97 Background: The neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) combined with surgery is hopeful to improve the prognosis of locally advanced esophageal cancer but it remains contentious. Several studies showed that nCRT could significantly improve 5-year OS rate of locally advanced esophageal cancer. However, other clinical trials did not come to the same conclusion. This study retrospectively analyzed the esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) patients who received nCRT combined with surgery in our hospital to investigate the prognostic factors for the patients’ survival. Methods: 96 patients with ESCC who received nCRT combined with surgery in our hospital from January 2007 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. They were diagnosed with preoperation stage T3-4N0-1M0. Among them, 34 cases were in stage IIc and 62 cases were in stage IIIc. Prognostic factors for these patients were analyzed. Results: 26 (27.1%) patients received pathologic complete response (pCR) and 80 (83.3%) patients had downstage. The 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates of all patients were 91.5%, 63.5%, 55.1%. The 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates of tumor regression grading(TRG) 1, 2, 3 were 88.9%, 54.1%, 36.5% vs 88.4%, 56.4%, 48.6% vs 95.5%, 90.4%, 90.4%(Р = 0.014). The 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates of pCR and non-pCR were 95.5%, 90.4%, 90.4% vs 88.6%, 55.6%, 45.4%(Р = 0.004). The 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates of pathological lymph node negative(ypN-) and positive(ypN+) were 97.3%, 71.1%, 59.8% vs 66.7%, 33.3%, 33.3%(Р = 0.002). The 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates of downstage and no-downstage were 94.9%, 73.9%, 65.6% vs 75.0%, 18.8%, 12.5% (Р = 0.000). Multivariate analyses identified pathologic lymph nodal status (RR = 2.193, 95%CI:1.018-4.726, Р = 0.045) and downstage category (RR = 3.520, 95%CI:1.638-7.568, Р = 0.001) were significant independent prognostic parameters. Conclusions: The nCRT combined with surgery achieved a high rate of long-term survival without increasing postoperative complications in patients with locally advanced ESCC. TRG was closely associated with patient’s prognosis, especially for patients with pCR. Pathologic lymph nodal status and downstage category were independent influencing factors for long-term survival.
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer
