Long-term Oncologic Safety Research Articles

Could the Long-Term Oncological Safety of Laparoscopic Surgery in Low-Risk Endometrial Cancer also Be Valid for the High–Intermediate- and High-Risk Patients? A Multi-Center Turkish Gynecologic Oncology Group Study Conducted with 2745 Endometrial Cancer Cases. (TRSGO-End-001)

This study was conducted to compare the long-term oncological outcomes of laparotomy and laparoscopic surgeries in endometrial cancer under the light of the 2016 ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO risk classification system, with particular focus on the high–intermediate- and high-risk categories. Using multicentric databases between January 2005 and January 2016, disease-free and overall survivals of 2745 endometrial cancer cases were compared according to the surgery route (laparotomy vs. laparoscopy). The high–intermediate- and high-risk patients were defined with respect to the 2016 ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO risk classification system, and they were analyzed with respect to differences in survival rates. Of the 2745 patients, 1743 (63.5%) were operated by laparotomy, and the remaining were operated with laparoscopy. The total numbers of high–intermediate- and high-risk endometrial cancer cases were 734 (45%) patients in the laparotomy group and 307 (30.7%) patients in the laparoscopy group. Disease-free and overall survivals were not statistically different when compared between laparoscopy and laparotomy groups in terms of low-, intermediate-, high–intermediate- and high-risk endometrial cancer. In conclusion, regardless of the endometrial cancer risk category, long-term oncological outcomes of the laparoscopic approach were found to be comparable to those treated with laparotomy. Our results are encouraging to consider laparoscopic surgery for high–intermediate- and high-risk endometrial cancer cases.

EP.TU.4973 year oncological outcomes of robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic rectal cancer resections – a single centre experience

Abstract Background Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for rectal cancer is a relatively new technique. Studies to date suggest that short term outcomes including TME quality, margin status, lymph node retrieval and 30-day morbidity and mortality are equivalent in robotic-assisted and laparoscopic MIS for rectal cancer. By contrast, there is a paucity of data on the medium and long-term oncologic safety of robotic-assisted comparative to laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer. Methods A retrospective review was conducted of all robotic-assisted (n = 31) and laparoscopic (n = 23) rectal cancer cases performed at our institution between January 2016 to December 2018. Inclusion criteria were patients scheduled electively for a laparoscopic or robotic-assisted resection of rectal cancer (anterior resection or abdomino-perineal resection). Patients with distant metastases at presentation, those who proceeded to surgery as an emergency and those with a non-colorectal primary were excluded from analysis. Results A total of 54 (n = 54) cases met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The median follow-up was 34 months. Of the 54, 21 patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy prior to definitive surgery. No significant difference was detected in local recurrence rates (p = 0.5), overall survival (p = 0.7) or disease-free survival (p = 0.8) between the robotic-assisted and laparoscopic cohorts. Conclusion In this series, robotic-assisted rectal cancer resections were associated with equivalent medium term oncological outcomes as laparoscopic procedures. However, given the small numbers in this cohort, outcomes from larger scale datasets will be required to confirm these results.

Long-term oncological safety of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early-stage cervical cancer: A post-hoc analysis of SENTICOL I and SENTICOL II cohorts

ObjectivesTo compare oncologic outcomes of patients with early-stage cervical cancer and negative nodes who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy alone (SLNB) versus pelvic lymphadenectomy (PL). MethodsAn ancillary analysis of two prospective multicentric trials on SLN biopsy for cervical cancer (SENTICOL I and II) was conducted. Only patients with early-stage cervical cancer (IA to IIA FIGO stage), bilateral detection of SLN, negative SLN after ultrastaging and negative non-SLN after final pathologic examination were included. Risk-factors of recurrence and disease-specific mortality were determined by Cox proportional hazard models. ResultsBetween January 2005 and July 2012, 259 node-negative patients were analyzed: 87 in the SLNB group and 172 in the PL group. The median follow-up was 47 months [4–127]. During the follow-up, 21 patients (8.1%) experienced recurrences, including 4 nodal recurrences (1.9%), and 9 patients (3.5%) died of cervical cancer. Disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were similar between SLNB and PL groups, 85.1% vs. 80.4%, p = 0.24 and 90.8% vs. 97.2%, p = 0.22 respectively. By Cox multivariate analysis, SLNB compared to PL was not associated with DFS (HR = 1.78, 95%CI = [0.71–4.46], p = 0.22) neither with DSS (HR = 3.02, 95%CI = [0.69–13.18], p = 0.14). Only pathologic risk level according to the Sedlis criteria was an independent predictor of DFS and DSS. ConclusionsOmitting full pelvic lymphadenectomy for patients with bilateral negative SLN does not seem to be associated with an increased risk of recurrence in this series. Survival non-inferiority needs to be confirmed by prospective trials.

P-249 Long-term oncologic safety of self-expandable metal stent as a bridge to surgery for obstructing colon cancer

About 10-25% patients of with colorectal cancer suffer from acute colonic obstruction. Recently, placement of a self-expanding metal stent (SEMS) was widely used and it seems to be a safe and effective “bridge to surgery”, offering good palliation. But there is concern about long-term survival after the use of SEMS. Theoretically, tumor cell seeding can occur due to mechanical force during the stent insertion. To identify this theoretical validity, we surveyed long-term survival of malignant colonic obstruction using SEMS placement.

Single-Port Three-Dimensional (3D) Videoscope-Assisted Endoscopic Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy in the Management of Breast Cancer: Technique, Clinical Outcomes, Medical Cost, Learning Curve, and Patient-Reported Aesthetic Results from 80 Preliminary Procedures

The preliminary results of an innovative surgical technique, which incorporated single-port three-dimensional (3D) videoscope and instruments for endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (E-NSM), were reported. The medical records of patients who underwent single-port 3D E-NSM for breast cancer from August 2018 to September 2020 were analyzed, and the preliminary outcome of this procedure as well as the patient-reported aesthetic results are described in this article. The study enrolled 70 patients who received 80 procedures of single-port 3D E-NSM. The mean operation time was 158 ± 36 min, and the mean blood loss was 41 ± 26 ml. Three procedures (3.8 %) associated with delayed axillary wound-healing, eight cases of transient nipple ischemia (10 %), three cases of partial nipple ischemia/necrosis (3.7 %), and one case of total nipple-areolar complex (NAC) necrosis (1.3 %) were observed. No patient had margin involvement. Satisfaction rates of approximately 90 % were observed in terms of postoperative scar appearance, location, and length. Most of the patients (87.8 %) reported that they would choose the same operation again if given the chance to do so. The overall cost of a single-port 3D E-NSM was 7522 ± 470 U.S. dollars. According to cumulative sum (CUSUM) plot analysis, about 14 cases were needed for surgeons to familiarize themselves with single-port 3D E-NSM and immediate gel implant reconstruction and to decrease their operation time significantly in the initial learning phase. Single-port 3D E-NSM, a safe, efficient, lower-cost procedure, is associated with a good aesthetic result. It is a promising new technique for breast cancer patients indicated for mastectomy, but long-term oncologic safety follow-up evaluation still is needed.

Open versus laparoscopic surgery for mid or low rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (COREAN trial): 10-year follow-up of an open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial

Laparoscopic surgery has been widely used for rectal cancer; however, its long-term outcomes remain controversial. This study aimed to assess the long-term oncological safety of laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer using 10-year follow-up data of the Comparison of Open versus laparoscopic surgery for mid or low REctal cancer After Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (COREAN) trial. The COREAN trial is a, open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial. Eligible participants were aged 18-80 years, had cT3N0-2M0 middle or low rectal cancer with lesions located within 9 cm of the anal verge, and had been treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to open or laparoscopic surgery with a computer-generated random allocation sequence with a random permuted block design. Neither patients nor clinicians were masked to treatment assignment. Open or laparoscopic total mesorectal excision was done 6-8 weeks after the administration of preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (fluoropyrimidines alone, doublet therapy, or triplet therapy) at a dose of 50·5 Gy over 5·5 weeks. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was administered for 4 months. The primary endpoint of 3-year disease-free survival was published previously. Here, we report 10-year overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence. Analyses were done in the modified intention-to-treat population of all participants who were randomly assigned and provided follow-up data. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00470951. Of the 340 patients enrolled in the COREAN trial between April 4, 2006, and Aug 26, 2009 (170 patients in each group), two patients in the laparoscopic surgery group moved abroad and were lost to follow-up, so were not included in this 10-year analysis. The median duration of follow-up was 143 months (IQR 122-156). No differences were observed in 10-year overall survival (74·1% [95% CI 66·8-80·0] in the open surgery group vs 76·8% [69·6-82·5] in the laparoscopic surgery group; p=0·44), 10-year disease-free survival (59·3% [51·1-66·5] vs 64·3% [56·0-71·5]; p=0·20), or 10-year local recurrence (8·9% [5·2-15·0] vs 3·4% [1·4-7·9]; p=0·050) between the open surgery and laparoscopic surgery groups at 10 years after surgery. The stratified hazard ratios, adjusted for ypT and ypN classification and tumour regression grade, for open surgery versus laparoscopic surgery were 0·94 (95% CI 0·63-1·43) for overall survival, 1·05 (0·74-1·49) for disease-free survival, and 2·22 (0·78-6·34) for local recurrence. The 10-year follow-up of the COREAN trial confirms the long-term oncological safety of laparoscopic surgery in patients with rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Similar to open surgery, laparoscopic surgery does not compromise long-term survival outcomes in rectal cancer when performed by well trained surgeons. National Cancer Center, Goyang, South Korea.

Sentinel lymph node in cervical cancer: time to move forward.

In early-stage cervical cancer, lymph node status is of paramount importance to determine the best therapeutic strategy and is one of the most important prognostic factors of survival. According to main international guidelines, pelvic full lymphadenectomy is recommended for lymph node staging. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is an accurate method for the assessment of lymph nodal involvement and has been suggested instead of systematic pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). The SLN technique requires a learning-curve to be well performed. Combined detection with technetium-99 and blue dye has been widely used but the recent introduction of indocyanine green (ICG) is of growing interest since it could improve SLN detection. SLN biopsy offers a more accurate anatomical staging by finding potential metastatic nodes outside of usual lymphadenectomy areas. SLN biopsy improves the diagnostic value of lymph node staging with ultrastaging and detection of low-volume nodal metastases [isolated tumor cells (ITCs) and micrometastases]. Appropriate selection of patient and minimal training combined with some simple rules may guarantee a low false negative rate. Several studies have shown that SLN mapping in these patients is feasible, with excellent detection rates and sensitivity. Less-radical lymph node dissection decreases the associated morbidity of PLND, especially the risk of lower-limb lymphoedema, which severely affects patient quality of life. Some points are still subject to debate such as the low accuracy of intraoperative SLN status assessment by frozen section and the impact of micrometastasis on prognosis. Although international guidelines consider SLN biopsy as an alternative to PLND, SLN biopsy alone is not the gold-standard yet due to lack of prospective evidence on long-term oncological safety. The 3 ongoing prospective trials SENTIX, PHENIX and SENTICOL III will most probably give an answer to these issues.

Short- and long-term oncological outcomes of totally laparoscopic gastrectomy versus laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy for clinical stage I gastric cancer.

Totally laparoscopic gastrectomy (TLG), which involves a complete intracorporeal gastric transection and the creation of an anastomosis, has been gradually adopted. However, a potential limitation of intracorporeal transection is the lack of tactile feedback, and whether this limitation influences oncological outcomes is unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the short- and long-term oncological safety of TLG using endoscopy-guided intracorporeal gastric transection for clinical stage (cStage) I gastric cancer. A total of 1875 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy for cStage I gastric cancer between January 2007 and March 2015 were enrolled in this study. Marking clips were preoperatively placed and a transection line was determined by perceiving it tactually in laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG) or endoscopically in TLG. After propensity score matching, 1366 patients (683 each for LAG and TLG groups) were selected to primarily test the non-inferiority of TLG to that of LAG for relapse-free survival (RFS). In the propensity-matched population, the 5-year RFS rates of the LAG and TLG groups were 94.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 92.2-95.8%), and 95.6% (95% CI 93.8-96.9%), respectively. The hazard ratio (TLG/LAG) was 0.77 (95% CI 0.48-1.24, P for non-inferiority < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the recurrence profiles. The incidence of the remnant of marking clips or tumor tissue did not differ (LAG: 1.0% vs. TLG: 1.9%, P = 0.177). TLG using preoperative markings and intraoperative endoscopic guidance provides cStage I gastric cancer patients with comparable oncological outcomes to the conventional method.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for colorectal cancer: a narrative review

: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for colorectal cancer is a procedure that requires only a small incision in the umbilicus to complete, which has been performed worldwide since it was first reported in 2008. SILS is thought to have benefits with respect to cosmetics and pain, and has recently been reported to contribute to a lower risk of developing delirium. This technique has not spread sufficiently at present because of the complexity of the procedure and the lack of confirmation of oncological safety. However, the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have been conducted on SILS have concluded that SILS has no disadvantages over conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS), and the other some retrospective studies revealed the long-term oncological safety of SILS in colorectal cancer patients. Surgeons’ concerns about SILS will be alleviated if the procedure is further standardized to reduce the complexity of the surgery and if the long-term safety of SILS as a cancer surgery is confirmed by high-quality RCTs. In addition, the development of various surgical robots has been remarkable in recent years, and they continue to evolve day by day. SILS is likely to benefit from the evolution of surgical robotics, and with it, SILS is expected to gain renewed attention and become a more common surgical procedure.

Long-Term Oncologic Safety of Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy With Immediate Reconstruction

BackgroundWe assessed the long-term oncologic safety of nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) compared to skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) for primary breast cancer patients with immediate reconstruction. Patients and MethodsData of stage 0-III primary breast cancer patients undergoing NSM (n = 190) or SSM (n = 729) from June 2006 to December 2012 were retrospectively collected. Nipple–tumor distance (NTD) was measured on pretreatment mammography, magnetic resonance imaging, or ultrasonography findings. NSM patients with NTD < 1 cm were excluded. Locoregional recurrence (LRR) rates were compared between groups. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) according to surgical procedure were assessed. ResultsThe median (range) follow-up period for NSM and SSM was 71 (10-131) months and 79 (9-140) months, respectively. LRR developed in 11 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (5.8%) for NSM and 44 (42 in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma and 2 in patients with ductal carcinoma-in-situ) (6.0%) for SSM. Hormone receptor and HER2 status were not associated with LRR in either group. DFS and OS rates did not differ between groups (DFS: 89.3% for NSM, 89.3% for SSM, P = .87; OS: 98.4% for NSM, 94.5% for SSM, P = .43). ConclusionNSM with immediate reconstruction was as safe as SSM for primary breast cancer with respect to prognosis and local control, regardless of the presence of invasive carcinoma or breast cancer subtype.

Residual breast tissue after robot-assisted nipple sparing mastectomy

IntroductionWhile the long-term oncologic safety of robot-assisted nipple sparing mastectomy (RNSM) remains to be elucidated, histologically detected residual breast tissue (RBT) can be a surrogate for oncologically sound mastectomy. The objective of this study is to determine the presence of RBT after RNSM. MethodsBetween August 2019–January 2020, we completed 5 cadaveric RNSMs. Full thickness biopsies from the mastectomy skin flap were obtained from predefined locations radially around the mastectomy skin envelop and nipple areolar complex to histologically evaluate for RBT. ResultsThe first case was not technically feasible due to inability to obtain adequate insufflation. Five mastectomy flaps were analyzable. The average mastectomy flap thickness was 2.3 mm (range 2–3 mm) and the average specimen weight was 382.72 g (range 146.9–558.3 g). Of 70 total biopsies, RBT was detected in 11 (15.7%) biopsies. Most common location for RBT was in the nipple-areolar complex, with no RBT detected from the peripheral skin flaps. ConclusionsIn this cadaveric study, RNSM is feasible leaving minimal RBT on the mastectomy flap. The most common location for RBT is in the periareolar location consistent with previous published findings after open NSM. Clinical studies are underway to evaluate the safety of RNSM.

Early Surgical and Long-term Oncological Outcomes of Totally Laparoscopic Near-total Gastrectomy in &gt;150 Cases

This study aimed to examine the early surgical outcomes and long-term oncological safety of totally laparoscopic near-total gastrectomy for the treatment of upper-third early gastric cancer. We retrospectively collected and analyzed the data of 167 consecutive patients who underwent totally laparoscopic near-total gastrectomy for upper-third early gastric cancer between January 2008 and May 2018. Data on clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes, including operation time, length of postoperative hospital stay, pathologic findings, and postoperative complications, were obtained. We also analyzed recurrence-free and overall survival rates to evaluate the oncological outcomes. The mean operation time was 149.44±37.59 minutes; none of the patients required conversion to laparotomy during surgery. The average postoperative hospital stay was 7.57±5.69 days. On final pathologic analysis, the mean proximal resection margin was 1.97±1.68 cm. No patients had an involved proximal resection margin. Twenty-seven patients (16.17%) had postoperative complications; of them, 6 patients (3.59%) had Clavien-Dindo classification grade 3 or higher complications, all within 1 month. The median follow-up duration was 54.35 months. The 3- and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 98.3% and 97.1%, respectively. The overall survival rate was 97.1% at both 3 and 5 years. Our study shows that totally laparoscopic near-total gastrectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for treating the upper-third early gastric cancer. Further, in the current study, the procedure demonstrated a favorable oncological outcome for a relatively long follow-up period and large sample size.

Sentinel lymph node for endometrial cancer treatment: review of the literature.

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy and in two thirds of patients it is apparently uterine confined at presentation. Lymph nodal status represents one of the main prognostic factors. Nodal evaluation with sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping has gained more ground in clinical practice after the publication of different studies demonstrating the feasibility and accuracy of this technique. However, at the moment there are no RCTs available evaluating the long-term oncologic safety of SLN technique compared to LND. This review aims at summarizing the available evidence on oncologic outcomes between SLN mapping alone and LND. Differences in operative complications and long-term complications were also analyzed. The literature search was conducted in the PubMed database and it focused on comparative studies published from inception to September 2020 analyzing differences in oncological outcomes or complications between nodal evaluation with SLN technique alone and nodal evaluation with lymphadenectomy. Comparative studies with more than 10 cases, published in English, were included. A total of 5 retrospective comparative studies have been identified reporting data on oncologic outcomes of patients who underwent SLN mapping alone vs. LND. Non significative difference has been reported in terms of overall survival and recurrence free survival between the two groups. Six studies evaluated differences in terms of complications between the two techniques. A total of 2302 patients were identified. Postoperative complications were detected in 9.6% and 7.7% of patients who underwent lymphadenectomy and SLN mapping respectively and no significant difference was noted (P=0.3). Looking at major postoperative complications the rate in the LND group was significantly higher than in the SLN group (3.6% vs. 1.5%, P=0.02). Two of these six studies reported data on lymphatic long-term complications. The prevalence of lymphedema ranged from 0% to 1.3% in the SLN group and from 10% to 18% in the LND group. The absolute difference reported (13.35%) was similar to the one found in literature. SLN mapping in apparently uterine confined disease has been demonstrated to be a feasible and accurate technique for nodal evaluation and high-quality evidence support this. Moreover, SLN mapping resulted to be associated with less major postoperative and long-term complications when compared to LDN. Conversely, high-quality evidence is not available on long-term oncologic safety of this technique compared to the standard LND. Randomized trials are requested to provide reliable data on this aspect.

Comparison of safety between self-expanding metal stents as a bridge to surgery and emergency surgery based on pathology: a meta-analysis

BackgroundTo explore the long-term oncological safety of using self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) as a bridge to surgery for acute obstructive colorectal cancer by comparing the pathological results of emergency surgery (ES) with elective surgery after the placement of SEMS.MethodsStudies comparing SEMS as a bridge to surgery with emergency surgery for acute obstructive colorectal cancer were retrieved through the databases of Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane libraries, and a meta-analysis was conducted based on the pathological results of the two treatments. Risk ratios (OR) or mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for the outcomes under random effects model.ResultsA total of 27 studies were included, including 3 randomized controlled studies, 2 prospective studies, and 22 retrospective studies, with a total of 3737 patients. The presence of perineural invasion (RR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.48, 0.71, P < 0.00001), lymphovascular invasion (RR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.47, 0.99, P = 0.004) and vascular invasion (RR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.45, 0.99, P = 0.04) in SEMS group were significantly higher than those in ES group, and there was no significant difference in lymphatic invasion (RR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.77, 1.09, P = 0.33). The number of lymph nodes harvested in SEMS group was significantly higher than that in ES group (MD = − 3.18, 95% CI − 4.47, − 1.90, P < 0.00001). While no significant difference was found in the number of positive lymph nodes (MD = − 0.11, 95% CI − 0.63, 0.42, P = 0.69) and N stage [N0 (RR = 1.03, 95% CI 0.92, 1.15, P = 0.60), N1 (RR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.87, 1.14, P = 0.91), N2 (RR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.77, 1.15, P = 0.53)].ConclusionsSEMS implantation in patients with acute malignant obstructive colorectal cancer may lead to an increase in adverse tumor pathological characteristics, and these characteristics are mostly related to the poor prognosis of colorectal cancer. Although the adverse effect of SEMS on long-term survival has not been demonstrated, their adverse effects cannot be ignored. The use of SEMS as the preferred treatment for patients with resectable obstructive colorectal cancer remains to be carefully weighed, especially when patients are young or the surgical risk is not very high.

Oncologic Safety of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Alone After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

The oncologic safety of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone for clinically node-positive (cN1-2) patients who convert to pathologic node-negativity (ypN0) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is not well established. This study retrospectively identified 244 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of cT1-3cN0-2 breast cancer who underwent NAC followed by SLNB at the authors' institution between 2013 and 2018. The patients were categorized as clinically node-negative (cN0) or cN1-2 before the onset of NAC, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare locoregional and distant recurrence rates after SLNB alone for ypN0 patients. Among 244 patients who underwent NAC followed by surgery with SLNB for axillary staging, 112 (45.9%) were cN0 at presentation, whereas 132 (54.5%) had biopsy-proven cN1-2 disease and converted to cN0 after treatment. Of the patients presenting with cN0 disease, 102 (91.1%) were ypN0 on SLNB pathology compared with 60 cN1/2 patients (45.5%; p < 0.001). Regional nodal irradiation was administered to 5% of the cN0/ypN0 patients compared with 70.7% of the cN1-2/ypN0 patients (p < 0.001). Overall, 211 patients were treated with SLNB alone and had a median follow-up period of 36months (interquartile range [IQR], 24-53months). For 101 cN0/ypN0 patients who underwent SLNB alone, the 5-year local and regional recurrence rates were respectively 5.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-13.8) and 1% (95% CI 0.1-7.0). For 58 cN1-2/ypN0 patients who underwent SLNB alone, the 5-year local and regional recurrence rates were respectively 4.1% (95% CI 1.0-15.5) and 0%, with no axillary recurrences noted. For ypN0 patients, SLNB alone after NAC is associated with low and acceptable short-term axillary recurrence rates. Additional follow-up data from prospective clinical trials are needed to confirm long-term oncologic safety and define optimal local therapy recommendations.

Long-Term Safety of Delayed Surgery After Upfront Endoscopic Resection for Early Gastric Cancer: A Propensity Matched Study.

When non-curative resection is confirmed after endoscopic resection (ER) of early gastric cancer (EGC), delayed surgery is recommended because it provides favorable survival outcomes. Long-term outcome after surgery of EGC with or without previous ER has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term oncologic safety between primary surgery and delayed surgery after ER. Patients who had undergone curative surgery (R0) for EGC were included and were divided into primary and delayed surgery groups. Primary surgery was defined as gastrectomy without ER for EGC, whereas delayed surgery was defined as additional curative gastrectomy due to non-curative resection after ER; an average delay of 21.5days (range 1-195) was observed. Propensity score matching was performed. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcomes were cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS). After propensity score matching, 1439 patients were included, of whom 1042 (72.4%) were in the primary surgery group and 397 (27.6%) were in the delayed surgery group. The OS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59-1.27; p = 0.459), CSS (HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.15-1.47; p = 0.196), and DFS (HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.15-1.90; p = 0.334) were not different. The long-term outcomes of delayed surgery after non-curative ER for EGC were non-inferior to primary surgery. Therefore, an attempt for ER of EGC that satisfies the absolute and expanded indication seems justified for preventing gastrectomy. In case of non-curative resection after ER, additional delayed surgery should be performed.

Long-term Oncologic Outcomes of Single-Incision Plus One-Port Laparoscopic Surgery for Rectal Cancer

Single-incision plus one-port laparoscopic surgery (SILS+1) for rectal cancer reduces technical difficulties of pure single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) keeping good cosmetic results. However, the adequate long-term oncological outcomes of SILS+1 for rectal cancer were not documented in the literature. Data from 136 patients (86 males) who performed an elective surgery with SILS+1 for stage I to III rectal cancer were reviewed, and its 5-year oncologic outcomes were evaluated. The median follow-up period was 57 months. A total of 18 patients (13.3%) experienced recurrence, including two peritoneum and three local recurrences. In these five patients, four patients except one patient with relapse at an anastomotic site were pT4 patients. The 5-year overall survival for stage I, II, and III patients were 98.1, 91.2, and 88.5%, respectively, and the 5-year cancer-specific survival for stage I, II, and III patients was 100, 97.1, and 97.8%, respectively. The long-term oncological safety of SILS+1 for rectal cancer was demonstrated with an excellent 5-year cancer-specific survival.

Long-term oncological safety of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early-stage cervical cancer.

6006 Background: The goal of this study was to assess disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) in patients with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent bilateral sentinel lymph node (BSLN) biopsy alone versus bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy (BPL). Methods: An ancillary analysis of two prospective multicentric trials on SLN biopsy for cervical cancer (SENTICOL I and II) was performed. All patients with early stage cervical cancer (IA to IIB FIGO stage), negative SLN after ultrastaging and negative non-SLN after final pathologic examination were included. Risk-factors of recurrency and disease-specific deaths were determined by Cox proportional hazard models. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were compared by applying log-rank test. Results: Between January 2005 and July 2012, 259 patients met the inclusion criteria: 85 patients underwent only bilateral SLN biopsy whereas 174 patients underwent BPL. None had positive SLN at ultrastaging or positive non-SLN at final pathologic examination. Between the both groups, there was no differences in histology, final FIGO stage and type of surgical approach. In the BPL group, patients had more frequently tumor size larger than 20 mm (22.9% vs 10.7%, p = 0.02) and postoperative radiochemotherapy (10.7% vs 1.6%, p = 0.01). The median follow-up was 47 months (4-127). During the follow-up, 21 patients (8.1%) experienced reccurencies, including 4 nodal recurrences (1.9%), and 9 patients (3.5%) died of cervical cancer. The 5-year DFS and the DSS were similar between BSLN and BPL groups, 94.1% vs 97.7%, p = 0.14 and 88.2% vs 93.7%, p = 0.14 respectively. After controlling for final FIGO stage and margin status, BSLN compared to BPL was not associated with DFS (HR = 1.76, 95%CI = [0.69 – 4.53], p = 0.24) and DSS (HR = 2.5, 95%CI = [0.64 – 9.83], p = 0.19). Only final FIGO stage was independent predictor of DSS. Conclusions: SLN biopsy alone is oncologically safe in early-stage cervical cancer. Full lymphadenectomy could be omitted in case of bilateral negative SLN. Worse prognosis was associated with higher FIGO stage disease.

Long-term oncologic safety of self-expandable metal stent as a bridge to surgery for malignant colorectal obstruction: Our experience.

153 Background: About 10-25% patients of colorectal cancer suffer from acute colonic obstruction. Traditional management of acute malignant bowel obstruction has focused on emergency resection but showed high mortality and morbidity rates. Recently, placement of a self-expanding metal stent(SEMS) was widely used and SEMS seems to be as a safe and effective “bridge to surgery” and to offer good palliation. But there is concern about long-term survival after the use of SEMS. Theoretically, tumor cell seeding can occur due to mechanical force during the stent insertion. To identify this theoretical validity, we surveyed long-term survival of malignant colonic obstruction using SEMS placement. Methods: This retrospective study included 303 patients who presented in Korea University Anam Hospital between 2006 and 2014 with obstructing CRC, and underwent surgical resection. Patients were devided into two group: the “SEMS” group included 148 patients who underwent endoscopic stent as a bridge to surgery, and the surgery group included 155 patients who underwent emergency or elective surgery without stenting. In addition, candidates for curative resection were identified (98 patients in “SEMS” group vs 101 patients in “surgery” group). The clinicopathologic characteristics, overall survival(OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared between the two groups. Results: There was no significant difference in demographics, tumor stage between the two group. The median follow-up times were 48.5 months (IQR, 19.1-73.1 months) for the SEMS group and 39.4 months (IQR, 15.1-39.4 months) for the surgery group. There was no significant difference in 5-year OS rate between two groups (59.6% vs 56.8%; p = 0.3). The 5-year RFS rate did not significantly differ between two groups (71.0% vs. 61.3%; p = 0.221). The long-term oncologic safety did not significantly differ between two groups in either the 5-year OS rate (79.5% vs 74.5%; P= 0.6). or the 5-year RFS rate (95.8% vs 95.8%; P = 0.3). Conclusions: SEMS as bridge to surgery in obstructive CRC did not worsen the long-term oncologic outcomes compared to those of the primary surgery.

Minimally Invasive Video-Assisted Surgical Management for Parapharyngeal Metastases From Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Series Report.

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most prevalent cancer type in the endocrine system. Metastases to parapharyngeal lymph nodes (PPLNs) are rare. Herein, we reported a case series of PTC patients with PPLN metastases operated on by using the minimally invasive video-assisted (MIVA) technique to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of this technique.Method: In this single-institutional study, six consecutive PTC patients with PPLN metastases between January 2012 and July 2018 were enrolled. All PPLNs were managed by the MIVA technique.Result: Six patients (three women and three men) who underwent surgery were enrolled in the current study. The median age of patients was 40.5 years (39–66). Five patients (83.3%) were diagnosed with primary PTC with PPLN metastases, and one patient had PTC recurrence in the PPLNs 17 years after her first PTC surgery. Surgical treatment was successful in all patients, and the median operative time and bleeding volume were 185 (100–280) min and 85 (30–120) ml, respectively. None of the patients experienced post-operative complications except for one patient who experienced dysphagia, which resolved within 3 months. During a median follow-up of 15 months (10–31), none of the patients exhibited recurrence or persistent disease.Conclusion: The MIVA transcervical approach was technically feasible and reliable, with less invasiveness for PTC patients with PPLN metastases. Future studies are needed to accumulate more experience, investigate the indications of the technique, and determine the long-term oncological safety.