Long-term survival and prognostic factors associated with curative conversion surgery for ct4b esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Analysis of 200 consecutive cases

The optimal treatment strategy for cT4b esophageal cancer has not been established yet. Although curative surgery is sometimes performed after induction treatments, the prognostic factor of cT4b esophageal cancer cases who underwent R0 resection remains unknown.

A total of 200 patients with cT4b esophageal cancer who underwent R0 resection after induction treatments between 2001 and 2020 in our institute were included in the present study. The relationship between clinicopathological factors and patient survival is evaluated to identify useful prognostic factors.

The median and 2-year overall survival were 40.1 months and 62.8%, respectively. Disease recurrence occurred in 98 (49%) patients after surgery. Compared to induction chemotherapy alone, chemoradiation-based induction treatments were associated with decreased locoregional recurrence (34.0% vs 60.8%, P = .0077) but increased pulmonary metastases (27.7% vs 9.8%, P = .0210) and dissemination (19.1% vs 3.9%, P = .0139) after surgery. Multivariate analysis of overall survival identified the preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (hazard ratio 1.7957, P = .0031), response to induction treatments (hazard ratio 2.9663, P = .0009), postoperative pneumonia (hazard ratio 2.3784, P = .0010), and pN (2-3) (hazard ratio 1.5693, P = .0355) as independent prognostic factors. Preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (hazard ratio 1.6760, P = .0068) and postoperative pneumonia (hazard ratio 1.8365, P = .0200) were also independent prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival.

Curative surgery after induction therapy for cT4b esophageal cancer achieved favorable survival. Preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, postoperative pneumonia, response to induction treatments, and pN were useful prognostic factors.