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Background: Postoperative changes in skeletal muscle and their influence on outcomes after esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to confirm that postoperative skeletal muscle decrease influences long-term patient outcomes., Methods: Data were collected from 218 patients who underwent curative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer whose data were available before and 6 months after surgery. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured at the level of the L3 vertebrae, and the postoperative change in the SMI compared with preoperative values was calculated as the delta SMI., Results: The mean SMI value was - 11.64%, and the median delta SMI value was - 11.88%. The first and third quartiles were defined as cutoffs, and 218 patients were classified as the mild-loss group (54 patients), moderate-loss group (110 patients), and severe-loss group (54 patients). The patients with a more severely reduced SMI had a worse prognosis (5-year overall survival rates: mild loss, 66.6%; moderate loss, 58.8%; and severe loss, 48.5%; p = 0.0314). This correlation between reduced SMI and prognosis also was observed for the patients with preoperative sarcopenia (p < 0.0001), but not for those without preoperative sarcopenia., Conclusions: Postoperative reduced SMI and worse prognosis were significantly associated in esophageal cancer patients.

Background: Biomedical imaging devices that utilize the optical characteristics of hemoglobin (Hb) have become widespread. In the field of gastroenterology, there is a strong demand for devices that can apply this technique to surgical navigation. We aimed to introduce our novel multispectral device capable of intraoperatively performing quantitative imaging of the oxygen (O 2 ) saturation and Hb amount of tissues noninvasively and in real time, and to examine its application for deciding the appropriate anastomosis point after subtotal or total esophagectomy., Materials and Methods: A total of 39 patients with esophageal cancer were studied. Tissue O 2 saturation and Hb amount of the gastric tube just before esophagogastric anastomosis were evaluated using a multispectral tissue quantitative imaging device. The anastomosis point was decided depending on the quantitative values and patterns of both the tissue O 2 saturation and Hb amount., Results: The device can instantaneously and noninvasively quantify and visualize the tissue O 2 saturation and Hb amount using reflected light. The tissue Hb status could be classified into the following four types: good circulation type, congestion type, ischemia type, and mixed type of congestion and ischemia. Postoperative anastomotic failure occurred in 2 cases, and both were mixed cases., Conclusions: The method of quantitatively imaging the tissue O 2 saturation and Hb level in real time and noninvasively using a multispectral device allows instantaneous determination of the anastomosis and related organ conditions, thereby contributing to determining the appropriate treatment direction., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The incidence trend of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma in Japan has not been sufficiently investigated. Little is known about the microsatellite instability (MSI) status of this tumor., Summary: Previously published studies analyzing the trend of EGJ adenocarcinoma in Japan were reviewed. And a trend of surgically resected cases (Siewert type I-III) utilizing a retrospective multicenter cohort of 379 patients from 4 academic institutions in Japan investigated. Although an increasing trend in the last 2 reports was considered controversial, our cohort demonstrated a growing number of EGJ adenocarcinoma cases between 2006 and 2013. This trend was evident, especially in Siewert type I cases. In the previous 16 studies that performed MSI testing, MSI-high tumors ranged 0-8.3%, though there were no fixed microsatellite markers on EGJ adenocarcinoma. In a recent comprehensive genetic analysis by The Cancer Genome Atlas, MSI testing using the following 7 markers, BAT25, BAT26, BAT40, D2S123, D5S346, D17S250 and TGFR-II showed a favorable correlation with hypermutated tumors. We performed MSI testing using 6 of those markers, except TGFR-II, on 206 cases from one institution, and detected 15 cases (7.3%) with MSI-high. The prevalence of MSI-high was 0% in Siewert type I, 7.6% in type II, and 16.7% in type III. Key message: The number of surgically resected EGJ adenocarcinoma cases gradually increased, and MSI-high was infrequent in Siewert type I-II tumors in our Japanese cohort. Considering MSI-high as a predictive biomarker for emerging immune checkpoint inhibitors, MSI status is becoming more beneficial in EGJ adenocarcinoma., (© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Meticulous recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) lymph node dissection in thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer often results in RLN paralysis., Methods: We had attempted to simply cut the vessels around RLN sharply with scissors without using energy device in order to prevent RLN paralysis. However, these procedures often result in minor bleeding. Since we introduced the use of mini-clips for hemostasis before cutting the vessels with scissors, we herein compared the surgical results between before and after the introduction of use of mini-clips., Results: With regard to RLN paralysis, the incidence was 24.0% in the before group; this incidence went down to 5.1% in the after group (P = 0.0259). Moreover, length of hospital stay after surgery was significantly shortened, from 36.1 days to 22.0 days, after the introduction of energy-less techniques with mini-clips (P = 0.0075)., Conclusions: Our data demonstrated that this technique contributed to prevent RLN paralysis and to shorten the patient's length of hospital stay., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of the study was to elucidate the impact of sarcopenia in elderly patients with esophageal cancer on postoperative complications and long-term survival after surgery for esophageal cancer., Summary Background Data: Sarcopenia, defined as loss of skeletal muscle mass with age, has been identified as a poor prognostic factor for malignancies. This retrospective study investigated the effect of sarcopenia on surgical outcomes among young and elderly patients with esophageal cancer., Methods: Data were collected for 341 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Patients were assigned to 2 groups according to age (younger than 65 years and 65 years or older) and the presence of sarcopenia., Results: Sarcopenia was present in 170 of 341 patients (49.9%) with esophageal cancer and in 74 of 166 elderly patients (44.6%). The incidence of anastomotic leak and in-hospital death was significantly higher in the elderly sarcopenia group than in the elderly nonsarcopenia group (31.5% vs 15.2%, P = 0.015, 6.8 vs 0.0%, P = 0.037, respectively), and the overall survival rate in patients with sarcopenia correlated with a significantly poor prognosis in the elderly group (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that sarcopenia was a risk factor for an anastomotic leak (P = 0.034) and was an unfavorable prognostic factor for survival (P < 0.001). Those correlations between sarcopenia and surgical outcomes were not observed in the young group., Conclusions: Sarcopenia and worse surgical outcomes were significantly associated patients with in esophageal cancer aged 65 years and older but not in those younger than 65 years.

Background: The association between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies remains controversial. This study aimed to assess the impact of sarcopenia on short- and long-term outcomes after surgery for esophagogastric junction cancer (EGJC) or upper gastric cancer (UGC)., Methods: The study reviewed 148 patients with EGJC or UGC who underwent surgical resection. The patients were categorized into the sarcopenia group or the non-sarcopenia group according to their skeletal muscle index calculated using abdominal computed tomography images. The study compared clinicopathologic factors, postoperative complications, and prognosis between the two groups., Results: Sarcopenia was present in 19 patients (32.2%) with EGJC and 23 patients (25.8%) with UGC. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were significantly poorer in the sarcopenia group than in the non-sarcopenia group (OS 85.5 vs 54.8%, P = 0.0010; RFS 78.7 vs 51.7%, P = 0.0054). The development of postoperative complications did not differ significantly between the two groups. Both the uni- and multivariate analyses showed that N stage (P < 0.0001) and sarcopenia (P = 0.0024 and 0.0293, respectively) were independent poor prognostic factors for OS., Conclusions: Sarcopenia was strongly associated with a poor long-term prognosis for patients with EGJC or UGC who underwent surgery. The results suggest that special attention might be needed during the development of treatment strategies for patients with sarcopenia who intend to undergo operations for EGJC and UGC.

Objective: The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of postoperative complications on long-term survival after curative resection for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma., Background: The relation between postoperative complications and long-term survival after curative surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is controversial; thus, this issue should be resolved with a large-scale, well-designed study., Methods: Clinicopathological features and survival of 580 consecutive patients who received curative resection for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were investigated according to the development of postoperative pulmonary complications and anastomotic leakage., Results: The 5-year survival rates of patients with pStage 0, I, and II disease with postoperative complications (n = 116) were significantly poorer than those of patients without postoperative complications (n = 288) (overall 69.6% vs 46.9%, P < 0.0001; disease-specific; 76.7% vs 58.9%, P < 0.0022), whereas no differences were found in patients with pStage III and IV disease (n = 176). In the univariate and multivariate analyses for disease-specific survival, pT3, pT4, pN positivity, and development of postoperative complications were significant prognostic factors in all patients. Also, when the analysis was limited to the pStage 0, I, and II patients, development of postoperative complications, and pT3, pT4, and pN positivity, were found to be independent poor prognostic factors in multivariate analyses (hazard ratio: 1.56, 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.41, P = 0.0476)., Conclusions: The development of postoperative complications is an independent disease-specific poor prognostic factor after curative resection for patients with less-advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: The objectives of this retrospective study were to elucidate the clinicopathological features and recent surgical results of cervical esophageal cancer., Summary Background Data: Cervical esophageal cancer has been reported to have a dismal prognosis. Accurate knowledge of the clinical characteristics of cervical esophageal cancer is warranted to establish appropriate therapeutic strategies., Methods: The clinicopathological features and treatment results of 63 consecutive patients with cervical esophageal cancer (Ce group) who underwent surgical resection from 1980 to 2013 were analyzed and compared with 977 patients with thoracic or abdominal esophageal cancer (T/A group) who underwent surgical resection during that time., Results: Among the patients who received curative resection, the 5-year overall and disease-specific survival rates of the Ce patients were significantly better than those of the T/A patients (overall: 77.3% vs 46.5%, respectively, P = 0.0067; disease-specific: 81.9% vs 55.8%, respectively, P = 0.0135). Although total pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy procedures were less frequently performed in the recent period, the rate of curative surgical procedures was markedly higher in the recent period (2000-1013) than that in the early period (1980-1999) (44.4% vs 88.9%, P = 0.0001). The 5-year overall survival rate in the recent period (71.5%) was significantly better than that in the early period (40.7%, P = 0.0342)., Conclusions: Curative resection for cervical esophageal cancer contributes to favorable outcomes compared with other esophageal cancers. Recent surgical results for cervical esophageal cancer have improved, and include an increased rate of curative resection and decreased rate of extensive surgery.

The significance of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains controversial with regard to the pathological response and long-term survival. We herein review the current status of and future perspectives regarding NACRT followed by esophagectomy for locally advanced ESCC. Some studies have suggested that a pathological complete response with NACRT is more common in patients with ESCC than in those with adenocarcinoma and that NACRT provided a survival benefit limited to patients with ESCC. However, NACRT may increase the risk of postoperative complications after esophagectomy. It is obvious that a favorable pathological response is the most important factor for obtaining a survival benefit, although no established parameters have been implemented clinically to predict the response to NACRT. Prospective clinical studies and basic research studies to identify predictive biomarkers for the response to NACRT are needed to aid in the development of NACRT treatment strategies for patients with ESCC.

Background: Tracheobronchial (TB) injury and fistula formation during the perioperative period of esophagectomy is a rare but life-threatening complication., Methods: We examined the development of intraoperative TB injury and postoperative TB fistulas in consecutive 763 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy, including 494 patients who underwent transthoracic subtotal esophagectomy., Results: TB injury and fistulas developed in two (0.4 %) and four patients (0.8 %), respectively, who received transthoracic esophagectomy. TB injury developed during the dissection of a tumor invading a major airway. Direct suturing of the laceration and covering it using a muscle flap was effective for one patient, while additional repair with a major pectoral muscle flap was needed in another patient. Postoperative TB fistulas developed due to peri-tracheal infection in two patients, and conservative treatment with drainage was performed. In another two patients, gastro-tracheal fistulas developed due to mechanical compression of staplers on the gastric tube, which was elevated via the posterior mediastinal route. The direct repair of the gastric tube and covering it with a major pectoral muscle flap resulted in the resolution of these fistulas., Conclusion: Careful dissection with direct vision of the esophagus, as well as oversewing of the staplers on the gastric tube, is mandatory for preventing TB injury and fistula formation. Appropriate drainage is effective in cases with peri-tracheal abscesses. If the TB fistula fails to heal within a 4- to 6-week period, conservative management should be abandoned. Direct surgical intervention with coverage by a muscle flap is important for TB fistulas.

Chylothorax is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of esophagectomy. A 72-year-old man underwent thoracoscopy-assisted subtotal esophagectomy and reconstruction with a gastric tube, through a retrosternal route, after preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Chylothorax was detected after starting enteral feeding on postoperative day (POD) 7. Despite conservative therapy such as fasting, total parenteral nutrition, and octreotide administration, massive fluid drainage continued. On POD 19, lymphoscintigraphy with (99m)Tc-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-human serum albumin (HSA-D) was performed and the site of leakage was detected at the level of the fourth thoracic vertebra. On POD 23, the thoracic duct was ligated, following which the volume of chylothorax decreased. Lymphoscintigraphy 12 days after the reoperation showed no leakage from the thoracic duct. We recommend lymphoscintigraphy with (99m)Tc-HSA-D for locating the chyle leakage site and helping decide about the operative indication.

Background: This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of surgical resection for recurrent lesions after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer., Methods: Recurrence was detected in 113 of 365 consecutive patients who underwent surgical resection for esophageal cancer, and some treatment was performed for recurrence in 100 of the 113 patients. The treatments were classified into two groups: chemotherapy and/or radiation with surgery (surgery group, n = 14) and chemotherapy and/or radiation without surgery (no surgery group, n = 86). The outcomes were retrospectively analyzed., Results: Of the 14 patients in the surgery group, 3 underwent repeated resection. Thus, a total of 22 resections were performed for these patients. The resected organs were the lymph nodes in nine patients, the lungs in six patients, local recurrence in two patients, subcutaneous recurrence in two patients, the liver in one patient, the brain in one patient, and the parotid gland in one patient. Among the 22 recurrent cases, 20 involved solitary lesions or multiple lesions located in a small resectable region. When the two groups were compared, the surgery group showed a more favorable prognosis in terms of both survival after esophagectomy (median survival time, 103.3 vs 23.1 months; p = 0.0060) and survival after initial recurrence (92.1 vs 12.2 months; p = 0.0057)., Conclusions: Multimodal treatment provides a significant benefit for patients with recurrence after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Surgical intervention should be aggressively included in the treatment strategy when the recurrent lesion is solitary or localized.

Background: Cardiac tamponade, due to bleeding in the pericardial space after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, is an extremely rare complication and may be associated with sudden hemodynamic instability that can lead to death unless there is prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment., Case Report: A 76-year-old man underwent sub-total esophagectomy via a cervico-right thoracoabdominal approach and reconstruction with a gastric tube through the retrosternal route. On postoperative day 4, the patient developed hypotension due to cardiac tamponade caused by bleeding into the pericardial space and he had a decreased level of consciousness. Pericardial resection and open drainage via a minimal left anterior thoracotomy was performed that resulted in hemodynamic improvement followed by an uneventful recovery., Conclusion: Cardiac tamponade due to postoperative bleeding, which is a rare but life-threatening complication, should be considered as a cause of hemodynamic instability in the early postoperative period after esophagectomy., (Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to clarify the usefulness of two-stage operation for the patients with esophageal cancer who have liver dysfunction., Methods: Eight patients with esophageal cancer concomitant with liver dysfunction who underwent two-stage operation were analyzed. The patients initially underwent an esophagectomy, a cervical esophagostomy and a tube jejunostomy, and reconstruction with gastric tube was performed after the recovery of patients' condition., Results: The average time of the 1(st) and 2(nd) stage operation was 410.0 min and 438.9 min, respectively. The average amount of blood loss in the 1(st) and 2(nd) stage operation was 433.5 ml and 1556.8 ml, respectively. The average duration between the operations was 29.8 days. The antesternal route was selected for 5 patients (62.5%) and the retrosternal route was for 3 patients (37.5%). In the 1(st) stage operation, no postoperative complications were observed, while, complications developed in 5 (62.5%) patients, including 4 anastomotic leakages, after the 2(nd) stage operation. Pneumonia was not observed through two-stage operation. No in-hospital death was experienced., Conclusion: A two-stage operation might prevent the occurrence of critical postoperative complications for the patients with esophageal cancer concomitant with liver dysfunction.

Purpose: Total pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy (PLE) is highly invasive, and the subsequent reconstruction is difficult. The purpose of this study was to clarify the techniques that can decrease the surgical stress and allow for safe reconstruction after this operation., Methods: The surgical method and clinical outcomes of total PLE were reviewed in 12 patients with either cervicothoracic esophageal cancer or double cancer of the esophagus and pharynx. Microscopic venous anastomosis was principally performed, and arterial anastomosis was added, if needed., Results: A narrow gastric tube was used in ten patients, including two patients who underwent free jejunal interposition, while the colon was used as the main reconstructed organ in two other patients. Staged operations were performed in three high-risk patients. All six patients treated after 2010 were able to undergo thoracoscopic and/or laparoscopic surgery. No critical postoperative complications developed, although minor anastomotic leakage developed in two patients who were successfully treated conservatively., Conclusion: When performing PLE, it is important to decrease the surgical stress and ensure a reliable reconstruction by adopting techniques that are appropriate for each case, such as thoracoscopic and laparoscopic surgery, staged operations, microvascular anastomosis, and muscular flaps.

Background: Cancer of the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus (PhCe cancer) frequently develops synchronously or metachronously with esophageal cancer. The surgical approach is usually difficult, especially in metachronous PhCe cancer after esophagectomy. The purpose of this study was to clarify the treatment outcomes of patients with metachronous PhCe cancer with a history of esophagectomy., Methods: The subjects evaluated in this study were 14 patients with metachronous PhCe cancer who underwent pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy after subtotal esophagectomy and gastric tube pull-up for primary esophageal cancer., Results: Definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT; radiation dose >50 Gy) was performed for primary laryngeal (n = 1), pharyngeal (n = 2), esophageal (n = 1), and recurrent esophageal cancer (n = 2). For seven patients with metachronous PhCe cancer, induction CRT (radiation dose <40 Gy) was performed. In all 14 patients, pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy was followed by free jejunal graft interposition with reconstruction of the jejunal vessels. Although postoperative complications developed in four patients, no perioperative death or necrosis of the reconstructed free jejunum occurred. The 2- and 5-year overall survival rates were 84 and 50 %, respectively., Conclusions: Pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy with free jejunal transfer is considered to be safe for metachronous PhCe cancer, even in patients with a history of CRT and esophagectomy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the gender differences in the prognosis, as well as mortality and morbidity, of patients who have undergone esophagectomy for esophageal cancer., Methods: The clinical results of esophagectomy were compared between 975 male and 156 female patients with esophageal cancer., Results: The male to female ratios of cervical and thoracic esophageal cancer were 1.87 and 7.38, respectively (P < 0.01). The incidence of preoperative comorbidities was 32.4 and 17.4 %, respectively, and the rates of both tobacco and alcohol abuse were significantly lower in the females than in the males. The mortality rate was lower in the females (3.8 %) than in the males (5.7 %), although the differences were not significant. The overall survival was significantly better in the female than in the male patients (P = 0.039). The 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 32.6 and 20.5 % in the males and 39.5 and 32.5 % in the females, respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed gender to be an independent prognostic factor. However, no significant differences were recognized in disease-specific survival., Conclusions: These results suggest that the prognosis of females with esophageal cancer is better than that of males after esophagectomy, most likely due to multiple clinical factors, such as a more favorable lifestyle and general status.

Purpose: Our goal was to create a multimodal treatment strategy for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC)., Methods: A retrospective review identified a total of 193 patients with clinical T3 thoracic EC were categorized into 3 groups: 81 who had surgery only (group I); 102 who had planned neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT; group II); and 10 who had salvage esophagectomy after definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT; group III)., Results: Postoperative complications developed in 27, 45, and 80 % of patients in group I, group II, and group III, respectively. NACRT and dCRT were independent risk factors associated with postoperative complications; the odds ratios for group II and group III, compared with group I, were 2.1 and 8.8, respectively. The respective mortality rates were 4, 2, and 20 % (group I vs. group III, p < 0.05; group II vs. group III, p < 0.01). The 5-year survival rate was 25.2 % in group I and 41.6 % in group II. The 5-year survival rate in group II patients with markedly effective NACRT (89.2 %) was significantly better than in patients with ineffective/slightly effective (11.8 %; p < 0.0001) and moderately effective treatment (51 %; p < 0.05). Four patients who had noncurative surgery died within 4 months after salvage esophagectomy, whereas four of six patients were still alive after curative surgery., Conclusions: A pathological complete response to NACRT is critical for improving survival in patients with clinical T3 thoracic EC. Salvage surgery should be considered only in carefully selected patients with locally advanced EC.

Total pharyngo-laryngo-esophagectomy (TPLE) is indicated for either cervical esophageal cancer or synchronous double cancer of the thoracic esophagus and head and neck and this operation is extremely invasive. We adopted minimally invasive surgery for three patients who underwent this operation: VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) esophagectomy was undergone in left semi-prone position and laparoscopic approach was also applied to reconstruction with gastric tube. After pharyngo-laryngectomy and gastric tube pull-up through post-mediastinal route, cervical anastomosis was performed. Free jejunal interposition was added in a case, while microvascular venous anastomosis between short gastric vein and cervical vein in another two cases. All patients recovered well without any postoperative complications. This is the first report, which describes minimally invasive TPLE using both VATS and laparoscopic technique in addition with plastic surgery.

Aim: To justify esophagectomy for elderly patients., Patients and Methods: A total of 1,002 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy were divided into three groups: I (≤ 74 years old, n=898); II (75-79 years, n=81); and III (≥ 80 years, n=23). Historical changes were compared between the first surgical period (1964-1989) and the second period (1990-2011)., Results: The morbidity rates were 40%, 41% and 26% in the respective groups. Pulmonary complications decreased historically in groups II and III (36% to 15% and 43% to 0%, respectively). The mortality was higher in the older groups (4.8%, 8.6% and 13.0%, respectively); however, there was a marked historical decrease in groups II (18.2% to 5.1%) and III (28.6% to 6.3%). The 5-year survival improved from 5% to 35% in group II and from 0% to 17% in group III., Conclusion: The outcomes of esophagectomy for elderly patients have markedly improved, with acceptable mortality even in octogenarians.

Purpose: The results and outcomes of surgical resection for esophageal carcinoma have improved remarkably in recent years; however, recurrence still frequently develops, even after complete resection. The purpose of this study is to clarify the characteristics of recurrence in this patient population., Methods: Among 208 patients, who underwent R0 resection for esophageal carcinoma, recurrence developed in 61. Clinical data were available for 56 of these patients, who were the subjects of this study. We evaluated the time, patterns, and treatment of recurrence in these patients., Results: Recurrence developed within 1 and 2 years after esophagectomy in 71 and 84% of the patients, respectively, and was classified as loco-regional (54%), hematogenous (36%), or mixed type (10%). The prognosis of patients with loco-regional recurrence tended to be better than that of those with distant metastasis, although the difference was not significant (P = 0.088). Patients with recurrence treated by chemotherapy alone or multimodal therapy, such as radiation or surgery combined with systemic chemotherapy, survived significantly longer than those with untreatable recurrence (P = 0.016)., Conclusion: These findings reinforce the importance of careful follow-up for both loco-regional and hematogenous recurrence after esophagectomy, particularly during the first 2 years.

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for esophageal cancer on the postoperative course, and to determine the clinical significance of salvage esophagectomy after definitive CRT., Methods: Based on their preoperative treatment, 477 patients with esophageal cancer were classified into three groups: 253 patients who received surgery alone (Group I), 197 who received planned CRT (30-45 Gy, Group II), and 27 who received a salvage esophagectomy (radiation ≥60 Gy, Group III)., Results: Postoperative complications developed in 25, 40, and 59% of the patients in Groups I, II, and III, respectively, with pulmonary complications developing in 10, 15, and 30%, and anastomotic leakage developing in 13, 23, and 37%, respectively. Mortality rates were 2.4, 2.0, and 7.4%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed preoperative therapy to be an independent factor associated with postoperative risks: the odds ratios (ORs) of Groups II and III compared to Group I were 1.8 and 4.0 for pulmonary complications, while they were 1.9 and 2.8, respectively, for anastomotic leakage. No critical complications developed in the 14 patients who received salvage surgery performed with strict surgical indications after 2005. The survival of Group III was not significantly different from that of Groups I and II. Most patients who received an R1/R2 resection after definitive CRT died within 2 years after salvage surgery., Conclusions: Preoperative CRT is associated with postoperative complications especially in patients with R2 resection, while long-term survival can be achieved after R0 resections. Salvage surgery should be considered for carefully selected patients in whom R0 resection can be achieved.

Purpose: Metachronous gastric carcinoma arising in a gastric tube used for esophageal reconstruction has been occasionally encountered in long-term survivors of esophageal cancer. This study investigated 10 cases of gastric tube cancer in order to clarify the characteristics and the outcome of these patients., Methods: Four hundred and seventy-one patients underwent a radical esophagectomy at Kyushu University Hospital between 1989 and 2003. There were 10 cases of gastric tube cancer after an esophagectomy., Results: The interval between the esophagectomy and the development of the gastric tube cancer ranged from 1.1 to 7 years. There was no peak for the incidence of gastric tube cancer. In 6 of 10 cases of gastric tube cancer, endoscopic or surgical resection were performed for the treatment; however, chemotherapy was administered to the other 4 cases for several reasons. The prognosis of patients who underwent resection was better than that of the other patients., Conclusions: Frequent endoscopic examinations are therefore important even several years after performing an esophagectomy, since the risk of gastric tube cancer is higher than the risk of a recurrence of esophageal cancer several years after an esophagectomy. Only an early diagnosis permits a less invasive and appropriate approach for the treatment of gastric tube cancer.

Background: Anastomotic leakage with an intractable cutaneous fistula frequently develops after an esophagectomy and reconstruction via the subcutaneous route., Methods: A pectoralis major muscle (PMM) flap was used for the treatment of 6 patients with esophageal cancer who developed anastomotic leakage with fistula after reconstruction via the subcutaneous route. A gastric tube and colon had been used for reconstruction in 2 and 4 patients, respectively. A trimming and repair of the leakage site was initially performed and the anastomotic site was then covered with a muscle flap., Results: Recurrent anastomotic leakage did not develop in 5 patients. Among these patients, oral intake was initiated from 11-15 days after the repair operation in 4 patients. A patient having recurrent anastomotic leakage after a repair operation recovered well with conservative therapy., Conclusion: The coverage with a PMM flap over the repair site is a simple method for preventing the development of recurrent leakage after a repair operation. Even when recurrent anastomotic leakage has occurred after this operation, healing is normally expected by means of conservative treatment. We, therefore, recommend this method for the repair of intractable anastomotic leakage after reconstruction via the subcutaneous route for esophageal cancer., (Copyright 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Head-and-neck cancer is frequently associated with esophageal cancer. Because the operative procedures for these synchronous double cancers are too invasive, definitive chemoradiotherapy tends to be applied as an initial treatment. A salvage esophagectomy for either recurrent or residual disease after definitive chemoradiotherapy in patients with such double cancer has never been reported. We reviewed 21 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent a salvage esophagectomy after definitive chemoradiotherapy. Among them, the treatment course of five patients who underwent a salvage esophagectomy for patients with synchronous double cancers of the esophagus and head-and-neck region was analyzed. Because head-and-neck cancer was well controlled after chemoradiotherapy in all five patients, a salvage esophagectomy was indicated for either recurrent or residual esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy. Anastomotic leakage developed in four patients; however, no other complications including pulmonary complications were recognized. All of them were discharged to home and three of them are still alive without any recurrence for 20-43 months. A salvage esophagectomy should be considered as a treatment option for either recurrent or residual esophageal cancer with well-controlled head-and-neck cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy when complete resection of the esophagus is expected.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of the triangulating stapling technique (TST) for cervical esophagogastric anastomosis after esophagectomy (CEGA)., Methods: The subjects were 123 patients who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection and reconstruction with a 3.5-cm wide gastric tube, for thoracic esophageal cancer. We performed the TST for CEGA in 33 patients operated on after December, 2006 (TST group) and hand-sewn anastomosis in 90 patients operated on between 2002 and 2006 (HSA group)., Results: In the TST group, CEGA was performed in an end-to-end fashion using three linear staplers. The first anastomosis was applied to the posterior walls of the remnant esophagus and gastric tube in an inverted fashion. The second and the third anastomoses were done in an everted fashion to make the anterior wall. The end-to-end HSA was performed with interrupted sutures using 4-0 absorbable material. Anastomotic leakage occurred in only 1 (3.0%) of the 33 TST patients, but in 13 (14.4%) of the 90 HSA patients (P = 0.07). The frequency of anastomotic stenosis was 9.1% and 25.6% in the TST and HSA groups, respectively (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Cervical esophagogastric anastomosis using TST may reduce the frequency of anastomotic leakage and stenosis. This technique is a safe and reliable alternative for CEGA after esophagectomy.

Background: In Japan, most esophageal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, and the results of esophagectomy have improved remarkably in recent years. The object of this study was to evaluate advances in operative therapy for esophageal cancer in Japan., Method: We evaluated mortality, morbidity, and prognosis in 1000 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer at a single institution in Japan. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the period when esophagectomy was performed: Group I (n = 197), 1964-1980; group II (n = 432), 1981-1993; and group III (n = 371), 1993-2006., Results: The incidence of squamous cell carcinoma was 94%. The morbidity rates were 62%, 38%, and 33 %, in groups I, II, and III, respectively (P < 0.01, groups I vs II and III), and the in-hospital mortality rates were 14.2%, 5.1%, and 2.4%, respectively (P < 0.01, between each group). The 5-year overall survival rate was 30% (14%, 27%, and 46% in groups I, II, and III, respectively; P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed age, gender, depth of invasion, node metastasis, distant metastasis, curability, extent of lymphadenectomy, resectability, and the period when the operation was performed as independent prognostic factors., Conclusion: Generally, esophagectomy has been performed safely without critical complications; however, the prognosis has improved remarkably with advances in surgical techniques and treatment modalities.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of most serious complications to occur after an esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. However, the pathogenesis of ALI is still unclear. The cytokine levels of pleural drainage fluid as well as peripheral blood were measured in 27 patients who had undergone an extended radical esophagectomy. Both the clinical factors and cytokine levels were compared between 11 patients with (group I) and 16 without ALI (group II). ALI occurred more frequently in patients who underwent colon interposition than in those who received a gastric tube reconstruction (86%vs 25%, P = 0.009). The operation time of group I was significantly longer than that of group II. A logistic regression analysis revealed colon interposition to be an independent factor associated with the ALI (P < 0.05). Postoperative anastomotic leakage and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) occurred more frequently in group I than in group II (P < 0.01). Both the serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 levels of group I were significantly higher than those of group II. IL-1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were undetectable in the peripheral blood, whereas they were detectable in the pleural effusion. The IL-1beta of pleural effusion was higher in group I than group II. In conclusion, greater surgical stress, such as a longer operative time, is thus considered to be associated with the first attack of ALI. The adverse events developing in the extra-thoracic site, such as necrosis and local infection around anastomosis may therefore be the second attack. Furthermore, ALI may cause not only SIRS but also other complications such as anastomotic leakage.

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the indications for an esophagectomy in elderly patients (especially patients over 80 years of age) with esophageal cancer., Methods: A total of 668 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who underwent an esophagectomy by the transthoracic approach were divided into three groups according to age, namely, groups I (>80 years, n=16), II (70-79 years, n=158), and III (

Salvage esophagectomy is performed for esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy. The clinical significance and safety of salvage surgery has not been well established. We reviewed 14 cases of salvage esophagectomy following definitive chemoradiotherapy from 1994 through 2005 and investigated complication rates and outcomes. Seven of 14 cases were completely resected with salvage surgery. Operation time and bleeding were greater in patients who experienced incomplete resection (R1/R2). Anastomosis leakage, pulmonary dysfunction and heart failure were recognized in four, two and one patients, respectively. The postoperative complications were more frequent (71.4%) in patients with incomplete resection (R1/R2) than in patients with complete resection (R0) (28.4%). Two patients with complete resection (R0) showed long-term survival. Salvage esophagectomy may be indicated when the tumor can be resected completely after definitive chemotherapy. However, all cases of T4 cancer cannot be resected completely, resulting in a high risk for complications and poor survival.