[Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcome of esophageal cancer. Results from a series of 200 patients]. / Características clinicopatológicas y supervivencia de los pacientes con cáncer de esófago. Resultados de 200 casos consecutivos.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The esophageal cancer (EC) is a slightly frequent but serious disease. Our aim is to describe the characteristics of the patients with EC in our Hospital. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We included 200 patients consecutively diagnosed and/or treated for CE between between January, 2003 and December, 2007. The location of the tumor was analyzed, the histological type, the proofs realized for to establish the classification, the treatments, the survival and the morbi-mortality of the surgery. RESULTS: The endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) modified the therapeutic strategy in 12% of the patients. The survival to the year, 3 years and 5 years was 48%, 25% and 21%, respectively. 74 (32%) patients were operated, 48 (65%) of them was treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The postsurgical mortality was 8% (6 patients) and the morbidity was 57% (114 patients). In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for traditional risk factors, were the location in the average third ( [HR, hazard ratio]=2.3; confidence interval [IC] of 95%, 1.3-4.1) and not accomplishment of surgery after the chemotherapy and radiotherapy (HR=1.9; IC to 95%, 1.15-3). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis is realized very later. The EUS has contributed a better therapeutic strategy to our patients. The mortality continues being high.

Effect of resveratrol on alcohol-induced mortality and liver lesions in mice.

BACKGROUND: Resveratrol is a polyphenol with important antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. We investigated the effect of resveratrol on alcohol-induced mortality and liver lesions in mice. METHODS: Mice were randomly distributed into four groups (control, resveratrol-treated control, alcohol and resveratrol-treated alcohol). Chronic alcohol intoxication was induced by progressively administering alcohol in drinking water up to 40% v/v. The mice administered resveratrol received 10 mg/ml in drinking water. The animals had free access to standard diet. Blood levels were determined for transaminases, IL-1 and TNF-alpha. A histological evaluation was made of liver damage, and survival among the animals was recorded. RESULTS: Transaminase concentration was significantly higher in the alcohol group than in the rest of the groups (p < 0.05). IL-1 levels were significantly reduced in the alcohol plus resveratrol group compared with the alcohol group (p < 0.05). TNF-alpha was not detected in any group. Histologically, the liver lesions were more severe in the alcohol group, though no significant differences between groups were observed. Mortality in the alcohol group was 78% in the seventh week, versus 22% in the alcohol plus resveratrol group (p < 0.001). All mice in the alcohol group died before the ninth week. CONCLUSION: The results obtained suggest that resveratrol reduces mortality and liver damage in mice.

Fecal immunochemical test accuracy in average-risk colorectal cancer screening.

AIM: To assess the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) accuracy for colorectal cancer (CRC) and advanced neoplasia (AN) detection in CRC screening. METHODS: We performed a multicentric, prospective, double blind study of diagnostic tests on asymptomatic average-risk individuals submitted to screening colonoscopy. Two stool samples were collected and the fecal hemoglobin concentration was determined in the first sample (FIT1) and the highest level of both samples (FITmax) using the OC-sensor™. Areas under the curve (AUC) for CRC and AN were calculated. The best FIT1 and FITmax cut-off values for CRC were determined. At this threshold, number needed to scope (NNS) to detect a CRC and an AN and the cost per lesion detected were calculated. RESULTS: About 779 individuals were included. An AN was found in 97 (12.5%) individuals: a CRC in 5 (0.6%) and an advanced adenoma (≥ 10 mm, villous histology or high grade dysplasia) in 92 (11.9%) subjects. For CRC diagnosis, FIT1 AUC was 0.96 (95%CI: 0.95-0.98) and FITmax AUC was 0.95 (95%CI: 0.93-0.97). For AN, FIT1 and FITmax AUC were similar (0.72, 95%CI: 0.66-0.78 vs 0.73, 95%CI: 0.68-0.79, respectively, P = 0.34). Depending on the number of determinations and the positivity threshold cut-off used sensitivity for AN detection ranged between 28% and 42% and specificity between 91% and 97%. At the best cut-off point for CRC detection (115 ng/mL), the NNS to detect a CRC were 10.2 and 15.8; and the cost per CRC was 1814€ and 2985€ on FIT1 and FITmax strategies respectively. At this threshold the sensitivity, NNS and cost per AN detected were 30%, 1.76, and 306€, in FIT1 strategy, and 36%, 2.26€ and 426€, in FITmax strategy, respectively. CONCLUSION: Performing two tests does not improve diagnostic accuracy, but increases cost and NNS to detect a lesion.

Colorectal cancer prognosis twenty years later.

AIM: To evaluate changes in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival over the last 20 years. METHODS: We compared two groups of consecutive CRC patients that were prospectively recruited: Group I included 1990 patients diagnosed between 1980 and 1994. Group II included 871 patients diagnosed in 2001. RESULTS: The average follow up time was 21 mo (1-229) for Group I and 50 mo (1-73.4) for Group II. Overall median survival was significantly longer in Group II than in Group I (73 mo vs 25 mo, P < 0.001) and the difference was significant for all tumor stages. Post surgical mortality was 8% for Group Iand 2% for Group II (P < 0.001). Only 17% of GroupI patients received chemotherapy compared with 50% of Group II patients (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Survival in colorectal cancer patients has doubled over the past 20 years. This increase seems to be partly due to the generalization in the administration of chemotherapy and to the decrease of post surgical mortality.

Características clinicopatológicas y supervivencia de los pacientes con cáncer de esófago. Resultados de 200 casos consecutivos / Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcome of esophageal cancer. Results from a series of 200 patients

Fundamento y objetivo: El cáncer de esófago (CE) es una enfermedad poco frecuente pero grave. El objetivo del presente trabajo es describir las características clinicopatológicas y la supervivencia de los pacientes con CE en nuestro hospital. Pacientes y método: Se estudió a 200 pacientes consecutivos diagnosticados o tratados de CE o de la unión gastroesofágica en el Hospital Donostia entre enero del año 2003 y diciembre del año 2007. Se analizó la localización del tumor, el tipo histológico, las pruebas realizadas para establecer el estadio tumoral, los tratamientos utilizados, la supervivencia y la morbimortalidad de la cirugía. Resultados: La ultrasonografía endoscópica (USE) modificó la estrategia terapéutica en un 12% de los pacientes. Un 32% (74) de los pacientes se operaron; de éstos, un 65% (48) recibió radioquimioterapia (RT-QM) neoadyuvante. La supervivencia al año, a los 3 años y a los 5 años fue del 48, el 25 y el 21%, respectivamente. La mortalidad postoperatoria fue del 8% (6 pacientes) y la morbilidad, del 57% (42 pacientes). Los pacientes en estadio III a los que se realizó RT-QM neoadyuvante y cirugía tuvieron un mejor pronóstico que aquéllos a los que sólo se hizo RT-QM (20 meses de supervivencia frente a 9 meses). En el análisis multivariante, los factores de mal pronóstico fueron la localización en el tercio medio (HR [hazard ratio ‘razón de riesgo’]=2,3; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%: 1,3–4,1) y la no realización de cirugía tras la RT-QM (HR=1,9; IC del 95%: 1,15–3) (AU)

Background and objective: The esophageal cancer (EC) is a slightly frequent but serious disease. Our aim is to describe the characteristics of the patients with EC in our Hospital. Patients and method: We included 200 patients consecutively diagnosed and/or treated for CE between between January, 2003 and December, 2007. The location of the tumor was analyzed, the histological type, the proofs realized for to establish the classification, the treatments, the survival and the morbi-mortality of the surgery. Results: The endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) modified the therapeutic strategy in 12% of the patients. The survival to the year, 3 years and 5 years was 48%, 25% and 21%, respectively. 74 (32%) patients were operated, 48 (65%) of them was treated with neoadyuvant chemoradiotherapy. The postsurgical mortality was 8% (6 patients) and the morbidity was 57% (114 patients). In multivariate analysis, after adjustment for traditional risk factors, were the location in the average third ( [HR, hazard ratio]=2.3; confidence interval [IC] of 95%, 1.3–4.1) and not accomplishment of surgery after the chemotherapy and radiotherapy (HR=1.9; IC to 95%, 1.15–3). Conclusions: The diagnosis is realized very later. The EUS has contributed a better therapeutic strategy to our patients. The mortality continues being high (AU)