Background EGFR overexpression is a prognostic biomarker and is expected to be a predictive biomarker for anti-EGFR therapies in gastric cancer. However, few studies have reported the clinical impact of EGFR gene copy number (GCN) and its correlation with EGFR overexpression. Methods We used dual in situ hybridization (DISH) to detect EGFR GCN and chromosome 7 centromere (CEN7) in a set of tissue microarrays representing 855 patients with gastric cancer. These data were compared with those of immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of EGFR expression to evaluate prognostic value. Results EGFR GCN gain (C2.5 EGFR signals per cell) was detected in 194 patients (22.7 %) and indicated poor prognosis. Among 194 patients, EGFR amplification (EGFR/CEN7 C 2.0) was observed in 29 patients (14.9 %), which was almost identical to the IHC 3? subgroup and worst prognostic subgroup. Patients with EGFR GCN gain but not amplification, including those exhibiting polysomy, also exhibited poorer prognosis than GCN nongain patients and were distributed between IHC 0/1? and 2? subgroups. GCN gain was frequently observed in patients with more advanced disease, but served as an independent prognostic factor regardless of the pathological stage. Conclusions EGFR GCN gain is a more accurate prognostic biomarker than EGFR overexpression in patients with gastric cancer.

Background Cervical anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy is a serious complication that adversely affects postoperative recovery, nutritional status and quality of life. Cervical anastomosis by a circular stapler (CS) has been widely accepted as a simple and convenient method, but anastomotic strictures are likely to occur. The aim of this study was to investigate an association between CS size and the incidence of anastomotic stricture after cervical esophagogastric anastomosis performed by a CS. Methods Between April 2011 and March 2016, 236 consecutive patients underwent cervical esophagogastric anastomosis by a CS via a retrosternal route after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. These patients were divided into according to CS size for the procedure as follows: small-sized (25 mm) CS group (SG, n = 116) and large-sized (28 or 29 mm) CS group (LG, n = 120). The clinical data of patients were analyzed retrospectively to compare the two groups. Results Overall, anastomotic strictures were observed in 90 patients (38%). The incidence of anastomotic stricture was significantly lower in the LG than the SG (23% vs. 53%, p \ 0.001) (Table 3). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD: FEV1.0% \70%) (OR 2.35, 95% CI = 1.09-5.14; p = 0.029), anastomotic leakage (OR 8.97, 95% CI = 2.69-41.30; p \ 0.001), and a small-sized CS (OR 3.42, 95% CI = 1.82-6.62; p \ 0.001) were independent risk factors for anastomotic stricture in the multivariate analysis. Conclusions If possible, a large-sized CS should be used to prevent cervical anastomotic strictures when performing cervical anastomoses by CS.

Outcomes of patients with gastric cancer who exhibit positive peritoneal lavage cytology findings (CY +) vary by diagnostic methods because of quantitative and qualitative cancer cell diversity. This study sought to establish practical diagnostic criteria for performing curative resections, based on peritoneal lavage cytology findings in gastric cancer patients. We enrolled 1028 patients with gastric cancer who underwent R0/1 (n = 911) or R2 (n = 117) resections and analyzed relationships between cancer cell findings in peritoneal lavage fluid and clinicopathological factors in the R0/1 group. We found 68 patients with CY + status. Receiver operating characteristic analyses and multivariate analyses showed that the presence of ≥1 signet ring cell, ≥5 cell clusters or ≥50 isolated cancer cells in peritoneal lavage fluid predicted poor prognoses in the 68 CY + patients. High‐risk CY + group patients with at least one of the above predictors had the highest hazard ratio (HR = 3.28, P < 0.001). The remaining (low‐risk) patients had a survival curve similar to that of patients with a normal cytology. The high‐risk CY + patients who underwent R1 resection had poor prognoses despite no macroscopic peritoneal metastasis (2% 5‐year survival)—equivalent to that of patients who underwent R2 resection. The CY + criteria defined in this study could help identify candidates for curative resection as an initial therapy for gastric cancer.

Summary Dysphagia after esophagectomy is the main cause of a prolonged postoperative stay. The present study investigated the effects of a swallowing intervention led by a speech–language–hearing therapist (SLHT) on postoperative dysphagia. We enrolled 276 consecutive esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy and cervical esophagogastric anastomosis between July 2015 and December 2018; 109 received standard care (control group) and 167 were treated by a swallowing intervention (intervention group). In the intervention group, swallowing function screening and rehabilitation based on each patient’s dysfunction were led by SLHT. The start of oral intake, length of oral intake rehabilitation, and length of the postoperative stay were compared in the two groups. The patient’s subgroups in the 276 patients were examined to clarify the more effectiveness of the intervention. The start of oral intake was significantly earlier in the intervention group (POD: 11 vs. 8 days; P = 0.009). In the subgroup analysis, the length of the postoperative stay was also significantly shortened by the swallowing intervention in patients without complications (POD: 18 vs. 14 days; P = 0.001) and with recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis (RLNP) (POD: 30 vs. 21.5 days; P = 0.003). A multivariate regression analysis identified the swallowing intervention as a significant independent factor for the earlier start of oral intake and a shorter postoperative stay in patients without complications and with RLNP. Our proposed swallowing intervention is beneficial for the earlier start of oral intake and discharge after esophagectomy, particularly in patients without complications and with RLNP. This program may contribute to enhanced recovery after surgery.

We evaluated the impact of body composition on clinical outcomes after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery for elderly cStage II/III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Ninety-one patients ≥70 years old and 116 patients <70 years old with ECSS who underwent NAC between January 2013 and June 2018 at the Aichi Cancer Center were included. Body composition as assessed from computed tomography (CT), American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (ASA-PS), and subjective global assessment (SGA) was assessed before initiation of NAC. Although elderly patients showed significantly poorer ASA-PS (p < 0.01) and SGA (p < 0.01), and significantly more frequent history of malignancy (p < 0.05), no significant differences were identified in the frequencies of adverse events, postoperative complications, or in cancer-specific survival (p = 0.65, hazard ratio 1.15), or overall survival (p = 0.42, hazard ratio 1.26). However, multivariate analysis identified sarcopenic obesity as the only independent predictor of prognosis in elderly patients. Sarcopenic obesity was associated with higher body mass index (p = 0.04), better SGA (p < 0.01), and lower pre-treatment weight loss (p = 0.03). NAC was as effective and safe for elderly patients without sarcopenic obesity as for young patients. However, diagnosing sarcopenic obesity based on clinical findings is difficult, so the preoperative CT assessment of sarcopenic obesity is important.

Background. Postoperative pneumonia is a common complication after esophagectomy and is associated with a high mortality rate. Although many randomized, controlled trials have been conducted on the prevention of postoperative pneumonia, little attention has been paid to the efficacy of antimicrobial prophylaxis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of antimicrobial prophylaxis on the prevention of postoperative pneumonia. Methods. Data of patients with esophageal cancer who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy between 2016 and 2020 were collected. Early-period patients received cefazolin (CEZ) per protocol as antimicrobial prophylaxis (n = 250), and later-period patients received ampicillin/sulbactam (ABPC/SBT) (n = 106) because of the unavailability of CEZ in Japan. The incidence of pneumonia was compared between treatments in this quasiexperimental setting. Pneumonia detected by routine computed tomography (CT) on postoperative Days 5-6 was defined as early-onset pneumonia, and pneumonia that developed later was defined as late-onset pneumonia.Results. The incidence of early-onset pneumonia was significantly lower (3.8% vs. 13.6%, P = 0.006), and the median length of postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter (17 vs. 20 days, P \ 0.001) in the ABPC/ SBT group than in the CEZ group. The incidence of lateonset pneumonia was similar between groups (9.4% vs. 10.0%, P = 0.870). The incidence of Clostridioides difficile infections and the incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms were similar between groups. Multivariate analyses consistently showed the superiority of ABPC/SBT to CEZ in preventing early-onset pneumonia (odds ratio: 0.20, P = 0.006). Conclusions. ABPC/SBT after esophagectomy was better at preventing early-onset pneumonia compared with CEZ and was feasible regarding the development of antimicrobial resistance.

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