Preoperative chemotherapy in patients with resectable esophageal carcinoma: a single center Phase II study.

OBJECTIVE: The role of preoperative chemotherapy in squamous cell esophageal carcinoma remains controversial. A prospective trial was initiated to investigate whether preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery results in increased progression-free survival in patients with resectable thoracic esophageal carcinoma. METHODS: Patients with Stage IIb-IIIa/b resectable esophageal carcinoma were eligible for the study. They received two cycles of FLEP regimen chemotherapy (cisplatin, etoposide, leucovorine, 5-fluorouracil) followed by transthoracic extended 2- or 3-field esophagectomy. Two-year progression-free survival was the primary endpoint. To evaluate the potential benefit of the dual-modality approach we compared these results with the outcome of patients who were treated in our center in the same period of time and were non-randomly allocated to surgery alone. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2008, 63 patients were included in the study (bimodality group) and 58 patients into the surgery-alone group. Median follow-up was 68 (range, 4-123) months. Squamous cell carcinoma had 93% patients. Two-year progression-free survival for all patients was 45.3 and 30.7% (hazard ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.46-1.08) and median overall survival was 26.5 months and 18.0 months (hazard ratio 0.67, 95% confidence interval 0.41-1.01) in bimodality- and surgery-alone groups, respectively. Patients who underwent R0-resection after bimodality treatment had significantly better overall survival (40.9 months) than after surgery alone (19.0 months, hazard ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.30-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Two cycles of preoperative chemotherapy did not improve progression-free survival of patients with resectable thoracic esophageal carcinoma in intent-to-treat population. However, significantly better results of bimodality approach was seen in R0-resected patients which warrants further trials with more effective chemotherapy combinations.

Thoracoscopic pneumonectomy in patient with unilateral absence of the left pulmonary artery accompanied by the left lung cancer.

Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery is a rare congenital cardiovascular anomaly. Unilateral absence of the pulmonary artery is often accompanied by cardiovascular disorders but also can occur in an isolated manner. We present a case of female patient, in which the absence of the left pulmonary artery was revealed and the left lower lobe adenocarcinoma was diagnosed.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic carinal resections: technical aspects and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: Important benefits in uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer have recently been achieved. However, the use of this technique for complex sleeve procedures is limited. We describe the technical aspects of and patient outcomes following carinal resections using uniportal VATS. METHODS: Since 2015, 16 sleeve carinal resections, including 11 right pneumonectomies, 4 right upper lobectomies and 1 lung-sparing carinal resection, have been performed at the Regional Clinic Hospital, Tyumen, Russia. RESULTS: The mean surgical time was 215.9 ± 67.2 min (range 125-340 min). The mean blood loss volume was 256.3 ± 284.5 ml (range 50-1200 ml). There was 1 case of conversion to thoracotomy. The morbidity rate was 25%, and the mortality rate was 0%. The median overall survival was 38.6 ± 3.5 months. CONCLUSIONS: The use of uniportal VATS for carinal resections in certain patients allows for radical resections with low rates of morbidity and mortality.