Intraoperative Music to Promote Patient Outcome (IMPROMPTU): A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Perioperative music can have beneficial effects on postoperative pain, anxiety, opioid requirement, and the physiological stress response to surgery. The aim was to assess the effects of intraoperative music during general anesthesia in patients undergoing surgery for esophagogastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The IMPROMPTU study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized multicenter trial. Adult patients undergoing surgery for stage II-III esophagogastric cancer were eligible. Exclusion criteria were a hearing impairment, insufficient Dutch language knowledge, corticosteroids use, or objection to hearing unknown music. Patients wore active noise-cancelling headphones intraoperatively with preselected instrumental classical music (intervention) or no music (control). Computerized randomization with centralized allocation, stratified according to surgical procedure using variable block sizes, was employed. Primary endpoint was postoperative pain on the first postoperative day. Secondary endpoints were postoperative pain during the first postoperative week, postoperative opioid requirement, intraoperative medication requirement, the stress response to surgery, postoperative complication rate, length of stay, and mortality, with follow-up lasting 30 d. RESULTS: From November 2018 to September 2020, 145 patients were assessed and 83 randomized. Seventy patients (music n = 31, control n = 39) were analyzed. Median age was 70 [IQR 63-70], and 48 patients (69%) were male. Music did not reduce postoperative pain (numeric rating scale 1.8 (SD0.94) versus 2.0 (1.0), mean difference -0.28 [95% CI -0.76-0.19], P = 0.236). No statistically significant differences were seen in medication requirement, stress response, complication rate, or length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative, preselected, classical music during esophagogastric cancer surgery did not significantly improve postoperative outcome and recovery when compared to no music using noise-cancelling headphones.

Detection of circulating tumour DNA after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced oesophageal cancer.

Active surveillance instead of standard surgery after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) has been proposed for patients with oesophageal cancer. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) may be used to facilitate selection of patients for surgery. We show that detection of ctDNA after nCRT seems highly suggestive of major residual disease. Tumour biopsies and blood samples were taken before, and 6 and 12 weeks after, nCRT. Biopsies were analysed with regular targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was analysed using targeted NGS with unique molecular identifiers and digital polymerase chain reaction. cfDNA mutations matching pre-treatment biopsy mutations confirmed the presence of ctDNA. In total, 31 patients were included, of whom 24 had a biopsy mutation that was potentially detectable in cfDNA (77%). Pre-treatment ctDNA was detected in nine of 24 patients (38%), four of whom had incurable disease progression before surgery. Pre-treatment ctDNA detection had a sensitivity of 47% (95% CI 24-71) (8/17), specificity of 85% (95% CI 42-99) (6/7), positive predictive value (PPV) of 89% (95% CI 51-99) (8/9), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 40% (95% CI 17-67) (6/15) for detecting major residual disease (>10% residue in the resection specimen or progression before surgery). After nCRT, ctDNA was detected in three patients, two of whom had disease progression. Post-nCRT ctDNA detection had a sensitivity of 21% (95% CI 6-51) (3/14), specificity of 100% (95% CI 56-100) (7/7), PPV of 100% (95% CI 31-100) (3/3), and NPV of 39% (95% CI 18-64) (7/18) for detecting major residual disease. The addition of ctDNA to the current set of diagnostics did not lead to more patients being clinically identified with residual disease. These results indicate that pre-treatment and post-nCRT ctDNA detection may be useful in identifying patients at high risk of disease progression. The addition of ctDNA analysis to the current set of diagnostic modalities may not improve detection of residual disease after nCRT. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Association of clonal haematopoiesis with severe postoperative complications in patients undergoing radical oesophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Clonal haematopoiesis (CH) is an age-associated clonal expansion of blood cells driven by leukaemia-associated somatic mutations. Although CH has been reported to be a risk factor for leukaemia and a number of non-haematopoietic diseases, its role in perioperative medicine remains unexplored. METHODS: This was a single-centre, prospective, observational study. Patients undergoing radical oesophagectomy were enrolled, and peripheral blood samples were collected for DNA sequencing. Patients with haematopoietic somatic mutations (variant allele frequencies ≥1%) in the DNMT3A gene, TET2 gene, or both were defined as CH carriers. The primary outcome was the incidence of severe postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo classification ≥3). The secondary outcomes included the major types of postoperative complications, mortality, and other common perioperative variables. RESULTS: Clonal haematopoiesis was found in 21.2% (33/156) of the patients (mean age: 66 yr [range: 26-79 yr]; 83% males). Some 14/33 (42.4%) patients with CH had severe postoperative complications, compared with patients without CH carriers (28/123 [22.8%]; P=0.024). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that CH was associated with an increased risk of developing severe postoperative complications (odds ratio, 3.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-9.66; P=0.010). Among the major postoperative complications, the incidence of pulmonary complications was significantly higher in the patients with CH than in those without CH (15 in 33 [45.5%] vs 30 in 123 [24.4%], P=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Clonal haematopoiesis was associated with a higher incidence of severe postoperative complications in patients undergoing radical oesophagectomy, suggesting that clonal haematopoiesis can play an important role in perioperative medicine. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2100044175 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=123193).

Effect of oesophagectomy on lipid profiles in patients with oesophageal cancer combined with hyperlipidaemia: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Surgery is widely regarded as a pivotal therapeutic approach for treating oesophageal cancer, and clinical observations have revealed that many oesophageal cancer patients also present with concomitant hyperlipidaemia. It is surprising that few studies have been performed to determine how blood lipid levels are affected by oesophageal cancer resection. This research was designed to assess the influence of oesophageal cancer resection on lipid profiles among individuals diagnosed with both oesophageal cancer and hyperlipidaemia. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 110 patients with hyperlipidaemia and oesophageal cancer who had undergone oesophagectomy at the 900th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Preoperative and postoperative serological data were collected at seven-, thirty-, sixty-day-, and one-year-long intervals. Changes in lipid levels were compared, the remission of various types of hyperlipidaemia was statistically assessed, and Pearson correlation was used to analyse the association between lipid changes and preoperative body weight. The research sought to assess the reduction in body weight and the proportion of body weight lost one year following surgery. RESULTS: Noteworthy decreases were observed in total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, with TC decreasing from 6.20 mmol/L to 5.20 mmol/L, TG decreasing from 1.40 mmol/L to 1.20 mmol/L, and LDL decreasing from 4.50 mmol/L to 3.30 mmol/L. Conversely, there was a notable increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which increased from 1.20 mmol/L to 1.40 mmol/L (P < 0.05) compared to the preoperative levels. Notably, the remission rates for mixed hyperlipidaemia (60.9%) and high cholesterol (60.0%) were considerably greater than those for high triglycerides (16.2%). Alterations in TC at one year postoperatively correlated with preoperative weight and weight loss (r = 0.315, -0.216); changes in TG correlated with preoperative weight, percentage of total weight loss (TWL%), and weight reduction (r = -0.295, -0.246, 0.320); and changes in LDL correlated with preoperative weight, TWL%, and weight loss (r = 0.251, 0.186, and -0.207). Changes in non-high-density lipoprotein(non-HDL) were linked to preoperative weight (r = 0.300), and changes in TG/HDL were correlated with preoperative weight and TWL% (r = -0.424, -0.251). CONCLUSIONS: Oesophagectomy significantly improved lipid profiles in oesophageal cancer patients, potentially leading to a reduction in overall cardiovascular risk.

Predictors of textbook outcome following oesophagogastric cancer surgery.

Textbook outcome (TO) is a composite measure representing an ideal perioperative course, which has been utilized to assess the quality of care in oesophagogastric cancer (OGC) surgery. We aim to determine TO rates among OGC patients in a UK tertiary center, investigate predictors of TO attainment, and evaluate the relationship between TO and survival. A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected departmental database between 2006 and 2021 was conducted. Patients that underwent radical OGC surgery with curative intent were included. TO attainment required margin-negative resection, adequate lymphadenectomy, uncomplicated postoperative course, and no hospital readmission. Predictors of TO were investigated using multivariable logistic regression. The association between TO and survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression modeling. In sum, 667 esophageal cancer and 312 gastric cancer patients were included. TO was achieved in 35.1% of esophagectomy patients and 51.3% of gastrectomy patients. Several factors were independently associated with a low likelihood of TO attainment: T3 stage (odds ratio (OR): 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.22-0.79], p = 0.008) and T4 stage (OR:0.26, 95% CI [0.08-0.72], p = 0.013) in the esophagectomy cohort and high BMI (OR:0.93, 95% CI [0.88-0.98], p = 0.011) in the gastrectomy cohort. TO attainment was associated with greater overall survival and recurrence-free survival in esophagectomy and gastrectomy cohorts. TO is a relevant quality metric that can be utilized to compare surgical performance between centers and investigate patients at risk of TO failure. Enhancement of preoperative care measures can improve TO rates and, subsequently, long-term survival.

Does prehabilitation before esophagectomy improve postoperative outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is associated with high morbidity. It remains unclear whether prehabilitation, a strategy aimed at optimizing patients' physical and mental functioning prior to surgery, improves postoperative outcomes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of prehabilitation on post-operative outcomes after esophagectomy. Data sources included Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro, with information from 1 January 2000 to 5 August 2023. The analysis included randomized controlled trials and observational studies that compared prehabilitation interventions to standard care prior to esophagectomy. A random effects model was used to generate a pooled estimate for pairwise meta-analysis, meta-analysis of proportions, and meta-analysis of means. A total of 1803 patients were included with 584 in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 1219 in observational studies. In the randomized evidence, there were no significant differences between prehabilitation and control in the odds of postoperative pneumonia (15.0 vs. 18.9%, odds ratio (OR) 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66;1.72]) or pulmonary complications (14 vs. 25.6%, OR 0.68 [95% CI: 0.32;1.45]). In the observational data, there was a reduction in both postoperative pneumonia (22.5 vs. 32.9%, OR 0.48 [95% CI: 0.28;0.83]) and pulmonary complications (26.1 vs. 52.3%, OR 0.35 [95% CI: 0.17;0.75]) with prehabilitation. Hospital and intensive care unit length of stay (days), operative mortality, and severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3) did not differ between groups in both the randomized data and observational data. Prehabilitation demonstrated reductions in postoperative pneumonia and pulmonary complications in observational studies, but not RCTs. The overall certainty of these findings is limited by the low quality of the available evidence.

The impact of jejunostomy feeding on nutritional outcomes after oesophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional status is compromised long-term following oesophagectomy. Controversy surrounds the optimal route for nutrition support postoperatively and there is wide variation in the use of feeding jejunostomy tubes. METHODS: A retrospective service evaluation was conducted for all consecutive adults who underwent oesophagectomy for a cancer diagnosis within a specialist centre between April 2016 and July 2019 (n = 165). Nutritional and clinical outcomes were compared for patients who received jejunostomy feeding (n = 24), versus those who did not (n = 141). RESULTS: Patients with feeding jejunostomy lost significantly less weight at both 6 and 12 months postoperatively compared to those without jejunostomy (p ≤ 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). This remained statistically significant in multiple regression, controlling for age, gender, preoperative tumour staging and adjuvant treatment (p ≤ 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). Median length of home enteral feeding was 10 weeks after discharge in the jejunostomy group. We observed minor jejunostomy tube-related complications in four patients (16.7%). Of those readmitted within 90 days of surgery in the non-jejunostomy group, nutritional failure was a factor in 43.2% of these readmissions. "Rescue tube feeding" was required by 8.5% of the non-jejunostomy group within the first postoperative year, including 6.4% within 90 days of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Use of short-term supplementary jejunal feeding in addition to oral intake after hospital discharge is beneficial for maintaining weight after oesophagectomy. We suggest a future randomised-controlled trial to confirm these findings.

Effect of ghrelin administration on postoperative inflammatory response and bodyweight loss in patients with oesophageal cancer undergoing oesophagectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of postoperative ghrelin therapy on postoperative inflammatory response and bodyweight loss in patients undergoing an oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search using electronic information databases in accordance to PRISMA standards to identify studies comparing outcomes after oesophagectomy in patients who were and were not administered ghrelin in the postoperative period. Meta-analysis of the outcomes using random effects modelling was conducted. The Cochrane collaboration's tool and ROBINS-I tool were used for risk of bias assessment of the included studies. RESULTS: Five studies including 192 patients were selected for analysis. Ghrelin therapy was associated with a significantly shorter duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (MD: - 2.72, P = 0.0001), lower CRP level on postoperative day 3 (MD: - 3.64, P < 0.0001), and less total bodyweight loss (MD: - 1.87, P = 0.14). There was no differences between the two groups in IL-6 level on postoperative day 3 (MD: - 19.65, P = 0.32), total lean body weight loss (MD: - 1.87, P = 0.14), total body fat loss (MD: 0.15, P = 0.84), pulmonary complications (OR: 0.47, P = 0.12), anastomotic leak (OR: 1.17, P = 0.78), wound complications (OR: 1.64, P = 0.63), postoperative bleeding (OR: 0.32, P = 0.33), arrhythmia (OR: 1.22, P = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Administration of ghrelin following oesophagoectomy may reduce duration of postoperative SIRS and bodyweight loss. Whether shorter duration of SIRS and less bodyweight loss resulted from postoperative ghrelin therapy can translate into improved morbidity or mortality outcomes remains unknown. There is a need for randomised controlled trials with robust statistical power to investigate the role of postoperative ghrelin therapy on morbidity and mortality outcomes in patients undergoing oesophagectomy.

Textbook outcomes after oesophagectomy: a single-centre observational study.

BACKGROUND: Textbook outcomes is a composite quality assurance tool assessing the ideal perioperative and postoperative course as a unified measure. Currently, its definition and application in the context of oesophagectomy in Australia is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the textbook outcomes after oesophagectomy in a single referral centre of Australia and investigate the association between textbook outcomes and patient, tumour, and treatment characteristics. METHODS: An observational study was retrospectively performed on patients undergoing open, laparoscopic, or hybrid oesophagectomy between January 2010 and December 2019 in a single cancer referral centre. A textbook outcome was defined as the fulfillment of 10 criteria: R0 resection, retrieval of at least 15 lymph nodes, no intraoperative complications, no postoperative complications greater than Clavien-Dindo grade III, no anastomotic leak, no readmission to the ICU, no hospital stay beyond 21 days, no mortality within 90 days, no readmission related to the surgical procedure within 30 days from admission and no reintervention related to the surgical procedure. The proportion of patients who met each criterion for textbook outcome was calculated and compared. Selected patient-related parameters (age, gender, BMI, ASA score, CCI score), tumour-related factors (tumour location, tumour histology, AJCC clinical T and N stage and treatment-related factor [neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgical approach]) were assessed. Disease recurrence and one year survival were also evaluated. RESULTS: 110 patients who underwent oesophagectomy were included. The overall textbook outcome rate was 24%. The difference in rates across the years was not statistically significant. The most achieved textbook outcome parameters were 'no mortality in 90 days' (96%) and 'R0 resection' (89%). The least frequently met textbook outcome parameter was 'no severe postoperative complications' (58%), followed by 'no hospital stays over 21 days' (61%). No significant association was found between patient, tumour and treatment characteristics and the rate of textbook outcome. Tumour recurrence rate and overall long term survival was similar between textbook outcome and non-textbook outcome groups. Patients with R0 resection, no intraoperative complication and a hospital stay less than 21 days had reduced mortality rates. CONCLUSIONS: Textbook outcome is a clinically relevant indicator and was achieved in 24% of patients. Severe complications and a prolonged hospital stay were the key criteria that limited the achievement of a textbook outcome. These findings provide meticulous evaluation of oesophagectomy perioperative care and provide a direction for the utilisation of this concept in identifying and improving surgical and oncological care across multiple healthcare levels.

Survival experience of patients undergoing oesophagectomy during the recovery period: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and synthesise existing qualitative research evidence describing the survival experience of patients undergoing oesophagectomy during recovery. BACKGROUND: Patients with oesophageal cancer undergoing surgical treatment have severe physical and psychological burdens during the recovery period. Qualitative studies on the survival experience of patients undergoing oesophagectomy are increasing annually, but there is no integration of qualitative evidence. DESIGN: A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies were conducted following the ENTREQ. METHODS: Five English (CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library) and three Chinese (Wanfang, CNKI and VIP) databases were searched for literature on the survival of patients undergoing oesophagectomy during the recovery period from its establishment in April 2022. The quality of the literature was evaluated by the 'Qualitative Research Quality Evaluation Criteria for the JBI Evidence-Based Health Care Centre in Australia', and the data were synthesised by the thematic synthesis method of Thomas and Harden. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies were included, and four themes were identified: physical and mental dual challenges, impaired social functioning, efforts to return to normal life, lack of knowledge and skills in post-discharge care, and thirst for external support. CONCLUSIONS: Future research should focus on the problem of reduced social interaction during the recovery of patients with oesophageal cancer, formulating individualised exercise intervention programs and establishing a sound social support system. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results of this study provide evidence-based support for nurses to carry out targeted interventions and reference methods for patients with oesophageal cancer to rebuild their lives. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The report was a systematic review and did not involve a population study.

Centralisation of oesophageal cancer services: experiences and outcomes of the first year of implementation at a Belgian non-academic teachinghospital.

INTRODUCTION: Oesophageal surgery recently became centralised in Belgium. This study aims to evaluate surgical outcomes and service delivered one year after implementation of centralisation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing an oesophagectomy between the start of the centralisation; 1st of June 2019 and 31st of May 2020, were included from a prospectively maintained database. RESULTS: 53 patients (41 male, 12 female) underwent an oesophagectomy during the study period. Most oesophagectomies were performed through an open left thoracoabdominal approach (64.2%), 30.2% via a minimally invasive approach and hybrid approaches were carried out in 5.7% of patients. In this study population, the 30 day mortality rate was 0% and the 90 day mortality rate was 3.8%, equating to 2 deaths. The overall 30 day readmission rate was 7.5%. Clinically significant anastomotic leaks occurred in 4 patients, (7.5%). Pneumonia and atrial fibrillation were the most frequent complications, both having a prevalence of 32.1%. The median length of stay was 11 days (IQR 9.5-14.5). CONCLUSION: The results from our centre are comparable to those from international registers which demonstrate that centralisation of complex cancer services can be safely implemented.

Laparoscopic-assisted transhiatal oesophagectomy: An experience from a tertiary care centre over 10 years.

Background: Minimally invasive surgeries have become the standard of care in oesophageal surgeries, but the transhiatal approach is still not widely in practice. As in the open surgical approach, laparoscopic transhiatal oesophagectomy has been accepted by many centres worldwide. The laparoscopic-assisted transhiatal oesophagectomy (LATE) has become a time-tested surgery. Many centres across the world have shown its feasibility and superiority regarding the lymph node yield with less morbidity with the added advantage of laparoscopy. We are pleased to share our 10-year experience with LATE and the long-term follow-up. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained data from our tertiary care centre from January 2010 to January 2021. Forty-six out of 74 patients with carcinoma of the lower end of the oesophagus who underwent LATE were analysed retrospectively. Results: Our study group included 46 patients. Six patients who required conversion to open surgery and those who underwent different procedures were excluded. The mean operative time was 220 (140-360) min. The mean blood loss was 230 (100-500) ml. Four (8.69%) patients had neck leaks. Twelve (26.08%) patients had minor pulmonary complications and one (2.17%) patient had a major pulmonary complication in the form of acute respiratory distress syndrome. The median hospital stay was 10.5 (8-28) days and 90-day mortality was 2.17%. 45 (97.82%) patients had an R0 resection rate with a median lymph node yield of 21 (16-28). The median overall survival was 44 months, with a 3 years disease-free survival rate of 63.04% and a 5-year overall survival rate of 36.50%. Conclusion: LATE is feasible and safe for adenocarcinoma of lower third esophagus and GEJ (gastroesophageal junction). The laparoscopic magnified view of lower mediastinum provides a better vision for lymphadenectomy especially in the neoadjuvant group. It has all the added benefits of minimal invasive surgery with acceptable short and long term oncological results.

The efficacy and feasibility of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy followed by McKeown minimally invasive oesophagectomy for locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: In immunotherapy, antibodies are activated to block immune checkpoints, resist tumour immunosuppression, shrink tumours and prevent a recurrence. As the science behind tumour immunotherapy continuously develops and improves, neoadjuvant immunotherapy bears more prominent advantages: antigen exposure not only enhances the degree of tumour-specific T-cell response but also prolongs the duration of actions. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of McKeown minimally invasive oesophagectomy (McKeown MIO) following neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy (NICT) in patients with locally advanced oesophageal cancer (OC). Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, 94 patients underwent either NICT or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) followed by MIO at our institution from January 2020 to October 2022. We assessed the therapy-related adverse events and perioperative outcomes and compared them between the two groups. Results: After completing at least two cycles of neoadjuvant therapy, all patients underwent McKeown MIO with negative margins within 4-7 weeks. Demographic data of the two cohorts were similar. Regarding perioperative characteristics, the median intraoperative blood loss was 50 ml in the NICT group, lower than that of the NCT group (100 ml, P < 0.05). In addition, the NICT group had significantly more harvested lymph nodes than the NCT group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in post-operative complications. The rate of objective response rate in the NICT group was higher than that in the NCT group (88.3% vs. 58.8%). Regarding tumour regression, the number of patients with TRG Grades 1-3 in the NICT group was more than that in the NCT. Adverse events experienced by the two groups included anaemia and elevated transaminase. We found no difference in the adverse events between the two groups. Conclusions: This study showed the efficacy and feasibility of NICT followed by McKeown MIO in treating locally advanced OC.

Neoadjuvant versus definitive radiochemotherapy of locoregionally advanced oesophageal cancer-who benefits?

PURPOSE: For years, there have been discussions on whether neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by surgery (nRCT-S) is superior to definitive radiochemotherapy (dRCT) as the standard of care for locoregionally advanced oesophageal cancer (OC). This retrospective study aimed to evaluate our patient cohort regarding differences in survival and recurrence between nRCT­S and dRCT. METHODS: Data from 68 patients with dRCT and 33 patients with nRCT­S treated from 2010 to 2018 were analysed. Comorbidities were recorded using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Recurrence patterns were recorded as in-field or out-field. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare survival data (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival [PFS], and locoregional control [LRC]). RESULTS: Patients with nRCT­S showed significantly lower CCI values than those with dRCT (p = 0.001). The median follow-up was 47 months. The median OS times were 31 months for nRCT­S and 12 months for dRCT (p = 0.009), the median PFS times were 11 and 9 months, respectively (p = 0.057), and the median LRC times were not reached and 23 months, respectively (p = 0.037). The only further factor with a significant impact on OS was the CCI (p = 0.016). In subgroup analyses for comorbidities regarding differences in OS, the superiority of the nRCT­S remained almost significant for CCI values 2-6 (p = 0.061). CONCLUSION: Our study showed significantly longer OS and LRC for patients with nRCT­S than for those with dRCT. Due to different comorbidities in the groups, it can be deduced from the subgroup analysis that patients with few comorbidities seem to especially profit from nRCT­S.

Risk factors for refractory enterocutaneous fistula following button jejunostomy removal and its treatment using a novel extraperitoneal approach in patients with oesophageal cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Enterocutaneous fistula after removal of the jejunostomy tube leads to multiple problems, such as cosmetic problems, decreased quality of life, electrolyte imbalances, infectious complications, and increased medical costs. However, the risk factors for refractory enterocutaneous fistula (REF) after button jejunostomy removal remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the risk factors for REF after button jejunostomy removal in patients with oesophageal cancer and reported the surgical outcomes of the novel extraperitoneal approach (EPA) for REF closure. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 47 patients who underwent button jejunostomy removal after oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer. We assessed the risk factors for REF in these patients and reported the surgical outcomes of the novel EPA for REF closure at the International University of Health and Welfare Hospital between March 2013 and October 2021. The primary endpoint was defined as the occurrence of REF after removal of the button jejunostomy, which was assessed using a maintained database. The risk factors and outcomes of the EPA for REF closure were retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: REFs occurred in 15 (31.9%) patients. In the univariate analysis, REF was significantly more common in patients with albumin level < 4.0 g/dL (p = 0.026), duration > 12 months for button jejunostomy removal (p = 0.003), and with a fistula < 15.0 mm (p = 0.002). The multivariate analysis revealed that a duration > 12 months for button jejunostomy removal (odds ratio [OR]: 7.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-36.8; p = 0.019) and fistula < 15.0 mm (OR: 8.08; 95% CI: 1.50-43.6; p = 0.002) were independent risk factors for REF. EPA for REF closure was performed in 15 patients. The technical success rate of EPA was 88.2%. Of the 15 EPA procedures, fistula closure was achieved in 12 (80.0%). The complications of EPA (11.7%) were major leakages (n = 3) and for two of them, EPA procedure was re-performed, and closure of the fistula was finally achieved. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that duration > 12 months for button jejunostomy removal and fistula < 15.0 mm are the independent risk factors for REF after button jejunostomy removal. EPA for REF closure is a novel, simple, and useful surgical option for patients with REF after oesophagectomy.

Role sharing between minimally invasive oesophagectomy and organ preservation approach for surgically resectable advanced oesophageal cancer.

Oesophageal cancer is a dismal disease since it metastasizes widely even from an early stage. In order to improve treatment outcomes, multidisciplinary treatments including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy have been developed. While oesophagectomy is the mainstay in the treatment strategy, it is highly invasive since it requires two to three field approaches. To reduce surgical stress and morbidity, minimally invasive oesophagectomy including thoracoscopy, robotic assisted surgery and mediastinoscopy were introduced. Various clinical trials proved that these techniques decrease the post-operative morbidity rate. Furthermore, with the advancement of multidisciplinary treatment with a higher response rate, the possibility arose for omission of surgical resection in remarkable responders to neoadjuvant therapy. However, in order to safely provide organ preservation without increasing the risk of post-treatment recurrence, an accurate tumour monitoring system is required. Although endoscopy and computed tomography imaging have been a standard, the detection rate of residual tumours after treatment is still unsatisfactory. Utilizing liquid biopsy which could evaluate tumour derivative and host response, an appropriate monitoring system of tumour burden during multidisciplinary treatment can be developed. With the advancement of minimally invasive surgery and multidisciplinary treatment, the treatment strategy needs to be highly individualized based on the tumour biology, patients' condition and their preferences. Along with the improvement of the tumour monitoring system, appropriate role sharing can be achieved between a minimally invasive surgery and the organ preservation approach.

Profiling patient-reported symptom recovery from oesophagectomy for patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a real-world longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients have severe symptom burden after oesophagectomy; however, longitudinal studies of symptom recovery after surgery are scarce. This study used longitudinal patient-reported outcome (PRO)-based symptoms to identify severe symptoms and profile symptom recovery from surgery in patients undergoing oesophagectomy. METHODS: Oesophageal cancer patients (N = 327) underwent oesophagectomy were consecutively included between April 2019 and March 2020. Data were extracted from the Sichuan Cancer Hospital's Esophageal Cancer Case Management Registration Database. Symptom assessment time points were pre-surgery and 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 30, and 90 days post-surgery using the Chinese version of the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. And each symptom was rated on an 11-point scale, with 0 being 'not present' and 10 being 'as bad as you can imagine'. The symptom recovery trajectories were profiled using mixed effect models and Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: The most-severe symptoms on day 1 after oesophagectomy were pain, fatigue, dry mouth, disturbed sleep, and distress. The severity of symptoms peaked on day 1 after surgery. The top two symptoms were fatigue (mean: 5.44 [SD 1.88]) and pain (mean: 5.23 [SD 1.29]). Fatigue was more severe 90 days after surgery than at baseline (mean: 1.77 [SD 1.47] vs 0.65 [SD 1.05]; P < .0001). Disturbed sleep and distress persisted from pre-surgery to 90 days post-surgery; average sleep recovery time was up to 20 days, and 50.58% of patients had sleep disturbances 90 days post-surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Early post-operative pain management after oesophagectomy should be considered. Characteristics and intervention strategies of post-operative fatigue, distress, and disturbed sleep in oesophageal cancer patients warrant further studies.

Completely minimally invasive versus hybrid Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy for oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal junctional cancer: a UK multi-centre comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Limited robust evidence exists comparing outcomes following completely minimally invasive oesophagectomy (CMIO) to hybrid oesophagectomy (HO) in the treatment of resectable oesophageal and gastro-oesophageal junctional (GOJ) cancer. This multi-centre study aims to assess postoperative morbidity between HO and CMIO according to the full Esophagectomy Complications Consensus Group (ECCG) complication platform. METHODS: All consecutive patients undergoing an Ivor-Lewis HO or Ivor-Lewis CMIO for cancer between 2016 and 2018 in three UK tertiary centres were included. The primary study outcome was 30-day overall complications, evaluated by the ECCG complication subgroups. Secondary outcomes included survival outcomes and perioperative parameters between the two approaches. RESULTS: Of the 382 patients included, 228 (59.7%) patients had HOs and 154 (40.3%) patients had CMIOs with no inter-group baseline differences. Patients undergoing CMIO experienced less 30-day postoperative complications compared to those under undergoing HO (43.5% vs 57.0%, p = 0.010). ECCG defined pulmonary and infective complications were less frequent in the CMIO group. Anastomotic leak rates and oncological outcomes were similar between the two groups. Independent predictors of 30-day postoperative complications include surgical approach with HO and high ASA grade on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Ivor-Lewis CMIO demonstrates superior short-term surgical outcomes when compared to Ivor-Lewis HO with no compromise in oncological feasibility. Anastomotic leak rates were equivalent between both groups. A robust randomised controlled trial is required to validate the findings of this study.

Near infra-red fluorescence identification of the thoracic duct to prevent chyle leaks during oesophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Chyle leaks following oesophagectomy are a frustrating complication of surgery with considerable morbidity. The use of near infra-red (NIR) fluorescence in surgery is an emerging technology and the use of fluorescence to identify the thoracic duct has been demonstrated in animal work and early human case reports. This study evaluated the use mesenteric and enteral administration of indocyanine green (ICG) in humans to identify the thoracic duct during oesophagectomy. METHODS: Patients undergoing oesophagectomy were recruited to the study. Administration of ICG via an enteral route or mesenteric injection was evaluated. Fluorescence was assessed using a NIR fluorescence enabled laparoscope system with a visual scoring system and signal to background ratios. Visualisation of the thoracic duct under white light and NIR fluorescence was compared as well as any identification of active chyle leak. Patients were followed up post-operatively for adverse events and chyle leak. RESULTS: 20 patients received ICG and were included in the study. The enteral route failed to fluoresce the thoracic duct. Mesenteric injection (17 patients) identified the thoracic duct under fluorescence prior to white light in 70% of patients with a mean signal to background ratio of 5.35. In 6 participants, a possible active chyle leak was identified under fluorescence with 4 showing active chyle leak from what was identified as the thoracic duct. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that ICG administration via mesenteric injection can highlight the thoracic duct during oesophagectomy and may be a potential technology to reduce chyle leak following surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials.gov (NCT03292757).

Advantages of McKeown minimally invasive oesophagectomy for the treatment of oesophageal cancer: propensity score matching analysis of 169 cases.

BACKGROUND: Oesophagectomy, the gold standard for oesophageal cancer treatment, causes significantly high morbidity and mortality. McKeown minimally invasive oesophagectomy (MIE) is preferred for treating oesophageal malignancies; however, limited studies with large sample sizes focusing on the surgical and oncological outcomes of this procedure have been reported. We aimed to compare the clinical safety and efficacy of McKeown MIE with those of open oesophagectomy (OE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Overall, 338 oesophageal cancer patients matched by gender, age, location, size, and T and N stages (McKeown MIE: 169 vs OE: 169) were analysed. The clinicopathologic features, operational factors, postoperative complications, and prognoses were compared between the groups. RESULTS: McKeown MIE resulted in less bleeding (200 mL vs 300 mL, p<0.01), longer operation time (335.0 h vs 240.0 h, p<0.01), and higher number of harvested lymph nodes (22 vs 9, p<0.01) than OE did. Although the rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in the two groups was not significantly different, incidence of anastomotic leakage (8 vs 24, p=0.003) was significantly lower in the McKeown MIE group. In addition, patients who underwent McKeown MIE had higher 5-year overall survival than those who underwent OE (69.9% vs 40.4%, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: McKeown MIE is proved to be feasible and safe to achieve better surgical and oncological outcomes for oesophageal cancer compared with OE.