Surgical Approaches to Retrosternal Goiter, When Sternotomy Is Mandatory? National Cancer Institute Experience (NCI), Cairo University, Egypt

Background: Retrosternal goiters (RG) are those lesions extending to occupy the thoracic cavity. They carry a surgical risk due to distorted anatomy, the minimal access, and the potential for great vessels or pleural injury. No other effective therapeutic alternative to surgery exists. Cervicotomy is still the surgical approach of choice, although a form of sternotomy may always be necessary for field extension and safe gland delivery. Materials and Methods: This is a single institution combined retrospective & prospective study including retrospective analysis of all cases presenting to the NCI, Cairo University with RG candidate for surgery between Jan. 2008 until the end of Dec. 2012, and a prospective study of all cases with the same presentation presenting to the NCI between Jan. 2013 until the end of Dec. 2015. Data was collected from archive of patients at the statistical department. Aims: To study the clinico-pathological characteristics, the presentation, work-up, surgical approaches and postoperative complications of RG. Results: 42 patients were included & were divided into benign (34 patients, 80.9%) and malignant groups (8 cases, 19.1%). All patients (100%) were adults ranging (19 to 73 years) with mean 53.1 years. There was a female predominance (36 female, 85.7%) versus (6 males, 14.3%). Median duration of symptomatology was 23 months ranging (6 - 53 months). 23 patients (54.7%) were symptomatic while 19 cases (45.3%) accidently discovered. Mean tumor size was 9.97 cm in the benign group and 11.1 cm in the malignant group. 31 patients (73.8%) were euthyroid, 9 (21.4%) were thyrotoxic and 2 (4.7%) were hypothyroid. All patients (100%) underwent total thyroidectomy. The commonest approach was cervicotomy (33 cases, 78.6%), while a type of sternotomy was done in 9 cases (21.4%). 2 cases (4.7%) received postoperative radiation therapy & 4 cases (9.5%) received postoperative radioactive iodine. No perioperative mortality occurred & the overall morbidity was 6 cases (14.2%) in the benign group and 2 cases (4.7%) in the malignant group (4.7%). The median follow up period was 17.5 months. The median overall survival (OS) was 39.4 months and the median disease free survival (DFS) was 9.8 months for the malignant group. Conclusion: Cervicotomy is a safe favorable approach to remove a RG. Intraoperative field extension up to a form of sternotomy may be necessary for gland delivery with increasing operating time, hospital stay and morbidity. Postoperative morbidity is mainly due to the respiratory, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism which is mainly increased when sternotomy is performed.

Askin Tumor in Egyptian Patients;5 Years Experience at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University

Background: Askin tumor is a primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the Ewing sarcoma family arising from soft tissues of the chest wall. It is the commonest chest wall malignancy in children and adolescents. Its diagnosis is complex and management requires a multidisciplinary work including chemotherapy for systemic disease and radiation therapy to assist local control which is achieved through surgery with or without reconstruction. Objective: To analyze report and understand the clinicopathological features, results and outcome of this tumor with assessment of early and late postoperative complications following resection and chest wall reconstruction. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 30 cases with chest wall ES/PNET presented to the National Cancer Institute;Cairo University between January 2011 and December 2015. All patients’ records were revised for age, sex, clinical presentation, imaging, pathology, operative notes, different treatment modalities given, early and late postoperative complications following surgical resection or reconstruction, and outcome including overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). Results: Our cohort included 30 patients with chest wall ES. The median follow up period (n = 30) was 33.7 months (ranging from 3.7 to 69.3 months). The median OS was 54.2 months with cumulative OS at 60 months which was 45.6%. The median DFS was 27.9 months with cumulative DFS at 60 months which was 40.6%. All cases were below 18 years with a male predominance (n = 19). The commonest affected sites were ribs (n = 22, 73.3%), the scapula (n = 5, 16.6%), the clavicle (n = 2, 6.66%) and the sternum (n = 1, 3.33%). 23 patients (76.6%) were presented with localized disease, and 7 patients (23.4%) were metastatic from the start. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (4 cycles of VAC/IE) followed by local control: either surgery (26 cases, 86.6%) or radical radiotherapy (3 cases, 10%). A single case of a rib ES with initial bilateral lung deposited where no local control was done. After chest wall resection, closure of the defect was done by 1 ry closure with no reconstruction or double layer prolene mesh and bone cement that was covered by pedicled flap (latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior or pectoralis major muscle flap). Postoperative radiation therapy was given to 9 patients: 4 (13.3%) had postoperative poor chemotherapy effect (<90% tumor necrosis), 3 (10%) had +ve microscopic safety margin and 2 (6.6%) had pleural based nodules with malignant pleural effusion at initial presentation. Conclusion: Askin’s tumor shows a dramatic response to polychemotherapy. Treatment of such tumor should include multidisciplinary working groups for optimum results and better survival.