ISDE News

Checkout the latest DOTE issue for articles on Benign Esophageal and Malignant Esophageal Diseases; See the full table of contents.

Review a collection of the top ten articles from recent years in a reading list.

Written by Prof. Mark Ferguson, University of Chicago, USA

As many know, the origins of the ISDE began synchronously in Japan and in the West, the latter primarily in Europe and the United States. It was founded by Professor Komei Nakayama (Figure 1) in 1979 with three objectives: to establish an international forum; to promote research performed with uniform standards on a worldwide scale; and to promote international friendship and communication. The first congress was held in Tokyo in 1980, with Professor Nakayama serving as ISDE President and as Congress President (Figure 2). The meeting was well attended by experts from both the East and West, as Professor Nakayama had an international reputation and had traveled extensively, enabling him to become friends with other international leaders in esophageal diseases (Figure 3). Guests included Professors Alberto Peracchia, Rudiger Siewert, Guido Castrini, Robert Giuli, and Ernesto Moreno Gonzalez. This first ISDE congress included topics on management of esophageal cancer, surgical complications, motility disorders, varices, and hiatal hernia/GERD, and also had movie sessions. It met all of the goals established by Professor Nakayama.

The second ISDE World Congress was held in Rome in 1983 (Figure 4), with Professor Guido Castrini of Rome (Figure 5) serving as Congress President and Professor Nakayama remaining as ISDE President (Figure 6). This was envisioned as a more multi-specialty meeting focusing on both malignant and benign esophageal diseases. During the congress Professor Siewert proposed that the Japanese and Western societies join together as one, with emphasis on expanding the concept of the original ISDE to include both gastroenterologists and surgeons. He suggested that the first step in this process should be a joint meeting in 1986 that he offered to host in Munich. It was also proposed by Professor Castrini that the ISDE found a journal, Diseases of the Esophagus, which would be the publication arm of the Society. This eventually was launched in 1988. The congress was well attended, and gave the encouraging message that the ISDE was a sound concept that had a promising future.

In our next installment, summaries of the third and fourth congresses will highlight how the ISDE matured and the pattern for its congresses was established. 

Figure 1. Professor Komei Nakayama, ISDE Founder.

Figure 2. Program from 1st ISDE Congress.

Figure 3. Opening ceremony from 1st ISDE Congress. 

Figure 4. Announcement of 2nd ISDE Congress. 

Figure 5. Professor Guido Castrini. 

Figure 6. Mr. Ronald Belsey and Professor Nakayama compare notes prior to beginning a session at the 2^nd ISDE Congress.

Written By: Prof. Long-Qi Chen, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China

On November 21, 2020, the “Chinese Society for Diseases of the Esophagus (CSDE) Working Conference” was successfully held in Shenzhen, China. It brings together multiple specialties focused on the clinical management and research of patients with esophageal diseases. Given that the fight against COVID-19 is still at a critical stage worldwide, more than half of the delegates chose to attend the conference online. Since its inception, CSDE has been playing as an excellent platform for the academic exchange of clinical and scientific knowledge on the latest developments. At the conference, Prof. Luhua Wang, Dean of the Shenzhen Branch of the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, was elected as the President of CSDE. Prof. Yin Li, from the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, was elected as President-Elect. Prof. Yousheng Mao, the Past President of CSDE, made a summary report on the work of CSDE during his presidency. He emphasized that with the exchanges with ISDE in recent years, more and more Chinese specialists have gone abroad and stepped onto the international stage, demonstrating Chinese research results in esophageal industry.

Prof. Yousheng Mao

After that, Prof. Luhua Wang, the newly-elected president, delivered a speech. He expressed the thanks to every member for their trust. He believed that CSDE would play a bigger role in Chinese esophageal industry under the support of ISDE, and more creative and influential academic activities would be held in the year of 2021.

Prof. Luhua Wang

In the end, Prof. Longqi Chen, Director of the Executive Committee of ISDE, Director of the Department of Thoracic Surgery of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Executive Director of CSDE delivered a speech. He congratulated the newly elected President and ministers. He mentioned that it was great that more and more esophageal experts in China have joined CSDE, and the influence of CSDE in the world is increasing. By working together with specialists both home and abroad, CSDE will serve the esophageal community better and benefit more patients.

Prof. Long-Qi Chen

Through this annual work conference, the past work of CSDE was profoundly summarized, and future plans were comprehensively deployed. We will always bear in mind and practice the mission:

To promote the exchange of scientific and medical knowledge of the esophagus among specialists in the field.

To maintain interchange with organizations and industries interested in esophageal and related diseases.

To encourage basic and clinical research in fields related to the esophagus.

To promote the professional and educational development of individuals interested in the esophagus and related diseases and to encourage, represent, and sponsor individuals who have entered this field.

Minimally invasive esophagectomy is a complex operation with a long learning curve and the robotic platform has allowed increased utilization of a minimally invasive approach. Outcomes data comparing robotic and open approaches show improved results with robotic assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) in terms of perioperative morbidity and recovery yet preserving oncological outcomes.

This special supplement published in the ISDE Diseases of the Esophagus Journal contains a comprehensive collection of articles about robotic esophagectomy written by leading surgeons around the world. It serves as a useful resource for surgeons wanting to improve their skills and for students and trainees that are approaching the field of surgery.

Listen to Richard van Hillegersberg, University Medical Center Utrecht (The Netherlands) and Daniela Molena, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (USA) talk about this Special Supplement on Robotic Assisted Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy: A New Standard of Care?

OPEN DOTE Supplement on Robotic Assisted Esophagectomy

ABOUT ISDE Diseases of the Esophagus Journal

Submitted by Mark K. Ferguson, MD

This second edition of the well accepted first edition edited by Professor Ando contains up-to-date information on squamous esophageal cancer from a variety of perspectives.  Diagnosis, classification, staging, and Japanese guidelines are detailed.  Chapters on endoscopic therapy, surgery, and multimodality therapy offer the latest views.  Finally, chapters from other Asian perspectives are provided, including India, China, Hong Kong, and Korea.  This book is recommended as a comprehensive guide to diagnosis and management.

Find out more about the Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma book online.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the most prevalent esophageal disease. It is a condition affecting up to 20% of the western world and has a significant negative impact in the patient’s quality of life. The typical symptoms are heartburn and regurgitation, but other clinical presentations can be present.

The Controversies in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease virtual presentation was held on December 16, 2020. Moderated by Jan Tack, University of Leuven (The Netherlands) and Kerry Dunbar, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (USA) the 90 minute presentation is available in three segments below. What different segments when you have time or all at once, the choice is yours.

Part 1 | Long term PPI therapy with Kerry Dunbar

Part 2 | Endoscopic management of GERD with Haruhiro Inoue

Part 3 | When to consider surgery with John Lipham

ISDE wishes to recognize and thank the following individuals for their contributions to this virtual presentation:

• Jan Tack, University of Leuven (The Netherlands)
• Kerry Dunbar, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (USA) (moderator and speaker)
• Haruhiro Inoue, Showa University School of Medicine (Japan)
• John Lipham, Keck School of Medicine of USC (USA)

Want to know more?

WATCH Interviews and Discussions in the GERD Playlist

Search Diseases of the Esophagus Journal for articles on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. There are 55 Free articles available.

Join the discussion in the ISDE Challenging Cases Facebook Group

As we approach the end of 2020, and look forward to a new year, I think we can all agree that this year has been unlike any other. In January, we started hearing reports from China about a new respiratory disease, and saw it rapidly impact Wuhan, and then escalate to a lock-down in China, before escalating to impact international travel. As I flew from Australia to Hawaii in early February, travel from China to many parts of the world was closing, and when I returned home 2 weeks later the situation was moving fast. We have all now seen national borders close and international travel severely disrupted, and this ultimately impacted our ability to travel to Toronto for the ISDE’s 2020 Congress. I am also aware that I haven’t left my own Australian State since February, and even though Australia has been less affected than Europe and the Americas, it has still been through “lock-downs” and we are yet to return to a situation that resembles what we previously took for granted. Even though mass vaccines now seem to be just over the horizon, it is likely we will continue to experience travel restrictions and need to continue with public health measures for a further 12 months.

To respond to the challenges of this environment, and then thrive, ISDE has rapidly adjusted what it does and how it operates. I have been impressed by how well the Society has pivoted to Zoom, and also by the enthusiasm and support from many members from around the World who are serving the membership by developing and leading online education and other activities. ISDE’s webinars are delivering education and keeping us in contact with our friends and peers. These webinars have delivered content pertinent to the impact of COVID on the management of esophageal disease, a virtual tumour board, and the best of the best free papers submitted for our delayed 2020 congress. Online events have greatly expanded the reach of ISDE, and they will continue across the coming year and beyond. If you have ideas for more, or want to get more involved, please let us know.

As I look towards the next 12 months, I am confident that there is much that the ISDE can still accomplish. The COVID world has opened up new opportunities for engagement, and the ISDE has a unique opportunity to enhance its offerings to members, to grow membership, and further cement itself as the peak international organisation for esophageal disease. As President, my hope is that we can build on the opportunities that 2021 will bring, engage even more effectively with the membership despite the limitations imposed by the global pandemic, and that the ISDE will emerge as a stronger and more effective organisation in the post-pandemic world.

As we approach the end of the year, I hope all of the ISDE members around the world have an opportunity to rest and catch their breath – after 2020 we all need to! For many of you this is a holiday season – Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! For some of you there is some more significance at this time – Merry Christmas!

It's time to renew your ISDE membership. On December 2 members will receive a renewal email reminder containing renewal instructions. If you do not receive this email please check your Junk/Spam folder, or contact membership@isde.net.

Join the ISDE Challenging Cases Facebook group discussions on GERD after sleeve gastrectomy, Management of esophageal atresia, Giant hernia and Esophageal lymphoma.

Would you like to share an interesting case with this Facebook group anonymously? Submit it to membership@isde.net and we will post it for you.

Presentation date: 16 December 2020 at 13:30- 15:00 GMT

Join us for the last virtual presentation this year on Controversies in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease featuring an international panel discussing long term PPI therapy, endoscopic management of GERD and when to consider surgery. Moderators Jan Tack (University of Leuven, The Neverlands) and Kerry Dunbar (University of Texas Southwestern Medical, USA) will be joined by Haruhiro Inoue (Showa University, Japan) and John Lipham (Keck School of Medicine, USA) for this live event. REGISTER FOR FREE.