Objective:To explore the operioperative and long-term outcomes of inflatable mediastinoscopic resection of esophageal carcinoma (IVMTE) and minimally invasive Mckeown resection of esophageal carcinoma (MIME) in early esophageal cancer.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A retrospectively analysis was conducted on 176 patients with cT1N0M0 esophageal cancer who underwent IVMTE or MIME at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital Affiliated with Anhui Medical University from April 2017 to April 2019. There were 128 males and 48 females, aged (66.4±7.7) years (range: 45 to 87 years). General data, perioperative outcomes, pathological data of the tumors, and complications were recorded. Independent sample t-test, χ2 test, or Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the data between the two groups. Propensity score matching was performed with gender, age, tumor location, differentiation degree, pT stage, pN stage, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, smoking history, and alcohol history were considered as covariates. The IVMTE group and MIME group were matched in a 1∶2 ratio using nearest neighbor match method with a caliper value of 0.02. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, with Log-rank test for univariate survival analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to analyze prognostic factors for overall survival, and subgroup stratification analysis was performed for pT stage. Results:After matching, the MIME group consisted of 54 cases, and the IVMTE group consisted of 27 cases. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, smoking history, alcohol history, ASA classification, tumor location, and other factors. The IVMTE group had shorter surgery time ( M(IQR), 220 (45) minutes vs. 245 (56) minutes, Z=2.950, P=0.003) and less intraoperative blood loss (100 (50) ml vs. 125 (100) ml, Z=2.193, P=0.028) compared to the MIME group. There were no differences between the two groups in the number and quantity of lymph node stations dissected, and the IVMTE group was not at a disadvantage in terms of the number of lymph nodes dissected around the recurrent laryngeal nerve (all P>0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were not significantly different between the two groups (all P>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in OS and RFS rates between the pT1 and pT2 subgroups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that ASA classification ( HR=2.516, 95% CI: 1.126 to 5.624, P=0.025), pN stage ( HR=2.485, 95% CI: 0.984 to 6.274, P=0.046), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=2.915, 95% CI: 1.304 to 6.515, P=0.009) were independent risk factors affecting 5-year OS rate. For 5-year RFS, pT stage ( HR=0.403, 95% CI: 0.194 to 0.838, P=0.011), pN stage ( HR=5.219, 95% CI: 2.401 to 11.346, P<0.01), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=5.644, 95% CI: 2.691 to 11.838, P<0.01) were independent risk factors, while the surgical approach was not an independent risk factor affecting patient prognosis. Conclusion:The short-term and long-term effect of IVMTE in the treatment of early esophageal cancer is good, and it can achieve effects comparable to MIME.

Objective:To explore the operioperative and long-term outcomes of inflatable mediastinoscopic resection of esophageal carcinoma (IVMTE) and minimally invasive Mckeown resection of esophageal carcinoma (MIME) in early esophageal cancer.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A retrospectively analysis was conducted on 176 patients with cT1N0M0 esophageal cancer who underwent IVMTE or MIME at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Anhui Provincial Hospital Affiliated with Anhui Medical University from April 2017 to April 2019. There were 128 males and 48 females, aged (66.4±7.7) years (range: 45 to 87 years). General data, perioperative outcomes, pathological data of the tumors, and complications were recorded. Independent sample t-test, χ2 test, or Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the data between the two groups. Propensity score matching was performed with gender, age, tumor location, differentiation degree, pT stage, pN stage, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, smoking history, and alcohol history were considered as covariates. The IVMTE group and MIME group were matched in a 1∶2 ratio using nearest neighbor match method with a caliper value of 0.02. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, with Log-rank test for univariate survival analysis. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to analyze prognostic factors for overall survival, and subgroup stratification analysis was performed for pT stage. Results:After matching, the MIME group consisted of 54 cases, and the IVMTE group consisted of 27 cases. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, smoking history, alcohol history, ASA classification, tumor location, and other factors. The IVMTE group had shorter surgery time ( M(IQR), 220 (45) minutes vs. 245 (56) minutes, Z=2.950, P=0.003) and less intraoperative blood loss (100 (50) ml vs. 125 (100) ml, Z=2.193, P=0.028) compared to the MIME group. There were no differences between the two groups in the number and quantity of lymph node stations dissected, and the IVMTE group was not at a disadvantage in terms of the number of lymph nodes dissected around the recurrent laryngeal nerve (all P>0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were not significantly different between the two groups (all P>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed no significant difference in OS and RFS rates between the pT1 and pT2 subgroups (all P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested that ASA classification ( HR=2.516, 95% CI: 1.126 to 5.624, P=0.025), pN stage ( HR=2.485, 95% CI: 0.984 to 6.274, P=0.046), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=2.915, 95% CI: 1.304 to 6.515, P=0.009) were independent risk factors affecting 5-year OS rate. For 5-year RFS, pT stage ( HR=0.403, 95% CI: 0.194 to 0.838, P=0.011), pN stage ( HR=5.219, 95% CI: 2.401 to 11.346, P<0.01), and whether adjuvant therapy was given postoperatively ( HR=5.644, 95% CI: 2.691 to 11.838, P<0.01) were independent risk factors, while the surgical approach was not an independent risk factor affecting patient prognosis. Conclusion:The short-term and long-term effect of IVMTE in the treatment of early esophageal cancer is good, and it can achieve effects comparable to MIME.

ObjectiveTo explore the safety and efficacy of robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy （robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy， RAMIE） and thoracic laparoscopy combined with minimally invasive esophageal resection （minimal invasive esophagectomy， MIE）. MethodsThe data of 188 patients treated with Da Vinci robot assisted minimally invasive esophageal resection （RAMIE） from April 2021 to December 2022 were analyzed. In the RAMIE group， 69 patients， 49 males and 20 female， age （67.2 ± 7.2）； 119 in the MIME group， respectively， 89 males and 30 female， age （69.1 ± 7.0）. At 1 ∶ 1， including 58 patients in the RAMIE group and 58 patients in the MIE group. The t-test， Wilcoxon rank-sum test， χ² test， and so on. ResultsAfter PSM treatment， the clinical data between the two groups. There was no significant difference in operation time， postoperative tube days， and total number of lymph node dissection between the RAMIE and MIE groups （P <0.05）； the RAMIE group was better in terms of intraoperative bleeding and the MIE group， statistically significant （P <0.05）； the MIE group was better in drainage flow and lymph node dissection for three days （P <0.05）. In terms of postoperative complications， there was no statistical difference between RAMIE and MIE groups （P>0.05）. ConclusionThe recent efficacy of robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy is comparable to that of thoracic laparoscopy and minimally invasive Mckeown esophagectomy； robotic-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy can reduce intraoperative bleeding and have more advantages in left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection.

Objective:To investigate the current status of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in China, and to provide supporting data and reference for the development of endoscopic treatment.Methods:In this study, initiated by the Liver Health Consortium in China (CHESS), a questionnaire was designed and distributed online to investigate the basic condition of endoscopic treatment for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension in 2022 in China. Questions included annual number and indication of endoscopic procedures, adherence to guideline for preventing esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB), management and timing of emergent EGVB, management of gastric and isolated varices, and improvement of endoscopic treatment. Proportions of hospitals concerning therapeutic choices to all participant hospitals were calculated. Guideline adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals were compared by using Chi-square test.Results:A total of 836 hospitals from 31 provinces (anotomous regions and municipalities) participated in the survey. According to the survey, the control of acute EGVB (49.3%, 412/836) and the prevention of recurrent bleeding (38.3%, 320/836) were major indications of endoscopic treatment. For primary [non-selective β-blocker (NSBB) or endoscopic therapies] and secondary prophylaxis (NSBB and endoscopic therapies) of EGVB, adherence to domestic guideline was 72.5% (606/836) and 39.2% (328/836), respectively. There were significant differences in the adherence between secondary and tertiary hospitals in primary prophylaxis of EGVB [71.0% (495/697) VS 79.9% (111/139), χ2=4.11, P=0.033] and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB [41.6% (290/697) VS 27.3% (38/139), χ2=9.31, P=0.002]. A total of 78.2% (654/836) hospitals preferred endoscopic therapies treating acute EGVB, and endoscopic therapy was more likely to be the first choice for treating acute EGVB in tertiary hospitals (82.6%, 576/697) than secondary hospitals [56.1% (78/139), χ2=46.33, P<0.001]. The optimal timing was usually within 12 hours (48.5%, 317/654) and 12-24 hours (36.9%, 241/654) after the bleeding. Regarding the management of gastroesophageal varices type 2 and isolated gastric varices type 1, most hospitals used cyanoacrylate injection in combination with sclerotherapy [48.2% (403/836) and 29.9% (250/836), respectively], but substantial proportions of hospitals preferred clip-assisted therapies [12.4% (104/836) and 26.4% (221/836), respectively]. Improving the skills of endoscopic doctors (84.2%, 704/836), and enhancing the precision of pre-procedure evaluation and quality of multidisciplinary team (78.9%, 660/836) were considered urgent needs in the development of endoscopic treatment. Conclusion:A variety of endoscopic treatments for gastroesophageal varices in portal hypertension are implemented nationwide. Participant hospitals are active to perform emergent endoscopy for acute EGVB, but are inadequate in following recommendations regarding primary and secondary prophylaxis of EGVB. Moreover, the selection of endoscopic procedures for gastric varices differs greatly among hospitals.

Background and objective With further understanding and research into non-small cell lung cancer with tumours ≤2 cm in maximum diameter,segmental lung resection is able to achieve the same long-term prognosis as lobec-tomy.However,there are few studies on the prognostic effect of wedge resection on small volume invasive lung adenocarci-noma with an invasion depth of 0.5 to 1.0 cm.Therefore,this study focuses on the clinical efficacy and prognosis of wedge re-section in patients with small-volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma.Methods A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 208 patients who underwent surgery in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University from February 2016 to December 2017 was made,and the postoperative pathological results confirmed small volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma.According to their surgical methods,they were divided into lobectomy group(n=115),segmentectomy group(n=48)and wedge resection group(n=45).Kaplan-Meier survival curve estimation and Cox proportional risk regression model were used to explore the influence of different surgical methods on the prognosis of patients with small volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma.Results The wedge resection group had better perioperative outcomes compared with the segmentectomy group and lobectomy group,with statistically significant differences in intraoperative bleed-ing(P=0.036),postoperative drainage(P＜0.001),operative time(P=0.018),postoperative time with tubes(P=0.001),and postoperative complication rate(P=0.006).There were no significant differences when comparing the three groups in terms of survival rate(lobectomy group vs segmentectomy group,P=0.303;lobectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.742;and segmentectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.278)and recurrence-free survival rate(lobectomy group vs segmentec-tomy group,P=0.495;lobectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.362;segmentectomy group vs wedge resection group,P=0.775).Univariate and multivariate survival analyses showed that consolidation tumor ratio(CTR)was the prognostic factor of overall survival and revurrence-free survival for patients with small-volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma(P＜0.05).Conclusion Wedge resection in patients with small volume invasive lung adenocarcinoma can achieve long-term outcomes similar to segmentectomy and lobectomy.When the CTR≤0.5,wedge resection is preferred in such patients.

Objective To investigate the expression and mechanism of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) GHRLOS2 in colorectal cancer tissues and cells. Methods Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of GHRLOS2 and microRNA-33b-5p (miR-33b-5p) in colorectal cancer tissues or cells. Overexpressing of GHRLOS2 in HCT116 and SW480 colorectal cancer cell lines were constructed, and the effects of overexpression of GHRLOS2 on the migration and invasion abilities in HCT116 and SW480 cell lines were detected by wound healing assay and Transwell assay. Glucose content in cells of overexpressing GHRLOS2 and control cells was detected using a glucose detection kit. Western blot was used to detect the expression level of PCK1 protein in cells. The targeted binding relationship between miR-33b-5p and PCK1 was predicted based on bioinformatics methods. Results The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression level of GHRLOS2 in colorectal cancer tissue samples was lower than that in adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and was lower in colorectal cancer cells than that in normal colon epithelial cells (P < 0.05). The expression of GHRLOS2 was correlated with grade classification, staging, and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The expression level of miR-33b-5p in colorectal cancer tissues was higher than that in corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P < 0.001). The results of wound healing assay, Transwell assay, and glucose content detection showed that overexpression of GHRLOS2 significantly inhibited the invasion, migration, and glucose metabolism of colorectal cancer cells. Overexpression of GHRLOS2 inhibited the expression level of miR-33b-5p; GHRLOS2 functioned as a molecular sponge for miR-33b-5p, and PCK1 was a target of miR-33b-5p; overexpression of GHRLOS2 competitively bound to miR-33b-5p, thereby promoting increased expression of PCK1. Conclusion The expression of GHRLOS2 is downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues and cells, and it may regulate the invasion, migration, and glucose metabolism of colorectal cancer cells through the miR-33b-5p/PCK1 pathway, making it a potential biological target for targeted therapy of colorectal cancer.

Objective 　To evaluate the role of surgical resection on synchronous multiple pulmonary nodules identified difficultly in clinics. Methods 　The clinical data of 97 patients with synchronous multiple pulmonary nodules who received surgical resection between 2012 and 2019 in Hunan Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 72 males and 25 females, aged 58.1卤9.0 years. Among these patients, there were 78 patients with ipsilateral and 19 patients with bilateral pulmonary nodules. Clinicopathological parameters between main nodules and secondary nodules were evaluated. Perioperative morbidity was also assessed. Results 　The operation was successfully completed on all patients for the ipsilateral and bilateral lesions. Totally, 71.1% of mian lesions was mostly removed by lobectomy, and the completion rate of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was 69.1% (67/97); 80.4% of secondary lesions were mostly removed by wedge resection, and the completion rate of VATS was 71.1% (69/97). The incidence of grade 3 or higher complications after unilateral or bilateral surgery was 12.8% and 5.3%, respectively. Postoperative pathology confirmed that the main lesions were malignant in 65 patients (67.0%), mainly adenocarcinoma (63.1%), of which 43.1%were in the stage Ⅰ; 32 patients were benign, mainly tuberculoma (56.3%). There were 29 patients of malignant secondary lesions, 67 benign, and 1 both benign and malignant; the pathological agreement rate of primary and secondary lesions was 54.6% (lung cancer metastases in the lung and all the benign). When the primary lesion was malignant with its diameters of <3 cm, 3-<5 cm, 5-7 cm, >7 cm, the metastatic rate of secondary lesions was 42.5%, 15.8%, 20.0%, 0, respectively. When the primary lesion was malignant with lymph node metastasis, the probability of the secondary lesion being a metastatic tumor was higher than that without lymph node metastasis (46.7% vs. 30.0%, P>0.05). When the primary lesion was malignant and the primary and secondary lesions were located in the same lobe, the secondary lesions were more likely to metastasize (54.5%), while when they were located on different lobes on the same side or different sides, the secondary lesions were more likely to be benign (58.1%, 72.7%), and the possibility of metastasis was small ( 32.6%, 9.1%). When the primary lesion was benign and clinical differential diagnosis was difficult, the secondary lesion was benign. Conclusion    For synchronous multiple pulmonary nodules, the diameter of the primary lesion is large, the metastatic rate of secondary lesions tends to decrease. In ipsilateral synchronous multiple pulmonary nodules, especially with node metastasis, the risk of metastatic nodule increases. Bilateral surgical resection does not significantly increase the perioperative morbidity.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer between minimally invasive esophagectomy via Sweet approach in combination with cervical mediastinoscopy (MIE-SM) and minimally invasive esophagectomy via McKeown approach (MIE-MC), and to evaluate the value of MIE-SM in the surgical treatment of esophageal cancer. METHODS: A prospective, nonrandomized study was adopted. A total of 65 esophageal cancer patients after MIE-SM and MIE-MC from June 2014 to May 2016 were included. Among them, 33 patients underwent MIE-SM and 32 patients underwent MIE-MC. Short-term outcomes (including the duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss volume, ICU stay time, postoperative complications, postoperative hospital stay, reoperation, open surgery, number of dissected lymph nodes, and 30-day mortality), mid-term outcomes, [including Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the esophageal site-specific module (QLQ-OES18)], long-term outcomes [including overall survival and disease-free survival] were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Radical resection (R0) were achieved in all patients. There were no significant differences in the duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss volume, ICU stay time, postoperative complications, and postoperative hospital stay between the 2 groups (all CONCLUSIONS MIE-SM appears to be a safe surgical approach, which may get better quality of life, suffer less pain, and can achieve the same therapeutic effect as MIE-MC. Therefore, MIE-SM should be considered as a valuable approach for the treatment of middle and lower esophageal cancer.
Esophageal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Esophagectomy ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Mediastinoscopy ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To evaluate the learning curve of video-assisted thoracoscopic sleeve lobectomy in patients with central lung cancer.Methods A total of 86 consecutive patients with resected central lung cancer in the second department of thoracic surgery of Hunan Cancer Hospital between Apirl 2016 and July 2018 were retrospectively enrolled.Video-assisted tho-racoscopic tracheoplasty with sleeve resection and lobectomy were performed in 56 patients, video-assisted thoracoscopic tra-cheoplasty with wedge resection and lobectomy were performed in 20 patients, and 10 patients transit to thoracotomy.Surgical parameter of patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic sleeve lobectomy were investigated to assess the learning curve, including operation duration, bleeding volume, amount of lymph nodes examined(medianstinal and intrapulmonary). Lowess smoothing method was performed to fit curve to evaluate the variation tendency of surgical parameters .Cut-off point, as well as the confidence interval, were identified using piecewise regression analysis.Results Surgical duration tend to be stable (almost 200 min) when the cumulative case amount of video-assisted thoracoscopic sleeve lobectomy reach 40.Surgical bleed-ing tend to be stable( almost 200 ml) when the cumulative case amount of video-assisted thoracoscopic sleeve lobectomy reach 20.There is no significant correlation between the amount of lymph node harvest and surgical volume .Conclusion The cut-off point for video-assisted thoracoscopic sleeve lobectomy is approximately 40 cases.

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stageⅢA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods From March 2008 to October 2015, there were 92 cases of stageⅢA NSCLC patients received 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent radical surgery for lung cancer 3-4 weeks late ( observation group) , and another group of 65 cases of stage ⅢA NSCLC patients ( control group) underwent surgery for lung cancer without preoperative chemotherapy. The clinical data as well as early and meddle term surgical outcome of both groups were analyzed retrospectively. Results The neoadjuvant chemotherapy effective rate was 73. 9％ in the observation group. All surgeries for lung cancer patients were undertaken either with video-assisted thoracotomy or traditional thoracotomy. No operative mortality and the postoperative pathology findings were in accordance with NSCLC. The bleed-ing amount and operation time of two groups were similar; the resection rate of the observation group was greater than that of the control group. All patients were followed up at least 3 years, and the 2 years and 3 years survival rate of the observation group was slightly higher than that of the control group. Conclusions Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC can improve the resection rate and prolong the survival time, which is worthy of clinical application.