Routine chest radiography following endoscopic oesophageal dilatation for benign peptic oesophageal strictures

Endoscopic oesophageal dilatation is a well-established procedure for management of patients with benign oesophageal strictures. The most important complication of the procedure is perforation with a recorded incidence of approximately 1%. Patients undergoing the procedure require close observation after dilatation. Routine chest radiographs are advisable following the procedure.     

Cost study of metal stent placement vs single-dose brachytherapy in the palliative treatment of oesophageal cancer

Self-expanding metal stent placement and single-dose brachytherapy are commonly used for the palliation of oesophageal obstruction due to inoperable oesophagogastric cancer. We randomised 209 patients to the placement of an Ultraflex stent (n=108) or single-dose brachytherapy (12 Gy, n=101). Cost comparisons included comprehensive data of hospital costs, diagnostic interventions and extramural care. We acquired detailed information on health care consumption from a case record form and from monthly home visits by a specialised nurse. The initial costs of stent placement were higher than the costs of brachytherapy (1500 euro vs 570 euro; P<0.001). Total medical costs were, however, similar (stent 11 195 euro vs brachytherapy 10 078 euro, P>0.20). Total hospital stay during follow-up was 11.5 days after stent placement vs 12.4 days after brachytherapy, which was responsible for the high intramural costs in both treatment groups (stent 6512 euro vs brachytherapy 7982 euro, P>0.20). Costs for medical procedures during follow-up were higher after stent placement (stent 249 euro vs brachytherapy 168 euro, P=0.002), while the costs of extramural care were similar (1278 euro vs 1046 euro, P>0.20). In conclusion, there are only small differences between the total medical costs of both palliative treatment modalities, despite the fact that the initial costs of stent placement are much higher than those of brachytherapy. Therefore, cost considerations should not play an important role in decision making on the appropriate palliative treatment strategy for patients with malignant dysphagia.     

国产食管金属内支架的临床应用

目的探讨国产食管金属内支架治疗食管癌性狭窄、食管—气管瘘及食管—纵隔瘘临床应用价值。方法先用导丝通过狭窄段,经球囊扩张,置入带膜食管金属内支架。结果48例食管狭窄者内支架置入后吞咽困难完全消除的7例（14．6％）,41例（85．4％）明显缓解。6例食管—气管瘘口封闭。结论国产食管金属内支架置入是治疗食管恶性狭窄安全可靠的方法,术后应继续进行抗癌治疗。     

Tracheo-oesophageal fistula after palliative treatment of oesophageal cancer

We present a case of an 86-year-old male who presented with severe pneumonia in the context of having undergone radiotherapy and then an oesophageal stent insertion for palliation of oesophageal cancer. He was diagnosed with a tracheo-oesophageal fistula (TOF) which was successfully managed by deploying a second stent within the first stent.     

Management of benign oesophageal strictures in children

Managing oesophageal strictures, whether benign or malignant has always been a challenging task for ENT Surgeons, Endoscopists, Cardio-thoracic surgeons and Gastro-enterologists. Although various newer technological developments have helped in better management of malignant strictures, it is the benign strictures that are still being managed by conventional means with gum-elastic bougies and other dilatation techniques. Children are not immune to benign strictures, rather corrosive strictures, congenital webs and membranes etc. are much more common in the paediatric age group. We present the technical details and our experience in managing benign oesophageal strictures in five children by endoscopic balloon dilatation.     

Incidental computed tomography diagnosis of a giant oesophageal leiomyosarcoma

Leiomyosarcoma of the oesophagus is a very unusual tumour; only 53 cases have been reported in the English-language literature. A case is reported here of a patient with a giant leiomyosarcoma, without any symptoms of dysphagia. The diagnosis was made incidentally during CT examination of the chest for detection of possible pulmonary metastases from a coexisting carcinoma of the bladder. This was confirmed by a barium swallow, oesophagoscopy and tissue diagnosis. The literature pertaining to this most uncommon tumour is reviewed.     

两种国产金属支架在治疗食管良恶性狭窄应用中的比较

目的:作者分析了63例食管内支架术的结果,旨在选择理想的金属支架.方法:本组63例食管良、恶性狭窄,使用2种支架材料,共安放69根,其中不锈钢支架19根、镍钛合金支架50根.结果:国产金属支架治疗食管良、恶性狭窄安全有效,又以镍钛合金被覆细腰喇叭形支架为最好,成功率高、副作用少.结论:镍钛合金支架优于不锈钢支架,在采用腔内支架治疗食管良、恶性狭窄中,应首选镍钛合金被覆细腰喇叭形支架.     

Brachytherapy in oesophageal carcinoma

Patients with recurrent or locally advanced oesophageal carcinoma have a poor prognosis. Relief of dysphagia is often the goal of any further treatment. Several methods, including laser re-canalization, prosthetic intubation, dilatation, external beam irradiation (EBI) and intraluminal brachytherapy (IBT) can be used to alleviate dysphagia. In this retrospective review of 11 patients, eight with recurrent tumour and three newly diagnosed patients were treated with low dose rate IBT. Relief of dysphagia was achieved in nine patients, all of whom were able to maintain swallowing of at least a semi-solid diet until death or last follow-up. Toxicity was minimal, but survival was poor, with a median survival of only 3 months. IBT presents several advantages over other palliative methods, especially in recurrent tumours where re-treatment with EBI is often difficult because of normal tissue tolerance. Low dose rate IBT takes only 1–2 days to deliver, is highly effective, has little morbidity and the palliation achieved is relatively durable.     

电化学和带膜镍钛合金支架双介入治疗晚期食管、贲门癌

目的探讨电化学疗法和带膜镍钛记忆合金支架双重介入治疗食管、贲门恶性狭窄的可能性。方法采用国产电化学治疗仪和铂金导管状电极与带膜镍钛合金支架相结合，杀灭肿瘤细胞、扩展狭窄管腔，解决晚期食管、贲门癌梗阻。结果治疗18例，缓解率100％。双重介入治疗后，按Stooler，分级0级12例，Ⅰ级6例。生存期2～20个月。结论电化学和带膜镍钛记忆合金支架双介入治疗法安全有效，创伤小，可作为一种有效的姑息治疗方法。     

Primary small-cell carcinoma of the oesophagus with spontaneous oesophageal perforation following chemotherapy

The authors describe a 66 year old woman with small-cell carcinoma of the oesophagus who developed a perforation following chemotherapy. Small-cell carcinoma of the oesophagus is a rare neoplasm, varying in appearance from a small mucosal lesion to a larger fungating mass, which in our patient presented as a bulky soft-tissue mass causing stricture. Pleural fluid collections which developed via a spontaneous oesophageal-pleural fistula were subsequently drained using percutaneously placed catheters. Radiologic management of this condition provided a successful and cost-effective means of patient care.     

First-line treatment with oxaliplatin and capecitabine in patients with advanced or metastatic oesophageal cancer: a phase II study

This phase II study assessed the safety and efficacy of oxaliplatin and capecitabine in patients with advanced oesophageal cancer. Fifty-one eligible patients received oxaliplatin 130 mg m(-2) intravenously on day 1 and capecitabine 1000 mg m(-2) orally twice daily on days 1 to 14 in a 21-day treatment cycle as first-line treatment for advanced oesophageal cancer. Grade 3 neutropenia was seen in one patient and anaemia in another patient. No grade 4 haematological toxicities were observed. Grade 4 non-haematological toxicity (lethargy) occurred in one patient (2%). Grade 3 non-haematological toxicity was seen in 14 (27%) patients (vomiting and polyneuropathy (8%); nausea (6%); lethargy and hand-foot syndrome (4%); and anorexia, diarrhoea, and hyperbilirubinaemia (each in one patient)). In 22% of the patients, toxicity was the reason for stopping the treatment. The overall response rate was 39%. The median overall survival was 8 months; the 1-year survival rate was 26%. In the quality of life (QoL) analysis, the emotional well-being improved during treatment, but the physical functioning scores declined. The fatigue score on the symptom scales increased. Overall, the global QoL score did not change during treatment. In conclusion, the activity of oxaliplatin and capecitabine is comparable with other chemotherapy regimens in advanced oesophageal cancer with a low frequency of grade 3/4 toxicity. Because this treatment can be given on an outpatient basis, it is probably less toxic than cisplatin-based therapy and preserves QoL during treatment, it is a viable treatment option in patients with advanced oesophageal cancer.     

Use of endoscopic mucosal clips in radiotherapy planning for oesophageal carcinoma: A series of three cases

This paper describes the technique of placing endoscopic mucosal clips to localize oesophageal carcinoma and hence facilitate radiotherapy planning. This technique has been used on three patients in our centre. One was treated radically with external beam radiotherapy and two were treated palliatively (retreatment) with intraluminal brachytherapy. Mucosal hemoclips were placed at the time of endoscopy to indicate the superior and inferior extent of the tumour. The clips provided a radiologically‐recognisable marker of the tumour extent and were visible on simulation films or planning CT scans. The radiation portal included the tumour as demarcated by the clips with an adequate margin. There were no complications related to the placement of the clips. All patients completed the radiotherapy course as planned.     

Definitive chemoradiation for oesophageal cancer--a standard of care in patients with non-metastatic oesophageal cancer

Aims

A retrospective analysis was carried out of 291 cases of oesophageal cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) at a single UK cancer centre between 1995 and 2009. Our protocol consisted of two cycles of neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy followed by two further cycles given concurrently with 50 Gy of external beam radiotherapy delivered in 25 fractions over 5 weeks.

Materials and methods

Demographic, patient and outcome data were recorded prospectively through an electronic health record and retrospectively analysed, using appropriate statistical tools.

Results

Data on 266 patients were available for analysis. The median age was 66.6 years, 53% were adenocarcinomas. dCRT was used instead of surgery because of age/co-morbidity in 44% and disease extent in 39%. Ninety-three per cent of patients completed treatment according to protocol. Grade 3 and 4 toxicities were seen in 42 and 7%, respectively. Median survival was 20.6 months; 2, 3 and 5 year survival rates were 43.6, 32.9 and 19.5%, respectively. Advanced disease was associated with a worse outcome. Shorter disease length was associated with a better median survival, but some patients with disease >10 cm had long-term disease control. The effect of other patient- and disease-related factors was also analysed.

Conclusion

We present data showing that dCRT is well tolerated and should be considered as an alternative to surgery for all patients with locally advanced oesophageal cancer, not only those with co-morbidity. Furthermore, the benefits of dCRT are not confined to carcinomas with squamous histology.     

胸骨后良性甲状腺肿瘤19例的外科治疗

目的：探讨胸骨后良性甲状腺肿瘤的手术治疗方式。方法：1996年1月－1999年12月本院头颈外科收治胸骨后良性甲状腺瘤的病人19例。均采用颈部入路方式的手术治疗,其中3例行锁骨头切除。结果：甲状腺腺瘤3例;结节性甲状腺肿16例。除1例有术后声音嘶哑外,无其他的并发症。结论：由颈部入路行胸骨后良性甲状腺肿瘤手术是安全的。     

Risk of betel chewing for oesophageal cancer in Taiwan

Among 104 cases of squamous-cell oesophageal carcinoma patients and 277 controls in Taiwan, after adjusting for cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and other confounders, we found that subjects who chewed from 1 to 495 betel-year and more than 495 betel-years (about 20 betel quid per day for 20 years) had 3.6-fold (95% Cl = 1.3-10.1) and 9.2-fold risk (95% Cl = 1.8-46.7), respectively, of developing oesophageal cancer, compared to those who did not chew betel.     

金属食管支架治疗食管恶性狭窄22例分析

[目的]研究金属支架治疗食管恶性狭窄的价值。[方法]采用镍钛合金和Z型支架治疗食管狭窄22例 (18例恶性狭窄 ,4例吻合口狭窄 ) ,包括6例食管支气管瘘。通过胃镜在X线下确定狭窄段的上下缘 ,以及瘘管的位置 ,并在体外和体内定位 ,拔出胃镜后留置导丝 ,将支架置入器沿导丝送到狭窄部位 ,在X线透视下确定支架位置正确后 ,缓慢释放支架 ,并适当调整位置。[结果]病人置放支架后吞咽困难分级降低1.67个等级 ,食管直径由(0.4±0.2)cm扩张至(1.6±0.2)cm。带膜金属支架使瘘口完全封闭 ,术后无严重并发症发生。[结论]金属支架治疗对于不能手术切除的晚期食管癌 ,食管瘘或手术后吻合口狭窄以及吻合口复发的病人是有效的姑息治疗方法 ,带膜支架对食管支气管瘘堵瘘非常有效     

A case-control study of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in women: a preventable disease

The incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus in British women is among the highest in the world. To investigate its aetiology, we conducted a multi-centre, population based case-control study in four regions in England and Scotland. We included 74 incident cases in women with histologically confirmed diagnoses of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus, and 74 female controls matched by age and general practice. High body mass index (BMI) around the age of 20 years (highest vs lowest quartile, adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 6.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28-28.52) and low consumption of fruit (highest vs lowest quartile, adjusted OR = 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.49) were associated with increases in risk. Breastfeeding by women was associated with reduced risk of their subsequently developing this cancer (ever vs never, adjusted OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.20-0.82) and there was a significant dose-response effect with total duration of breastfeeding. The summary population attributable risk from these three factors was 96% (90% if breastfeeding is excluded). We conclude that high BMI in early adulthood and low consumption of fruit are important risk factors for adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus. Breastfeeding may confer a protective effect but this needs confirmation. This cancer is a largely preventable disease in women.     

Detection of distant metastases in patients with oesophageal or gastric cardia cancer: a diagnostic decision analysis

Computed tomography (CT) is presently a standard procedure for the detection of distant metastases in patients with oesophageal or gastric cardia cancer. We aimed to determine the additional diagnostic value of alternative staging investigations. We included 569 oesophageal or gastric cardia cancer patients who had undergone CT neck/thorax/abdomen, ultrasound (US) abdomen, US neck, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), and/or chest X-ray for staging. Sensitivity and specificity were first determined at an organ level (results of investigations, i.e., CT, US abdomen, US neck, EUS, and chest X-ray, per organ), and then at a patient level (results for combinations of investigations), considering that the detection of distant metastases is a contraindication to surgery. For this, we compared three strategies for each organ: CT alone, CT plus another investigation if CT was negative for metastases (one-positive scenario), and CT plus another investigation if CT was positive, but requiring that both were positive for a final positive result (two-positive scenario). In addition, costs, life expectancy and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were compared between different diagnostic strategies. CT showed sensitivities for detecting metastases in celiac lymph nodes, liver and lung of 69, 73, and 90%, respectively, which was higher than the sensitivities of US abdomen (44% for celiac lymph nodes and 65% for liver metastases), EUS (38% for celiac lymph nodes), and chest X-ray (68% for lung metastases). In contrast, US neck showed a higher sensitivity for the detection of malignant supraclavicular lymph nodes than CT (85 vs 28%). At a patient level, sensitivity for detecting distant metastases was 66% and specificity was 95% if only CT was performed. A higher sensitivity (86%) was achieved when US neck was added to CT (one-positive scenario), at the same specificity (95%). This strategy resulted in lower costs compared to CT only, at an almost similar (quality adjusted) life expectancy. Slightly higher specificities (97-99%) were achieved if liver and/or lung metastases found on CT, were confirmed by US abdomen or chest X-ray, respectively (two-positive scenario). These strategies had only slightly higher QALYs, but substantially higher costs. The combination of CT neck/thorax/abdomen and US neck was most cost-effective for the detection of metastases in patients with oesophageal or gastric cardia cancer, whereas the performance of CT only had a lower sensitivity for metastases detection and higher costs. The role of EUS seems limited, which may be due to the low number of M1b celiac lymph nodes detected in this series. It remains to be determined whether the application of positron emission tomography will further increase sensitivities and specificities of metastases detection without jeopardising costs and QALYs.     

Systematic review and meta-analysis of immunohistochemical prognostic biomarkers in resected oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Background:

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is one of the fastest rising malignancies with continued poor prognosis. Many studies have proposed novel biomarkers but, to date, no immunohistochemical markers of survival after oesophageal resection have entered clinical practice. Here, we systematically review and meta-analyse the published literature, to identify potential biomarkers.

Methods:

Relevant articles were identified via Ovid medline 1946–2013. For inclusion, studies had to conform to REporting recommendations for tumor MARKer (REMARK) prognostic study criteria. The primary end-point was a pooled hazard ratio (HR) and variance, summarising the effect of marker expression on prognosis.

Results:

A total of 3059 articles were identified. After exclusion of irrelevant titles and abstracts, 214 articles were reviewed in full. Nine molecules had been examined in more than one study (CD3, CD8, COX-2, EGFR, HER2, Ki67, LgR5, p53 and VEGF) and were meta-analysed. Markers with largest survival effects were COX-2 (HR=2.47, confidence interval (CI)=1.15–3.79), CD3 (HR=0.51, 95% CI=0.32–0.70), CD8 (HR=0.55, CI=0.31–0.80) and EGFR (HR=1.65, 95% CI=1.14–2.16).

Discussion:

Current methods have not delivered clinically useful molecular prognostic biomarkers in OAC. We have highlighted the paucity of good-quality robust studies in this field. A genome-to-protein approach would be better suited for the development and subsequent validation of biomarkers. Large collaborative projects with standardised methodology will be required to generate clinically useful biomarkers.     

气管支架置入术治疗肿瘤引起的急性气道狭窄

背景与目的:肿瘤引起的急性气道狭窄,情况危急,对于此类患者实行金属气管支架置入术,有助解除患者呼吸困难,为进一步治疗争取时间。本研究旨在探讨其临床应用效果及并发症处理。方法:52例由肿瘤引起的急性气道狭窄患者在纤维支气管镜引导下,置入镍钛合金(Ni-Ti)支架。结果:52例患者支架放置成功,患者呼吸困难明显改善,术前PaO2、PaCO2、KPS值分别为(7.74±0.99)kPa、(5.37±0.39)kPa、68.85±8.08,术后PaO2、PaCO2、KPS值分别为(11.12±0.61)kPa、(4.58±0.30)kPa、84.62±5.03(P<0.01);术后并发症经对症处理后,均取得较好的疗效。结论:气管支架置入术对于肿瘤局部压迫、侵犯大气道而引起的急性呼吸困难是一种较好的姑息性治疗手段,可以挽救患者的生命,提高晚期肿瘤患者生活质量,为肿瘤患者进一步治疗创造机会。