Impact of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Feeding on Nutritional Status in Patients Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy for Oesophageal Cancer.

Introduction: Oesophageal cancer causes dysphagia and weight loss. Malnutrition further worsens with multimodal treatment. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) placement in the nutritional status of patients with oesophageal cancer requiring chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods: A comparative study with a prospective arm and a historical cohort was conducted. Oesophageal cancer patients undergoing CRT with dysphagia grade >2 and/or weight loss >10% were submitted to PEG-tube placement (pull method) before CRT. Stoma seeding was evaluated through a swab obtained after placement and, in surgical patients, the resected stoma. A matched historical cohort without PEG placement was used as control (trial ACTRN12616000697482). Results: Twenty-nine patients (intervention group, IG) were compared to 30 patients (control group, CG). Main outcomes did not differ in the IG and CG: weight loss during CRT 8.1 ± 5.5 kg versus 9.1 ± 4.2 kg (p = 0.503); 6-month mortality after CRT or surgery 17.2% versus 26.7% (p = 0.383); perioperative complication rate 54.5% versus 55.6% (p = 1.000); unplanned hospital admissions 34.5% versus 40.0% (p = 0.661). In the CG, during CRT, 14 (46.7%) patients presented with dysphagia grade 3-4, of whom 12 required nasogastric tube feeding (n = 10), surgical gastrostomy (n = 1), and oesophageal dilation (n = 1). In the IG, 89.7% used the PEG tube during CRT, sometimes exclusively in 51.7%. Adverse events were mainly minor (n = 12, 41.4%), mostly late peristomal infections, 1 major complication (exploratory laparotomy due to suspected colonic interposition, not confirmed). There was no cytological or histological evidence of stomal tumour seeding. Conclusion: Weight loss, hospital admissions, surgical complications, and mortality were identical in oesophageal cancer patients referred for CRT, regardless of prophylactic PEG. However, half of the patients required exclusive enteral nutritional support, making PEG-tube placement an alternative to consider.

Introdução: A neoplasia do esófago associa-se a disfagia e perda ponderal, sendo a desnutrição agravada pelo tratamento multimodal. Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto da colocação de gastrostomia percutânea endoscópica (PEG) no estado nutricional de doentes com neoplasia do esófago propostos para quimiorradioterapia (QRT). Métodos: Estudo comparativo com braço prospetivo e controlo retrospetivo. Incluídos doentes com neoplasia do esófago propostos para QRT definitiva ou neoadjuvante, com disfagia grau >2 e/ou perda de peso <10%. Colocada PEG (método pull) antes do início de QRT. Avaliada sementeira tumoral por zaragatoa e histologia. Como controlo, utilizada coorte histórica de doentes sem PEG. Registo ACTRN12616000697482. Resultados: 29 doentes (grupo intervenção, GI) foram comparados com 30 controlos (GC). Sem diferença significativa nos principais outcomes: perda de peso durante a QRT 8.1 ± 5.5 kg versus 9.1 ± 4.2 kg (p = 0.503); mortalidade aos 6 meses após QRT ou cirurgia 17.2% versus 26.7% (p = 0.383); taxa de complicações perioperatórias 54.5% versus 55.6% (p = 1.000); admissões hospitalares não planeadas 34.5% versus 40.0% (p = 0.661). No GC, durante a QRT, 14 (46.7%) apresentaram disfagia graus 3­4, dos quais 12 necessitaram de nutrição por sonda nasogástrica (n = 10), gastrostomia cirúrgica (n = 1) ou dilatação esofágica (n = 1). No GI, 89.7% utilizaram a PEG durante QRT, em algum momento de forma exclusiva em 51.7%. Os eventos adversos foram sobretudo minor (n = 12; 41.4%), sobretudo infeções tardias peri-estoma; 1 complicação major (laparotomia exploradora por suspeita de interposição de cólon, não confirmada). Sem evidência citológica ou histológica de sementeira tumoral no estoma. Conclusão: Embora não se tenham observado diferenças na perda de peso, complicações cirúrgicas e mortalidade entre grupos, metade dos utentes necessitou de nutrição entérica exclusiva, tornando a colocação de PEG uma alternativa a considerar.

Incidence and risk factors for neoplasia in inflammatory bowel disease.

INTRODUCTION: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients may have an increased risk of neoplasia. The aim was to evaluate the incidence of malignant neoplasia in IBD patients, associated risk factors and therapy adjustments. METHODS: Unicentric retrospective cohort study. All patients followed for IBD in a tertiary portuguese hospital and oncological centre during 2015-2020 were included. RESULTS: 318 patients were included female 55.0%, age at diagnosis = 37.24(±15,28), Crohn's disease 52.5%, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis n = 7, family history of cancer n = 12, previous diagnosis of neoplasia n = 23(7.2%). 42 cancers were diagnosed in 35 patients (11.0%) - median of 12.0(IQR = 7.5-21.0) years after IBD diagnosis. Most affected organs were the skin (n = 15 in 11 patients; melanoma = 1), colon/rectum (n = 8 in 6 patients), prostate (n = 4), breast (n = 3) and anal canal (n = 2). In those with non-melanoma skin cancer, 6 were under active treatment with azathioprine and 2 had stopped it for more than two years. In the univariate analysis, the occurrence of neoplasia was positively associated with tobacco exposure (p = 0.022), age at IBD diagnosis (p = 0.021), and negatively with infliximab exposure (p = 0.046). In 9 cases, cancer treatment was different because of the IBD, while IBD treatment was changed in 9 patients. In those affected by cancer, in the univariate analysis, its cure/remission was negatively associated with tobacco exposure (p = 0.004) and positively with salicylates use (p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: In IBD patients, cancer mostly affected the skin and the lower digestive system. As in the general population, tobacco exposure was a risk factor for the development of neoplasia.

Transmural remission improves clinical outcomes up to 5 years in Crohn's disease.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence supporting transmural remission (TR) as a long-term treatment target in Crohn's disease (CD) is still unavailable. Less stringent but more reachable targets such as isolated endoscopic (IER) or radiologic remission (IRR) may also be acceptable options in the long-term. METHODS: Multicenter retrospective study including 404 CD patients evaluated by magnetic resonance enterography and colonoscopy. Five-year rates of hospitalization, surgery, use of steroids, and treatment escalation were compared between patients with TR, IER, IRR, and no remission (NR). RESULTS: 20.8% of CD patients presented TR, 23.3% IER, 13.6% IRR and 42.3% NR. TR was associated with lower risk of hospitalization (odds-ratio [OR] 0.244 [0.111-0.538], p < 0.001), surgery (OR 0.132 [0.030-0.585], p = 0.008), steroid use (OR 0.283 [0.159-0.505], p < 0.001), and treatment escalation (OR 0.088 [0.044-0.176], p < 0.001) compared to no NR. IRR resulted in lower risk of hospitalization (OR 0.333 [0.143-0.777], p = 0.011) and treatment escalation (OR 0.260 [0.125-0.540], p < 0.001), while IER reduced the risk of steroid use (OR 0.442 [0.262-0.745], p = 0.002) and treatment escalation (OR 0.490 [0.259-0.925], p = 0.028) compared to NR. CONCLUSIONS: TR improved clinical outcomes over 5 years of follow-up in CD patients. Distinct but significant benefits were seen with IER and IRR. This suggests that both endoscopic and radiologic remission should be part of the treatment targets of CD.