Video-assisted esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

Effects of preoperative psoas muscle index and body mass index on postoperative outcomes after video-assisted esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

INTRODUCTION

Preoperative psoas muscle index (PMI) and body mass index (BMI) are relevant to postoperative outcomes. We investigated the associations of PMI, BMI, and preoperative nutritional and muscular score with postoperative outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer who underwent video-assisted surgery.

METHODS

We examined 150 patients (124 men, 26 women) who underwent video-assisted esophagectomy from February 2002 to March 2016. We used the Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification to analyze postoperative complications. Because skeletal muscle volume differs significantly between male and female patients, all analyses were performed separately. In male patients, we used the following cut-off values to categorize patients into three groups: PMI = 600 mm² /m² , BMI = 18.5 kg/m² , and preoperative nutritional and muscular (PNM) scores 0 to 2.

RESULTS

Two patients were converted to open thoracotomy. Among male patients, PMI and PNM scores were significant risk factors for complications. Among male patients, in the high PMI group, the number of CD ≥ IIIa complications was significantly lower. In the PNM score 0 group (both PMI and BMI values exceeded the cut-off values), the number of complications was significantly lower. In both genders, PMI and BMI were not significantly associated with survival.

CONCLUSIONS

PMI and PNM scores can be useful for predicting postoperative outcomes in male patients with esophageal cancer having undergone video-assisted surgery.

Progress in Multimodal Treatment for Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Results of Multi-Institutional Trials Conducted in Japan

In Japan, the therapeutic strategies adopted for esophageal carcinoma are based on the results of multi-institutional trials conducted by the Japan Esophageal Oncology Group (JEOG), a subgroup of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG). Owing to the differences in the proportion of patients with squamous cell carcinoma among all patients with esophageal carcinoma, chemotherapeutic drugs available, and surgical procedures employed, the therapeutic strategies adopted in Asian countries, especially Japan, are often different from those in Western countries. The emphasis in respect of postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) shifted from postoperative radiotherapy in the 1980s to postoperative chemotherapy in the 1990s. In the 2000s, the optimal timing of administration of perioperative adjuvant chemotherapy returned from the postoperative adjuvant setting to the preoperative neoadjuvant setting. Recently, the JEOG commenced a three-arm randomized controlled trial of neoadjuvant therapies (cisplatin + 5-fluorouracil (CF) vs. CF + docetaxel (DCF) vs. CF + radiation therapy (41.4 Gy) (CRT)) for localized advanced ESCC, and patient recruitment has been completed. Salvage and conversion surgeries for ESCC have been developed in Japan, and the JEOG has conducted phase I/II trials to confirm the feasibility and safety of such aggressive surgeries. At present, the JEOG is conducting several trials for patients with resectable and unresectable ESCC, according to the tumor stage. Herein, we present a review of the JEOG trials conducted for advanced ESCC.

Evaluation of Surgical Procedures that Affect the Hemodynamics Using the FloTrac System in Esophageal Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

Esophagectomy is more invasive compared to other gastrointestinal surgery types. Perioperative circulatory management is important to avoid postoperative heart complications. The FloTrac sensor along with the Vigileo monitor is a minimally invasive haemodynamic monitoring device. Here, we examined different surgical procedures affecting hemodynamics using the FloTrac system in esophageal cancer patients following esophagectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty-one patients undergoing postoperative monitoring with the FloTrac sensor/Vigileo monitor system following esophagectomy were included. Evaluation of cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume variation (SVV) measurements were performed by analyzing the number of aberrant values. We evaluated the correlation between the number of aberrant values of CI, SVV and surgical methods of esophagectomy and perioperative factors.

RESULTS

There was no significant correlation between the number of aberrant values of CI, SVV and operative approach or fields of lymphadenectomy. Regarding the reconstruction route following esophagectomy, there was a significant correlation between the number of aberrant values of CI, SVV and retrosternal route compared with other routes. There was a significant correlation between the number of aberrant values of SVV and preoperative heart complication.

CONCLUSION

Hemodynamic stability management using FloTrac/Vigileo system following esophagectomy is useful for safe performance of postoperative management of esophageal cancer patients.

Recent advances in thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer

Technical advances and developments in endoscopic equipment and thoracoscopic surgery have increased the popularity of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). However, there is currently no established scientific evidence supporting the use of MIE as an alternative to open esophagectomy (OE). To date, a number of single-institution studies and several meta-analyses have demonstrated acceptable short-term outcomes of thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and we recently reported one of the largest propensity score-matched comparison studies between MIE and OE for esophageal cancer, based on a nationwide Japanese database. We found that, in general, MIE had a longer operative time and less blood loss than OE. Moreover, compared to OE, MIE was associated with a lower rate of pulmonary complications such as pneumonia, and both methods had similar mortality rates. Although MIE may reduce the occurrence of postoperative respiratory complications, MIE and OE seem to have comparable short-term outcomes. However, the oncological benefit to patients undergoing MIE remains to be scientifically proven, as no randomized controlled trials have been conducted to verify each method's impact on the long-term survival of cancer patients. An ongoing randomized phase III study (JCOG1409) is expected to determine the impact of each method with regard to short- and long-term outcomes.

Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy in the Prone Position Versus the Lateral Position (Hand-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery): A Retrospective Cohort Study of 127 Consecutive Esophageal Cancer Patients

PURPOSE

To assess the validity of esophagectomy with the patient in the prone position (PP), the short-term surgical results of PP and hand-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (HATS) were compared.

METHODS

This study enrolled 127 patients who underwent esophagectomy with HATS (n=91) or PP (n=36) between October 1999 and September 2014. The patients' background characteristics, operative findings, and postoperative complications were examined.

RESULTS

The patients' background characteristics were not significantly different. During surgery, total and thoracic blood loss were significantly lower in PP than in HATS (P<0.0001, <0.0001). Other operative findings were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Postoperatively, recurrent nerve palsy was significantly less frequent in PP than in HATS (P=0.049). In the comparison between the recurrent nerve palsy-positive and palsy-negative groups, sex (male) and preoperative respiratory comorbidity (negative) were significantly correlated with recurrent nerve palsy.

CONCLUSIONS

In thoracoscopic esophagectomy, the PP was associated with lower surgical stress than HATS, with equal operative performance oncologically. The PP could prevent recurrent nerve palsy because of the magnified view effect.

Minimally invasive surgery for upper gastrointestinal cancer: Our experience and review of the literature

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, characterized by minimal access, has been increasingly performed worldwide. It not only results in better cosmetic outcomes, but also reduces intraoperative blood loss and postoperative pain, leading to faster recovery; however, endoscopically enhanced anatomy and improved hemostasis via positive intracorporeal pressure generated by CO2 insufflation have not contributed to reduction in early postoperative complications or improvement in long-term outcomes. Since 1995, we have been actively using MIS for operable patients with resectable upper GI cancer and have developed stable and robust methodology in conducting totally laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer and prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer using novel technology including da Vinci Surgical System (DVSS). We have recently demonstrated that use of DVSS might reduce postoperative local complications including pancreatic fistula after gastrectomy and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy after esophagectomy. In this article, we present the current status and future perspectives on MIS for gastric and esophageal cancer based on our experience and a review of the literature.

Clinical significance of mediastinoscope-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer

PURPOSE

Mediastinoscope-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy (MATHE) is a useful surgical procedure in esophageal cancer patients who have limited indications for transthoracic operations due to preoperative complications.

METHODS

In the last 10 years, 63 patients underwent MATHE at our department. We examined the clinical data of these patients and assessed the indications, postoperative outcomes, and prognostic factors of MATHE.

RESULTS

The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 53.4 %, and disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 66.0 %. Postoperative complications were observed in 22 cases (34.9 %), and recurrent disease occurred in 17 cases (27.0 %). On univariate analyses of OS, location of the tumor, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, simultaneous resection of other organs, postoperative pneumonia, and blood loss were significant prognostic factors. On multivariate analyses, location of the tumor and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors of OS. On univariate analyses, location of the tumor, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and blood loss were significant prognostic factors of DFS, while on multivariate analyses of DFS, lymph node metastasis and blood loss were independent prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

MATHE is a useful procedure for the middle to lower thoracic esophageal cancer patients without clinical lymph node metastasis with serious complications who were unable to undergo thoracotomy.

Thoracoscopic enucleation of esophageal submucosal tumor by prone position under artificial pneumothorax by CO2 insufflation

Recently, the usefulness of the prone position for thoracoscopic esophagectomy has been demonstrated. Thoracoscopic resection of an esophageal submucosal tumor using a prone position also offers advantages over a lateral decubitus position. We describe 2 cases operated on using the prone position for the resection of esophageal submucosal tumor. Case 1 was a 35-year-old man, who was diagnosed with a 50×20 mm leiomyoma in the middle thoracic esophagus, and underwent right thoracoscopic tumor enucleation. Case 2 was a 61-year-old female, who had 45×30 mm esophageal schwannoma in the lower thoracic esophagus with symptoms of dysphagia, and underwent left thoracoscopic tumor enucleation. No complication was observed in both cases. Thoracoscopic esophageal submucosal resection with prone position may add the merits to conventional decubitus position, such as superior visualization, and less bleeding. The side of incision should be determined according to the location of the tumor and anatomic rationality.

Assessment of health-related quality of life of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following esophagectomy using EORTC quality of life questionnaires

Esophageal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality and surgery is currently the main treatment modality for resectable esophageal cancer. To assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) following esophagectomy, 62 consecutive patients with middle ESCC were randomly assigned into hand video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (HVATS) (n=33) and Ivor-Lewis surgery (ILS) (n=29) groups. Quality of life questionnaires (QLQ)-C30 and QLQ-OES18, published by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, were used prior to treatment and at regular intervals until 6 months following surgery. The results of QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OES18 demonstrated that i) patients with comorbidities and advanced tumor stage (III-IV) exhibited increased risk of poor HRQL, while their gender, age, body mass index and anastomosis location were not associated with HRQL at 6 months after surgery; ii) all the patients had worse functional, symptom and global scores within 6 months after surgery; iii) patients in the HVATS group had similar baseline functional and symptom scores to those of patients in the ILS group; however, their functional and global scores were higher and their symptom scores were lower compared to those of patients in the ILS group; iv) the HRQL of patients in the HVATS group returned to preoperative levels within a shorter time period compared to patients in the ILS group. There were significant differences in global health, physical functioning, fatigue and pain scales between the two groups. In QLQ-OES18, the dysphagia and gastroesophageal reflux scales were improved in both the HVATS and ILS groups, but no significant differences were observed between the two groups. In addition, the overall survival rate was similar in the two groups. Taken together, our findings indicated that HVATS is a safe procedure, associated with less disturbance to short-term HRQL compared to ILS. Therefore, it appears reasonable to select HVATS for patients with early-stage middle esophageal cancer.

Current status of minimally invasive esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer

Technical advancements and development of endoscopic equipment in thoracoscopic surgery have resulted in increase in the popularity of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). However, advantages with regard to short-term outcome and oncological feasibility of MIE have not been adequately established. To date, a number of single-institution studies and several meta-analyses have demonstrated acceptable short-term outcomes of thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and the outcomes are comparable to those of conventional open esophagectomy (OE). A study group recently reported the results of the first multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compared MIE and OE. The incidence of pulmonary infection after surgery was markedly lower in the MIE group than in the OE group. Additional benefits of MIE included less operative blood loss, better postoperative patients' quality of life, and shorter hospital stay. However, the oncological benefit to patients undergoing MIE has not been scientifically proven because there have been no RCTs to verify the equivalency in long-term survival of patients undergoing MIE compared with that of patients undergoing OE. If future prospective studies indicate oncological benefits, MIE could truly become the standard care for patients with esophageal cancer.

Confirmation of histology of PET positive lymph nodes recovered by hand-video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery

PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography) is an advanced diagnostic imaging device that combines both PET and an X-ray CT. This study evaluates the effects of PET/CT on detecting primary tumors and metastases, and looks at the therapeutic effect of minimally invasive surgery on esophageal cancer patients. Eighty patients with esophageal cancer were enrolled in the study between January, 2004 and December, 2007, who were randomly divided into two groups of 40, one of which was treated with hand-video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (HVATS) esophagectomy and one of which was treated with conventional surgery. All patients underwent a PET/CT scan 2-3 weeks before their operation, and their cervical, thoracic and upper abdominal lymph nodes were biopsied. All the primary esophageal lesions showed high FDG uptake. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) was 3.78-25.64 (11.73±5.32), while the mean SUV was 3.65=16.92 (9.12±4.37). Using 2.5 as the SUV standard, all esophageal lesions were detected by PET/CT image. Of the 80 patients, 53 had lymph nodal metastases, with a total of 142 metastatic lymph nodes, which showed high FDG uptake. The maximum SUV was 2.77-14.63 (7.98±3.25), and the mean SUV was 2.31-12.84 (5.34±3.19). The visual analysis from the PET/CT scan showed a sensitivity of 86.62%, a specificity of 95.85%, a positive predictive value of 93.89%, a negative predictive value of 90.69% and an accuracy of 91.94%. The PET/CT scan showed a high sensitivity and specificity in detecting primary esophageal cancer and lymph nodal metastases. The mean post-surgery life expectancies for patients undergoing HVATS and conventional surgery are 27.93 months and 28.05 months, respectively. The two groups showed no statistically significant difference. We thus conclude that PET/CT combined with HVATS is a new choice for esophageal carcinoma patients.