Esophageal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors with high incidence and poor prognosis. Angiogenesis-related pathways play an important role in the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the main mediator of angiogenesis. In addition to promoting angiogenesis and maintaining the survival of neovascularization, VEGF can also directly act on esophageal cancer cells and promote the occurrence and development of tumors. This article reviews the biology of VEGF and its effect on blood vessels, the expression of VEGF in esophageal cancer cells and its influencing factors, the role of VEGF in esophageal cancer cells, the immunomodulatory activity of VEGF and the clinical study of VEGF inhibitors. The purpose of this study is to provide a basis for more rational use of VEGF inhibitors in the treatment of esophageal cancer.
The incidence of complications after radical resection of esophageal carcinoma is high up to about 20%-50%. The incidence of pneumonia, pleural effusion, tracheal intubation, anastomotic fistula and cardiac events is relatively high. Among them, pulmonary complications are the most common complications after esophageal cancer operation and cause the most perioperative deaths. Among the factors that influence the occurrence of postoperative complications of esophageal cancer, the amount of fluid infusion during and after the operation is closely related to the occurrence of postoperative complications. Moreover, in the environment of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), it is more important to optimize the postoperative fluid management of esophageal cancer. Restricted fluid therapy plays a more and more important role in patients undergoing esophagectomy. This review integrated the relevant research results and discussed the advantages of the restricted fluid therapy compared with other fluid therapy, how to control the restricted infusion volume and infusion speed and how to monitor and evaluate the infusion process and the selection of infusion types, so as to provide reference for clinical practice test.
Immunotherapy is an important treatment method in tumor therapy. Among them, programmed death-1/programmed death ligand-1 inhibitors are the immune preparations with mature application and great survival benefit at present. Programmed death-1/programmed death ligand-1 inhibitors brought better clinical benefits to patients with esophageal cancer and provided more favorable choice for the treatment of esophageal cancer. This article introduces the mechanism of action, application in esophageal cancer, and efficacy predictors of programmed death protein-1/programmed death protein ligand-1 inhibitors, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the more rational use of programmed death protein-1/programmed death protein ligand-1 inhibitors in patients with esophageal cancer.
ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive value of recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph nodes (RLN) status for supraclavicular lymph node (SLN) metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 83 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent McKeown three-field lymphadenectomy from January 2017 to April 2018 in our hospital, including 53 males and 30 females with an average age of 64.07±7.05 years.ResultsThe SLN metastasis rate of the patients was 24.1%. The rate in the thoracic and abdominal metastases positive (N1-3) group and negative (N0) group was 37.8% and 13.0%, respectively, with a statistical difference (P<0.05). The rate of SLN metastasis was significantly different between the RLN metastasis positive (RLN+) and negative (RLN–) groups (39.1% vs. 18.3%, P<0.05). One side of RLN metastasis could lead to SLN metastasis on the opposite side. No correlation between the SLN metastasis and age, gender, location, differentiation degree, maximum tumor diameter, T-staging or histologic type was observed (P>0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that lymph node metastasis in chest or abdomen was an independent predictor of SLN metastasis.ConclusionRLN+ is not the independent predictor for SLN metastasis. SLN should be dissected in N1-3 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma without considering tumor location and T-staging. Bilateral SLN dissection should be recommended even if RLN metastasis is only unilateral.
Objective
To develop a novel methylene blue staining technique to localize small esophageal leiomyomas (<1.5 cm) and evaluate its feasibility.
Methods
Between January 2013 and October 2016, 9 patients with small esophageal leiomyomas (<1.5 cm) underwent thoracoscopic enucleation in Tongji Hospital. There were 5 males and 4 females with an average age of 51 years. We preoperatively injected 0.5–1.0 ml methylene blue in the submucosa adjacent to the tumors under the guidance of gastroscope. Then, we transferred the patients to the operating room.
Results
Staining was successful in 9 patients. The unstained tumor was exposed after the blue-stained mediastinal pleura and overlying muscle were incised longitudinally during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery via one utility port. No abnormalities were detected in the esophageal mucosa. No major complications, such as esophageal leakage or esophageal diverticulum occurred.
Conclusion
Endoscopic methylene blue staining is safe and feasible for localizing small esophageal leiomyomas during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery via one utility port. This method will enable enucleation precise and easy.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and necessity of recurrent laryngeal lymph node resection by comparing the complications and prognosis of patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve injury receiving different recurrent laryngeal lymph node resections.MethodsWe reviewed the clinical data of 153 patients with stage T1N0M0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent radical esophageal cancer surgery at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from June 2014 to May 2016. Among them, 125 were male and 28 were female, at an average age of 62 years. All patients underwent bilateral recurrent laryngeal nodes sampling. They were divided into 3 groups according to the dissection situation: patients with only one recurrent laryngeal lymph node resection on both sides during the operation were treated as a sampling group (n=49); patients with only one recurrent laryngeal lymph node resection on one side and more than one recurrent laryngeal lymph nodes resection on the other side were treated as a unilateral dissection group (n=49); patients with more than one recurrent laryngeal lymph nodes resection on both sides were treated as a bilateral dissection group (n=55). Follow-up was performed to compare the prognostic differences among the three groups. Seven days after the operation, the vocal cords of the patients were examined with an electronic laryngoscope and classified using the Clavien-Dindo system. The differences in complications related to recurrent laryngeal nerve injury among the three groups were compared.ResultsThe 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the patients in the sampling group, unilateral dissection group and bilateral dissection group was 66.8%, 88.5%, 93.8%, respectively. There was statistical difference between the sampling group and the unilateral dissection group or the bilateral dissection group (P<0.05), and no statistical difference between the unilateral dissection group and the bilateral dissection group (P>0.05). The incidence of complications among the three groups was not statistically different (P>0.05).ConclusionFor patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma of stage T1N0M0, the lymph nodes of the bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerves should be removed during the operation as many as possible, which will help improve the 5-year survival rate of the patients.
Abstract: Objective To determine the effects of early enteral nutrition (EEN) on postoperative recovery in elderly patients with esophageal cancer. Methods We included 100 elderly patients with esophageal cancer who were admitted at the PLA 100 Hospital between January 2006 and April 2010, and whose diagnoses were confirmed by pathological examination. The patients were divided into an early enteral nutrition (EEN) group and a parenteral nutrition (PN) group, with 50 patients in each group. There were 32 males and 18 females with an average age of 72 years in the EEN group. There were 30 males and 20 females with an average age of 69 years in the PN group. We analyzed the effect of the nutrition administration method on bowel function recovery, hospital stay, complication rate, and nutritional status one week after surgery. Results The anal exhaust time (45.3±12.7 h vs. 73.6±11.7 h), time until anal defecation (80.5 h±15.6 h vs. 140.1±13.2 h), and hospital stay (13.0±1.8 d vs. 15.2±3.3 d) in the EEN group were all shorter than those in the PN group (Plt;0.05). The rates of lung infection, anastomotic leakage, and cardiac complications in the EEN group were significantly lower than those of the PN group (Plt;0.05). One week after the operation, the serum albumin (ALB), peripheral blood lymphocytes, transferrin, and 24 h urea nitrogen (BUN) in the EEN group were higher than those in the PN group (Plt;0.05). Conclusion Compared with parenteral nutrition, enteral nutrition can promote metabolic function in elderly patients after recovery, reduce morbidity, and promote recovery.
Objective
To compare short-term quality of life and postoperative complications in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with different routes reconstruction after McKeown esophagectomy.
Methods
The clinical data of 144 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received McKeown esophagectomy in Shanghai Chest Hospital from January 2016 to October 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them 93 patients accepted retrosternal approach (a RR group, 71 males and 22 females at an average age of 63.5±7.7 years) and 51 patients accepted posterior mediastinal approach (a PR group, 39 males and 12 females at an average age of 62.3±8.0 years). Short-term surgical outcomes were compared and a Quality of Life Questionnaire of Patients Underwent Esophagectomy 1.0 was performed at postoperative 1st and 3rd month.
Results
There was no difference in two groups in sex, age, Body Mass Index (BMI), and location and clinical stage of tumors (P>0.05). The neoadjuvant therapy was more performed in the RR group (16.1%vs. 5.9%, P=0.075). There were more robot-assisted esophagecctomy operations performed in the PR group (52.9% vs. 45.2%, P=0.020). No significant difference was noted in operation duration, intraoperative blood loss or length of ICU stay between the RR and PR groups (251.3±59.1 min vs. 253.1±27.7 min, P=0.862; 223.7±75.1 ml vs. 240.0±75.1 ml, P=0.276; 3.7±6.6 d vs. 2.3±2.1 d, P=0.139). The patients in the PR group had more lymph nodes dissected and shorter hospital stay (P<0.001). Rate of R1/2 resection was higher in the RR group (12.9%vs. 5.9%, P=0.187). No surgery-related mortality was observed in both groups. The anastomotic leak and the anastomotic stricture was higher in the RR group than that in the PR group (25.8% vs. 5.9%, P=0.003). No significant difference was found between the two groups in the quality of life at postoperative 1st and 3rd month. However, the quality of life at postoperative 3rd month significantly improved in both groups (P<0.001). Compared with the PR group, the dysphagia was more severe in the RR group at postoperative 1st month (3.3±1.5 vs. 2.6±1.1, P=0.007), while the reflux symptom was lighter at postoperative 3rd month (3.0±1.8 vs. 3.6±1.6, P=0.045).
Conclusion
The two different routes reconstruction after McKeown esophagectomy are both safe and feasible. The anterior mediastinal approach increases the risk of anastomotic leak, but with low incidence of reflux symptom.
ObjectiveTo compare the complication morbidity of mechanical and hand-sewn esophagogastric anastomosis systemically.
MethodsMedline (January 1960 to June 2015), EMbase (January 1980 to June 2015), Cochrane Library (January 1996 to June 2015), Web of Science (January 1980 to June 2015) and other databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about comparing the complication morbidity of hand-sewn and mechanical anastomosis. Moreover, the references were searched by search engines such as Google Scholar. Papers were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. And then the data were extracted. The quality of current meta-analysis was assessed by GRADE profiler 3.6 software. The meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 12.0 software.
ResultsA total of 1 611 patients in 14 RCTs were reviewed. The results suggested that the anastomatic leakage rate of mechanical method showed no significant difference from that of hand-sewn method[RR=1.07, 95%CI (0.76, 1.51), P=0.699]. While the anastomatic stenosis rate was even higher[RR=1.59, 95%CI (1.21, 2.09), P=0.001].
ConclusionMechanical method can't reduce the anastomotic leakage rate following esophagogastrostomy, while it maybe increase the risk of anastomotic stenosis on the contrary. The patients' physical condition should be considered when surgeons make the choice.
Objective To evaluate the effect of mechanical suture in surgery of esophageal carcinoma,Methods Five hundred and sixty-eight cases of esophagogastrostomy and esophagojejunostomy for esophageal and cardiac carcinoma were collected in our hospital between January, 1988 and December, 2002. They were devided into two groups according to the methods of anastomoses, the group by stapler and the group with hand. The incidence of postoperative complications in the two groups was compared. Results The time of esophagogastrostomy, the total operating time, and postoperative fasting time of group by stapler were shorter than those of group with hand （Plt;0. 01）, and there was no statistically difference in the median hospitalized time after operation for two groups. The anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stricture, anastomotic bleeding , incidence of postoperative complications in respiration and circulation and mortality rate of group by stapler were lowed than those of group with hand （2.1%, 1.4%,0%,2.8% and 0.7% vs.6.8%,4.3%,1.4%,16.5% and 2.9%）. There was no statistical difference in the postoperative gastro-esophageal reflux for two groups （P 〉 0.05 ）. Conclusion The median time of esophagogastrostomy and the median operating time by stapler are decreased and the incidence of postoperative complications is decreased.
