Notch signaling drives stemness and tumorigenicity of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma ranks sixth in cancer mortality in the world and its incidence has risen dramatically in the Western population over the last decades. Data presented herein strongly suggest that Notch signaling is critical for esophageal adenocarcinoma and underlies resistance to chemotherapy. We present evidence that Notch signaling drives a cancer stem cell phenotype by regulating genes that establish stemness.

Depth of injury caused by liquid nitrogen cryospray: study of human patients undergoing planned esophagectomy.

Background: Cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen delivered endoscopically has been used for mucosal ablation of esophageal neoplasia. There are no data for the human esophagus on the depth of injury and effects of this technique.

Aim: Prospective study to examine the effect of treatment and depth of injury to the human esophagus of liquid nitrogen spray cryotherapy for subjects with esophageal neoplasia before planned esophagectomy.

Neoadjuvant, surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy without radiation for esophageal cancer.

Background: A phase II trial to evaluate neoadjuvant (NAD), surgery and adjuvant (AD) combination chemotherapy without radiation therapy (RT) for patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma staged with endoscopic ultrasound and CT as T3N1 was carried out.

Methods: Thirty-three eligible patients were enrolled. NAD therapy was administered in two 49-day cycles and included cisplatin, floxuridine, paclitaxel and leucovorin.