A harmonized European training syllabus for thoracic surgery: report from the ESTS-ERS task force.

Training of European thoracic surgeons is subject to huge variations in terms of length of training, content of training and operative experience during training. Harmonization of training outcomes has been approached by creating the European Board of Thoracic Surgery, which has been accredited by the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS); however, a clear description of the content of training is lacking. Building on their recognized experience with curriculum building, task forces of the European Respiratory Society and the European Society of Thoracic Surgery agreed on a joint task force on training in thoracic surgery.

Thoracic surgical training in Europe: what has changed recently?

Training in thoracic surgery (TS) traditionally varies amongst countries in Europe. The theoretical content of the training, the length of training, the amount of self-performed procedures to be done and the definition of training units all differ in European countries. However, in the past two decades, several initiatives were taken to harmonize TS training in Europe.

The 3-Hole Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy: A Safe Procedure Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Radiation.

Induction therapy followed by esophagectomy has become standard for treatment of intermediate-stage esophageal cancer in many centers. Herein we evaluate the feasibility and safety of the 3-hole minimally invasive esophagectomy (3HMIE) approach in patients who received induction radiation and chemotherapy. Between 2003 and 2012, the records of 119 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who underwent 3HMIE were reviewed for perioperative complications and long-term outcomes.

International Multicenter Study on the Impact of Extracapsular Lymph Node Involvement in Primary Surgery Adenocarcinoma of the Esophagus on Overall Survival and Staging Systems.

Objective: The current pathological lymph node (pN) staging is based on the number of positive lymph nodes but does not take into consideration characteristics of the involved lymph nodes itself. The current study aims to examine the prognostic value of extracapsular lymph node involvement (EC-LNI) and intracapsular lymph node involvement (IC-LNI) for esophageal adenocarcinoma treated by primary surgery.

Methods: From the databases of five European high volume centers, 1639 adenocarcinoma patients with primary R0-resection were withheld after excluding 90-day mortality.

Primary epithelioid sarcoma of the oesophagus.

Epithelioid sarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumour presenting two main variants: the 'classical' distal type and the more recently described proximal type. The latter is distinguished from the former by occurrence in elderly patients, more axial and deep location, prominent atypical and pleomorphic appearance and eventually aggressive clinical behaviour with poor outcome. To date, only few perivisceral epithelioid sarcomas have been described, and they are mainly related to the colon and bladder in pelvic and perineal sites.