Esophagectomy after definitive chemoradiation in esophageal cancer: a safe therapeutic strategy

The standard treatment regimen for esophageal cancer is chemoradiation followed by esophagectomy. However, the use of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy damages the surrounding tissue, which potentially increases the risk of postoperative complications, including anastomotic leakage. The impact of definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT, 50.4 Gy radiotherapy) compared to the standard neoadjuvant scheme (nCRT, 41.4 Gy radiotherapy) prior to surgery on the incidence of anastomotic leakage remains poorly understood. To study this, all patients who received dCRT between 2011 and 2021 followed by esophagectomy were included. For each patient, two patients who received nCRT were selected as matched controls. Outcomes included postoperative anastomotic leakage, pulmonary and other complications, anastomotic stenosis, pulmonary and other postoperative complications (Clavien Dindo Classification ≥1), and overall survival. One hundred and eight patients were included with a median follow-up of 28 months. The time between neoadjuvant treatment and surgery was longer in the dCRT group compared to the nCRT group (65 vs. 48 days, P < 0.001). Postoperatively, significantly more patients in the dCRT group suffered from anastomotic leakage (11% vs. 1%, P = 0.04) and anastomotic stenosis (42% vs. 17%, P < 0.01). No differences were found for other complications or overall survival between both groups. In conclusion, preoperative dCRT is associated with a higher risk of anastomotic leakage and stenosis. These complications, however, can be treated effectively. Therefore, esophagectomy after dCRT is considered to be an appropriate treatment strategy in a selected patient group.