Metastatic lymph node ratio demonstrates better prognostic stratification than pN staging in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after esophagectomy

Sex differences in survival following surgery for esophageal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The impact of sex on the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer remains unclear. Evidence supports that sex- based disparities in esophageal cancer survival could be attributed to sex- specific risk exposures, such as age at diagnosis, race, socioeconomic status, smoking, drinking, and histological type. The aim of our study is to investigate the role of sex disparities in survival of patients who underwent surgery for esophageal cancer. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature in PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL from December 1966 to February 2023, was held. Studies that reported sex-related differences in survival outcomes of patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were identified. A total of 314 studies were included in the quantitative analysis. Statistically significant results derived from 1-year and 2-year overall survival pooled analysis with Relative Risk (RR) 0.93 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.90-0.97, I2 = 52.00) and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85-0.95, I2 = 0.00), respectively (RR < 1 = favorable for men). In the postoperative complications analysis, statistically significant results concerned anastomotic leak and heart complications, RR: 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01-1.16) and 0.62 (95% CI: 0.52-0.75), respectively. Subgroup analysis was performed among studies with <200 and > 200 patients, histology types, study continent and publication year. Overall, sex tends to be an independent prognostic factor for esophageal carcinoma. However, unanimous results seem rather obscure when multivariable analysis and subgroup analysis occurred. More prospective studies and gender-specific protocols should be conducted to better understand the modifying role of sex in esophageal cancer prognosis.

Prognostic prediction and comparison of three staging programs for patients with advanced (T2-T4) esophageal squamous carcinoma after radical resection

Purpose

Lymph node-based staging protocols are frequently employed to evaluate the prognosis of esophageal cancer, yet their accuracy remains contentious. The present study was conducted to assess the prognostic significance of three lymph node staging systems, namely N stage, lymph node rate (LNR), and log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS), in patients diagnosed with advanced (T2-T4) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

This cohort comprised 319 eligible patients, with an additional 409 individuals retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, forming the validation cohort. Differences in overall survival (OS) of patients between groups were assessed using the log-rank test. Prognostic independent risk variables were identified, and lymph nodes (LN) prognostic models were built using multivariate Cox regression analysis. Besides, the predictive accuracy of each model was evaluated utilizing the (-2) log-likelihood ratio (-2LLR), the likelihood ratio χ2 score (LRχ2), the Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Harrell's concordance index (C-index). To further evaluate the potential superiority of the model, a nomogram was constructed for comparison with the conventional Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) staging approach.

Results

Independent prognostic factors for advanced ESCC include the N stage, LNR, and LODDS. Herein, LODDS presented higher values for C-index and LRχ2, and lower values for AIC and -2LLR in OS compared to the others. Consequently, a nomogram was constructed based on LODDS. Calibration curves exhibited strong agreement, and assessment through C-index, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and clinical decision curve analysis (DCA) demonstrated promising clinical applicability.

Conclusion

LODDS emerges as a promising future prognostic indicator. After surgery, the proposed model holds the potential to provide valuable treatment recommendations for patients with advanced ESCC.

Kinetics of plasma cell-free DNA as a prospective biomarker to predict the prognosis and radiotherapy effect of esophageal cancer

PURPOSE

The lack of reliable biomarkers for the prognosis and radiotherapy efficacy in esophageal cancer (EC) necessitates further research. The aim of our study was to investigate the predictive utility of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) kinetics in patients with EC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data and cfDNA levels (pre-radiotherapy [pre-RT] and post-radiotherapy [post-RT]) and the cfDNA kinetics (cfDNA ratio: post-RT cfDNA/pre-RT cfDNA) of 88 patients. We employed Kaplan-Meier curves to examine the relationship between cfDNA and overall survival (OS) as well as progression-free survival (PFS). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were executed to ascertain the independent risk factors in EC.

RESULTS

The pre-RT cfDNA levels were positively correlated with clinical stage (P=0.001). The pre-RT cfDNA levels (cutoff value=16.915ng/mL), but not the post-RT cfDNA levels, were linked to a diminished OS (P<0.001) and PFS (P=0.0137). CfDNA kinetics (cutoff value=0.883) were positively associated with OS (P=0.0326) and PFS (P=0.0020). Notably, we identified independent risk factors for OS in EC treated with RT, including cfDNA ratio (high/low) (HR=0.447 [0.221-0.914] P=0.025), ECOG (0/1/2) (HR=0.501 [0.285-0.880] p=0.016), and histological type (esophagal squamous cell carcinoma [ESCC]/non-ESCC) (HR=3.973 [1.074-14.692] P=0.039).

CONCLUSION

Plasma cfDNA kinetics is associated with prognosis and radiotherapy effect in EC undergoing RT, suggesting potential clinical application of a cheap and simple blood-based test.

Stage-Specific Survival From Esophageal Cancer in China and Implications for Control Strategies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses

Background and Aims

Esophageal cancer claims more than 500,000 deaths worldwide, with half occurring in China. We aimed to synthesize existing evidence on stage-specific survival from this cancer in China to inform cancer control strategies.

Methods

English and Chinese literature databases were systematically searched to identify original research published up to May 31, 2019 that reported stage-specific survival from esophageal cancer in China. Two meta-analyses were performed using random-effects models to summarize stage-specific survival differences on relative and absolute scales. The number of esophageal cancer deaths that might have been prevented by early detection in China, in 2018, was estimated assuming 2 different downstaging scenarios.

Results

One hundred fifty eligible studies were identified, 97 had non-overlapping study populations (83,063 participants), 47 were included in the meta-analysis of hazard ratios, and 26 in the meta-analysis of survival probabilities. Late-stage (III-IV) was associated with 92% higher hazard of death compared with early-stage (0-II) (95% confidence interval 1.62-2.28), corresponding to an absolute 5-year survival difference of 31.2% (29.9%-32.4%). In all, 5.2% esophageal cancer deaths could have been prevented in China, in 2018, if the observed stage distribution at diagnosis (∼50% early-stage) was shifted to the real-life conditions of a population-based endoscopic screening program (∼60% early-stage) and 26.9% if shifted to that observed in the controlled setting of a randomized trial (∼90% early-stage).

Conclusion

Shifting downwards the stage distribution of esophageal cancer through screening would bring moderate reductions in mortality from the disease. Treatment improvements for early-stage patients are needed to reduce further mortality from this cancer.

What are the independent prognostic factors in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer?

Background

This study aims to investigate the prognostic factors affecting survival in patients undergoing surgical treatment for esophageal cancer.

Methods

A total of 50 patients (33 males, 17 females; mean age: 57.8±11.8 years; range, 28 to 80 years) who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer in our clinic between January 2008 and March 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Prognostic factors affecting survival were investigated. Data including age, sex, tumor size, histological and macroscopic type, tumor stage, T and N categories, the total number of resected lymph nodes and metastatic lymph node ratio, differentiation degree, vascular and perineural invasion, proximal surgical margin distance, adjuvant therapy, and the presence of postoperative complications were recorded.

Results

The patients after radical surgery with a tumor size of <3 cm, macroscopic type non-ulcerative-infiltrative squamous cell carcinoma pathology, Stage 1 disease, pT1-2, pN0, well-differentiated groups, no perineural invasion, a metastatic lymph node ratio of <0.2, proximal surgery margin length of 5 to 10 cm, and no postoperative complications had higher five-year survival rates. However, when the effects of these factors on overall survival were examined independently, none of them had a statistically significant effect (p>0.05). The main factors affecting the prognosis were Stage ≥2 disease, postoperative complications, and proximal surgical margin less than 5 cm.

Conclusion

Our study results suggest that Stage 1 disease, a proximal surgical margin length of more than 5 cm, and the absence of complications are associated with longer survival times and these patients are greatly benefited from surgical treatment.

The prognostic performance of the log odds of positive lymph nodes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A population study of the US SEER database and a Chinese single-institution cohort

Background

The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic performance of the log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) value compared with the pathological N stage and lymph node ratio (LNR) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Method

In total 1144 patients diagnosed with ESCC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and 930 patients from our validation cohort were eligible. Kaplan–Meier plotter and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to investigate the prognostic value of the N stage, LNR stage, and LODDS stage. The homogeneity, discriminatory ability, and monotonicity of these variables were evaluated using the linear trend χ² test, likelihood ratio χ² test, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and consistency index (C‐index) to determine the potential superiorities.

Results

The prognostic LODDS cutoff values were determined to be −1.49 and −0.55 (p < 0.001). Univariate analyses showed significant association among the N, LNR, and LODDS stages and overall survival of the patients (all p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses confirmed that the LODDS stage remained an independent prognostic indicator in both the SEER database and our validation cohort. Subgroup analyses identified the ability of LODDS stage to distinguish heterogeneous patients within various groups in both independent databases. Furthermore, the model with the highest C‐index and smallest AIC value was the one incorporating the LODDS stage among the three investigated nodal classifications of both cohorts.

Conclusion

The novel LODDS stage demonstrated better prognostic performance than the traditional N or LNR stages in ESCC patients. It can serve as an auxiliary factor to improve prognostic performance and can be applied to evaluate the lymph node status to increase the precision of staging and evaluation of survival.

Impact of Lymph Node Ratio on Survival Outcome in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy

BACKGROUND

Esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. Esophagectomy remains the principal treatment, and minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has been performed worldwide. This study aimed to clarify whether the lymph node ratio (LNR), defined as the ratio of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) to examined, is a prognostic factor for ESCC after MIE.

METHODS

This study included 327 MIEs with the patient in the prone position at two institutions from 2010 to 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses using clinicopathologic characteristics and the LNR were performed for the pN1 patients and the whole cohort.

RESULTS

In the multivariate analysis for all stages, independent prognostic factors were depth of tumor invasion (P < 0.0001), LNR (P = 0.014), operative time (P = 0.003), and pneumonia (P = 0.012). In the analysis of the pN1 subgroup, the optimum LNR cutoff level for overall survival (OS) was 9 based on receiver operation characteristic analysis. The LNR was significantly associated with depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.004) and number of metastatic LNs (P < 0.0001). The OS curve for the group with an LNR of 9 or higher was significantly worse than for the group with an LNR lower than 9 (P < 0.001). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the LNR is a unique independent prognostic factor for the pN1 subgroup (hazard ratio, 6.811; 95% confidence interval, 2.009-23.087; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The LNR is an independent prognostic factor in ESCC after MIE. Especially for patients with pN1 status, the LNR is more useful than the number of metastatic LNs for predicting survival outcome.

Optimal preoperative neoadjuvant therapy for resectable locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, especially in East Asia. ESCC accounts for more than 90% of esophageal cancer. Currently, neoadjuvant therapy in combination with surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment. However, the overall survival rate of patients with locally advanced ESCC is not satisfactory even when treated following the standard treatment guidelines. With neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, chemotherapy, or emerging immunotherapy, continuous exploration of efficacy in relation to ESCC is expected to improve overall survival further. Here, we review and summarize current evidence for efficacy of preoperative therapy for locally advanced ESCC.

Ratio between negative and positive lymph nodes is a novel prognostic indicator for patients with esophageal cancer: A Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database analysis

Background

The aim of this study was to explore whether the ratio between negative and positive lymph nodes (R_NP) could predict the overall survival (OS) of esophageal cancer (EC) patients with lymph node metastasis following esophagectomy.

Methods

We utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to include the records of 2374 patients with lymph node metastases post‐surgery. All patients were randomly assigned into the training cohort (n = 1424) and validation cohort (n = 950). Multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic factors. A novel R_NP ‐based TR_NPM staging system was proposed. The prognostic value of N, R_NP, TNM and TR_NPM staging system was evaluated using the linear trend χ² test, likelihood ratio χ² test, and Akaike information criterion (AIC) to determine the potential superiorities. We constructed nomograms to predict survival in both cohorts, and the calibration curves confirmed the predictive ability.

Results

Univariate analyses showed that N and R_NP stage significantly influenced the OS of patients. Multivariate analyses revealed that R_NP was an independent prognostic predictor in both the training and validation cohorts. For the stratification analysis in the two cohorts, we found significant differences in the prognosis of patients in different R_NP groups on the basis of the different N stages and the number of dissected lymph nodes. In addition, the lower AIC value of R_NP stage and TR_NPM staging system represented superior predictive accuracy for OS than the N stage and TNM staging system, respectively. Furthermore, the calibration curves for the probability of three‐ and five‐year survival showed good consistency between nomogram predictive abilities and actual observation.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that compared to the classical pathological lymph nodal staging system, the R_NP stage showed superior predictive accuracy for OS and can serve as a more effective prognostic guidance for lymph node positive EC patients.

Updates in staging and pathologic evaluation of esophageal carcinoma following neoadjuvant therapy

Esophageal carcinoma comprises two major subtypes-squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, the incidences of which vary widely across the world and also depend on the location within the esophagus. The staging of esophageal cancer (EC) also remains unique among various gastrointestinal carcinomas, as it takes into account the location, histologic type, and grade. Its management has been evolving over the years and the recent American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system has been updated to reflect the changing practice and new data. It is clear that preoperative neoadjuvant therapy is increasingly being used for the treatment of locally advanced esophageal carcinomas, followed by surgical resection that improves survival. A variety of histologic changes can be seen after neoadjuvant therapy, which can be challenging for the pathologists. The presence of residual tumor in the surgically resected specimen and lymph node following neoadjuvant therapy is associated with poor prognosis. Hence, a thorough pathologic assessment of tumor regression grade and accurate tumor staging is required by pathologists to provide valuable prognostic information to guide further management. Tumor regression grading in ECs needs to be improved and standardized.

Body Mass Index-Adjusted Body Weight Loss Grading Predicts Overall Survival in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

PURPOSE

Various malnutrition and inflammation criteria were associated with prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Nonetheless, the interplay of clinicopathological features, malnutrition, and inflammation criteria with overall survival in ESCC patients remains unclear.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 205 patients diagnosed with ESCC between 2007 and 2012, and evaluated the status of participant malnutrition and inflammation, including body mass index < 18.5 kg/m², body weight loss > 5.0%, serum albumin level < 3.5 g/dl, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio > 3.5, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio > 20, prognostic nutrition index < 40, blood total lymphocyte count < 1600 cells/mm³, and grades of body mass index-adjusted body weight loss (combined BMI-BWL). We assessed the association of clinicopathological features, nutritional status, and inflammation condition with overall survival using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

The mean overall survival of ESCC patients was 28.8 mo,. The multivariate logistic regression model after adjustment for clinicopathological variables, malnutrition status, inflammation condition, and co-morbid status found that tumor stage and grades of combined BMI-BML served as equally important prognostic factors for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Advanced tumor stage and high grades of combined BMI-BWL were independent prognostic factors for overall survival in ESCC patients.

Examined and Positive Lymph Node Counts Are Associated with Mortality in Prostate Cancer: A Population-Based Analysis

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the third leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. We aimed to disclose the prognostic values of examined (dissected) lymph node (ELN), negative lymph node (NLN), and positive (metastatic) lymph node (PLN) counts and lymph node (LNs) ratio in PCa patients.

METHODS

We extracted data of PCa patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. We included patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis having at least one ELN and with the PCa as the primary tumor only.

RESULTS

We have included 96,064 patients. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression modelsdisclosed that patients having more ELNs were associated with better survival. However, we demonstrated that patients having more PLNs were associated with worse survival. Additionally, older age, unmarried patients, with Gleason's score of 8-10, T4 and M1 stages and those who received chemotherapy and/or radiation but did not receive surgery were significantly associated with worse PCa survival.

CONCLUSIONS

We have disclosed several independent predictors affecting PCa patients including age, marital status, Gleason's score, T and N stages, having received therapy, surgery, and ELN and PLN counts. Moreover, we demonstrated that patients with lower ELN and higher PLN counts were a high-risk group. We strongly recommend adding the ELN and/or PLN counts into consideration during patient staging/treatment.

How many lymph nodes should be dissected in esophagectomy with or without neoadjuvant therapy to get accurate staging?

It is essential to dissect an adequate number of lymph nodes (LNs) to ensure staging accuracy during esophagectomy with or without neoadjuvant therapy. We developed a statistical model to quantify the probability of precise nodal staging based on previous studies. Esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy were retrospectively reviewed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. A β-binomial distribution was adopted to estimate the number of understaged patients based on the numbers of positive and examined LNs. Using 6,252 patients, we estimated a 90% confidence of accurate N0 staging could be achieved by examining 17 LNs without neoadjuvant therapy. To obtain similar accuracy in N1 and N2, 20 and 25 LNs should be examined. For patients with neoadjuvant therapy, 18, 19, and 28 LNs could achieve the same accuracy. Staging accuracy was a significant prognostic factor. We found when 90% confidence had been achieved, patient survival did not improve with more LNs examined and the ratio and log odds of positive LNs did not have significant prognostic values. The statistical model we developed for precise staging in patients with different N stages is of great value in guiding lymphadenectomy. It provided risk assessment for underestimated LN metastases and guided subsequent adjuvant treatment.

Predicting the Value of Adjuvant Therapy in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Combining the Total Number of Examined Lymph Nodes with the Positive Lymph Node Ratio

BACKGROUND

The value of adjuvant therapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has been controversial, at least partially due to the lack of efficient criteria for selecting suitable patients. This study aimed to explore the existence of parameters related to lymph node (LN) status that can predict the value of adjuvant therapy in ESCC.

METHODS

The study included 298 patients with ESCC who had undergone radical esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy. Adjuvant therapy was defined as reception of adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or chemoradiotherapy. For the study, LN ratio (LNR), total number of resected LNs (TLNs), and pN stage were selected for Cox regression analyses, including their correlations and prognostic values for survival. Log-rank tests were used to compare the survival rates of the patients with and without adjuvant therapy stratified by pN stage, TLNs, LNR, or their combinations.

RESULTS

The independent prognostic factors for survival were TLNs, LNR, and pN stage. Whereas pN stage was significantly related to TLNs and LNR, TLNs were not correlated with LNR. The survival rates between the patients with and those without adjuvant therapy stratified by pN stage, TLNs, or LNR did not differ significantly. We used the median values of TLNs and LNR to group the patients into four groups. The patients in the group with fewer TLNs and higher LNR who had undergone adjuvant therapy showed a significantly better survival than those without adjuvant therapy (p = 0.030).

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to TLNs, LNR, and pN stage as single factors, the combination of TLNs and LNR can predict the value of adjuvant therapy.

Anatomy of lymphatic drainage of the esophagus and lymph node metastasis of thoracic esophageal cancer

The lymphatic drainage of the inner layers (mucosa and submucosa) and the outer layers (muscularispropria and adventitia) of the thoracic esophagus is different. Longitudinal lymphatic vessels and long drainage territory in the submucosa and lamina propria should be the bases for bidirectional drainage and direct drainage to thoracic duct and extramural lymph nodes (LN). The submucosal vessels for direct extramural drainage are usually thick while lymphatic communication between the submucosa and intermuscular area is usually not clearly found, which does not facilitate transversal drainage to paraesophageal LN from submucosa. The right paratracheal lymphatic chain (PLC) is well developed while the left PLC is poorly developed. Direct drainage to the right recurrent laryngeal nerve LN and subcarinal LN from submucosa has been verified. Clinical data show that lymph node metastasis (LNM) is frequently present in the lower neck, upper mediastinum, and perigastric area, even for early-stage thoracic esophageal cancer (EC). The lymph node metastasis rate (LNMR) varies mainly according to the tumor location and depth of tumor invasion. However, there are some crucial LN for extramural relay which have a high LNMR, such as cervical paraesophageal LN, recurrent laryngeal nerve LN, subcarinal LN, LN along the left gastric artery, lesser curvature LN, and paracardial LN. Metastasis of thoracic paraesophageal LN seems to be a sign of more advanced EC. This review gives us a better understanding about the LNM and provides more information for treatments of thoracic EC.

The predictive value of a preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index and prognostic nutritional index in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Growing evidence indicates that systemic inflammation response and malnutrition status are correlated with survival in certain types of solid tumors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and overall survival (OS) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after esophagectomy. A consecutive series of 655 patients with resected ESCC who underwent esophagectomy were enrolled in the retrospective study. The preoperative SII was defined as platelet × neutrophil/lymphocyte counts. The PNI was calculated as albumin concentration (g/L) + 5 × total lymphocyte count (10⁹ /L). The optimal cut-off values of SII, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and PNI were determined by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method with a log-rank test, followed by a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. A high SII was significantly related to tumor size, histological type, invasion depth, and TNM stage (p < 0.05). A low PNI was significantly associated with age, tumor size, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that age, smoking history, tumor size, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, SII, NLR, PLR, and PNI were predictors of OS (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified age (p = 0.041), tumor size (p = 0.016), invasion depth (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), SII (p = 0.033), and PNI (p = 0.022) as independent prognostic factors correlated with OS. There was a significant inverse relationship between the SII and PNI (r = 0.309; p < 0.001). The predictive value increased when the SII and PNI were considered in combination. Our results demonstrate that the preoperative high SII and low PNI are powerful indicators of aggressive biology and poor prognosis for patients with ESCC. The combination of SII and PNI can enhance the accuracy of prognosis.

Implication of visceral obesity in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

Visceral obesity is considered to be associated not only with chronic systemic inflammation but also with aggressive cancer behavior. However, the implication of visceral obesity in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unclear.

METHODS

Computed tomography volumetry was performed in 364 patients who underwent esophagectomy for ESCC. We calculated the ratio of the visceral fat area to the subcutaneous fat area (VS ratio), which is a valuable parameter of visceral obesity. Then, the clinicopathological characteristics were compared between patients with low VS ratio and those with high VS ratio.

RESULTS

Overall and disease-specific survivals of patients with high VS ratio were significantly worse than those with low VS ratio (P < 0.001 in both). Patients with high VS ratio had considerably more advanced pN factor, higher prevalence of lymphatic invasion, and more number of metastatic lymph nodes than those with low VS ratio (P = 0.044, < 0.001, and 0.006, respectively). Among patients who received preoperative treatment, high VS ratio correlated with poor response to preoperative treatment (P = 0.040).

CONCLUSIONS

Visceral obesity was associated with lymphatic invasiveness and poor response to preoperative treatment in patients with ESCC, which may negatively influence their prognosis.

PAX5 gene as a novel methylation marker that predicts both clinical outcome and cisplatin sensitivity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Therapeutic strategies for esophageal cancer largely depend on histopathological assessment. To select appropriate treatments of individual patients, we examined the background molecular characteristics of tumor malignancy and sensitivity to multidisciplinary therapy. Seventy-eight surgically-resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cases during 2001-2013 were examined. PAX5, a novel gene methylation marker in ESCC, was evaluated in the specimens, as methylation of this gene was identified as an extremely tumor-specific event in squamous cell carcinogenesis of head and neck. PAX5 methylation status was evaluated by quantitative MSP (QMSP) assays. Mean QMSP value was 15.7 (0-136.3) in ESCCs and 0.3 (0-8.6) in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001). The 78 cases were divided into high QMSP value (high QMSP, n = 26) and low QMSP value (low QMSP, n = 52). High QMSP cases were significantly associated with downregulated PAX5 expression (P = 0.040), and showed significantly poor recurrence-free survival [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 2.84; P = 0.005; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.39-5.81] and overall survival (HR = 3.23; P = 0.002; 95%CI: 1.52-7.01) in multivariable analyses with histopathological factors. PAX5-knockdown cells exhibited significantly increased cell proliferation and cisplatin resistance. PAX5 gene methylation can predict poor survival outcomes and cisplatin sensitivity in ESCCs and could be a useful diagnostic tool for cancer therapy selection.

Metastatic to negative lymph node ratio demonstrates significant prognostic value in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after esophagectomy

Aims

The prognostic value of metastatic lymph node ratio (LNR) has been reported in some studies; however, there is no report on the prognostic significance of metastatic to negative lymph node ratio (MNLNR) in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to compare the prognostic value of pN, LNR and MNLNR on the survival of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after esophagectomy.

Methods

The data of 290 patients with ESCC after curative esophagectomy was retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-point for LNR and MNLNR were set as 0, 01-0.2, and >0.2. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for overall survival (OS).

Results

Patients classified as LNR 0, 0.01-0.20, and 0.21-1.0, the observed 5-year OS rates were 46.6%, 26.0%, and 11.6%, respectively (P = 0.000). Patients classified as MNLNR 0, 0.01-0.20, and >0.2, the observed 5-year OS rates were 46.6%, 31.2%, and 7.4%, respectively, respectively (P = 0.000). The pN stage, LNR or MNLNR category was confirmed as a significant independent prognostic factor, respectively (P = 0.032, P = 0.011 and P = 0.003, respectively); However, only the MNLNR category (P = 0.003) remained as a significant prognostic factor when the pN stage, LNR and MNLNR category simultaneously included in the multivariate analysis models.

Conclusions

The MNLNR was recognized as an independent prognostic factor in ESCC patients after curative esophagectomy. In addition, MNLNR showed better prognostic value than pN stage and LNR category.