The effectivity of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in patients with advanced metastatic and non-metastatic cancer of the esophagus and esophago-gastric junction

Therapies that target specific tumor drivers or immune checkpoints are increasingly explored for esophageal cancer patients. This review addresses developments in therapies with targeted anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with stage IV esophageal cancer. First-line palliative treatment with the anti-HER2 agent trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy has been approved for use in patients with HER2 positive gastro-esophageal adenocarcinoma. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus perioperative trastuzumab however has not demonstrated a survival benefit in advanced esophageal cancer patients eligible for surgery. Potentially better responses are expected with dual agent anti-HER2 therapy instead of monotherapy. In the metastatic setting, the antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab deruxtecan is effective after progression on trastuzumab. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab, antibodies blocking the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) receptor on T cells, have recently gained approval for clinical use in esophageal cancer patients for specific indications. Synergistic effects might be achieved with combinations of immune checkpoint inhibitors that target PD-1 on T cells or PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumor cells and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) receptor on T cells. Multiple clinical trials investigating combinations of targeted and immunotherapies, with or without (neo)adjuvant chemo(radio)therapy, for curative and palliative treatment, are underway, and are expected to deliver a long-awaited improvement in the prognosis of esophageal cancer patients.

Textbook outcome following oesophagectomy for cancer: international cohort study

Background

Textbook outcome has been proposed as a tool for the assessment of oncological surgical care. However, an international assessment in patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer has not been reported. This study aimed to assess textbook outcome in an international setting.

Methods

Patients undergoing curative resection for oesophageal cancer were identified from the international Oesophagogastric Anastomosis Audit (OGAA) from April 2018 to December 2018. Textbook outcome was defined as the percentage of patients who underwent a complete tumour resection with at least 15 lymph nodes in the resected specimen and an uneventful postoperative course, without hospital readmission. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with textbook outcome, and results are presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent c.i.).

Results

Of 2159 patients with oesophageal cancer, 39.7 per cent achieved a textbook outcome. The outcome parameter ‘no major postoperative complication’ had the greatest negative impact on a textbook outcome for patients with oesophageal cancer, compared to other textbook outcome parameters. Multivariable analysis identified male gender and increasing Charlson comorbidity index with a significantly lower likelihood of textbook outcome. Presence of 24-hour on-call rota for oesophageal surgeons (OR 2.05, 95 per cent c.i. 1.30 to 3.22; P = 0.002) and radiology (OR 1.54, 95 per cent c.i. 1.05 to 2.24; P = 0.027), total minimally invasive oesophagectomies (OR 1.63, 95 per cent c.i. 1.27 to 2.08; P < 0.001), and chest anastomosis above azygous (OR 2.17, 95 per cent c.i. 1.58 to 2.98; P < 0.001) were independently associated with a significantly increased likelihood of textbook outcome.

Conclusion

Textbook outcome is achieved in less than 40 per cent of patients having oesophagectomy for cancer. Improvements in centralization, hospital resources, access to minimal access surgery, and adoption of newer techniques for improving lymph node yield could improve textbook outcome.

Textbook outcome following oesophagectomy for cancer: international cohort study

BACKGROUND

Textbook outcome has been proposed as a tool for the assessment of oncological surgical care. However, an international assessment in patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer has not been reported. This study aimed to assess textbook outcome in an international setting.

METHODS

Patients undergoing curative resection for oesophageal cancer were identified from the international Oesophagogastric Anastomosis Audit (OGAA) from April 2018 to December 2018. Textbook outcome was defined as the percentage of patients who underwent a complete tumour resection with at least 15 lymph nodes in the resected specimen and an uneventful postoperative course, without hospital readmission. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors independently associated with textbook outcome, and results are presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95 per cent confidence intervals (95 per cent c.i.).

RESULTS

Of 2159 patients with oesophageal cancer, 39.7 per cent achieved a textbook outcome. The outcome parameter 'no major postoperative complication' had the greatest negative impact on a textbook outcome for patients with oesophageal cancer, compared to other textbook outcome parameters. Multivariable analysis identified male gender and increasing Charlson comorbidity index with a significantly lower likelihood of textbook outcome. Presence of 24-hour on-call rota for oesophageal surgeons (OR 2.05, 95 per cent c.i. 1.30 to 3.22; P = 0.002) and radiology (OR 1.54, 95 per cent c.i. 1.05 to 2.24; P = 0.027), total minimally invasive oesophagectomies (OR 1.63, 95 per cent c.i. 1.27 to 2.08; P < 0.001), and chest anastomosis above azygous (OR 2.17, 95 per cent c.i. 1.58 to 2.98; P < 0.001) were independently associated with a significantly increased likelihood of textbook outcome.

CONCLUSION

Textbook outcome is achieved in less than 40 per cent of patients having oesophagectomy for cancer. Improvements in centralization, hospital resources, access to minimal access surgery, and adoption of newer techniques for improving lymph node yield could improve textbook outcome.

Postoperative outcomes in oesophagectomy with trainee involvement

BACKGROUND

The complexity of oesophageal surgery and the significant risk of morbidity necessitates that oesophagectomy is predominantly performed by a consultant surgeon, or a senior trainee under their supervision. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of trainee involvement in oesophagectomy on postoperative outcomes in an international multicentre setting.

METHODS

Data from the multicentre Oesophago-Gastric Anastomosis Study Group (OGAA) cohort study were analysed, which comprised prospectively collected data from patients undergoing oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer between April 2018 and December 2018. Procedures were grouped by the level of trainee involvement, and univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to compare patient outcomes across groups.

RESULTS

Of 2232 oesophagectomies from 137 centres in 41 countries, trainees were involved in 29.1 per cent of them (n = 650), performing only the abdominal phase in 230, only the chest and/or neck phases in 130, and all phases in 315 procedures. For procedures with a chest anastomosis, those with trainee involvement had similar 90-day mortality, complication and reoperation rates to consultant-performed oesophagectomies (P = 0.451, P = 0.318, and P = 0.382, respectively), while anastomotic leak rates were significantly lower in the trainee groups (P = 0.030). Procedures with a neck anastomosis had equivalent complication, anastomotic leak, and reoperation rates (P = 0.150, P = 0.430, and P = 0.632, respectively) in trainee-involved versus consultant-performed oesophagectomies, with significantly lower 90-day mortality in the trainee groups (P = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Trainee involvement was not found to be associated with significantly inferior postoperative outcomes for selected patients undergoing oesophagectomy. The results support continued supervised trainee involvement in oesophageal cancer surgery.

Pattern of recurrence in patients with a pathologically complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for oesophageal cancer

Background

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and surgery is a widely used treatment for locally advanced resectable oesophageal cancer, with 20–50 per cent of patients having a pathological complete response (pCR). Disease, however, still recurs in 20–30 per cent of these patients. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of recurrence in patients with a pCR after nCRT and surgery.

Methods

All patients with a pCR after nCRT and surgery included in the phase II and III CROSS (ChemoRadiotherapy for Oesophageal followed by Surgery Study) trials (April 2001 to December 2008) and after the CROSS trials (September 2009 to October 2017) were identified. The site of recurrence was compared with the applied radiation and surgical fields. Outcomes were median time to recurrence, and overall and progression-free survival.

Results

A total of 141 patients with a median follow-up of 100 (i.q.r. 64–134) months were included. Some 29 of 141 patients (20,6 per cent) developed recurrence. Of these, four had isolated locoregional recurrence, 15 had distant recurrence only, and ten had both locoregional and distant recurrence. Among the 14 patients with locoregional recurrences, five had recurrence within the radiation field, seven outside the radiation field, and two at the border. Median time to recurrence was 24 (10–62) months. The 5-year overall survival rate was 74 per cent and the recurrence-free survival rate was 70 per cent.

Conclusion

Despite good overall survival, recurrence still occurred in 21 per cent of patients. Most recurrences were distant, outside the radiation and surgical fields.

Residual disease after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal cancer: locations undetected by endoscopic biopsies in the preSANO trial

Background

Active surveillance has been proposed for patients with oesophageal cancer in whom there is a complete clinical response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). However, endoscopic biopsies have limited negative predictive value in detecting residual disease. This study determined the location of residual tumour following surgery to improve surveillance and endoscopic strategies.

Methods

The present study was based on patients who participated in the prospective preSANO trial with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus or oesophagogastric junction treated in four Dutch hospitals between 2013 and 2016. Resection specimens and endoscopic biopsies taken during clinical response evaluations after nCRT were reviewed by two expert gastrointestinal pathologists. The exact location of residual disease in the oesophageal wall was determined in resection specimens. Endoscopic biopsies were assessed for the presence of structures representing the submucosal layer of the oesophageal wall.

Results

In total, 119 eligible patients underwent clinical response evaluations after nCRT followed by standard surgery. Residual tumour was present in endoscopic biopsies from 70 patients, confirmed on histological analysis of the resected organ. Residual tumour was present in the resection specimen from 27 of the other 49 patients, despite endoscopic biopsies being negative. Of these 27 patients, residual tumour was located in the mucosa in 18, and in the submucosa beneath tumour‐free mucosa in eight. One patient had tumour in muscle beneath tumour‐free mucosa and submucosa.

Conclusion

Most residual disease after nCRT missed by endoscopic biopsies was located in the mucosa. Active surveillance could be improved by more sampling and considering submucosal biopsies.

Interventions that Facilitate Shared Decision-Making in Cancers with Active Surveillance as Treatment Option: a Systematic Review of Literature

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Medical decisions concerning active surveillance are complex, especially when evidence on superiority of one of the treatments is lacking. Decision aids have been developed to facilitate shared decision-making on whether to pursue an active surveillance strategy. However, it is unclear how these decision aids are designed and which outcomes are considered relevant. The purpose of this study is to systematically review all decision aids in the field of oncological active surveillance strategies and outcomes used by authors to assess their efficacy.

RECENT FINDINGS

A search was performed in Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane, PsycINFO Ovid and Google Scholar until June 2019. Eligible studies concerned interventions aiming to facilitate shared decision-making for patients confronted with several treatment alternatives, with active surveillance being one of the treatment alternatives. Twenty-three eligible articles were included. Twenty-one articles included patients with prostate cancer, one with thyroid cancer and one with ovarian cancer. Interventions mostly consisted of an interactive web-based decision aid format. After categorization of outcomes, seven main groups were identified: knowledge, involvement in decision-making, decisional conflict, treatment preference, decision regret, anxiety and health-related outcomes. Although active surveillance has been implemented for several malignancies, interventions that facilitate shared decision-making between active surveillance and other equally effective treatment alternatives are scarce. Future research should focus on developing interventions for malignancies like rectal cancer and oesophageal cancer as well. The efficacy of interventions is mostly assessed using short-term outcomes.

Quality of Life During and After Completion of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal and Junctional Cancer

Background

The course of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during and after completion of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for esophageal or junctional carcinoma is unknown.

Methods

This study was a multicenter prospective cohort investigation. Patients with esophageal or cancer to be treated with nCRT plus esophagectomy were eligible for inclusion in the study. The HRQOL of the patients was measured with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30, QLQ-OG25, and QLQ-CIPN20 questionnaires before and during nCRT, then 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 weeks after nCRT and before surgery. Predefined end points were based on the hypothesized impact of nCRT. The primary end points were physical functioning, odynophagia, and sensory symptoms. The secondary end points were global quality of life, fatigue, weight loss, and motor symptoms. Mixed modeling analysis was used to evaluate changes over time.

Results

Of 106 eligible patients, 96 (91%) were included in the study. The rate of questionnaires returned ranged from 94% to 99% until week 12, then dropped to 78% in week 16 after nCRT. A negative impact of nCRT on all HRQOL end points was observed during the last cycle of nCRT (all p < 0.001) and 2 weeks after nCRT (all p < 0.001). Physical functioning, odynophagia, and sensory symptoms were restored to pretreatment levels respectively 8, 4, and 6 weeks after nCRT. The secondary end points were restored to baseline levels 4–6 weeks after nCRT. Odynophagia, fatigue, and weight loss improved after nCRT compared with baseline levels at respectively 6 (p < 0.001), 16 (p = 0.001), and 12 weeks (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

After completion of nCRT for esophageal cancer, HRQOL decreases significantly, but all HRQOL end points are restored to baseline levels within 8 weeks. Odynophagia, fatigue, and weight loss improved 6–16 weeks after nCRT compared with baseline levels.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1245/s10434-019-07779-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Diagnostic criteria and symptom grading for delayed gastric conduit emptying after esophagectomy for cancer: international expert consensus based on a modified Delphi process

Delayed gastric conduit emptying (DGCE) after esophagectomy for cancer is associated with adverse outcomes and troubling symptoms. Widely accepted diagnostic criteria and a symptom grading tool for DGCE are missing. This hampers the interpretation and comparison of studies. A modified Delphi process, using repeated web-based questionnaires, combined with live interim group discussions was conducted by 33 experts within the field, from Europe, North America, and Asia. DGCE was divided into early DGCE if present within 14 days of surgery and late if present later than 14 days after surgery. The final criteria for early DGCE, accepted by 25 of 27 (93%) experts, were as follows: >500 mL diurnal nasogastric tube output measured on the morning of postoperative day 5 or later or >100% increased gastric tube width on frontal chest x-ray projection together with the presence of an air-fluid level. The final criteria for late DGCE accepted by 89% of the experts were as follows: the patient should have 'quite a bit' or 'very much' of at least two of the following symptoms; early satiety/fullness, vomiting, nausea, regurgitation or inability to meet caloric need by oral intake and delayed contrast passage on upper gastrointestinal water-soluble contrast radiogram or on timed barium swallow. A symptom grading tool for late DGCE was constructed grading each symptom as: 'not at all', 'a little', 'quite a bit', or 'very much', generating 0, 1, 2, or 3 points, respectively. For the five symptoms retained in the diagnostic criteria for late DGCE, the minimum score would be 0, and the maximum score would be 15. The final symptom grading tool for late DGCE was accepted by 27 of 31 (87%) experts. For the first time, diagnostic criteria for early and late DGCE and a symptom grading tool for late DGCE are available, based on an international expert consensus process.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for resectable oesophageal cancer

At present, treatment of potentially curable oesophageal cancer includes neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by oesophagectomy. Alternatively, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is used. To date, strong evidence on the superiority of one modality over the other has not been provided. Currently, up to one-third of patients show a pathologically complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. To optimise the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatment for individual patients, prediction of response to neoadjuvant treatment is highly desired. Therefore, several clinical diagnostic modalities have been investigated for early response evaluation, of which positron emission tomography (PET) has been studied most extensively. To identify patients who might benefit from postponing or even omitting surgery, recent advances have been made in evaluating response after completion of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. This review provides an overview of current evidence and recent advances in neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal cancer and discusses the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared to chemoradiotherapy. Moreover, clinical response evaluation to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is reviewed.

Patients' preferences for treatment after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal cancer

Background

After neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) plus surgery for oesophageal cancer, 29 per cent of patients have a pathologically complete response in the resection specimen. Active surveillance after nCRT (instead of standard oesophagectomy) may improve health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but patients need to undergo frequent diagnostic tests and it is unknown whether survival is worse than that after standard oesophagectomy. Factors that influence patients' preferences, and trade-offs that patients are willing to make in their choice between surgery and active surveillance were investigated here.

Methods

A prospective discrete-choice experiment was conducted. Patients with oesophageal cancer completed questionnaires 4–6 weeks after nCRT, before surgery. Patients' preferences were quantified using scenarios based on five aspects: 5-year overall survival, short-term HRQoL, long-term HRQoL, the risk that oesophagectomy is still necessary, and the frequency of clinical examinations using endoscopy and PET–CT. Panel latent class analysis was used.

Results

Some 100 of 104 patients (96·2 per cent) responded. All aspects, except the frequency of clinical examinations, influenced patients' preferences. Five-year overall survival, the chance that oesophagectomy is still necessary and long-term HRQoL were the most important attributes. On average, based on calculation of the indifference point between standard surgery and active surveillance, patients were willing to trade off 16 per cent 5-year overall survival to reduce the risk that oesophagectomy is necessary from 100 per cent (standard surgery) to 35 per cent (active surveillance).

Conclusion

Patients are willing to trade off substantial 5-year survival to achieve a reduction in the risk that oesophagectomy is necessary.

Evaluation of PET and laparoscopy in STagIng advanced gastric cancer: a multicenter prospective study (PLASTIC-study)

Background

Initial staging of gastric cancer consists of computed tomography (CT) and gastroscopy. In locally advanced (cT3–4) gastric cancer, fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with CT (FDG-PET/CT or PET) and staging laparoscopy (SL) may have a role in staging, but evidence is scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact and cost-effectiveness of PET and SL in addition to initial staging in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.

Methods

This prospective observational cohort study will include all patients with a surgically resectable, advanced gastric adenocarcinoma (cT3–4b, N0–3, M0), that are scheduled for treatment with curative intent after initial staging with gastroscopy and CT. The modalities to be investigated in this study is the addition of PET and SL. The primary outcome of this study is the proportion of patients in whom the PET or SL lead to a change in treatment strategy. Secondary outcome parameters are: diagnostic performance, morbidity and mortality, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness of these additional diagnostic modalities. The study recently started in August 2017 with a duration of 36 months. At least 239 patients need to be included in this study to demonstrate that the diagnostic modalities are break-even. Based on the annual number of gastrectomies in the participating centers, it is estimated that approximately 543 patients are included in this study.

Discussion

In this study, it is hypothesized that performing PET and SL for locally advanced gastric adenocarcinomas results in a change of treatment strategy in 27% of patients and an annual cost-reduction in the Netherlands of €916.438 in this patient group by reducing futile treatment. The results of this study may be applicable to all countries with comparable treatment algorithms and health care systems.

Trial registration

NCT03208621. This trial was registered prospectively on June 30, 2017.

Surgical management of esophageal sarcoma: a multicenter European experience

Esophageal sarcomas are rare and evidence in literature is scarce making their management difficult. The objective is to report surgical and oncological outcomes of esophageal sarcoma in a large multicenter European cohort. This is a retrospective multicenter study including all patients who underwent en-bloc esophagectomy for esophageal sarcoma in seven European tertiary referral centers between 1987 and 2016. The main outcomes and measures are pathological results, early and long-term outcomes. Among 10,936 esophageal resections for cancer, 21 (0.2%) patients with esophageal sarcoma were identified. The majority of tumors was located in the middle (n = 7) and distal (n = 9) third of the esophagus. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was performed in five patients. All the patients underwent en-bloc transthoracic esophagectomy (19 open, 2 minimally invasive). Postoperative mortality occurred in 1 patient (5%). One patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. Definitive pathological results were carcinosarcoma (n = 7), leiomyosarcoma (n = 5), and other types of sarcoma (n = 9). Microscopic R1 resection was present in one patient (5%) and seven patients (33%) had positive lymph nodes. Median follow-up was 16 (3-79) months in 20 of 21 patients (95%). One-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 74%, 43%, and 35%, respectively. One-, 3- and 5-years disease-free survival rates were 58%, 40%, and 33%, respectively. Median overall survival was 6 months in N+ patients vs. 37 months for N0 patients (p = 0.06). At the end of the follow-up period, nine patients had died from cancer recurrences (43%), three patients died from other reasons (14%), one patient was still alive with recurrence (5%) and the seven remaining patients were free of disease (33%). Recurrence was local (n = 3), metastatic (n = 3), or both (n = 4). In conclusion, carcinosarcoma and leiomyosarcoma were the most common esophageal sarcoma histological subtypes. Lymph node involvement was seen in one third of cases. A transthoracic en-bloc esophagectomy with radical lymphadenectomy should be the best surgical option to achieve complete resection. Long-term survival remained poor with a high local and distant recurrence rate.

Vitamin B12 deficiency after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction for esophageal cancer

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency after esophagectomy for cancer. It is unknown if patients after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction are at an increased risk for vitamin B12 deficiency. A cross-sectional cohort (group A) and a prospective cohort (group B) of patients who underwent esophagectomy for cancer in two tertiary referral centers in the Netherlands were included. Serum levels of holo-transcobalamin (Holo-TC) and methyl malonic acid (MMA) were determined. Vitamin B12 deficiency was defined as Holo-TC < 21 pmol/L and/or MMA > 0.45 μmol/L. Vitamin B12 status was assessed in group A at a single time point between one and three years postoperatively and before and every three months after resection in group B. Ninety-nine patients were analyzed in group A. The median time between surgery and analysis of vitamin B12 deficiency was 19.3 months. In 11 of 99 (11%) patients, vitamin B12 deficiency was detected. In group B, 5 of 88 (5.6%) patients had vitamin B12 deficiency preoperatively, and another 9 (10.2%) patients developed vitamin B12 deficiency after the operation at a median time of 6 months postoperatively. The estimated one-year incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency was 18.2%. None of the patients with vitamin B12 deficiency had a megaloblastic anemia. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be anticipated in 18% of patients after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction for cancer. During follow-up, Holo-TC and MMA levels should be measured to detect vitamin B12 deficiency and commence treatment timely.

Active surveillance in clinically complete responders after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for esophageal or junctional cancer

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgery is standard of care for locally advanced esophageal cancer in many countries. After nCRT up to one third of all patients have a pathologically complete response in the resection specimen, posing an ethical imperative to reconsider the necessity of standard surgery in all operable patients after nCRT. An active surveillance strategy following nCRT, in which patients are subjected to frequent clinical investigations after the completion of neoadjuvant therapy, has been evaluated in other types of cancer with promising results. In esophageal cancer, both patients who are cured by neoadjuvant therapy alone as well as patients with subclinical disseminated disease at the time of completion of neoadjuvant therapy may benefit from such an organ sparing approach. Active surveillance is currently applied in selected patients with esophageal cancer who refuse surgery or are medically unfit for major surgery after completion of nCRT, but this strategy is not (yet) adopted as an alternative to standard surgery or definitive chemoradiation. The available literature is scarce, but suggests that long-term oncological outcomes after active surveillance are noninferior compared to standard surgical resection, providing justification for comparison of both treatments in a phase III trial. This review gives an overview of the current knowledge regarding active surveillance after completion of nCRT in esophageal cancer and outlines future research perspectives.

Loss of SRY-box2 (SOX2) expression and its impact on survival of patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with poor survival, which is highly variable amongst patients with comparable conventional prognosticators. Therefore molecular biomarkers are urgently needed to improve the prediction of survival in these patients. SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2, also known as SOX2, is a transcription factor involved in embryonal development of the gastrointestinal tract as well as in carcinogenesis. The purpose of this study was to see whether SOX2 expression is associated with survival in patients with OAC.

METHODS

SOX2 was studied by immunohistochemistry in patients who had undergone potentially curative oesophagectomy for adenocarcinoma. Protein expression of SOX2 was evaluated using tissue microarrays from resection specimens, and results were analysed in relation to the clinical data by Cox regression analysis. SOX2 was evaluated in two independent OAC cohorts (Rotterdam cohort and a multicentre UK cohort).

RESULTS

Loss of SOX2 expression was independently predictive of adverse overall survival in the multivariable analysis, adjusted for known factors influencing survival, in both cohorts (Rotterdam cohort: hazard ratio (HR) 1·42, 95 per cent c.i. 1·07 to 1·89, P = 0·016; UK cohort: HR 1·54, 1·08 to 2·19, P = 0·017). When combined with clinicopathological staging, loss of SOX2 showed an increased effect in patients with pT1-2 tumours (P = 0·010) and node-negative OAC (P = 0·038), with an incrementally adverse effect on overall survival for stage I OAC with SOX2 loss (HR 3·18, 1·18 to 8·56; P = 0·022).

CONCLUSION

SOX2 is an independent prognostic factor for long-term survival in OAC, especially in patients with stage I OAC.

Prediction of disease-free survival using relative change in FDG-uptake early during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for potentially curable esophageal cancer: A prospective cohort study

18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) has been investigated as a tool for monitoring response to neoadjuvant chemo- and chemoradiotherapy (CT and CRT, respectively) and as a predictor for survival in patients with esophageal cancer. In contrast to patients who undergo neoadjuvant CT, it is not known whether patients who are clinically identified as responders after neoadjuvant CRT show better disease-free survival (DFS) than patients identified as nonresponders. The aim of the study was to determine the predictive value of FDG-uptake measured prior to and early during neoadjuvant CRT. Patients treated with neoadjuvant CRT between 2004 and 2009 within a randomized trial were included. FDG-uptake was measured at baseline and after 14 days of CRT. According to the PERCIST-criteria, patients were allocated to have metabolic response, stable disease, or progression. Patients were followed until recurrence of disease or death. The predictive value of FDG-PET was determined with univariable and multivariable analysis in patients who underwent potentially curative surgery. One-hundred and six patients were included in the analysis. Minimal follow-up for surviving patients was 60 months. No significant differences in DFS were found between patients with metabolic response, stable disease, or progression, with 5-year DFS rates of 66%, 53%, and 67%, respectively (P = 0.39). Relative change in FDG uptake after 14 days of CRT is not associated with DFS in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. These measurements should not be used for prognostication in this specific group of patients.

[Organ-sparing treatment in oesophagus cancer: feasible and safe?]

In many countries, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) plus surgery is standard treatment for resectable oesophageal cancer. After nCRT, up to 30% of all patients have no residual disease in the resection specimen. Consequently, an active surveillance approach, in which patients undergo frequent clinical investigations after nCRT instead of standard oesophagectomy, is increasingly applied in selected patients. Here, we describe outcomes for three patients who underwent active surveillance. A 63-year old woman was considered unfit for surgery after nCRT. Four years after completion of nCRT, she still had no signs of disease recurrence. The second patient, a 57-year old woman, refused surgery when no residual disease was detectable after nCRT. One year following treatment, she developed a vertebral metastasis, in the absence of locoregional disease. The third patient concerned a 66-year old man with a clinically complete response after nCRT, who also refused surgery. During active surveillance, he developed a locoregional regrowth and underwent a radical oesophagectomy.

[A woman with abdominal pain and absence of defaecation]

A 62-years-old female presented to the Emergency Department with abdominal pain and absence of defaecation for two days. CT revealed an ileus with a change in the diameter of the small intestine and a segment without contrast in the intestinal wall. Laparotomy confirmed that a segment of the ileum was ischaemic.

Optimal surgical approach for esophageal cancer in the era of minimally invasive esophagectomy and neoadjuvant therapy

The optimal surgical technique for the potentially curative treatment of patients with esophageal cancer is still under debate. The transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) with limited lymphadenectomy mainly focuses on a decrease of postoperative morbidity and mortality by preventing a formal thoracotomy. The transthoracic esophagectomy (TTE) with extended two-field lymphadenectomy attempts to improve the radicality of the resection and thus to increase locoregional tumor control, but is associated with increased postoperative morbidity. The recent introduction of different minimally invasive techniques probably decreases postoperative morbidity following TTE, with reduction of especially pulmonary complications, but high-quality evidence is still limited. It is widely agreed that extended lymphadenectomy as performed during TTE provides the benefit of more accurate staging, but its effect on improvement of survival is still debated. The literature on this topic is contradictory and the choice of surgical approach is primarily driven by personal opinions and institutional preferences. Moreover, the available evidence is mainly based on patients who underwent surgery alone without neoadjuvant therapy. Results of recent studies suggest that neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy abolishes any possibly positive effect of extended lymphadenectomy as performed during TTE on survival, but this effect should be confirmed in future research. This review gives an overview and reflects the authors' personal view on the role of TTE and THE in the treatment of potentially curative treatment of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer in the era of minimally invasive esophagectomy and neoadjuvant treatment and outlines future research perspectives.

Prediction of survival in patients with oesophageal or junctional cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery

Background

The value of conventional prognostic factors is unclear in the era of multimodal treatment for oesophageal cancer. This study aimed to quantify the impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and surgery on well established prognostic factors, and to develop and validate a prognostic model.

Methods

Patients treated with nCRT plus surgery were included. Multivariable Cox modelling was used to identify prognostic factors for overall survival. A prediction model for individual survival was developed using stepwise backward selection. The model was internally validated leading to a nomogram for use in clinical practice.

Results

Some 626 patients who underwent nCRT plus surgery were included. In the multivariable model, only pretreatment cN category and ypN category were independent prognostic factors. The final prognostic model included cN, ypT and ypN categories, and had moderate discrimination (c-index at internal validation 0·63).

Conclusion

In patients with oesophageal or oesophagogastric cancer treated with nCRT plus surgery, overall survival can best be estimated using a prediction model based on cN, ypT and ypN categories. Predicted survival according to this model showed only moderate correlation with observed survival, emphasizing the need for new prognostic factors to improve survival prediction.

Determinants of improved survival after oesophagectomy for cancer

Background

Survival after oesophagectomy for cancer seems to be improving. This study aimed to identify the most important contributors to this change.

Methods

Patients who underwent oesophagectomy from 1999 to 2010 were extracted from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Four time periods were compared: 1999–2001 (period 1), 2002–2004 (period 2), 2005–2007 (period 3) and 2008–2010 (period 4). Hospital type, tumour location, tumour type, tumour differentiation, neoadjuvant therapy, operation type, (y)pT category, involvement of surgical resection margins, number of removed lymph nodes and number of involved lymph nodes were investigated in relation to trends in survival using multivariable analysis.

Results

A total of 4382 patients were identified. Two-year overall survival rates improved from 49·3 per cent in period 1 to 58·4, 56·2 and 61·0 per cent in periods 2, 3 and 4 respectively (P &lt; 0·001). Multivariable survival analysis revealed that the improvement in survival between periods 3 and 4 was related to the introduction of neoadjuvant therapy. The improvement in survival between periods 1 and 2 could not be explained completely by the factors studied. The number of examined lymph nodes increased, especially between periods 2 and 3, but this increase was not associated with the improvement in survival.

Conclusion

The observed increase in long-term survival after surgery for oesophageal cancer between 1999 and 2010 in the Netherlands is difficult to explain fully, although the recent increase seems to be partly attributable to the introduction of neoadjuvant therapy.

Induction chemotherapy followed by surgery for advanced oesophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with locoregionally advanced oesophageal tumours or disputable distant metastases are referred for induction chemotherapy with the aim to downstage the tumour before an oesophagectomy is considered.

STUDY DESIGN

Patients who underwent induction chemotherapy between January 2005 and December 2012 were identified from an institutional database. Treatment plan was discussed in the multidisciplinary team. Response to chemotherapy was assessed by CT. Survival was calculated using the Kaplan Meier method. Uni- and multivariable analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for survival.

RESULTS

In total 124 patients received induction chemotherapy mainly for locoregionally advanced disease (n = 80). Surgery was withheld in 35 patients because of progressive disease (n = 16) and persistent unresectability (n = 19). The median overall survival of this group was 13 months (IQR: 8-19). The remaining 89 patients underwent surgery of which 13 still had unresectable tumour or distant metastases. Of the 76 patients that underwent an oesophagectomy, 50 patients had tumour free resection margins (66%) with an estimated 5-year survival of 37%. A positive resection margin (HR 4.148, 95% CI 2.298-7.488, p < 0.0001) was associated with a worse survival in univariable analysis, but only pathological lymph node status with increasing hazard ratio's (6.283-10.283, p = 0.001) remained significant after multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSION

Induction chemotherapy downstages the tumour and facilitates a radical oesophagectomy in patients with advanced oesophageal cancer. Pathological lymph node status is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival.

Proximal margin length with transhiatal gastrectomy for Siewert type II and III adenocarcinomas of the oesophagogastric junction (Br J Surg 2013; 100: 1050-1054)

The Editors welcome topical correspondence from readers relating to articles published in the Journal. Responses should be sent electronically via the BJS website (www.bjs.co.uk). All letters will be reviewed and, if approved, appear on the website. A selection of these will be edited and published in the Journal. Letters must be no more than 250 words in length.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression and amplification in endoscopic biopsies and resection specimens in esophageal and junctional adenocarcinoma

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is overexpressed in a subset of esophageal adenocarcinomas. Frequently, biopsy material is used for evaluation of HER2 status. The aim of the study was to determine if HER2 expression in preoperative endoscopic biopsies is representative for the entire tumor. Preoperative endoscopic biopsies and matched resection specimens were collected from 75 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) on HER2 and dual-color in situ hybridization (ISH) were performed. HER2 status was determined by following a clinical algorithm, first determining HER2 overexpression on immunohistochemistry and, when equivocal (2+), determining HER2 amplification on ISH. Seventy-one of 75 (95%) biopsies and 69/75 (92%) resection specimens could be analyzed due to technical failure. HER2 positivity was seen in 18/71 (25%) biopsies and in 15/69 (22%) resection specimens. Overall, HER2 status in the biopsy was concordant with HER2 status in the resection specimen in 94% of cases. Interobserver agreement on IHC scoring for all three observers was 83% in biopsies and 85% in resection specimens. HER2 positivity was detected in 22% of esophageal adenocarcinomas. Although interobserver agreement was moderate, HER2 status of a primary tumor can be reliably determined based on the endoscopically obtained pretreatment biopsy.

Recurrence pattern in patients with a pathologically complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and surgery for oesophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Little is known about recurrence patterns in patients with a pathologically complete response (pCR) or an incomplete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by resection for oesophageal cancer. This study was performed to determine the pattern of recurrence in patients with a pCR after neoadjuvant CRT followed by surgery.

METHODS

All patients who received neoadjuvant CRT followed by oesophagectomy between 1993 and 2009 were identified from a database, and categorized according to pathological tumour response. Recurrences were classified as locoregional or distant.

RESULTS

One hundred and eighty-eight patients were included. Median potential follow-up was 71·6 months. A pCR was achieved in 62 (33·0 per cent) of 188 patients. Recurrence developed in 24 (39 per cent) of 62 patients with a pCR and 70 (55·6 per cent) of 126 without a pCR (P = 0·044). Locoregional recurrence with or without synchronous distant metastases occurred in eight patients (13 per cent) in the pCR group and 31 (24·6 per cent) in the non-pCR group (P = 0·095). Locoregional recurrences without synchronous distant metastases occurred four (6 per cent) and ten (7·9 per cent) patients respectively (P = 0·945). The overall 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in the pCR group than in the non-pCR group (52 versus 33·9 per cent respectively; P = 0·019).

CONCLUSION

Of patients with a pCR, 13 per cent still developed a locoregional recurrence. Although pCR is more favourable for survival, it is not synonymous with cure or complete locoregional disease control.

J-pouch vs side-to-end coloanal anastomosis after preoperative radiotherapy and total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: a multicentre randomized trial

AIM

Comparison of functional and surgical outcome of the J-pouch with the side-to-end coloanal anastomosis after preoperative radiotherapy and total mesorectal excision in rectal cancer patients.

METHOD

In a multicentre study, patients with a carcinoma of the lower two-thirds of the rectum were randomized to either a J-pouch or a side-to-end reconstruction. Primary outcome was function of the neorectum 1 year after surgery. A functional outcome [COloREctal Functional Outcome (COREFO)] questionnaire, and two quality of life questionnaires (EORTC-QLQ-CR38 and SF-36) were to be completed by all participants preoperatively, and 4 and 12 months postoperatively. Independent data managers recorded surgical outcome. A group size of 30 patients in each group was calculated based on a 15-point difference of the COREFO scale.

RESULTS

In total, 107 patients were randomized, 55 in the J-pouch group and 52 in the side-to-end anastomosis group. The COREFO incontinence scale at 4 months and the total functional outcome at 4 and 12 months showed better results for the J-pouch group in comparison with the side-to-end anastomosis group. The remaining COREFO scales (frequency, social impact, stool-related aspects and bowel medication), surgical outcome (complications, reoperations, length of hospital stay, readmissions and mortality) and quality of life did not show significant differences between treatment groups.

CONCLUSION

The overall results of a coloanal J-pouch and a side-to-end anastomosis are comparable, although functional results are slightly better with a J-pouch. The side-to-end anastomosis is technically less demanding and therefore a justified alternative in sphincter-saving surgery.

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy for esophageal or junctional cancer

BACKGROUND

The role of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of patients with esophageal or esophagogastric-junction cancer is not well established. We compared chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery with surgery alone in this patient population.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients with resectable tumors to receive surgery alone or weekly administration of carboplatin (doses titrated to achieve an area under the curve of 2 mg per milliliter per minute) and paclitaxel (50 mg per square meter of body-surface area) for 5 weeks and concurrent radiotherapy (41.4 Gy in 23 fractions, 5 days per week), followed by surgery.

RESULTS

From March 2004 through December 2008, we enrolled 368 patients, 366 of whom were included in the analysis: 275 (75%) had adenocarcinoma, 84 (23%) had squamous-cell carcinoma, and 7 (2%) had large-cell undifferentiated carcinoma. Of the 366 patients, 178 were randomly assigned to chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery, and 188 to surgery alone. The most common major hematologic toxic effects in the chemoradiotherapy-surgery group were leukopenia (6%) and neutropenia (2%); the most common major nonhematologic toxic effects were anorexia (5%) and fatigue (3%). Complete resection with no tumor within 1 mm of the resection margins (R0) was achieved in 92% of patients in the chemoradiotherapy-surgery group versus 69% in the surgery group (P<0.001). A pathological complete response was achieved in 47 of 161 patients (29%) who underwent resection after chemoradiotherapy. Postoperative complications were similar in the two treatment groups, and in-hospital mortality was 4% in both. Median overall survival was 49.4 months in the chemoradiotherapy-surgery group versus 24.0 months in the surgery group. Overall survival was significantly better in the chemoradiotherapy-surgery group (hazard ratio, 0.657; 95% confidence interval, 0.495 to 0.871; P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy improved survival among patients with potentially curable esophageal or esophagogastric-junction cancer. The regimen was associated with acceptable adverse-event rates. (Funded by the Dutch Cancer Foundation [KWF Kankerbestrijding]; Netherlands Trial Register number, NTR487.).

Cancer stem cells and their potential implications for the treatment of solid tumors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

There is increasing evidence that a variety of human cancers is maintained by a subset of cells, cancer stem cells (CSCs), which sustain tumor growth, underlie its malignant behavior, and possibly initiate distant metastases. The aim of this review is to evaluate the current evidence for the existence of CSCs and the implications on the present management and treatment of solid tumors.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the English-language literature (1997-2010) concerning CSCs and their therapeutic implications was performed.

RESULTS

CSCs are characterized by two main properties of normal stem cells: Self-renewal and differentiation, which are best assayed by serial transplantation experiments in immunodeficient mice. Cell-surface antigens that mark cell populations enriched for CSCs have been identified in various solid tumors. As such, the very existence of CSCs has vast clinical implications with regard to cancer treatment. The development of tailor-made CSC-targeted therapies (including therapies directed at these CSC-specific surface markers, and reversal of the intrinsic resistance of CSCs to chemo- and radiotherapy) entails great promises. However, normal stem cell toxicity and treatment resistance have been recognized as serious problems.

CONCLUSION

The growing evidence indicating that CSCs drive and maintain various types of solid human malignancies has important implications for the treatment of patients. However, over the years the development of CSC-targeted therapies has faced a number of potential hurdles, which must be considered carefully in order to maximize the chance that such therapies will be successful.

Early morbidity encountered in the dietary-related mouse model of Barrett's esophagus: a question of zinc?

Recently, a mouse model for Barrett's esophagus based on a zinc-deficient diet supplemented with deoxycholic bile acids has been published. The aim of this study was to attempt to reproduce these data and extend them by employing genetically modified mice and intraperitoneal iron supplementation. The study design encompassed six experimental groups (wild type, Apc-mutant and Smad4-mutant mice, with or without iron injections), with all animals fed with the zinc-deficient diet supplemented with deoxycholic bile acids. All treatments were started at 3-5 weeks of age (the majority [78%] at 5 weeks). Animals were scheduled for euthanasia at two distinct time points, namely at 3 and 6 months of age. All mice showed signs of considerable distress already 4 weeks after the start of the modified diets, and had to be euthanized before the first evaluation time point (mean age 9.3 weeks, range 5-15 weeks). No differences were observed between wild type and genetically modified mice, or between animals with or without iron supplementation. On histological examination, we could not detect any lesions (Barrett's esophagus-like or tumors) other than esophagitis. In the currently presented experimental settings, we were not able to reproduce the mouse model according to which Barrett's-like lesions could be detected in animals fed with the zinc-deficient diet supplemented with deoxycholic bile acids.

Value of EUS in Determining Curative Resectability in Reference to CT and FDG-PET: The Optimal Sequence in Preoperative Staging of Esophageal Cancer?

BACKGROUND

F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in the optimal sequence in staging esophageal cancer has not been investigated adequately.

METHODS

The staging records of 216 consecutive operable patients with esophageal cancer were reviewed blindly. Different staging strategies were analyzed, and the likelihood ratio (LR) of each module was calculated conditionally on individual patient characteristics. A logistic regression approach was used to determine the most favorable staging strategy.

RESULTS

Initial EUS results were not significantly related to the LRs of initial CT and FDG-PET results. The positive LR (LR+) of EUS-fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was 4, irrespective of CT and FDG-PET outcomes. The LR+ of FDG-PET varied from 13 (negative CT) to 6 (positive CT). The LR+ of CT ranged from 3-4 (negative FDG-PET) to 2-3 (positive FDG-PET). Age, histology, and tumor length had no significant impact on the LRs of the three diagnostic tests.

CONCLUSIONS

This study argues in favor of PET/CT rather than EUS as a predictor of curative resectability in esophageal cancer. EUS does not correspond with either CT or FDG-PET. LRs of FDG-PET were substantially different between subgroups of negative and positive CT results and vice versa.

FDG-PET parameters as prognostic factor in esophageal cancer patients: a review

BACKGROUND

(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) has been used extensively to explore whether FDG Uptake can be used to provide prognostic information for esophageal cancer patients. The aim of the present review is to evaluate the literature available to date concerning the potential prognostic value of FDG uptake in esophageal cancer patients, in terms of absolute pretreatment values and of decrease in FDG uptake during or after neoadjuvant therapy.

METHODS

A computer-aided search of the English language literature concerning esophageal cancer and standardized uptake values was performed. This search focused on clinical studies evaluating the prognostic value of FDG uptake as an absolute value or the decrease in FDG uptake and using overall mortality and/or disease-related mortality as an end point.

RESULTS

In total, 31 studies met the predefined criteria. Two main groups were identified based on the tested prognostic parameter: (1) FDG uptake and (2) decrease in FDG uptake. Most studies showed that pretreatment FDG uptake and postneoadjuvant treatment FDG uptake, as absolute values, are predictors for survival in univariate analysis. Moreover, early decrease in FDG uptake during neoadjuvant therapy is predictive for response and survival in most studies described. However, late decrease in FDG uptake after completion of neoadjuvant therapy was predictive for pathological response and survival in only 2 of 6 studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Measuring decrease in FDG uptake early during neoadjuvant therapy is most appealing, moreover because the observed range of values expressed as relative decrease to discriminate responding from nonresponding patients is very small. At present inter-institutional comparison of results is difficult because several different normalization factors for FDG uptake are in use. Therefore, more research focusing on standardization of protocols and inter-institutional differences should be performed, before a PET-guided algorithm can be universally advocated.

Prognostic value of body mass index on short-term and long-term outcome after resection of esophageal cancer

INTRODUCTION

Cachexia and obesity have been suggested to be risk factors for postoperative complications. However, high body mass index (BMI) might result in a higher R0-resection rate because of the presence of more fatty tissue surrounding the tumor. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether BMI is of prognostic value with regard to short-term and long-term outcome in patients who undergo esophagectomy for cancer.

METHODS

In 556 patients who underwent esophagectomy (1991-2007), clinical and pathological outcome were compared between different BMI classes (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obesity).

RESULTS

Overall morbidity, mortality, and reoperation rate did not differ in underweight and obese patients. However, severe complications seemed to occur more often in obese patients (p = 0.06), and the risk for anastomotic leakage increased with higher BMI (12.5% in underweight patients compared with 27.6% in obese patients, p = 0.04). Histopathological assessment showed comparable pTNM stages, although an advanced pT stage was seen more often in patients with low/normal BMI (p = 0.02). A linear association between BMI and R0-resection rate was detected (p = 0.02): 60% in underweight patients compared with 81% in obese patients. However, unlike pT-stage (p < 0.001), BMI was not an independent predictor for R0 resection (p = 0.12). There was no significant difference in overall or disease-free 5-year survival between the BMI classes (p = 0.25 and p = 0.6, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

BMI is not of prognostic value with regard to short-term and long-term outcome in patients who undergo esophagectomy for cancer and is not an independent predictor for radical R0 resection. Patients oncologically eligible for esophagectomy should not be denied surgery on the basis of their BMI class.

Intrathoracic manifestations of cervical anastomotic leaks after transhiatal and transthoracic oesophagectomy

BACKGROUND

A possible advantage of cervical oesophagogastrostomy over intrathoracic anastomosis after oesophagectomy is the presumed mild clinical course of cervical anastomotic leakage. The incidence and consequences of intrathoracic manifestations after cervical anastomotic leakage remain unclear, and were investigated in this study.

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing potentially curative transhiatal oesophagectomy (THO) or transthoracic oesophagectomy (TTO) with cervical oesophagogastrostomy between 1993 and 2007 were included. Intrathoracic manifestations after cervical anastomotic leakage were compared following THO and TTO. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify potential risk factors for intrathoracic manifestations.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine (15.8 per cent) of 501 patients developed anastomotic leakage after THO compared with 50 (15.3 per cent) of 327 after TTO (P = 0.853). Intrathoracic manifestations developed in 21 (27 per cent) and 22 (44 per cent) patients respectively (P = 0.041). A transthoracic approach was the only independent predictor of the development of intrathoracic manifestations in patients with cervical leakage (odds ratio 2.60; P = 0.022). Total hospital stay (P < 0.001), intensive care unit stay (P < 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (P = 0.035) were greater in patients with intrathoracic manifestations than in those without.

CONCLUSION

Intrathoracic manifestations of cervical anastomotic leakage are associated with a prolonged hospital stay, carry a higher mortality and occur more frequently after TTO than THO.

Reliability of temperature and SAR measurements at oesophageal tumour locations

INTRODUCTION

For treatment of oesophageal cancer, neo-adjuvant locoregional hyperthermia (HT) has been applied in combination with chemotherapy (ChT) +/- radiotherapy (RT) at the institute. Until now, 26 patients were treated within a completed phase I study combining HT with ChT and 29 patients within an ongoing phase II study combining HT with ChT + RT.

METHODS

HT was given with the 70 MHz AMC-4 waveguide system. Initially, oesophageal temperatures were measured using multi-sensor thermocouple probes (TCs) inside a nasogastric tube (NT), but the question arose whether these measurements were reliable enough to quantify the achieved tumour temperatures accurately. Presently, TCs are mounted on the outside of an inflatable balloon catheter (BC) for better intra-luminal fixation and better contact with the tumour. During 14 treatment sessions in four patients TCs inside a NT and mounted on a BC were used simultaneously. Data from these 14 treatment sessions were used to compare temperature and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) measurements ('DeltaT-measurements') using NTs or BCs. To determine the predictive value of the local SAR for the tumour temperatures achieved during treatment, the relation between the initial DeltaT and steady state temperature (SST) was evaluated.

RESULTS

There was a strong correlation between the temperature measured in the NT (Ttube) and the temperature measured with a BC (Tballoon): R = 0.88 +/- 0.13. However, Ttube was on average approximately 1 degrees C higher than Tballoon and there was a large variation between the different treatments in the relation between both measurements, rendering Ttube a probably unreliable measure for tumour temperatures. The correlation between the DeltaT measured in the NT (DeltaTtube) and with a BC (DeltaTballoon) was rather weak: R = 0.46 +/- 0.25. The correlation between the initial DeltaT and the SST was much stronger for the BC measurements, R = 0.78 +/- 0.19, than for the NT measurements, R = 0.61 +/- 0.23. Thus, DeltaTballoon has a higher predictive value for the achieved tumour temperatures than DeltaTtube. Both DeltaT and SST were generally higher for the NT measurements than for the BC measurements, suggesting an over-estimation of tumour temperatures. Averaged over all treatments in the phase I trial using a NT (20 treatments) or a BC (45 treatments), T90 was significantly higher when measured with a NT.

CONCLUSION

Oesophageal temperature and SAR (DeltaT) measurements inside a NT are less reliable than BC measurements. These artefacts are due to bad thermal contact with the tumour tissue and are, therefore, not specific for thermocouple thermometry. For reliable temperature or SAR measurements inside lumina or cavities good thermal contact must be assured, e.g. by using a balloon catheter.

A feasibility study in oesophageal carcinoma using deep loco-regional hyperthermia combined with concurrent chemotherapy followed by surgery

This phase I-II study investigated the feasibility of external deep loco-regional hyperthermia in localized primarily operable carcinoma of the thoracic oesophagus and gastro-oesophageal junction. Toxicity when combining neo-adjuvant hyperthermia with concurrent chemotherapy (CDDP and etoposide) was evaluated. Hyperthermia was given with a four antenna array, operating at 70 MHz arranged around the thorax. Temperatures were monitored rectally, intra-oesophageal at tumour level and intramuscular near the spine. In four steps, a thermal dose escalation was performed from 15-60 min of heating to 41 degrees C with two patients in each step. The combined treatment courses were repeated every 3 weeks for a maximum of four courses. From January 1999-February 2002, 31 patients were included. Pre-treatment tumour stage mainly consisted of T3N1 (stage III) tumours, with a mean length of 6 cm. The maximum tumour temperature failed to reach at least 41 degrees C in five patients during the test session of hyperthermia alone. Combined hyperthermia and chemotherapy was given 55 times in 26 patients. The amplitude was set at a ratio between top:bottom:left:right = 1:3:3:3, with a power range of 800-1000 W. Thermal data showed that is was technically feasible to heat the oesophagus; the median results were T(90) = 39.3 degrees C, T(50) = 40 degrees C, T(10) = 40.7 degrees C and a median T(max) = 41.9 degrees C. In more distally located tumours higher temperatures were reached. In one patient, a transient grade 2 sensory neuropathy was seen. Further toxicity was mainly of haematological origin. Blisters or fat necrosis were not observed. Twenty-two patients underwent oesophageal-cardia resection with gastric tube reconstruction. There was no report of complications in the post-operative phase, which could be contributed to either the prior chemotherapy or the hyperthermia.

Fixed Size of Enlarged Calcified Lymph Nodes in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma despite Complete Remission

Untreated malignant lymph nodes that are calcified are rare. Publications on such calcifications are restricted to case reports. We present a case of calcified lymph nodes in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction that seemed to be nonresponsive to induction chemotherapy, as they did not decrease in size. However, on pathological examination of the resected lymph nodes no vital tumor cells could be detected anymore. Therefore, we hypothesize that a calcified lymph node is unable to shrink, even after adequate remission on induction chemotherapy. This should be taken into account when clinical decision-making depends on the change in size of an enlarged, calcified lymph node as a measure of treatment effect.

Additional value of external ultrasonography of the neck after CT and PET scanning in the preoperative assessment of patients with esophageal cancer

INTRODUCTION

Lymphatic dissemination of a (non-cervical) esophageal tumor to the neck is generally considered as distant metastasis. The aim of this study was to determine the additional value of external ultrasonography (US) to detect lymphatic metastasis to the neck after normal CT scan (CT) with or without normal PET scan (PET).

METHODS

Between January 2003 and December 2005, 306 patients were analyzed for esophageal cancer in our department. A total of 233 patients underwent both CT and external US of the neck. PET was performed in 109 of these patients as part of a prospective cohort study. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) was only performed if external US reported suspected lymph nodes. FNA was defined as gold standard.

RESULTS

In 176 patients (76%), CT did not identify any suspected nodes, but external US disagreed in 36 of them. In 9 of these patients, FNA confirmed metastasis, resulting in an additional value of external US after normal CT scanning of 5% (9/176). In 74 patients (68%), CT and PET did not identify any suspected nodes, but external US disagreed in 11 of them. In 3 of these patients, FNA confirmed metastasis, resulting in an additional value of external US after normal CT and PET of 4% (3/74).

CONCLUSION

Considering its minimal invasiveness and wide availability in combination with the importance of the potential therapeutic consequences, we conclude that external US of the neck should be part of the routine diagnostic work-up in patients with esophageal cancer, even after normal CT and PET scanning.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery versus surgery alone for patients with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (CROSS)

Background

A surgical resection is currently the preferred treatment for esophageal cancer if the tumor is considered to be resectable without evidence of distant metastases (cT1-3 N0-1 M0). A high percentage of irradical resections is reported in studies using neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery versus surgery alone and in trials in which patients are treated with surgery alone. Improvement of locoregional control by using neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy might therefore improve the prognosis in these patients. We previously reported that after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with weekly administrations of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel combined with concurrent radiotherapy nearly always a complete R0-resection could be performed. The concept that this neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy regimen improves overall survival has, however, to be proven in a randomized phase III trial.

Methods/design

The CROSS trial is a multicenter, randomized phase III, clinical trial. The study compares neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery with surgery alone in patients with potentially curable esophageal cancer, with inclusion of 175 patients per arm.

The objectives of the CROSS trial are to compare median survival rates and quality of life (before, during and after treatment), pathological responses, progression free survival, the number of R0 resections, treatment toxicity and costs between patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery with surgery alone for surgically resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. Over a 5 week period concurrent chemoradiotherapy will be applied on an outpatient basis. Paclitaxel (50 mg/m2) and Carboplatin (Area-Under-Curve = 2) are administered by i.v. infusion on days 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. External beam radiation with a total dose of 41.4 Gy is given in 23 fractions of 1.8 Gy, 5 fractions a week. After completion of the protocol, patients will be followed up every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for the second year, and then at the end of each year until 5 years after treatment. Quality of life questionnaires will be filled out during the first year of follow-up.

Discussion

This study will contribute to the evidence on any benefits of neoadjuvant treatment in esophageal cancer patients using a promising chemoradiotherapy regimen.

Trial registration

ISRCTN80832026

Analysis of gene expression identifies differentially expressed genes and pathways associated with lymphatic dissemination in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus

INTRODUCTION

The presence of lymphatic dissemination is an important predictor of survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA). The aim of this study was to discover a prognostic gene expression profile for lymphatic dissemination in EA and to identify genes and pathways that provide oncological insight in lymphatic dissemination.

METHODS

Patients who had lymphatic dissemination (N = 55) were compared with patients without lymphatic dissemination (N = 22). Whole-genome oligonucleotide microarrays were used to evaluate the genetic signature of 77 esophageal cancers. Multiple random validation was used to analyze the stability of the molecular signature and predictive power. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to elucidate oncogenetic pathways.

RESULTS

Lymphatic dissemination was correctly predicted in 75 +/- 14% of lymph node positive patients. The absence of lymphatic dissemination was correctly predicted in 41 +/- 23% of lymph-node-negative patients. Argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) was selected for validation on the protein level because it was present in most prognostic signatures as well as the list of differentially expressed genes. ASS expression was lower (P = 0.048) in patients with lymphatic dissemination than in patients without. GSEA identified that arginine metabolism pathways and lipid metabolism pathways are related to less chance of developing lymphatic dissemination.

DISCUSSION

The predictive profile does not outperform current clinical practice to predict the presence of lymphatic dissemination in patients with EA. Several genes, including ASS, and genetic pathways which are important in the development of lymphatic dissemination in EA, were identified.

Analysis of micrometastatic disease in histologically negative lymph nodes of patients with adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or gastric cardia

Lymphatic dissemination is the most important prognostic factor in patients with esophageal carcinoma. However, the clinical significance of lymph node micrometastases is still debated due to contradictory results. The aim of the present study was to identify the incidence of potentially relevant micrometastatic disease in patients with histologically node-negative esophageal adenocarcinoma and to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of three different immunohistochemical assays. From a consecutive series of 79 patients who underwent a transthoracic resection with extended 2-field lymphadenectomy, all 20 patients with pN0 esophageal adenocarcinoma were included in this study. A total of 578 lymph nodes were examined for the presence of micrometastases by immunohistochemical analysis with the antibodies Ber-EP4, AE1/AE3 and CAM 5.2. Lymph node micrometastases were detected in five of the 20 patients (25%). They were identified in 16 of the 578 lymph nodes examined (2.8%) and most frequently detected with the Ber-EP4 and AE1/AE3 antibody (sensitivity 95% and 79% respectively). In 114 of the 559 negative lymph nodes (20.4%), positive single cells were found that did not demonstrate malignant characteristics. These false-positive cells were more frequently found with the AE1/AE3 staining (specificity of the Ber-Ep4 and AE1/AE3 antibody 94% and 84% respectively). The presence of nodal micrometastases was associated with the development of locoregional recurrences (P=0.01), distant metastases (P=0.01), and a reduced overall survival (log rank test, P=0.009). For the detection of clinically relevant micrometastatic disease in patients operated upon for adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or gastric cardia, Ber-EP4 is the antibody of first choice because of its high sensitivity and specificity. Immunohistochemically detected micrometastases in histologically negative lymph nodes have potential prognostic significance and are associated with a high incidence of both locoregional and systemic recurrence. Therefore, this technique has the potential to refine the staging system for esophageal cancer and to help identify patients who will not be cured by surgery alone.

Importance of fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and endoscopic ultrasonography parameters in predicting survival following surgery for esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

To assess the prognostic importance of standardized uptake value (SUV) for 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) at positron emission tomography (PET) and of EUS parameters, in esophageal cancer patients primarily treated by surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between October 2002 and August 2004 a prospective cohort study involved 125 patients, with histologically proven cancer of the esophagus, without evidence of distant metastases or locally irresectable disease based on extensive preoperative work-up, and fit to undergo major surgery. Follow-up was complete until October 2006, ensuring a minimal potential follow-up of 25 months.

RESULTS

The median SUV was 0.27 (interquartile range 0.13 - 0.45), and was used as cutoff value between high (n = 62) and low (n = 63) SUV. Patients with a high SUV had a significantly worse disease-specific survival compared with patients with a low SUV (P = 0.04). Tumor location (P = 0.005), EUS T stage (P < 0.001), EUS N stage (P = 0.006) and clinical stage (P < 0.006) were also associated with disease-specific survival. However, in multivariate analysis only EUS T stage appeared to be of independent prognostic significance (P = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

In esophageal cancer patients, EUS T stage, EUS N stage, location and SUV of the primary tumor are pretreatment factors that are associated with disease-specific survival. However, only EUS T stage is an independent prognostic factor.

The prognostic significance of extracapsular lymph node involvement in node positive patients with colonic cancer

AIMS

In colonic cancer the prognostic significance of extracapsular lymph node involvement (LNI) is not established and is therefore the objective of this study.

METHODS

Between January 1994 and May 2005, all patients who underwent resection for primary colonic cancer with lymph node metastasis were reviewed. All resected lymph nodes were re-examined to assess extracapsular LNI. In uni- and multivariate analysis disease-free survival (DFS) was correlated with various clinicopathologic factors.

RESULTS

One hundred and eleven patients were included. In 58 patients extracapsular LNI was identified. Univariate analysis revealed that pN-stage (5-year DFS pN1 vs. pN2: 65% vs. 14%, p<0.001), extracapsular LNI (5-year DFS intracapsular LNI vs. extracapsular LNI: 69% vs. 41%, p=0.003), and lymph node ratio (5-year DFS <0.176 vs. > or =0.176: 67% vs. 42%, p=0.023) were significant prognostic indicators. Among these variables pN-stage (hazard ratio 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.72-7.42) and extracapsular LNI (hazard ratio 1.98, 95% CI: 1.00-3.91) were independent prognostic factors. Among patients without extracapsular LNI, those receiving adjuvant chemotherapy had a significantly better survival (p=0.010). In contrast, chemotherapy did not improve DFS in patients with extracapsular LNI.

CONCLUSION

Together with pN2 stage, extracapsular LNI reflects a particularly aggressive behaviour and has significant prognostic potential.

Met expression is an independent prognostic risk factor in patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy with propensity for early lymphatic and haematogenous dissemination. Since conventional TNM staging does not provide accurate prognostic information, novel molecular prognostic markers and potential therapeutic targets are subject of intense research. The aim of the present study was to study the prognostic significance of Met, the hepatic growth factor (HGF) receptor and a possible target for therapy in comparison to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Tumour sections from 145 consecutive patients undergoing intentionally curative surgery for oesophageal adenocarcinoma were immunohistochemically analysed for Met and COX-2 expression. Clinicopathological data were prospectively collected for all patients. Patients with high Met expression had significantly reduced overall and disease-specific 5-year survival rates (P⩽0.001 and P⩽0.001, respectively) and were more likely to develop distant metastases (P=0.002) and local recurrences (P=0.004) compared to patients with low Met expression. High COX-2 expression tended to be correlated with poor long-term survival but this did not reach statistical significance. Expression of Met was recognised as a significant and independent prognostic factor by stage-specific analysis and multivariate analysis (relative risk=2.3; 95% CI=1.3–4.1). These findings support the importance of Met in oesophageal adenocarcinoma and support the concept of Met tyrosine kinase inhibition as (neo-) adjuvant treatment.

Synchronous esophageal and renal cell carcinoma: incidence and possible treatment strategies

BACKGROUND

The occurrence of synchronous malignancies in patients suffering from esophageal cancer is a frequent phenomenon, but the reported incidence of synchronous renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is very low. The present study investigated the incidence of synchronously detected RCC since the introduction of preoperative CT scans in a tertiary referral center for esophageal cancer patients.

METHODS

The medical records of 392 consecutive patients included in a prospective database of patients scheduled to undergo surgery for esophageal tumors were scrutinized for the presence of renal neoplasms. The coincidence of esophageal cancer and RCC was then estimated by analyzing only those patients who were operated on for an esophageal malignancy after a CT scan was obtained.

RESULTS

192 patients were operated on for an esophageal malignancy after abdominal CT scanning was performed. RCC was diagnosed in 4 of these patients resulting in an incidence of synchronous esophageal and renal malignancies of 2.1%.

CONCLUSION

Since the introduction of CT scanning the incidence of synchronous RCC in esophageal cancer patients appears to be much higher than previously reported and suggests a genetic and/or environmental association between these malignancies. Simultaneous treatment of both tumors appeared safe at our institute.

[The value of positron emission tomography in the diagnosis and treatment of oesophageal cancer]

Fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a noninvasive imaging technique that applies the glucose metabolism to visualise the metabolic activity ofa tumour. FDG-PET might improve the selection of potentially curable patients with oesophageal cancer in addition to state-of-the-art conventional work-up (e.g. endoscopic ultrasonography and spiral CT). The additional value however is only 4% for all patients, and 7% in patients with stage III-IV disease. Moreover, the additional costs of FDG-PET are not compensated by the cost reduction ofprevented surgery. To improve the outcome of patients with oesophageal cancer the value ofneoadjuvant chemo- and/or radiotherapy is being investigated. FDG-PET seems to be a promising tool for the early assessment of response to neoadjuvant therapy. In case of non-response the ineffective neoadjuvant therapy can be stopped without further delaying appropriate surgery. FDG-PET might be able to improve the prediction of prognosis, in addition to commonly used histopathological factors.

Radiological evaluation of colorectal anastomoses

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy, interobserver variability, timing and discordance with relaparotomy of postoperative radiological examination of colorectal anastomoses.

PATIENT/METHODS

From 2000 to 2005, 429 patients underwent an ileocolonic, colo-colonic, or colorectal anastomosis. Radiological examination of the anastomosis was not performed routinely, but only when there were clinically signs of leakage. Radiological imaging was reviewed by an independent radiologist and medical records were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical anastomotic leakage was the standard of reference and defined as leakage confirmed during relaparotomy, drainage of pus per anum or as an anastomotic defect identified at digital examination.

RESULTS

Radiological evaluation of the anastomosis was performed in 91 patients (21%): CT in 27 patients, contrast radiography in 40, and both imaging modalities in 24 patients. The interobserver variability of CT and contrast radiography was 10% and 14%, respectively. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of imaging of the anastomosis was 65% and 73%, respectively. Anastomotic leakage was found in 11 of 21 patients (52%) who underwent relaparotomy despite negative imaging. Three of 36 patients (8%) with a diagnosis of anastomotic leakage based on radiological examination had an intact anastomosis at relaparotomy.

CONCLUSION

Radiological imaging of the anastomosis after colorectal surgery should be restrictively applied and interpreted with caution because of the high false-negative rate and the substantial interobserver variability.

Limited additional value of positron emission tomography in staging oesophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

The detection of distant metastases in patients with oesophageal cancer may be improved with [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), preventing unnecessary surgical explorations. The aim of this study was to assess the additional value of FDG-PET after a state-of-the-art preoperative staging protocol.

METHODS

All patients in this prospective cohort study were staged with multidetector computed tomography, endoscopic ultrasonography and external ultrasonography of the neck, both combined with selective fine-needle aspiration cytology. Patients considered eligible for curative surgery after these investigations underwent FDG-PET.

RESULTS

FDG-PET revealed suspicious hot spots in 30 (15.1 per cent) of 199 patients. Metastases were confirmed in eight (4.0 per cent). In six of these, distant metastases were confirmed before surgery, but exploratory surgery was necessary for histological confirmation in the other two. All eight upstaged patients had clinical stage III-IV disease before FDG-PET (6.6 per cent of 122 with stage III-IV disease). In seven patients (3.5 per cent) hot spots appeared to be synchronous neoplasms, mainly colonic polyps. However, those in the remaining 15 (7.5 per cent) were false positive, leading to unnecessary additional investigations.

CONCLUSION

FDG-PET improves the selection of patients with oesophageal cancer for potentially curative surgery, especially in stages III-IV. However, the diagnostic benefit is limited after state-of-the-art staging, and so broad implementation in daily clinical practice is questionable.