Endoscopic incision for the treatment of refractory esophageal anastomotic strictures: outcomes of 13 cases with a minimum follow-up of 12 months

Background and aim: Endoscopic incision is an alternative method for refractory esophageal strictures; however, little is known about its long-term efficacy. The aim of the study is to assess the long-term outcomes of endoscopic incision for treating refractory esophageal anastomotic strictures. Methods: Between September 2011 and September 2014, 13 patients with refractory esophageal anastomotic strictures were treated with endoscopic incision. Their clinical data were retrospectively collected to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the technique. Results: All the 13 patients underwent the procedure successfully with median operation duration of 15 minutes. A total of 27 sessions were necessary to maintain lumen patency until September 2015, and 7 patients needed retreatment. The symptoms relieved in all the cases, and the median dysphagia score decreased from 4 to 1 during a median follow-up of 24 months. The median diameter of stricture was enlarged from 4 mm to 12 mm. As a short-term effect, dysphagia symptoms improved in 100% (13/13), 84.6% (11/13) and 76.9% (10/13) of the patients one, three and six months after a single treatment. As long-term effect, the dysphagia improved in 61.5% (8/13), 63.6% (7/11) and 60% (6/10) of the patients 12, 18 and 24 months after a single treatment. Conclusions: The efficacy of endoscopic incision is favorable in the short term. However, retreatment is needed to maintain the long-term lumen patency for parts of the patients.

Indução de morte celular em células de adenocarcinoma cervical humano (HeLa) pela lectina da esponja Cinachyrella apion (CaL)

Cancer is a term used to represent a set of more than 100 diseases, including malignant tumors from different locations. The malignancies are the second leading cause of death in the population, representing approximately 17% of deaths of known cause. Strategies that induce differentiation have had limited success in the treatment of established cancers. In this work, a lectin purified from the marine sponge Cinachyrella apion (CaL) was evaluated due to its hemolytic, cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties, besides the ability to induce cell death via apoptosis in tumor cells. The antiproliferative activity of CaL was tested against cell lines, with the highest inhibition of tumor growth for HeLa, reducing cell growth at a dose dependent manner, with a concentration of 10 μg/mL. The hemolytic activity and toxicity against peripheral blood cells were tested using the concentration of IC50 for both trials and twice the IC50 for analysis in flow cytometry, indicating that CaL is not toxic to these cells. To assess the mechanism of cell death caused by CaL in HeLa cells, we performed flow cytometry and western blotting. The results showed the lectin probably induces cell death by apoptosis activation by pro-apoptotic protein Bax, promoting mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, cell cycle arrest in S phase, with accumulation of cells of approximately 57% in this phase, and acting as both dependent and/or independent of caspases pathway. These results suggest that CaL has the potential to be used as drug treatment against cancer.

Prevalence of Barrett Esophagus in Adolescents and Young Adults With Esophageal Atresia

International audience

Does prenatal diagnosis modify neonatal treatment and early outcome of children with esophageal atresia?

International audience

Screening of esophageal varices by esophageal capsule endoscopy: results of a French multicenter prospective study

International audience

Histologic response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma: experience from Sudan.

Background: Locally advanced rectal cancer can be down staged by neoadjuvant therapy and the resultant tumor response can be quantified histologically. This study aimed to assess pathological response of neoadjuvant chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancers treated in Wad Medani Teaching Hospital (WMTH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI), Wad Medani, Sudan. Patients and Methods: A total of 36 consecutive patients with locally advanced rectal cancer that were managed in WMTH and NCI during the period from 2006-2011 were reviewed. Preoperative pelvic radiotherapy was delivered. Total of 46 Gray were delivered concurrently with 5- fluorouracil (5-FU) on the first and last week of radiation. Total mesorectal excision of the rectal tumour either by anterior or abdominoperineal resections was planned at 6-8 weeks from completion of preoperative treatment. The pathological response to therapy was assessed by histopathology examination of the surgical specimen. Results: Initial clinical staging of patients revealed 58.3% of them were stage T3/T4N2M0 and 41.7% were stage T3N0M0. Down-staging to stage T1/T2N0M0 was found in 36.1% and stage T3N0M0 in 30.6%. No response was seen in 8.3% of cases with stage T3/T4N2M0 while complete clinical response (no residual) was seen in 25.0%. Complete histological response was observed in 13.8%. Positive lymph-nodes metastasis was confirmed in 8.3% of cases. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation is a reasonable option for cases of rectal cancer and deserves further evaluation.

Valor de la histeroscopia en el diagnóstico del adenocarcinoma de endometrio

156 p.

Pancreatectomía córporo-caudal con resección del tronco celíaco por adenocarcinoma de cuerpo pancreático: intervención de Appleby modificada

La resección oncológica completa es el único procedimiento que permite la sobrevida a largo plazo en cáncer de páncreas. La afectación de la arteria hepática, tronco celíaco o arteria mesentérica superior constituyen una contraindicación quirúrgica porque se asocia a mal pronóstico y por las dificultades técnicas que implica conseguir la resección oncológica completa. Solo un grupo seleccionado de pacientes con buena respuesta a la quimioterapia y pasibles de resección R0 se benefician de la cirugía de resección del tronco celíaco. A partir de un caso clínico de un adenocarcinoma de páncreas con infiltración de la arteria hepática común y tronco celíaco que tras una buena respuesta a la neoadyuvancia y embolización de la arteria hepática común fue sometido a una esplenopancreatectomía córporo-caudal con resección del tronco celíaco, se realiza una revisión de la literatura sobre el tema y sus aspectos técnicos relevantes. El análisis realizado permite sugerir que en casos debidamente seleccionados la pancreatectomía córporo-caudal con resección del tronco celíaco en bloque es un procedimiento factible, seguro, y con buenos resultados quirúrgicos y oncológicos. En condiciones de respuesta a la quimioterapia neoadyuvante y experiencia del equipo quirúrgico pareciera que esta cirugía podría mejorar el pronóstico y calidad de vida de estos enfermos.

Adenocarcinoma pleomórfico de células giganates de vías biliares(osteoclastoma like)

Las células gigante tipo osteoclásticas (CGTO) del páncreas son una entidad poco frecuente descrito originalmente por Rosaien 1968, caracterizado por osteoclastos, que son células gigantes mononucleares idénticas a las células del estroma observadas en tumores óseos. Desde entonces, hay pocos informes de los tumores que contienen células gigantes en otras localizaciones anatómicas. Las CGTO se pueden distinguir de las células gigantes tipo pleomórficas (CGTP), debido a la falta de un marcado pleomorfismo nuclear asociado. A menudo, un carcinoma de páncreas histológicamente reconocibles acompaña CGTO, dando lugar a un mal resultado. Formas puras de CGTO presentan un mejor pronóstico porque se necesita mucho tiempo para desarrollar metástasis, pero esta forma es muy raros, con pocos casos reportados en la literatura Inglésa. La mayoría de veces se discute el diagnóstico de benignidad de estos tumores basados en la evaluación de inmunohistoquímica. El presente caso se trata de una paciente de sexo femenino de 56 años de edad con cuadro caracterizado por dolor tipo cólico que mejora con antiespasmódicos, de varios meses de evolución, con periodos de remisión y exacerbación. A examen físico presenta: en piel y mucosas ligero tinte subictérico, a nivel abdominal: abdomen doloroso de forma difusa sin viseromegalias o masas palpables

Self-expanding metal stents in postoperative esophageal leaks

Background: Postoperative esophageal leaks have a high morbidity and mortality. Self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) have been used as an alternative to re-operation. Aim: Evaluating predictors of success of SEMS in postoperative esophageal leaks. Methods: Retrospective study of patients with postoperative esophageal leaks referred for SEMS placement in a reference center during a period of 3 years. Technical success was defined as closure of the leak in barium swallow at 15 days. Clinical success was considered as endoscopic and/or radiographic confirmation of closure after stent removal. Results: Thirteen patients placed SEMS. Median follow-up was 58 days. Leaks had a median size of 20 mm. Time between surgery and SEMS placement was 20 days. One patient died 2 days after SEMS placement and one had worsening of the fistula after SEMS expansion. Time till stent migration was 9 days. Technical success was achieved in 9 of 11 patients, with clinical success without recurrence in 5 patients. All leaks with less than 20 mm were solved endoscopically. Technical and clinical success was higher when time between surgery and SEMS placement was lower, even though without statistical significance (respectively, p = 0.228 and 0.374). In the 8 patients who died during follow-up, median survival was 59 days. Conclusions: Technical success of SEMS was higher than 80%; however, due to high morbidity and mortality, only 45% of patients had their stent removed. Lower time from diagnosis to SEMS placement and leak size less than 20 mm may be associated with better results.

Nutritional status in children with esophageal stenosis and dysphagia associated with caustic ingestion

Introduction: Caustic ingestion (CI) in children and adolescents may lead to esophageal burns, esophageal stenosis and secondary dysphagia. These complications may limit the normal feeding process leading to malnutrition and growth impairment. Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the nutritional status and its association with dysphagia and esophageal stenosis in children with CI. Methods: Sixty-two patients with caustic ingestion treated at a pediatric referral hospital were included in this cross-sectional study. Independent variables were dysphagia/normal swallowing and esophageal stenosis/normal barium-swallow. The dependent variables were growth and nutritional status evaluated by anthropometry. Analysis: χ² test, OR, 95% CI, kappa test and Student's t-test. Results: The average age at the time of CI was 39.7 months; 38.7% of the patients were girls. Endoscopy performed upon admission revealed erosive esophagitis (II-b, III-a, and III-b) in 46 (77.8%) of the patients, dysphagia in twenty-four (38.7%) and esophageal stenosis in forty (64.5%). Both complications occurred simultaneously in 20 children (32.3%, kappa = 0.3, p = 0.014). The z-score of height-for-age was below -2 SD in five children (8.1%). The z score of body mass index (BMI) was < -2 SD in three children (4.8%) and it was above +1 SD in 24.2%. The z-score means of the arm anthropometric indicators of fat stores and muscle mass in both the dysphagia and esophageal stenosis groups were located in the negative area of the z-score curve and their values differed significantly from the z-scores of the non-dysphagia and non-stenosis groups. Conclusions: The proportion of erosive esophagitis, esophageal stenosis and dysphagia was high. Children with dysphagia and/or esophageal stenosis associated with CI had lower fat stores and muscle mass than the cases without esophageal complications.

Grief elaboration of a patient with a diagnosis of advanced colon adenocarcinoma: a case study

Objective: The term grief, from the French term grever, which means “to burden, to oppress”, can be deined as the process through which a person must go due to the loss of a loved one. We present a case of grief elaboration in a patient and his family that face a terminal illness. Clinical case: The patient is a 51-year-old man diagnosed with stage T4a N2b M1 colon adenocarcinoma. He came to the Department of Psycho-Oncology presenting depressive symptoms, marital and family issues associated with a medical condition, and work related issues. Conclusions: The patient was diagnosed with a secondary major depressive disorder episode in reaction to his medical condition. He was prescribed anti-depressive treatment, and family psychotherapy was recommended for grief elaboration.

Egfr Activating Mutations And Their Association With Response To Platinum-doublet Chemotherapy In Brazilian Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

The aim of the study was to analyze the frequency of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in Brazilian non-small cell lung cancer patients and to correlate these mutations with response to benefit of platinum-based chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our cohort consisted of prospective patients with NSCLCs who received chemotherapy (platinum derivates plus paclitaxel) at the [UNICAMP], Brazil. EGFR exons 18-21 were analyzed in tumor-derived DNA. Fifty patients were included in the study (25 with adenocarcinoma). EGFR mutations were identified in 6/50 (12 %) NSCLCs and in 6/25 (24 %) adenocarcinomas; representing the frequency of EGFR mutations in a mostly self-reported White (82.0 %) southeastern Brazilian population of NSCLCs. Patients with NSCLCs harboring EGFR exon 19 deletions or the exon 21 L858R mutation were found to have a higher chance of response to platinum-paclitaxel (OR 9.67 [95 % CI 1.03-90.41], p = 0.047). We report the frequency of EGFR activating mutations in a typical southeastern Brazilian population with NSCLC, which are similar to that of other countries with Western European ethnicity. EGFR mutations seem to be predictive of a response to platinum-paclitaxel, and additional studies are needed to confirm or refute this relationship.