Exactitud diagnóstica en el cáncer de esófago localizado. Estudio observacional retrospectivo.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of the diagnostic tests for a correct clinical tumor staging in localized esophageal cancer (EC). METHOD: Retrospective observational study of patients who underwent esophagectomy for cancer in a referral hospital between January 2003 and September 2019. Those patients who received neoadjuvant treatment were excluded in order to avoid bias from downstaging effects. The preoperative stage was compared with the pathological stage of the surgical specimen. Computed tomography (CT) , endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and positron emission tomography (PET) were evaluated. The pT stage was correlated with the tumor length described in the esophagram (EG). RESULTS: Among the 63 patients included, the clinical staging was correct in 16 (global accuracy 25.4%), it was overstaged in 21 (33.2%) and understaged in 26 (41.3%). For cT staging, the accuracy of EUS was higher than that of CT (46.6% and 34.9%, respectively), specially for early stages. EG tumor length correlated with pT stage (p < 0.05). For cN staging, PET had the highest sensitivity (50.0%) and negative predictive value (75.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the multiple diagnostic tools used, the global accuracy of clinical staging in localized EC is still a challenge. The lack of a test that stands out significantly from the others reinforces the need to use them in a complementary way.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la exactitud diagnóstica para el estadiaje clínico del cáncer de esófago (CE) localizado. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional retrospectivo de los pacientes esofagectomizados por CE en un hospital de referencia entre enero de 2003 y septiembre de 2019. Se excluyeron aquellos que recibieron neoadyuvancia para evitar sesgos de infraestadiaje. Se comparó el estadio preoperatorio con el estadio patológico de la pieza quirúrgica. Se evaluaron la tomografía computarizada (TC), la ecoendoscopia (EUS) y la tomografía por emisión de positrones (PET). El estadio pT se correlacionó con la longitud tumoral descrita en el esofagograma (EG). RESULTADOS: De los 63 pacientes incluidos, el estadiaje clínico fue correcto en 16 (exactitud 25.4%), con sobreestadiaje en 21 (33.2%) e infraestadiaje en 26 (41.3%). Para el estadiaje cT, la EUS fue superior a la TC (exactitud 46.6% y 34.9%, respectivamente), en especial para estadios precoces. La longitud tumoral del EG se correlacionó con el estadio pT (p < 0.05). Para el estadiaje cN, la PET tuvo la mayor sensibilidad (50.0%) y el mayor valor predictivo negativo (75.0%). CONCLUSIONES: A pesar de las múltiples herramientas diagnósticas empleadas, la exactitud diagnóstica en el CE localizado es limitada. La ausencia de una prueba que destaque de manera significativa refuerza la necesidad de emplearlas de forma complementaria.

Analysis of specific survival and local control through a recursive partitioning analysis in patients with head and neck carcinoma. / Análisis de la supervivencia específica y el control local mediante un análisis de partición recursiva en pacientes con carcinomas de cabeza y cuello.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) is a technique that allows prognostic classification in oncological patients. The aim of the present study is to analyse by means of an RPA a cohort of patients with squamous carcinomas of the head and neck (SCHN). METHODS: 5,226 SCHN were retrospectively analysed with an RPA, considering the specific survival and local control of the disease as dependent variables. A cohort of patients was used for the creation of the classification model, and another cohort was used to carry out its internal validation. RESULTS: Considering specific survival as a dependent variable we obtained a classification tree with 14 terminal nodes that were grouped into 5 categories, including as partition variables the local and regional extent of the tumour, and the location of the tumour. When considering the local control of the disease as a dependent variable we obtained a classification tree with 10 terminal nodes that were grouped into 4 categories, including as partition variables the local extension and location of the tumour, the type of treatment performed, the age of the patient, and if it was a first tumour or a subsequent neoplasm. The validation study confirmed the prognostic capacity of the models developed with the RPA. One of the advantages of the RPA is that it allows the identification of groups of patients with specific behaviour. CONCLUSION: RPA is shown to be an effective technique for the prognostic classification of patients with a SCHN.

Eficacia de la ultrasonografía endoscópica en la estadificación de tumores del recto / Endoscopic ultrasound efficacy in the staging of rectal cancer

Introducción: el cáncer rectal representa un problema de salud en el mundo y la estadificación clínica constituye la llave para definir la conducta a seguir. Objetivo: determinar la eficacia de la ecoendoscopia en el estadiaje T y N del cáncer rectal. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, desde enero del 2014 hasta marzo del 2016, se seleccionaron un total de 33 pacientes que se habían realizado ecoendoscopia y que luego fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente. Se comparó la estadificación mediante ecoendoscopia con el informe anatomopatológico de la pieza quirúrgica obtenida. Se calculó concordancia global y eficacia diagnóstica en los diferentes estadios del cáncer rectal. Resultados: la concordancia global para la etapa T fue 57,6 por ciento y 87,9 por ciento para N. La precisión diagnóstica en pacientes que recibieron adyuvancia resultó del 47,1 por ciento y 82,4 por ciento para las etapas T y N respectivamente. La eficacia diagnóstica por subetapas T resultó en valores respectivos de sensibilidad y especificidad de 71,43 por ciento (95 por ciento CI 64 por ciento-79 por ciento) y 84,6 por ciento (95 por ciento CI 82 por ciento-86 por ciento) en T1; 76,9 por ciento (95 por ciento CI 73 por ciento-81 por ciento) y 70,0 por ciento (95 por ciento CI 67 por ciento-73 por ciento) en T2; y 42,8 por ciento (95 por ciento CI 35,5 por ciento-50,2 por ciento) y 96,2 por ciento (95 por ciento CI 94,2 por ciento-98,1 por ciento) en T3. Conclusiones: la concordancia global en T resultó inferior a lo reportado en la literatura consultada así como la eficacia diagnóstica de la técnica, debido a que 17 pacientes tuvieron tratamiento adyuvante previo. No hubo resultados significativos en la evaluación de la etapa N(AU)

Introduction: Rectal cancer represents a health problem nowadays worldwide, for that reason an accurate clinical staging of the disease is fundamental to define the proper behavior to follow. Objective: To determine the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound for staging rectal cancer. Methods: A descriptive study was carried out, from January 2014 to March 2016 in Cuban National Center of Minimal Access Surgery in 33 patients (17 men and 16 women) who had undergone endoscopic ultrasound and who underwent surgery too. Their endoscopic ultrasound staging were compared with their anatomopathological reports of the surgical pieces obtained. Global concordance and diagnostic efficacy were calculated. Results: The overall concordance for stage T was 57.6 percent and 87.9 percent for N. The diagnostic accuracy in the patients that received adjuvant treatment previously was lower than the group of patients that not received it. The diagnostic efficacy by sub-steps T resulted in respective values of sensitivity and specificity of 71.43 percent and 84.6 percent in T1; 76.9 percent and 70.0 percent in T2; and 42.8 percent and 96.2 percent in T3. Conclusions: The overall concordance in T was lower than that reported in the literature consulted as well as the diagnostic efficacy of the technique, because 17 patients had previous adjuvant treatment. There were no significant results in the evaluation of stage N(AU)

PET-CT in presurgical lymph node staging in non-small cell lung cancer: the importance of false-negative and false-positive findings. / La PET-TC en la estadificación ganglionar prequirúrgica del carcinoma de pulmón de células no pequeñas: implicación de los falsos negativos y falsos positivos.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the importance of false-negative and false-positive findings in computed tomography (CT) and 18F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) in mediastinal lymph node staging in patients undergoing surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 113 consecutive patients and 120 resected NSCLCs; 22 patients received neoadjuvant treatment. We compared the findings on preoperative 18F-FDG PET-CT studies with the postoperative pathology findings. Lymph node size and primary tumor size were measured with CT, and lymph nodes and primary tumors were evaluated qualitatively and semiquantitatively (using standardized uptake values (SUVmax)) with PET. RESULTS: Metastatic lymph nodes were found in 26 (21.7%) of the 120 tumors and in 41 (7.7%) of the 528 lymph node stations analyzed. 18F-FDG PET-CT yielded 53.8% sensitivity, 76.6% specificity, 38.9% positive predictive value, 85.7% negative predictive value, and 71.7% diagnostic accuracy. The false-negative rate was 14.2%. Multivariable analysis found that the factors associated with false-negative findings were a moderate degree of differentiation in the primary tumor (p = 0.005) and an SUVmax of the primary tumor >4 (p = 0.027). The false-positive rate was 61.1%, and the multivariable analysis found that lymph node size >1cm was associated with false-positive findings (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In mediastinal lymph node staging in patients with NSCLC, 18F-FDG PET-CT improves the specificity and negative predictive value and helps clinicians to select the patients that will benefit from surgery. Given the high rate of false positives, histological confirmation of positive cases is recommendable.

[Giant cell tumor of the lumbar spine. Case report and review of the literature]. / Tumor de células gigantes de raquis lumbar. Caso clínico y revisión de la literatura.

We report the case of a 32-year-old patient complaining of chronic low back pain radiating to his left thigh. His MRI showed a lytic L1 vertebral body injury. A transpedicular biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of giant cell tumor. He underwent a L1 vertebrectomy and vertebral body replacement with a titanium cylinder using anterior approach, followed by the removal of the L1 posterior arch and the placement of pedicle screws through a posterior approach. The giant cell tumor is a rare benign primary bone tumor that can be locally aggressive and can potentially spread to other areas, usually to the lungs. Although it most frequently affects long bones, approximately 10% of tumors are located in the spine. To minimise the risk of recurrence, the elective management option is surgery.

Is the performance of MRI in preoperative staging of breast cancer independent of clinical and histological factors? A subgroup analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether preoperative breast MRI is more useful in patients according to their breast density, age, menopausal status, and biopsy findings of carcinoma in situ. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 264 patients treated for breast cancer who had undergone mammography, ultrasonography, and MRI. We compared the size of the tumor on the three techniques and the sensitivity of the techniques for detecting additional lesions both in the overall group and in subgroups of patients classified according to their breast density, age, menopausal status, and histological findings of intraductal carcinoma. The definitive histological diagnosis was used as the gold standard. RESULTS: MRI was the technique that was most concordant with the histological findings for the size of the lesion, and it was also the technique that detected the most additional lesions. With MRI, we observed no differences in lesion size between the overall group and the subgroups in which MRI provided added value. Likewise, we observed no differences in the number of additional lesions detected in the overall group except for multicentric lesions, which was larger in older patients (P=.02). In the subgroup of patients in which MRI provided added value, the sensitivity for bilateral lesions was higher in patients with fatty breasts (P=.04). Multifocal lesions were detected significantly better in premenopausal patients (P=.03). CONCLUSIONS: MRI is better than mammography and better than ultrasonography for establishing the size of the tumor and for detecting additional lesions. Our results did not identify any subgroups in which the technique was more useful.

Laparoscopía estadificadora en cáncer gástrico / Laparoscopic staging for gastric cancer

Antecedentes: Los métodos de estadificación como la Ecografía y la Tomografía presentan una limitada exactitud diagnóstica. El advenimiento de la laparoscopia y su rol en la estadificación tumoral ha cambiado el algoritmo de estudio en muchos centros. Objetivo: evaluar la estatificación laparoscopica y su incidencia en los cambios terapéuticos. Lugar de aplicación: Servicio de Cirugía Hospital Escuela Diseño: Prospectivo Población: pacientes con diagnóstico histopatológico de cáncer gástrico. Método: Se correlacionó la clínica, estatificación preoperatoria, laparoscopia estadificadora y la cirugía realizada. Se agrupó a los pacientes en: potencialmente resecables y con alta sospecha de irresecabilidad. A todos se les realizó laparoscopia estadificadora. Resultados: Los 11 pacientes potencialmente resecables se consideraron un estadio II mientras que, en los pacientes con alta sospecha de irresecabilidad, dos fueron un estadio III y uno un estadio IV. La estatificación laparoscopica, cambió de un estadio II a un estadío IV en 50%. La laparoscopia estadificadora modificó la estrategia terapéutica y evito la laparotomía innecesaria en 6 de 15 pacientes (40 %). Conclusión: La laparoscopia estadificadora permite el cambio de conducta terapéutica en un impor tante porcentaje de casos. Este cambio en la estadificación, lograda con la exploración laparoscópica, evita laparotomías innecesarias y sus evidentes consecuencias.