Objective To understand the disease spectrum of a natural village in an area with high incidence of esophageal cancer to provide a reference for precise prevention and control. Methods From 2008 to 2024, 711 asymptomatic people over the age of 35 years in a natural village with high incidence of esophageal cancer in China were surveyed, and 171 of them were subjected to gastroscopy, biopsy, and pathological examination. All participants were followed up for a long time, and their disease history was recorded. Results A total of 16 years of follow-up were performed, and 703 people were effectively followed up. In 2008, 171 people underwent gastroscopy, and 160 people had biopsy and pathological results in endoscopic screening. By 2024, 76 people had been diagnosed with malignant tumors of 12 different types, and among these people, 45 had esophageal cancer. Conclusion Esophageal cancer remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality from malignant tumors in this region. Biopsy and pathological examination should be strengthened during gastroscopy, and follow-ups and regular check-ups should be given high importance to reduce the incidence and mortality rates of esophageal cancer.

Objective To investigate the screening results and factors affecting abnormal detection rates among high-risk groups of esophageal cancer and to explore effective intervention measures. Methods We investigated and collected the information on gender, education level, age, marital status, symptoms of reflux esophagitis (heartburn, acid reflux, belching, hiccup, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, and difficulty swallowing), consumption of pickled vegetables, salt use, and esophageal cancer incidence of villagers in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Changes in reflux esophagitis symptoms in the high-incidence area of esophageal cancer before and after 16 years were observed, and the relationship of such changes with esophageal cancer was analyzed. Results In 2008, 711 cases were epidemiologically investigated, including 213 cases with one of the symptoms of reflux esophagitis such as heartburn, acid reflux, belching, hiccups, foreign body sensation in the pharynx, and difficulty swallowing (sorted in accordance with the abovementioned symptoms; if there are multiple symptoms, then the former is taken); 55 cases with at least two related symptoms, among which the most symptom was heartburn in 108 cases (15.1%); followed by acid reflux, belching, etc. In 2024, the same group of people was investigated, and eight people were missing because of relocation. A total of 703 people were successfully investigated, of which 189 cases (26.8%) had one of the symptoms of reflux esophagitis, such as heartburn (sorted in accordance with relevant symptoms, if there are multiple symptoms, then the former will be selected); 167 cases (23.7%) had at least two related symptoms, among which the most symptom was heartburn in 139 cases (19.7%); followed by acid reflux. Over 16 years, among the 703 people investigated, 45 cases had esophageal cancer and they had one or more of the abovementioned symptoms. No significant differences in the reflux esophagitis-like symptoms were found between 2008 and 2024 (P=0.26); no significant differences in the composition of reflux esophagitis-like symptoms were found between 2008 and 2024 (P=0.299). Conclusion The detection rate of reflux esophagitis-related symptoms in the population in a high-risk area of esophageal cancer has not decreased in the past 16 years, and the high-risk factors still exist. Esophageal cancer is closely related to reflux esophagitis, and clinical practice can provide early diagnosis and treatment for high-risk population.

Objective To investigate the relationship between tooth loss and the occurrence of esophageal cancer in a natural village in Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to observe the occurrence of tooth loss and esophageal cancer among the asymptomatic residents of the natural village for 16 years from January 2008 to July 2024. Data were analyzed by chi-square test, binary logistic regression, and restricted cubic spline. Results Among the total population of 711 cases, 136 cases were lost to follow-up and 575 cases were included in the final statistics, including 45 cases with esophageal cancer. Significant statistical difference was found between esophageal cancer patients with and without tooth loss (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that tooth loss was associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.977, 95%CI: 1.543-10.255). After the adjustment for confounders, tooth loss remained significantly associated with the occurrence of esophageal cancer (OR=3.038, 95%CI: 1.035-8.914). A nonlinear dose-response relationship was observed between the number of teeth lost and the incidence of esophageal cancer. When the number of teeth lost was less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increased with the number of teeth lost. When more than 12 teeth were lost, the risk of esophageal cancer decreased as the number of teeth lost increased. Conclusion Tooth loss is a risk factor for the occurrence of esophageal cancer in this natural village. When the number of teeth lost is less than 12, the risk of esophageal cancer increases with the number of teeth lost.

Linxian County in Henan Province, Northern China is known as the region with the highest incidence and mortality rate of esophageal cancer worldwide. Since 1959, the Henan medical team has conducted field work on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian. Through three generations of effort exerted by oncologists over 65 years of research on esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian, the incidence rate of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in this area has dropped by nearly 50%, and the 5-year survival rate has increased to 40%, reaching the international leading level. This article aims to summarize the history, present opportunities and new challenges, and explore the experience of esophageal cancer prevention and treatment in Linxian (referred to as the “Linxian experience”), providing reference and guidance to cancer prevention and treatment research in China.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and identify predictive factors for spontaneous passage of common bile duct (CBD) stones.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed as having choledocholithiasis via abdominal imaging at outpatient and emergency departments of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine and other medical institutions from January 2021 to November 2023. Participants were stratified into spontaneous passage versus non-passage groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors for the spontaneous passage of common bile duct stones.Results:Spontaneous stone passage were confirmed in 70 cases (15.5%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis ( OR=3.317, 95% CI: 1.427-7.713, P=0.005), larger common bile duct diameter ( OR=1.117, 95% CI: 1.000-1.248, P=0.049), and solitary stones ( OR=11.135, 95% CI: 3.602-34.418, P<0.001) significantly increased the probability of spontaneous stones. In contrast, larger stone long diameter ( OR=0.539, 95% CI: 0.441-0.659, P<0.001) markedly decreased passage likelihood. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the common bile duct diameter predicted spontaneous stone passage with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.662, yielding sensitivity of 52.9% (37/70) and specificity of 73.6% (51/70) at a cutoff value of 9.5 mm. The common bile duct stone diameter achieved an AUC of 0.852 for predicting spontaneous stone passage, with sensitivity of 75.7% (53/70) and specificity of 89.0% (62/70) at a cutoff value of 4.5 mm. Conclusion:Solitary small stones, ductal dilation, and an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis are key predictive factors for spontaneous common bile duct stone passage. A common bile duct diameter ≥9.5 mm and stone long diameter ≤4.5 mm are more likely to result in spontaneous stone passage.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dye-free submucosal injection solution for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), a retrospective cohort study was performed on data of inpatients with early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions who underwent ESD at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January to December 2020. Cases were divided into dye-free submucosal injection solution group (the observation group) and dye-containing solution group (the control group). A total of 108 cases met the eligibility criteria for analysis (39 VS 69). Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups ( P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group showed similar median procedure time (30.5 min VS 35.0 min), median dissection speed (0.3 cm2/min VS 0.4 cm2/min), mean volume of injection solution used (39.2 mL VS 38.8 mL), en bloc resection rate [100.0% (39/39) VS 98.6% (68/69)], and curative resection rate [97.4% (38/39) VS 97.1% (67/69)] (all P>0.05). Postoperative stay was 3.0±0.8 days in the observation group and 3.2±0.8 days in the control group ( t=-0.908, P=0.378). Delayed bleeding occurred in 3 (7.7%) patients VS 2 (2.9%) patients ( P=0.349), and postoperative infection occurred in 3 (7.7%) patients VS 8 (11.6%) patients ( P=0.743), respectively. In gastric ESD, dye-free submucosal injection solution demonstrates efficacy comparable with dye-containing solution and does not appreciably increase the incidence of intraoperative or postoperative complications.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and identify predictive factors for spontaneous passage of common bile duct (CBD) stones.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed as having choledocholithiasis via abdominal imaging at outpatient and emergency departments of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine and other medical institutions from January 2021 to November 2023. Participants were stratified into spontaneous passage versus non-passage groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors for the spontaneous passage of common bile duct stones.Results:Spontaneous stone passage were confirmed in 70 cases (15.5%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified that an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis ( OR=3.317, 95% CI: 1.427-7.713, P=0.005), larger common bile duct diameter ( OR=1.117, 95% CI: 1.000-1.248, P=0.049), and solitary stones ( OR=11.135, 95% CI: 3.602-34.418, P<0.001) significantly increased the probability of spontaneous stones. In contrast, larger stone long diameter ( OR=0.539, 95% CI: 0.441-0.659, P<0.001) markedly decreased passage likelihood. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the common bile duct diameter predicted spontaneous stone passage with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.662, yielding sensitivity of 52.9% (37/70) and specificity of 73.6% (51/70) at a cutoff value of 9.5 mm. The common bile duct stone diameter achieved an AUC of 0.852 for predicting spontaneous stone passage, with sensitivity of 75.7% (53/70) and specificity of 89.0% (62/70) at a cutoff value of 4.5 mm. Conclusion:Solitary small stones, ductal dilation, and an admission diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis are key predictive factors for spontaneous common bile duct stone passage. A common bile duct diameter ≥9.5 mm and stone long diameter ≤4.5 mm are more likely to result in spontaneous stone passage.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dye-free submucosal injection solution for gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), a retrospective cohort study was performed on data of inpatients with early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions who underwent ESD at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January to December 2020. Cases were divided into dye-free submucosal injection solution group (the observation group) and dye-containing solution group (the control group). A total of 108 cases met the eligibility criteria for analysis (39 VS 69). Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups ( P>0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group showed similar median procedure time (30.5 min VS 35.0 min), median dissection speed (0.3 cm2/min VS 0.4 cm2/min), mean volume of injection solution used (39.2 mL VS 38.8 mL), en bloc resection rate [100.0% (39/39) VS 98.6% (68/69)], and curative resection rate [97.4% (38/39) VS 97.1% (67/69)] (all P>0.05). Postoperative stay was 3.0±0.8 days in the observation group and 3.2±0.8 days in the control group ( t=-0.908, P=0.378). Delayed bleeding occurred in 3 (7.7%) patients VS 2 (2.9%) patients ( P=0.349), and postoperative infection occurred in 3 (7.7%) patients VS 8 (11.6%) patients ( P=0.743), respectively. In gastric ESD, dye-free submucosal injection solution demonstrates efficacy comparable with dye-containing solution and does not appreciably increase the incidence of intraoperative or postoperative complications.

The gastric fundus fornix and upper part of the gastric body pose challenges for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), resulting in unsatisfactory resection outcomes for lesions in these areas,because of the difficulty in the endoscope reaching the lesion site. Drawing inspiration from the formation of α loop during flexible colonoscopy and double-channel multibending gastroscope, a single-channel treatment gastroscope was utilized to create a multibending state (referred to as single-channel endoscope multibending method, SCMB). This method was employed to treat 6 patients with lesions in the stomach at Digestive Endoscopy Center of Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from June 2021 to December 2021. There were 3 cases in the gastric fundus fornix, 2 cases in the greater curvature on the upper part of the gastric body, and 1 case in the posterior wall of gastric fundus and subcardia. After 2-3 attempts during surgery, SCMB was successfully performed in all cases within 60-120 seconds. All 6 cases completed successful endoscopic resection within 20-80 minutes without significant complications, including 4 cases of ESD and 2 cases of endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFR). Preliminary results indicate that SCMB method during ESD and its derivative technologies are both safe and effective for lesions in challenging areas where gastric ESD is difficult to perform. During surgery, this approach facilitates the front end of endoscope access to the lesion, providing a clear visual field and a stable dissection plane.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on data of 13 patients with rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to July 2023. The efficacy and safety of ESD were evaluated. ESD was performed on 14 lesions in 13 patients. The lesions had a length of 1.4 to 12.5 cm and 5.4 cm in average, which were removed entirely in a single session, with an R0 resection rate of 92.31% (12/13). The ESD procedure duration ranged from 35 to 225 minutes, with an average of 88.3 minutes. Anal canal stenosis occurred in 1 case after ESD, which was improved after treatment with anal dilatation. No delayed bleeding, perforation, or other complications occurred. Pathological examination after ESD revealed 6 tubulovillous adenoma, 2 tubular adenoma, 3 tubular adenocarcinoma, and 2 squamous epithelial intraepithelial neoplasia (both 2 lesions were combined with human papillomavirus infection). In one case of tubular adenocarcinoma, the local resection margin showed focal tubulovillous adenoma, while the other cases were negative on lateral margins around and basal margins. The median follow-up period was 7.0 months (range 2 to 13 months), with no local residue, recurrence or metastasis observed. ESD is safe and effective for early rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line, and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.