Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) is known for its rapid progression and poor outcomes. China has the highest incidence and mortality in the world. Diagnoses made at early stages and accurate staging are associ...Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) is known for its rapid progression and poor outcomes. China has the highest incidence and mortality in the world. Diagnoses made at early stages and accurate staging are associated with better outcomes, all of which can play a significant role in the selection of treatment protocols. ESCC is staged according to the widely accepted TNM system. Common imaging modalities used in staging ESCC before treatment include endoscopy, computed tomography(CT), positron emission tomography(PET) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Endoscopic ultrasound is useful for staging tumor depth and nodal status. Narrow band imaging is valuable for early stage disease assessment. CT and PET provide additional valuable information regarding node and metastasis staging. The ability of MRI to delineate ESCC is continuously being improved and adds information regarding locoregional status to routine examinations.展开更多
Background:Enlarged retropharyngeal lymph nodes(RLNs)are very common in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)undergoing radiotherapy.The most suitable treatment option for enlarged RLNs depends on the pathologic...Background:Enlarged retropharyngeal lymph nodes(RLNs)are very common in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)undergoing radiotherapy.The most suitable treatment option for enlarged RLNs depends on the pathological results.However,RLN sampling is difficult and imminent in the clinic setting.We recently developed a novel minimally invasive technique termed endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA)for sam-pling RLN tissues sufficient for pathological or cytological diagnosis.Methods:We enrolled 30 post-radiotherapy patients with NPC with suspected RLN metastasis detected via mag-netic resonance imaging(MRI).The EUS probe was introduced into the nasopharynx via the nostrils,and EUS was then used to scan the retropharyngeal space and locate the RLN in the anterior carotid sheath.EUS-FNA was subsequently performed.The safety and efficacy of using EUS-FNA to sample the RLN tissues were assessed.Results:Strips of tissue were successfully sampled from all patients using EUS-FNA.Of the 30 patients,23 were confirmed to have cancer cells in the biopsied tissues via pathology or cytology examinations with 1 EUS-FNA biopsy session.The seven cases without confirmed cancer cells were subsequently reanalyzed by using another EUS-FNA biopsy session,and two more cases were confirmed possessing cancer cells.The other five patients without con-firmed cancer cells were closely followed with MRI every month for 3 months.After follow-up for 3 months,three patients were still considered cancer-free due to the presence of RLNs with stable or shrinking diameters.The rest two patients who showed progressive disease underwent a third EUS-FNA biopsy procedure and were further confirmed to be cancer cell-positive.In the whole cohort reported here,the EUS-FNA procedure was not associated with any severe complications.Conclusion:EUS-FNA is a safe and effective diagnostic approach for sampling tissues from the RLNs in patients with suspected recurrent NPC.展开更多
文摘Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) is known for its rapid progression and poor outcomes. China has the highest incidence and mortality in the world. Diagnoses made at early stages and accurate staging are associated with better outcomes, all of which can play a significant role in the selection of treatment protocols. ESCC is staged according to the widely accepted TNM system. Common imaging modalities used in staging ESCC before treatment include endoscopy, computed tomography(CT), positron emission tomography(PET) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). Endoscopic ultrasound is useful for staging tumor depth and nodal status. Narrow band imaging is valuable for early stage disease assessment. CT and PET provide additional valuable information regarding node and metastasis staging. The ability of MRI to delineate ESCC is continuously being improved and adds information regarding locoregional status to routine examinations.
文摘Background:Enlarged retropharyngeal lymph nodes(RLNs)are very common in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)undergoing radiotherapy.The most suitable treatment option for enlarged RLNs depends on the pathological results.However,RLN sampling is difficult and imminent in the clinic setting.We recently developed a novel minimally invasive technique termed endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA)for sam-pling RLN tissues sufficient for pathological or cytological diagnosis.Methods:We enrolled 30 post-radiotherapy patients with NPC with suspected RLN metastasis detected via mag-netic resonance imaging(MRI).The EUS probe was introduced into the nasopharynx via the nostrils,and EUS was then used to scan the retropharyngeal space and locate the RLN in the anterior carotid sheath.EUS-FNA was subsequently performed.The safety and efficacy of using EUS-FNA to sample the RLN tissues were assessed.Results:Strips of tissue were successfully sampled from all patients using EUS-FNA.Of the 30 patients,23 were confirmed to have cancer cells in the biopsied tissues via pathology or cytology examinations with 1 EUS-FNA biopsy session.The seven cases without confirmed cancer cells were subsequently reanalyzed by using another EUS-FNA biopsy session,and two more cases were confirmed possessing cancer cells.The other five patients without con-firmed cancer cells were closely followed with MRI every month for 3 months.After follow-up for 3 months,three patients were still considered cancer-free due to the presence of RLNs with stable or shrinking diameters.The rest two patients who showed progressive disease underwent a third EUS-FNA biopsy procedure and were further confirmed to be cancer cell-positive.In the whole cohort reported here,the EUS-FNA procedure was not associated with any severe complications.Conclusion:EUS-FNA is a safe and effective diagnostic approach for sampling tissues from the RLNs in patients with suspected recurrent NPC.
