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The thoracic duct (TD) plays an important role in nutrition and immunity but is often resected with the esophagus when dissecting surrounding lymph nodes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We examined whether indiscriminate TD resection improved the prognosis of patients with ESCC treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) followed by esophagectomy.A total of 440 patients treated with NACRT followed by esophagectomy between 2007 and 2012 were analyzed using data from the Comprehensive Registry of Esophageal Cancer in Japan. The propensity score-matched TD resection and TD preservation groups were compared in terms of short- and long-term outcomes.After matching, there were 85 patients in both groups. No significant differences were found between groups in either overall survival or cause-specific survival rates at 5 years: 44.2% and 49.0% in the TD resection group, and 39.8% and 47.2% in the TD preservation group, respectively. Furthermore, the number of retrieved mediastinal lymph nodes was significantly greater in the TD resection group than in the TD preservation group (26 vs. 15, p 0.0001). In contrast, TD resection was associated with metastasis to a significantly greater number of distant organs than TD preservation (49 vs. 32, p = 0.049).TD resection did not contribute to improved survival in patients with ESCC but did lead to metastases in more organs than TD preservation. Consequently, indiscriminate TD resection might be avoided in patients with ESCC treated with NACRT followed by esophagectomy.

Background The registration committee for esophageal cancer in the Japan Esophageal Society (JES) has collected the patients' characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients who underwent any treatment during 2015 in Japan. Methods We analyzed patients' data who had visited the participating hospitals in 2015. We collected the data using the National Clinical Database with a web-based data collection system. We used the Japanese Classification of Esophageal Cancer 10th edition by JES and the TNM classification by the Union of International Cancer Control (UICC) for cancer staging. Results A total of 9368 cases were registered from 355 institutions in Japan. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma accounted for 86.7% and 7.4%, respectively. The 5-year survival rates of patients treated by endoscopic resection, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, radiotherapy alone, and esophagectomy were 87.2%, 33.5%, 24.2%, and 59.9%, respectively. Esophagectomy was performed in 5172 cases. Minimally invasive approaches were selected for 60.6%, and 54.4% underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy. The operative mortality (within 30 days after surgery) was 0.79% and the hospital mortality was 2.3%. The survival curves showed an excellent discriminatory ability both in the clinical and pathologic stages by the JES system. The survival of pStage IV was better than IIIC in the UICC system because pStage IV included the patients with supraclavicular lymph node metastasis (M1 LYM). Conclusion We hope this report improves all aspects of diagnosing and treating esophageal cancer in Japan.

Two prominent patient positions during thoracoscopic esophagectomy are the left lateral decubitus position (LP) and the prone position (PP). However, whether the patient position during thoracoscopic esophagectomy influences short-term outcomes, especially postoperative pneumonia, remains unclear. We aimed to elucidate the impact of patient position on the occurrence of postoperative pneumonia.We analyzed 9850 patients who underwent oncologic thoracoscopic esophagectomies between 2016 and 2019 from the National Clinical Database. We compared the short-term outcomes between the LP and PP groups, and the primary outcome measure was the incidence of postoperative pneumonia.This study included 2637 (26.8%) and 7213 (73.2%) patients in the LP and the PP groups, respectively. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were well-balanced. Compared with the LP group, the PP group had a longer operative time and less blood loss. There were no significant differences in the incidences of postoperative pneumonia, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, anastomotic leakage, severe complications, and reoperation between the groups. Meanwhile, prolonged ventilation and surgery-related mortality occurred more frequently in the LP than in the PP group (P 0.001 and 0.046, respectively). After multivariable adjustment, the patient position did not significantly influence the incidence of postoperative pneumonia (odds ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.80-1.04).Although prolonged ventilation and surgery-related mortality occurred more frequently in the LP group than in the PP group, the patient position did not significantly influence the occurrence of postoperative pneumonia.

One upside of cervical esophageal carcinoma is that radical surgery can be performed by laryngectomy, even for tumors with tracheal invasion. However, this approach drastically reduces the quality of life, such as by losing the vocal function. Cervical esophageal carcinoma is rare, and no comprehensive reports have described the current state of surgery. Using a Japanese nationwide web-based database, we analyzed the surgical outcomes of cervical esophageal carcinoma to evaluate the impact of larynx-preserving surgery.Based on the Japan National Clinical Database, 215 surgically treated cases of cervical esophageal carcinoma between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019, were enrolled. Clinical outcomes were compared between the larynx-preserved group and the laryngectomy group.Ninety-four (43.7%) patients underwent larynx-preserving surgery. A total of 177 (82.3%) patients underwent free jejunum reconstruction. More T4b patients and more patients who underwent preoperative radiotherapy were in the laryngectomy group. There were no significant differences in the frequency and the severity of morbidities between the two groups. However, in the laryngectomy group, in-hospital death within 30 days after surgery was observed in 1 patient, and the postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer (P = 0.030). In the larynx-preserved group, recurrent nerve paralysis was observed in 24.5%. Re-operation (35.3%, P = 0.016), re-intubation (17.6%, P = 0.019) and tracheal necrosis (17.6%, P = 0.028) were significantly more frequent in patients who underwent pharyngolaryngectomy with total esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction than in others.Larynx-preserving surgery was therefore considered to be feasible because it was equivalent to laryngectomy regarding the short-term surgical outcomes.

McKeown esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy is the treatment of choice for oncologic esophagectomy. A cervical drain is placed in cases after modern two-field lymph node dissection (M2FD) to provide information on anastomotic leakage. However, the necessity of prophylactic cervical drainage during surgery remains unknown. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of cervical drainage in patients who underwent McKeown esophagectomy with M2FD.A total of 293 patients underwent McKeown surgery with two-field lymphadenectomy at our institute between January 2013 and December 2019. We compared the day of drain removal, amount of drainage volume, and the appearance of drainage fluid between patients with and without anastomotic leakage.McKeown esophagectomy reconstructed through the retrosternal route is 203 patients (69.3%) of all. Nineteen patients (6.5%) experienced anastomotic leakage. The amount of cervical drain discharge was comparable between patients with and without anastomotic leakage. In addition, no purulent or salivary discharge was observed in patients with anastomotic leakage. There was no difference in the median day of drain removal between the groups. The initial clinical findings for the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage were surgical site infection in 10 (52.6%), fever in 5 (26.3%), prolonged inflammation in a blood test in 3 (15.8%), and bloody discharge from the chest tube in 1 (5.3%). There was no mortality due to any cause.A prophylactic cervical drain may not be mandatory in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing McKeown esophagectomy reconstructed through the retrosternal route with two-field lymphadenectomy.

Although C-reactive protein to prealbumin ratio (CPR) can predict the outcomes of several types of cancer surgeries, little is known about the implication of CPR in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).Between 2009 and 2018, 682 consecutive ESCC patients who underwent curative esophagectomy were enrolled. The clinicopathological factors and prognoses were compared between the groups stratified by preoperative CPR levels. A logistic regression model was used to determine the risk factors of postoperative pneumonia. Survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to elucidate prognostic factors.There were more elderly patients, more males, and more advanced clinical T and N categories in the high CPR group than in the low CPR group. Also, the incidence of postoperative pneumonia was significantly higher in the high CPR group than in the low CPR group (32.4% vs. 20.3%, p 0.01). In multivariate analyses, high CPR was one of the independent predictive factors for postoperative pneumonia (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.15-2.54; p 0.03). Moreover, high CPR was an independent prognostic factor for overall, cancer-specific, and recurrence-free survivals (HR 1.62; 95% CI 1.18-2.23; p 0.01, HR 1.57; 95% CI 1.08-2.32; p = 0.02, HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.06-1.90; p = 0.02).Preoperative CPR was found to be a useful inflammatory and nutritional indicator for predicting the occurrence of pneumonia and prognosis in patients with ESCC undergoing esophagectomy.

Background Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is an alternative treatment approach. However, both treatments are associated with toxicity, and the optimal treatment for older patients with ESCC is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the treatment strategies and prognosis of older patients with locally advanced ESCC in a real-world setting. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 381 older patients (≥ 65 years) with locally advanced ESCC (stage IB/II/III, excluding T4) who received anticancer therapy at 22 medical centers in Japan. Based on age, performance status (PS), and organ function, the patients were classified into two groups: clinical trial eligible and ineligible groups. Patients aged ≤ 75 years with adequate organ function and a PS of 0–1 were categorized into the eligible group. We compared the treatments and prognoses between the two groups. Results The ineligible group had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than the eligible group (hazard ratio [HR] for death, 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22–2.25; P = 0.001). The proportion of patients receiving NAC followed by surgery was significantly higher in the eligible group than in the ineligible group (P = 1.07 × 10–11), whereas the proportion of patients receiving CRT was higher in the ineligible group than in the eligible group (P = 3.09 × 10–3). Patients receiving NAC followed by surgery in the ineligible group had comparable OS to those receiving the same treatment in the eligible group (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.57–1.82; P = 0.939). In contrast, patients receiving CRT in the ineligible group had significantly shorter OS than those receiving CRT in the eligible group (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.02–3.37; P = 0.044). In the ineligible group, patients receiving radiation alone had comparable OS to those receiving CRT (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.58–2.22; P = 0.717). Conclusions NAC followed by surgery is justified for select older patients who can tolerate radical treatment, even if they are old or vulnerable to enrollment in clinical trials. CRT did not provide survival benefits over radiation alone in patients ineligible for clinical trials, suggesting the need to develop less-toxic CRT.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical features and outcomes of patients with recurrence after esophagectomy following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) related to the timing of recurrence. Methods We reviewed 240 consecutive patients who underwent NAC followed by esophagectomy for clinical stage II/III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma between 2009 and 2014. We compared the clinical features and survival after recurrence among groups of patients stratified by the timing of recurrence diagnosis and identified the risk factors for early recurrence (ER). Results Recurrence was identified within 1 year in 61 patients and after 1 year in 23 patients. Significant differences were observed between the patients with recurrence within 1 year (early recurrence; ER) and those with recurrence after 1 year (late recurrence; LR). The ER patients had more advanced tumors and higher pretreatment serum squamous cell antigen (SCC-Ag) levels and less experienced downstaging than patients without recurrence (no recurrence; NR). Overall survival was significantly worse for the ER patients than for the LR patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that cN2-3, increased serum SCC-Ag levels, and clinical response to NAC were independent predictors of ER. Conclusion The ER patients had distinctive clinical features from the LR and NR patients. Extensive lymph node metastasis, an elevated SCC-Ag, and inadequate response to NAC were identified as predictors of ER.

The presence of tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) in tumor tissues has been reported to be a factor associated with a good prognosis in several types of cancers. However, the relationship between TLS formation and peripheral blood findings remains unclear. The purposes of the study were to evaluate the effect of the presence of TLS on survival and determine the peripheral blood characteristics associated with TLS formation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. A total of 147 consecutive NSCLC patients who underwent lung resection at Fukushima Medical University Hospital between 2013 and 2017 were enrolled. TLS expression was evaluated, and the relationships between clinical parameters and outcomes were analyzed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were further analyzed by mass cytometry to characterize the TLS-positive microenvironment. Forty-six patients had high TLS expression, and the remaining 101 patients had low TLS expression. In stage II to IV patients (n = 35), disease-free survival was longer in the high TLS expression group (p = 0.027). A low neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR)

Recent studies have identified two important findings on infants’ capability of taking others’ perspectives and the difficulty of ignoring perspectives irrelevant to the acquired perspective. Unfortunately, there is insufficient consensus on the interpretation of these phenomena. Two important features of perspective-taking, embodiment and aging, should be considered to reach a more appropriate hypothesis. In this paper, the mechanism of perspective-taking can be redefined through the well-known process of self–other distinction, which is inherent to humans, without resorting to either the assumption of controversial systems or an excessive reduction to executive functions. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the implicit mentalizing observed in infancy comes from the loosening phenomenon and lasts lifelong and that the self-representation separated from one’s own body by the detachment function is sent to other perspectives for explicit perspective-taking. This hypothesis can not only explain both the robustness of perspective-taking in the older adults and the appearance of egocentric/altercentric bias in adults but also is consistent with the findings in brain science and neuropathology. Finally, some issues to be considered are presented to improve the validity of this hypothesis., This work was supported by The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Number 19H01754., Copyright © 2022, The Author(s). Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most common complications after esophagectomy. Although some patients have a history of peptic ulcers or other prior stomach diseases, the influence of a damaged stomach (DS) on AL incidence remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the association between DS and incidence of AL in patients who underwent esophagectomy. Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 447 consecutive patients who underwent cervical esophagogastrostomy using gastric tube following esophagectomy were enrolled. DS was defined on the basis of endoscopic findings of ulcers or scars due to medical history or prior treatment. We compared the incidence of AL between patients with DS and those with a healthy stomach (HS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors that could predict AL incidence. Fifty-one patients (11.4%) had DS. Causes of DS included peptic ulcer (n = 36), endoscopic resection for early gastric cancer (n = 9), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomies (n = 5), and post-chemotherapy scar for gastric malignant lymphoma (n = 1). Overall, AL occurred in 35 patients (7.8%). The incidence of AL in the DS group was significantly higher than in the HS group (15.7 vs. 6.8%, p = 0.03). DS was one of the independent predictive factors for AL (odds ratio, 2.75; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–6.92; p = 0.03) on multivariate analysis. Further, the diseases in the lower third of the conduit were associated with AL. Presence of DS can predict AL in patients who underwent cervical esophagogastrostomy after esophagectomy.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is known to be a risk factor of pneumonia after esophagectomy. In this study, we investigated the relationship of airflow limitation with the occurrence and the severity of pneumonia in esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy. We enrolled 844 patients who underwent curative esophagectomy between 2009 and 2018. The airflow limitation was evaluated using the percent-predicted forced expiratory volume at 1 s (%FEV1) with spirometry. There were 597 (70.7%), 141 (16.7%), 68 (8.1%), and 38 patients (4.5%) with %FEV1 of ≥ 90%, 80–90%, 70–80%, and

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) is a widely used tumor marker of SCC. However, the clinical significance of serum SCC-Ag levels in recurrent esophageal SCC (ESCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of serum SCC-Ag levels in patients with recurrent ESCC after surgery. This study retrospectively analyzed 208 patients who experienced recurrence after curative resection for ESCC. Serum SCC-Ag levels at the time of recurrence were collected from the patients’ records. The patients were classified into tertiles based on the serum SCC-Ag values (low, middle, and high), and the clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared among the groups. Significant differences in sex (p = 0.001), pathologic T (p = 0.034), and N stages of primary cancer (p = 0.015) were observed among the groups. Although the recurrence patterns did not differ significantly, a high SCC-Ag was significantly associated with multiple recurrences (p = 0.019). The high-SCC-Ag group patients demonstrated a shorter time to recurrence than the other groups (p = 0.044). The SCC-Ag levels were significantly associated with overall survival after recurrence (p = 0.036). Multivariate analysis showed that serum SCC-Ag value at recurrence was an independent poor prognosticator (p = 0.031). Elevated serum SCC-Ag levels at recurrence were significantly associated with a reduced time to recurrence, multiple recurrences, and a poor prognosis after recurrence. An alternative to the current standard treatment is required to improve the outcome for patients with high serum SCC-Ag levels at recurrence.

This study evaluates surgical outcomes of Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (ILE) in our institution, with the transition from open ILE to hybrid or totally minimally invasive ILE (MI-ILE). Selected patients who underwent ILE for esophageal cancer between 2013 and 2020 were included. We retrospectively investigated the patients’ background characteristics and the short-term surgical outcomes. In this period, among a total of 858 esophagectomies, selected seventy-one patients (8.3%) underwent ILE, consisted of 17 cases with completely open procedures, 27 with hybrid MI-ILE, and 27 with total MI-ILE. The major indications for ILE were adenocarcinoma of the distal esophagus or esophagogastric junction (33.8%) and patients with prior treatment of head and neck cancer (31.0%). Among these approaches, there were no significant differences in the characteristics including age, body mass index (BMI), tumor location, preoperative therapy, and clinical TNM stage, except for histology. Compared to the completely open and hybrid groups, incidences of both total and severe complications in the total MI-ILE group were significantly lower (total 70.6 vs. 66.6 vs. 37.0%, p=0.036; severe 35.3 vs. 44.4 vs. 11.1%, p=0.023), and also, those of pneumonia (41.2 vs. 29.6 vs. 7.4%, p=0.026) and postoperative stricture (11.8 vs. 18.5 vs. 0%, p=0.001) were significantly fewer in the total MI-ILE group. We have been able to achieve the transition from completely open to total MI-ILE with better short-term outcomes. Total MI-ILE with linear-stapled anastomosis can be a good alternative to open procedures for the selected patients with reducing the incidence of postoperative pneumonia and anastomotic stricture.

Chemoradiotherapy is an alternative to surgery for esophageal cancer, with a putatively equivalent outcome. However, disease recurrence after a complete response is common and if follow-up surveillance detects recurrence, salvage treatments for potentially curable disease must follow. We conducted a nation-wide questionnaire survey of institutions in Japan certified by the Japanese Esophageal Society to investigate outcomes of primary thoracic esophageal cancer patients initially treated by chemoradiotherapy with complete response diagnoses. The primary endpoint was overall survival, the secondary endpoint disease recurrence. Outcomes of patients who had undergone salvage treatments were also investigated. Cases were excluded from analysis if endoscopic study, endoscopic biopsy, or computed tomography data were lacking. At 41 institutes 544 case records were collected; valid data on 392 patients were obtained; 5-year survival was 74.8%, 5-year disease-free survival, 66.8%. Clinical staging before treatment significantly affected both overall and disease-free survival rates, but differences between adjoining stages were unexpectedly small. The primary relapse site was classified as primary site (n = 58), regional lymph nodes (n = 36), or distant disease (n = 34). Salvage treatments with curative intent (surgery, endoscopic treatments, and additional radiation) were performed on 38, 23, and 4 cases; 5-year survival after esophagectomy (n = 22), endoscopic treatment (n = 23), and lymphadenectomy (n = 9) was 47.4%, 70.9%, and 33.3%, respectively. A quarter of patients developed recurrent disease, mostly locoregional, after complete response. Complete response patients with originally advanced stage disease had fair clinical outcomes; salvage treatments after locoregional recurrence achieved modest long-term survival.

Esophagectomy with lymph node dissection is a choice of additional treatment after noncurative endoscopic resection (ER) of T1N0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The efficacy and safety of esophagectomy in this situation remain unclear when compared with upfront esophagectomy. We investigated the short- and long-term outcomes of 321 patients with clinical T1N0M0 ESCC who underwent curative esophagectomy, and compared the status of lymph node metastasis, surgical results, and the prognosis between the ER and non-ER groups. The ER group consisted of 57 patients (17.8%), while the non-ER group consisted of 264 patients (82.2%). The incidence of lymph node metastasis was not significantly different between the ER (24.6%) and non-ER groups (30.7%), and there was no significant difference in surgical outcomes between the groups. The distribution of metastatic lymph nodes was very similar between the groups. However, 13 of 14 patients (93%) with lymph node metastasis in the ER group and 63 of 82 patients (77%) with lymph node metastasis in the non-ER group had pN1 disease, while the remaining 18 patients (23%) with lymph node metastasis in the non-ER group had pN2 or N3 disease. Overall and relapse-free survival rates were significantly better in the ER group than in the non-ER group (p

Let A and B be strictly positive linear operators on Hilbert space $${\mathcal {H}}$$ and $$n\in {\mathbb {N}}$$. We define the n-th relative operator entropy $$\begin{aligned}&S^{[n]}(A|B) \equiv \frac{1}{n!}A^{\frac{1}{2}} (\log A^{-\frac{1}{2}}BA^{-\frac{1}{2}})^n A^{\frac{1}{2}} = \displaystyle \frac{1}{n!} A(A^{-1}S(A|B))^n \end{aligned}$$and the n-th Tsallis relative operator entropy $$T^{[n]}_x(A|B)$$ inductively as follows: $$\begin{aligned}&T^{[1]}_x(A|B) \equiv T_x(A|B) \ \mathrm{and} \\&T^{[n]}_x(A|B) \equiv \frac{T^{[n-1]}_x(A|B)-S^{[n-1]}(A|B)}{x} \ (x\ne 0)\ \mathrm{for}\ n\ge 2. \end{aligned}$$By introducing the Taylor’s expansion of the path $$A\ \natural _x\ B$$ around $$\alpha \in {\mathbb {R}}$$, we see the coefficient of the $$(x-\alpha )^k$$-term is the k-th generalized relative operator entropy and the residual term divided by $$(x-\alpha )^n$$ is the n-th residual relative operator entropy. In this paper, we show properties of these n-th relative operator entropies and relations among them. In addition, we introduce the n-th operator valued divergences as the differences between the n-th relative operator entropies and show some properties of them.

The optimal treatment strategy for patients with borderline resectable (BR) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), in which tumors grow very close to the adjacent vital organs, remains unclear. This study evaluated the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) with cisplatin plus fluorouracil (CF) and irradiation (40 Gy) for these patients. The study cohort included 50 patients with BR-ESCC who received NACRT as the initial treatment and were allocated to one of two groups: patients who achieved curative resection (R0 group) or those who did not (Non-R0 group). The overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and pre-therapeutic predictive factors for Non-R0 were evaluated. Among the 50 patients, 22 (44%) achieved curative resection clinically. The median OS was significantly better in the R0 group than in the Non-R0 group (2.4 vs 0.8 years; hazard ratio [HR], 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.12–0.67; p

Background In 2009, the Japan Esophageal Society (JES) established a system for certification of qualified surgeons as “Board Certified Esophageal Surgeons” (BCESs) or institutes as “Authorized Institutes for Board Certified Esophageal Surgeons” (AIBCESs). We examined the short-term outcomes after esophagectomy, taking into consideration the certifications statuses of the institutes and surgeons. Methods This study investigated patients who underwent esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer and who were registered in the Japanese National Clinical Database (NCD) between 2015 and 2017. Using hierarchical multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for patient-level risk factors, we determined whether the institute’s or surgeon’s certification status had greater influence on surgery-related mortality or postoperative complications. Results Enrolled were 16,752 patients operated on at 854 institutes by 1879 surgeons. There were significant differences in the backgrounds and incidences of postoperative complications and surgery-related mortality rates between the 11,162 patients treated at AIBCESs and the 5590 treated at Non–AIBCESs (surgery-related mortality rates: 1.6% vs 2.8%). There were also differences between the 6854 patients operated on by a BCES and the 9898 treated by a Non-BCES (1.7% vs 2.2%). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis revealed that surgery-related mortality was significantly lower among patients treated at AIBCESs. The institute’s certification had greater influence on short-term surgical outcomes than the operating surgeon’s certification. Conclusions The certification system for surgeons and institutes established by the JES appears to be appropriate, as indicated by the improved surgery-related mortality rate. It also appears that the JES certification system contributes to a more appropriate medical delivery system for thoracic esophageal cancer in Japan.

Esophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive gastrointestinal cancers. This review focuses on eight topics within the multidisciplinary approach for esophageal cancer. As esophagectomy is highly invasive and likely to impair quality of life, the development of less invasive strategies is expected. Endoscopic resection (ER) of early esophageal cancer is a less invasive treatment for early esophageal cancer. A recent phase II trial revealed that combined ER and chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is efficacious as an esophagus-preserving treatment for cT1bN0 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Esophagectomy and definitive CRT are equally effective for patients with clinical stage I SCC in terms of long-term outcome. For locally advanced resectable cancers, multidisciplinary treatment strategies have been established through several clinical trials of neoadjuvant or perioperative treatment. Minimally invasive esophagectomy may improve the outcomes of patients and CRT is a curative-intent alternative to esophagectomy. CRT with 50.4 Gy radiotherapy combined with salvage surgery is a promising option to preserve the esophagus. Induction chemotherapy followed by esophagectomy may improve the outcomes of patients with locally advanced unresectable tumors. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are effective for esophageal cancer, and their introduction to clinical practice is awaited.

Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is a very invasive surgery that induces an intense systemic inflammatory response. Postoperative infectious complications worsen survival after esophagectomy through inflammatory responses, and this study aimed to investigate the impact of the response on disease recurrence. We assessed 230 patients who underwent curative minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The area under the curve of serum C-reactive protein levels from preoperative day through postoperative day 7 was defined as the cumulative magnitude of postoperative inflammatory response. Relapse-free survival was compared among quartiles of the area, and fourth quartile showed the worst relapse-free survival. Patients in the fourth quartile were the high group, and others were low group. Compared with low group (n = 173), high group (n = 57) showed significantly worse relapse-free survival and overall survival (P = 0.014 and 0.028, respectively). Multivariate analyses found that high group (P = 0.048) was an independent risk factor for recurrence but not overall survival. Higher body mass index (P

Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) is a life-threatening late complication that can occur after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). More data are required to identify the optimal treatment strategy for AEF developed after TEVAR. The aim of this study was to clarify the current status of surgical treatments for AEF developed after TEVAR and the outcomes of these treatments. The Japan Esophageal Society conducted a questionnaire survey targeting authorized or semi-authorized institutes at Authorized Institutes for Board Certified Esophageal Surgeons. Thirty-nine patients with AEF developed after TEVAR were identified from 15 institutes. Data on patient demographics, treatment performed, and survival rate were obtained by the questionnaire. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for survival analysis and differences in the survival rates. Esophagectomy and aortic replacement were performed in 32 and 22 patients, respectively, and 22 underwent both procedures. Postoperative complications were observed in 24 patients (75.0%). Complications with Clavien–Dindo Grade III or higher were observed in 53.1% of patients. Operative and hospital mortality rates were 3.1% and 18.8%, respectively. The survival rate in patients who underwent esophagectomy was higher than in those who did not (P

Synchronous or metachronous esophageal, and head and neck cancers are often observed, and we occasionally encounter esophageal cancer cases with a past history of total pharyngolaryngectomy (TPL) for head and neck cancers. Total esophagectomy after TPL may impair blood supply to the trachea and may cause tracheal necrosis. Meanwhile, Ivor–Lewis esophagectomy can prevent the above-mentioned risks, but there is a concern about an anastomosis with the remnant upper esophagus that lost blood supply after two surgical procedures. The surgical outcomes of Ivor–Lewis esophagectomy after TPL remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the surgical outcomes. This study included patients who underwent Ivor–Lewis esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with a history of TPL at our institution between 2005 and 2017. We retrospectively investigated the patients’ background characteristics and short-term surgical outcomes. Twelve consecutive patients (8 men and 4 women) were included in this study. The median period between TPL and esophagectomy was 32 months (range 2–185 months). All patients underwent esophagectomy via right open thoracotomy and reconstruction using a gastric tube with intrathoracic anastomosis. Although the esophagogastric anastomosis was made on the remnant upper esophagus, which had already lost blood supply from the inferior thyroid artery, there was no case of anastomotic leakage or esophageal necrosis, and hospital mortality was not observed. Ivor–Lewis esophagectomy for patients with a history of TPL is a safe procedure, which can prevent severe complications including anastomotic leakage or tracheal necrosis.

Intramural metastasis (IM) is occasionally noted in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, few recent studies have investigated the clinicopathological characteristics of IM and its survival impact. The present study aimed to clarify the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of IM in patients with ESCC. We retrospectively examined 918 consecutive patients who underwent curative intent esophagectomy for ESCC. IM was defined as a pathologically confirmed metastatic lesion, which was clearly separate from the primary tumor and located within the esophageal or gastric wall. The clinicopathological characteristics and survival impact of IM were evaluated. A propensity score-matched analysis was performed to further elucidate the prognostic impact of IM. Among 918 patients, 46 (5.0%) had IM. Advanced tumors were significantly more frequent in patients with IM than in those without IM. The curative resection rate was lower in patients with IM (P = 0.001). Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were worse in patients with IM (both P

The effect of resection of the thoracic duct (TD) along with surrounding lymph nodes (LN) on short- and long-term outcomes of esophagectomy in esophageal cancer patients is not well defined. A total of 537 consecutive patients suffering from esophageal cancer who underwent three-incision esophagectomy between April 2005 and August 2018 were eligible for short-term outcome analysis. Among them, 487 patients who underwent surgery before August 2017 were eligible for analysis of long-term outcomes. Moreover, 164 patients who underwent esophagectomy after August 2012 and had no recurrence at 1-year postoperative follow-up were prospectively investigated for postoperative nutritional status. A total of 145 patients (27.0%) underwent TD resection with surrounding LN. Since the clinical stage was significantly more advanced in the removal group, preoperative treatment was more frequently performed in them. The operative time was significantly longer in the removal group. Intraoperative bleeding was higher in the removal group. Morbidity of Clavien–Dindo classification (CDc) ≥ II and pulmonary morbidities were frequently observed in the removal group. Multivariate analysis suggested that TD resection was an independent risk factor for pulmonary morbidities. Moreover, it may be associated with the incidence of CDc ≥ II morbidity. Greater numbers of LN were dissected in the thorax of patients in the removal group. However, overall survival was equivalent irrespective of the TD procedure in each stage. Nutritional status at 1-year follow-up was equivalent between the groups. On the basis of the present results, routine removal of the TD during esophagectomy is not recommended.

Let A and B be strictly positive linear operators on a Hilbert space $${\mathcal {H}}$$ . We have introduced the n-th relative operator entropy $$S^{[n]}(A|B)$$ , the n-th Tsallis relative operator entropy $$T_x^{[n]}(A|B)$$ and the n-th generalized relative operator entropy $$S_y^{[n]}(A|B)$$ so far, and have shown their properties. In addition, we have introduced the n-th residual relative operator entropy $${\mathfrak {R}}^{[n]}_{x,y}(A|B)$$ which includes $$S^{[n]}(A|B)$$ , $$T_x^{[n]}(A|B)$$ and $$S_y^{[n]}(A|B)$$ as special cases (Isa et al. in Ann Funct Anal, 2020). In this paper, we investigate some properties of $${\mathfrak {R}}^{[n]}_{x,y}(A|B)$$ and show that they are applicable to see the properties of $$S^{[n]}(A|B)$$ , $$T_x^{[n]}(A|B)$$ and $$S_y^{[n]}(A|B)$$ .

Artificial hydrothermal vents, created by boreholes that discharge hydrothermal fluids and useful for observing secular changes in mineral precipitates and the chemical compositions of hydrothermal fluids, are periodically cleaned of scale deposits. Here, we report petrographic and geochemical features of hydrothermal scale with a concentric structure and extreme enrichment in Zn, recovered as an intact plug from an artificial hydrothermal vent pipe in the Okinawa Trough. The scale consists of sphalerite with accessory galena and chalcopyrite, and minor cotunnite (PbCl2), barite, an unidentified Zn sulfate, and Bi-rich minerals. It comprises at least five concentric layers alternating between thin, reddish-brown porous layers composed of relatively Fe-rich sphalerite accompanied by galena and chalcopyrite, and coarse-grained, dark gray layers dominated by relatively Fe-poor sphalerite. Cotunnite occurs only in the innermost reddish-brown layer, and barite occurs only in the uppermost and innermost layers. The scale is composed of > 50 wt% Zn, several wt% Fe and Pb, and

Squamous cell carcinoma of the middle thoracic esophagus (SCC-ME) often metastasizes to the neck, mediastinum, and abdomen. This study aims to assess the prognostic impact of supraclavicular (SC) and celiac (CE) lymph node (LN) metastases in patients with SCC-ME. We examined 210 patients who underwent curative esophagectomy with three-field LN dissection for SCC-ME. The clinicopathological features and survival outcomes of patients with and without SC and/or CE metastases were compared to assess the prognostic significance of SC and/or CE metastases. We observed metastases to SC and CE in 25 (11.9%) and 20 (9.5%) patients, respectively. Seven patients (3.3%) had both SC and CE metastases. Although the survival of patients with SC and/or CE metastases was worse compared with those without, that of patients with SC metastases but without CE metastases was comparable with that of patients with CE metastases but without SC metastases; the 5 year overall survival rates were 35.6% and 46.2%, respectively. However, survival of patients with both SC and CE metastases was the worst among all groups, and all patients with both SC and CE metastases experienced disease recurrence. The prognosis of patients with both SC and CE metastases was extremely poor. In contrast, patients with metastasis to either one of these sites could be candidates for surgery as the main modality in a multidisciplinary strategy.

Esophagectomy remains the mainstay of curative intent treatment for esophageal cancer. Oncologic esophagectomy is a highly invasive surgery and both morbidity and mortality rates still remain high. Recently, it has been revealed that multidisciplinary perioperative management can decrease the postoperative complications after esophagectomy. In this review, we summarized the recent progress in each component of multidisciplinary perioperative care bundle, including oral hygiene, cessation of smoking and alcohol, respiratory training, measurement of physical fitness, swallowing evaluation and rehabilitation, nutritional support, pain control and management of delirium. The accumulation of evidence and the popularization of knowledge will increase safety of esophagectomy and thus improve the outcome of patients with esophageal cancer.

Preoperative smoking cessation is considered integral to decreasing postoperative morbidities after esophagectomy. To our knowledge, the association of the duration of smoking cessation with the occurrence of postoperative morbidity has never been investigated in minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). A total of 198 consecutive MIEs for esophageal cancer between June 2011 and December 2017 were eligible for the study. According to the length of smoking cessation, patients were separated into three groups: ≤ 30, 31–90, and ≥ 91 days. Incidence of postoperative morbidities was retrospectively analyzed among the groups. In patients with smoking cessation ≤ 30 days, morbidities of Clavien–Dindo classification (CDc) ≥ II, severe morbidities of CDc ≥ IIIb, pneumonia, and any pulmonary morbidities were frequently observed. Morbidities of CDc ≥ II, pneumonia, and any pulmonary morbidities increased as the length of cessation became shorter. Smoking cessation ≤ 30 days was a significant risk factor for severe morbidity (hazard ratio [HR] 4.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.993–12.011; P

This study aims to demonstrate that zeolite has the potential to increase the efficiency of radiolysis treatment of aqueous organic pollutants by concentrating the pollutants into the zeolite’s pores. Using 2-chlorophenol (2-ClPh) as a model compound, we determined the high performance to be displayed by a mordenite-type zeolite (HMOR), which has a high silicon-to-aluminum ratio. HMOR adsorbed far more 2-ClPh than the other zeolites used in this study. We observed a significant increase in the radiolytic degradation efficiency of 2-ClPh in the presence of HMOR. Evidence shows that the high concentration of zeolite-adsorbed 2-ClPh facilitates radiation-induced degradation.

The aim of this study was to confirm prognostic factors for salvage esophagectomy for remnant or recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after definitive chemoradiotherapy. We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological backgrounds of 50 patients who underwent salvage esophagectomy between April 2005 and January 2016. Salvage esophagectomy comprised 40 three-incision esophagectomies, two transhiatal esophagectomies and eight pharyngolaryngoesophagectomies. Independent prognostic factors for overall survival were assessed using Cox regression analysis of the factors. Salvage esophagectomy remains a highly invasive surgery and correlated with a higher incidence of all morbidities of Clavien–Dindo classification (CDc) ≥II, severe morbidities of CDc ≥ IIIb, any pulmonary morbidities and chylorrhea, compared with those in patients without preoperative definitive chemoradiotherapy. Cox regression analysis suggested that R0 resection (hazard ratio [HR] 6.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.03–9.68, P = 0.002), absence of severe complications (HR 4.97; 95% CI 1.70–14.81, P = 0.004) and early pStage (0–II) (HR 3.42; 95% CI 1.24–10.12, P = 0.018) were independent prognostic factors for salvage esophagectomy. Salvage esophagectomy remains correlated with a high incidence of postoperative complications. Avoiding non-curative surgery and reducing the incidence of severe postoperative complications are important if patients are to receive prognostic benefit of this highly invasive surgery.

We applied density functional theory calculations to Am(III) and Eu(III) complexes with chalcogen-donor ligands of the formula N(EPMe$_{2}$)$_{2}$$^{-}$ (E = O, S, Se, Te). We calculated the equilibrium structures and relative stabilities of the complexes in the complexation reaction. The results indicated that the tendency of the relative stability is O $\ll$ S $\sim$ Se $\sim$ Te, which is consistent with the trend of soft acid classification. Molecular orbital overlap population analysis suggested that this tendency can be correlated with the bonding type in the covalent interaction between the f-orbitals of the metal atom and the chalcogen-donor atoms., マイナーアクチノイドとランタノイドの分離メカニズムを理解することを目的として、カルコゲンをドナーとして持つ配位子N(EPMe$_{2}$)$_{2}$$^{-}$ (E = O, S, Se, Te)によるAm(III)イオンとEu(III)イオンの選択性を密度汎関数法によって予測した。単結晶構造に基づいて錯体をモデル化し、錯生成による金属イオンの安定化エネルギーを見積もった。その結果、OドナーはAm(III)イオンよりもEu(III)イオンと選択的に錯生成し、S, Se, TeドナーはEu(III)イオンよりもAm(III)イオンと選択的に錯生成する結果となった。この傾向は、HSAB則におけるソフト酸の分類と一致した。金属とカルコゲンの化学結合解析の結果、Am(III)イオンのf軌道との共有結合性が高いドナーほど、Am(III)イオンに対する選択性が高くなることを示唆した。

The size of the superior thoracic aperture (STA) may be associated with the incidence of cervical anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy. Using computed tomography (CT) images, we retrospectively investigated relationships between the size of the STA and anastomotic leakage following esophagectomy using the retrosternal or posterior mediastinal reconstruction routes. Patients who underwent cervical esophagogastrostomy after esophagectomy between 2009 and 2015 were enrolled in this retrospective study (n = 326). The size of the STA was measured at the level of the sternal notch using preoperative CT images, and it was determined as the anteroposterior diameter of the STA minus the diameter of the trachea. Associations between clinical factors, including the size of the STA, and anastomotic leakage were determined. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 44 patients (13.5%). The size of the STA ranged from 0 to 49 mm (median, 16 mm). In univariate analyses, the duration of the operation, tumor location, anastomotic procedure, and the size of the STA were significantly associated with anastomotic leakage. In multivariate analysis, only the size of the STA was independently related to leakage (odds ratio 1.05; 95% confidence interval 1.002–1.107; p = 0.027). The size of the STA affected the incidence of leakage more frequently with the posterior mediastinal route than with the retrosternal route. The size of the STA was significantly associated with the incidence of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy, especially when using the posterior mediastinal route.

The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported to predict the prognosis of various malignant tumors, including esophageal cancer. However, no previous reports have supported the use of the preoperative NLR as an independent prognostic marker focused on superficial (T1) esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to elucidate the prognostic impact of the preoperative NLR in T1 esophageal cancer. This retrospective study recruited 245 consecutive patients with T1 esophageal cancer who underwent subtotal esophagectomy between 2005 and 2016. The relationship between the preoperative NLR and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed. The preoperative NLR was significantly higher in male patients (p = 0.029), patients with T1b esophageal cancer (p = 0.0274), and patients with venous vessel invasion (p = 0.0082). In the Kaplan–Meier analysis, the elevated preoperative NLR was significantly associated with a poorer disease-free survival (p