, solid components or wall nodules, and pancreatic duct dilation were independent risk factors associated with malignancy in MCN. In addition, extracapsular invasion was indicative of poor prognosis of MCN-AIC.

Research perspectives

The aim of this study was to enhance the management of MCN, a rare disease, by utilizing patient information from our research centre and conducting research from both preoperative and postoperative perspectives. We hope that this study can provide valuable insights into the management of MCNs.