Multimodality Therapy and Survival Outcomes in Resectable Primary Small Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Background: Currently, optimal treatment strategy for resectable primary small cell carcinoma of the esophagus (PSmCCE) remains controversial. To address this, we conducted a multicenter study to evaluate treatment patterns and long-term survival of PSmCCE patients who underwent radical resection.

Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included resected PSmCCE patients who received radical resection at seven high-volume cancer centers.

Advantages of the split-leg supine position single-port plus one laparoscopic surgery approach.

The goal of this study was to compare the advantages of conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) and the split-leg supine position single-port plus one laparoscopic surgery (SSP SILS + 1) in esophageal surgery. This study enrolled 73 patients who previously underwent radical esophagectomy for esophageal cancer from August 2021 to February 2023. Among them, 36 patients underwent SSP SILS + 1, whereas the remaining 37 patients underwentCLS.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: To date, few studies have compared effectiveness and survival rates of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy (NACI) and conventional neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The present study was conducted to compare therapeutic response and survival between NACI and NCRT.

Methods: The study cohort comprised patients with locally advanced ESCC treated with either NACI or NCRT followed by surgery between June 2018 and March 2021.

Quantitative Paramagnetic NMR-Based Analysis of Protein Orientational Dynamics on Membranes: Dissecting the KRas4B-Membrane Interactions.

Peripheral membrane proteins can adopt distinct orientations on the surfaces of lipid bilayers that are often short-lived and challenging to characterize by conventional experimental methods. Here we describe a robust approach for mapping protein orientational landscapes through quantitative interpretation of paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) data arising from membrane mimetics with spin-labeled lipids. Theoretical analysis, followed by experimental verification, reveals insights into the distinct properties of the PRE observables that are generally distorted in the case of stably membrane-anchored proteins.

Exploring the state- and allele-specific conformational landscapes of Ras: understanding their respective druggabilities.

Recent advances in direct inhibition of Ras benefit from the protein's intrinsic dynamic nature that derives therapeutically vulnerable conformers bearing transiently formed cryptic pockets. Hotspot mutants of Ras are major tumor drivers and are hyperactivated in cells at variable levels, which may require allele-specific strategies for effective targeting. However, it remains unclear how the prevalent oncogenic mutations and activation states perturb the free energy landscape governing the protein dynamics and druggability.

Pathologic responses and surgical outcomes after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Currently, the role of immunotherapy in neoadjuvant setting for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is gradually attracting attention. Few studies compared the efficacy of neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT) and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). Our study aimed to compare treatment response and postoperative complications after NICT followed by surgery with that after conventional NCRT in patients with locally advanced ESCC.

The T stage of esophageal cancer can be effectively predicted by muscularis propria thickness and muscularis propria + mucosa thickness under ultrasonic gastroscopy.

Objectives: The latest version of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgical treatment or radical chemoradiotherapy for patients with cT3N0M0. Neoadjuvant therapy can improve the prognosis of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer. Therefore, the evaluation or prediction of T stage is particularly important because the treatment could differently affect the prognosis.

Development and validation of a nomogram model for the prediction of 4L lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: The left tracheobronchial (4L) lymph nodes (LNs) are considered as regional LNs for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but there is a controversy about routine prophylactic 4L LN dissection for all resectable ESCCs. This study aimed to develop a nomogram for preoperative prediction of station 4L lymph node metastases (LNMs).

Methods: A total of 522 EC patients in the training cohort and 370 in the external validation cohort were included.

Is it necessary for patients with potentially resectable esophageal squamous cell cancer to receive routine preoperative brain MRI/CT?

Background: This study aimed to investigate the value and efficiency of routine brain MRI or CT in the preoperative workup for patients with potentially resectable (cT N ) thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC).

Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional clinical trial (ChiCTR1800020304). A total of 385 patients with potentially resectable (cT N ) thoracic ESCC diagnosed from October 2018 to August 2020 were included.

Older patients more likely to die from cancer-related diseases than younger with stage IA non-small cell lung cancer: a SEER database analysis.

Background: Various reports showed some conflicting data on survival at different ages. This study aimed to investigate the main cause of death in older patients with lung cancer and to perform a comparison with younger patients in order to observe the differences between these two cohorts.

Methods: Outcomes of patients with stage IA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ≤3 cm who underwent lobectomy without induction therapy in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-18 (SEER-18; January 2004 to December 2016) database were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling and propensity score-matched analysis.

Tc bone scintigraphy does not affect preoperative workup for patients with potentially resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Tc bone scintigraphy (BS) is the mainstay and most widely used technique in evaluation of bone metastasis (BM) in China. This study aimed to investigate the value of Tc BS in preoperative workup for patients with potentially resectable (cT N ) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods: This prospective cross-section clinical trial (ChiCTR1800020304) enrolled a total of 385 patients with ESCC diagnosed at thoracic surgery clinic from October 2018 to September 2020.

Early oral feeding after esophagectomy accelerated gut function recovery by regulating brain-gut peptide secretion.

Background: The impact of early oral feeding after esophagectomy on brain-gut peptide secretion and gut function recovery has not been well investigated. This study aimed to fill this research gap.

Methods: This study was based on a randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.

Predictive model of postoperative pneumonia after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy for esophageal cancer.

Background: Postoperative pneumonia (PP) is the most common pulmonary complication of esophagectomy. It is of great importance to identify any high-risk factors and prevent pulmonary complications to improve the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy. Thus, we established a predictive model of PP in patients with neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy for resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and provide suggestions for the best strategy for the perioperative period of the patients.

Neoadjuvant therapy combined with surgery is superior to chemoradiotherapy in esophageal squamous cell cancer patients with resectable supraclavicular lymph node metastasis: a propensity score-matched analysis.

Background: Multiple clinical trials were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy in esophageal cancer but exhibited mixed results, indicating that the efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy remains controversial in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Our study was conducted to investigate the value of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with esophageal cancer with supraclavicular lymph node metastases.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 231 patients who had resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with supraclavicular lymph node metastases from June 2008 to November 2018.

Clinical significance of left tracheobronchial lymph node dissection in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: The left tracheobronchial lymph nodes are considered as regional lymph nodes for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but routine prophylactic left tracheobronchial lymph node dissection for all resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma has been controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of left tracheobronchial lymph node dissection and left tracheobronchial lymph node metastases in thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and to analyze the risk factors of left tracheobronchial lymph node metastases.

Methods: A total of 3522 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing esophagectomy were included.

A clinical nomogram for predicting tumor regression grade in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma treated with immune neoadjuvant immunotherapy.

Background: There are various treatment options for esophageal squamous cell cancer. including surgery, peri-operative chemotherapy, and radiation. More recently, neoadjuvant immunotherapy has also been shown improve outcomes.

Nutritional assessment in esophageal fast-track surgery: comparisons of 4 objective malnutrition screening tools.

Background: This cohort study aimed to compare the performance of the 2015 diagnostic criteria for malnutrition of the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), and Short-Form of Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF) in detecting malnutrition risk and predicting postoperative complications and the failure of early oral feeding (EOF) programs in esophageal cancer patients.

Methods: The 4 tools were used to conduct malnutrition assessments before surgery. The patients were divided into the groups of severe malnutrition and mild/moderate malnutrition and the incidences of the endpoints were observed.

Adjuvant treatment can improve prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer ≤3 cm after sublobectomy: a propensity score analysis.

Background: Numerous retrospective studies have reported that sublobectomy has a poorer prognosis than lobectomy in patients with early-stage lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether adjuvant treatment could improve the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ≤3 cm after sublobectomy.

Methods: We collected data from 17,763 patients with T1N0M0 NSCLC after surgery from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2015.

Long non-coding RNA XIST promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through sponging miR-129-5p and upregulating CCND1 expression.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive specific transcript (XIST) has been identified as an oncogenic lncRNA in a series of human cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In this study, we aimed to further explore the underlying mechanism of XIST on ESCC progression. qRT-PCR assay was used to determine the levels of XIST and miR-129-5p.

Factors associated with the costs of hospitalization after esophagectomy: a retrospective observational study at a three-tertiary cancer hospital in China.

Background: Esophageal cancer represents a major health threat in China. Esophagectomy is the standard treatment for respectable esophageal cancer. This study aimed to investigate the costs of hospitalization in esophageal cancer patients undergoing esophagectomy, and to analyze the factors influencing these costs.

Highlighting sarcopenia management for promoting surgical outcomes in esophageal cancers: Evidence from a prospective cohort study.

Background: Studies have provided controversial and limited knowledge regarding the impact of sarcopenia on surgical outcomes in esophageal cancers due to retrospective study designs and single muscle-mass assessment. This prospective cohort study aimed to resolve these issues.

Methods: Bioelectrical impedance analysis, handgrip strength measurement, and the 4-m walking test were conducted before surgery.

The mutation profiles of cell-free DNA in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma who were responsive and non-responsive to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) mutation profiles in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: Twenty-two OSCC patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and were divided into two groups according to their response to the therapy. Fifteen patients were in the responsive group, and seven patients were in the non-responsive group.

Hand-assisted sputum excretion can effectively reduce postoperative pulmonary complications of esophageal cancer.

Background: This study explores whether postoperative hand-assisted expectoration can reduce postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in patients with esophageal cancer.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 543 patients undergoing radical esophageal cancer (EC) surgery in our hospital from October 2018 to August 2019, 156 of whom received postoperative handassisted sputum excretion (pulmonary rehabilitation, PR) and 387 of whom who did not receive postoperative hand-assisted sputum excretion (no pulmonary rehabilitation, NPR). Because the clinical characteristics of the two groups were not balanced, we used propensity score matching (PSM) to account for the variable factors of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), chronic respiratory comorbidity, smoking index, operation time, operation method, pathological stage.