The endoscopic diagnosis and staging of oesophageal adenocarcinoma

Esophagectomy may have a role in stage IV esophageal adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine whether aggressive local treatment provides a benefit in patients with stage IV esophageal adenocarcinoma and to determine factors associated with survival.

METHODS

Patients with clinical stage IV esophageal adenocarcinoma at diagnosis who underwent esophagectomy from 2010 to 2023 were identified from our prospectively maintained database. Clinicopathologic and demographic characteristics were compared among patients by stage. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier approach.

RESULTS

In total, 66 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 30 (45%) had stage IVA disease, and 36 (55%) had stage IVB disease. Of the 36 patients with stage IVB disease, 26 had oligometastatic disease, and 10 had disseminated disease. All patients with stage IVA disease received standard neoadjuvant therapy followed by curative-intent surgery; 26 of these patients (87%) received chemoradiation. Patients with oligometastatic stage IVB disease underwent systemic therapy with the goal of surgical resection. Patients with disseminated stage IVB disease underwent palliative chemotherapy, which led to improvement in disease burden and performance of esophagectomy. Median time from the start of therapy to surgery was shorter for patients with stage IVA disease than patients with stage IVB disease (P < .001). Three-year progression-free survival was lower for patients with stage IVA disease (40% vs 56%), as was 3-year overall survival (57% vs 85%). Adjusted overall survival, from the start of therapy to most recent follow-up, was higher for patients with stage IVB disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Aggressive local treatment may provide a benefit for highly selected patients with advanced or metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Echoendoscopy in Preoperative Evaluation of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma and Gastroesophageal Junction: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Esophageal adenocarcinomas of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction constitute a global health problem, the incidence of which has increased in recent decades. It has a poor prognosis and a low 5-year survival rate. Its treatment is based on preoperative clinical staging, in which echoendoscopy plays an essential role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the current accuracy of echoendoscopy in the staging of esophageal and esophogogastric junction adenocarcinomas. A systematic review was performed in PubMed, Embase and Portal BVS using the search terms Esophageal Neoplasm, Esophagus Neoplasms, Esophagus Cancers, Esophageal Cancers, EUS, EUS-FNA, Endoscopic Ultrasonography, Echo Endoscopy, Endosonographies and Endoscopic Ultrasound, with subsequent meta-analysis of the data found. The accuracy of tumor (T) staging was 65.55%. For T1, sensitivity was 64.7%, and specificity 89.1%, with an accuracy of 89.6%. For T2, sensitivity and specificity were 35.7% and 89.2%, respectively, with an accuracy of 87.1%. For T3, sensitivity and specificity were 82.5% and 83%, respectively, with an accuracy of 87%. For T4, sensitivity and specificity were 38.6% and 94%, respectively, with an accuracy of 66.4%. For node (N) staging, sensitivity was 77.3% and specificity 67.4%, with an accuracy of 77.9%. Echoendoscopy exhibits suboptimal accuracy in preoperative staging of esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophagogastric junction.

LUGOL'S IODINE CHROMOENDOSCOPY VERSUS NARROW BAND IMAGE ENHANCED ENDOSCOPY FOR THE DETECTION OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER IN PATIENTS WITH STENOSIS SECONDARY TO CAUSTIC/CORROSIVE AGENT INGESTION

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of corrosion cancer should be suspected in patients with corrosive ingestion if after a latent period of negligible symptoms there is development of dysphagia, or poor response to dilatation, or if respiratory symptoms develop in an otherwise stable patient of esophageal stenosis. Narrow Band Imaging detects superficial squamous cell carcinoma more frequently than white-light imaging, and has significantly higher sensitivity and accuracy compared with white-light.

OBJECTIVE

To determinate the clinical applicability of Narrow Band Imaging versus Lugol´s solution chromendoscopy for detection of early esophageal cancer in patients with caustic/corrosive agent stenosis.

METHODS

Thirty-eight patients, aged between 28-84 were enrolled and examined by both Narrow Band Imaging and Lugol´s solution chromendoscopy. A 4.9mm diameter endoscope was used facilitating examination of a stenotic area without dilation. Narrow Band Imaging was performed and any lesion detected was marked for later biopsy. Then, Lugol´s solution chromoendoscopy was performed and biopsies were taken at suspicious areas. Patients who had abnormal findings at the routine, Narrow Band Imaging or Lugol´s solution chromoscopy exam had their stenotic ring biopsied.

RESULTS

We detected nine suspicious lesions with Narrow Band Imaging and 14 with Lugol´s solution chromendoscopy. The sensitivity and specificity of the Narrow Band Imaging was 100% and 80.6%, and with Lugol´s chromoscopy 100% and 66.67%, respectively. Five (13%) suspicious lesions were detected both with Narrow Band Imaging and Lugol's chromoscopy, two (40%) of these lesions were confirmed carcinoma on histopathological examination.

CONCLUSION

Narrow Band Imaging is an applicable option to detect and evaluate cancer in patients with caustic /corrosive stenosis compared to the Lugol´s solution chromoscopy.

8th edition AJCC/UICC staging of cancers of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction: application to clinical practice

The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging of epithelial cancers of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) presents separate classifications for clinical (cTNM), pathologic (pTNM), and postneoadjuvant (ypTNM) stage groups. Histopathologic cell type markedly affects survival of clinically and pathologically staged patients, requiring separate groupings for each cell type, but ypTNM groupings are identical for both cell types. Clinical categories, typically obtained by imaging with minimal histologic information, are limited by resolution of each method. Strengths and shortcomings of clinical staging methods should be recognized. Complementary cytology or histopathology findings may augment imaging and aid initial treatment decision-making. However, prognostication using clinical stage groups remains coarse and inaccurate compared with pTNM. Pathologic staging is losing its relevance for advanced-stage cancer as neoadjuvant therapy replaces esophagectomy alone. However, it remains relevant for early-stage cancers and as a staging and survival reference point. Although pathologic stage could facilitate decision-making, its use to direct postoperative adjuvant therapy awaits more effective treatment. Prognostication using pathologic stage groups is the most refined of all classifications. Postneoadjuvant staging (ypTNM) is introduced by the AJCC but not adopted by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). Drivers of this addition include absence of equivalent pathologic (pTNM) categories for categories peculiar to the postneoadjuvant state (ypT0N0-3M0 and ypTisN0-3M0), dissimilar stage group compositions, and markedly different survival profiles. Thus, prognostication is specific for patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy. The role of ypTNM classification in additional treatment decision-making is currently limited. Precision cancer care advances are necessary for this information to be clinically useful.

Preoperative assessment of tumor location and station-specific lymph node status in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction

BACKGROUND

In esophageal cancer patients preoperative staging will determine the type of surgical procedure and use of neoadjuvant therapy. Tumor location and lymph node status play a pivotal role in this tailored strategy. The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate the accuracy of preoperative assessment of tumor location according to the Siewert classification and lymph node status per station with endoscopy/endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and computed tomography (CT).

METHODS

In 50 esophagectomy patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), tumor location according to Siewert and N-stage per nodal station as determined preoperatively by endoscopy/EUS and CT were compared with the histopathologic findings in the resection specimen.

RESULTS

Overall accuracy in predicting tumor location according to the Siewert classification was 70 % for endoscopy/EUS and 72 % for CT. Preoperative data could not be compared with the pathologic assessment in 11 patients (22 %), as large tumors obscured the landmark of the gastric folds. The overall accuracy for predicting the N-stage in 250 lymph node stations was 66 % for EUS and 68 % for CT. The accuracy was good for those stations located high in the thorax, but poor for celiac trunk nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the frequent discrepancy between the endoscopic and pathologic location of the GEJ and the common problem of advanced tumors obscuring the landmarks used in the assessment of the Siewert classification, its usefulness is limited. The overall accuracy for EUS and CT in predicting the N-stage per station was moderate.

Computed tomography scan as a tool to predict tumor T category in resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the degree of esophageal circumferential tumor involvement and tumor size of resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) assessed on computed tomography could predict T category.

METHODS

One hundred eighty-five consecutive patients with ESCC underwent radical esophagectomy less than 3 weeks after contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The degree of esophageal circumferential tumor involvement and tumor size of ESCC expressed as tumor length, maximal thickness, and gross tumor volume were evaluated on computed tomography. Statistical analyses were performed to identify whether degree of esophageal circumferential tumor involvement and tumor size could predict T category.

RESULTS

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with whole esophageal circumferential tumor involvement was more likely to be at T3 category, whereas tumor without this involvement was more likely to be at T1 or T2 category (p < 0.001). Degree of esophageal circumferential tumor involvement could distinguish ESCC at T1/T2 from ESCC at T3 category with a sensitivity of 77.4% and specificity of 74.8%. Tumor length, maximal thickness, and gross tumor volume increased with advancing T category (p < 0.001). Mann-Whitney tests showed that tumor size could distinguish T category (p < 0.001). Compared with degree of esophageal circumferential tumor involvement, tumor length, and maximal thickness, gross tumor volume could be a better differentiating indicator between T1 and T2 categories (cutoff, 5.15 cm(3)), between T1 and T3 categories (cutoff, 11.1 cm(3)), between T2 and T3 categories (cutoff, 17.75 cm(3)), and between T1/T2 and T3 categories (cutoff, 15.9 cm(3)), with sensitivity of 81.3%, 88.8%, 68.8%, and 78.8%, and specificity of 76%, 88%, 67.5%, and 75.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Gross tumor volume of resectable ESCC measured with computed tomography could be a recommended indicator for predicting T category.

Is Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) necessary in the pre-therapeutic assessment of Barrett's esophagus with early neoplasia?

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is considered the most accurate tool for the TNM staging of esophageal cancer, but its role in early Barrett's neoplasia is still debatable. The aim was to evaluate the utility of EUS in Barrett's patients prior to therapy. Retrospective review of 109 patients enrolled in a treatment protocol for Barrett's neoplasia in our institution. EUS assessment was classified as suspicious for invasion in 19 patients; 84% of them had no evidence of invasion in final pathology. The assessment of depth of invasion of Barrett's neoplasia based solely on EUS findings leads to overstaging in most patients.

Do we still need EUS in the workup of patients with early esophageal neoplasia? A retrospective analysis of 131 cases

BACKGROUND

EUS is often used for locoregional staging of early esophageal neoplasia. However, its value compared with that of endoscopic examination and diagnostic endoscopic resection (ER) may be questioned because diagnostic ER allows histological assessment of submucosal invasion and other risk factors for lymph node metastasis, eg, poor differentiation/lymphovascular invasion.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate how often patients were excluded from endoscopic treatment of esophageal neoplasia based on EUS findings.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Tertiary care institution.

PATIENTS

Patients with early esophageal neoplasia.

INTERVENTIONS

EUS, diagnostic ER.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Number of patients excluded from endoscopic treatment based on EUS results.

RESULTS

A total of 131 patients were included (98 men, 33 women; age 66 ± 13 years). In 105 of 131 patients (80%), EUS findings were unremarkable. In 25 of 105 patients (24%), diagnostic ER showed submucosal invasion (n = 17), deep resection margins positive for cancer (n = 2, confirmed at surgery), or poor differentiation/lymphovascular invasion (n = 6). In 26 of 131 patients (20%), EUS findings raised the suspicion of submucosal invasion and/or lymph node metastasis. In the 14 of 26 patients (54%) with abnormal EUS findings, endoscopy results were unremarkable. Diagnostic ER showed submucosal invasion in 7 of 14 (50%) patients, whereas no lymph node metastasis risk factors were found in 7 of 14 patients (50%), who subsequently underwent curative endoscopic treatment. In 12 of 26 patients (46%) with abnormal EUS, endoscopy also raised doubts on whether curative endoscopic treatment could be achieved. After diagnostic ER, no risk factors for lymph node metastasis were found in 3 of 12 patients (25%).

LIMITATION

Retrospective study.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that EUS has virtually no clinical impact on the workup of early esophageal neoplasia and strengthens the role of diagnostic ER as a final diagnostic step.

Staging of early adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus

The main goal in the staging of patients with early neoplasia arising in the context of Barrett's esophagus (BE) is to identify individuals who are eligible for endoscopic therapy and differentiate them from those who require surgical management. To make the proper patient selection a combined staging strategy consisting of endoscopy evaluation, endoscopic ultrasonography, and endoscopic mucosal resection is necessary. In this article, the authors summarize the evidence behind each different staging modality in the setting of early BE adenocarcinoma and propose a staging approach that helps to select patients who are suitable for endoscopic therapy.

Endosonography of high-grade intra-epithelial neoplasia/early cancer

Endosonography (EUS) is frequently used for staging of early malignant gastrointestinal lesions. High-grade intra-epithelial neoplasia (HGIN) and mucosal cancer have a very low risk for lymphatic metastasis and therefore are suitable for endoscopic therapy. In HGIN and early oesophageal and gastric cancer, high-frequency miniprobes can provide detailed imaging of the different layers. However, diagnostic accuracy differentiating between mucosal and submucosal disease is not sufficient, and therefore (diagnostic) endoscopic resection should be performed in all localisable lesions to detect submucosal cancer at risk for lymph node metastasis. EUS for lymph node staging is considered to be the method with the highest accuracy, especially compared with computed tomography.

Palliative cardia resection with gastroesophageal reconstruction for perforated carcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction

Iatrogenic perforation of esophageal cancer or cancer of the gastroesophageal (GE) junction is a serious complication that, in addition to short term morbidity and mortality, significantly compromises the success of any subsequent oncological therapy. Here, we present an 82-year-old man with iatrogenic perforation of adenocarcinoma of the GE junction. Immediate surgical intervention included palliative resection and GE reconstruction. In the case of iatrogenic tumor perforation, the primary goal should be adequate palliative (and not oncological) therapy. The different approaches for iatrogenic perforation, i.e. surgical versus endoscopic therapy are discussed.

International survey on esophageal cancer: part II staging and neoadjuvant therapy

The outcome of esophagectomy could be improved by optimal diagnostic strategies leading to adequate preoperative patient selection. Neoadjuvant therapy could improve outcome by increasing the number of radical resections and by controlling metastatic disease. The purposes of this study were to gain insight into the current worldwide practice of staging modalities and neoadjuvant therapy in esophageal cancer, and to detect intercontinental differences. Surgeons with particular interest in esophageal surgery, including members of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus, the European Society of Esophagology - Group d'Etude Européen des Maladies de l'Oesophage, and the OESO, were invited to participate in an online questionnaire. Questions were asked regarding staging modalities, neoadjuvant therapy, and response evaluation applied in esophageal cancer patients. Of 567 invited surgeons, 269 participated resulting in a response rate of 47%. The responders currently performing esophagectomies (n= 250; 44%) represented 41 countries across the six continents. Esophagogastroscopy with biopsy and computed tomography (CT) scanning were routinely performed by 98% of responders for diagnosing and staging esophageal cancer, while endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and barium esophagography were routinely applied by 58% and 51%, respectively. Neoadjuvant therapy is routinely administered by 33% and occasionally by 63% of responders. Of the responders that administer identical neoadjuvant regimens to esophageal adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma, 54% favor chemoradiotherapy. For AC, chemotherapy is preferred by 31% of the responders that administer neoadjuvant therapy, whereas for squamous cell carcinoma, the majority of responders (38%) prefer chemoradiotherapy. Response to neoadjuvant therapy is predominantly assessed by CT scanning of the chest and abdomen (86%). Barium esophagography, EUS, and combined CT/PET scan are requested for response monitoring in equal frequency (25%). Substantial differences in applied staging modalities and neoadjuvant regimens were detected between surgeons from different continents. In conclusion, currently the most commonly applied diagnostic modalities for staging and restaging esophageal cancer are CT scanning of the chest and abdomen, gastroscopy, barium esophagography and EUS. Neoadjuvant therapy is routinely applied by one third of the responders. Intercontinental differences have been detected in the diagnostic modalities applied in esophageal cancer staging and in the administration of neoadjuvant therapy. The results of this survey provide baseline data for future research and for the development of international guidelines.

Quality of Barrett's surveillance in The Netherlands: a standardized review of endoscopy and pathology reports

OBJECTIVE

The quality of Barrett's surveillance relies on an adequate endoscopic inspection, obtaining a sufficient number of biopsy specimens, good communication of the endoscopic findings to the pathologist, and an accurate description of the histological findings by the pathologist. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of Barrett's surveillance in daily practice in The Netherlands.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A structured scoring list was developed to evaluate systematically the quality of endoscopy and pathology reports. From 15 hospitals, endoscopy reports and corresponding pathology reports were selected randomly and evaluated by two observers. In case of disagreement, the observers re-evaluated the reports in a consensus meeting.

RESULTS

One hundred and fifty cases were evaluated. The adherence to current standard biopsy protocols (four quadrant biopsies every 2 cm) decreased with increasing Barrett's length: 0-5 cm: 79%; 5-10 cm: 50%; 10-15 cm: 30%. The indication for the endoscopy was mentioned in 28% of the pathology reports, in 4% the presence/absence of oesophagitis was communicated, and in 19% the location and/or aetiology of biopsies was described. The presence/absence of dysplasia was mentioned in 93% of pathology reports.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopy reports and pathology reports in current practice do not include all relevant information for an adequate Barrett's surveillance. In short Barrett's oesophagus, the adherence to current standard biopsy protocols is acceptable, but in longer segments (with a higher risk for neoplastic progression) this is clearly insufficient. The communication between endoscopists and pathologist is suboptimal.

In vivo histopathology for detection of gastrointestinal neoplasia with a portable, confocal miniprobe: an examiner blinded analysis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Confocal fluorescence microscopy (CFM) has been mentioned to be a promising tool for in vivo histology. Recently, a portable confocal miniprobe has been developed. Our aim was to evaluate the potential benefit of CFM for detection of gastrointestinal neoplasia.

METHODS

A total of 47 patients with known or suspected neoplasia in the upper (n = 34) or lower gastrointestinal tract (n = 13) were examined with standard endoscopes. After mucolyis with 5-10 mL of acetic acid 1.5%, chromoendoscopy with 2-5 mL cresyl violet 0.25% was performed, with the substance also being used as a fluorophore for CFM. Real-time video sequences were recorded. Thereafter, biopsies were taken or mucosectomy/polypectomy was performed from the same examined area. All stored sequences were put into a random order and assessed by a pathologist and a gastroenterologist both blinded to any data.

RESULTS

A total of 119 CFM video sequences were recorded of 85 benign or 34 neoplastic areas. Quality of CFM images was regarded too low in 24 (pathologist) and 14 sequences (gastroenterologist). For the pathologist, accuracy of CFM detecting neoplasia was 92.6% (suitable images) and 73.9% (intention to diagnose). The respective accuracy values for the gastroenterologist were 92.4% (suitable images) and 81.5% (intention to diagnose). Agreement between CFM and histopathology was excellent (kappa values, 0.821 and 0.817).

CONCLUSIONS

We have demonstrated that CFM with a miniprobe has the potential to diagnose neoplasia during ongoing endoscopy. This system has the advantage that it can be used with standard endoscopes. Further studies are warranted for validation.