Great progress has been made in immunotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in recent years. However, for thoracic surgeons, immunotherapy is still a new thing and they lack enough experience. Therefore, this paper attempts to discuss some hot issues of immunotherapy, including the indications, side effects, clinical efficacy and evaluation of efficacy. The author hopes that this article will help and attract the attention of thoracic surgeons.
Patients with thoracic malignancy have a high incidence of perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE), but its onset is insidious, often asymptomatic or atypical, and is easily overlooked. Early identification and standardized prevention of VTE can effectively reduce the risk of VTE. "Guideline for the prevention and management of perioperative venous thromboembolism in thoracic malignancies in China (2022 version)" has been officially released recently. This article closely follows the context, significance, core implications, and the impact of future VTE prevention in thoracic surgery. It is hoped that through our joint efforts, we can reduce the incidence of perioperative VTE and mortality of thoracic surgery, and strive to improve the long-term survival of patients with lung cancer and esophageal cancer.
Organ preservation after neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer has gained significant attention. While the CROSS trial established neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgery as standard care, approximately 30% of patients achieve pathological complete response (pCR), prompting exploration of active surveillance (AS). The landmark SANO phase Ⅲ trial (2025) demonstrated non-inferior 2-year overall survival (74% AS vs. 71% surgery), with 31% of patients avoiding surgery. Multimodal assessment (endoscopic deep biopsy+EUS+PET-CT) reduced residual disease misdiagnosis to 10%. The Asian-led NEEDS trial is evaluating definitive chemoradiotherapy with salvage surgery. Although immunotherapy boosts pCR rates to 40%-55%, challenges persist, including 8%-12% false-negative cCR assessments, limited long-term data, and East-West histological disparities. The 2024 NCCN guidelines conditionally recommend AS (Category 2B, prioritized for squamous cell carcinoma), emphasizing centralized implementation. Future directions involve ctDNA and radiomics for risk stratification to advance precision organ-preserving strategies.
目的 建立犬开放性气胸海水浸泡的实验模型 ,探讨实验动物早期死亡原因。 方法 2 0条健康成年杂种犬随机分为两组。对照组 :实验动物受伤后直接观察 ;实验组 :动物受伤后置入人工配制的海水中。监测血流动力学、呼吸、血液渗透压、血液电解质、动脉血气变化以及肺部病理改变。 结果 实验组死亡率明显高于对照组 ,平均生存时间为 45分钟。实验组经海水浸泡后有急性呼吸和循环功能衰竭、严重电解质平衡紊乱、高渗血症、重度肺损伤以及严重代谢性和呼吸性酸中毒。 结论 开放性气胸后海水浸泡可引起一系列严重的病理生理变化 ,其结果是导致实验动物早期死亡的重要原因。
Objective To review the clinical experience of Heller myotomy for treatment of achalasia through a small thoracotomy. Methods Twenty-five patients with achalasia (9 moderate, 16 severe) underwent Heller myotomy without concomitant antireflux procedure through a small incision. A left thoracotomy was carried out through either the seventh or eighth intercostals space. The length of skin incision was 6 to 8 cm. Results There was no hospital death and severe postoperative complications. The mean operating time was 50 minutes. Mean hospital stay was 10 days. There was one intraoperative perforation and repaired successfully. All patients reported good to excellent relief of dysphagia and no symptom of gastroesophageal reflux after surgery. Eight patients were subsequently studied with a 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and no evidence of pathologic reflux found. Conclusions Transthoracic Heller myotomy with a small incision is effective and safe method for treatment of achalasia with minimal invasion, quick recovery, less postoperative complication and shorter hospital stay. Proper extent of the myotomy may decrease the risk of subsequent gastroesophageal reflux in the postoperative period.
There is still a lack of experience in the perioperative strategy for esophageal cancer patients in China during the epidemic of COVID-19. In December 2022, a 59-year-old male patient with esophageal cancer was admitted to our department. He received 2 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy before surgery, and developed COVID-19 perioperatively. After treatment, the infection symptoms of the patient were improved, and the postoperative recovery was satisfactory.
Objective To investigate the changes in osteoprotegerin (OPG) / receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) ratio in sepsis-associated acute lung injury (SA-ALI) and the role of regulation of this ratio on the inflammatory response in SA-ALI. Methods Eighteen C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into sham operation group, cecal ligation and perforation (CLP) group and RANKL group, with 6 mice in each group. Before the experiment, the RANKL group was intraperitoneally injected with 5 μg (0.2 mL) of recombinant RANKL antibody, whereas both the sham operation group and the CLP group were intraperitoneally injected with a volume-matched normal saline. One hour later, the sham operation group underwent only abdominal exploration and repositioning, while the other groups underwent the CLP surgery to induce the SA-ALI model. After 24 h of modelling, all mice were sacrificed and samples were collected. Pathological evaluation of lung tissues was performed by haematoxylin-eosin staining; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-1β; while the mRNA and protein expression of OPG and RANKL, along with their ratio values, were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction for quantitative analysis and protein immunoblotting. Results The SA-ALI mouse model was successfully established. Compared with the sham operation group, mice in the CLP group showed disturbed alveolar structure, obvious alveolar and interstitial haemorrhage and inflammatory cell infiltration, elevated serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β (P<0.05), significantly increased mRNA and protein expression of OPG and elevated OPG/RANKL ratio in lung tissue (P<0.05), whereas RANKL mRNA and protein expression was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the CLP group, the pathological damage of lung tissue in the RANKL group was reduced, the infiltration of alveolar and interstitial inflammatory cells was significantly improved, and the alveolar structure and morphology were more regular, with lower serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β (P<0.05), significantly lower mRNA and protein expression of OPG and OPG/RANKL ratio in lung tissue (P<0.05), and significantly higher mRNA and protein expression of RANKL in lung tissue (P<0.05). Conclusion The alteration of OPG/RANKL ratio may be related to the pathophysiological process of SA-ALI, and the decrease in its level may reflect the attenuation of the inflammatory response in SA-ALI.