Abstract： Objective To investigate the indications， surgical techniques and postoperative complication management of transhiatal esophagectomy without thoracotomy for patients with esophageal cancer. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of 105 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent transhiatal esophagectomy without thoracotomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between July 2002 and July 2010， including 28 patients who received video-assisted mediastinoscopy. There were 59 male patients and 46 female patients with their average age of 63 （48-81） years. There were 51 patients with upper thoracic esophageal cancer， 18 patients with middle thoracic esophageal cancer and 36 patients with lower thoracic esophageal cancer. Surgical outcomes and safety were evaluated. Results Mean operation time was 153 （140-210） minutes， mean intraoperative blood loss was 150 （100 to 250） ml， and mean hospital stay was 15 （10-35） days. There was no in-hospital death or residual tumor cells in esophagus stumps. Twenty-seven patients had postoperative complications， including 3 patients with anastomotic leakage at neck， 4 patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve injury， 5 patients with pleural effusion， 2 patients with pneumothorax， 3 patients with pneumonia， 3 patients with arrhythmia， 1 patient with chylothorax， 2 patients with incision infection， 2 patients with delayed gastric emptying， and 2 patients with anastomotic stenosis， who were all cured after treatment. Ninety-seven patients were followed up from 16 months to 5 years， and 8 patients were lost during follow-up. During follow-up， there were 94 patients who had lived for 1 year， 67 patients who had lived for 3 years， and 34 patients who had lived for 5 years postoperatively， and some patients needed further follow-up. Conclusion Transhiatal esophagectomy without thoracotomy is a minimally traumatic procedure and can provide fast postoperative recovery. It is especially suitable for patients with stageⅡor earlier esophageal cancer who can’t tolerate or aren’t suitable for transthoracic esophagectomy.
Objective To study the molecular characteristics of RNA binding protein aldehyde dehydrogenase 18 family member A1 (ALDH18A1) in esophageal carcinoma cells (KYSE150 cells) and its effect on tumor growth. MethodsHuman esophageal squamous cell (KYSE150 cells) was cultured in vitro. At the same time, RNA co-immuno precipitation technology was used to study the binding of RNA and protein in the cell, and the corresponding RNA-protein complex was precipitated by the antibody of the target protein to separate and purify the captured RNA. The molecular characteristics of ALDH18A1 binding RNA were analyzed, and KyotoEncyclopedia of Genes and Genomes cluster analysis was performed for ALDH18A1 binding target genes. Results Protein immunoblotting experiments showed that the target protein was well enriched by antibodies. ALDH18A1 had extensive RNA binding activity, with significant enrichment in regions such as coding sequences, intron, and 5’untranslated region. ALDH18A1 mainly bound to the UGUAAUC motif of RNA. The cluster analysis showed that the RNA molecules bound to ALDH18A1 mainly participated in focal adhesion, central carbon metabolism in cancer, cell cycle, spliceosome, RNA transport, and ubiquitin mediated protein hydrolysis. Conclusion ALDH18A1 has the function of binding to RNA molecules and may play a role in the expression of esophageal cancer-related genes and related biological processes.
Abstract： Objective To explore the value of serum Dickkopf-related protein 1 （DKK1）for the early diagnosis of esophageal cancer， and provide theoretical evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer. Methods A total of 145 patients who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University between October 2009 and April 2011 were included in this study and divided into four groups. There were 72 patients in the esophageal cancer group （54 males and 18 females with their median age of 60.4 years），13 patients in the precancerosis group （9 males and 4 females with their median age of 58.6 years），30 patients in the benign esophageal lesion group （23 males and 7 females with their median age of 56.4 years），and 30 healthy people in the volunteer group （19 males and 11 females with their median age of 58.6 years）. Serum DKK1 protein concentration was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Receiver operating characteristics （ROC） curve was drawn to determine the cutoff level with optimal diagnostic accuracy. Results?Serum DKK1 protein levels were significantly higher in the esophageal cancer group and precancerosis group than those in the volunteer group and benign esophageal lesion group ［（37.5±2.8） μg/L， （19.7±2.7） μg/L vs. （5.7±0.8） μg/L， （6.5±0.8） μg/L，t=47.391， P＜0.05］. There was no statistical difference in serum DKK1 protein level between the volunteer group and benign esophageal lesion group ［（6.5±0.8） μg/L vs. （5.7±0.8） μg/L， t=4.215，P=0.374］. When the level of serum DKK1 protein was 13.4 μg/L， the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of esophageal cancer were 74.1% and 96.7%， respectively. Conclusion Overexpression of serum DKK1 protein could be related to the pathogenesis and progression of esophageal cancer. DKK1 protein may be a potential serologic biomarker for the early diagnosis of esophageal cancer.
Neoadjuvant therapy has become the standard treatment for locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer, significantly improving long-term survival compared to surgery alone. Neoadjuvant therapy has evolved to include various strategies, such as concurrent chemoradiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted combination therapy. This enriches clinical treatment options and provides a more personalized and scientific treatment approach for patients. This article aims to comprehensively summarize current academic research hot topics, review the rationale and evaluation measures of neoadjuvant therapy, discuss challenges in restaging methods after neoadjuvant therapy, and identify the advantages and disadvantages of various neoadjuvant therapeutic strategies.
ObjectiveTo analyze the characteristics and risk factors of lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).MethodsThe clinical data of 407 patients with ESCC who underwent radical resection of esophageal carcinoma from December 2012 to October 2018 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 390 males and 17 females with a median age of 63 (38-82) years. Esophageal lesions were found in 26 patients of upper thoracic segment, 190 patients of middle thoracic segment and 191 patients of lower thoracic segment. ResultsAmong the patients, 232 (57.0%) were found to have cervical, thoracic and/or abdominal lymph node metastasis. The lymphatic metastasis rates of cervical, upper, middle, lower mediastinal nodes and abdominal nodes were 0.7%, 8.8%, 21.4%, 16.7% and 37.1%, respectively. The adjacent lymph node metastasis alone occurred in 50.0% patients, and the multistage or skip lymph node metastasis accounted for 29.3% and 20.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the length of esophageal lesion, T stage, degree of tumor differentiation, vascular cancer embolus and nerve invasion were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis.ConclusionThe rates of lymph node metastasis are similar in the upper, middle and lower thoracic ESCC. The main pattern of lymph node metastasis is the adjacent lymph node metastasis, followed by multistage and skip lymph node metastases. The length of esophageal lesion, T stage, degree of tumor differentiation, vascular cancer embolus and nerve invasion are independent factors for lymph node metastasis. The operation and dissection range should be selected according to the location of tumor and the characteristics of the lesion.
ObjectiveTo analyze the risk factors of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy.MethodsThe clinical data of 1 328 patients with esophageal cancer, who underwent esophagectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology from January 2010 to December 2016, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 726 males and 602 females, at an average age of 67.2±14.1 years. According to whether there was anastomotic leakage after operation, patients were divided into two groups: an anastomotic leakage group (167 patients) and a non-anastomotic leakage group (1 161 patients). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify related risk factors of anastomotic leakage after operation.Results The incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage was 12.6% (167/1 328). Univariate analysis showed that body mass index, arrhythmia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, preoperative albumin level, preoperative chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, lesion location, anastomosis types and postoperative pulmonary infection were associated with statistically significant increase in risk of cervical anastomotic leakage (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative COPD, lesion location and postoperative pulmonary infection were independent risk factors of cervical anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy (P<0.05).ConclusionThe occurrence of cervical anastomotic leakage after esophageal cancer is related to many factors. The preoperative COPD, the lesion location and the postoperative pulmonary infection are independent high risk factors. Paying attention to these factors and doing perioperative management can effectively reduce the occurrence of anastomotic leakage.
Objective To investigate the necessity of further surgery for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma following treatment with the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, and to assess its impact on survival. MethodsPatients with stage ⅡA to ⅢB esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who received immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy at our hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were selected for this study. Based on whether they underwent surgery after receiving PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, patients were divided into a surgery group and a non-surgery group. We compared the general clinical data, side effects, clinical complete response rates, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) between the two groups. Results A total of 58 patients were included in the study, comprising 45 males and 13 females, with an average age of (65.5±6.9) years. There were no statistical differences in general clinical data or adverse reactions between the two groups. Univariate analysis revealed that the objective response rate and surgery were significantly associated with PFS (P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that surgery was the only independent risk factor for PFS (P=0.003). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the PFS and OS in the surgery group were significantly higher than those in the non-surgery group (HR=0.13, 95%CI 0.036 to 0.520, P＜0.001; HR=0.17, 95%CI 0.045 to 0.680, P=0.004). ConclusionAfter treatment with the PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy, patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma still require surgical intervention to achieve improved PFS and OS.
ObjectiveTo give an annual data report of surgical treatment of esophageal cancer in Shanghai Chest Hospital to provide reference for treatment and research on esophageal cancer.MethodsThe clinical data of 414 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent endoscopy (9 patients) and esophagectomy (405 patients) in Shanghai Chest Hospital in 2015 were reviewed, including 334 males and 80 females. Their tumor biological characteristics and short-term and long-term treatment results were analyzed.ResultsPatients in this group were predominantly aged 60 to 69 years (46.9%), and the tumor was mainly located in the middle thorax (50.7%). About 79.9% of the patients received trans-right thoracic esophagectomy, 44.4% received minimally invasive surgery; 388 (93.7%) patients accepted upfront esophagectomy without induction therapy, and 179 (43.2%) patients received postoperative adjuvant therapy. The R0 resection rate was 90.6%, and the 30- and 90-day mortality rates were 1.4% and 2.4%, respectively. The 4-year overall survival rate of the R0 resection patients was 65.7%.ConclusionSatisfactory long-term survival results can be obtained for thoracic esophageal cancer if R0 resection can be achieved by trans-right thoracic esophagectomy and extended lymphadenectomy combined with appropriate postoperative adjuvant treatment.
Objective To explore the strategy of intrathoracic anastomosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma when the proximal esophagus is dilated to different degrees and explore its mechanism. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients who underwent esophagectomy between 2014 and 2017 in West China Hospital. The patients were divided into two groups including a significant dilatation group with inner mucosal phase diameter (IMPD)≥17.9 mm and a non-significant dilatation group with IMPD<17.9 mm. And the patients were divided into two groups (a layered manual anastomosis group and a stapled anastomosis group) according to anastomosis method and propensity score matching was applied to adjust for potential confounders. Results We finally included 654 patients. There were 206 patients with 158 males and 48 females at average age of 62.21±7.72 years in the layerd manual analstomosis group and 448 patietns with 377 males and 71 females at average age of 62.57±8.42 years in the stapled anastomosis group. We also used Masson trichrome staining to assess the collagen fiber content in the esophagus. Compared with layered manual anastomosis, the incidence of anastomotic leakage was higher in the significant dilatation group than that in the stapled anastomosis group (original cohort: 3.8% vs. 10.7%, P=0.093; propensity score-matched cohort: 1.4% vs. 15.3%, P=0.004). And there was no significant difference in anastomotic leakage b etween layered manual anastomosis and stapled anastomosis in the non-significant dilatation group (original cohort: 4.7% vs. 4.2%, P=0.830; propensity score-matched cohort: 4.8% vs. 4.0%, P=0.206). Moreover, the average collagen fiber area ratio was significantly lower in the significant dilation group than that in the non-significant dilatation group (P=0.045). Conclusion There is a significant reduction in collagen fibers in the proximal esophageal wall tissue of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with a IMPD≥17.9 mm. Intrathoracic layered manual anastomosis effectively reduces postoperative anastomotic leakage in these patients.
Objective To analyze the risk factors affecting the occurrence of arrhythmia after esophageal cancer surgery, construct a risk prediction model, and explore its clinical value. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients who underwent radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Anhui Provincial Hospital from 2020 to 2023. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to screen potential factors influencing postoperative arrhythmia. A risk prediction model for postoperative arrhythmia was constructed, and a nomogram was drawn. The predictive performance of the model was then validated. Results A total of 601 esophageal cancer patients were randomly divided into a modeling group (421 patients) and a validation group (180 patients) at a 7 : 3 ratio. In the modeling group, patients were further categorized into an arrhythmia group (188 patients, 44.7%) and a non-arrhythmia group (233 patients, 55.3%) based on whether they developed postoperative arrhythmia. Among those with postoperative arrhythmia, 43 (10.2%) patients had atrial fibrillation (AF), 12 (2.9%) patients had atrial premature beats, 15 (3.6%) patients had sinus bradycardia, and 143 (34%) patients had sinus tachycardia. Some patients exhibited multiple arrhythmias, including 14 patients with AF combined with sinus tachycardia, 7 patients with AF combined with atrial premature beats, and 3 patients with AF combined with sinus bradycardia. Univariate analysis revealed that a history of hypertension, heart disease, pulmonary infection, acute respiratory distress syndrome, postoperative hypoxia, anastomotic leakage, and delirium were risk factors for postoperative arrhythmia in esophageal cancer patients (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a history of heart disease, pulmonary infection, and postoperative hypoxia were independent risk factors for postoperative arrhythmia after esophageal cancer surgery (P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the constructed risk prediction model for postoperative arrhythmia was 0.710 [95% CI (0.659, 0.760)], with a sensitivity of 0.617 and a specificity of 0.768. Conclusion A history of heart disease, pulmonary infection, and postoperative hypoxia are independent risk factors for postoperative arrhythmia after esophageal cancer surgery. The risk prediction model constructed in this study can effectively identify high-risk patients for postoperative arrhythmia, providing a basis for personalized interventions.
