Establishment of a surveillance program for anal cancer in Crohn's disease.

This letter discusses the incidence of anal cancer among Crohn's disease (CD)-related malignancies. Patients with CD have been demonstrated to be at a higher risk of developing small bowel and colorectal cancers than healthy individuals. Although CD-associated anal cancer is relatively rare, patients with CD accompanied by anal or perianal lesions are at increased risk of anal cancer.

Comparison of outcomes between surgery and chemoradiotherapy after endoscopic resection for pT1a-MM with lymphovascular invasion or pT1b esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Japanese multicenter propensity score-matched study.

Background: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) or pT1b is noncurative after endoscopic resection (ER) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and therefore surgery or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is recommended. However, there has been debate regarding which treatment has better outcomes and whether individual risks should be considered.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective study conducted at 65 hospitals in Japan.

Two versus three to four cycles of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in real-world practice.

Background: There is currently no consensus on whether intensive cycles of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy provide greater benefit than do less intensive cycles (two cycles) in esophageal cancer (EC). Therefore, in this study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of three to four cycles of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy compared to two cycles for treating patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients enrolled on previous clinical studies involving locally/regionally advanced ESCC (St.

Conversion surgery for esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancer.

As a result of the recent advances in first-line treatment including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy (ICI) for locally advanced/metastatic initially unresectable esophageal and esophagogastric junction cancer, surgery aiming at cure after initial treatment, so-called "conversion surgery" has become more common in this field. Several studies have indicated encouraging survival outcomes for patients after conversion surgery with R0 resection. However, various issues, such the utility and the safety of conversion surgery remain unclear.

Modification of the lesser curvature incision line enhanced gastric conduit perfusion as determined by indocyanine green fluorescence imaging and decreased the incidence of anastomotic leakage following esophagectomy.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a modified incision line on the lesser curvature for gastric conduit formation during esophagectomy in enhancing the perfusion of gastric conduit as determined by indocyanine green fluorescence imaging and reducing the incidence of anastomotic leakage.

Methods: A total of 272 patients who underwent esophagectomy at our institute between 2014 and 2022 were enrolled in this study. These patients were divided based on two different types of cutlines on the lesser curvature: conventional group (n = 141) following the traditional cutline and modified group (n = 131) adopting a modified cutline.

Preoperative dual-energy computed tomography and positron-emission tomography evaluation of lymph node metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: To investigate the detectability of lymph node metastasis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using a combination of dual-energy computed tomography (CT) and positron-emission tomography (PET) parameters.

Methods: We analyzed dual-energy CT and PET preoperative data in 27 consecutive patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (23 men, 4 women; mean age, 73.7 years).

Risk Factors Associated With Perioperative Skeletal Muscle Loss in Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aim: Postoperative changes in body composition, especially loss of muscle mass, often occur in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Few studies have reported perioperative changes in the body composition of patients with colorectal cancer. Therefore, this study aimed at clarifying changes in body composition during the perioperative period and identifying risk factors for skeletal muscle mass loss in patients with colorectal cancer.

Jejunostomy feeding plus oral feeding versus intravenous nutrition plus oral feeding after esophageal cancer resection: a comparative retrospective cohort study.

Background: There are multiple choices for the nutritional management mode after esophageal cancer surgery. Currently, there is still controversy regarding which nutritional management mode has an impact on the postoperative recovery and overall survival (OS) of patients. This study aims to compare the differences between two commonly used clinical nutritional management modes: jejunostomy feeding plus oral intake (JF plus OI) and intravenous nutrition plus oral intake (IN plus OI), in terms of short-term efficacy and 3-year OS, in order to further explore the optimal mode of enteral nutrition management after esophageal cancer surgery.

Immunotherapy for esophageal cancer: Where are we now and where can we go.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has dramatically improved patient prognosis, and thereby transformed the treatment in various cancer types including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the past decade. Monoclonal antibodies that selectively inhibit programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) activity has now become standard of care in the treatment of ESCC in metastatic settings, and has a high expectation to provide clinical benefit during perioperative period. Further, anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) monoclonal antibody has also been approved in the treatment of recurrent/metastatic ESCC in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with arterial phase hyperenhancement and specialized tumor microenvironment associated with good prognosis after radical resection: A single-center retrospective study.

Background: This single-center retrospective study aimed to clarify the clinical and pathologic background of mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas.

Methods: A total of 53 patients with mass-forming intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas were selected from 2007 to 2021 and analyzed based on several parameters, including the preoperative computed tomography pattern (enhancement in the arterial phase of dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography), clinical data, and tumor microenvironment evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The hyperenhancement (n = 13) and hypoenhancement (n = 40) groups were defined using the 50% cutoff of tumors with higher attenuation than the liver parenchyma.

Detrimental impact of late-onset pneumonia on long-term prognosis in oesophageal cancer survivors.

Backgroud: Oesophageal cancer patients are prone to early- and late-onset pneumonia after oesophagectomy. We aimed to investigate the incidence rate and impact on the long-term prognosis of late-onset pneumonia in oesophageal cancer survivors who survived for at least one year after oesophagectomy without cancer recurrence.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 233 patients with thoracic oesophageal cancer who underwent oesophagectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction between September 2009 and June 2019 at a tertiary referral hospital in Japan.

Evaluation of bacterial contamination and medium-term oncological outcomes of intracorporeal anastomosis for colon cancer: A propensity score matching analysis.

Background: Although intracorporeal anastomosis (IA) for colon cancer requires longer operative time than extracorporeal anastomosis (EA), its short-term postoperative results, such as early recovery of bowel movement, have been reported to be equal or better. As IA requires opening the intestinal tract in the abdominal cavity under pneumoperitoneum, there are concerns about intraperitoneal bacterial infection and recurrence of peritoneal dissemination due to the spread of bacteria and tumor cells. However, intraperitoneal bacterial contamination and medium-term oncological outcomes have not been clarified.

Thoracoscopic McKeown esophagectomy in a patient with an azygos lobe.

Background: The azygos lobe is a relatively rare anatomical variation, and there have been no reports, until date, of thoracoscopic McKeown esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in a patient with an azygos lobe. The azygos lobe can be diagnosed by chest X-ray or CT, and is usually not associated with any symptoms. However, surgeons should be aware that transthoracic surgical procedures in patients with an azygos lobe could be associated with a high risk of complications.

Effectiveness and safety of camrelizumab-containing neoadjuvant therapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a prospective multicenter observational cohort study.

Background: Camrelizumab has been demonstrated to be a feasible treatment option for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) when combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness and safety of camrelizumab-containing neoadjuvant therapy in patients with ESCC in daily practice.

Methods: This prospective multicenter observational cohort study was conducted at 13 tertiary hospitals in Southeast China.

Inferring chromatin accessibility during murine hematopoiesis through phylogenetic analysis.

Objective: Diversification of cell types and changes in epigenetic states during cell differentiation processes are important for understanding development. Recently, phylogenetic analysis using DNA methylation and histone modification information has been shown useful for inferring these processes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether chromatin accessibility data can help infer these processes in murine hematopoiesis.

Effective Postoperative Surveillance Protocol after Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy Focusing on Symptoms in Patients with Esophageal Cancer.

Background: The optimal postoperative surveillance protocol after esophagectomy for patients with esophageal cancer has still not been established. We investigated the risk factors for recurrence of esophageal cancer to devise an appropriate surveillance protocol. We focused on the appearance and worsening of symptoms to determine if additional imaging examinations should be performed.

Current status and future perspectives for the treatment of resectable locally advanced esophagogastric junction cancer: A narrative review.

Incidence rates for esophagogastric junction cancer are rising rapidly worldwide possibly due to the economic development and demographic changes. Therefore, increased attention has been paid to the prevention, diagnosis, and the treatment of esophagogastric junction cancer. Although there are discrepancies in the treatment strategy between Asian and Western countries, surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for esophagogastric junction cancer.

Effectiveness of computed tomography scoring for the early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy.

Purpose: Anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy is associated with increased mortality; therefore, early diagnosis is highly important. This study aimed to identify the characteristic computed tomography (CT) findings of cervical anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer and evaluate the effectiveness of CT scoring in screening the anastomotic leakage.

Methods: Overall, 91 patients who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy with cervical esophago-gastric anastomosis were included.

Usefulness of three-dimensional thoracoscope for prone position thoracoscopic esophagectomy improves mediastinal lymph node dissection and prognosis for esophageal cancer.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the superiority of 3D flexible thoracoscope against 2D thoracoscope for lymph node dissection (LND) and prognosis for prone-position thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) in esophageal cancer.

Methods: Three hundred and sixty-seven esophageal cancer patients who underwent prone-position TE with 3-field LND between 2009 and 2018 were evaluated. 2D and 3D thoracoscope was used in 182 (2D group) and 185 cases (3D group), respectively.

Temperature Dependence of the Beating Frequency of hiPSC-CMs Using a MEMS Force Sensor.

It is expected that human iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) can be used to treat serious heart diseases. However, the properties and functions of human adult cardiomyocytes and hiPSC-CMs, including cell maturation, differ. In this study, we focused on the temperature dependence of hiPSC-CMs by integrating the temperature regulation system into our sensor platform, which can directly and quantitatively measure their mechanical motion.