Esophageal Carcinoma with Celiac Nodal Metastases; Curative or Palliative?

Abdominal lymph node metastasis in non-surgical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: prognostic significance and a novel staging strategy

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a combination of abdominal lymph node (LN) metastasis and the number of LNs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients to optimize its clinical nodal staging.

Methods

A retrospective study, including a total of 707 ESCC patients treated with definitive radiotherapy, was conducted at two participating institutes. Different combinations of LN variables, including abdominal LN metastasis (R1: no-abdominal LN metastasis; R2: abdominal LN metastasis), were further analyzed to propose a potential revised nodal (rN) staging.

Results

The multivariate analyses showed that the number of metastatic LN and abdominal LN metastasis were independent prognostic factors for the overall survival (OS). The results showed no significant differences in the OS between the N2 patients with abdominal LN metastasis and N3 patients. The OS of the stage III patients with abdominal LN metastasis was not significantly different from those with stage IVa. The N3R1 and N1-2R2 had similar hazard ratios (HRs). The N1R1 subset was defined as rN1, the N2R1 subset was defined as rN2, and the N3R1-2 and N1-2R2 subsets were defined as rN3. The HRs of OS of the rN2 and rN3 groups increased subsequently. The rN stage could identify the differences in the OS times of each subgroup based on the 8th AJCC cN staging or the 11th JES N staging.

Conclusions

The rN staging, including the number of metastatic LNs and abdominal LN metastasis, might serve as a potential prognostic predictor for non-surgical patients with ESCC.

The impact of the nodal status on the overall survival of non-surgical patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of N categories for patients with non-surgical esophageal carcinoma based on the number of metastatic lymph nodes is controversial. The present study analyzes prognostic implications of the number, extent, and size of metastatic lymph nodes for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with definitive (chemo-)radiotherapy to provide more information on treatment strategy.

METHODS

We reviewed 357 ESCC patients treated with definitive radiotherapy between January 2013 and March 2016 retrospectively. We assessed potential associations between the involved extent (N0, 1 region, 2 regions, and 3 regions), number (N0, 1-2, 3-6, and ≥ 7), and size (N0, ≤2 cm, and > 2 cm) of metastatic lymph nodes and overall survival. Multivariate analyses of the clinicopathological factors were performed using the Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

5-year survival rates were 43.6% for patients in the N0 group and 29.3% in the N+ group (p = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analyses for all cases revealed that there were significant differences in survival based on the extent (the OS rates at 3 years were 53.3% for patients in the N0 group, 45.7% in the 1 region-involved group, 28.0% in the 2 regions-involved group, and 13.3% in the 3 regions-involved group, P < 0.001), number (the OS rates at 3 years were 49.0% for patients in the 1-2 LNs group, 27.8% in the 3-6 LNs group, 0 in the ≥7LNs group, P < 0.001), and size (the OS rates at 3 years were 41.6% for patients in the LNs ≤2 cm group and 20.7% in the LNs > 2 cm group, P = 0.001) of metastatic LNs. One hundred seventy-two patients (48.2%) had experienced GTV failure, 157 (43.1%) had distant failure, 49 (13.7%) had out-of-GTV nodal failure, and 70 patients (19.6%) had no evidence of disease at the last follow-up. Nodal status correlated statistically with GTV failure. Patients with LN metastases in the abdominal region had worse survival rates than those with metastases in the other regions. The extent and number of metastatic LNs, T category, Primary tumor location, and chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors of OS in multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with ESCC who received definitive (chemo-)radiotherapy, the number, extent, and size of metastatic LNs were prognostic factors, particularly of the T2/3 disease. Patients with LN metastases in the abdominal region had worse survival.

Should the clinical significance of supraclavicular and celiac lymph node metastasis in thoracic esophageal cancer be reevaluated?

Background

Lower thoracic esophageal cancer (LTEC) with celiac node metastasis and upper thoracic esophageal cancer (UTEC) with supraclavicular node metastasis were previously categorized as M1a diseases. Our study aimed to investigate whether the clinical significance of supraclavicular and celiac lymph node metastasis should be reevaluated in thoracic esophageal cancer.

Methods

A total of 6178 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during 2004–2015. Treatment strategies and outcomes (OS, overall survival; CSS, cancer‐specific survival) of patients with different nodal status were reviewed. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to evaluate the prognostic factors. Statistical analyses were performed in all subgroups.

Results

Multivariate analysis identified supraclavicular node metastasis but not celiac node metastasis as an independent predictor of both OS and CSS in LTEC. However, metastasis to supraclavicular or celiac nodes was not an independent predictor of OS and CSS in UTEC. Surgery was not associated with increased OS and CSS for UTEC with celiac or supraclavicular node metastasis but was favored as a predictor of better OS and CSS for LTEC with celiac or supraclavicular node metastasis. Radiotherapy benefited OS and CSS in LTEC involving celiac or supraclavicular nodes and in UTEC involving celiac nodes, while only OS benefited from radiotherapy in UTEC involving supraclavicular nodes.

Conclusions

These results provide preliminary evidence that the clinical significance of supraclavicular and celiac lymph node metastasis should be reevaluated in thoracic esophageal cancer with different prognostic information according to the primary sites.

Retrospective Analysis of Patients with Esophageal Cancer Treated with Radiotherapy and/or Chemoradiotherapy

Aims and background

Esophageal cancer consists of 5% of all cancers. In Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey, the rate was found to be 16%. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate effect of the localization and histologic type of tumor, stage of cancer and treatment modality, patient's sex, age and smoking status, Karnofsky performance score, and family history on survival.

Methods and study design

A total of 135 patients with locally advanced esophagus cancer were enrolled into the study. The factors (sex, age, Karnofsky performance status, localization, histology, stage of the disease, treatment modality) on survival were evaluated.

Results

After the end of treatment, overall survival was 20 months, median survival period was 13 months. The survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 51.3%, 20.1% and 13.4%, respectively.

Conclusions

For patients with esophageal cancer, age, Karnofsky performance score, stage, treatment modality applied, chemotherapy protocol, number of cures and general survival rate were found to be the prognostic factors related to survival (P <0.05) in univariate analysis. At the same time, the study showed that gender, smoking status, family history, localization of the tumor and histologic type had no effect on the survival. The best survival in patients with esophageal cancer which cannot be operated is obtained by 50.4 Gray radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy.

Prognostic value of supraclavicular nodes and upper abdominal nodes metastasis after definitive chemoradiotherapy for patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The purpose of this study is to assess the prognostic value of supraclavicular nodes, left gastric nodes, celiac nodes and common hepatic nodes metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with definitive radiotherapy. A total of 293 ESCC patients treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy entered the study. The results showed that the presence of supraclavicular nodes (χ² = 0.075, P = 0.785) and left gastric nodes (χ² = 3.603, P = 0.058) metastasis had no significant influence on survival, while celiac nodes (χ² = 33.775, P < 0.001) and common hepatic nodes (χ² = 42.350, P < 0.001) metastasis were associated with significantly shorter survival, regardless of the sites of primary tumor. Multivariate analysis showed that celiac nodes (HR: 0.457, 95% CI: 0.256-0.816; P = 0.008) and common hepatic nodes (HR: 0.241, 95% CI: 0.092-0.630; P = 0.004) metastasis were independently adverse indicator of survival in upper ESCC. While in the middle and lower ESCC, only the common hepatic nodes (middle ESCC: HR: 0.345, 95% CI: 0.161-0.738, P = 0.006; lower ESCC: HR: 0.377, 95% CI: 0.160-0.890, P = 0.026) metastasis was an independently adverse indicator of survival. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that in ESCC treated with definitive radiotherapy, both of celiac nodes and common hepatic nodes metastasis were adverse indicator of survival in upper ESCC, and common hepatic nodes metastasis were adverse indicator of survival in middle and lower ESCC. Supraclavicular nodes an left gastric nodes metastasis is not associated with patients survival in ESCC.

The prognostic role of coeliac node metastasis after resection for distal oesophageal cancer

It is uncertain whether coeliac node metastasis precludes long-term survival in distal oesophageal cancer. This nationwide population-based cohort study included patients who underwent surgical resection for stage III or IV distal oesophageal cancer in 1987-2010 with follow-up until 2014. A minority (17.0%) had neoadjuvant therapy. The prognosis in patients with coeliac node metastasis was compared with patients with no such metastasis and patients with more distant metastasis. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression models provided hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of disease-specific and overall mortality. Among 446 patients, 346 (77.6%) had no coeliac node metastasis, 56 (12.6%) had coeliac node metastasis, and 44 (9.9%) had more distant metastasis. Compared to coeliac node negative patients, coeliac node positive patients were at a 52% increased risk of disease-specific mortality (HR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.10-2.10), while patients with more distant metastasis had a 27% statistically non-significant increase (HR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.88-1.83). Patients with distant metastasis had no increase in disease-specific mortality compared to those with coeliac node metastasis (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.40-1.27). Thus, patients with distal oesophageal cancer with coeliac node metastasis seem to have a similarly poor survival as patients with more distant metastasis, and thus may not benefit from surgery.

Lipopolysaccharide-induced toll-like receptor 4 signaling enhances the migratory ability of human esophageal cancer cells in a selectin-dependent manner

BACKGROUND

Esophageal cancer is an aggressive malignancy, and emerging data suggest that postoperative infections may promote cancer progression. Systemic exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Gram-negative bacterial antigen involved in such infections, has been shown to increase cancer cell adhesion to the hepatic sinusoids in vivo. We investigated the direct impact of LPS on the migratory ability of esophageal cancer cells via the LPS receptor toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4).

METHODS

Human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell lines and immortalized normal esophageal mucosa cells were tested for TLR4 surface expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry. TLR4 signaling in response to LPS stimulation was tested in these cells by measuring p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation on Western blot. The impact of TLR4 signaling was measured by static adhesion assays in vitro and on early in vivo migration by intravital microscopy of the liver.

RESULTS

Upon LPS stimulation, phosphorylation of p38 was detected in the human esophageal cancer cells HKESC-2. Also, LPS-stimulated HKESC-2 cells showed a twofold increased adhesion to fibronectin and to hepatic sinusoidal endothelium. These effects were abolished by TLR4 inhibition using the small-molecule inhibitor eritoran. Adhesion to fibronectin and hepatic sinusoidal endothelium was also diminished by blockade of p38 phosphorylation and inhibitors of selectin-selectin ligand binding.

CONCLUSION

LPS can increase the migratory ability of human esophageal cancer cells by increasing their adhesive properties through TLR4 signaling and selectin ligands. TLR4, p38, and selectin blockade may therefore prove to be a new therapeutic strategy for this aggressive malignancy.

Utility of restaging endoscopic ultrasound after neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Currently, the most accurate staging test for patients with esophageal cancer is endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). At many institutions, patients who have completed neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy for esophageal cancer undergo restaging EUS before proceeding to surgical resection. The benefit of this restaging procedure remains controversial.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied consecutive patients who had pre-resection restaging EUS after receiving neoadjuvant treatment to assess accuracy of EUS restaging and determine whether it predicted survival.

RESULTS

Final pathologic data were available for 73 patients who underwent restaging EUS (3 patients had missing T or N stage at one time point). Median time from restaging EUS to resection was 20 days. Restaging EUS accurately predicted pathologic T status in 26 of 72 patients (36%), N status in 44 of 71 (62%), and detected a complete pathologic response in 2 of 19 (10.5%). EUS inappropriately classified 10 patients as T0 N0. Agreement between EUS and pathologic staging was poor for T (κ=0.14) and N status (κ=0.24). Median time from resection to death or last follow-up was 20 months. Pathologic T and N status were each significant predictors of survival (p=0.049 and p=0.0004, respectively). There were nonsignificant trends toward better survival for lower EUS T (p=0.32) and N status (p=0.0946).

CONCLUSIONS

Restaging by EUS before resection did not accurately predict pathologic stage in patients with esophageal cancer who received neoadjuvant treatment. As a result of this investigation, our institution no longer routinely performs restaging EUS.

Predictors of survival in patients with persistent nodal metastases after preoperative chemotherapy for esophageal cancer

OBJECTIVE

In patients with esophageal cancer, a complete pathologic response after preoperative therapy is universally regarded as a favorable prognostic factor. However, less is known about factors predictive of outcome in patients with persistent nodal disease. The purpose of this study is to determine which variables affect survival in this patient population.

METHODS

We reviewed a prospectively maintained esophageal cancer database. Patients with positive lymph nodes after preoperative therapy and surgery were selected. Predictors of survival were examined univariately using the log-rank test. Factors identified at P < .20 by univariate analysis were selected for inclusion in a multivariate model.

RESULTS

Ninety-six patients with 1 or more positive nodes received preoperative therapy. Pathologic T classification was 0 to 2 in 25 (26%) patients and 3 to 4 in 71 (74%) patients. In 29 (30%) patients, nonregional nodal disease was present (M1). Final pathologic stages were IIB in 18 (19%), III in 49 (51%), and IV in 29 (30%). Postoperatively, 44 (46%) patients received additional chemotherapy. On univariate analysis, pathologic stage, pathologic T classification, and number of positive nodes significantly affected overall survival. On multivariate analysis, clinical stage (hazard ratio [HR], 2.25; P = .05), pathologic T classification (HR, 3.06; P = .006), and number of positive nodes (HR 1.03 per node, P = .09) were significant predictors of overall survival.

CONCLUSION

Long-term survival can be achieved in patients with esophageal cancer who have persistent nodal disease after neoadjuvant therapy and surgical resection. Clinical stage, pathologic T classification, and number of positive nodes best predict survival. Nonregional nodal disease does not adversely affect outcome. Postoperative chemotherapy conferred no additional survival benefit in this patient population.

Predictors of long-term survival after resection of esophageal carcinoma with nonregional nodal metastases

BACKGROUND

Patients with esophageal carcinoma and celiac, cervical, or other nonregional nodal metastases generally have a poor prognosis after surgical resection. Factors predicting long-term survival are unclear. The goal of this study was to analyze factors predicting long-term survival in this subset of patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of a prospective database over a 20-year period to identify patients with resected esophageal carcinoma with nonregional lymph node metastases. Medical records were reviewed and risk factors were analyzed.

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients underwent esophagectomy for M1a or M1b disease from 1987 to 2007. Esophagectomy was transthoracic in 62 patients and transhiatal in 5. The median number of lymph nodes harvested was 36. Sites of nodal metastases were the following: recurrent nodal chain in 42 patients, celiac in 20, both recurrent and celiac in 4, and paratracheal in 1. Median length of follow-up was 66 months. The 5-year overall survival for the entire cohort was 25%. The 5-year overall survival was significantly higher with earlier T-status, (pathologic tumor [pT]1/T2 vs pT3/T4; 62% vs 15%, p = 0.006). Thirteen patients who had nonregional nodal metastases without involvement of regional nodes (pN0) had a significant improvement in 5-year survival (67% vs 15%; p < 0.001). Patients with squamous cell carcinomas had higher 5-year survival compared with those with adenocarcinomas (42% vs 14%; p = 0.009). Patients treated with induction chemotherapy had prolonged 5-year survival (41%, p = 0.06) compared with those treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (11%) or no therapy (20%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that chemotherapy treatment, squamous cell type, and early T stage (pT1/T2) are significant positive predictors of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical resection for patients with esophageal cancer associated with nonregional nodal metastases results in 25% survival at five years. Squamous histology, earlier T status, and perioperative chemotherapy are independent positive predictors of long-term survival.