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Deep learning effectively identifies pathologic complete response in esophageal cancer.

A deep neural network-based endoscopic evaluation accurately detected pathologic complete response (PCR) in esophageal cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, achieving median sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rates of 80%, 90%, and 85%, respectively. Among 1041 patients, 354 demonstrated PCR, correlating with significantly improved overall and recurrence-free survival. The findings suggest the potential for this AI technology to inform personalized, non-surgical treatment strategies, although further validation through prospective studies is essential.

Journal Article by Matsuda S, Irino T (…) Takeuchi H et 17 al. in Esophagus

© 2025. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japan Esophageal Society.

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Tranexamic acid is most effective when administered within 2 hours of injury.

Analysis of data from over 28,000 trauma patients reveals that tranexamic acid significantly reduces 24-hour mortality, particularly when administered within 2 hours of injury. The effectiveness diminishes quickly after this window. While benefits may extend beyond 2 hours for patients with severe traumatic brain injuries, the strongest results were noted in individuals with low blood pressure and low Glasgow Coma Scale scores. Optimal treatment criteria were established for timely administration.

Randomized Controlled Trial by Osawa I, Goto T and Roberts I in Br J Surg

© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Foundation Ltd. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.

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Enhanced supervision improves surgical complication reporting and care

A comprehensive adverse event self-reporting platform significantly improved complication rates and overall quality of surgical care across three hospitals. The study, involving 83,885 surgical cases, found a remarkable 54% and 59% reduction in complication and mortality rates, respectively, at the most rigorously supervised site, compared to lesser reductions at the other locations. There was also a notable decrease in length of stay and enhancement in residents’ critical thinking. Underreporting was prevalent at sites with minimal supervision.

Journal Article by Antonacci AC, Farrell A (…) Giangola G et 7 al. in J Surg Res

Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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AI Advances in Laparoscopic Skill Assessment Show High Accuracy

AI applications in laparoscopic surgery simulation demonstrate significant promise, achieving concordance rates of 42%-100% with human assessments. The study tested AI trained on multiple procedures, revealing 100% accuracy for the appendectomy in the five-class scoring system and also high accuracy in the two-class system across three different procedures. These results suggest that AI can reliably evaluate procedural skills, especially when using dichotomous pass/fail scoring, highlighting its potential to enhance training in low-resource settings.

Journal Article by Kim E, Rosenthal LS (…) Kim GJ et 7 al. in J Surg Res

Copyright © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Timely surgery after neoadjuvant therapy improves survival rates.

A multicenter analysis of 893 gastric cancer patients revealed that surgery within 28 days of neoadjuvant therapy significantly enhances overall survival rates. Delays beyond 28 days correlated with poorer outcomes and diminished tumor regression effectiveness. Notably, patients with inadequate responses to therapy benefited most from timely surgical intervention. This research emphasizes the critical nature of personalized surgical timing in optimizing treatment after neoadjuvant therapy and urges further validation through prospective multicenter studies.

Journal Article by Chen J, Hu K (…) Liu F et 7 al. in Eur J Surg Oncol

Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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Endoscopic stenting effectively treats Boerhaave’s syndrome

A systematic review of endoscopic stenting for Boerhaave’s syndrome highlights its effectiveness, achieving a closure success rate of 72.4% and a leak occlusion rate of 93%. Despite the advantages of this minimally invasive approach, researchers noted significant methodological and patient diversity contributing to high heterogeneity in the findings. This analysis emphasizes the need for improved treatment strategies and enhances understanding of outcomes related to a condition associated with high mortality rates.

Review by Manoria P in Am Surg

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Colorectal cancer incidence rises in Ghana, demanding urgent policy reform

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasingly prevalent in Ghana, often diagnosed at younger ages and later stages, which leads to poorer survival rates. Key challenges identified include limited healthcare resources, inadequate screening, and sociocultural barriers that affect treatment access. The study emphasizes the need for enhanced healthcare infrastructure and recommends robust surveillance systems, tailored guidelines, and improved access to care. It highlights the importance of shifting global health priorities to better address chronic diseases in low- and middle-income countries.

Review by Megafu OM in Am J Surg

Published by Elsevier Inc.

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AI system enhances polyp detection in colonoscopy

The developed AI-assisted system significantly improves the detection and localization of colorectal polyps during colonoscopy. Out of five CNN models tested, EfficientNetV2 excelled, achieving an accuracy of 93.3% and a specificity of 94.6% on the test set. The system’s performance metrics, including a high AUC of 0.983, suggest its potential for clinical applications, as illustrated through representative case videos showing its feasibility in practice.

Journal Article by Chen J, Wang G (…) Xu X et 4 al. in J Gastroenterol Hepatol

© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology published by Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

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New strategies enhance management of anastomotic leaks post-esophagectomy

Anastomotic leaks (AL) after esophagectomy pose significant risks, leading to complications and prolonged recovery. Recent reviews highlight three key management approaches: conservative measures like nutritional support, endoscopic interventions that show promising success rates, and surgical options for severe cases. Innovative hybrid techniques are emerging, while multidisciplinary strategies are essential for optimizing patient outcomes. Future research should prioritize developing standard guidelines to improve survival rates and enhance the quality of life for affected patients.

Review by Gritsiuta AI, Reep G, Parupudi S and Petrov RV in J Gastrointest Surg

Copyright © 2025 Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Novel plasma proteins identified as biomarkers for pancreatic cancer

The research highlights keratin 5 (KRT5) and versican (VCAN) as effective biomarkers for early detection and clinical monitoring of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In a multicenter validation study with over 1,000 plasma samples, a combined diagnostic model featuring KRT5, VCAN, and the existing CA 19-9 antigen achieved an impressive AUC of 0.95. Additionally, these biomarkers showed strong performance even when CA 19-9 levels were low, indicating their potential utility in enhancing early diagnosis and surveillance.

Journal Article by Liu S, Su J (…) Zheng L et 16 al. in J Gastroenterol

© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Society of Gastroenterology.

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