Long-Term Outcomes of the Treatment for Gastric Tube Cancer After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The long-term outcomes of gastric tube cancer (GTC) are unclear. This study therefore aimed to clarify clinicopathologic features and the long-term outcomes of patients with GTC. METHODS: The 25 patients who were diagnosed with GTC between April 2003 and December 2022 at our hospital were eligible for inclusion in this retrospective study, and this included 27 lesions. We retrospectively evaluated clinicopathologic factors based on hospital records. RESULTS: In our cohort, 88% of incidences of GTC were located in the middle or lower gastric tube. As the treatment of GTC, we used endoscopic submucosal dissection, gastrectomy, chemoradiotherapy, chemotherapy, and best supportive care for 16 (59%), 6 (22%), 1 (4%), 1 (4%), and 3 (11%) lesions, respectively. Perforation after endoscopic submucosal dissection was observed in 6 of the 16 lesions. Partial gastric tube resection was performed for 3 patients and total gastric tube resection was performed for 3 patients. One patient who underwent total gastric tube resection died due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. In survival analysis, the 3-year overall survival rate was 52% and the 3-year disease-specific survival rate was 74%. Five patients (20%) died of aspiration pneumonia, 2 patients (8%) of another disease, and 1 patient (4%) of another type of cancer. According to multivariate analysis, independent prognostic factors for overall survival were cN status (HR, 18.021; P=0.004) and complication of aspiration pneumonia (HR, 8.373; P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of aspiration pneumonia and cN status were prognostic factors after the treatment for GTC. Assessment of dysphagia and surveillance after treatment for GTC are important to improve the prognosis.

Robotic gastrectomy using hinotori™ Surgical Robot System: Initial case series.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to prove the feasibility and safety of robotic gastrectomy using the hinotori™ Surgical Robot System (Medicaroid Corporation, Kobe, Japan). METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled the 16 patients who underwent gastrectomy by the hinotori™ Surgical Robot System for gastric cancer at our hospital between June 2023 and January 2024. Console surgeons performed almost all lymphadenectomies, including the clipping of vessels. Assistant surgeons supported the lymphadenectomy using vessel sealing devices and during reconstruction. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were cStage I, one patient was cStage II, and two patients were cStage III. Distal gastrectomy, proximal gastrectomy, and total gastrectomy were performed in 11, 1, and 4 patients, respectively. D1+ and D2 lymphadenectomies were performed in 11 and 5 patients, respectively. Billroth-I, Billroth-II, Roux-en-Y, and esophagogastrostomy were performed in three, six, six, and one patients, respectively. The median operation time was 282 (245-338) min, and the median console time was 226 (185-266) min. The median blood loss was 28 (12-50) mL, and the median amylase levels in drainage fluid were 280 (148-377) U/L on postoperative day 1 and 74 (42-148) U/L on postoperative day 3. There was anastomotic leakage (Clavien-Dindo [CD] IIIa) in one patient who underwent proximal gastrectomy. The median postoperative hospital stay was 12.5 (12-14) days. CONCLUSION: In this initial case series, the hinotori™ Surgical Robot System was found to be safe and feasible for patients with gastric cancer and is suggested to be appropriate for gastrectomy, including distal gastrectomy and total gastrectomy.

Cancer histology in metastatic lymph node predicts prognosis in patients with node-positive stage IV colorectal cancer.

Background: Appropriate prognostic indicators are required for patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC). Lymph node metastasis mainly involves four histological types of CRC. Some metastatic lymph nodes (mLNs) showing cribriform carcinoma are associated with distant metastasis in patients with node-positive CRC and are correlated with recurrence and survival in stage III disease. However, the significance of mLN histology in the prognosis of patients with node-positive stage IV disease remains unclear. Methods: We enrolled 449 consecutive patients with CRC who underwent primary tumor resection with lymph node dissection between January 2011 and November 2018. This study included 88 patients with node-positive stage IV CRC and synchronous or metachronous distant metastases. We retrospectively investigated the association between cancer histology in the mLNs based on our classification and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with node-positive stage IV CRC. Results: Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that CSS was better in patients with CRC and all the mLNs showing tubular-type carcinoma. In contrast, patients with at least some mLNs showing poorly differentiated-type carcinoma had poor prognosis. Multivariate analysis showed that "all mLNs showing tubular-type carcinoma" was an independent good prognostic factor for CSS in patients with node-positive stage IV CRC. In addition, "at least some mLNs showing poorly differentiated-type carcinoma" was an independent poor prognostic factor for CSS in patients with node-positive stage IV disease. Conclusions: The histological type of the mLN may indicate a better or poor prognosis for patients with stage IV CRC.

Impact of zero anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy followed by whole stomach reconstruction for esophageal cancer: prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: The stomach is the most common organ which is used for reconstruction after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. It is controversial which is better narrow gastric tube reconstruction or whole stomach reconstruction to prevent anastomotic leakage. METHODS: From August 2022 to March 2023, we started a prospective cohort study of whole stomach reconstruction after esophagectomy. Until then (from January 2018 to July 2022), narrow gastric tube reconstruction was performed as a standard reconstruction. RESULTS: Narrow gastric tube reconstruction and whole stomach reconstruction were performed in 183 patients and 20 patients, respectively. The patient's characteristics were not significantly different between the narrow gastric tube group and the whole stomach group. In particular, for all patients in the whole stomach reconstruction group, retrosternal route and esophagogastrostomy by hand sewn were applied. There were no occurrences of AL through the continuous 20 cases in the whole stomach group, otherwise 42 (22.9%) patients in the narrow gastric group (P = 0.016). Postoperative hospital stays were significantly shorter in the whole stomach group than in the narrow gastric group (21 days vs. 28 days, P < .001). Blood perfusions were evaluated by indocyanine green for all cases, which had very good blood perfusion in all cases. Additionally, quantitative blood perfusion was examined by SPY-QP (Stryker, USA) for one case. Even the edge of the fornix showed more than 90% blood perfusion levels when the antrum was fixed as the reference point. CONCLUSION: Whole stomach reconstruction with excellent blood perfusion is considered to be safe and has the possibility to prevent from occurring AL after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer patients.

Histology of metastatic colorectal cancer in a lymph node.

BACKGROUND: A primary colorectal cancer (CRC) tumor can contain heterogeneous cancer cells. As clones of cells with different properties metastasize to lymph nodes (LNs), they could show different morphologies. Cancer histologies in LNs of CRC remains to be described. METHODS: Our study enrolled 318 consecutive patients with CRC who underwent primary tumor resection with lymph node dissection between January 2011 and June 2016. 119 (37.4%) patients who had metastatic LNs (mLNs) were finally included in this study. Cancer histologies in LNs were classified and compared with pathologically diagnosed differentiation in the primary lesion. The association between histologies in lymph node metastasis (LNM) and prognosis in patients with CRC was investigated. RESULTS: The histologies of the cancer cells in the mLNs were classified into four types: tubular, cribriform, poorly differentiated, and mucinous. Same degree of pathologically diagnosed differentiation in the primary tumor produced various histological types in LNM. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, prognosis was worse in CRC patients with moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma who had at least some mLN also showing cribriform carcinoma than for those whose mLNs all showed tubular carcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Histology in LNM from CRC might indicate the heterogeneity and malignant phenotype of the disease.

Feeding jejunostomy following esophagectomy may increase the occurrence of postoperative small bowel obstruction.

This study aimed to clarify the characteristics and treatment of bowel obstruction associated with feeding jejunostomy in patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. In this single-center retrospective study, 363 patients underwent esophagectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection for esophageal cancer at the Wakayama Medical University Hospital between January 2014 and June 2021. All patients who underwent esophagectomy routinely underwent feeding jejunostomy or gastrostomy. Feeding jejunostomy was used in the cases of gastric tube reconstruction through the posterior mediastinal route or colon reconstruction, while feeding gastrostomy was used in cases of retrosternal route gastric tube reconstruction. Nasogastric feeding tubes and round ligament technique were not used. Postoperative small bowel obstruction occurred in 19 of 197 cases of posterior mediastinal route reconstruction (9.6%), but in no cases of retrosternal route reconstruction because of the feeding gastrostomy (P < .0001). Of the 19 patients who had bowel obstruction after feeding jejunostomy, 10 patients underwent reoperation (53%) and the remaining 9 patients had conservative treatment (47%). The cumulative incidence of bowel obstruction after feeding jejunostomy was 6.7% at 1 year and 8.7% at 2 years. Feeding jejunostomy following esophagectomy is a risk factor for small bowel obstruction. We recommend feeding gastrostomy inserted from the antrum to the jejunum in the cases of gastric tube reconstruction through the retrosternal route or nasogastric feeding tube in the cases of reconstruction through the posterior mediastinal route.

Nutritional benefit of remnant gastric preservation in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radical esophagectomy and ileo-colon interposition.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the short-term surgical outcomes and nutritional status of ileo-colon interposition in patients with esophageal cancer who could not undergo gastric tube reconstruction. METHODS: Sixty-four patients underwent subtotal esophagectomy with reconstruction using ileo-colon interposition for esophageal cancer at the Wakayama Medical University Hospital between January 2001 and July 2020. Using propensity scores to strictly balance the significant variables, we compared treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Before matching, 18 patients had cologastrostomy and 46 patients had colojejunostomy. After matching, we enrolled 34 patients (n = 17 in cologastrostomy group, n = 17 in colojejunostomy group). Median operation time in the cologastrostomy group was significantly shorter than that in the colojejunostomy group (499 min vs. 586 min; P = 0.013). Perforation of the colon graft was observed in three patients (7%) and colon graft necrosis was observed in one patient (2%) in the gastrojejunostomy group. Median body weight change 1 year after surgery in the cologastrostomy group was significantly less than that of the colojejunostomy group (92.9% vs. 88.5%; P = 0.038). Further, median serum total protein level 1 year after surgery in the cologastrostomy group was significantly higher than that of the colojejunostomy group (7.0 g/dL vs. 6.6 g/dL, P = 0.030). CONCLUSIONS: Subtotal esophagectomy with reconstruction using ileo-colon interposition is a safe and feasible procedure for the patients with esophageal cancer in whom gastric tubes cannot be used. Cologastrostomy with preservation of the remnant stomach had benefits in the surgical outcomes and the postoperative nutritional status.

Pharyngolaryngectomy with thoracoscopic esophagectomy via the left thoracic approach for cervical esophageal cancer with right aortic arch: Case report.

We performed pharyngolaryngectomy with thoracoscopic esophagectomy via the left thoracic approach and reconstruction of the elongated gastric conduit with microvascular anastomosis for an 83-year-old male patient with esophageal cancer and right aortic arch. For such cases, a surgical approach via the left thoracic cavity is rational, and cases of pharyngolaryngectomy with thoracoscopic esophagectomy require a long reconstruction organ. Also, in cases of right aortic arch, a longer reconstruction route is made to avoid Kommerell's diverticulum. The patient had laryngeal cancer and was diagnosed with cervical esophageal cancer and preoperative computed tomography revealed right aortic arch. There were no complications after surgery, and food intake was good. Pharyngolaryngectomy with thoracoscopic esophagectomy via the left thoracic approach and reconstruction of the elongated gastric conduit with microvascular anastomosis is suggested to be a safe and feasible technique for cases of cervical esophageal cancer with right aortic arch.

Single-incision laparoscopic antrectomy for type I gastric neuroendocrine tumor: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Type I gastric neuroendocrine tumors (GNETs) originate from hyperplasia of enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells and are commonly detected in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis, including autoimmune gastritis. Typical treatment for type I GNETs comprises simple surveillance and/or endoscopic resection. For alleviation of hypergastrinemia resulting in ECL cell hypertrophy, antrectomy is a treatment option. Type I GNETs mostly have excellent prognosis, and if a surgical approach is chosen, the procedure must be minimally invasive. One such technique for multiple type I GNETs, minimally invasive single-incision laparoscopic antrectomy (SILA), is reported here for the first time. CASE PRESENTATION: We performed SILA on a 46-year-old woman who developed type I GNETs caused by hypergastrinemia due to autoimmune gastritis. A Lap-Protector was inserted in a 3 cm incision at the umbilicus, and set an EZ Access equipped with two 5 mm trocars and one 12 mm trocar. Antrectomy without lymph node dissection was performed using a 5 mm forward-oblique viewing endoscope, a vessel sealing device, and linear staplers, while reconstruction was by Billroth I reconstruction. Side-to-side anastomosis was performed using a 45 mm linear stapler. The stapler entry hole was sutured intracorporeally using barbed suture material. The operation time was 140 min and blood loss was 5 ml. The patient was discharged ten days after surgery without complications. Serum gastrin level decreased to within the normal range on the day after the operation. One year after surgery, esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed pathological disappearance of all lesions of the remnant stomach. CONCLUSIONS: SILA is a minimally-invasive and tolerable technique for treatment of multiple type I GNETs. In this reported case there was good cohesiveness and effectiveness in normalizing gastrin levels and in elimination of remnant gastric lesions.