Advancements and challenges in the treatment of esophageal cancer:A comprehensive review

Esophageal cancer(EC)is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis,ranking seventh in incidence and sixth cancer-related deaths globally.EC is classified in two main types,the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)and esophageal adenocarcinoma(EAC),with ESCC being more common in Eastern Europe,South Asia,and Africa,while EAC is prevalent in Western Europe and North America.Molecular analysis identifies three subgroups of ESCC,each with distinct genetic mutations and treatment responses.Early-stage EC is often difficult to detect,leading to late-stage diagnoses that necessitate systemic drug therapies,including molecular-targeted therapies and immunotherapies.Immunotherapy,particularly immune checkpoint inhibitor,has shown promising results in improving survival rates for metastatic or persistent EC.It is particularly important to target to multidisciplinary combination therapies,integrating surgery,chemoradiotherapy,targeted therapy and immunotherapy.Additionally,radioimmunotherapy is being explored for its potential to enhance treatment efficacy,especially in advanced and metastatic tumors.However,the pathological complete response rate to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy remains suboptimal,highlighting the need for novel treatment strategies.Future research should focus on optimizing treatment combinations and identifying predictive biomarkers to improve clinical outcomes for EC patients.

Stent A pancreaticojejunostomy after pancreatoduodenectomy:Is it always necessary?

The establishment of a postoperative pancreatic fistula(POPF)is considered the most common and,concomitantly,the most serious complication associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD).The search for either technical modifications of the operative technique or pharmaceutical interventions that could possibly aid in decreasing the incidence of this often-devastating complication appears justified.The stenting of the pancreatic duct,with the use of either internal or external stents,has been evaluated in this direction.In theory,it is an approach that could eliminate many pathophysiological factors responsible for the occurrence of a POPF.The purpose of the present study was to review the current data regarding the role of pancreatic duct stenting on the incidence of POPF,after PD,by using PubMed and Reference Citation Analysis.In general,previous studies seem to highlight the superiority of external stents over their internal counterparts in regard to the incidence of POPF;this is at the cost,however,of increased morbidity associated mainly with the stent removal.Certainly,the use of an internal stent is a less invasive approach with acceptable results and is definitely deprived of the drawbacks arising through the complete diversion of pancreatic juice from the gastrointestinal tract.Bearing in mind the scarcity of high-quality data on the subject,an approach of reserving stent placement for the high-risk for POPF patients and individualizing the selection between the use of an internal or an external stent according to the distinct characteristics of each individual case scenario appears appropriate.

Heterotopic pancreas in the stomach:A case report and literature review

Ectopic pancreas is defined as pancreatic tissue found outside the usual anatomic location of the pancreas. It is often an incidental finding and can be found at different sites in the gastrointestinal tract. It may become clinically evident when complicated by pathologic changes such as inflammation, bleeding, obstruction, and malignant transformation. In this report, a 40 years old woman with epigastric pain due to ectopic pancreatic tissue in the stomach is described. The difficulty of making an ac- curate diagnosis is highlighted. The patient has remained free of symptoms since she underwent wedge resection of the lesion three years ago. Frozen sections may help in deciding the extent of resection intraoperatively. Al- though ectopic pancreas is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a submucosal gastric tumour.

Inverted Meckel’s diverticulum manifested as adult intussusception: Age does not matter

Adult intussusception due to Meckel’s diverticulum (MD) is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction. However, the surgeon should still be suspicious of this condition since the non specific symptoms and the rarity of it make a preoperative diagnosis uncertain. Considering the secondary nature of adult intussusception and the necessity of early surgical intervention to avoid morbidity and mortality, we report two cases of intussusception due to MD in adults. A diverticulectomy using a TA stapler was performed in the first patient. In the second patient extensive fibrosis of the adjacent mesentery and thickening of jejunal mucosa were observed, so a segmental resection of the small bowel or affected ileal part and a hand-sewn anastomosis was performed. The postoperative period along with the long term follow-up was uneventful for both patients. The decision between diverticulectomy vs bowel resection can be based on the intussuscepted bowel condition. Early surgical intervention may ensure a favorable outcome.

Timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis: A prospective non randomized study

AIM： To study the timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS： Between January 2002 and December 2005, all American Society of Anesthesiologists classification （ASA） Ⅰ ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ patients with acute cholecystitis were treated laparoscopically during the urgent （index） admission. The patients were divided into three groups according to the timing of surgery： （1） within the first 3 d, （2） between 4 and 7 d and （3） beyond 7 d from the onset of symptoms. The impact of timing on the conversion rate, morbidity and postoperative hospital stay was studied. RESULTS： One hundred and twenty-nine patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis during the index admission. Thirty six were assigned to group 1, 58 to group 2, and 35 to group 3. The conversion rate and morbidity for the whole cohort of patients were 4.6% and 10.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the conversion rate, morbidity and postoperative hospital stay between the three groups.CONCLUSION： Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis during the index admission is safe, regardless of the time elapsed from the onset of symptoms. This policy can result in an overall shorter hospitalization.

A case of splenic abscess after radiofrequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation （RFA） is an innovative technique used primarily for the palliative treatment of unresectable liver tumors. Its therapeutic indications however, have been expanded and now include various other organs and diseases. There is a paucity of data regarding technical details and complications of the use of RFA in the spleen. We report a case of partial splenectomy using radiofrequency ablation for splenic hydatid disease, complicated by an abscess formation.