Malignancy is a risk factor for postoperative infectious complications after elective colorectal resection.

PURPOSE: Patient and technical factors influencing the postoperative infectious complications (ICs) after elective colorectal resections are satisfactorily described. However, the underlying disease-related factors have not been extensively evaluated. This study aimed to measure the effect of malignancy on postoperative surgical site and extra surgical site infections after elective colorectal resection. METHODS: This study is a bicentric retrospective matched pair study of prospectively gathered data. Between 2004 and 2013, 1104 consecutive patients underwent colorectal resection in two centers. Patients undergoing elective resection with supraperitoneal anastomosis for benign diseases (excluding inflammatory bowel disease) (group B, n = 305) were matched to randomly selected patients with malignancy (group M, n = 305). The matching variables were age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, malnutrition, type of resection, and surgical approach. We compared the 30-day IC rates between patients with benign diseases (group B) and malignancy (group M). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for ICs. RESULTS: Group M had a higher overall rate of IC (25.6 vs 16.1 %, P = 0.004) as well as a higher risk of extra surgical site infections (P = 0.007) and anastomotic leakage (P = 0.039). The independent risk factors for ICs were malignancy (odds ratio (OR) = 2.02; P = 0.002), age ≥70 years (OR = 1.73, P = 0.018), tobacco history (OR = 1.87; P = 0.030), and obesity (OR = 1.68; P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Malignancy, age, tobacco history, and obesity increase the risk of ICs after colorectal resection. Improvement of the modifiable risk factors, increased compliance with an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program in the overall population, and optimization of immune function in patients with malignancy should be considered.

Advanced tumor stage is an independent risk factor of postoperative infectious complications after colorectal surgery: arguments from a case-matched series.

BACKGROUND: Patient and technical factors influencing postoperative infectious complications after elective colorectal resections for cancer are well described. Tumor related factors, however, have not been extensively evaluated. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the effect of tumor stage on postoperative surgical site and extra surgical site infections after elective colorectal cancer resection. DESIGN: This was a retrospective matched-cohort analysis of prospectively gathered data. SETTINGS: The study was conducted in a tertiary referral center and a private hospital specializing in colorectal surgery. PATIENTS: Between 2004 and 2011, 740 consecutive patients underwent elective resection for colorectal cancer in 2 centers. Patients undergoing resection for advanced tumors (group A, ≥ stage IIB, n = 177) were matched to randomly selected patients with localized disease (group L,

[Cancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction: evolution of surgical management]. / Cancer de l'oesophage et de la jonction oeso-gastrique: evolution de la stratégie chirurgicale.

Management of esophageal cancer has evolvedmarkedly in the last two decades. Advances in neoadjuvant treatment combined with refinements in surgical techniques and perioperative care have resulted in better postoperative outcomes and long-term survival. We investigated trends in the outcome of esophagectomy for esophageal cancer over the past 20 years at our high-volume institution. We studied patients who underwent surgery for primary cancer of the esophagus or gastroesophageal junction from 1988 through 2008 (N = 1153). Four study periods (P) were compared: 1988-1993 (P1), 1994-1998 (P2), 1999-2003 (P3) and 2004-2008 (P4). Demographic parameters, tumor characteristics, post-operative morbidity, in-hospital mortality and long-term survival were recorded prospectively and the four periods were compared retrospectively. Squamous cell carcinoma accountedfor 77.4% of the 1153 malignancies. The ratio of squamous cell carcinoma to adenocarcinoma fell from 12.0 to 1.3 during the study period (P1 vs P4, P < 0.001), with aparallel increase in the number tumors of the lower esophagus or gastroesophageal junction. The post-operative mortality and morbidity rates were respectively 5.6% and 42.7% overall and remained stable during the study period. The five-year survival rate among all resected patients improved significantly, from 24.3% to 42.7% (P1 vs P4, P< 0.001). The complete (RO) resection rate was 80.7% overall and increased from 74.1% to 82.1% (P1 vs P4, P < 0.05). The five-year survival rate improved significantly among RO-resected patients, from 32.7 % to 52.3 % (PI vs P4, P<.0001). The proportion of patients who received neoadjuvant treatment (mainly chemoradiotherapy) rose from 46.8% to 66.5%. The completeness of the pathologic response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy correlated with long-term survival (P < 0.001): five-year survival rates among pathologically complete, partial and non responders were 52.1%, 24.8% and 10%, respectively. Short-term outcomes after resection remained stable during the study period and comparedfavorably with those reported by other high-volume institutions. Long-term survival improved significantly. Advances in staging methods andsurgical management, combined with more stringent patient selection and use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation, may explain this progress. More reliable predictors of complete RO resection and of the response to chemoradiation therapy are needed in order to tailor management to the individual patient.

Operatively induced chronic reflux in rats: a suitable model for studying esophageal carcinogenesis?

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms of esophageal reflux leading to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) remain poorly understood. This study appraises critically an operatively induced chronic reflux rat model. METHODS: We randomized 108 Sprague-Dawley rats into 2 experimental groups; one was performing esophagoduodenal (ED) anastomosis with or without gastrectomy to induce duodeno-esophageal reflux (DER group; n = 63), and the other involved duodeno-gastro-esophageal reflux (DGER group; n = 45). Control groups included (i) Roux-en-Y esophagojejunal anastomosis, (ii) laparotomy alone, (iii) subtotal gastrectomy to induce duodenogastric reflux (DGR group), and (iv) the same procedure as in the DGER group plus proton pump inhibition (PPI group). The esophagus underwent histologic and molecular analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of Barrett's esophagus (BE), dysplasia, and EA in the experimental groups was 41%, 7%, and 11%, respectively. Histologic and molecular analyses in groups DER, DGER, and DGR suggested that BE occurred through de novo intestinal metaplasia and proximal migration of duodenal cells. No distant metastases were identified. The molecular characteristics of both BE and EA were similar to humans. BE was more common, and dysplasia and EA less frequent in the DER group when compared with the DGER group (44% vs 24% [P = .038] and 7% vs 25% [P = .012], respectively). Compared with the DGER group, carcinogenic sequence occurred less frequently in the PPI-treated group (P = .019). CONCLUSION: Despite pathophysiologic differences with humans, the rat model of esophagoduodenostomy reproduces accurately histologic and molecular lesions in the carcinogenetic sequence of BE and allowed us to identify novel, tumor-associated proteins that may be potential biomarkers and new therapeutic targets in EA.