Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Patients with cT3/Nearly T4 Esophageal Cancer: Is Sarcopenia Correlated with Postoperative Complications and Prognosis?

BACKGROUND: Since the clinical impact of sarcopenia on multimodal therapy for patients with esophageal cancer is not well understood, this study was conducted to determine the influence of sarcopenia on the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for locally advanced esophageal cancer. METHODS: The skeletal muscle index was quantified at the level of the third lumbar vertebra on computed tomography images, and sarcopenia was defined as a skeletal muscle index that was less than the average for each gender. We compared treatment outcomes in patients with cT3 and nearly T4 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma between the sarcopenia group (n = 85) and the non-sarcopenia group (n = 72). RESULTS: The 5-year survival rates were 33.4% in the non-sarcopenia group and 31.5% in the sarcopenia group; these differences were not significant. The prognosis of the patients with sarcopenia was worse than that of the patients without sarcopenia in the surgery-alone group, but there was no difference between patients with and without sarcopenia in the NACRT group. CONCLUSIONS: NACRT could be a useful option for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, even for those with sarcopenia, without increasing the incidence of morbidity and mortality.

[Successful laparoscopic repair of delayed traumatic abdominal wall hernia].

The occurrence of traumatic abdominal wall hernia secondary to blunt trauma is uncommon, and laparoscopic repair of such hernias is very rare. A 53-year-old man, who had sustained injuries to his right thigh and right abdomen 8 months previously, visited a hospital because of a bulge in the right lateral abdomen. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a rupture in the lateral abdominal muscle and herniation of the cecum into the subcutaneous space. Accordingly, delayed traumatic abdominal wall hernia was diagnosed, which was successfully repaired laparoscopically. Thus, a laparoscopic tension-free mesh repair was safely and effectively performed for delayed traumatic abdominal wall hernia.

In-hospital mortality after a surgical resection for esophageal cancer: analyses of the associated factors and historical changes.

BACKGROUND: Resections for esophageal cancer are invasive, with high mortality and morbidity rates. The object of this study was to clarify the factors associated with in-hospital death while also evaluating any associated historical changes in the characteristics of such deaths. METHODS: The factors associated with mortality were examined by logistic regression analysis in 1106 patients who underwent an esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. The historical changes in the characteristics of in-hospital deaths were also evaluated. RESULTS: A multivariate analysis revealed that not only undergoing an esophagectomy before 1979, but also a patient's age (odds ratio 1.070 for every increase in age by year) and an incomplete resection (odds ratio 2.265) were independent factors associated with in-hospital death. The in-hospital mortality rates were 16.1%, 5.8%, 2.5%, and 3.1%, while the 30-day mortality rates were 9.2%, 2.2%, 0.8%, and 0.3% during 1964-1979, the 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s, respectively. Eight patients had preoperative comorbidities among 11 patients who died in the hospital after 1997. The mortality rate was 5.5% in patients with any comorbidities, while it was 1.3% in patients without any comorbidities (P = 0.026). The most common direct cause of in-hospital death was previous pulmonary complications; however, cancer progression has recently become the most common cause. CONCLUSIONS: To prevent in-hospital mortality after an esophagectomy, strict indications for surgery and careful perioperative management are important, especially in high-risk patients with advanced esophageal cancer.

Two-stage operation for high-risk patients with thoracic esophageal cancer: an old operation revisited.

PURPOSE: An esophagectomy followed by reconstruction for esophageal cancer is a highly aggressive operation. The purpose of this study was to justify a two-stage operation for high-risk patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS: The clinical results of 27 patients who underwent two-stage operation were compared with 118 patients who underwent a simultaneous resection and reconstruction (control subjects). The reasons for the selection of the two-stage operation were underlying general disease in 13 patients (liver dysfunction, n = 6; pulmonary disease, n = 3; poor performance status, n = 2; diabetes and renal failure, n = 1 each) and high-risk operation in 14 other patients (colon interposition, n = 7; salvage operation after definitive chemoradiotherapy, n = 4; and intraoperative events, n = 3). The patients initially underwent an esophagectomy and a cervical esophagostomy. Reconstruction was usually performed 2-3 weeks later. RESULTS: The patients in the two-stage group were older than the control patients (mean 67.8 vs. 61.6 years old). The morbidity rate of the two-stage operation was 29.6%, which was not statistically different than control patients (32.2%). Postoperative complications in the two-stage operation were anastomotic leakage in 5 patients, and pneumonia and wound infection in 1 patient each. No patient experienced in-hospital death. The survival rates were not statistically different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: A two-stage operation is a safe operation that prevents the occurrence of critical postoperative complications, and it thus may be considered an important treatment strategy for high-risk patients with esophageal cancer.

Surgical resection following combination chemotherapy with oral S-1 and biweekly docetaxel in a patient with advanced gastric cancer and a prior coronary artery bypass graft with the right gastroepiploic artery: report of a case.

Cardiothoracic surgeons commonly use the internal thoracic artery (ITA) and the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) when performing a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Although the development of CABG surgery has enabled long-term survival in patients with coronary artery disease, malignant diseases are more common in older patients. We present the case of a 75-year-old man who had previously undergone CABG with the RGEA and had later developed advanced gastric cancer. We treated this patient with two courses of combination chemotherapy using S-1 and docetaxel as induction therapy, followed by successful tumor resection. Therefore, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was effective for preserving the CABG with the RGEA in a patient with advanced gastric cancer.

Alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, and the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: epidemiology, clinical findings, and prevention.

Both cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking are well-established risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and the relationship of dose to cancer risk has already been described. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of these two factors has been reported. Our case-control study revealed the odds ratio of ESCC to be 50.1 for those who were both heavy smokers and heavy drinkers in comparison to people who neither drank nor smoked. In patients with ESCC, head and neck cancers as well as dysplastic lesions are frequently observed. Heavy smoking and heavy drinking are closely related to such multicentric carcinogenesis events in the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT), including the esophagus and head andneck region. Polymorphisms in acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) are reported to be a key event in deciding individual susceptibility to UADT cancer. Patients with inactive ALDH2, in whom facial flushing is usually observed after the drinking of alcohol, are at high risk for ESCC as well as multiple UADT cancers. For the early detection of the disease, effective follow up using endoscopy with Lugol staining or narrow band imaging endoscopy is strongly recommended for high-risk populations, such as smokers, heavy drinkers, people with experience of flushing after the drinking of alcohol, and patients with UADT cancer.

Successful curative surgery for postoperative oesophageal recurrence of oesophagogastric junction cancer.

A man in his 70s had undergone total gastrectomy for oesophagogastric junction cancer. Three years and 11 months later, he began to vomit after meals and was diagnosed with mediastinal recurrence of oesophagogastric junction cancer. A CT scan showed that the tumour was suspected of infiltrating the aorta and lung. He received two cycles of chemotherapy with S-1 plus cisplatin, resulting in tumour reduction. The patient underwent resection of the lower oesophagus, including the tumour, the left lower lobe of the lung and the pericardium through a left thoracoabdominal incision. This is the first report of a patient surgically resected for postoperative oesophageal recurrence of oesophagogastric junction cancer. Although most postoperative recurrences of oesophagogastric junction cancer are far advanced at the time of diagnosis and prognosis is poor, chemotherapy followed by surgery may improve the prognosis of patients with locoregional recurrence.

[Two radically resected colorectal carcinoma cases with unresectable liver metastasis after adjuvant chemotherapy with bevacizumab].

Nowadays, the advancements of systemic chemotherapy for colorectal carcinoma improve a clinical response rate, and expand the possibility of resection which couldn't operable at the initial visit. In addition, the prognoses of the patients, who had a radical operation for metastasis, are clearly longer than the non-operable patients. Bevacizumab, anti-human VEGF monoclonal antibody, is significantly effective when used in combination with one of the systemic multi-agent chemotherapy such as FOLFOX regimen or FOLFIRI regimen. We report here two cases with colon carcinoma, which had initially unresectable liver metastases, were respond to the treatment of systemic multi-agent chemotherapy with bevacizumab. Then, both cases were able to undergo radical resections of primary tumor and liver metastases safely.

Sarcopenia discriminates poor prognosis in elderly patients following emergency surgery for perforation panperitonitis.

AIM: Sarcopenia has been reported as a prognostic predictor in various conditions; however, it has not been examined in patients with perforation panperitonitis. METHODS: A total of 103 consecutive patients with perforation panperitonitis who underwent emergency surgery from 2008 to 2016 were retrospectively evaluated. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured as the cross-sectional area (cm2) of skeletal muscle in the L3 region on computed tomography images normalized for height (cm2/m2). Sarcopenia was defined as an SMI of ≤43.75 and ≤41.10 cm2/m2 in men and women, respectively. The impact of sarcopenia on postoperative outcomes was investigated. RESULTS: Sarcopenia was present in 50 (48.5%) patients. Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥IIIb) and in-hospital mortality were more frequently observed in patients with than without sarcopenia (28.0% vs 9.4%, P = .015) (20.0% vs 5.7%, P = .029) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age, sarcopenia, and renal dysfunction were independent risk factors for severe complications and in-hospital mortality. The optimal cut-off levels of age and SMI for predicting these were ≥79 years and SMI <38 cm2/m2, respectively. Among the patients aged ≥79 years, those with SMI <38 cm2/m2 had a severe complication rate of 71% and an in-hospital mortality rate of 57%, whereas the rate of those with SMI ≥38 cm2/m2 was 22% (P = .011) and 11% (P = .008), respectively. CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is a predictive factor of severe complications and in-hospital mortality following emergency surgery for perforation panperitonitis, especially in elderly patients. Estimation of sarcopenia may identify patients eligible or not eligible for emergency surgery among elderly patients.

Primary amelanotic malignant melanoma of the esophagus: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary amelanotic malignant melanoma of esophagus, which is a subtype of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus (PMME), is a very rare disease with a poor prognosis. We herein report a case of the amelanotic type of PMME. CASE PRESENTATION: An 86-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with symptoms of dysphagia. An endoscopic examination and constructed radiography revealed an elevated and semipedunculated lesion with an ulcer in the lower thoracic esophagus accompanied by another submucosal lesion of the esophagus. She was diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by a preoperative endoscopic biopsy. We performed thoracoscopy- and laparoscopy-assisted subtotal esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy. Based on the surgical specimens, although there were no melanocytes, we made a diagnosis of a malignant melanoma immunohistochemically; the tumor cells were positive for S-100 protein and HMB45 focally and partially for Melan-A. CONCLUSION: We experienced a case of primary amelanotic malignant melanoma, and the patient has remained disease-free for 1 year since the surgery. Since the diagnosis of amelanotic type of PMME is difficult, it should be made by the combination of a morphological examination, pathological examination, and immunohistochemistry.

Postoperative development of sarcopenia is a strong predictor of a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and upper gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: There were few studies assessed the postoperative sarcopenia in patients with cancers. The objective of present study was to assess whether postoperative development of sarcopenia could predict a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction, (AEG) and upper gastric cancer (UGC). METHODS: Patients with AEG and UGC who were judged as non-sarcopenic before surgery were reassessed the presence of postoperative development of sarcopenia 6 months after surgery. Patients were divided into the development group or non-development group, and clinicopathological factors and prognosis between these two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival rates were significantly poorer in the development group than non-development group (68.0% vs. 92.6%, P = 0.0118). Multivariate analyses showed that postoperative development of sarcopenia was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival (P = 0.0237). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative development of sarcopenia was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with AEG and UGC.

CD44v9 is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition and poor outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

CD44 serves as a marker of cancer stem cells. Alternative splicing generates the CD44v9 isoform. Cancer stem cells are associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancers, although little is known about their role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Here, we aimed to clarify the relationship between CD44v9 expression, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and clinicopathological features of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. CD44v9 levels were higher at the tumor invasive front compared with the center of the tumor and higher in metastatic lymph nodes compared with primary tumors. High levels of CD44v9 at the tumor invasive front were significantly associated with deeper tumor invasion and shorter overall survival and recurrence-free survival. The expression of CD44v9 was increased by treatment with transforming growth factor-ß, which induced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells to undergo the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Moreover, inhibition of CD44v9 expression decreased the migration and invasiveness of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells. These results indicate that the expression of CD44v9 at the tumor invasive front induced by stemness was strongly associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and poor prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. CD44v9 may therefore serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

"Energy-less technique" with mini-clips for recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection in prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Meticulous recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) lymph node dissection in thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer often results in RLN paralysis. METHODS: We had attempted to simply cut the vessels around RLN sharply with scissors without using energy device in order to prevent RLN paralysis. However, these procedures often result in minor bleeding. Since we introduced the use of mini-clips for hemostasis before cutting the vessels with scissors, we herein compared the surgical results between before and after the introduction of use of mini-clips. RESULTS: With regard to RLN paralysis, the incidence was 24.0% in the before group; this incidence went down to 5.1% in the after group (P = 0.0259). Moreover, length of hospital stay after surgery was significantly shortened, from 36.1 days to 22.0 days, after the introduction of energy-less techniques with mini-clips (P = 0.0075). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that this technique contributed to prevent RLN paralysis and to shorten the patient's length of hospital stay.

Recent advances in treatment for colorectal liver metastasis.

A major challenge for the management of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is the multidisciplinary approach including surgery. Resection is the most important treatment strategy to prolong the survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Even when resection is not possible as a primary treatment, it may still be carried out for curative intent after effective chemotherapy. Therefore, resection should always be considered when conducting chemotherapy for CRLM. Neoadjuvant anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody has shown a high response rate for RAS wild CRC. However, whether anti-EGFR antibody is superior to antivascular endothelial growth factor antibody for all types of CRLM is yet to be determined. Recently, several randomized control trials of first-line therapy for advanced CRC have been conducted, and some of them are ongoing. The optimal chemotherapy regimen and tumor biology indicated for neoadjuvant chemotherapy as well as conversion surgery are expected to be determined in the near future.

Therapeutic Strategy for Incarcerated Obturator Hernia Using Preoperative Manual Reduction and Laparoscopic Repair.

BACKGROUND: Obturator hernia (OH) is a rare but serious disease associated with high morbidity and mortality due to advanced patient age and comorbidities. This study evaluated the feasibility of a laparoscopic approach to OH. STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 32 patients (median age 84 years; 31 women) with OH treated between 2003 and 2016. RESULTS: Five patients with incidental OH underwent total extraperitoneal (TEP) repair. Of 27 patients with incarcerated OH, 18 patients underwent laparotomy, 13 of which required bowel resection, and the remaining 9 patients underwent preoperative ultrasound-guided manual OH reduction. Of 6 patients with successful OH release, 3 and 2 patients underwent TEP and transabdominal preperitoneal repair, respectively, and 1 patient declined the operation. Three patients with failure underwent laparoscopic exploration and conversion to open operation for bowel resection. Comparing the open and laparoscopic groups, the median operation times were 67.5 minutes vs 124 minutes, respectively (p = 0.004); median postoperative stay was 19 vs 11 days, respectively (p = 0.028); and Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher complications tended to be lower (28% vs 8%, respectively; p = 0.359). Even in patients without bowel resection, the median postoperative stay was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group compared with the open group (7.5 vs 15 days, respectively; p = 0.032). During a mean follow-up of 24.5 months, the 3-year recurrence rate for OH was 25% for non-mesh repair and 0% for mesh repair (p = 0.335). Three- and 5-year cumulative survival rates were 83% and 71%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic operations after ultrasound-guided manual reduction can be an alternative to emergent laparotomy in select OH patients.

A case of mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) arising in Barrett's esophagus: literature and review.

BACKGROUND: Mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) is defined as a neoplasm composed of both exocrine and endocrine carcinomas, each comprising at least 30% of the tumor. MANEC can occur in various organs of the gastrointestinal tract, including the esophagus, stomach, and colon. We herein provide the first case report of surgically resected MANEC arising in Barrett's esophagus (BE). CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old man presenting with abdominal pain was referred to our hospital. Upper endoscopy showed a type 0-IIa + IIc elevated lesion adjacent to BE. According to a biopsy specimen, the elevated lesion was diagnosed as adenocarcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. No lymphatic or distant metastasis was detected in the preoperative examination. Laparoscopic distal esophagectomy and proximal gastrectomy were performed, and a diagnosis of MANEC in BE was determined according to the surgically resected specimen. CONCLUSIONS: A very rare case of MANEC in BE was detected. BE can be the origin of esophageal MANEC as well as adenocarcinoma. Due to the small number of esophageal or esophagogastric MANEC cases reported, further accumulation of such cases is necessary to recommend an optimal management strategy for esophageal or esophagogastric MANEC.

Comparison of the prognostic values of preoperative inflammation-based parameters in patients with breast cancer.

Peripheral blood-derived inflammation-based markers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are indicators of prognosis in various malignant tumors. The present study aimed to identify the inflammation-based parameters that are most suitable for predicting outcomes in patients with breast cancer. Two hundred ninety-six patients who underwent surgery for localized breast cancer were reviewed retrospectively. The association between clinicopathological factors and inflammation-based parameters were investigated. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic indicators associated with disease-free survival (DFS). The NLR level correlated significantly with tumor size (P<0.05). The PLR level correlated with the expression of estrogen receptor and lymph node involvement (P<0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that lower CRP and PLR values as well as tumor size, lymph node involvement, and nuclear grade were significantly associated with superior DFS (CRP: P<0.01; PLR, tumor size, lymph node involvement, and nuclear grade: P<0.05). On multivariate analysis, CRP (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-7.88, P<0.05), PLR (HR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.07-6.36, P<0.05) and nuclear grade (HR: 3.066, 95% CI: 1.26-7.49, P<0.05) were significant prognostic indicators of DFS in patients with breast cancer. Neither LMR nor NLR significantly predicted DFS. Both preoperative CRP and PLR values were independently associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast carcinoma; these were superior to other inflammation-based scores in terms of prognostic ability.

Laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment of a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck extending in the retroperitoneal space: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck is a rarely encountered entity. We report a case underwent laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) treatment for a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck extending in the extraperitoneal space mainly. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 37-year-old woman complained of painless and reducible swelling in her left groin, and referred to our hospital for surgical management against left inguinal hernia with the incarcerated ovary. Ultrasonography and MR images revealed a cystic mass in the retroperitoneal space, and we diagnosed as an unusual type of hydrocele of the canal of Nuck. The patient was scheduled for laparoscopic treatment. Laparoscopic findings on pneumoperitoneum showed an extraperitoneal cystic tumor with no contact with the left ovary. The fascia and peritoneum of the port site were closed, and then an extraperitoneal space was created. The cystic tumor with the round ligament of the uterus was dissected and resected by the TEP technique. The extended deep inguinal ring was repaired with polypropylene mesh. Postoperative course was uneventful. DISCUSSION: Hydrocele of the canal of Nuck in the adult female is a rare condition. The accurate diagnosis of an inguinal hydrocele in a female is seldom made. Laparoscopic examination provides surgeons with information of inguinal swelling accompanied with retroperitoneal cyst, and consecutive treatment by laparoscopic technique, especially TEP, is useful in regard to minimal damage of the peritoneum. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic diagnosis and TEP treatment offers a useful alternative in selected patients with hydrocele of the canal of Nuck.

Copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity at the p53 locus in carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinomas associated with p53 mutations.

PURPOSE: LOH at the p53 locus has been reported to be associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis. The aim of this study is to identify potential mechanisms resulting in LOH around the p53 locus in its carcinogenesis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We investigated 10 esophageal cancer cell lines and 91 surgically resected specimens, examining them for LOH at the p53 locus on chromosome 17. We examined the p53 gene by using microsatellite analysis, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), FISH, and single-nucleotide polymorphism-CGH (SNP-CGH). RESULTS: In an analysis of specimens by microsatellite markers, a close positive correlation was found between p53 mutations and LOH at the p53 locus (P < 0.01). Although four cell lines were found to be homozygous for p53 mutations, LOH at the p53 locus was not detected by CGH. Among two p53 mutant cancer cell lines and five p53 mutant/LOH cancer specimens analyzed by FISH, both the cell lines and four of the specimens exhibited no obvious copy number loss at the p53 locus. SNP-CGH analysis, which allows both determination of DNA copy number and detection of copy-neutral LOH, showed that LOHs without copy number change were caused by whole or large chromosomal alteration. CONCLUSIONS: LOH without copy number change at the p53 locus was observed in p53 mutant esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Our data suggest that copy-neutral LOH occurring as a result of chromosomal instability might be the major mechanism for inactivation of the intact allele in esophageal squamous cell carcinogenesis associated with p53 mutation.