Welcome to the Journal of Surgery and Science!
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: T is with a great sense of pride and enthusiasm that I introduce the inaugural issue of the Journal of Surgery and Science. This journal has been created to provide an international interdisciplinary forum for the world’s leading surgeons and biomedical scientists to discuss current and anticipated developments in Surgery and Science. We also aim to become a medium providing updates for eager-to-learn surgeons and scientists with the most recent advances in the broad field of Surgery and Science.
The contents of this first issue chiefly reflect works and opinions from our Editorial Board Members. From the Science side, Drs. Park and Chalfant’s group reviews current challenges in the treatment of Triple Negative and Her2-overexpressing breast cancers (1). They have pointed out that one of the reasons why breast cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the US when its 5-year survival rate has improved up to 90% is that some subtypes, triple negative and Her2-overexpressing, develop resistance to current therapies. They discuss the latest updates on what is known about these subtypes and future directions for their treatment (1).
From the Surgery side, Drs. Kuroki and Eguchi review the latest developments in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer (2). Laparoscopic surgery, often referred as part of minimally invasive surgery, is said to have revolutionized surgical practice with a minimally sized scar and decreased recovery time by utilizing laparoscopes and “reachers”. Two decades ago, when this technology was introduced to common surgical practice, there was much discussion about whether junior surgeons can appropriately be trained to understand the anatomy when they have less experience in open procedures (classic operations requiring opening of the abdominal cavity). Now laparoscopic cholecystectomy, removal of the gall bladder, is so common that we rarely see an open cholecystectomy performed. The question is how far can we go? Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest abdominal malignancies with poor survival compared to other cancers. Pancreaticoduodenectomy, also known as the Whipple procedure, removes the head of pancreas together with the duodenum, common bile duct and gall bladder, and the distal portion of the stomach. It is considered one of the most challenging elective surgical oncology operations due to the complexity of the anatomy, proximity to major vascular structures, and a historically high morbidity associated with the erosive action of the pancreatic digestive enzymes. Dr. Kuroki describes the technique utilized at his institution, and reviews the latest perioperative and oncological outcomes (2). Dr. Nagahashi from our group reports a case of massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding in a patient with HIV, which we found to be due to co-infection with tuberculosis and CMV (3). HIV infection is one of the major risk factors for the development of tuberculosis. Massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding due to intestinal tuberculosis was once an uncommon complication, but its incidence has increased especially in developing countries and among HIV patients, thus it is important to consider tuberculosis as a cause of gastrointestinal bleeding in this population (3).
I strongly believe that there are wide-open frontiers to be explored in the field of Translational Research where Surgical Practice and basic Biomedical Research merge to develop novel concepts and create new diagnostic and/or treatment modalities. Today, both clinical Surgery and basic Science are advancing at a rapid pace, yet both seem to be progressively and dramatically separating. Basic research technologies have advanced to the point that they now can make a practical difference in clinical practice. Development of the gene expression profiling of breast cancer that the subtypes are based upon is a good example of this and it is now appreciated that this information can lead to novel targeted therapies that can make practical impacts on patient survival (1). It is a sad reality that there is currently an insufficient depth and breadth of communication between surgeons and scientists. The goal of the Journal of Surgery and Science is to bridge this gap between Surgery and Science in order to advance our combined knowledge and wisdom of biology and disease for the benefit of patients. To this end, the Journal of Surgery and Science is proud to serve as a forum for the publication of important new observations in Surgery and Science as, together, we contribute to the renaissance of Translational Research.
Source: PubMed
Author: Kazuaki Takabe
Language: English
Open Access status: green
Funder: National Cancer Institute
OpenAlex ID: W2293389526