ObjectiveTo investigate the rule of lymph node metastasis and its relationship with prognosis in stage N1 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. MethodsThe clinical and follow-up data of 121 stage N1 (1 to 2 lymph node metastases) thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients, who underwent radical resection of esophageal carcinoma in our hospital from 2015 to 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 104 (86.0%) males and 17 (14.0%) females with an average age of 64.9±8.3 years. ResultsThe early metastasis rates of the left upper paratracheal, right upper paratracheal, lower thoracic paraesophageal, paracardial, lesser curvature and greater curvature lymph nodes were 22.6%, 28.0%, 21.2%, 41.7%, 25.0% and 25.0%, respectively. The three-year survival rates in the group with and without left upper paratracheal lymph node metastasis were 8.3% and 34.9%, respectively (P=0.000). The three-year survival rates of the subcarinal lymph node metastasis group and the non-metastasis group were 10.5% and 36.3%, respectively (P=0.032). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that, left upper paratracheal lymph node metastasis (P=0.000) and subcarinal lymph node metastasis (P=0.010) were independent prognostic factors for early stage lymph node metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The three-year survival rates of patients with simple abdominal lymph node metastasis and those with simple thoracic lymph node metastasis were 51.1% and 25.0%, respectively (P=0.016). ConclusionThe lymph nodes of N1 stage thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma are more likely to metastasize to left upper paratracheal lymph nodes, right upper paratracheal lymph nodes, lower thoracic paraesophageal lymph nodes, paracardial lymph nodes, lesser curvature of stomach and greater curvature of stomach lymph nodes. Lymph node metastases of left upper paratracheal and subcarinal are independent factors for the prognosis of patients with stage N1 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The prognosis of patients with simple abdominal lymph node metastasis is better than that of patients with simple thoracic lymph node metastasis.
Local treatment improves the outcomes for oligometastatic disease, an intermediate state between locoregional and widespread disease. However, consensus about the definition, diagnosis and treatment of oligometastatic oesophagogastric cancer is lacking. The first edition "Definition, diagnosis and treatment of oligometastatic oesophagogastric cancer: A Delphi consensus study in Europe" was published on February 15, 2023 by 65 European medical specialists. In this article, the consensus will be interpreted to provide new idea for the diagnosis and treatment of oligometastatic oesophagogastric cancer for Chinese clinicians.
ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and effectiveness of near-infrared fluorescence imaging of the thoracic duct (NFITD) using indocyanine green (ICG) during inflatable video-assisted mediastinoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (IVMTE) for esophageal cancer. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with esophageal cancer who underwent IVMTE at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, from January 2024 to October 2024. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they underwent NFITD: an ICG NFITD group (ITD group) and a non-ICG NFITD group (NITD group). Propensity score matching was used to balance confounding factors, and perioperative data and short-term follow-up results (within 6 months) of the two groups were compared. ResultsA total of 66 patients were included, of which 51 were males and 15 were females, with an average age of (70.9±7.2) years. In the comparison of general information between the two groups, the proportion of patients in the ITD group with preoperative chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was higher than that in the NITD group (P=0.044), and the proportion of patients with preoperative bronchiectasis was lower than that in the NITD group (P=0.035). After propensity score matching at a 1:1 ratio, a total of 15 pairs of patients were successfully matched. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, complications, maximum tumor diameter, pT stage, pN stage, and pTNM stage (P>0.05). The 6-month postoperative follow-up results showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of anastomotic stricture, hoarseness, gastric paralysis, anastomotic leakage, and postoperative adjuvant treatment (P>0.05). ConclusionThe application of NFITD in IVMTE is safe and effective, with a thoracic duct visualization rate of 100.0%. Compared with NITD, ITD prolonged the operation time but increased the number and stations of lymph node dissection without increasing perioperative and short-term postoperative complications (within 6 months), making it worthy of further clinical promotion.
Objective To analyze the risk factors affecting the occurrence of arrhythmia after esophageal cancer surgery, construct a risk prediction model, and explore its clinical value. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients who underwent radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Anhui Provincial Hospital from 2020 to 2023. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to screen potential factors influencing postoperative arrhythmia. A risk prediction model for postoperative arrhythmia was constructed, and a nomogram was drawn. The predictive performance of the model was then validated. Results A total of 601 esophageal cancer patients were randomly divided into a modeling group (421 patients) and a validation group (180 patients) at a 7 : 3 ratio. In the modeling group, patients were further categorized into an arrhythmia group (188 patients, 44.7%) and a non-arrhythmia group (233 patients, 55.3%) based on whether they developed postoperative arrhythmia. Among those with postoperative arrhythmia, 43 (10.2%) patients had atrial fibrillation (AF), 12 (2.9%) patients had atrial premature beats, 15 (3.6%) patients had sinus bradycardia, and 143 (34%) patients had sinus tachycardia. Some patients exhibited multiple arrhythmias, including 14 patients with AF combined with sinus tachycardia, 7 patients with AF combined with atrial premature beats, and 3 patients with AF combined with sinus bradycardia. Univariate analysis revealed that a history of hypertension, heart disease, pulmonary infection, acute respiratory distress syndrome, postoperative hypoxia, anastomotic leakage, and delirium were risk factors for postoperative arrhythmia in esophageal cancer patients (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a history of heart disease, pulmonary infection, and postoperative hypoxia were independent risk factors for postoperative arrhythmia after esophageal cancer surgery (P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the constructed risk prediction model for postoperative arrhythmia was 0.710 [95% CI (0.659, 0.760)], with a sensitivity of 0.617 and a specificity of 0.768. Conclusion A history of heart disease, pulmonary infection, and postoperative hypoxia are independent risk factors for postoperative arrhythmia after esophageal cancer surgery. The risk prediction model constructed in this study can effectively identify high-risk patients for postoperative arrhythmia, providing a basis for personalized interventions.
Objective To investigate the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy (MIME) in patients with locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) after neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Methods The clinical data of the patients with locally advanced TESCC in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from July 2022 to March 2023 were restrospectively analyzed. They were divided into a neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NI) group and a non-neoadjuvant immunotherapy (NNI) group according to different preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. The perioperative clinical data and 3-month follow-up data were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 47 patients were collected, including 31 males and 16 females with a mean age of (67.57±7.64) years. There were 29 patients in the NI group and 18 patients in the NNI group. There were no statistical differences in baseline data, perioperative complications, short-term complications, surgical time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative adjuvant therapy, metastasis/recurrence within 3 months, R0 resection rate, postoperative pathological staging decline, or College of American Pathologists (CAP) tumor regression grade between the two groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion Neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy can be safely and effectively performed for patients with locally advanced TESCC without increasing operation time, intraoperative blood loss and perioperative complications.
ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility, safety, and effectivity of the application of systematic lymph node dissection (SLND) in inflatable video-assisted mediastinoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy (IVMTE). MethodsThe clinical data of the patients who underwent IVMTE for esophageal cancer in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China From January to October 2024 were restrospectively analyzed. They were divided into a SLND group and an elective lymph node dissection (ELND) group according to intraoperative lymph node resection. clinical characteristics and perioperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 66 patients were enrolled, including 51 males and 15 females, with a mean age of (70.13 ± 8.49) years. There were 12 patients in the selective lymph node dissection (SLND) group and 54 patients in the extended lymph node dissection (ELND) group. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, cT stage, tumor location, differentiation grade, pT stage, pN stage, and preoperative comorbidities (P>0.05). statistical differences were observed between the two groups in terms of receiving preoperative neoadjuvant therapy and pTNM staging (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences between the two groups in postoperative complications, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, and left recurrent laryngeal nerve paratracheal lymph node dissection (P>0.05). The SLND group had a higher average number of lymph nodes dissected, number of stations, number of mediastinal lymph nodes, and number of mediastinal stations than the ELND group. statistical differences were observed between the two groups in the dissection of paraesophageal, right recurrent laryngeal nerve, subcarinal, and diaphragmatic lymph nodes (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences between the two groups in mediastinal lymph node metastasis and cervical lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). The SLND group had more abdominal lymph node metastasis than the ELND group, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.034). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that cervical lymph node dissection was a risk factor for postoperative complications (P=0.023). Conclusion SLND is safe and effective in IVMTE. Compared with the ELND group, it increased the number of lymph nodes and stations dissected in the mediastinum, and improved the accuracy of postoperative staging. Meanwhile, it did not prolong operative time or hospital stay, nor did it increase the risk of postoperative complications or non-surgical complications.
Objective To evaluate clinical outcomes of complete video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery （VATS） lobectomy for patients with peripheral lung cancer.?Methods?We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 90 consecutive patients with peripheral lung cancer who underwent complete VATS lobectomy from July 2009 to December 2011 in Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University. There were 55 male patients and 35 female patients with their age of 33-79 （62.5 ±11.5） years. Lymph node dissection group and number, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of postoperative chest drainage, length of postoperative hospitalization, postoperative morbidity and pain score were analyzed.?Results?There was no hospital death in this group. Operation time was 135.0±32.5 min, intraoperative blood loss was 230.0±80.4 ml, length of postoperative chest drainage was 4.8±2.1 days, and pain score on the third postoperative day was 5.3±1.2. A total of 520 groups and 1 568 lymph nodes were dissected during the operation, with 5.8 groups and 17.4 lymph nodes dissected in each patient. There were 71 groups with lymph node metastasis, a positive rate of 13.7% （71/520）. Postoperatively, 2 patients had hoarseness and 3 patients had chylothorax, who were all cured after proper treatment. Ninety patients were followed up for 1-24 months. During follow-up, 4 patients died of tumor metastasis, and other patients were all alive with good quality of life.?Conclusion?Complete VATS lobectomy is a minimally invasive technique for patients with peripheral lung cancer with better postoperative recovery and reduced pain level. The safety and degree of radical resection of complete VATS lobectomy is similar to those of routine thoracotomy lobectomy. Complete VATS lobectomy can be recommended as a surgical treatment for patients with peripheral lung cancer.