Esophageal cancer surgery in patients older than 75: long term results.

in Acta Chirurgica Belgica (2011), 111(1), 12-7

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate short and long term results after esophageal cancer resection in patients older than 75. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the database of esophageal ... [more ▼]

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate short and long term results after esophageal cancer resection in patients older than 75. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the database of esophageal cancer surgically treated in our department between January 2003 and December 2009 to identify patients older than 75. The preoperative, operative, postoperative and long term characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 137 patient, 23 were older than 75. The histological subtype was adenocarcinoma in 100%. The surgical techniques were a "Lewis-Santy" procedure in 43%, a trans-hiatal resection in 22%, a "Sweet" procedure in 13%, a stripping in 13% and a McKeown procedure in 9%. The in-hospital postoperative mortality was 13%. The in-hospital postoperative morbidity (Dindo-Clavien Grade >2, deceased patients included) was 26%. In univariate analysis, no statistically significant risk factor of morbidity was found. A Charlson Comorbidity Index >2 was, in univariate analysis, the sole risk factor of postoperative mortality (p = 0.0362). The mean hospital stay was 22 +/- 12 days. The median survival was 24.2 months. The 5-year overall survival was 39% and the 5-year disease free survival was 26%.57% of long-term deaths were not cancer related. CONCLUSION: Esophageal surgery performed in selected patients older than 75 has an acceptable morbidity and mortality but when a severe complication occurs, it leads to death in half of the cases. Surgery enables a long term survival benefit. This study confirmed our attitude of not considering age as a contra-indication for esophageal surgery but rather considering general status, self-reliance and associated comorbidities for patients' selection. [less ▲]

Traitement des carcinomes hépatocellulaires à un stade avancé

in Revue Médicale de Liège (2009), 64(3), 140-147

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the main primitive tumor of the liver. It occurs in the setting of liver cirrhosis in more than 90% of the cases in developping countries. The prognosis depends on the size ... [more ▼]

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the main primitive tumor of the liver. It occurs in the setting of liver cirrhosis in more than 90% of the cases in developping countries. The prognosis depends on the size, number and extension of the tumor as well as on the severity of the underlying liver disease. The Barcelona Clinic Classification takes into account these different parameters and helps the clinician in the therapeutic decision. Some patients (around 25%) are amenable to therapy with a curative intent (liver transplantation, resection, destruction by radiofrequency). In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at an intermediate stage, lipiodolized chemoembolization gives a survival advantage in comparison with placebo. No conventional regimen of chemotherapy has a proven survival benefit. In patients with a hepatocellular carcinoma at an advanced stage, sorafenib, an oral multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, is the first coumpound to demonstrate a significant effect on survival free of disease progression in a selected group of patients. Its toxicity profile is particularly favourable. Combination of surgical and medical therapies should be properly evaluated in clinical trials in the near future. [less ▲]