In an optimized clinical setting, flexible bronchoscopy can be regarded as a feasible procedure to remove airway FB through a laryngeal mask. Short-term and long-term outcome is favorable.

We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety data of a combination regimen using weekly irinotecan in combination with capecitabine and concurrent radiotherapy (CapIri-RT) as neoadjuvant treatment in rectal cancer in a phase-II trial. Patients with rectal cancer clinical stages T3/4 Nx or N þ were recruited to receive irinotecan (50 mg m À2 weekly) and capecitabine (500 mg m À2 bid days 1 -38) with a concurrent RT dose of 50.4 Gy. Surgery was scheduled 4 -6 weeks after the completion of chemoradiation. A total of 36 patients (median age 62 years; m/f: 27:9) including three patients with local recurrence were enclosed onto the trial. The median distance of the tumour from the anal verge was 5 cm. The main toxicity observed was (NCI-CTC grades 1/2/3/4 (n)): Anaemia 23/9/À/À; leucocytopenia 12/7/7/2, diarrhoea 13/15/4/À, nausea/vomiting 9/10/2/À, and increased activity of transaminases 3/3/1/À. One patient had a reversible episode of ventricular fibrillation during chemoradiation, most probably caused by capecitabine. The relative dose intensity was (median/mean (%)): irinotecan 95/91, capecitabine 100/92). Thirty-four patients underwent surgery (anterior resection n ¼ 25; abdomino-perineal resection n ¼ 6; Hartmann's procedure n ¼ 3). R0-resection was accomplished in all patients. Two patients died in the postoperative course from septic complications. Pathological complete remission was observed in five out of 34 resected patients (15%), and nine patients showed microfoci of residual tumour (26%). After a median follow-up of 28 months one patient had developed a local recurrence, and five patients distant metastases. Three-year overall survival for all patients with surgery (excluding three patients treated for local relapse or with primary metastatic disease) was 80%. In summary, preoperative chemoradiation with CapIri-RT exhibits promising efficacy whereas showing managable toxicity. The local recurrence and distant failure rates observed after a median 28 months are low compared with standard 5-fluorouracil based therapy. Advances in surgical technique, including total mesorectal excision and thorough pathohistological work-up of the resected specimen have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with localised rectal cancer during the past two decades. Nevertheless, preoperative radiotherapy further improves local recurrence rates (Kapiteijn et al, 2001). The German CAO/AIO/ARO-94 trial, which compared pre-and postoperative chemoradiation in resectable rectal cancer, established the neoadjuvant approach as a new standard of care given it's superiority with respect to local failure rates and toxicity (Sauer et al, 2004). Moreover, the MRC CR07 trial, which compared short-course preoperative radiotherapy (5 Â 5 Gy) in resectable rectal cancer with selective postoperative chemoradiation in patients with compromised circumferential resection margins, showed a significant reduction in local recurrence and improved disease-free survival in favour of the short-course preoperative radiotherapy . Finally, bot...

The assessment of ultrasound criteria during routine EBUS examinations is feasible and reproducible with very good interrater agreement. If less than three of the described criteria are present, a LN has a very low chance of being malignant. The best single criterion to predict malignancy is heterogeneity. The introduction of the sum score of ultrasound criteria could potentially increase diagnostic accuracy.

In the space of a year, the first operations have been performed on human subjects by a few select work groups. NOTES procedures are still in the initial stages of clinical development. Until they can be introduced into surgical daily routine, further improvements are required as to equipment, technology and operative procedure.

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In this network meta-analysis, LHM demonstrated superior short- and long-term efficacy and should be considered first-line treatment of esophageal achalasia.

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