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Introduction: Although urothelial carcinoma (UC) generally is non-invasive, contrastingly in 25% of patients UC metastasizes. Isolated central nervous system (CNS) metastasis from UC without other distant metastases are considered rare. In this report we describe a patient with an isolated and solitary cerebellar metastasis from UC. Research question: In this case report we explore the value of histological analysis of CNS metastases, imaging, treatment options and survival. Material and methods: A rare case is presented of a patient diagnosed with an isolated CNS metastasis originating from UC. Through a systematic review of literature route of dissemination, current imaging and treatment options, and survival are discussed. Results: A 77-year-old male was diagnosed with a pT2N0M0 high-grade UC and treated with transurethral resection and chemoradiation therapy. Several months later, the patient presented with neurological symptoms, and radiological imaging revealed a solitary cerebellar mass. A body CT scan showed no other metastasis. After surgical resection, histology confirmed urothelial origin of the mass, matching his primary UC and the patient received post-operative stereotactic radiotherapy at the surgical site. Recurrence of the cerebellar mass occurred after 6 months for which the patient received re-resection. The patient died 5.5 months after re-resection. Discussion and conclusion: Isolated brain metastases without other distant metastases from UC are rare, so histologic confirmation of the brain metastasis is essential, particularly when the time interval between diagnosis of the UC and brain metastasis increases. Early brain CT is not recommended. PET CT may have additional value in detection of other distant metastases from UC. Despite advancements in treatments, prognosis for CNS metastasis from UC remains poor.

Introduction: Multiple myeloma patients aged 80 years and older are a population more prone to comorbidities and frailty. We aim to describe the real-life management and outcomes of this population. EMMY is a descriptive large-scale study., Patients: Between 2017 and 2021 we included 4383 patients of which 894 (20.3%) were aged ≥ 80 years. Four cohorts of patients aged ≥ 80 years were analysed: line 1 (L1), line 2 (L2), line 3 (L3) or line 4+ (L4+)., Results: The proportion of patients ≥ 80 years old was 20.8% in L1, 21.3% in L2, 20.9% in L3 and 17.8% in L4+. L1 patients received more treatment including a proteasome inhibitor (PI) (42.9%), L2 patients received mainly an immunomodulator (IMID) (65.9%) or an anti-CD38 (31.5%). For L3, IMID was used in 71.4% than an anti-CD38 (33.5%). L4+ patients received a PI (40.6%), IMID (33.2%) or an anti-CD38 (29.1%). Regarding efficacy, the median progression-free survival was 18.4 months in L1, 15.1 months in L2, 10.4 months in L3 and 6.5 months in L4+. The median overall survival was 49 months in L1, 31.3 months in L2, 21.4 months in L3 and 13.6 months in L4+., Conclusion: EMMY cohort confirmed that patients ≥ 80 years of age represent an important proportion of MM patients, in the de novo or relapse setting. This study is an important step in improving our comprehension and management of treatment in elderly patients., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors have stated that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

High-dose melphalan (HDM) and transplantation are recommended for eligible patients with multiple myeloma. No other conditioning regimen has proven to be more effective and/or safer. We previously reported in a phase 2 study that bortezomib can safely and effectively be combined with HDM (Bor-HDM), with a 32% complete response (CR) rate after transplantation. These data supported a randomized phase 3 trial. Randomization was stratified according to risk and response to induction: 300 patients were enrolled, and 154 were allocated to the experimental arm (ie, arm A) with bortezomib (1 mg/m2 intravenously [IV]) on days -6, -3, +1, and +4 and melphalan (200 mg/m2 IV) on day -2. The control arm (ie, arm B) consisted of HDM alone (200 mg/m2 IV). There were no differences in stringent CR + CR rates at day 60 posttransplant (primary end point): 22.1% in arm A vs 20.5% in arm B (P = .844). There were also no differences in undetectable minimum residual disease rates: 41.3% vs 39.4% (P = .864). Median progression-free survival was 34.0 months for arm A vs 29.6 months for arm B (adjusted HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.61-1.13; P = .244). The estimated 3-year overall survival was 89.5% in both arms (hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.62-2.64; P = .374). Sixty-nine serious adverse events occurred in 18.7% of Bor-HDM-treated patients (vs 13.1% in HDM-treated patients). The proportion of grade 3/4 AEs was similar within the 2 groups (72.0% vs 73.1%), mainly (as expected) blood and gastrointestinal disorders; 4% of patients reported grade 3/4 or painful peripheral neuropathy in arm A (vs 1.5% in arm B). In this randomized phase 3 study, a conditioning regimen with Bor-HDM did not improve efficacy end points or outcomes compared with HDM alone. The original trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02197221., (© 2022 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Multiple myeloma (MM) is rare in young patients, especially before age 40 years at diagnosis, representing <2% of all patients with MM. Little is known about the disease characteristics and prognosis of these patients. In this study, we examined 214 patients diagnosed with MM at age ≤40 years over 15 years, in the era of modern treatments. Among them, 189 patients had symptomatic MM. Disease characteristics were similar to older patients: 35% had anemia, 17% had renal impairment, and 13% had hypercalcemia. The staging was ISS-1 in 52.4%, ISS-2 in 27.5%, and ISS-3 in 20.1%. Overall, 18% of patients had high-risk cytogenetics [del 17p and/or t(4;14)]. Ninety percent of patients received intensive chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant, and 25% of patients had allogeneic stem cell transplant predominantly at time of relapse. The median follow-up was 76 months, the estimated median overall survival was 14.5 years, and the median progression free-survival was 41 months. In multivariate analysis, bone lesions (hazard ratio [HR], 3.95; P = .01), high ISS score (HR, 2.14; P = .03), and high-risk cytogenetics (HR, 4.54; P < .0001) were significant risk factors for poor outcomes. Among predefined time-dependent covariables, onset of progression (HR, 13.2; P < .0001) significantly shortened overall survival. At 5 years, relative survival compared with same age- and sex-matched individuals was 83.5%, and estimated standardized mortality ratio was 69.9 (95% confidence interval, 52.7-91.1), confirming that MM dramatically shortens the survival of young patients despite an extended survival after diagnosis., (© 2021 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Bortezomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone plus transplant is a standard of care for eligible patients with multiple myeloma. Because responses can deepen with time, regimens with longer and more potent induction/consolidation phases are needed. In this phase 2 study, patients received eight 28-day cycles of carfilzomib (K) 20/36 mg/m2 (days 1-2, 8-9, 15-16), lenalidomide (R) 25 mg (days 1-21), and dexamethasone (d) 20 mg (days 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23). All patients proceeded to transplant after 4 cycles and received 1 year of lenalidomide maintenance (10 mg, days 1-21). The primary objective was stringent complete response at the completion of consolidation. Overall, 48 patients were screened and 46 enrolled; 21% had adverse cytogenetics. Among 42 evaluable patients after consolidation, 26 were in stringent complete response (CR; 61.9%), 27 were at least in CR (64.3%): 92.6% had undetectable minimal residual disease according to flow cytometry (≥2.5 × 10-5) and 63.0% according to next-generation sequencing (10-6). Median time to CR was 10.6 months. According to multiparametric flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing, 69.0% and 66.7% of patients, respectively, had undetectable minimal residual disease at some point. With a median follow-up of 60.5 months, 21 patients progressed, and 10 died (7 of multiple myeloma). Median progression-free survival was 56.4 months. There were no KRd-related deaths. Four patients discontinued the program due to toxicities; 56 serious adverse events were reported in 31 patients, including 8 cardiovascular events (2 heart failures, 5 pulmonary embolisms or deep vein thrombosis). Common grade 3/4 adverse events were hematologic (74%) and infectious (22%). In summary, 8 cycles of KRd produce fast and deep responses in transplant-eligible patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. The safety profile is acceptable, but cardiovascular adverse events should be closely monitored. This clinical trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02405364., (© 2021 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Objective: In cancer settings, physician empathy is not always linked to a better patient emotional quality of life quality of life (eQoL). We tested two possible moderators of the inconsistent link: type of consultation (bad news versus follow-up) and patient emotional skills (emoSkills, i.e., the way patients process emotional information)., Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 296 thoracic and digestive tract cancer patients completed validated questionnaires to assess their physician empathy, their emoSkills and eQoL. Moderated multiple regressions were performed., Results: In follow-up consultations, physician empathy was associated with a better eQoL in patients with low or average emotional skills. Those with high emotional skills did not benefit from physician empathy. Their eQoL was nonetheless very good. In bad news consultations, the pattern was reversed: only patients with average or high emotional skills benefited from physician empathy. Those with low emotional skills were not sensitive to it and presented a poor eQoL., Conclusion: Medical empathy is important in all consultations. However, in bad news consultations, patients with low emoSkills are at risk of psychological distress even with an empathetic doctor., Practice Implications: Accordingly, physicians should be trained to detect patients with low emoSkills in order to refer them to supportive care., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: This open-label, phase III trial compared chemoradiation followed by surgery with or without neoadjuvant and adjuvant cetuximab in patients with resectable esophageal carcinoma., Patients and Methods: Patients were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to two cycles of chemotherapy (docetaxel 75 mg/m2, cisplatin 75 mg/m2) followed by chemoradiation (45 Gy, docetaxel 20 mg/m2 and cisplatin 25 mg/m2, weekly for 5 weeks) and surgery, with or without neoadjuvant cetuximab 250 mg/m2 weekly and adjuvant cetuximab 500 mg/m2 fortnightly for 3 months. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS)., Results: In total, 300 patients (median age, 61 years; 88% male; 63% adenocarcinoma; 85% cT3/4a, 90% cN+) were assigned to cetuximab (n = 149) or control (n = 151). The R0-resection rate was 95% for cetuximab versus 97% for control. Postoperative treatment-related mortality was 6% in both arms. Median PFS was 2.9 years [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.0 to not reached] with cetuximab and 2.0 years (95% CI, 1.5-2.8) with control [hazard ratio (HR), 0.79; 95% CI, 0.58-1.07; P = 0.13]. Median overall survival (OS) time was 5.1 years (95% CI, 3.7 to not reached) versus 3.0 years (95% CI, 2.2-4.2) for cetuximab and control, respectively (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.52-1.01; P = 0.055). Time to loco-regional failure after R0-resection was significantly longer for cetuximab (HR 0.53; 95% CI, 0.31-0.90; P = 0.017); time to distant failure did not differ between arms (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.64-1.59, P = 0.97). Cetuximab did not increase adverse events in neoadjuvant or postoperative settings., Conclusion: Adding cetuximab to multimodal therapy significantly improved loco-regional control, and led to clinically relevant, but not-significant improvements in PFS and OS in resectable esophageal carcinoma., Clinical Trial Information: NCT01107639.

Purpose: To compare survival and impact of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IIPMN) and sporadic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)., Methods: From 2005 to 2012, 240 patients underwent pancreatectomy for IIPMN and 1327 for PDAC. Exclusion criteria included neoadjuvant treatment, pancreatic resection other than PD, vascular resection, carcinoma in situ, or <11 examined lymph nodes. Thus, 82 IIPMN and 506 PDAC were eligible for the present study. Finally, The IIPMN group was matched 1:2 to compose the PDAC group according to TNM disease stage, perineural invasion, lymph node ratio, and margin status., Results: There was no difference in patient's characteristics, intraoperative parameters, postoperative outcomes, and histologic parameters. Overall survival and disease-free survival times were comparable between the 2 groups. In each group, overall survival time was significantly poorer in patients who did not achieve adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.03 for the IIPMN group; p = 0.03 for the PDAC group). In lymph-node negative patients of the IIPMN group, adjuvant chemotherapy did not have any significant impact on overall survival time (OR = 0.57; 95% CI [0.24-1.33]). Considering the whole population (i.e. patients with IIPMN and PDAC; n = 246), patients who did not achieve adjuvant chemotherapy had poorer survival (p < 0.01)., Conclusions: The courses of IIPMN and PDAC were similar after an optimized stage-to-stage comparison. Adjuvant chemotherapy was efficient in both groups. However, in lymph node negative patients, adjuvant chemotherapy seemed not to have a significant impact., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Anastomotic leakage following total gastrectomy or esophagectomy is a significant complication that considerably increases postoperative mortality. The location of the anastomosis together with the anatomy of the esophagus explains the severity of this complication. Surgical knowledge should include general and specific predictive factors of leakage to avoid any technical-related cause of leakage. Clinical presentations may vary from minimally symptomatic to life-threatening situations. Investigations should be undertaken as soon as the diagnosis is suspected because delay greatly worsens the prognosis. CT scans with oral contrast and low insufflation early endoscopy are the preferred diagnostic tools and can also aid in therapeutic procedures. Communication and multidisciplinary teamwork are the cornerstones of treatment. When the leak occurs early with acute and important sepsis, the recommendation is surgical treatment. On the contrary, if the leak is late, non-symptomatic or minimally symptomatic, conservative management with intensive surveillance could be proposed. When the situation is in between these two extremes, endoscopic treatment is often proposed. Based on a review of the literature and experience from high volume centers, in this educational review, we present the incidence, predictive factors, clinical presentations, diagnostic tools, management, and therapeutic algorithms for anastomotic leaks following elective esophagectomy and total gastrectomy for cancer., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ the Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Even though the perioperative chemotherapy improves the overall survival (OS) compared to surgery alone in patients with a resectable gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA), prognosis of these patients remains poor. Docetaxel (D), cisplatin (C), and 5-fluorouracil (F) regimen improves OS compared to CF among patients with advanced GEA. We evaluated the potential interest of a perioperative DCF regimen, compared to standard (S) regimens, in resectable GEA patients., Methods: We identified 459 patients treated with preoperative DCF or S regimens. The primary endpoint was OS. Propensity scores were estimated with a logistic regression model in which all baseline covariates were included. We then used two methods to take PS into account and thus make DCF and S patients comparable. OS analyses were performed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox models in propensity score matched samples, and inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) samples., Results: In the propensity score matched sample, the p-value from the log rank test for OS was 0.0961, and the 3-year OS rate was 73% and 55% in DCF and S groups, respectively. The multivariate Cox regression underlined a Hazard Ratio of 0.55 (95% CI 0.27-1.13) for DCF patients compared to S patients. The results from IPTW analyses showed that DCF was significantly and independently associated with OS (HR = 0.52; 95% CI 0.40-0.69)., Conclusions: In this retrospective multicenter, hypothesis-generating study, the propensity score analyses underlined encouraging results in favor of DCF compared to S regimens regarding OS. This promising result should be validated in a phase-3 trial., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ the Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Major oncologic surgery is associated with a high incidence of venous thromboembolic events (VTE), including deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the incidence and risk factors for symptomatic VTE during curative treatment for patients with esophageal cancer are poorly documented., Methods: Data were collected from 30 European centers from 2000 to 2010. The incidence of in-hospital VTE was assessed in 2,944 patients with esophageal cancer having surgery with curative intent, and 50 clinically relevant parameters were assessed as potential risk factors for VTE. Patients received low molecular weight heparin prophylaxis during hospital stay and for 4 weeks after surgery., Results: Eighty-four patients (2.9%) developed a symptomatic VTE; all of them had a DVT and 44 were also diagnosed with a PE. In the VTE group there were 19 postoperative deaths recorded, 5 of which (26.3%) were directly caused by PE at postoperative days 7, 10, 21, 45, and 48 despite VTE prophylaxis. In-hospital postoperative mortality was significantly higher in VTE patients (23% versus 7%, p < 0.001) and mean hospital stay was also longer in this group (33 ± 24 versus 25 ± 21 days, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class (p = 0.008), pneumopathy (p = 0.002), or an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (p = 0.015) were significantly associated with VTE., Conclusions: Patients with ASA class III or IV and those who present a postoperative pneumopathy or ARDS seem to be at higher risk for VTE. Thus, current VTE screening and thromboprophylaxis for these patients might be inadequate and needs further investigation., (Copyright © 2016 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Outcomes for patients with oesophago-gastric cancer are variable across Europe. The reasons for this variability are not clear. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse clinical pathways to understand differences in service provision for oesophageal and gastric cancer in the countries participating in the EURECCA Upper GI group., Methods: A questionnaire was devised to assess clinical presentation, diagnosis, staging, treatment, pathology, follow-up and service frameworks across Europe for patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer. The questionnaire was issued to experts from 14 countries. The responses were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively and compared., Results: The response rate was (10/14) 71.4%. The approach to diagnosis was similar. Most countries established a diagnosis within 3 weeks of presentation. However, there were different approaches to staging with variable use of endoscopic ultrasound reflecting availability. There has been centralisation of treatments in most countries for oesophageal surgery. The most consistent area was the approach to pathology. There were variations in access to specialist nurse and dietitian support. Although most countries have multidisciplinary teams, their composition and frequency of meetings varied. The two main areas of significant difference were research and audit and overall service provision. Observations on service framework indicated that limited resources restricted many of the services., Conclusion: The principle approaches to diagnosis, treatment and pathology were similar. Factors affecting the quality of patient experience were variable. This may reflect availability of resources. Standard pathways of care may enhance both the quality of treatment and patient experience., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Short intensive chemotherapy is the standard of care for adult patients with Burkitt's leukaemia or lymphoma. Findings from single-arm studies suggest that addition of rituximab to these regimens could improve patient outcomes. Our objective was to test this possibility in a randomised trial., Methods: In this randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients older than 18 years with untreated HIV-negative Burkitt's lymphoma (including Burkitt's leukaemia) from 45 haematological centres in France. Exclusion criteria were contraindications to any drug included in the chemotherapy regimens, any serious comorbidity, poor renal (creatinine concentration >150 μmol/L) or hepatic (cirrhosis or previous hepatitis B or C) function, pregnancy, and any history of cancer except for non-melanoma skin tumours or stage 0 (in situ) cervical carcinoma. Patients were stratified into two groups based on disease extension (absence [group B] or presence [group C] of bone marrow or central nervous system involvement). Patients were further stratified in group C according to age (<40 years, 40-60 years, and >60 years) and central nervous system involvement. Participants were randomly assigned in each group to either intravenous rituximab injections and chemotherapy (lymphome malin B [LMB]) or chemotherapy alone by the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte datacentre. Randomisation was stratified by treatment group and centre using computer-assisted permuted-block randomisation (block size of four; allocation ratio 1:1). We gave rituximab (375 mg/m(2)) on day 1 and day 6 during the first two courses of chemotherapy (total of four infusions). The primary endpoint is 3 year event-free survival (EFS). We analysed all patients who had data available according to their originally assigned group. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00180882., Results: Between Oct 14, 2004, and Sept 7, 2010, we randomly allocated 260 patients to rituximab or no rituximab (group B 124 patients [64 no rituximab; 60 rituximab]; group C 136 patients [66 no rituximab; 70 rituximab]). With a median follow-up of 38 months (IQR 24-59), patients in the rituximab group achieved better 3 year EFS (75% [95% CI 66-82]) than did those in the no rituximab group (62% [53-70]; log-rank p stratified by treatment group=0·024). The hazard ratio estimated with a Cox model stratified by treatment group, assuming proportionality, was 0·59 for EFS (95% CI 0·38-0·94; p=0·025). Adverse events did not differ between the two treatment groups. The most common adverse events were infectious (grade 3-4 in 137 [17%] treatment cycles in the rituximab group vs 115 [15%] in the no rituximab group) and haematological (mean duration of grade 4 neutropenia of 3·31 days per cycle [95% CI 3·01-3·61] vs 3·38 days per cycle [3·05-3·70]) events., Interpretation: Addition of rituximab to a short intensive chemotherapy programme improves EFS in adults with Burkitt's leukaemia or lymphoma., Funding: Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Roche, Chugai, Sanofi., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: EURECCA (EUropean REgistration of Cancer CAre) is a network aiming to improve cancer care by auditing outcome. EURECCA initiated an international survey to share and compare patient outcome for oesophagogastric cancer. The present study assessed how a uniform dataset could be introduced for oesophagogastric cancer in Europe., Methods: Participating countries presented data using common data items describing patients', disease, strategies, and outcome characteristics. Patients treated with curative surgery for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or adenocarcinoma (ACA) were included., Results: United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Ireland participated. There were differences in data source ranging from national registries to large collaborative groups. 4668 oesophagogastric cancer cases over a 12 months period were included. The predominant histological type was ACA. Disease stage tended to be earlier in France and Ireland. In oesophageal and junctional cancers neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was preferred in the Netherlands and Ireland contrasting with chemotherapy in the UK and France. All countries used perioperative chemotherapy in gastric cancer but 1/3 of patients received this treatment. The mean R0 resection rate was 86% for oesophageal and junctional resections and 88% for gastric resections. Postoperative mortality varied from 1% to 7%., Conclusion: This European survey shown that implementing a uniform treatment and outcome data format of oesophagogastric cancer is feasible. It identified differences in disease presentation, treatment approaches and outcome, which need to be investigated, especially by increasing the number of participating countries. Future comparisons will facilitate developments in treatment for the benefit of patient outcomes., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Over the last two decades, many surgical teams have developed programs to treat peritoneal carcinomatosis with extensive cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Currently, there are no specific recommendations for HIPEC procedures concerning environmental contamination risk management, personal protective equipment (PPE), or occupational health supervision., Methods: A survey of the institutional practices among all French teams currently performing HIPEC procedures was carried out via the French network for the treatment of rare peritoneal malignancies (RENAPE)., Results: Thirty three surgical teams responded, 14 (42.4%) which reported more than 10 years of HIPEC experience. Some practices were widespread, such as using HIPEC machine approved by the European Community (100%), individualized or centralized smoke evacuation (81.8%), "open" abdominal coverage during perfusion (75.8%), and maintaining the same surgeon throughout the procedure (69.7%). Others were more heterogeneous, including laminar flow air circulation (54.5%) and the provision of safety protocols in the event of perfusate spills (51.5%). The use of specialized personal protective equipment is ubiquitous (93.9%) but widely variable between programs., Conclusion: Protocols regarding cytoreductive surgery/HIPEC and the associated professional risks in France lack standardization and should be established., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The incidence of oesogastric (OG) signet ring cell adenocarcinoma (SRC) is increasing in Western countries. The differential characteristics between oesophageal and gastric SRC tumours are unknown. We aimed to investigate the role of tumour location on prognosis in OG SRC., Methods: Among 924 OG SRC resected in 21 centres from 1997 to 2010, consecutive patients who had oesophageal tumours (group OESO, n = 136) were matched to randomly selected patients who had gastric tumours (group GASTRIC, n = 363). Matching variables were gender, age, American Society of Anaesthesiologists score, malnutrition, pretherapeutic clinical TNM stage and neoadjuvant treatment. Patients and tumour characteristics were compared between groups and prognostic factors were identified., Results: The two groups were well matched. Tumours in group GASTRIC were more advanced at surgical exploration, with higher rates of linitis plastica (P < 0.001), peritoneal carcinomatosis (P = 0.001), and advanced pTNM stages (P = 0.034). Radicality of resection and recurrence rates were similar (P > 0.480). Recurrences were more frequently distant (P < 0.001) and peritoneal (P < 0.001) in group GASTRIC. After adjustment on confounding variables, gastric location (P = 0.034) was independently associated with a better prognosis than oesophageal location., Conclusion: Gastric and oesophageal SRC tumours are distinct diseases. Despite similar pretherapeutic factors, gastric tumours were more advanced with a greater propensity for the peritoneal surface at the diagnosis and recurrence and associated with a better prognosis., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Lymph node invasion is an early event in the oesophageal carcinogenesis and represents the main prognostic factor in the curative setting. Even though the primacy of surgical resection has been challenged by the definitive radiochemotherapy for locally advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the oesophagus, surgery is now again a gold standard, in combination with (radio)chemotherapy, to improve locoregional disease control and long term survival. Surgery, especially lymphadenectomy, has consequently to be standardized through quality criteria. Lymph node stations invaded in œsophageal and junctional cancers, lymphadenectomy, and its impact on outcomes are discussed in this review based on the highest level of evidence published data., (Copyright © 2014 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Background: To date, for esophageal cancer (EC), the optimal timing of surgical procedures after neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) is not well defined. Data in rectal cancer suggest that a prolonged interval between treatment and operation may improve tumoral pathologic response, R0 resection rate, and survival. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether delaying operation after nCRT in EC increases pathologic response and has an impact on oncologic outcome or postoperative course., Methods: A total of 257 consecutive EC patients (n=161 squamous cell carcinomas and n=96 adenocarcinomas) undergoing nCRT followed by operation between 1997 and 2011 were retrospectively analyzed by the use of prospectively collected data. The patients were divided into two groups according to the median delay between nCRT and operation (<7 weeks, n=122; ≥7 weeks, n=135). The impact of surgical delay on outcomes was studied through univariable and multivariable analyses., Results: The groups were comparable regarding patient and tumor characteristics (p≥0.074). The ypT0 and R0 resection rates were similar between the two groups, as were postoperative course, median survivals, and incidence and patterns of recurrence (p≥0.332). Multivariable analysis failed to identify any impact of the surgical delay on the endpoints. Subgroup analysis according to the histologic type found similar results., Conclusions: After nCRT for EC, delaying operation does not affect the ypT0 rate, postoperative course, or oncologic outcome and cannot therefore be justified by these aims., (Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Seven countries (Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom) collaborated to initiate a EURECCA (European Registration of Cancer Care) Upper GI project. The aim of this study was to identify a core dataset of shared items in the different data registries which can be used for future collaboration between countries., Methods: Item lists from all participating Upper GI cancer registries were collected. Items were scored 'present' when included in the registry, or when the items could be deducted from other items in the registry. The definition of a common item was that it was present in at least six of the seven participating countries., Results: The number of registered items varied between 40 (Poland) and 650 (Ireland). Among the 46 shared items were data on patient characteristics, staging and diagnostics, neoadjuvant treatment, surgery, postoperative course, pathology, and adjuvant treatment. Information on non-surgical treatment was available in only 4 registries., Conclusions: A list of 46 shared items from seven participating Upper GI cancer registries was created, providing a basis for future quality assurance and research in Upper GI cancer treatment on a European level., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) strains resistant to ganciclovir, cidofovir and/or foscarnet were genotypically and phenotypically characterised in two haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients and three solid-organ transplant recipients with CMV disease. The anti-malaria drug artesunate led to a favourable virological and clinical response in three cases with mild CMV diseases (fever and neutropaenia) but was ineffective in two fatal CMV diseases with lung involvement in spite of a decrease in the CMV DNA load in blood and bronchoalveolar fluid., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Signet ring cell (SRC) tumors have a worse prognosis when compared with non-SRC tumors, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been suggested to be an ineffective treatment strategy. Preoperative radiochemotherapy, of already proven efficacy for esophagogastric junction adenocarcinomas (EGJA), could be an alternative neoadjuvant strategy for SRC EGJA. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the survival impact of preoperative radiochemotherapy on patients with advanced resectable SRC EGJA., Methods: Of 3,010 patients registered in 21 French centers between January 1997 and January 2010, 2,670 underwent surgical resection, of whom 97 patients had a stage III SRC EGJA treated by either neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by surgery (group RCT, n = 23) or primary surgery (group S, n = 74)., Results: Groups were comparable by age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, malnutrition, and cTNM stage. There was evidence of significant tumoral (p = 0.003), nodal (p < 0.001), and pTNM (p < 0.001) downstaging after radiochemotherapy. In group RCT and group S, 3-year overall survival was 51% and 21% (p = 0.002), respectively, with disease recurrence rate of 30.4% versus 59.5% (p = 0.015), respectively. In multivariate analysis the sole independent favorable prognostic factor identified was the administration of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (hazard ratio 0.41, p = 0.020)., Conclusions: In the setting of locally advanced SRC EGJA, neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy is responsible for tumoral downstaging, reduced disease recurrence, and improved patient survival. A strategy of preoperative radiochemotherapy should be implemented in clinical practice to treat advanced SRC EGJA., (Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The poor prognosis of signet ring cell (SRC) eso-gastric adenocarcinoma (EGA) might be explained by its great affinity for the peritoneum. The aim of this study was to identify predictors of peritoneal carcinomatosis recurrence (PCR) after curative surgery and hence identify high risk patients., Methods: A retrospective national survey was conducted over 19 French surgical centers between 1997 and 2010. Patients with non-metastatic disease who benefited from curative surgery without postoperative death were included. Event-free patients who did not reach the time point of 24 months were excluded., Results: In a cohort of 3010 patients, 1050 were SRC EGA and 424 patients met the selection criteria. The tumor location was mainly gastric (68.9%) and a total gastrectomy was performed in 218 patients (51.4%). Chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy alone was given preoperatively to 71 (16.7%) and postoperatively to 150 (35.4%) patients. After a median follow-up of 54 months, recurrence was diagnosed in 214 patients (50.5%) within a mean delay of 17 ± 10.7 months. PCR was diagnosed in 81 patients (19.1%). In multivariable analysis, four factors were identified as predictors of PCR: linitis plastica (p < 0.001; OR = 4.83), tumor invasion of/or through the peritoneal serosa (p = 0.022; OR = 1.58), lymph node involvement (p = 0.005; OR = 1.7) and tumors of gastric origin (p = 0.026; OR = 2.36), with PCR rates of 55%, 26%, 23% and 22%, respectively., Conclusion: Identification of strong predictors for PCR among this large series of SRC EGA patients helps to identify subgroups of patients that may benefit from specific therapeutic strategies such as prophylactic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Oesophagectomy for carcinoma can be viewed as comprising two components: resection of the oesophagus and resection of the enveloping lymphatics. Controversy exists regarding how extensive these two components should be., Methods: Through a literature overview, the aim of this educational article is to provide surgeons with arguments to understand which operation is the most oncologically sound according to patient and tumour parameters., Results: Non-randomised comparative studies evaluating radical lymphadenectomy have reported controversial survival benefit. Independent association found between the number of surgically removed lymph nodes and overall survival is an indirect evidence supporting radical lymphadenectomy. The only phase III trial comparing non-radical transhiatal oesophagectomy with transthoracic oesophagectomy for patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma found 5-year survival rates of 29% vs. 39%, respectively. Although not statistically significant due to underpowered study, specialists would consider less of an increase in survival to be clinically relevant. For squamous OC, the first small randomised controlled trial comparing 2-field lymphadenectomy to 3-field lymphadenectomy did not found significant 5-year survival difference (48% vs. 66%) and the second one comparing 2-field lymphadenectomy to lymph node sampling identified a survival benefit favoring radical resection (36% vs. 25%)., Conclusion: Radical transthoracic oesophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy appears to offer an optimal balance between benefits and risks to a majority of OC patients, especially in the growing area of neoadjuvant treatments. Non-radical resection should be probably reserved for patients with a poor general status whereas 3-field lymphadenectomy may be reserved to selected patients with loco-regional disease in experienced hands, surely for patients with upper OC., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

MUC4 is a membrane-bound mucin known to participate in tumor progression. It has been shown that MUC4 pattern of expression is modified during esophageal carcinogenesis, with a progressive increase from metaplastic lesions to adenocarcinoma. The principal cause of development of esophageal adenocarcinoma is the gastro-esophageal reflux, and MUC4 was previously shown to be upregulated by several bile acids present in reflux. In this report, our aim was thus to determine whether MUC4 plays a role in biological properties of human esophageal cancer cells. For that stable MUC4-deficient cancer cell lines (shMUC4 cells) were established using a shRNA approach. In vitro (proliferation, migration and invasion) and in vivo (tumor growth following subcutaneous xenografts in SCID mice) biological properties of shMUC4 cells were analyzed. Our results show that shMUC4 cells were less proliferative, had decreased migration properties and did not express S100A4 protein when compared with MUC4 expressing cells. Absence of MUC4 did not impair shMUC4 invasiveness. Subcutaneous xenografts showed a significant decrease in tumor size when cells did not express MUC4. Altogether, these data indicate that MUC4 plays a key role in proliferative and migrating properties of esophageal cancer cells as well as is a tumor growth promoter. MUC4 mucin appears thus as a good therapeutic target to slow-down esophageal tumor progression., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare chemoradiation with systemic chemotherapy to chemotherapy alone in locally advanced pancreatic cancer., Patients and Methods: One hundred and nineteen patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, with World Health Organization performance status of zero to two were randomly assigned to either the induction chemoradiation group (60 Gy, 2 Gy/fraction; concomitant 5-fluoro-uracil infusion, 300 mg/m(2) per day, days 1-5 for 6 weeks; cisplatin, 20 mg/m(2) per day, days 1-5 during weeks 1 and 5) or the induction gemcitabine group (GEM: 1000 mg/m(2) weekly for 7 weeks). Maintenance gemcitabine (1000 mg/m(2) weekly, 3/4 weeks) was given in both arms until disease progression or toxicity., Results: Overall survival was shorter in the chemoradiation than in the gemcitabine arm (median survival 8.6 [99% confidence interval 7.1-11.4] and 13 months [8,9,9-18], p=0.03). One-year survival was, respectively, 32 and 53%. These results were confirmed in a per-protocol analysis for patients who received 75% or more of the planned dose of radiotherapy. More overall grades 3-4 toxic effects were recorded in the chemoradiation arm, both during induction (36 versus 22%) and maintenance (32 versus 18%)., Conclusion: This intensive induction schedule of chemoradiation was more toxic and less effective than gemcitabine alone., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier SAS.)

Background: The role of chemoradiation with systemic chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone in locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) is uncertain., Patients and Methods: One hundred and nineteen patients with LAPC, World Health Organization performance status of zero to two were randomly assigned to either the induction CHRT group (60 Gy, 2 Gy/fraction; concomitant 5-fluorouracil infusion, 300 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-5 for 6 weeks; cisplatin, 20 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-5 during weeks 1 and 5) or the induction gemcitabine group (GEM: 1000 mg/m(2) weekly for 7 weeks). Maintenance gemcitabine (1000 mg/m(2) weekly, 3/4 weeks) was given in both arms until disease progression or toxicity., Results: Overall survival was shorter in the CHRT than in GEM arm [median survival 8.6 (99% confidence interval 7.1-11.4) and 13 months (8.7-18.1), P = 0.03]. One-year survival was, respectively, 32% and 53%. These results were confirmed in a per-protocol analysis for patients who received 75% or more of the planned dose of radiotherapy. More overall grades 3-4 toxic effects were recorded in the CHRT arm, both during induction (36 versus 22%) and maintenance (32 versus 18%)., Conclusion: This intensive induction schedule of CHRT was more toxic and less effective than gemcitabine alone.

During the last 10 years, the incidence of lower third oesophagus and esogastric junction adenocarcinomas in western countries continued to increase whereas that of squamous cell carcinomas declined. In France, this trend was also observed even if it remained much fainter than that observed in the United States. Increasingly arguments incite to propose specific diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for each histological type. Preoperative work-up includes for some patients primary laparoscopic approach and positrons emission tomography. Indications for both procedures are specified in the recent recommendations of the National Thesaurus. Endoscopic approach is now a valuable option offered for selected patients treated in a curative or palliative attempt or sustaining postoperative fistula. Curative therapeutic strategies include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, mostly in a combined fashion. Therapeutic strategies have markedly changed for 10 years, and their respective place is specified for each histological types and according to tumour location.

A phase I trial was initiated to establish the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of chronomodulated 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin given concurrently with preoperative radiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer. Patients with stage I or II esophageal cancer received preoperative radiation therapy (28-30 daily 1.8-Gy fractions for a total of 50.4 or 54 Gy) and concurrent three fortnightly cycles of chronomodulated 5-fluorouracil (700-835 mg/m2 per day, d1-d4, with peak delivery at 4.00 am) and cisplatin (50 mg/m2, d1, with peak delivery at 4.00 pm) administered by a time-programmable pump. Ten patients were treated on this study. Two of six patients treated at the starting dose-level experienced acute DLTs (esophagitis, asthenia) which required de-escalation of 5-fluorouracil. Five patients out of ten experienced seven DLTs (severe esophagitis, asthenia, vomiting: 5/1/1) at any dose-level. The MTD was not assessed because the study was halted due to slow accrual. Finally, two patients deceased from an Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome due to inadequate radiation therapy planning. Without definitively ruling out any possible impact of chronomodulation in that setting, our data reinforce the need of a better selection of patients aimed to be treated by CRT plus surgery.

Adhesion barriers are intraperitoneal agents, solid or fluid, developed in order to prevent postoperative adhesions. In this article, we evaluate the efficiency of these new barrier agents for adhesion prevention in gynaecologic surgery, undertaking a review of controlled clinical trials published. Several human clinical trials demonstrated the safety and efficiency of both Interceed and Seprafilm. As far as other barrier agents are concerned, data are still insufficient to recommend them for clinical use. There is a need for other randomised controlled trials in order to evaluate functional efficiency of anti adhesion agents.

Regarding curative treatment of oesophageal carcinoma, many therapeutic options could be planned. Surgery is traditionally considered as the most appropriate treatment for locoregional control and long-term survival. Because of the poor prognosis, muldisciplinary approach is necessary, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, alone or in association. However, because of the small number of well randomised trials, the question of which treatment is the most appropriate is still under debate. In 2007, following therapeutic strategies could be drawn: surgery is the main treatment, used alone for stages I and IIa, in association with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT) or chemoradiation (CRT) for stages IIb. For locally advanced tumours (stage III), adenocarcinomas required neoadjuvant CT or CRT followed by surgery, whereas for squamous cell carcinomas exclusive CRT is the main treatment with following important conditions : (i) response to CRT, (ii) curative salvage surgery in case of non response after 2 cycles or persistent tumour after 4 cycles, (iii) long-term survival may be probably enhanced by adjuvant surgery in experienced centres for selected patients.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is the gold standard of the treatment of advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The role of surgery after chemoradiotherapy is still debated. Feasibility of curative resection depends on dose of radiotherapy, morbimortality rates, and nutrition status at the end of the protocol especially for non-responders patients. Adding surgery to radiochemotherapy improves local tumour control but does not increase overall survival of patients with advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. According to the two randomised trials published on the subject, surgery is not recommended after chemoradiotherapy for responders. Recommendations of French National Thesaurus are: exclusive chemoradiotherapy as reference, esophagectomy for residual tumour as alternative for operable patients. Surgery may be proposed for selected non-responders patients and some complete pathology response in expert center.

Background: The aim of the study was to compare the longitudinal quality of life (QoL) between chemoradiation with or without surgery in patients with locally advanced squamous resectable esophageal cancer included in a randomized multicenter phase III trial (FFCD 9102)., Materials and Methods: All patients with locally advanced resectable (T3-4 N0-1 M0) epidermoid or glandular esophageal cancer (n = 451) received induction chemoradiation. Responders (n = 259) were randomized between surgery (arm A) and continuation of chemoradiation (arm B). The Spitzer QoL Index was scored (0-10) at inclusion and at each follow-up, every 3 months during 2 years. QoL at baseline and longitudinal changes were respectively compared with univariate ANOVA and mixed-model analysis of variance for repeated measurements. The time interval between the follow-up was assessed and the same analyses were performed among survivors with 2 years of follow-up., Results: The squamous histology was predominant in both arms. The mean QoL score decreased between baseline and the first follow-up and between the first and the second follow-ups. QoL scores at the first follow-up were comparatively worse in arm A than in arm B (7.52 versus 8.45, P < 0.01), whereas the longitudinal QoL study showed no difference between treatments (adjusted P = 0.26). Furthermore, the longitudinal QoL was not different (adjusted P = 0.23) among survivors with 2 years of follow-up., Conclusions: Among patients responding to induction chemoradiation, surgery and continuation of chemoradiation had the same impact on QoL in patients with locally advanced, resectable esophageal cancer although a significantly greater decrease in the Spitzer Index was observed in the postoperative period.

Background: Photodynamic therapy is an endoscopic treatment of early cancers based on the photosensitisation of neoplasms following the administration of a photosensitiser prior to laser light-induced tissue destruction., Aim: To assess the results of photodynamic therapy using Photofrin(Axcan Pharma Inc., Quebec, Canada) in patients with an early oesophageal cancer., Patients: Twenty-four patients with early oesophageal cancer presenting as a not well-demarcated irregular dyschromic area of mucosa and unsuitable for any other treatment underwent photodynamic therapy. RESULTS.: Seventy-five per cent were successfully treated; three of them recurred and two died from head and neck cancer. To date, 54% of patients are alive without recurrence; the average follow-up is 21 months. There were one oesophageal lethal perforation and six stenosis. Results of photodynamic therapy were limited in this series by three failures, three recurrences and three deaths from previous head and neck cancers., Conclusion: This study provides some promising data for photodynamic therapy of oesophageal carcinomas in selected patients. It also emphasises the need for a best delivery device of laser light.

Aim: To document the results of surgery alone in patients with localised oesophageal carcinoma., Methods: Between January 1982 and 2002, 179 consecutive patients who underwent curative oesophagectomy for stage 0, I or II oesophageal carcinoma, without neo-adjuvant treatment, were analysed retrospectively., Results: Postoperative mortality and morbidity rates were 2.8 and 30.7%, respectively. The overall actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 59%. No patients with more than four invaded lymph nodes survived 5 years. A lymph node ratio more than 0.2, more than four invaded lymph nodes and an advanced pTNM stage were predictors of poor prognosis., Conclusion: Long-term survival after surgery alone for localised oesophageal carcinoma can be achieved in some 2/3rds of patients. These results should be considered before designing neo-adjuvant therapeutic regimen or embarking into exclusive treatment alternate to oesophagectomy.

Background: To identify factors affecting postoperative course and survival after esophagectomy for cancer and reasons for improved survival over time., Methods: Complete esophageal resection was attempted for middle and lower third esophageal carcinomas in 386 consecutive patients between January 1982 and January 2002. Two study periods were analyzed: 1982 to 1993 and 1994 to 2002. Prognostic factors were identified by multivariate analysis and the two periods compared., Results: Hospital mortality rate decreased from 5.4% to 2.9% (p = 0.245). Both anastomotic leakage and pulmonary complications rates decreased from 9.8% to 2.2% (p = 0.001) and 24.1% to 19.3% (p = 0.295), respectively. An increased proportion of patients had R0 resection in the latter period, 78.5% versus 67.0%, (p = 0.028). Five-year survival rate after R0 resection increased from 29% to 46% (p = 0.001), with a decreased recurrence rate from 65.8% to 44.3% (p = 0.002). Three favorable prognostic factors were identified: low pT stage, pN0 stage, and operation during the 1994 to 2002 study period., Conclusions: Short-term outcome and survival of patients with resected esophageal cancer have improved over time. Advances in perioperative technique, staging methods, and surgical management combined with higher patient selection and use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation may be responsible for this progress.

Aims: The optimal extent of oesophageal resection and surgical approach in patients treated for adenocarcinomas of the oesophagogastric junction (OGJ) are still uncertain. We report the correlations between resection margin involvement and outcome., Methods: Patients with positive proximal resection margin (PPRM) and those with negative proximal resection margin (NPRM) were compared., Results: Of 94 patients with macroscopically complete resection, eight were PPRM. There was no difference between the two groups in postoperative mortality or morbidity rates, in anastomotic leakage or in recurrence rates. The median survival in the PPRM group was 11.1 months compared with 36.3 months in the NPRM group (P=0.02). No infiltration was observed in patients whose proximal margin exceeded 7 cm. The extended transthoracic approach was the only prognostic factor for tumours type II (P=0.03, RR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.8)., Conclusion: Histologic infiltration of oesophageal resection margin influences 5-year survival rate. In adenocarcinomas of the OGJ that can be treated curatively, a transection with a 8 cm oesophagectomy above the tumour in fresh specimen should be performed, and by thoracoabdominal approach for tumours type I and II.

Background: Esophagectomy remains a standard treatment for patients with resectable esophageal cancer, but the 5-year survival is only 20% to 25%. After complete resection survival is significantly longer than after incomplete resection with microscopic or macroscopic penetration. The purpose of this study was to prospectively identify the factors predictive of complete resection of operable esophageal cancers., Methods: Betwen January 1995 and January 2002, 372 patients with esophageal cancer underwent surgery with curative intent. Complete resection was performed in 304 patients (81.7%), incomplete resection with microscopic penetration in 28 (7.5%), and incomplete resection with macroscopic penetration in 40 (10.8%). Univariate and multivariate analysis included 16 preoperative and operative factors., Results: Factors predictive of complete resection were absence of any modification of the esophageal axis on the barium swallow (p = 0.019) and a partial or complete response to preoperative radiochemotherapy (p = 0.042). Three groups of patients were identified: group 1 had no deviation of the axis on the barium swallow (n = 253); group 2 had deviation of the axis on the barium swallow and partial or complete response to radiochemotherapy (n = 66); and group 3 had deviation of the axis on the barium swallow and no response to radiochemotherapy or no preoperative treatment (n = 53). Rates of complete resection were 90.1%, 74.2%, and 50.9%, and 5-year actuarial survivals were 46%, 37%, and 0%, respectively (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Complete resection of esophageal cancer is predictable. Deviation axis on the barium swallow and morphologic response to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy are variables available for all patients at onset of therapeutic management.

Aim: We discuss the role of surgery after induction chemoradiotherapy, when a complete response is apparent., Methods: We enrolled 247 consecutive patients who underwent chemoradiotherapy and oesophagectomy for cancer. Patients were classified in two groups as to whether they had chemoradiotherapy (n = 60) or not (n = 187) before surgery., Results: The 5-year survival rate of patients with complete response was 54% and was significantly higher than that of the other group (P = 0.018). Of the 60 patients responding, 34 (56.7%) were found to have a complete pathological tumour response (pT0). The overall sensitivity and specificity of the post-chemoradiotherapy restaging were 60.7% and 86.4%., Conclusions: Complete response after induction chemoradiotherapy is not a reliable tool in the management of oesophageal cancer. We need to improve postchemoradiotherapy restaging to be sure that chemoradiotherapy will provide the same long-term survival rates as surgery., (Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.)

On line determination of airway resistance is carried out by an Apple II connected to a flow body plethysmograph. Recognition of the panting maneuver is performed in real time. Linear drift of plethysmographic volume V is eliminated by taking the derivatives V and Vm of V and mouth flow Vm. Linear regression of V on Vm yields an estimate R of airway resistance, at a volume close to functional residual capacity FRC. The values of FRC is given by linear regression of V on Pm, the derivative of mouth pressure. No significant difference has been found between the estimates of the specific conductance sG calculated by linear regression and by spectral analysis of V and Vm. As variability of sG can be kept below 10%, the regression technique appears to be reliable for routine patient testing and pharmacological studies.