Respiratory complications following mini-invasive laparoscopic and thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Experience in 215 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Respiratory complications (RC) including respiratory failure and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) affect the outcomes of esophagectomy substantially. In order to decrease their incidence, identification of important features of RC is necessary. AIM: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of postoperative RC following hybrid esophagectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The retrospective analysis of consecutive hybrid esophagectomies for malignancies (transhiatal laparoscopic or thoracoscopic resection and limited open reconstruction phase) assessed the incidence and outcomes of RC in relation to the patients' age, ASA score, neoadjuvant therapy, type of surgical procedure, TNM stage, the incidence of anastomotic leak and Clavien-Dindo classification. RESULTS: Transhiatal laparoscopic (176, 81.9%) or thoracoscopic hybrid esophagectomy (39, 18.1%, conversion in 7 patients) was completed in 215 patients, 187 (87%) men and 28 (13%) women. Respiratory complications developed in 86 (40%) and severe respiratory failure or ARDS occurred in 29 (13.5%) patients. The overall in-hospital mortality was 7.4%, 30-day mortality 5.6% (RC 9, myocardial infarction 1, conduit necrosis 1), and 90-day mortality a further 1.8% (multiple organ failure, ARDS). The incidence of RC correlates significantly with ASA score II and III (p = 0.0002) and Clavien-Dindo grade 4 and 5 in severe RC (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, hospital stay (p < 0.0001) and mortality (p < 0.0001) were significantly increased in RC. CONCLUSIONS: The results show a higher occurrence of RC in polymorbid patients and patients with severe complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Adequate risk management including surgical technique and perioperative prophylaxis and therapy of RC should be studied and standardized.

Brain metastases of parathyroid carcinoma: Review of the literature and a case report.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare tumor typically presenting with marked elevations of serum calcium concentrations and associated renal and skeletal symptoms. Parathyroid carcinoma grows slowly, but may recur in regional lymph nodes, and, in about 25% of patients, metastasizes to the lungs. METHOD: Description of a new case and review of the literature. RESULTS: We present here a patient with parathyroid carcinoma that had aggressive biological behavior with synchronous lung metastases and manifestation of brain metastases 18 month after the initial diagnosis and review earlier reports on this rare presentation. These metastases could be detected with [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography as well as with (99m)technetium-sestamibi scan. CONCLUSIONS: Except for surgery in case of isolated solitary metastases, therapeutic options in patients with brain metastases of parathyroid carcinoma are currently very limited.

Metastases of esophageal carcinoma to skeletal muscle: single center experience.

Metastases of esophageal carcinoma to the skeletal muscle are rare, but the incidence may be increasing because of better diagnosis resulting from widespread use of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). A cohort of 205 patients with esophageal carcinoma treated at our center who had PET/CT between 2006 and 2010 was retrospectively evaluated for the presence of skeletal muscle metastases. Four patients had skeletal muscle metastases of esophageal carcinoma, including two patients with squamous cell carcinoma. In another patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and synchronous skeletal muscle metastases, muscle metastases were subsequently shown to be related to second primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In all cases, skeletal muscle metastases were the first manifestation of systemic disease. In three patients palliation was obtained with the combination of external beam radiation therapy, systemic chemotherapy or surgical resection. Skeletal muscle metastases are a rare complication of esophageal carcinoma.

Esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma--surgical complications and treatment.

AIM: To describe our experience with esophagectomy for esophageal cancer and, the development and treatment of complications arising from the surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 2007 to 8/2010, esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma was performed in 75 patients at the 1(st) Surgical Clinic. Primary esophagectomy was indicated in 20 patients with T1N0 stage or in cases where neoadjuvant treatment was contraindicated. 55 patients with T2,3N0,1 stages received neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. Esophagectomy was performed via an abdominal approach (transhiatal laparoscopy in 44 patients, laparotomy in 3 patients) and a thoracic approach (thoracoscopy in 10 patients, thoracotomy in 18 patients). RESULTS: In 18 cases, one or both pleural cavities were opened by means of dissection of the mediastinal pleura during the transhiatal laparoscopic esophagectomy. The morbidity was 26.6% and the following complications were encountered: pulmonary (15 patients), anastomosis dehiscence (5), postoperative bleeding in the mediastinum (1), fistula between trachea and transposition (1), paresis of the left recurrent nerve (8), infectious complications in the abdominal cavity (2), thoracic cavity (1), and early complications (2). The sixty-day mortality was 8% and this was mostly due to pulmonary complications (4 patients) but included coronary thrombosis (1) and transposition necrosis (1). CONCLUSION: The dominating complications of esophagectomy were pulmonary (20 %). The remaining serious complications cannot be completely eliminated but if diagnosed in time and treated in a correct algorithm they do not have to imminently threaten the lives of patients.

The value of ¹8F-FDG PET/CT in assessment of metabolic response in esophageal cancer for prediction of histopathological response and survival after preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

AIM: To evaluate the ability of hybrid 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) to predict histopathological response and overall survival (OS) after preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in patients with the esophageal carcinoma. METHODS: 73 patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma were included in the study. All were treated with CRT and 34 subsequently underwent surgical resection of the esophagus. (18)F-FDG PET/CT was carried out prior to (PET/ CT1) and 6 weeks after (PET/CT2) completion of the CRT. RESULTS: PET/CT2-determined complete metabolic response (CMR) was achieved in 6 (17.6%) out of 34 operated patients, the metabolic response was incomplete (NCMR) in 28 (82.4%) patients. A histopathological complete response (CR) to CRT was discovered in 7 patients (20.6%). The median OS in operated patients was 17.1 months, 95% CI:12.9-23.3 months. In a group of 39 non-operated patients, CMR after neoadjuvant CRT was achieved in 12 patients (30.8%), while NCMR was found in 28 (82.4%). The median OS was 13.5 months in this group, 95% CI: 4.4-22.7 months. CONCLUSION: No statistically significant correlation was found between the (18)F-FDG metabolic response after the neoadjuvant CRT and histopathological response. Presently, the contribution of (18)F-FDG PET/CT as a marker of the potential result of CRT cannot be considered definite. Another study with a larger sample of patients and standardized algorithms for the examining protocols would be necessary for reaching definitive conclusions.

Prognostic factors in patients with esophageal carcinoma treated with chemoradiation: single center experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The trimodality therapy including chemotherapy, external beam radiation and surgery is widely accepted as the standard of care in patients with locoregional esophageal carcinoma. METHODOLOGY: We have performed a retrospective analysis of patients with locoregional esophageal carcinoma treated with chemoradiation. RESULTS: One-hundred and fifty-two consecutive patients with non-metastatic adenocarcinoma or squamous cell esophageal carcinoma treated with chemoradiation were included in the present analysis. The median survival of the whole group was 12 months. The estimated 3- and 5-year survival rates were 24% and 19%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, female sex, weight loss and serum albumin were independent negative predictors of survival. Among 140 patients who survived more than 3 months, weight loss, female sex and therapy with paclitaxel were negatively associated with prognosis, and among 109 patients surviving more than 6 months the dose of cisplatin and surgery were independent prognostic factors. Pathologic complete response was not predictive of prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survival is obtained in only about 20% of patients with carcinoma of the esophagus treated with chemoradiation. Female sex, weight loss and low serum albumin are independent indicators of poor prognosis. Among treatment-related factors, higher dose of cisplatin and esophagectomy were independent predictors of better prognosis, while administration of paclitaxel was associated with poor prognosis.