Upper Mediastinal Node Dissection for Hypopharyngeal and Cervical Esophageal Carcinomas

Mapping of Regional Failures After Definitive Radiotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Cervical Esophageal Carcinoma

Purpose

This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the failure patterns and clinical outcomes in patients with locally advanced cervical esophageal carcinoma (CEC) after definitive radiotherapy (RT), and illustrate the mapping of regional failures.

Patients and Methods

We reviewed 82 patients with CEC confirmed as squamous cell carcinoma who had completed definitive RT from August 2008 to December 2017. Data on clinical characteristics were collected from the medical records system. Patterns of treatment failures and the survival follow-up were analyzed.

Results

The median age was 58 (38–78) years. In 37 patients, the lesions were limited to the cervical esophagus, while in the remaining 45 patients, the disease got beyond the cervical esophagus (pharynx or thoracic esophagus involved). While 10 patients had stage Ⅱ disease, 72 had stage III disease. The completed median dose for 95% PGTV and 95% PTV was 66 Gy and 58 Gy. While the median follow-up was 27.6 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was 16.1 and 28.3 months, respectively. The 3-year PFS and OS was 30.3% and 45.3%, respectively. Treatment failures were reported in 55 patients, of which 22, 8, 7, 9, 2, 3, and 4 patients had developed local, regional, distant, local-regional, regional-distant, local-distant and local-regional-distant failure, respectively. Of the 41 relapsed nodal sites, 28 were located “in-field” whereas 1 was “marginal” and 12 were “out-field”. The most frequent regional relapses were at level VIb, IV and the upper-middle mediastinum.

Conclusion

Regional recurrences focused on lower neck and upper-middle mediastinum, and mainly “in-field”, after definitive RT in patients with CEC.

Efficacy of virtual block objects in reducing the lung dose in helical tomotherapy planning for cervical oesophageal cancer: a planning study

Background

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy is useful for cervical oesophageal carcinoma (CEC); however, increasing low-dose exposure to the lung may lead to radiation pneumonitis. Nevertheless, an irradiation technique that avoids the lungs has never been examined due to the high difficulty of dose optimization. In this study, we examined the efficacy of helical tomotherapy that can restrict beamlets passing virtual blocks during dose optimization computing (block plan) in reducing the lung dose.

Methods

Fifteen patients with CEC were analysed. The primary/nodal lesion and prophylactic nodal region with adequate margins were defined as the planning target volume (PTV)-60 Gy and PTV-48 Gy, respectively. Nineteen plans per patient were made and compared (total: 285 plans), including non-block and block plans with several shapes and sizes.

Results

The most appropriate block model was semi-circular, 8 cm outside of the tracheal bifurcation, with a significantly lower lung dose compared to that of non-block plans; the mean lung volumes receiving 5 Gy, 10 Gy, 20 Gy, and the mean lung dose were 31.3% vs. 48.0% (p <  0.001), 22.4% vs. 39.4% (p <  0.001), 13.2% vs. 16.0% (p = 0.028), and 7.1 Gy vs. 9.6 Gy (p <  0.001), respectively. Both the block and non-block plans were comparable in terms of the homogeneity and conformity indexes of PTV-60 Gy: 0.05 vs. 0.04 (p = 0.100) and 0.82 vs. 0.85 (p = 0.616), respectively. The maximum dose of the spinal cord planning risk volume increased slightly (49.4 Gy vs. 47.9 Gy, p = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the mean doses to the heart and the thyroid gland. Prolongation of the delivery time was less than 1 min (5.6 min vs. 4.9 min, p = 0.010).

Conclusions

The block plan for CEC could significantly reduce the lung dose, with acceptable increment in the spinal dose and a slightly prolonged delivery time.

Clinical results of definitive chemoradiotherapy for cervical esophageal cancer: Comparison of failure pattern and toxicities between intensity-modulated radiotherapy and 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for cervical esophageal cancer has not been determined.

METHODS

Eighty patients with cervical esophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy from 2002 to 2014 were analyzed. Overall survival (OS), failure patterns, and toxicity incidence were compared between the IMRT (N = 32) and 3D conformal radiotherapy (RT; N = 48) groups.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 35.9 months. The 3-year OS of the IMRT, 3D conformal RT, and total groups was 81.6%, 57.2%, and 66.6%, respectively. Pulmonary toxicity was not observed with IMRT. Six of 62 cases (9.6%) with nodal involvement developed upper cervical node recurrence outside the prophylactic region. Ten patients in the IMRT group were salvaged, and 60% survived without recurrence; 20% of the 3D conformal RT group was salvaged.

CONCLUSION

The IMRT group was comparable with 3D conformal RT group, with a better salvage rate. We recommend extended cervical irradiation for nodal involvement.

Pattern of Lymphatic Spread of Esophageal Cancer at the Cervicothoracic Junction Based on the Tumor Location : Surgical Treatment of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Cervicothoracic Junction

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus about the extent of lymphadenectomy for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at the cervicothoracic junction (CT-ESCC). The purpose of this study was to examine the pattern of lymph node spread in patients with CT-ESCC and the extent of lymphadenectomy that is necessary.

METHODS

We included 64 consecutive patients with CT-ESCC who underwent surgery. All patients were divided into two groups based on the location of the epicenter or anal edge of the primary tumor. Using the height of the epicenter, 27 and 37 patients were classified as having cervical-centered and thoracic-centered tumors, respectively; while, using the height of the anal edge, 38 and 26 patients had tumors that were cervical-localized and thoracic-invading, respectively.

RESULTS

In the patients with cervical-centered tumors, the incidences of metastasis and/or recurrences in the cervical paraesophageal, supraclavicular, and upper mediastinal nodes were 21.4-28.5 %. No patient had metastasis or recurrence in the middle and lower mediastinal and perigastric nodes. In patients with thoracic-centered tumors, the lymph node metastasis and/or recurrence spread to the cervical paraesophageal (41.7 %), supraclavicular (25 %), and upper mediastinal (55.6 %) nodes, as well as the middle (22.2 %) and lower mediastinal (8.3 %) and perigastric (19.4 %) nodes. There was no difference in the distribution and incidence of lymphatic spread between patients with the cervical-localized and thoracic-invading classifications.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate a cervical and upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy is better indicated for patients with cervical-centered CT-ESCC, whereas patients with thoracic-centered CT-ESCC should be treated with a three-field lymphadenectomy.

Computed tomography-based distribution of involved lymph nodes in patients with upper esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Delineating the nodal clinical target volume (ctvn) remains a challenging task in patients with cervical or upper thoracic esophageal carcinoma (ec). In particular, the extent of the lymph area that should be included in the irradiation field remains controversial. In the present study, the extent of the ctvn was determined based on the incidence of lymph node involvement mapped by computed tomography (ct) imaging.

METHODS

Our study included 468 patients who were diagnosed with cervical and upper thoracic ec and who received staging information between June 2005 and April 2011. The anatomic distribution of metastatic regional lymph nodes was mapped using ct images and grouped using the levels established by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. The probability of the various groups being involved was examined. If a lymph node group had a probability of 10% or more of being involved, it was considered at high risk for metastasis, and elective treatment as part of the ctvn was recommended.

RESULTS

Lymph node involvement was mapped by ct in 256 patients (54.7%). Not all lymph node groups should be included in the ctvn. For cervical lesions, the involved lymph nodes were located mainly between the hyoid bone and the arcus aortae; the recommended ctvn should consist of the neck lymph nodes at levels iii and iv (supraclavicular group) and thoracic groups 2 and 3P. In upper thoracic ec patients, most of the involved lymph nodes were distributed between the cricoid cartilage and the subcarinal area; the ctvn should cover the supraclavicular group and thoracic nodal groups 2, 3P, 4, 5, and 7.

CONCLUSIONS

Our ct-based study indicates a specific distribution and incidence of metastatic lymph node groups in patients with cervical and upper thoracic ec. The results suggest that regional lymph node groups should be electively included in the ctvn for precise radiation administration.

Elective superior mediastinal dissection for laryngeal carcinoma involving subglottis

CONCLUSION

Despite the low incidence of superior mediastinal metastasis (SMM) we recommend elective superior mediastinal dissection (ESMD) and close follow-up for all patients with laryngeal carcinoma involving the subglottis, because higher peristomal recurrence (PR) rates and lower survival rates were observed in the presence of SMM numerically even though statistical support was lacking.

BACKGROUND

This study was undertaken to identify the incidence of SMM and to evaluate the need for ESMD in laryngeal tumors involving the subglottis.

METHODS

Medical records of patients who had undergone total laryngectomy for laryngeal carcinoma were reviewed retrospectively and 68 patients (45 with ESMD and 23 without ESMD) who had pathologically proven subglottic involvement were included in the study.

RESULTS

SMM was found in 3 of 45 (6.6%) patients who underwent ESMD. The PR rate was higher in patients with SMM (66.7%) than in patients without SMM (9.5%) and the presence of SMM was significantly related to PR (p = 0.043) in univariate analysis. However, this relationship was not preserved in multivariate analysis. The 3- and 5-year survival rates of patients with SMM were lower (both 66.7%) than patients without SMM (83.3% and 76.2%, respectively), but decreased survival rates did not differ statistically from the survival rates of 42 patients without SMM.

Long-term results of definitive radiochemotherapy in locally advanced cancers of the cervical esophagus

The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze the long-term effectiveness of combined chemoradiation as the definitive treatment of locally advanced cancers of the cervical esophagus. Patients received high-dose external beam radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Some patients received intraluminal brachytherapy as a boost. In addition, a majority of the patients received cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy before definitive chemoradiation. Fifty-five patients (46 men, 9 women, median age 58 years, range 35-72 years) with cancers of the cervical esophagus (stage II: 20; stage III: 35 patients) were treated with definitive chemoradiation (median dose 60 Gy, range 50-70 Gy). Actuarial overall survival rates at 2, 3, 5, and 10 years were 35%, 29%, 25%, and 10%, respectively. Thirteen long-term survivors were observed with a follow-up of more than 5 years. Neither gender nor age, tumor length, tumor grade, or clinically detectable lymph node metastases was significant prognostic factors for survival. Twenty-four patients (44%) developed local or regional recurrences, 15 (27%) distant metastases, and 8 (15%) patients developed a second malignancy. Acute and late toxicity of this treatment schedule was moderate. Concurrent chemoradiation offers a chance of long-term survival for locally advanced unresectable carcinomas of the cervical esophagus, with long-term survival rates above 24% and acceptable toxicity. These results substantiate the use of chemoradiation as a curative treatment option for cervical esophageal cancer.