Category: Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

Combined use of tumor markers improves prognostic accuracy in gastric cancer

This study evaluated the combined use of three tumor markers (CEA, CA72-4, and CA19-9) for prognostic assessment in gastric cancer patients. Data from 1,966 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy were analyzed, and hazard ratios were calculated. The results showed that the combined use of tumor markers significantly improved prognostic accuracy compared to using a single […]

Comparison of Short-Term Outcomes of Esophagojejunal Anastomotic Techniques during Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy

Based on a network meta-analysis of 20 studies involving 3,177 patients, the study found that different esophagojejunal anastomotic techniques during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for gastric cancer have comparable rates of anastomotic leakage and stenosis. No significant differences were observed in anastomotic bleeding, operative time, time to soft diet resumption, pulmonary complications, hospital length of […]

Safety and Efficacy of Robotic Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer in Japan

Real-world evidence from a large-scale database in Japan shows that robotic distal gastrectomy (RDG) for gastric cancer is safe and effective. RDG has comparable in-hospital mortality and postoperative complication rates to laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG), but RDG is associated with a longer duration of anesthesia, similar time to diet resumption, and shorter postoperative length of […]

Minimally Invasive Gastrectomy A Safe Alternative to Open Gastrectomy for Advanced Gastric Cancer in Western Countries

Minimally invasive gastrectomy (MIG) shows comparable postoperative recovery, oncological outcomes, and quality of life to open gastrectomy (OG) in patients with advanced gastric cancer in Western countries. A pooled analysis of two European randomized controlled trials found MIG to be a safe alternative to OG, with MIG showing lower blood loss but longer surgery duration […]

Optimistic Long-Term Outcomes for Esophageal Cancer Patients with Pathologic Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Surgery

Patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who achieved a pathologic complete response (PCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a favorable prognosis in terms of long-term survival. The 5-year overall survival rate for patients with PCR was significantly higher compared to those without PCR. However, a subset of patients still experienced recurrence, particularly locoregional […]

Impact of Tumor Size on Survival Outcome in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The study evaluated the influence of tumor size on the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 272 patients were categorized based on tumor size, with 36mm being the cut-off. Patients with tumor size ≥ 36mm had worse histological response and deeper tumor invasion. In […]

Upfront Surgery Valid for cT1-2N1 Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The study analyzed the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (ncrt) in patients with completely resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (escc) and minimal lymph node involvement (cN1). The researchers conducted a retrospective review of 247 patients who underwent upfront radical esophagectomy followed by adjuvant treatment. They found that upfront surgery provided accurate nodal staging information, potentially […]

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Does Not Increase Postoperative Complications in Gastric Adenocarcinoma

The study compared postoperative complications between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and upfront surgery in gastric adenocarcinoma patients in Finland. Analyzing data from 769 patients, the study found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not increase major postoperative complications, including pneumonia, anastomotic complications, wound complications, or other complications. The results suggest that neoadjuvant therapy is not associated with increased postoperative […]

A Video-Based Procedure-Specific Competency Assessment Tool Improves Evaluation of Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy

The study developed and validated a procedure-specific competency assessment tool (CAT) for minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE). The CAT consists of 8 procedural phases, with 4 quality components per phase, assessed using a 1-4 Likert scale. Peer-reviewed MIE videos were evaluated by 18 international experts. Results showed good intrarater reliability and moderate interrater reliability. Construct validity […]

International Consensus Defines Quality Measures for Minimally Invasive Gastrectomy

Researchers conducted an international Delphi consensus study to determine expert agreement on the key technical steps of minimally invasive total gastrectomy (MITG) for gastric cancer. A final consensus of 41 statements was reached, outlining crucial steps for performing high-quality MITG for oncological indications. The findings provide a foundation for developing and validating surgical quality assessment […]