Recurrence pattern of esophageal cancer after esophagectomy with two-field lymphadenectomy

To analyze the pattern of recurrence of esophageal carcinoma after a curative-intention surgical resection.

Ninety-two patients with non-metastatic esophageal carcinoma were included. Ninety percent of patients were male, and the mean age of this series was 61 years. The most frequent histologic subtype was squamous cell carcinoma. Fifty percent of tumors were at or above the tracheal bifurcation. All patients were submitted for transthoracic subtotal esophagectomy plus two-field radical lymphadenectomy, leaving no apparent residual disease. No adjuvant therapy was applied to any patient.

Follow-up was complete for 76 out of 80 patients surviving the operation. Thirty-four tumoral recurrences were detected for a disease-free survival af 39% at 9 years after surgery. All recurrences were detected during the first two years after treatment. Tumoral relapse was related to the presence of T3 or T4 tumors, with positive lymph nodes, squamous cell carcinoma subtype and supracarinal location. Nine percent of patients had a distant relapse, 15% had a locorregional relapse and 12% a combination of both. Distant relapse presented significantly earlier. There was no statistical association between type of recurrence and clinico-pathological or surgical features.

After radical surgery for carcinoma of the esophagus, half of the patients relapse in the following two years. Distant metastases happen to appear earlier in the follow-up, but the most frequent recurrence is the locorregional one.