Teratoma following cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy for nonseminomatous germ cell tumors: a clinicopathological correlation

From April 1975 through May 1981, 51 patients had teratoma resected from residual disease following cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. All patients had normal serum markers before resection of abdominal (25), lung (12), mediastinal (5), thoracoabdominal (8) or other (1) disease. Teratoma was classified as mature in 29 cases, immature in 15 or immature with nongerm cell elements in 7. Of the 51 patients 31 (61 per cent) remain free of recurrent disease, while 20 either had recurrent carcinoma (10) or teratoma (10) requiring further therapy. Nine patients died, including 1 in whom angiosarcoma developed, which was thought to be secondary to previous radiation therapy. In 4 patients the initial relapse of carcinoma developed beyond 2 years after resection. Univariate factors predicting for relapse include tumor burden, immature teratoma with nongerm cell elements and site (mediastinum), while only immature teratoma with nongerm cell elements and site predicted for survival. Patients with immature teratoma had a comparable relapse-free and over-all survival as those with mature teratoma. Using a multivariate analysis, primary tumor site at the mediastinum was the most significant adverse factor predictive for relapse and survival. This study appears to support the various pre-clinical models that demonstrate multipotential capabilities of teratoma. Complete surgical excision of teratoma remains the most effective treatment with continued close followup recommended for high risk patients (immature teratoma with nongerm cell elements, large tumor burden and primary mediastinal tumors) with resected teratoma.     

Microcystic meningioma arising in a mixed germ cell tumor of the testis: a case report.

We report a case of a microcystic variant of meningioma arising in a mixed germ cell tumor of the testis composed predominantly of mature and immature teratoma with elements of seminoma and embryonal carcinoma. We believe this is the first such case of a meningioma arising in a teratoma within a gonadal or extragonadal site. The meningiomatous component showed positive immunohistochemical staining for epithelial membrane antigen and a lack of staining for cytokeratin, factor VIII, CD31, and alpha-fetoprotein. Recognition of a non-germ cell tumor arising in the setting of a teratoma in the testis may be prognostically important depending on the nature of the non-germ cell component and whether it has spread beyond the testis.     

Surgical techniques for testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumors metastatic to the mediastinum

Since 1980, the author and his colleagues have performed over 400 thoracic surgical procedures to remove residual mediastinal disease after cisplatin-based chemotherapy in nearly 300 patients with testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumors [6]. Presurgical planning is individualized and may require coordination with urologic and head and neck surgeons to minimize the overall number of surgical procedures while maximizing exposure. Careful and systematic dissection can remove teratomatous residual disease from major blood vessels and intrathoracic nerves with minimal morbidity. The operative mortality rate has been low (1%), which is not unexpected in these otherwise young and healthy patients. The 10-year survival rate has been 78% from the time of diagnosis with removal of benign residual mediastinal disease pathologically consisting of either necrosis or teratoma. This success justifies an aggressive thoracic surgical approach in these cases. Commonly, multiple surgical procedures are required to remove bilateral or multiple levels of residual mediastinal disease or disease that presents during long-term follow-up. Prolonged survival seems possible following the resection of limited areas of persistent nonseminomatous germ cell tumors or nonseminomatous germ cell tumor degeneration into non-germ cell cancer within the mediastinum. Salvage surgery to remove chemotherapy-refractory mediastinal disease represents a situation in which significantly poorer long-term survival is anticipated; however, an aggressive surgical approach is justified in select patients.     

Prognosis of completely resected pN2 non-small cell lung carcinomas: What is the significant node that affects survival?

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the effect of the station of mediastinal metastasis with regard to the location of the primary tumor on the prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: Of 956 consecutive patients who underwent operation for primary lung carcinoma between 1986 and 1996, 760 patients (79.5%) were diagnosed as having non- small cell carcinoma and were subjected to complete removal of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes together with the primary tumor. RESULTS: The status of lymph node involvement was N0 in 480 patients (63.2%), N1 in 139 patients (18.3%), and N2 in 141 patients (18.6%). The 5- and 10-year survival of patients with N2 disease were 26% and 17%, respectively. Neither cell type nor the extent of procedure was a significant survival determinant. Patients having involvement of subcarinal nodes from upper-lobe tumors had a significantly worse prognosis than those patients with metastases only to the upper mediastinal or aortic nodes (P =.003). Patients with nodal involvement of the upper mediastinum from lower-lobe tumors had a significantly worse survival than those patients with metastases limited to the lower mediastinum (P =.039). Furthermore, patients with involvement of the aortic nodes alone from left upper-lobe tumors had a significantly better survival than those patients with metastasis to the upper or lower mediastinum beyond the aortic region (P =.044). CONCLUSIONS: When mediastinal metastasis is limited to upper nodes from upper-lobe tumor, to lower nodes from lower-lobe tumor, or to aortic nodes from left upper-lobe tumor, acceptable survival could be expected after radical resection.     

Mediastinal metastases from testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumors: patterns of dissemination and predictors of long-term survival with surgery

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of mediastinal dissemination of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of testicular origin and evaluate variables that may influence survival with mediastinal dissection in patients with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. METHODS: From 1981 to 2000, a total of 421 patients were seen at our institution for extirpation of residual lung or mediastinal disease after cisplatin-based chemotherapy for metastatic testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. We reviewed 268 of these patients, with a mean age of 26.8 years, who required at least one surgical procedure to remove residual mediastinal disease. Pathologic types of resected residual mediastinal disease were necrosis (15%), teratoma (59%), persistent nonseminomatous germ cell cancer (15%), and non-germ cell carcinomatous degeneration (11%). Twelve variables were evaluated by univariate analyses, and four variables potentially statistically significant at P <.10 were subsequently entered into a Cox regression model. RESULTS: All patients demonstrated metastases to the visceral mediastinum. Fewer patients also demonstrated metastases to the paravertebral sulcus or anterior compartments (16% and 7%, respectively). Overall 5- and 10-year survivals were 86% +/- 2% and 74% +/- 4%, respectively. According to multivariate analysis, disease-related survival was negatively influenced by an elevated preoperative beta-human chorionic gonadotropin level (P =.028) and adverse pathologic characteristics of residual mediastinal disease (P =.006). CONCLUSIONS: Testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumors follow a predictable pattern of mediastinal dissemination, primarily following the course of the thoracic duct and its major tributaries. Patients who require surgery to remove residual mediastinal disease after cisplatin-based chemotherapy for metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors have good to excellent long-term survivals. These results justify an aggressive surgical approach, including multiple surgical procedures if clinically indicated.     

Results of resection in non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung with mediastinal lymph node metastases.

From 1974 to 1981, 1598 patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung were seen and treated. All were staged according to the AJC staging system. Of these, 706 patients had evidence of mediastinal lymph node metastases (N2). There were 151 patients (21%) who had complete, potentially curative resection of their primary tumor and all accessible mediastinal lymph nodes. The histologic type of tumor was adenocarcinoma in 94 patients, epidermoid carcinoma in 46 patients, and large-cell carcinoma in 11 patients. The extent of pulmonary resection consisted of a lobectomy in 119 patients, pneumonectomy in 26 patients, and wedge resection or segmentectomy in six patients. Almost all patients also received radiation therapy to the mediastinum. Clinical staging of the primary tumor and the mediastinum was based on the radiographic presentation of the chest and on bronchoscopy. Before treatment, 104 of 151 patients (69%) were believed to have had stage I (90 patients) or II (14 patients) disease, and 47 patients had stage III disease, of whom only 33 had evidence of mediastinal lymph node involvement. Excluding deaths from unrelated causes, the overall survival rate was 74% at 1 year, 43% at 3 years and 29% at 5 years. Survival in patients with clinical stage I or II disease treated by resection was favorable despite the presence of N2 nodes (50% at 3 years). Survival in obvious clinical N2 disease was poor (8% at 3 years). There was no difference in survival between patients with adenocarcinoma and those with epidermoid carcinoma. However, survival was poorer in patients with N2 nodes in the inferior mediastinum compared to those without lymph node involvement at that level.     

Primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumors: the influence of postchemotherapy pathology on long-term survival after surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The treatment of nonseminomatous germ cell tumors with cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by aggressive surgical resection of residual disease is one of the most successful models for multimodality cancer therapy. We reviewed the case histories of 91 patients treated at our institution from 1981 to 1998 with primary mediastinal nonseminomatous germ cell tumors to evaluate variables that may influence survival after surgery. METHODS: Twelve of the 91 patients did not undergo postchemotherapy resection because of progressive disease. Seventy-nine of them underwent 82 thoracic surgical procedures and are the basis of this review. The majority (71/75) had elevated serum tumor markers, 75% (n = 50) of which returned to normal levels after first- or second-line chemotherapy. RESULTS: There were 3 operative deaths and 1 late death, attributed to pulmonary complications. Twenty-four patients died of recurrent disease and 3 of leukemia, for an overall survival of 61% after an average follow-up of 48 months. The pathologic findings of complete tumor necrosis (n = 19) and benign teratoma (n = 28) in the surgical specimen predicted excellent and good long-term survival, respectively, which was statistically better than that of patients having persistent nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (n = 24) or carcinomatous/sarcomatous degeneration (n = 8). CONCLUSIONS: Primary nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the mediastinum can be cured with a multimodality therapy, particularly in the subset of patients with postchemotherapy pathologic findings of tumor necrosis and teratoma. Survival is poor but possible in patients with unfavorable pathologic findings after chemotherapy, currently justifying an aggressive surgical approach in patients with otherwise operable disease.     

Germ cell tumors with sarcomatous components: a clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of 46 cases

The clinicopathologic features of 46 patients with germ cell tumors with sarcomatous components (GCTSC) involving either the primary site or their metastases were studied. There were 43 men and 3 women aged 17 to 74 years. Twenty-three tumors arose in the mediastinum, 2 in the retroperitoneum, and 21 in the gonads. The germ cell component consisted of pure mature or immature teratoma (23 cases), teratoma mixed with other seminomatous or nonseminomatous components (17), pure seminoma (2), intratubular germ cell neoplasia (1), and yolk sac tumor (1). The SC included embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (29), angiosarcoma (6), leiomyosarcoma (4), undifferentiated sarcoma (3), myxoid liposarcoma (1), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (1), malignant "triton" tumor (1), and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (1). Immunohistochemical studies were carried out in 34 cases with appropriate results supporting the diagnoses. Metastases containing both GCT and SC were observed in 6 cases, metastases of SC alone in 4, and metastases containing only GCT elements in 3. All patients were treated by cisplatinum-based chemotherapy plus other agents followed by surgery. Clinical follow-up was available in 40 patients (1 to 96 mo; mean=24 mo). Thirty-two of 40 patients either died of tumor (25/40; 62.5%) or were alive with advanced, progressive disease (7/40; 17.5%), and only 8/40 (20%) were alive and free of disease between 5 to 40 months (mean=18 mo). Comparison of these patients with an age-matched and stage-matched control group of patients with GCT without SC showed statistically significant differences in survival between the 2 cohorts (P 相似文献   

Surgical salvage therapy for malignant intrathoracic metastases from nonseminomatous germ cell cancer of testicular origin: analysis of a single-institution experience

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgical extirpation of residual benign disease represents the usual sequence of curative therapy for metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell cancer of testicular origin. Occasionally, residual disease is malignant in the form of either a persistent nonseminomatous germ cell cancer tumor or degeneration into non-germ cell cancer. We reviewed our institution's experience with patients undergoing salvage operations to remove malignant intrathoracic metastases. METHODS: From 1981 through 2001, 438 patients with nonseminomatous germ cell cancer had operations to remove residual intrathoracic disease after cisplatin-based chemotherapy at Indiana University Hospital. A subset of 134 patients who underwent 186 surgical procedures to remove malignant metastases is the basis of this review. Fifty-nine patients had removal of pulmonary metastases, 49 had removal of mediastinal metastases, and 26 had removal of both pulmonary and mediastinal metastases. Surgical pathology demonstrated 84 patients with persistent nonseminomatous germ cell cancer tumors, 38 with degeneration into non-germ cell cancer, and 12 with both malignant pathologic categories. RESULTS: There were 4 (3.7%) operative deaths. The overall median survival was 5.6 years, with 55 (42.3%) patients alive and well after a mean follow-up of 5.1 years. Seventeen variables were analyzed by using Cox regression. Of these, older age, pulmonary metastases (vs mediastinal metastases), and 4 or more (vs 1) total intrathoracic metastases were significantly (P < or = .01) predictive of inferior long-term survival. CONCLUSIONS: Salvage thoracic surgery to remove malignant metastases from nonseminomatous germ cell cancer tumors of testicular origin can result in long-term survival in select patients. We identified variables that influence survival in this subset.     

Study of the factors associated with recurrence in children with sacrococcygeal teratoma

Purpose

The aim of this study was to explore effects of (1) histological involvement of resection margins with microscopic residue, (2) incomplete removal of coccyx, and (3) tumor spillage on recurrence and on survival in children operated upon for sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT).

Methods

Retrospective review of 70 patients treated between 1960 and 2003.

Results

Fifty-four girls and 16 boys presented with SCT diagnosed prenatally (12), at birth (37), or later (21). Thirty-six percent of tumors were Altman type I, 27% type II, 18% type III, and 18% type IV. Histologically, mature teratoma was observed in 48 patients, immature teratoma in 11, yolk sac tumor (YST) in 9, embryonal carcinoma in one, and mixed tumor in one. Eighty-four percent of patients solely underwent surgical extirpation. Six (8.5%) patients died. However, mortality for the group of 42 patients treated during the past 15 years was as low as 2.5%. Tumor recurrence was observed in 5 patients, 2 of whom died. Of 3 patients with initially mature teratoma, 1 showed local immature recurrence and 2 malignant recurrences. One of the latter died. Of 2 patients with initially immature teratoma grade I, one relapsed with a benign lesion and one with YST leading to death. Possible eliciting factors had been demonstrated in 3 patients. Histological analysis of resection margins showed tumoral involvement in 11 patients (and also in one patient after resection of a recurrent tumor). Only one of those with YST focus in the resection margin showed recurrence. Intraoperative tumor spillage presented in 2 patients, who both died of metastatic disease. Spillage of tumoral cyst fluid occurred in 6, none developed recurrence. One of 5 patients whose coccyx had not been removed died of metastatic disease. One with immature teratoma developed a benign recurrent tumor. The other 3 showed no recurrence.

Conclusions

Microscopic involvement of the resection margins of mature or immature SCT is rarely associated with recurrence, provided there are no YST foci in the resection margins. A conservative attitude then appears to be justified. Spillage of cyst fluid was never associated with recurrence, unlike spillage of tumor and absence of removal of coccyx.     

Malignant mediastinal germ cell tumors: an intergroup study

PURPOSE: This review was conducted to determine clinical characteristics and response to therapy in this rare pediatric neoplasm. METHODS: An intergroup Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) 9049/Children's Cancer Study Group (CCG) 8882 randomized trial was conducted to evaluate response rate and survival with chemotherapy using etoposide, bleomycin, and high or standard dose cisplatin for high-risk malignant germ cell tumors at extragonadal sites. For this review, a secondary analysis of clinical and operative findings in patients with primary site in the mediastinum was carried out. RESULTS: Of the 38 children with malignant mediastinal germ cell tumors (MGCT), 36 had sufficient data to be included in this review. Thirty-four tumors were anterior mediastinal, 2 were intrapericardial. Younger patients had respiratory complaints; older patients had chest pain, precocious puberty, or facial fullness. Yolk sac tumor was the only malignant element in girls. Boys had yolk sac tumor in 7, germinoma in 3, choriocarcinoma in 2, and mixed malignant elements in 15. Benign teratoma elements coexisted in 22 patients. Four patients had biopsy and chemotherapy without tumor resection, and only 1 survived. Fourteen patients had resection at diagnosis followed by chemotherapy with 12 survivors. Eighteen patients had biopsy followed by chemotherapy and postchemotherapy tumor resection with 13 survivors. Tumor size in response to chemotherapy for these 18 patients was stable or increased in 6, and decreased in 12 (mean decrease of 57% in greatest dimension). Overall, 26 of 36 patients survived, with a 4-year patient survival rate of 71%+/-10%, and a 4-year event-free survival rate of 69%+/-10%. Ten patients died: 5 of tumor (all boys > or =15 yr), 2 of sepsis, and 3 of second malignancy. CONCLUSIONS: Malignant MGCT is a complex tumor of varied histology with frequent coexistence of benign elements. Lesions often have incomplete regression with chemotherapy alone. Tumor resection may be undertaken at diagnosis or after attempted shrinkage with chemotherapy. Aggressive attempt at complete tumor resection should be offered to all patients even if bulky tumor persists after induction chemotherapy with expectation of a significant salvage rate. Boys > or =15 years may be a high-risk subgroup for mortality from tumor progression.     

Border between N1 and N2 stations in lung carcinoma: lessons from lymph node metastatic patterns of lower lobe tumors

OBJECTIVE: Distinction of lymph node stations is one of the most crucial topics still not entirely resolved by many lung cancer surgeons. The nodes around the junction of the hilum and mediastinum are key points at issue. We examined the spread pattern of lymph node metastases, investigated the prognosis according to the level of the involved nodes, and conclusively analyzed the border between N1 and N2 stations. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 604 consecutive patients who underwent complete resection for non-small cell lung carcinoma of the lower lobe. RESULTS: There were 390 patients (64.6%) with N0 disease, 127 (21.0%) with N1, and 87 (14.4%) with N2. Whereas 11.3% of patients with right N2 disease had skip metastases limited to the subcarinal nodes, 32.6% of patients with left N2 disease had skip metastases, of which 64.2% had involvement of N2 station nodes, except the subcarinal ones. The overall 5-year survivals of patients with N0, N1, and N2 disease were 71.0%, 50.8%, and 16.7%, respectively (N0 vs N1 P = .0001, N1 vs N2, P < .0001). Although there were no significant differences in survival according to the side of the tumor among patients with N0 or N1 disease, patients with a left N2 tumor had a worse prognosis than those with a right N2 tumor (P = .0387). The overall 5-year survivals of patients with N0, intralobar N1, hilar N1, lower mediastinal N2, and upper mediastinal N2 disease were 71.0%, 60.1%, 38.8%, 24.8%, and 0%, respectively. Significant differences were observed between intralobar N1 and hilar N1 disease ( P = .0489), hilar N1 and lower mediastinal N2 disease (P = .0158), and lower and upper mediastinal N2 disease (P = .0446). Also, the 5-year survivals of patients with involvement up to station 11, up to station 10, and up to station 7 were 41.4%, 37.9% and 37.7%, respectively (difference not significant). CONCLUSIONS: N1 and N2 diseases appeared as a combination of subgroups: intralobar N1 disease, hilar N1 disease, lower mediastinal N2 disease, and upper mediastinal N2 disease. Interestingly, the survivals of patients with involvement up to interlobar nodes (station 11), main bronchus nodes (station 10), and subcarinal nodes (station 7) were identical. These data constitute the basis for a larger investigation to develop a lymph node map in lung cancer.     

Lung cancer with mediastinal lymph node involvement. Results of the combination of surgery and radiotherapy

From July 1979 to July 1986, 215 patients with non-oat cell carcinoma of the lung were treated by surgery at our institution. Of these, 169 had complete, potentially curative resection of their primary tumor and all accessible mediastinal lymph nodes. The extent of pulmonary resection consisted of pneumonectomy in 70 patients, lobectomy in 78 patients, bilobectomy in 18 patients and wedge resection in 3 patients. All were staged according to the AJG staging system. There were 88 patients without lymph node metastases (N0), 10 patients with peribronchial lymph node metastases (N1) and 60 patients with regional lymph node metastases (N2). All patients with N2 disease received radiation therapy to the mediastinum after surgery. The overall survival rate was 62% at 1 year, 36% at 3 years and 27% at 5 years. Survival in patients with N2 disease was 56% at 1 year, 23% at 3 years and 12.4% at 5 years. We conclude that patients with mediastinal lymph node metastases can be effectively treated by combined resection and radiation therapy, with prolonged survival.     

Use and prognostic value of staging mediastinoscopy in non-small-cell lung cancer

One hundred sixty patients had preoperative mediastinoscopy, resection of the primary tumor, and complete mediastinal lymphadenectomy for non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung. Minimum follow-up was 24 months (mean 40 months). Postoperative staging based on histologic examination of the specimen of the lung and mediastinal lymphadenectomy categorized 59 patients in stage I, 28 in stage II, and 73 in stage III (20 T3N0, 12 T3N1, 29 T1 or T2N2, and 12 T3N2). The sensitivity rate of cervical mediastinoscopy for detection of mediastinal node metastasis was 48.7%. False-negative results of mediastinoscopy occurred in 21 of 41 patients with normal mediastinoscopy: unreachable nodes in eight patients, sampling error of reachable nodes in 11 patients, and error on frozen section in two patients. Eleven of 65 patients with clinical stage I disease and normal mediastinum on chest roentgenogram had mediastinal node involvement; only three were detected by mediastinoscopy, which resulted in a low sensitivity rate (27.3%) and a high rate of unnecessary mediastinoscopy (62/65 patients). The sensitivity of mediastinoscopy increased as the amount of disease present, as measured by the clinical stage of disease or positive gallium 67 scan of mediastinum, increased. Eleven of 29 patients with T1 to T2N2 disease discovered at mediastinoscopy had similar survival rates compared with 18 of 29 patients who had a normal mediastinoscopy examination and mediastinal node involvement discovered at thoracotomy.     

Is lung cancer surgery justified in patients with direct mediastinal invasion?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of the surgical treatment of patients with stage IIIB non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) invading the mediastinum (T4). METHODS: Twenty-nine patients were operated on from 1986 to 1999. Histology was squamous cell carcinoma in 17 patients, adenocarcinoma in eight, large cell carcinoma in two and neuroendocrinal carcinoma in two. Three patients received a preoperative chemotherapy (n = 2) or radiochemotherapy (n = 1). The lung resection consisted of a pneumonectomy in 25 patients and a lobectomy in four. The procedure was extended to one of the following structures: superior vena cava (SVC) (n = 17), aorta (n = 1), left atrium (n = 5) and carina (n = 6). Seventeen patients had a postoperative regimen including radiochemotherapy (n = 12), radiotherapy (n = 4), or chemotherapy (n = 1). RESULTS: Complete R0 resection was achieved in 25 patients, whereas four patients had a microscopically (n = 1) or macroscopically (n = 3) residual disease. The operative mortality rate was 7% (n = 2). Non-fatal major complications occurred in eight patients (28%). Overall 5-year survival rate was 28% (median 11 months), including the operative mortality. The median survival of the 18 patients with an N0 or N1 disease was 16 months whereas the median survival of the 11 patients with an N2 disease was 9 months. At completion of the study, 22 patients have died, two postoperatively and 10 from pulmonary causes without evidence of cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management of T4 NSC lung cancer invading the mediastinum should be considered, in the absence of N2 disease, when a complete resection is achievable.     

Prognostic significance of surgical-pathologic N1 disease in non-small cell carcinoma of the lung

Background. N1 disease represents a heterogeneous group of non-small cell lung carcinoma with varying 5-year survival rates. Specific types of N1 lymph node involvement need to be further investigated and their prognostic significance clarified.

Methods. From 1984 to 1993, 1,174 patients with non-small cell lung cancer had complete mediastinal lymph node dissection: N0, 50.25% (n = 590); N1, 21.8% (n = 256); and N2, 27.95% (n = 328). The N1 subgroup cases were reviewed. Four levels of N1 nodes were identified using the New Regional Lymph Node Classification for Lung Cancer Staging. Their prognostic significances were tested and 5-year survival rates were compared with those of N0 and N2 patients of the whole group.

Results. The overall 5-year survival rate of N1 patients was 47.5%. Survival was not related to site of the primary lung cancer, pathologic T factor, histologic type, type of resection, number of N1 station involved, nor type of N1 involvement (direct extension or metastases). Five-year survival was significantly better when N1 involvement was intralobar (levels 12 and 13, n = 102), as compared with extralobar (hilar) involvement (levels 10 and 11, n = 154): 53.6% versus 38.5% (p = 0.02). Intralobar N1 5-year survival was similar to that of N0 (53.6% vs 56.5%, p = 0.01), and extralobar 5-year survival with that of N2 (38.5 vs 28.3%, p = 0.01) when N2 was present in only one station in the ipsilateral mediastinum.

Conclusions. N1 disease is a compound of two subgroups: one located inside the lobes is related to N0, and the other (extralobar or hilar) behaves like an early stage of N2 disease. This offers further information for clinical, therapeutic, and research purposes.     

Recurrence Pattern of Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the Middle Thoracic Esophagus after Modified Ivor-Lewis Esophagectomy

BACKGROUND: Despite increasingly radical surgery for esophageal carcinoma, many patients still develop tumor recurrence after operation. This study was designed to evaluate the recurrence pattern of squamous cell carcinoma in the middle thoracic esophagus after modified Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data of 196 patients who underwent modified Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy with two-field lymph node dissection from January 1997 to January 2001. Recurrence was classified as locoregional or hematogenous recurrence. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors of postoperative recurrence. RESULTS: The overall 3-year and 5-year survival rates in all patients were 53% and 31%, respectively. Recurrence was recognized in 96 patients (48.9%) in the 3 years after operation. The median time to tumor recurrence was 12.2 months. The pattern of recurrence was locoregional in 52 patients (mainly mediastinal in 41, single cervical/supraclavicular in 8), hematogenous in 44 patients (simultaneous locoregional and hematogenous in 10; mainly liver, bone, or lung in 39). The locoregional recurrence rate was significantly lower in patients with postoperative radiotherapy than that in patients without postoperative radiotherapy (p = 0.02). Logistic regression analysis showed that T3 (p = 0.032), N1 (p = 0.003), and postoperative radiotherapy (p = 0.022) were independent risk factors for tumor locoregional recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: About one half of the patients would develop recurrent disease within 3 years after modified Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy with two-field lymph node dissection, and most of them had mediastinal lymph node, liver, bone, or lung metastasis. Postoperative radiotherapy was beneficial in the control of locoregional recurrence.     

Extended operation for lung cancer invading the aortic arch and superior vena cava

Extended operation for lung cancer and mediastinal carcinoma involving the aortic arch or superior vena cava was performed in six patients. In three patients with lung cancer invading the right side of the mediastinum, sleeve pneumonectomy (two patients) or sleeve lobectomy was followed by resection and reconstruction of the superior vena cava with ringed polytetrafluoroethylene grafts. One patient with squamous cell carcinoma and T4 N1 M0 disease was alive and free of disease more than 34 months after the operation. The other patients with adenocarcinoma (T4 N1 M0) and adenosquamous cell carcinoma (T4 N2 M0) died 18 and 5 months after the operation of systemic metastases. In two patients with invasion of lung cancer into the left side of the mediastinum, resection and reconstruction of the aortic arch and left common carotid artery were performed by a femoro-femoral bypass. These patients had adenocarcinoma (T4 N2 M0) and large cell carcinoma (T4 N1 M0) and died of systemic metastases and bleeding during reoperation 12 and 4 months after the initial operation. In one patient with mediastinal squamous cell carcinoma, resection and reconstruction of the aortic arch and left subclavian artery were performed by application of a temporary bypass graft between the ascending and descending aorta. This patient was alive and free of disease more than 17 months after the operation.     

Is upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy necessary in squamous carcinoma of the lower thoracic oesophagus?

AIM: We examined the indication of upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy for a squamous cell carcinoma of the lower thoracic oesophagus. METHODS: 49 patients underwent a curative oesophagectomy with upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy for a squamous cell carcinoma of the lower thoracic oesophagus. Node status and clinicopathological characteristics of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: 16 (94.1%) of 17 patients with superficial tumours had no positive node in the upper mediastinum. Nine (29.0%) of 31 patients with transmural tumours had positive nodes in the upper mediastinum (P = 0.04). Ten (20.4%) of 49 patients had many positive nodes in the upper mediastinum. Of these 10 patients, 6 patients had 5 or more positive nodes in all. The 5-year survival rate for patients with 5 or more positive nodes was 7.7%, which was significantly poorer than patients with 4 or fewer positive nodes. CONCLUSIONS: Upper mediastinal lymphadenectomy is unnecessary in most of the superficial squamous carcinomas of the lower thoracic oesophagus.