The real-world data of immune-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy for unresectable or metastatic esophageal cancer: a multi-institutional cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The real-world efficacy, feasibility, and prognostic factors of immune-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy for unresectable or metastatic esophageal cancer are not fully established. METHODS: This multi-institutional retrospective cohort study evaluated 71 consecutive patients treated with immune-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy for esophageal cancer between March 2021 and December 2022. We assessed tumor response, safety, and long-term survival. RESULTS: In patients with measurable lesions, the response rate was 58%, and the disease control rate for all enrolled patients was 80%. Five patients (7.0%) underwent successful conversion surgery. Grade 3 or higher immune-related adverse events occurred in 13% of patients, and one patient (1.4%) died due to cholangitis. Median progression-free survival was 9.7 (95% confidence interval: 6.5-not reached). C-reactive protein levels and performance status were identified as significant predictors of progression-free survival through Cox proportional hazards analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Immune-checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy for esophageal cancer demonstrated comparable tumor response, safety, and long-term survival to previous randomized clinical trials. Patients with good performance status and low C-reactive protein levels may be suitable candidates for this treatment.

Remnant gastritis in gastric cancer patients causes loss of muscle mass 6 months after gastrectomy: a retrospective cohort study of Helicobacter pylori infection.

PURPOSE: In this study, we assessed the relationship between remnant gastritis and muscle mass loss and then investigated the potential relationship between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and remnant gastritis and muscle loss. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 463 patients who underwent distal gastrectomy between January 2017 and March 2020. Of these patients, 100 with pStage I after laparoscopic surgery were included in this analysis. RESULTS: A multivariate analysis showed that the total Residue, Gastritis, Bile (RGB) classification score, which indicates the degree of gastritis, was significantly associated with the rate of change (rate of decrease) in the psoas muscle area (PMA) during the first 6 months after surgery (p = 0.014). Propensity score matching was performed according to HP infection, and the rate of change in the PMA and the degree of remnant gastritis in 56 patients were compared. Neither was significantly associated with HP infection. CONCLUSIONS: Remnant gastritis did contribute to psoas muscle mass loss during the initial 6 months after gastrectomy, and HP infection was not significantly associated with either remnant gastritis or psoas muscle mass loss. Nevertheless, the potential for HP eradication to prevent muscle loss and improve the survival prognosis for gastrectomy patients merits further research.

Efficacy and safety of patient-controlled thoracic epidural analgesia alone versus patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with acetaminophen after laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic gastrectomy is a common procedure for early gastric cancer treatment. Improving postoperative pain control enhances patient recovery after surgery. The use of multimodal analgesia can potentially enhance the analgesic effect, minimize side effects, and change the postoperative management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the efficacies of the use of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with regular acetaminophen (PCIA + Ace) and patient-controlled thoracic epidural analgesia (PCEA) for postoperative pain control. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the data of 226 patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) with delta-shaped anastomosis between 2016 and 2019. After 1:1 propensity-score matching, we compared 83 patients who used PCEA alone (PCEA group) with 83 patients who used PCIA + Ace (PCIA + Ace group). Postoperative pain was assessed using a numeric rating scale (NRS) with scores ranging from 0 to 10. An NRS score ≥ 4 was considered the threshold for additional intravenous rescue medication administration. RESULTS: Although NRS scores at rest were comparable between the PCEA and PCIA + Ace groups, NRS scores of patients in the PCIA + Ace group during coughing or movement were significantly better than those of patients in the PCEA group on postoperative days 2 and 3. The frequency of additional rescue analgesic use was significantly lower in the PCIA + Ace group than in the PCEA group (1.1 vs. 2.7, respectively, p < 0.001). The rate of reduction or interruption of the patient-controlled analgesic dose was higher in the PCEA group than in the PCIA + Ace group (74.6% vs. 95.1%, respectively, p = 0.0002), mainly due to hypotension occurrence in the PCEA group. Physical recovery time, postoperative complication occurrence, and liver enzyme elevation incidence were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: PCIA + Ace can be safely applied without an increase in complications or deterioration in gastrointestinal function; moreover, PCIA + Ace use may provide better pain control than PCEA use in patients following LDG.

Relative dose intensity and 1-year psoas muscle index reduction rate as prognostic factors in gastric cancer patients with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Higher relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy improves the clinical outcomes of various cancers. The psoas muscle index (PMI) is related to sarcopenia, and patients with low PMI have worse prognoses. However, few studies have demonstrated its clinical relevance in gastric cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study included 188 stage II/III gastric cancer patients who had undergone curative gastrectomy between January 2013 and March 2017, 124 of whom had received postoperative S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: Per receiver operating characteristic analysis, patients were divided into high and low RDI groups, between which relapse-free survival differed marginally significantly and disease-specific survival differed significantly. In patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy, multivariate analysis found that high RDI and low PMI reduction rate 1 year after surgery were significantly associated with better relapse-free survival. Low RDI can be predicted by a combination of low preoperative PMI and non-distal gastrectomy, whereas high PMI reduction rate at 1 year can be affected by non-distal gastrectomy. CONCLUSION: High RDI with preserved psoas muscle up to 1 year after gastrectomy may be associated with prognoses in gastric cancer requiring postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Since RDI and PMI reduction rate can be predicted preoperatively, respectively, interventional consideration is possible for optimal adjuvant therapy in gastric cancer.

[ESSENSE Concept and Perioperative Management in Esophageal Cancer Treatment].

The actual operation based on the philosophy of ESsential Strategy for Early Normalization after Surgery with patient's Excellent satisfaction (ESSENSE) in radical thoracic esophageal cancer surgery is described. ESSENSE, which is proposed by the Japanese Society of Surgical Metabolism and Nutrition to promote postoperative recovery, consists of four principles:reduction of invasive reactions, early independence of physical activity, early independence of nutrition intake, and perioperative anxiety reduction and motivation for recovery. Here, we describe the actual operation based on the ESSENSE philosophy in radical thoracic esophageal cancer surgery, which is classified as one of the highly invasive esophageal cancer surgeries. We have been performing perioperative management using the above protocol since April 2012. The outcomes of 334 patients up to April 2020 are described. Preoperative chemotherapy was administered in 74% of patients, 70% underwent thoracoscopic surgery, 50% had Clavien- DindoⅡ or higher postoperative complications, and 14% had postoperative pneumonia. The mean postoperative bed rest was 1.6 days. This contributed to a shorter hospital stay and fewer pulmonary complications compared with previous management. The four principles of ESSENSE are useful for early recovery programs in Japan. The ESSENSE should be implemented from this perspective according to the disease, medical facility, community, and family situation.

Surgical outcomes of reconstruction using the gastric tube and free jejunum for cervical esophageal cancer: analysis using the National Clinical Database of Japan.

BACKGROUND: Cervical esophageal cancer accounts for a small proportion of all esophageal cancers. Therefore, studies examining this cancer include a small patient cohort. Most patients with cervical esophageal cancer undergo reconstruction using a gastric tube or free jejunum after esophagectomy. We examined the current status of postoperative morbidity and mortality of cervical esophageal cancer based on big data. METHODS: Based on the Japan National Clinical Database, 807 surgically treated patients with cervical esophageal cancer were enrolled between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2019. Surgical outcomes were retrospectively reviewed for each reconstructed organ using gastric tubes and free jejunum. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative complications related to reconstructed organs was higher in the gastric tube reconstruction (17.9%) than in the free jejunum (6.7%) for anastomotic leakage (p < 0.01), but not significantly different for reconstructed organ necrosis (0.4% and 0.3%, respectively). The incidence rates of overall morbidity, pneumonia, 30-day reoperation, tracheal necrosis, and 30-day mortality using these reconstruction methods were 64.7% and 59.7%, 16.7% and 11.1%, 9.3% and 11.4%, 2.2% and 1.6%, and 1.2% and 0.0%, respectively. Only pneumonia was more common in the gastric tube reconstruction group (p = 0.03), but was not significantly different for any other complication. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of overall morbidities and reoperation, especially anastomotic leakage after gastric tube reconstruction, suggested a necessity for further improvement. However, the incidence of fatal complications, such as tracheal necrosis or reconstructed organ necrosis, was low for both reconstruction methods, and the mortality rate was acceptable as a means of radical treatment.

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on first-visit patients with oesophageal cancer in the first infection wave in Saitama prefecture near Tokyo: a single-centre retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Although the novel coronavirus disease 2019 did not lead to a serious medical collapse in Japan, its impact on treatment of oesophageal cancer has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the pandemic on consultation status and initial treatment in patients with primary oesophageal cancer. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted among 546 patients with oesophageal cancer who visited our hospital from April 2018 to March 2021. Pre-pandemic and pandemic data were compared with the clinical features, oncological factors and initial treatment as outcome measures. RESULTS: Diagnoses of oesophageal cancer decreased during the early phase of the pandemic from April to June (P = 0.048); however, there was no significant difference between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods throughout the year. The proportion of patients diagnosed with distant metastases significantly increased during the pandemic (P = 0.026), while the proportion of those who underwent initial radical treatment decreased (P = 0.044). The rate of definitive chemoradiotherapy decreased by 58.6% relative to pre-pandemic levels (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients may have refrained from consultation during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The resultant delay in diagnosis may have led to an increase in the number of patients who were not indicated for radical treatment, as well as a decrease in the number of those who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy. Our findings highlight the need to maintain the health care system and raise awareness on the importance of consultation.

Dismal prognosis of elderly gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) 3.

BACKGROUND: Although the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of 3 is relatively common in elderly patients, there have been few debates on the indications for gastrectomy in elderly gastric cancer (GC) patients with ASA3. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate gastrectomy's clinical relevance in elderly patients with GC and ASA3. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 228 consecutive elderly GC patients (aged ≥ 75 years) without prior treatments who underwent curative gastrectomy between 2013 and 2017. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients with ASA3 showed significantly poorer prognosis than those with ASA1 and 2 (p = 0.004). The multivariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that ASA3 (p = 0.021) and pStage (p = 0.007) were independent prognostic factors, respectively. Elderly GC patients with pStage III and ASA3 exhibited uniquely dismal prognosis (p < 0.001); however, several survivors were still confirmed. Postoperative complications (PCs) were only the final remnant independent prognostic factor (p = 0.020) among the 33 elderly GC patients with ASA3, where dead patients included cancer-specific and other deaths, especially pneumonia. PCs were independently associated with prognostic nutritional index (PNI) (< 42.7) in elderly GC patients, and the most frequent complication was pneumonia, which was significantly associated with ASA3 and marginally associated with PNI in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: ASA3 has a dismal prognosis after curative gastrectomy in the elderly GC patients, but the number of survivors was confirmed. Curative gastrectomy is not considered contraindicated even in elderly GC with ASA3. Preoperative malnutrition is associated with PCs, which proposing preoperative nutritional intervention in the context of treatment strategy for the elderly GC patients with ASA3.

Impact of the first era of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on gastric cancer patients: a single-institutional analysis in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the disadvantages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in patients with gastric cancer. This study aimed to examine the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with gastric cancer in the first era in Japan. METHODS: This retrospective study included 725 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer who visited our hospital between April 2019 and March 2021. The number of patients and their characteristics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared. RESULTS: The number of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased by 26.2% (from 417 to 308; p = 0.013) compared to that before the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a significant decrease in cStage I cancer and an increase in cStage III cancer (p = 0.004). Patients were often symptomatic (p = 0.029), especially those with stenosis-related symptoms (p < 0.001) and longer symptom duration (p < 0.001). The number of endoscopic resections was decreased by 34.8% (p = 0.005). The number of total gastrectomy was higher than that of partial gastrectomy (p = 0.021). The median time to treatment was significantly shorter (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In Japan, delays diagnosing patients with gastric cancer, probably due to refraining from consultation, may have resulted in an increase in the diagnosis of advanced-stage cancer. Moreover, an increasing proportion of patients required more invasive gastrectomy. Therefore, it may be necessary to educate patients not to refrain from consultation, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it can have a negative impact on treatment, policy decision, and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy versus open distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer in overweight patients.

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND: Gastrectomy for gastric cancer in overweight patients is associated with a high incidence of postoperative complications and difficulties in achieving adequate lymph node dissection. We conducted this study to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic and open distal gastrectomy (ODG) for gastric cancer in overweight Japanese patients. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed data from 180 patients with a body mass index ≥ 25 who underwent distal gastrectomy for pStage I-III gastric cancer. Postoperative complications, the number of harvested lymph nodes, and long-term survival were compared between ODG and laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG). RESULTS: Postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade ≥ 2 and ≥ 3 were significantly higher after ODG than after LDG (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis identified age and ODG as factors related to complications of CD ≥ 2 (p = 0.014 and 0.002). The number of harvested lymph nodes at region 4sb was significantly higher in LDG for patients with pStage III disease. The 5-year lymph node recurrence-free survival tended to be better in LDG; however, no difference was found between ODG and LDG at any pathological stage. There were no significant differences in the 5-year overall and recurrence-free survival rates after ODG vs. LDG. CONCLUSIONS: LDG for gastric cancer appears to be associated with a lower incidence of postoperative complications than ODG, without compromising long-term survival, even for overweight patients.

Impact of loss of skeletal muscle mass within 6-12 months after gastrectomy and S1 adjuvant chemotherapy on the survival prognosis of elderly patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated the impact of postoperative changes in the psoas muscle mass index (PMI) after gastrectomy and S1 adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) on the long-term outcomes of elderly patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 228 patients aged over 75 years, who underwent distal, proximal, or total gastrectomy between January, 2013 and March 2017. Among these patients, 78 with pStage IIA-IIIC who survived for at least 1 year without recurrence after gastrectomy were the subjects of this analysis. RESULTS: The log-rank test using the cut-off value from the rate of change in PMI from 6 to 12 months after gastrectomy (late rate of decrease) showed significantly poorer prognosis for the group above the cut-off value for both overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) (RFS: PMI decrease ≥ 1.55%, p < 0.001; OS: PMI decrease ≥ 1.55%, p < 0.001). Patients with a relative dose intensity of S1 below 68.7% and a late rate of decrease in PMI above 1.55% were found to have a poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to prevent decline in the PMI of elderly patients from 6 months after gastrectomy and to administer adjuvant chemotherapy with about two-thirds or more RDI of S1 to improve their survival prognosis.

A survey of the clinical outcomes of cervical esophageal carcinoma surgery focusing on the presence or absence of laryngectomy using the National Clinical Database in Japan.

BACKGROUND: One upside of cervical esophageal carcinoma is that radical surgery can be performed by laryngectomy, even for tumors with tracheal invasion. However, this approach drastically reduces the quality of life, such as by losing the vocal function. Cervical esophageal carcinoma is rare, and no comprehensive reports have described the current state of surgery. Using a Japanese nationwide web-based database, we analyzed the surgical outcomes of cervical esophageal carcinoma to evaluate the impact of larynx-preserving surgery. METHODS: Based on the Japan National Clinical Database, 215 surgically treated cases of cervical esophageal carcinoma between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, were enrolled. Clinical outcomes were compared between the larynx-preserved group and the laryngectomy group. RESULTS: Ninety-four (43.7%) patients underwent larynx-preserving surgery. A total of 177 (82.3%) patients underwent free jejunum reconstruction. More T4b patients and more patients who underwent preoperative radiotherapy were in the laryngectomy group. There were no significant differences in the frequency and the severity of morbidities between the two groups. However, in the laryngectomy group, in-hospital death within 30 days after surgery was observed in 1 patient, and the postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer (P = 0.030). In the larynx-preserved group, recurrent nerve paralysis was observed in 24.5%. Re-operation (35.3%, P = 0.016), re-intubation (17.6%, P = 0.019) and tracheal necrosis (17.6%, P = 0.028) were significantly more frequent in patients who underwent pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction than in others. CONCLUSION: Larynx-preserving surgery was therefore considered to be feasible because it was equivalent to laryngectomy regarding the short-term surgical outcomes.

Clinical impact of abdominal versus mediastinal metastases as a prognostic factor for poor outcomes following esophageal cancer surgery: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is still the mainstay of radical treatment for resectable esophageal cancer (EC). It is apparent that the presence or spread of lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a powerful prognostic factor in patients with EC who are eligible for curative treatment. Although the importance and efficacy of lymph node dissection in radical esophagectomy have been reported, the clinical or prognostic relevance of specific metastatic patterns within the mediastinal cavity and abdomen remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the association of postoperative survival with clinical mediastinal LNM (cMLNM) and abdominal LNM (cALNM) in 157 patients who underwent radical EC surgery at our hospital between May 2012 and March 2018. RESULTS: A significant difference in cause-specific survival (CSS) was observed between patients with and without cALNM (log-rank p = 0.000). A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that cALNM and thoracic surgery (mediastinal lymphadenectomy via conventional open right thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) independently predicted CSS (p = 0.0007 and 0.021, respectively). Moreover, a significant difference in systemic recurrence-free survival was observed between those with and without cALNM (log-rank p = 0.000). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that cALNM and sex independently predicted systemic recurrence-free survival (p = 0.000 and 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSION: cALNM was an independent poor prognostic factor for CSS after EC surgery. It may also be an independent prognostic factor for postoperative systemic recurrence, which can shorten the CSS. For patients with cALNM-positive EC who have a high potential risk of systemic metastases, more extensive treatment besides the conventional perioperative systemic chemotherapy may be necessary.

Linear stapler anastomosis for esophagogastrostomy in laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy reduce reflux esophagitis.

PURPOSE: There are various reconstruction methods for Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy (LPG), such as esophagogastrostomy (EG), double-tract reconstruction, and jejunal interposition. We have performed EG using a circular stapler (OrVil) from 2013 and using a linear stapler from 2017. The aim of this retrospective study was to clarify which stapler is better for EG for LPG. METHODS: The data of 84 patients who underwent EG for LPG between January 2013 and September 2019 were analyzed. EG with fundoplication was done using a circular stapler (OrVil) in 45 patients (CS group) and a linear stapler in 39 patients (LS group). The patients' medical records were reviewed. Clinical symptoms were obtained by interview at each outpatient consultation. All patients underwent postoperative 1-year follow-up endoscopy. To minimize bias between the two groups, propensity scores were calculated using a logistic regression model. After propensity-score matching, 60 patients (30 in the CS group and 30 in the LS group) were studied. RESULTS: Patient characteristics, operative outcomes were similar in two groups. Anastomotic leakage occurred in one patient (3.3%) in both groups. Anastomotic stenosis occurred in five patients (16.7%) in the CS group and two patients (6.7%) in the LS group. The rate of patients with severe reflux esophagitis (grade C or D) was significantly lower in the LS group (3.4%) than in the CS group (26.7%) (p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: EG with a linear stapler could reduce the risk of severe reflux esophagitis, and it could be a safe and feasible anastomosis for patients after LPG.

C-reactive protein adjusted for body mass index as a predictor of postoperative complications following laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between obesity and postoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and assess the usefulness of obesity status-adjusted CRP levels for predicting early complications following laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 527 patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer between January 2013 and March 2019. Patients were classified into three groups according to body mass index (BMI): BMI < 20; BMI ≥ 20 to < 25; and BMI ≥ 25. The correlation between BMI and perioperative CRP was investigated in 447 patients, excluding 80 with postoperative complications. The optimal CRP cutoff value of Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade ≥ 3 for predicting severe complications for each group was determined. RESULTS: BMI was significantly correlated with CRP on postoperative day (POD) 3 (p < 0.001) in 447 patients without complications. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, CRP cutoff values on POD 3 for predicting severe complications were 92.4, 111.1, and 171.9 in the BMI < 20, BMI ≥ 20 to < 25, and BMI ≥ 25 groups, respectively. In multivariate analysis for CD grade ≥ 3 complications, cardiac history and POD 3 CRP levels higher than the adjusted cutoff were identified as independent factors significantly associated with severe complications (p = 0.021 and 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSION: CRP cutoff values on POD 3 adjusted for BMI were useful for predicting severe complications in gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Verification of oncological local control for hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal lymph node dissection in esophageal cancer surgery: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: In esophageal cancer, long-term outcomes of minimally invasive surgery using endoscopic surgery are currently being verified. However, most trials have compared thoracic procedures; few studies have focused on the abdominal procedures, which are important for lymph node dissection in radical esophageal cancer surgery. Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) is a simple and minimally invasive procedure. Although HALS superiority in short-term outcomes has been reported, its oncological safety in esophageal cancer remains unclear. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated oncological safety of HALS compared with that of conventional open laparotomy (OL) in radical surgery for thoracic and abdominal esophageal cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the postoperative survival in 142 patients who underwent radical esophageal cancer surgery at our hospital between May 2012 and May 2017, with and without propensity score matching (PSM) between groups. RESULTS: Before PSM, OL (n = 65) and HALS (n = 77) groups differed significantly in overall survival (OS) (3-year OS rate: 74.2% and 87.3%, respectively; log-rank p = 0.040). Additionally, clinical abdominal lymph node metastasis (cALNM) independently predicted OS (p = 0.031). After PSM, the OL and HALS groups did not differ significantly in OS (3-year OS rate: 80.5% and 89.8%, respectively; log-rank p = 0.716). There was no statistically significant difference in abdominal-specific recurrence-free survival between the OL and HALS group before and after PSM. CONCLUSION: HALS may be a well-accepted procedure for radical esophagectomy in esophageal cancer, with oncological safety, including local control specific to the abdomen, comparable to that of the conventional OL.

Impact of endoscopic resection on the choice of surgical procedure in patients with additional laparoscopic gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Additional surgery is recommended for patients with noncurative resection after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer. Additional resection requires the excision of an area larger than that of the resected mucosa in ESD, which is larger than the lesion, with convergence of the gastric mucosa due to scarring. Thus, the selection of the surgical procedure for lesion removal in specific areas can be affected by ESD. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the impact of ESD on the selection of additional gastrectomy in patients with early gastric cancer in the boundary area between the upper third and middle third of the stomach (UM boundary region). METHODS: Between January 2013 and June 2018, laparoscopic gastrectomy was performed in 89 patients with cT1N0M0 gastric cancer located only in the UM boundary region. The patients' backgrounds and surgical and pathological results were retrospectively investigated. The predictive factors for performing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) were evaluated by multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Among 89 patients, 23 patients underwent ESD before surgery. LDG was significantly less often performed in the ESD-surgery group than in the surgery-only group (34.8% vs. 72.7%; p = 0.003). Preoperative ESD was an independent negative predictor of LDG (odds ratio = 0.266; p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative ESD has an impact on the selection of the type of additional gastrectomy, including reducing the conduct of LDG for early gastric cancer in the UM boundary region.

Evaluation of the Associations between Gastric Tube Preparation Methods and the Incidence of Cervical Anastomotic Leakage after Esophagectomy for Thoracic Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: A gastric tube (GT) is most often selected as a reconstruction conduit in esophageal reconstruction. Although some leakage from esophagogastric anastomoses is induced by blood flow failure in reconstruction conduits, the association between the GT and the anastomotic leakage (AL) is unclear. OBJECTIVES: We retrospectively evaluated the incidence of AL according to the GT shape. METHODS: Between February 2013 and September 2017, 188 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy with GT reconstruction were enrolled in this cohort study. We performed GT reconstruction using a narrow GT (Gr.N) until May 2016. Subsequently, we began preparing and using a stretched GT (Gr.S). RESULTS: AL occurred in 29 of 188 (15.4%) patients. The frequency of AL was lower with Gr.S than with Gr.N (p = 0.034). Sex, body mass index, Brinkman index, hypertension, and anemia were significantly associated with AL (p = 0.033, 0.041, 0.003, 0.030, and 0.042, respectively). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the GT shape and the Brinkman index were shown to be independent risk factors for AL (p = 0.016 and 0.020, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The GT preparation method is an independent risk factor for AL after cervical esophagogastrostomy. Thus, improved GT preparation methods could contribute to the reduction of AL after esophagectomy.

Effect of azygos arch preservation during thoracoscopic esophagectomy on facilitation of postoperative refilling.

PURPOSE: In esophageal cancer surgery, the significance of preserving the azygos arch during thoracoscopic esophagectomy remains unknown. To determine the significance, we examined the difference in postoperative courses between patients who underwent an azygos arch-preserving technique and patients whose azygos arch had been dissected. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 119 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy from January 2017 to December 2019. Statistical tests, including univariate or multivariate analyses and propensity score-matched analysis, were performed focusing on changes in fluid balance caused by the preservation of the azygos arch. RESULTS: The azygos arch was preserved in 65 patients and dissected in 54 patients. Urine output on postoperative day 2 was higher, and the IN-OUT balance on postoperative day 2 or accumulated IN-OUT balance up to postoperative day 2 tended to be lower in the azygos arch-preserving group than in the dissected group. The azygos arch-preserving technique did not affect the number of dissected mediastinal lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: The azygos arch-preserving technique during thoracoscopic esophagectomy facilitated postoperative refilling and avoided postoperative fluid excess. This technique might be a novel minimally invasive option for an otherwise highly invasive esophageal cancer surgery.

Association of the primary tumor's SUVmax with survival after surgery for clinical stage IA esophageal cancer: a single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Compared to other esophageal cancers, clinical stage IA esophageal cancer generally has a good prognosis, although a subgroup of patients has a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, clinical diagnoses of invasion depth or lymph node metastasis are not always accurate, which make it difficult to identify patients with a high risk of postoperative recurrence using the tumor-node-metastasis staging system. Fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography may help guide the identification of malignant tumors and the evaluation of their malignant grade based on glucose metabolism. We aimed to evaluate the association between pre-operative fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography findings and the postoperative prognosis of patients with clinical stage IA esophageal cancer. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study evaluated pre-esophagectomy fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography findings from 38 patients with clinical stage IA esophageal cancer. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the primary tumor having low and high SUVmax values (cut-off: 3.56). RESULTS: Overall survival (log-rank p = 0.034) and progression-free survival (log-rank p = 0.008) were significantly different between the groups with low SUVmax values (n = 18) and high SUVmax values (n = 20). Furthermore, the primary tumor's SUVmax value was related to pathological vascular invasion (p = 0.045) and distant metastasis (p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: The SUVmax of the primary tumor is a predictor of postoperative survival for clinical stage IA esophageal cancer. Thus, using fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography to evaluate the primary tumor's glucose metabolism may reflect the tumor's grade and potentially compensate for inaccuracies in tumor-node-metastasis staging.