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Purpose: FOLFOXIRI is a standard treatment for unresectable colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases. However, limited data exists on its safety and effectiveness in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). This prospective study addresses this gap in a Vietnamese LMIC setting., Methods: We enrolled 92 patients with unresectable CRC liver metastases between 2022 and 2023. All patients received FOLFOXIRI every 2 weeks, with routine G-CSF prophylaxis to prevent neutropenia. A multidisciplinary team (MDT) assessed diagnoses and treatment responses. Outcomes were R0/R1 resection rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), adverse events (AEs), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) for surgical patients., Results: The median patient age was 56 years, with a male predominance (70.7%). The primary tumors were located in the left colon (42.4%), rectum (37%), and right colon (20.7%). Thirty-two patients (34.8%) experienced severe (grade 3 or higher) AEs, with thrombocytopenia (13.1%) and anemia (9.8%) being the most frequent. Most patients (72/87, 82.9%) achieved a partial response. The ORR and DCR were 85.1% and 95.4%, respectively. Fifty-seven patients (62%) achieved resectability, and 54 (58.7%) underwent radical surgery. The R0/R1 resection rate was 88.9%. The median PFS and OS for all patients were 13 and 22 months, respectively. The median RFS of surgical patients was 14 months., Conclusions: FOLFOXIRI improves the response rates, R0/R1 resection rates, and survivals for patients with CRC liver metastases. Future research is necessary to improve the prognosis of patients while minimizing toxicities., Trial Registration: NCT05362825 dated 5 May 2022., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Esophageal leiomyoma is a rare disease, most of which are benign, and endoscopic tumor removal surgery is a widely accepted treatment method. The two surgical approaches, laparoscopic and thoracoscopic, must be selected and applied according to the tumor size and location. The study aimed to evaluate the results, feasibility, and appropriate approach of minimally invasive surgery to treat esophageal leiomyoma. Subjects and research methods: A retrospective study of 27 cases of patients who underwent endoscopic tumor removal surgery to treat esophageal leiomyoma at Cho Ray Hospital was conducted from January 2015 to April 2020. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, surgical characteristics, and postoperative complications were recorded., Results: A total of 16 men and 11 women were included in the study, with an average age of 47.2 years (25-76 years). In total, 92.6% of patients had symptoms, the most common being dysphagia (n = 19); however, 7.4% of patients still had no symptoms. Tumor removal through right thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 18 patients; the remaining nine patients were approached through laparoscopic intra-abdominal surgery. The median tumor size in all patients is 3.0 cm (2.0-5.0 cm), with the smallest tumor being 1.2 cm and the largest tumor being 8 cm. Postoperative histopathology shows esophageal leiomyoma in 100% of cases. Three cases (11.1%) of esophageal mucosal perforation and one case (3.7%) of tracheal perforation occurred during surgery. There was no case of death or suture leak after surgery. There was one case of postoperative gastroesophageal reflux that was treated successfully with medical treatment for two weeks. The average follow-up period was 21.4 months, with no deaths or recurrences during follow-up., Conclusion: Endoscopic surgery is a safe, minimally invasive method for esophageal leiomyoma removal, with laparoscopy used for tumors near the gastroesophageal junction and right thoracoscopic surgery for remaining tumors, ensuring quick patient recovery., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Tien et al.)

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil/capecitabine (DCF/DCX) followed by esophagectomy has been the recommended treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the optimal interval from NAC to surgery has not yet been established. This study evaluated the impact of time to surgery (TTS) in the treatment of ESCC., Methods: Between August 2018 and September 2021, 97 patients who underwent radical esophagectomy following 3-6 cycles of NAC with DCF/DCX for ESCC at a single hospital were analyzed. TTS was categorized into three groups: 16-41 days (group 1; 33 patients), 42-55 days (group 2; 29 patients), and 56-135 days (group 3; 35 patients). Survival outcomes included overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS)., Results: Mean age was 59.6 ± 6.8 years, and 95 patients were male. One patient had grade-III anemia, 12 had grade-II anemia, and four had grade-II neutropenia; all other NAC-related toxicities were as grade I. Regarding pathologic tumor response, 18.6% achieved complete response, 71.1% achieved partial response, and 10.3% had stable disease. Forty-eight patients (49.5%) had a postoperative complication, but only six (6.2%) with grade IIIa and two (2.1%) with grade IVa according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Median follow-up time was 24 months. Groups 1 and 3 had worse OS (HR [95% CI]: 3.36 [1.16-11.7] and 1.83 [0.55-6.10]) and worse PFS (HR [95% CI]: 3.27 [1.25-8.53] and 1.61 [0.58-4.45]) compared to group 2., Conclusion: We suggest the optimal TTS after NAC is 6-8 weeks. However, this finding must be confirmed by prospective trials., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Spigelian hernia, also known as lateral ventral hernia, is a type of hernia arising through the Spigelian aponeurosis. Unlike many other ventral hernias that occur beneath the layer of fat and abdominal skin, Spigelian hernia is situated within the abdominal wall muscles. Spigelian hernia often presents with few symptoms and may exist for a long time without being diagnosed or detected. We report a case of Spigelian hernia causing an intestinal obstruction treated with surgical emergency abdominal wall reconstruction using the sublay technique. Identification and evaluation of cases with the potential for hernia occurrence are crucial for the safety of patients undergoing surgery. Spigelian hernia accounts for 1%-2% of all ventral hernia cases. Currently, there are no reports on Spigelian hernia in Vietnam. However, a few reports on surgical management of Spigelian hernia have been published worldwide, with approaches including laparoscopic and open surgery, and these reports have indicated that abdominal wall reconstruction using the sublay technique is feasible as it is associated with fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospital stays. Here, we describe the case of an 87-year-old woman presenting with swelling and pain in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen. A preoperative diagnosis of Spigelian hernia causing intestinal obstruction was established, and we proceeded with abdominal wall reconstruction using the sublay technique. The patient was discharged three days after surgery without any postoperative complications., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Tien et al.)

Objectives: Hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers are aggressive and usually diagnosed at advanced stage with esophagus invasion. Total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy with gastric pull-up reconstruction has been a common surgery for these cancers but long-term outcomes are still questionable. This study aimed to investigate short-term and long-term outcomes of patients who underwent this surgery., Methods: Patients with hypopharyngeal or laryngeal cancer invading cervical esophagus who underwent total pharyngolaryngoesphagectomy with gastric pull-up between 2012 and 2016 was included and followed up until 2021. Short-term outcomes were complications and long-term outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS)., Results: Fifty patients were included with a mean age of 60.3 years and 94% were male. Pyriform fossa was the most common primary site of tumor (50%), followed by posterior hypopharyngeal wall (18%) and postcricoid region (18%). Mean operating time, postoperative oral intake and hospital stay was 363.1 ± 43.6 minutes, 8.8 ± 3.6 days and 14.2 ± 3.0 days respectively. Complications occurred in 15 patients (30%) without any in-hospital death. During the follow-up period, 17 patients had recurrence and 35 patients died. Median (95% confidence interval [CI]) OS and DFS time were 30 (21-37) and 30 (19-36) months. Five-year OS and DFS probability (95% CI) were 22.6% (12.8-39.7) and 22.7% (12.9-39.8)., Conclusions: Total pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy with gastric pull-up is feasible and safe. However, even with curative surgery and multimodal treatment, advanced pharyngeal or laryngeal cancer with cervical esophagus invasion still has poor survival outcome.

Background & Aims: Hospital malnutrition is a highly prevalent condition that leads to an increased risk of clinical complications and a corresponding increase in healthcare resource utilisation. Despite the high prevalence and adverse clinical consequences, limited data are available on the magnitude of the economic burden associated with hospital malnutrition in Asian countries. The aim of the present analysis was to calculate country-specific estimates of the economic burden of hospital malnutrition in Asia., Methods: Country-specific cost and prevalence data were used to calculate the incremental healthcare costs attributable to hospital malnutrition in 11 countries in Asia. The cost-of-illness was evaluated from the public perspective. Sources of increased cost included increased length of stay (LOS) and increased antibiotic use in malnourished patients who develop a healthcare-associated infection. Costs were calculated separately for the ward and intensive care unit (ICU) and currencies were converted to US$ to facilitate comparison., Results: The estimated annual economic burden attributable to hospital malnutrition in Asia is $30.1 billion. Increased LOS accounts for the largest portion of the incremental cost, totalling $23.2 billion (77.2%) in the ward and $3.5 billion (11.5%) in the ICU. Medication costs related to the treatment of infectious complications account for an additional $3.4 billion (11.3%). Countries with the highest incremental costs include Japan ($19 billion), South Korea ($2.5 billion), and Taiwan ($2.2 billion)., Conclusions: Hospital malnutrition imposes a substantial economic burden on Asian countries, resulting in an estimated $30 billion per year in additional healthcare costs. This finding underscores the need for rigorous screening and assessment as well as continuous monitoring of nutrition status in hospitalised patients to facilitate early identification and proactive management of hospital malnutrition., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr. Inciong has received honoraria for continuing medical education activities from Abbot, Fresenius Kabi, BBraun, Nestlé, Westmont; Dr. Pradelli has received no specific funding for the presented work, but has consultancy agreement ongoing with Fresenius Kabi and has received grants from Nestlé. Dr. Chaudhary, Dr. Hsu, Dr. Joshi, Dr. Seo, Dr. Trung, Dr. Ungpinitpong, and Dr. Usman, Mr Omaralsaleh have no competing interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Proximal gastrectomy has been more advantageous than total gastrectomy in early cancer in the upper third of the stomach. Jejunal interposition is a novel reconstruction technique to prevent reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stricture in proximal gastrectomy. The combination of these two procedures via laparoscopic approach is not yet widespread. Therefore, this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of this surgery., Methods: This is a retrospective study on eight patients with laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy and jejunal interposition for early proximal gastric cancer. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, and 6 months and then at 6-month intervals to investigate complications, recurrence, metastasis, and survival., Results: All cases were adenocarcinoma in the early stage (cT1N0M0). The median (range) operating time and postoperative hospital stay were 145 min (120-210) and 7 days (6-9), respectively. No complication (including reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stricture) occurred. All patients were alive without any recurrence or metastasis during the median follow-up of 28 months (ranged 6-40 months)., Conclusion: Laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy with jejunal interposition for early gastric cancer is safe and feasible with good long-term outcomes. Further large studies are required to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this procedure.

Background and Aims: Patients undergoing major gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, particularly those with malignancies, have a high risk for malnutrition, requiring perioperative nutritional support to reduce complications. During the Nutrition Insights Day (NID), nutritional data of this patient population were documented in seven Asian countries., Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection of nutritional status, calorie/protein targets/intake, and type of clinical nutrition for up to 5 days before NID., Inclusion Criteria: Adult patients following major GI surgery, pre-existing/at (high) risk for malnutrition, on enteral (EN) and/or parenteral nutrition (PN) and latest surgery within 10 days before the NID., Exclusion Criteria: Burns, mechanical ventilation on NID, oral nutrition and/or oral nutritional supplements (ONS) on the day before the NID, and emergency procedures., Results: 536 patients from 83 hospitals, mean age 58.8 ± 15.1 years, 59.1% males, were eligible. Leading diagnosis were GI diseases (48.7%) and GI cancer (45.9%). Malnutrition risk was moderate to high in 54% of patients, low in 46%. Hospital length of stay (LOS) before the NID was 9.3 ± 19.0 days, and time since last surgery 3.7 ± 2.4 days. Lowest caloric/protein deficits were observed in patients receiving EN + PN, followed by PN alone and EN alone. Type of clinical nutrition, Body Mass Index and LOS on surgical intensive care unit (SICU) and/or surgical ward were independent predictors of caloric and of protein deficit., Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of postoperative nutritional deficits in Asian GI surgery patients, who are either preoperatively malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, indicating a need to improve nutritional support and education., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the Authors declare conflicts of interest in relation to this study., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background & Aims: Hospital malnutrition is a prevalent yet frequently under-recognised condition that is associated with adverse clinical and economic consequences. Systematic reviews from various regions of the world have provided regional estimates of the prevalence of malnutrition and the magnitude of the associated health and economic burden; however, a systematic assessment of the prevalence and consequences of hospital malnutrition in northeast and southeast Asia has not been conducted., Methods: We performed a systematic literature search for articles on hospital malnutrition in 11 Asian countries published in English between January 1, 1997 and January 15, 2018. Studies reporting data on the prevalence, clinical consequences, or economic impact of hospital malnutrition in an adult inpatient population with a sample size ≥30 were eligible for inclusion., Results: The literature search identified 3207 citations; of these, 92 studies (N = 62,280) met the criteria for inclusion. There was substantial variability in study populations and assessment methods; however, a majority of studies reported a malnutrition prevalence of >40%. Malnutrition was associated with an increase in clinical complications, mortality, length of hospitalisation, hospital readmissions, and healthcare costs., Conclusions: Hospital malnutrition is a highly prevalent condition among hospitalised patients in northeast and southeast Asia. Additionally, poor nutritional status is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and increased healthcare costs. Further research aimed at improving the identification and proactive management of hospitalised patients at risk for malnutrition is necessary to improve patient outcomes and alleviate the burden on local healthcare budgets., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Dr. Inciong has received honoraria for continuing medical education activities from Abbot, Fresenius Kabi, BBraun, Westmont; Dr. Lam has received a grant from Fresenius Kabi and non-financial support from IQVIA; Dr. Chaudhary, Dr. Hsu, Dr. Joshi, Dr. Seo, Dr. Ungpinitpong, and Dr. Usman have no competing interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: A 1999 study in Hanoi, Vietnam using the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire showed a high prevalence of atopic symptoms. Identifying risk factors for symptoms in these children may help in understanding the causes for these high estimates., Methods: An ISAAC questionnaire with supplemental questions on environmental variables was distributed to 5495 school children in Hanoi and a suburban district, Dong Anh. The response rate was 65.7%., Results: In Dong Anh, the following were among the significant age and gender adjusted associations: pig ownership [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval), OR = 1.79 (1.18-2.70) for doctor-diagnosed asthma (DDA), OR = 1.72 (1.08-2.78) for doctor diagnosed hay fever (DDHF)] and farming [OR = 1.67 (1.27-2.19) for ever asthma, OR = 1.51 (1.09-2.09) for DDHF]. In multivariate models, tuberculosis (TB) was a significant predictor of atopic symptoms [Hanoi: OR = 3.09 (1.10-8.70) for DDA, Dong Anh: OR = 3.71 (1.40-9.84) for DDA, OR = 4.66 (1.88-11.57) for DDHF]., Conclusions: These findings are contrary to the "hygiene hypothesis". Recent immunologic and epidemiologic studies refute the inverse association between allergy and TB and may be one explanation for the positive association in this study. The positive association with pig ownership and farming may be because of exposures on farms in a developing country that may be different from exposures in farms of developed countries.

Viet Nam has an increasing need for building materials, including refractory bricks. Little is known regarding the occupational hazards incurred in brick manufacturing. To determine the occupational health hazards posed by a refractory brick operation in Ha Noi, Viet Nam, a cross-sectional occupational risk survey was conducted, focusing on respirable dust hazards. It included an industrial hygiene walk-through and gravimetric dust analysis. Noise, heat, lack of head protection, and dust exposure were hazards identified at the brick-manufacturing site. Respiratory protection involved a three-layer cloth mask that had not been tested for efficacy. Silica dust exposure levels exceeded the Vietnamese permissible exposure level by almost fivefold based on gravimetric assessment and estimated silica content. This brick manufacturing site contains significant injury and respiratory illness hazards. Further investigations are necessary to begin to develop occupational safety measures at the site.