A More Extensive Lymphadenectomy Enhances Survival Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

Accurate location describe and management of lymph node recurrence after esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Describe the accurate locations of lymph node recurrence (LNR) of Chinese patients with postoperative thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is essential for determining the need for further surveillance protocols and treatments. The authors aimed to evaluate the patterns of postoperative ESCC and its current risk stratification with LNR.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study included a retrospective review of the medical records and image material of patients with ESCC who underwent LNR after radical surgery between January 2013 and September 2022, with a median follow-up time of 5.71 years. Clinical features were extracted from these records, and survival analysis was performed. The primary endpoint was the accurate location and range of LNR according to the nomenclature of the Japanese Society for Esophageal Diseases. The second endpoints was to explore the related factors of recurrence range and overall survival.

RESULTS

A total of 3268 lymph node regions were recurrence from 1129 patients, with a mean of 2.89 regions per patient. No.104, 106, and 107 was the most common recurrence of thoracic ESCC with an LNR rate higher than 15%. In upper thoracic ESCC, No.105 was a common recurrence site and abdominal LNR was rare. In lower thoracic ESCC, retroperitoneal lymph node was a unique regions (15.4%). Anastomotic recurrence is an important recurrence pattern in patients with postoperative esophageal cancer, with an incidence of 24.5%. Rates of LNR in range of lymph node dissection was low (13.9%). The median time of LRT was 20.0 (1.5-184.0) months. High range of recurrence was associated with significantly poorer OS in patients. Multiple linear regression analysis identified demonstrated N stage, tumor differentiation, adjuvant radiotherapy, and total lymph nodes removed were association with recurrence range for patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Supraclavicular and upper mediastinums lymph nodes were common recurrence site for ESCC patients, and careful initial staging and surveillance are needed. Thorough lymph node dissection may reduce the range of regional recurrence.

Advances in the Surgical Management of Esophageal Cancer

Radical esophagectomy with two or three-field lymphadenectomy remains the mainstay of curative treatment for localized esophageal cancer, often in combination with systemic chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. In this article, we describe notable advances in the surgical management of esophageal cancer over the past decade that have led to an improvement in both surgical and oncologic outcomes. In addition, we discuss new approaches to surgical management currently under investigation that have the potential to offer further benefits to appropriately selected patients. These incremental breakthroughs primarily include advances in endoscopic and minimally invasive techniques, perioperative management protocols, as well as the application of local therapies, including surgery, to oligometastatic disease.

History and evidence for state of the art of lymphadenectomy in esophageal cancer surgery

The current curative multimodal treatment of advanced esophageal cancers consists of neoadjuvant or perioperative chemo(radio)therapy followed by a radical surgical resection of the primary tumor and a 2- or 3-field lymphadenectomy. One of the most important predictors of long-term survival of esophageal cancer patients is lymph node involvement. The distribution pattern of lymph node metastases in esophageal cancer is unpredictable and depends on the primary tumor location, histology, T-stage and application of neoadjuvant or perioperative treatment. The optimal extent of the lymphadenectomy remains controversial; there is no global consensus on this topic yet. Some surgeons advocate an aggressive and extended lymph node dissection to remove occult metastatic disease, to optimize oncological outcomes. Others promote a more restricted lymphadenectomy, since the benefit of an extended lymphadenectomy, especially after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, has not been clearly demonstrated, and morbidity may be reduced. In this review, we describe the development of lymphadenectomy, followed by a summary of current evidence for lymphadenectomy in esophageal cancer treatment.

Survival benefit of surgery for second primary esophageal cancer following gastrointestinal cancer: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

The incidence of second primary malignancy is increasing. However, although there is some information on second primary esophageal cancer (SPEC) itself, there is no study or guideline on the use of surgery for SPEC after gastrointestinal cancer (SPEC-GC). Thus, this study aimed to gather evidence for the benefits of surgery by analyzing a national cohort and determining the prognostic factors and clinical treatment decisions for SPEC-GC.

METHODS

Data for patients with SPEC-GC were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2000 and 2019. The prognostic factors of SPEC-GC were investigated by stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses for overall survival and cancer-specific survival.

RESULTS

A total of 8308 patients with SPEC were selected, including 582 patients with SPEC-GC. Multivariate analysis revealed that surgery, year of diagnosis, scope of regional lymph node surgery, tumor differentiation grade, SEER historic stage, and triple therapy were significant predictors of survival outcomes (P < .05). Surgery seemed to improve the prognosis of patients with SPEC-GC significantly compared with no surgery and chemoradiotherapy (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery should be considered as the main treatment for SPEC-GC. Surgery, year of diagnosis, scope of regional lymph node surgery, tumor differentiation grade, SEER historic stage, and triple therapy were found to be independent prognostic factors for these patients. These factors should be considered in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of SPEC-GC.

Controversies in the surgical management of esophageal adenocarcinoma

The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen dramatically over the last decade. Over this same period, our understanding and treatments have been revolutionized. Just over a decade ago, the majority of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer went directly to surgery and our overall survival was bleak. Our current strategy for locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma is a multi-disciplinary approach. This approach consists of chemotherapy plus or minus radiation followed by surgical resection followed by adjuvant immunotherapy with the presence of any residual disease. Therefore, now more than ever, the goals of surgery are to minimize morbidity, provide aggressive local control and allow patients to receive to quickly recover so they can receive adjuvant systemic therapy. Surgery continues to play a crucial role in the multi-disciplinary approach to EAC. This review will highlight the on-going areas of controversy in surgical treatment. These controversies are around surgical selection, perioperative decision making and the role of surgery. Specifically, there are controversies in the type of surgical approach offered. This review will discuss the benefits of minimally invasive versus open esophagectomy. The indications for gastrectomy versus esophagectomy in patients with gastroesophageal junction EAC. Further, at the time of operation, there is still debate and on-going trials addressing the addition of a pyloric intervention. Lastly, as we push the limits of systemic therapy, there are those who may not even need a surgical resection. This review will cover the most recent data on selective esophageal resection and the concerns regarding this approach.

Incidence and management of esophageal cancer recurrence to regional lymph nodes after curative esophagectomy

Up to 50% of patients treated with curative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer will develop recurrence, contributing to the dismal survival associated with this disease. Regional recurrence may represent disease that is not yet widely metastatic and may therefore be amenable to more-aggressive treatment. We sought to assess all patients treated with curative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer who developed regional recurrence. We retrospectively identified all patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma at a single institution from January 2000 to August 2019. In total, 1626 patients were included in the study cohort. As of June 2022, 595 patients had disease recurrence, which was distant or systemic in 435 patients (27%), regional in 125 (7.7%) and local in 35 (2.2%). On multivariable analysis, neoadjuvant chemoradiation with a total radiation dose <45 Gy (hazard ratio [HR], 3.5 [95% CI, 1.7-7.3]; P = .001), pathologic node-positive disease (HR, 1.9 [95% CI, 1.3-3.0]; P = .003) and lymphovascular invasion (HR, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.0-2.5]; P = .049) were predictors of isolated nodal recurrence, whereas increasing age (HR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.96-0.99]; P = .001) and increasing number of excised lymph nodes (HR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.95-1.00]; P = .021) were independently associated with decreased risk of regional recurrence. Patients treated with a combination of local and systemic therapies had better survival outcomes than patients treated with systemic therapy alone (P < .001). In patients with recurrence of esophageal cancer limited to regional lymph nodes, salvage treatment may be possible. Higher radiation doses and more-extensive lymphadenectomy may reduce the risk of regional recurrence.

Standard Lymphadenectomy for Esophageal and Lung Cancer: Variability in the Number of Examined Lymph Nodes Among Pathologists and Its Survival Implication

AIM

We compared variability in number of examined lymph nodes between pathologists and analyzed survival implications in lung and esophageal cancer after standardized lymphadenectomy.

METHODS

Outcomes of 294 N2 dissected lung cancer patients and 132 2-field dissected esophageal cancer patients were retrospectively examined. The primary outcome was difference in reported lymph node count among pathologists. Secondary outcomes were overall and disease-specific survival related to this count and survival related to the 50% probability cut-off value of detecting metastasis based on the number of examined lymph nodes.

RESULTS

The median number of examined lymph nodes in lung cancer was 13 (IQR 9-17) and in esophageal cancer it was 22 (18-29). The pathologist with the highest median number of examined nodes had > 50% higher lymph node yield compared with the pathologist with the lowest median number of nodes in lung (15 vs. 9.5, p = 0.003), and esophageal cancer (28 vs. 17, p = 0.003). Survival in patients stratified by median reported lymph node count in both lung (adjusted RMST ratio < 14 vs. ≥ 14 lymph nodes 0.99, 95% CI 0.88-1.10; p = 0.810) and esophageal cancer (adjusted RMST ratio < 25 vs. ≥ 25 lymph nodes 0.95, 95% CI 0.79-1.15, p = 0.612) was similar. The cut-off value for 50% probability of detecting metastasis by number of examined lymph nodes in lung cancer was 15.7 and in esophageal cancer 21.8. When stratified by this cut-off, no survival differences were seen.

CONCLUSION

The quality of lymphadenectomy based on lymph node yield is susceptible to error due to detected variability between pathologists in the number of examined lymph nodes. This variability in yield did not have any survival effect after standardized lymphadenectomy.

Survival impact of the number of lymph nodes dissection in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

This study aimed to investigate the survival impact of the number of lymph nodes dissection (LND) in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We retrospectively analyzed the clinical pathological data and survival of 407 ESCC patients who underwent esophagectomy after NCT between January 2015 and December 2016. The relationship between the number of LNDs and 5-year overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) was plotted by using restricted cubic spline analysis. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to identify prognostic factors of OS and DFS. We observed an obvious non-linear relationship between LND and the hazard ratios (HRs) for OS (P = 0.0015) and DFS (P < 0.001) of all the patients. In the multivariate analysis of OS and DFS, the number of LNDs (greater than 28 and less than 46) had a significant protective effect on survival (OS: HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.42-0.88, P = 0.007; DFS: HR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.36-0.70, P < 0.001). For patients with nodal metastases, it was also an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.56, 95% CI, 0.35-0.90, P = 0.017) and DFS (HR, 0.42, 95% CI, 0.28-0.65, P < 0.001). Some degree of lymphadenectomy after NCT was beneficial in improving 5-year OS and DFS for ESCC patients with nodal metastases. For patients with nodal negativity, more extended lymphadenectomy did not improve patient survival.

Is Tumor Regression Grade Sufficient to Predict Survival in Esophageal Cancer with Trimodal Therapy?

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the predictive value of tumor regression grade (TRG) and nodal status on survival in esophageal carcinoma with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).

METHODS

Tumor pathologic regression and nodal status were assessed. Differences in survival stratified by TRG or nodal status were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. The prognostic value of TRG and nodal status were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards methods.

RESULTS

From July 2016 to June 2019, 253 patients with esophageal cancer underwent nCRT followed by surgery. Significant differences were presented in survival according to nodal status but not TRG. Multivariate analysis showed that nodal status and not TRG was the only independent predicter for overall survival (HR: 3.550, 95% CI: 2.264-5.566, P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR: 2.801, 95% CI: 1.874-4.187, P < 0.001). The modified TRG system combining tumor regression with nodal status stratified patients survival with good discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

Lymph node status impacts more importantly than TRG on survival for patients with esophageal cancer undergoing nCRT plus esophagectomy. The modified TRG system may facilitate postoperative treatment decisions and survival surveillance.

Evidence-based approach to the treatment of esophagogastric junction tumors

The incidence of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) adenocarcinoma is increasing in developed nations due to the rising prevalence of obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Due to the peculiar location in a histological transition zone between the esophagus and the stomach, the management of EGJ tumors is controversial. Two main surgical approaches exist: total gastrectomy with distal esophagectomy or esophagectomy by either transhiatal or transthoracic approach. These operations differ significantly in the extent of lymphadenectomy. In addition, patients with locally advanced disease can receive either preoperative chemoradiation or perioperative chemotherapy. This evidence-based review analyzes current evidence regarding the management of EGJ tumors in order to help defining the best surgical and systemic treatment of these patients.

Textbook outcome for esophageal cancer surgery: an international consensus-based update of a quality measure

Textbook outcome for esophageal cancer surgery is a composite quality measure including 10 short-term surgical outcomes reflecting an uneventful perioperative course. Achieved textbook outcome is associated with improved long-term survival. This study aimed to update the original textbook outcome based on international consensus. Forty-five international expert esophageal cancer surgeons received a personal invitation to evaluate the 10 items in the original textbook outcome for esophageal cancer surgery and to rate 18 additional items divided over seven subcategories for their importance in the updated textbook outcome. Items were included in the updated textbook outcome if ≥80% of the respondents agreed on inclusion. In case multiple items within one subcategory reached ≥80% agreement, only the most inclusive item with the highest agreement rate was included. With a response rate of 80%, 36 expert esophageal cancer surgeons, from 34 hospitals, 16 countries, and 4 continents responded to this international survey. Based on the inclusion criteria, the updated quality indicator 'textbook outcome for esophageal cancer surgery' should consist of: tumor-negative resection margins, ≥20 lymph nodes retrieved and examined, no intraoperative complication, no complications Clavien-Dindo ≥III, no ICU/MCU readmission, no readmission related to the surgical procedure, no anastomotic leakage, no hospital stay ≥14 days, and no in-hospital mortality. This study resulted in an international consensus-based update of a quality measure, textbook outcome for esophageal cancer surgery. This updated textbook outcome should be implemented in quality assurance programs for centers performing esophageal cancer surgery, and could standardize quality measures used internationally.