Gastro-Intestinal Disorders and Micronutrient Deficiencies following Oncologic Esophagectomy and Gastrectomy.

Primary surgical indications for the esophagus and stomach mainly involve cancer surgeries. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the field of esogastric surgery, driven by advancements in surgical techniques and improvements in perioperative care. The rate of resectability has increased, and surgical strategies have evolved to encompass a broader patient population. However, despite a reduction in postoperative mortality and morbidity, malnutrition remains a significant challenge after surgery, leading to weight loss, muscle mass reduction, and deficiencies in essential nutrients due to digestive complications. Malnutrition worsens quality of life and increases the risk of tumor recurrence, significantly affecting prognosis. Nevertheless, the nutritional consequences following surgery are frequently overlooked, mainly due to a lack of awareness regarding their long-term effects on patients who have undergone digestive surgery, extending beyond six months. Micronutrient deficiencies are frequently observed following both partial and total gastrectomy, as anticipated. Surprisingly, these deficiencies appear to be similarly prevalent in patients who have undergone esophagectomy with iron, vitamins A, B1, B12, D, and E deficiencies commonly observed in up to 78.3% of the patients. Recognizing the distinct consequences associated with each type of intervention underscores the importance of implementing preventive measures, early detection, and prompt management.

Risk factors for intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and prolonged length of stay after laparoscopic adrenalectomy by transperitoneal lateral approach: a retrospective cohort study of 547 procedures.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is the gold standard for the resection of most adrenal lesions. A precise delineation of factors influencing its outcomes is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and prolonged length of stay (LOS) after LA. METHODS: Patients who underwent LA from 1999 to 2021 in a single-academic-institution were included. Patient and disease-specific data, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications according to Dindo-Clavien (DC) scale, and LOS were recorded. Predictive factors of complications and prolonged LOS were determined by logistic regression. RESULTS: We identified 530 patients who underwent 547 LA. Intraoperative complications occurred in 33 patients (6.0%). Postoperative complications ≥  DC grade 2 occurred in 73 patients (13.35%); severe postoperative complications ≥ DC grade 3 in 14 patients (2.56%). Postoperative complications were positively associated with age ≥ 72 (OR 1.14 [95% CI 1.02-1.29]), intraoperative complications (OR 1.36 [95% CI 1.14-1.63]), and negatively associated with non functional adenomas (OR 0.88 [95% CI 0.7-0.99]), and right adrenalectomy (OR 0.91 [95% CI 0.86-0.97]). Severe postoperative complications were positively associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, OR 1.08 [95% CI 1.00-1.17]), and negatively associated with right adrenalectomy (OR 0.97 [95% CI 0.92-0.99]). Prolonged LOS was associated with age ≥ 72 (OR 1.21 [95% CI 1.05-1.41]), and COPD (OR 1.20 [95% CI 1.01-1.44]). CONCLUSIONS: LA remains safe when performed by surgeons with expertise. Right adrenalectomy resulted in less postoperative overall and severe complications. The risk-benefit equation should be carefully assessed before left LA in older patients with COPD.

Long-Term Results After Bariatric Surgery in Super-Super-Obese Patients.

Introduction: Despite addressing to high risk population, we can propose laparoscopic bariatric surgery to super-super-obese (SSO) patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥60 kg/m2). The aim of this study was to report our experience in terms of weight loss and improvement of medical comorbidities after a follow-up of 5 years in the SSO population who underwent different bariatric procedures. Methods: This retrospective study includes all SSO patients who underwent bariatric surgery (sleeve gastrectomy [SG] and/or gastric bypass) between 2006 and 2017. The population was divided in three groups (SG alone; Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB] alone and SG+RYGB). The rate of complication and the weight-loss results were analyzed. Results: Among 43 patients who underwent surgery, the mean age was 42[31-54]. There were more women (72%) with the mean preoperative BMI of 64.9 kg/m2 [59.6-70.1]. There were 9 SGs, 26 RYGB, and 8 SG revised to gastric bypass (SG+RYGB) after a median delay of 23.5 months [16.5-32]. The perioperative complication rate was 25%, and there was 1 postoperative death. The median follow-up was 69 months [1-128]. The mean percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) was 39.2% [18.2-60.3] after 5 years. For the SG group, the %EWL was inferior -27.1 [-3.6 to 57.8], but with no significant difference. An improvement of comorbidities' rate was recorded in all groups of patients. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery in SSO patients leads to an improvement of comorbidities even if the weight-loss results, especially in the SG group, are less favorable. The two steps approach should be re-evaluated by shortening the interval between. Other surgical strategies than RYGB are needed to be evaluated to improve long-term weight loss.

Perioperative Cetuximab with Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil in Esogastric Adenocarcinoma: A Phase II Study.

PURPOSE: While perioperative chemotherapy provides a survival benefit over surgery alone in gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinomas, the results need to be improved. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of perioperative cetuximab combined with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received six cycles of cetuximab, cisplatin, and simplified LV5FU2 before and after surgery. The primary objective was a combined evaluation of the tumor objective response (TOR), assessed by computed tomography, and the absence of major toxicities resulting in discontinuation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) (45% and 90%, respectively). RESULTS: From 2011 to 2013, 65 patients were enrolled. From 64 patients evaluable for the primary endpoint, 19 (29.7%) had a morphological TOR and 61 (95.3%) did not stop NCT prematurely due to major toxicity. Sixty patients (92.3%) underwent resection. Sixteen patients (/56 available, 28.5%) had histological responses (Mandard tumor regression grade ≤3). After a median follow-up of 44.5 months, median disease-free and overall survival were 24.4 [95% CI: 16.4-39.4] and 40.3 months [95% CI: 27.5-NA], respectively. CONCLUSION: Adding cetuximab to the NCT regimen in operable G/GEJ adenocarcinomas is safe, but did not show enough efficacy in the present study to meet the primary endpoint (NCT01360086).

Risk of Esophageal and Gastric Cancer After Bariatric Surgery.

Importance: Bariatric surgery has been associated with a reduced risk of cancer in individuals with obesity. The association of bariatric surgery with esophageal and gastric cancer is still controversial, however. Objective: To compare the incidence of esophageal and gastric cancer between patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery and those who did not (control group). Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study obtained data from a national discharge database, including all surgical centers, in France from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2017. Participants included adults (aged ≥18 years) with severe obesity who underwent bariatric surgery (surgical group) or who did not (control group). Baseline characteristics were balanced between groups using nearest neighbor propensity score matching with a 1:2 ratio. The study was conducted from March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Exposures: Bariatric surgery (adjustable gastric banding, gastric bypass, and sleeve gastrectomy) vs no surgery. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was incidence of esophageal and gastric cancer. A secondary outcome was overall in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 303 709 patients who underwent bariatric surgery (245 819 females [80.9%]; mean [SD] age, 40.2 [11.9] years) were matched 1:2 with 605 140 patients who did not receive surgery (500 929 females [82.8%]; mean [SD] age, 40.4 [12.5] years). After matching, the 2 groups of patients were comparable in terms of age, sex, and comorbidities (standardized mean difference [SD], 0.05 [0.11]), with some differences in body mass index. The mean follow-up time was 5.62 (2.20) years in the control group and 6.06 (2.31) years in the surgical group. A total of 337 patients had esophagogastric cancer: 83 in the surgical group and 254 in the control group. The incidence rates were 6.9 per 100 000 population per year for the control group and 4.9 per 100 000 population per year for the surgical group, resulting in an incidence rate ratio of 1.42 (95% CI, 1.11-1.82; P = .005). The hazard ratio (HR) of cancer incidence was significantly in favor of the surgical group (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59-0.98; P = .03). Overall mortality was significantly lower in the surgical group (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.56-0.64; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this large, nationwide cohort of patients with severe obesity, bariatric surgery was associated with a significant reduction of esophageal and gastric cancer incidence and overall in-hospital mortality, which suggests that bariatric surgery can be performed as treatment for severe obesity without increasing the risk of esophageal and gastric cancer.

Laparoscopic fundoplication for para-oesophageal hernia repair improves respiratory function in patients with dyspnoea: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Dyspnoea in patients with a para-oesophageal hernia (PEH) occurs in 7% to 32% of cases and is very disabling, especially in elderly patients, and its origin is not well defined. The present study aims to assess the impact of PEH repair on dyspnoea and respiratory function. METHODS: From January 2019 to May 2021, all consecutive patients scheduled for PEH repair presenting with a modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) score ≥ 2 for dyspnoea were included. Before and 2 months after surgery, dyspnoea was assessed by both the dyspnoea visual analogue scale (DVAS) and the mMRC scale, as well as pulmonary function tests (PFTs) by plethysmography. RESULTS: All 43 patients that were included had pre- and postoperative dyspnoea assessments and PFTs. Median age was 70 years (range 63-73.5 years), 37 (86%) participants were women, median percentage of the intrathoracic stomach was 59.9% (range 44.2-83.0%), and median length of hospital stay was 3 days (range 3-4 days). After surgery, the DVAS decreased statistically significant (5.6 [4.7-6.7] vs. 3.0 [2.3-4.4], p < 0.001), and 37 (86%) patients had a clinically significant decrease in mMRC score. Absolute forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), total lung capacity, and forced vital capacity also statistically significantly increased after surgery by an average of 11.2% (SD 17.9), 5.0% (SD 13.9), and 10.7% (SD 14.6), respectively. Furthermore, from the subgroup analysis, it was identified that patients with a lower preoperative FEV1 were more likely to have improvement in it after surgery. No correlation was found between improvement in dyspnoea and FEV1. There was no correlation between the percentage of intrathoracic stomach and dyspnoea or improvement in PFT parameters. CONCLUSION: PEH repair improves dyspnoea and FEV1 in a statistically significant manner in a population of patients presenting with dyspnoea. Patients with a low preoperative FEV1 are more likely to have improvement in it after surgery.

Guideline compliance in bariatric surgery: a French nationwide study.

BACKGROUND: Strict adherence to guidelines with a comprehensive preoperative assessment and rigorous follow-up are essential to improve postoperative and long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery (BS). OBJECTIVES: To investigate the trends in BS in France and to assess the compliance to guidelines in people with obesity before and after BS. SETTING: University Hospital of Bordeaux, France. METHODS: Data on patients who were admitted for a primary BS procedure in France between January 1 and April 1, 2014, were extracted from the French national health insurance system database. Data on patients' characteristics, preoperative assessment, hospitalization, and postoperative follow-up, including medical consultations, laboratory tests, and drug consumption, during the year preceding and the 2 years after BS were collected. RESULTS: Most of the 11,824 patients (60.4%) had sleeve gastrectomy. Rates of reimbursement for preoperative consultations with general practitioners, digestive surgeons, and endocrinologists or internists were 94.5%, 89.2%, and 63%, respectively. Laboratory tests for nutritional and obesity-related co-morbidity evaluations were performed in 94.3% and 91.4%, respectively. Rates of consultation with general practitioners, digestive surgeons, and endocrinologists or internists dropped from 93.1%, 91.2%, and 29.2%, respectively, the first year to 88.4%, 50.3%, and 20%, respectively, the second year after BS (P < .001). Reimbursements for vitamin, iron, and calcium supplementation dropped from 66.6%, 24.9%, and 21%, respectively, the first year to 52.1%, 19.3%, and 11.7%, respectively, the second year after BS (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Overall compliance with guidelines is improving. While preoperative medical assessment is nearly optimal, efforts still should be made in order to improve long-term follow-up in general and patient adherence to micronutrient supplementation in particular.

Does baseline quality of life predict the occurrence of complications in resectable esophageal cancer?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of baseline health related quality of life (HRQOL) on the occurrence of postoperative complications and death in patients with resectable esophageal cancer. METHODS: Existing data from a prospective, multicenter, open label, randomized, controlled phase III trial comparing hybrid versus open esophagectomy in patients with resectable esophageal cancer from 2009 to 2012 in France were used. A Cox regression model was used to assess the prognostic value of the baseline HRQOL score on the occurrence of major complications (MC), and major pulmonary complications (MPC) at 30 days post-surgery, as well as on 1-year postoperative overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Every 10-point increase in the baseline role functioning score was associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of MC, while every 10-point increase in fatigue or pain score was associated with an 18% increase in the risk of MC. Similarly, higher scores on fatigue and pain were associated with a higher risk of MPC. Compared with the hybrid procedure, patients undergoing open esophagectomy had a significantly higher risk of MC and MPC. Patients diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma were at significantly lower risk of MC or MPC compared to patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Higher pain (HR = 1.23, p = 0.035) and insomnia (HR = 1.16, P = 0.031) scores were associated with increased 1-year OS. CONCLUSION: Fatigue, pain, insomnia, and squamous cell pathology were indicators of poor prognosis, and that the presence of these findings might possibly change the management plan towards other forms of treatment and warrant close attention.

New Trends in Esophageal Cancer Management.

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a condition with a five-year survival rate of around 15% for all stages considered [...].

Five-Year Survival Outcomes of Hybrid Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy in Esophageal Cancer: Results of the MIRO Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Available data comparing the long-term results of hybrid minimally invasive esophagectomy (HMIE) with that of open esophagectomy are conflicting, with similar or even better results reported for the minimally invasive esophagectomy group. Objective: To evaluate the long-term, 5-year outcomes of HMIE vs open esophagectomy, including overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and pattern of disease recurrence, and the potential risk factors associated with these outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This randomized clinical trial is a post hoc follow-up study that analyzes the results of the open-label Multicentre Randomized Controlled Phase III Trial, which enrolled patients from 13 different centers in France and was conducted from October 26, 2009, to April 4, 2012. Eligible patients were 18 to 75 years of age and were diagnosed with resectable cancer of the middle or lower third of the esophagus. After exclusions, patients were randomized to either the HMIE group or the open esophagectomy group. Data analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis from November 19, 2019, to December 4, 2020. Interventions: Hybrid minimally invasive esophagectomy (laparoscopic gastric mobilization with open right thoracotomy) was compared with open esophagectomy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end points of this follow-up study were 5-year OS and DFS. The secondary end points were the site of disease recurrence and potential risk factors associated with DFS and OS. Results: A total of 207 patients were randomized, of whom 175 were men (85%), and the median (range) age was 61 (23-78) years. The median follow-up duration was 58.2 (95% CI, 56.5-63.8) months. The 5-year OS was 59% (95% CI, 48%-68%) in the HMIE group and 47% (95% CI, 37%-57%) in the open esophagectomy group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71; 95% CI, 0.48-1.06). The 5-year DFS was 52% (95% CI, 42%-61%) in the HMIE group vs 44% (95% CI, 34%-53%) in the open esophagectomy group (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.55-1.17). No statistically significant difference in recurrence rate or location was found between groups. In a multivariable analysis, major intraoperative and postoperative complications (HR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.41-3.45; P < .001) and major pulmonary complications (HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.21-3.10; P = .005) were identified as risk factors associated with decreased OS. Similarly, multivariable analysis of DFS identified overall intraoperative and postoperative complications (HR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.28-2.90; P = .002) and major pulmonary complications (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.19-2.86; P = .006) as risk factors. Conclusions and Relevance: This study found no difference in long-term survival between the HMIE and open esophagectomy groups. Major postoperative overall complications and pulmonary complications appeared to be independent risk factors in decreased OS and DFS, providing additional evidence that HMIE may be associated with improved oncological results compared with open esophagectomy primarily because of a reduction in postoperative complications. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00937456.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass for the Treatment of Leak Following Sleeve Gastrectomy.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is estimated to be its most severe complication. An aggressive management with surgical reconstructive procedures can be proposed in patients in whom all the conservative endoscopic techniques fail. The purpose of the present study was to report our experience with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) as treatment for the chronic leak after LSG. METHODS: Between January 2013 and July 2019, 17 consecutive patients underwent RYGBP for the treatment of chronic leak after LSG. The initial intervention, the endoscopic approach and the definitive surgical repair were carefully reviewed. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (13 women) with a median age of 39 years (24-67) with a median body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m2 (30-52) underwent RYGBP for persistent fistula. Sixteen patients had their early LSG performed in another hospital. Eleven patients had an initial endoscopic treatment by pigtail drains following laparoscopic drainage and 6 other patients had the endoscopic stent as the first-choice line treatment. The overall average fistula diagnosis was done at 7.7 months (2-49 months) for 12 patients. For the rest of five patients, the procedure was performed almost in the acute setting (< 30 days). All procedures were performed by laparotomy but one. Five patients had a gastrojejunal anastomosis leak diagnosed by salivary flow in the drainage, but all patients were treated conservatively. No post-operative mortality was recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery should be considered in case of failure of the endoscopic treatment of chronic leak after LSG. Further research is needed to clearly identify the appropriate treatment, but in our experience, RYGBP approach including the leak site offers a low morbidity rate.

Enteral versus parenteral nutrition in the conservative treatment of upper gastrointestinal fistula after surgery: a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label, phase III study (NUTRILEAK study).

BACKGROUND: Postoperative upper gastrointestinal fistula (PUGIF) is a devastating complication, leading to high mortality (reaching up to 80%), increased length of hospital stay, reduced health-related quality of life and increased health costs. Nutritional support is a key component of therapy in such cases, which is related to the high prevalence of malnutrition. In the prophylactic setting, enteral nutrition (EN) is associated with a shorter hospital stay, a lower incidence of severe infectious complications, lower severity of complications and decreased cost compared to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) following major upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. There is little evidence available for the curative setting after fistula occurrence. We hypothesize that EN increases the 30-day fistula closure rate in PUGIF, allowing better health-related quality of life without increasing the morbidity or mortality. METHODS/DESIGN: The NUTRILEAK trial is a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label phase III trial to assess the efficacy of EN (the experimental group) compared with TPN (the control group) in patients with PUGIF. The primary objective of the study is to compare EN versus TPN in the treatment of PUGIF (after esophagogastric resection including bariatric surgery, duodenojejunal resection or pancreatic resection with digestive tract violation) in terms of the 30-day fistula closure rate. Secondary objectives are to evaluate the 6-month postrandomization fistula closure rate, time of first fistula closure (in days), the medical- and surgical treatment-related complication rate at 6 months after randomization, the fistula-related complication rate at 6 months after randomization, the type and severity of early (30 days after randomization) and late fistula-related complications (over 30 days after randomization), 30-day and 6-month postrandomization mortality rate, nutritional status at day 30, day 60, day 90 and day 180 postrandomization, the mean length of hospital stay, the patient's health-related quality of life (by self-assessment questionnaire), oral feeding time and direct costs of treatment. A total of 321 patients will be enrolled. DISCUSSION: The two nutritional supports are already used in daily practice, but most surgeons are reluctant to use the enteral route in case of PUGIF. This study will be the first randomized trial testing the role of EN versus TPN in PUGIF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03742752. Registered on 14 November 2018.

Endoscopic Findings 5 Years Following Sleeve Gastrectomy.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has rapidly become increasingly popular in bariatric surgery. However, in the long-term follow-up, intractable severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) after primary LSG can necessitate further investigations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the endoscopic results at 5-year follow-up, on a cohort of patients who underwent LSG, the correlation GERD-esophagitis, and the results of pH-metry studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients that underwent LSG (same surgeon) in our center between 2010 and 2015 were included. These patients were identified during the regular annual follow-up visit between January and July 2018 and systematic upper endoscopy was proposed. A pH-metry was carried out for the 13 patients who presented QoL altering GERD symptoms. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (45.8%) with abnormal endoscopic results were identified at a mean follow-up of 62.4 months following LSG. GERD symptomatology was identified for only 13 patients (27.1%) during the follow-up compared to 18 patients (37.5%) preoperatively. Esophageal pH-metry was performed for 13 patients (27.1%). Ten patients (20.8%) (one with esophagitis and nine with QoL altering GERD) had a pathological reflux with a DeMeester score of 47 ± 8 (30-70 interval). The other three patients had normal lower than 20 DeMeester scores. GERD symptomatology was related to weight loss failure for four patients. Fourteen patients (29.2%) in our series benefited from redo surgery, with subsequent RYGB conversion (four with BE, one with severe esophagitis, and nine with persistent QoL altering GERD symptomatology). One patient has been reoperated on at day 1 postoperatively for hemorrhage from jejuno-jejunal anastomosis. Mean hospital stay of 1.92 days. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified an important number of asymptomatic patients with different modifications on upper endoscopy. In case of discordance between endoscopic findings and clinical presentation, additional investigation tools like pH-impedancemetry should be used. Equally, the latter should be used in case of decision to conversion for patients with severe reflux to RYGBP in order to objectify the operative indication and to achieve a reference point for follow-up.

Laparoscopic Surgery for Recurrent Hiatal Hernia.

Surgical treatment of hiatal hernia (HH) is well standardized. However, recurrence is observed in 15%-60% of cases, and is challenging to manage. The aim of this study was to analyze the causes of surgical failure and provide some guidelines for treatment. The symptoms of recurrent HH vary widely, and include persistent reflux, dysphagia, and permanent discomfort, leading to a marked change in the quality of life. Morphological and functional pretherapeutic evaluation is necessary to determine whether the symptoms are due to recurrent HH, and to understand the cause of failure. Redo surgery is technically difficult and challenging, and should only be used in symptomatic patients whose symptoms are definitively those of recurrent HH.

Health-related Quality of Life Following Hybrid Minimally Invasive Versus Open Esophagectomy for Patients With Esophageal Cancer, Analysis of a Multicenter, Open-label, Randomized Phase III Controlled Trial: The MIRO Trial.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid minimally invasive esophagectomy (HMIE) has been shown to reduce major postoperative complications compared with open esophagectomy (OE) for esophageal cancer. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare short- and long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) following HMIE and OE within a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial at 13 study centers between 2009 and 2012. Patients aged 18 to 75 years with resectable cancers of the middle or lower third of the esophagus were randomized to undergo either transthoracic OE or HMIE. Patients were followed-up every 6 months for 3 years postoperatively and global health assessed with EORTC-QLQC30 and esophageal symptoms assessed with EORTC-OES18. RESULTS: The short-term reduction in global HRQOL at 30 days specifically role functioning [-33.33 (HMIE) vs -46.3 (OE); P = 0.0407] and social functioning [-16.88 (HMIE) vs -35.74 (OE); P = 0.0003] was less substantial in the HMIE group. At 2 years, social functioning had improved following HMIE to beyond baseline (+5.37) but remained reduced in the OE group (-8.33) (P = 0.0303). At 2 years, increases in pain were similarly reduced in the HMIE compared with the OE group [+6.94 (HMIE) vs +14.05 (OE); P = 0.018]. Postoperative complications in multivariate analysis were associated with role functioning, pain, and dysphagia. CONCLUSIONS: Esophagectomy has substantial effects upon short-term HRQOL. These effects for some specific parameters are, however, reduced with HMIE, with persistent differences up to 2 years, and maybe mediated by a reduction in postoperative complications.

Systemic chemotherapy plus cetuximab after complete surgery in the treatment of isolated colorectal peritoneal carcinoma: COCHISE phase II clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this non-randomised phase II study was to evaluate the combination of systemic chemotherapy plus cetuximab after complete cytoreductive surgery (CCS) for treatment of isolated colorectal peritoneal carcinoma (CRPC). This multicentre, prospective phase II clinical trial was conducted in seven national cancer referral centres, however research published during study recruitment indicated cetuximab treatment as ineffective in patients with mutated KRAS genes, leading to an additional exclusion criterion to the current protocol, excluding patients with mutated KRAS genes. This significantly impacted recruitment and the study did not achieve the necessary recruitment of 46 patients. RESULTS: Fourteen patients underwent CCS and were included in the study, however one did not provide informed consent and another received only one cycle of chemotherapy leading to 12 patients in the per protocol population for analysis. Adjuvant Folfox Cetuximab was administered when CCS was achieved for patients > 18 years with histologically proven CRPC and no other metastatic disease (liver, lungs, lymphadenopathy, etc.). CRPC median index was 5.00 (range: 1-17). Median PFS was 12.3 months [95% CI (3.7-28.2)] with 8.3% [95% CI (0.5-31.1)] and 0% PFS at 3 and 5 years respectively. Median OS was 43.4 months [95% CI (16.8-60)]. Trial registration Clinical Trials NCT00766142, October 3, 2008. Retrospectively registered.

Adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction Siewert II: An oesophageal cancer better cured with total gastrectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Type II AEG is now considered as oesophageal cancer in the seventh and eighth edition of TNM classification but optimal surgical approach for these tumors remains debated. The objective of the study is to assess and compare surgical and oncological outcomes of two surgical approaches: superior polar oesogastrectomy (SPO) or total gastrectomy (TG) in patients with type II adenocarcinoma of the oesophagogastric junction (AEG). MATERIAL AND METHODS: 183 patients with type II AEG treated from 1997 to 2010 in 21 French centers by SPO or TG were included in a multicenter retrospective study. The surgical and oncological outcomes were compared between these two surgical approaches. RESULTS: A TG was performed in 64 (35%) patients whereas 119 (65%) patients were treated by SPO with transthoracic approach in 100 of them (83.2%) and transhiatal approach with cervicotomy in 19 (16.8%). Surgical outcomes were comparable between the two approaches with a postoperative mortality rate of 4.9% and a severe operative morbidity rate within 30 days of 15.3%. Median survival in patients operated on by TG was of 46 months compared to 27 months in patients treated by SPO (p = 0.118). At multivariate analysis, TG appears to be an independent good prognostic factor compared to SPO (HR = 1.847; p = 0.008). However, TG was also associated with a higher rate of incomplete resection, (12.5% vs 5.9%; p = 0.120). CONCLUSION: When TG allows obtaining tumor-free resection margins, this approach should be preferred to SPO.