Over the last decades, the treatment of resectable esophageal cancer has evolved into a multidisciplinary process in which all players are essential for treatment to be successful. Medical ...oncologists and radiation oncologists have been increasingly involved since the implementation of neoadjuvant therapy, which has been shown to improve survival. Although esophagectomy is still considered the cornerstone of curative treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer, it remains associated with considerable postoperative morbidity, despite promising results of minimally invasive techniques. In this light, both physical status and response to neoadjuvant therapy may be important factors for selecting patients who will benefit from surgery. Furthermore, it is important to optimize the entire perioperative trajectory: from the initial outpatient clinic visit to postoperative discharge. Enhanced recovery after surgery is increasingly recognized for esophagectomy and emphasizes perioperative aspects, such as nutrition, physiotherapy, and pain management. To date, several facets of esophageal cancer treatment remain topics of debate, such as the preferred neoadjuvant treatment, anastomotic technique, extent of lymphadenectomy, organization of postoperative care, and the role of surgery beyond locally advanced disease. Here, we describe the current and future perspectives in the surgical treatment of patients with esophageal cancer in the context of the available literature.
ABSTRACT
Initial results of the ROBOT, which randomized between robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) and open transthoracic esophagectomy (OTE), showed significantly better ...short-term postoperative outcomes in favor of RAMIE. However, it is not yet clarified if RAMIE is equivalent to OTE regarding long-term outcomes. The aim of this study was to report the long-term oncological results of the ROBOT trial in terms of survival and disease-free survival. This study is a follow-up study of the ROBOT trial, which was a randomized controlled trial comparing RAMIE to OTE in 112 patients with intrathoracic esophageal cancer. Both the trial protocol and short-term results were previously published. The primary outcome of the current study was 5-year overall survival. Secondary outcomes were disease-free survival and recurrence patterns. Analysis was by intention to treat. During the recruitment period, 109 patients were included in the survival analysis (RAMIE n = 54, OTE n = 55). Majority of patients had clinical stage III or IV (RAMIE 63%, OTE 55%) and received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (80%). Median follow-up was 60 months (range 31–60). The combined 5-year overall survival rates for RAMIE and OTE were 41% (95% CI 27–55) and 40% (95% CI 26–53), respectively (log rank test P = 0.827). The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 42% (95% CI 28–55) in the RAMIE group and 43% (95% CI 29–57) in the OTE group (log rank test P = 0.749). Out of 104 patients, 57 (55%) developed recurrent disease detected at a median of 10 months (range 0–56) after surgery. No statistically difference in recurrence rate nor recurrence pattern was observed between both groups. Overall survival and disease-free survival of RAMIE are comparable to OTE. These results continue to support the use of robotic surgery for esophageal cancer.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
Minimally invasive esophagectomy and gastrectomy are increasingly performed and might be superior to their open equivalents in an elective setting. The aim of this study was to evaluate ...whether minimally invasive approaches can be safely applied in the acute setting as well.
Methods
All patients who underwent an acute surgical intervention for primary esophageal or gastric cancer between 2011 and 2017 were identified from the nationwide database of the Dutch Upper GI Cancer Audit (DUCA). Conversion rates, postoperative complications, re-interventions, postoperative mortality, hospital stay and oncological outcomes (radical resection rates and median lymph node yield) were evaluated.
Results
Between 2011 and 2017, surgery for esophagogastric cancer was performed in an acute setting in 2% (190/8861) in The Netherlands. A total of 14 acute resections for esophageal cancer were performed, which included 7 minimally invasive esophagectomies and 7 open esophagectomies. As these numbers were very low, no comparison between minimally invasive and open esophagectomies was made. A total of 122 acute resections for gastric cancer were performed, which included 39 minimally invasive gastrectomies and 83 open gastrectomies. Conversion occurred in 9 patients (23%). Minimally invasive gastrectomy was at least comparable to open gastrectomy regarding postoperative complications (36% versus 51%), median hospital stay (9 days IQR: 7–16 days versus 11 days IQR: 7–17 days), readmissions (8% versus 11%) and oncological outcomes (radical resection rate: 87% versus 66%, median lymph node yield: 21 IQR: 15–32 days versus 16 IQR: 11–24 days).
Conclusions
Minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer is safe and feasible in the acute setting, with at least comparable postoperative clinical and short-term oncological outcomes compared to open surgery but a relatively high conversion rate.
Robotic assisted minimal invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) is increasingly applied as a clinically and oncologically safe technique in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer. This review focuses on ...the advantages and potential opportunities of RAMIE to improve the perioperative and oncological outcomes based on the evidence from current literature. In addition, critical notes on aspects such as procedure duration and costs are addressed in this paper.
Background
The role of upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy for distal esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinomas remains a matter of debate. This systematic review aims to provide a ...comprehensive overview of evidence on the incidence of nodal metastases in the upper mediastinum following transthoracic esophagectomy for distal esophageal or GEJ adenocarcinoma.
Methods
A literature search was performed using Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases up to November 2020 to include studies on patients who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy with upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy for distal esophageal and/or GEJ adenocarcinoma. The primary endpoint was the incidence of metastatic nodes in the upper mediastinum based on pathological examination. Secondary endpoints were the definition of upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy rate and survival.
Results
A total of 17 studies were included and the sample sizes ranged from 10-634 patients. Overall, the median incidence of upper mediastinal lymph node metastases was 10.0% (IQR 4.7-16.7). The incidences of upper mediastinal lymph node metastases were 8.3% in the 7 studies that included patients undergoing primary resection (IQR 2.0-16.6), 4,4% in the 1 study that provided neoadjuvant therapy to the full cohort, and 10.6% in the 9 studies that included patients undergoing esophagectomy either with or without neoadjuvant therapy (IQR 8.9-15.8%). Data on survival and RLN palsy rates were scarce and inconclusive.
Conclusions
The incidence of upper mediastinal lymph node metastases in distal esophageal adenocarcinoma is up to 10%. Morbidity should be weighed against potential impact on survival.
ABSTRACT
To ensure safe implementation of robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE), the learning process should be optimized. This study aimed to report the results of a surgeon who ...implemented RAMIE in a German high-volume center by following a tailored and structured training pathway that involved proctoring. Consecutive patients who underwent RAMIE during the course of the program were included from a prospective database. A single surgeon, who had prior experience in conventional MIE, performed all RAMIE procedures. Cumulative sum (CUSUM) learning curves were plotted for the thoracic operating time and intraoperative blood loss. Perioperative outcomes were compared between patients who underwent surgery before and after a learning curve plateau occurred. Between 2017 and 2018, the adopting center adhered to the structured training pathway, and a total of 70 patients were included in the analysis. The CUSUM learning curves showed plateaus after 22 cases. In consecutive cases 23 to 70, the operating time was shorter for both the thoracic phase (median 215 vs. 249 minutes, P = 0.001) and overall procedure (median 394 vs. 440 minutes, P = 0.005), intraoperative blood loss was less (median 210 vs. 400 milliliters, P = 0.029), and lymph node yield was higher (median 32 vs. 23 nodes, P = 0.001) when compared to cases 1 to 22. No significant differences were found in terms of conversion rates, postoperative complications, length of stay, completeness of resection, or mortality. In conclusion, the structured training pathway resulted in a short and safe learning curve for RAMIE in this single center’s experience. As the pathway seems effective in implementing RAMIE without compromising the early oncological outcomes and complication rates, it is advised for surgeons who are wanting to adopt this technique.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
SUMMARY
The circular mechanical and hand-sewn intrathoracic anastomosis are most often used in robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE). The aim of this study was to describe the ...technical details of both techniques that were pioneered in two high volume centers for RAMIE. A prospectively maintained database was used to identify patients with esophageal cancer who underwent RAMIE with intrathoracic anastomosis. The primary outcome was anastomotic leakage, which was analyzed using a moving average curve. For the hand-sewn anastomosis, video recordings were reviewed to evaluate number of sutures and distances between the anastomosis and the longitudinal staple line or gastric conduit tip. Between 2016 and 2019, a total of 68 patients with a hand-sewn anastomosis and 60 patients with a circular-stapled anastomosis were included in the study. For the hand-sewn anastomosis, the moving average curve for anastomotic leakage (including grade 1–3) started at a rate of 40% (cases 1–10) and ended at 10% (cases 59–68). For the circular-stapled anastomosis, the moving average started at 10% (cases 1–10) and ended at 20% (cases 51–60). This study showed the technical details and refinements that were applied in developing two different anastomotic techniques for RAMIE. Results markedly improved during the period of development with specific changes in technique for the hand-sewn anastomosis. The circular-stapled anastomosis showed a more stable rate of performance.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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