Radical esophagectomy for stage II and III thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma followed by adjuvant radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy: Which is more beneficial?

Optimal Treatment Strategies for Resectable Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Real-World Triple Cohort Analysis Using Propensity Score Matching

Purpose

This study aims to identify the most effective treatment approach and compares the survival rates, along with complications, in patients with locally resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who were treated with one of the three treatment patterns: neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (NCT+S), neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery (NCRT+S), or surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy (S+CRT).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of the medical records of ESCC patients who received one of these treatments between March 2015 and March 2022. This analysis aimed to identify differences in long-term survival, pathological responses, and complications across the three treatment groups. To address potential confounding factors, propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox proportional hazards models were utilized.

Results

This study included a cohort of 715 patients: 197 in the NCT+S group, 188 in the NCRT+S group, and 330 in the S+CRT group, all meeting the selection criteria. After PSM, the median disease-free survival (DFS) time was 38.9 months, 25.6 months, and 15.3 months for NCRT+S, NCT+S, and S+CRT groups, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the 5-year DFS and 5-year OS among the three groups (P=0.04 and P=0.02, post-matching, respectively). Notably, neoadjuvant therapy showed a correlation with increased postoperative anastomotic leakage rates (17.5% in NCRT+S, 10% in NCT+S, and 5% in S+CRT; P=0.03, post-matching), regardless of the PSM adjustment.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that neoadjuvant therapy before surgery offers a significant survival advantage over postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC. Despite similar safety profiles, neoadjuvant therapy appears to be associated with a higher incidence of anastomotic leakage after surgery.

Nomogram-Based Survival Predictions and Treatment Recommendations for Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated with Upfront Surgery

Background and purpose: The aim of this study is to develop a prognostic nomogram, quantify survival benefit, and guide risk-dependent adjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-ESCC) after esophagectomy. Materials and methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study of consecutive LA-ESCCs treated by curative-intent esophagectomy with internal validation and independent external validation in a randomized controlled trial. After factor selection by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, a nomogram was developed to estimate 5-year overall survival (OS) based on the Cox proportional hazards model. The area under the curve (AUC) and calibration plot were used to determine its discriminative and predictive capacities, respectively. Survival improvement from adjuvant therapy was quantified and plotted corresponding to nomogram score. Results: A total of 1077, 718, and 118 patients were included for model development, internal validation, and external validation, respectively. The nomogram identified eight significant prognostic factors: gender, pathological T and N stages, differentiation, surgical margin, lymphovascular invasion, number of lymph node resection, and adjuvant therapy. The nomogram showed superior discriminative capacity than TNM stage (AUC: 0.76 vs. 0.72, p < 0.01), with significant survival differences among different risk stratifications. The calibration plot illustrated a good agreement between nomogram-predicated and actual 5-year OS. Consistent results were concluded after external validation. At least 10% 5-year OS improvement from adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy was expected in almost all patients (nomogram score 110 to 260) and patients mainly with high-intermediate risk (nomogram score 159 to 207), respectively. Conclusions: The clinicopathological nomogram predicting 5-year OS for LA-ESCC after esophagectomy was developed with high accuracy. The proposed nomogram showed better performance than TNM stage and provided risk-dependent and individualized adjuvant treatment recommendations.

Genetic variant of ADH1C for predicting survival in esophageal squamous cell cancer patients who underwent postoperative radiotherapy

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of essential enzymes for alcohol metabolism ADH1B, ADH1C, and ALDH2 are commonly regarded as genetic biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) susceptibility. However, there have not been any reports on relations between SNPs of these genes and the prognosis of postoperative radiotherapy in ESCC. The current study aimed to understand the associations between gene variants of alcohol metabolism and adjuvant radiotherapy’s prognosis in ESCC.

Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed 110 ESCC patients from our institution who received adjuvant radiotherapy after surgery. The SNPs of ADH1B rs1229984, ADH1C rs1789924, and ALDH2 rs671 were detected by Sanger sequencing using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples. A nomogram was drawn based on prognostic factors associated with overall survival (OS).

Results: ADH1C rs1789924 (C&gt;T) was associated with poor DFS and OS in ESCC patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy. Multivariate analysis showed that ADH1C rs1789924 (C&gt;T) was one of the independent prognosis factors of DFS and OS. However, the genotypes of ADH1B SNP rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671 were not associated with differences in the PFS and OS of these patients. Compared with the AJCC staging system, the nomogram containing the ADH1C genotype can more effectively and accurately predict the survival time of ESCC after surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy.

Conclusion: ADH1C rs1789924 might be a prognostic genetic biomarker for ESCC patients undergoing surgery and postoperative radiotherapy.

Characterization of plasma exosomal microRNAs in responding to radiotherapy of human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Radiotherapy is one of the main treatment methods for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Previous research has shown that plasma exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) can predict therapeutic outcome. In the present study, to identify potential exosomal miRNAs that respond to radiotherapy, plasma exosomal miRNAs from ESCC patients undergoing radiotherapy were isolated and sequenced. Upregulated and downregulated miRNAs were detected from patients pre- and post-radiotherapy, and it was found that they play distinct roles in DNA damage process and endosomal mediated transport. Based on wound healing and Cell Counting Kit-8 assays in TE-1 human esophageal cancer cells, it was identified that representative miRNA miR-652 and miR-30a alter migration but not proliferation. The present findings identified differentially expressed miRNAs in responding to radiotherapy, and added a reference to explore non-invasive plasma biomarkers to evaluate therapeutic effects in ESCC.

The Role of Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients with Pathological Positive Lymph Nodes After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Esophagectomy: a Single Institute Retrospective Analysis

The need for adjuvant therapy after radical resection for patients with stage II–III thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) who have undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has not been determined. Since recurrence can occur after radical resection and since the prognosis is still poor, it is necessary to consider additional treatment strategies, including adjuvant chemotherapy. We retrospectively investigated the significance of adjuvant therapy after NAC followed by radical resection for TESCC. Between 2008 and 2018, 115 patients with clinical stage II–III underwent radical subtotal esophagectomy after neoadjuvant therapy. Among them, 62 were analyzed, excluding patients with T4 tumors and patients who had undergone R plus resection or who were receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy. We compared patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy with those who only received observation; we examined overall survival (OS) and recurrence rates. Twenty-nine patients (46.7%) had lymph node metastasis, 12 of whom received adjuvant chemotherapy (41.3%). The recurrence rates for patients with and without lymph node metastasis were 55.1 % and 15.1%, respectively (p = 0.0022). Among patients with lymph node metastasis, there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate (p = 0.9270) or OS (p = 0.5416) based on the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. However, in 15 patients with two or more positive lymph nodes, adjuvant chemotherapy increased OS (p = 0.0404). Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved OS in clinical stage II–III TESCC patients with two or more pathological positive lymph nodes after NAC followed by radical surgery.

Postoperative Adjuvant Therapy Versus Surgery Alone for Stage IIB-III Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Retrospective studies have shown that adjuvant treatment improves survival of patients with stage IIB-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but there is no evidence from prospective trials so far.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with pathological stage IIB-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were randomly assigned to receive surgery alone (SA), postoperative radiotherapy (PORT), or postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (POCRT). PORT patients received 54 Gy in 27 fractions; the POCRT group received 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions, plus concurrent chemotherapy with paclitaxel (135-150 mg/m² ) and cisplatin or nedaplatin (50-75 mg/m² ) every 28 days. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

A total of 172 patients were enrolled (SA, n = 54; PORT, n = 54; POCRT, n = 64). The 3-year DFS was significantly better in PORT/POCRT patients than in SA patients (53.8% vs. 36.7%; p = .020); the 3-year OS was also better in PORT/POCRT patients (63.9% vs. 48.0%; p = .025). The 3-year DFS for SA, PORT, and POCRT patients were 36.7%, 50.0%, 57.3%, respectively (p = .048). The 3-year OS for SA, PORT, and POCRT patients were 48.0%, 60.8%, 66.5%, respectively (p = .048).

CONCLUSION

PORT/POCRT (especially POCRT) may significantly improve DFS and OS in stage IIB-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The results of this phase III study indicated that postoperative radiotherapy/postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (PORT/POCRT) could significantly improve disease-free survival and overall survival in stage IIB-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma compared with surgery alone with acceptable toxicities. In-field and out-of-field recurrences were comparable between the POCRT and PORT groups, which demonstrates the rationality and safety of the radiation field used in this study. The postoperative regimens in this trial might be accepted as standard treatment options for pathological stage IIB-III esophageal cancer. Larger sample size prospective randomized trials to identify the value are warranted.

Role of chemotherapy after curative esophagectomy in squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus: A propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of postoperative treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus has not yet been determined. In this retrospective study, we investigated whether postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (POCT) confers a survival benefit on patients who undergo curative esophagectomy.

METHODS

A total of 782 patients were enrolled in our study. The patients were divided into surgery alone (S) and surgery plus postoperative chemotherapy (S + POCT) groups. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to eliminate the differences in baseline characteristics. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), which was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify factors influencing the prognosis.

RESULTS

Of 782 patients, 343 (43.9%) underwent S alone, and 439 (56.1%) underwent S + POCT before PSM. The five-year OS rates were 42.3% and 47.8% in the S and S + POCT groups (p = 0.080), respectively. After PSM (296 patients per group), the five-year OS rates were 48.7% and 56.2% in the S and S + POCT groups (p = 0.025), respectively. For different cycles of POCT, patients with more than three cycles had a better survival than those with less than three cycles. The significant predictive factors for OS were pN stage (HR = 1.861, 95% CI: 1.310-2.645, p = 0.001), number of dissected nodes (HR = 0.621, 95% CI: 0.494-0.781, p < 0.001) and POCT received (HR = 0.699, 95% CI: 0.559-0.875, p = 0.002), which were identified by multivariate Cox regression analyses in the matched samples.

CONCLUSIONS

POCT appears to improve the OS rate of patients with ESCC after resection, and at least four chemotherapy cycles are necessary. These conclusions warrant further confirmation in large-scale multicenter randomized controlled trials.

Comparison of the Gross Target Volumes Based on Diagnostic PET/CT for Primary Esophageal Cancer

Background

Clinically, many esophageal cancer patients who planned for radiation therapy have already undergone diagnostic Positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging, but it remains unclear whether these imaging results can be used to delineate the gross target volume (GTV) of the primary tumor for thoracic esophageal cancer (EC).

Methods

Seventy-two patients diagnosed with thoracic EC had undergone prior PET/CT for diagnosis and three-dimensional CT (3DCT) for simulation. The GTV_3D was contoured on the 3DCT image without referencing the PET/CT image. The GTV_PET-ref was contoured on the 3DCT image referencing the PET/CT image. The GTV_PET-reg was contoured on the deformed registration image derived from 3DCT and PET/CT. Differences in the position, volume, length, conformity index (CI), and degree of inclusion (DI) among the target volumes were determined.

Results

The centroid distance in the three directions between two different GTVs showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). No significant difference was found among the groups in the tumor volume (P > 0.05). The median DI values of the GTV_PET-reg and GTV_PET-ref in the GTV_3D were 0.82 and 0.86, respectively (P = 0.006). The median CI values of the GTV_3D in the GTV_PET-reg and GTV_PET-ref were 0.68 and 0.72, respectively (P = 0.006).

Conclusions

PET/CT can be used to optimize the definition of the target volume in EC. However, no significant difference was found between the GTVs delineated based on visual referencing or deformable registration whether using the volume or position. So, in the absence of planning PET–CT images, it is also feasible to delineate the GTV of primary thoracic EC with reference to the diagnostic PET–CT image.

Correlates of Long-Term Survival of Patients with pN+ Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma after Esophagectomy

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common pathological type of esophageal cancer in China. Patients with ESCC have poor long-term survival, especially those with lymphatic metastasis (pN + ESCC). In this retrospective study, we evaluated the correlates of long-term survival time of patients with pN + ESCC. A total of 453 patients with pN + ESCC who underwent surgical R0 resection between Jan 2008 and Sep 2011 were enrolled. The follow-up ended on December 2019. The clinical, pathological, inflammation-related factors and general survival data of these patients were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 73.7%, 34.6%, and 25.6%, respectively; the 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 45.0%, 26.3%, and 20.4%, respectively. The median OS and DFS were 23 and 14 months, respectively. On multivariate analyses, gender, site of lesion, number of dissected lymph nodes, stage pTNM, adjuvant therapy, and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio were independent predictors of OS. Site of lesion, stage pTNM, and adjuvant therapy were independent predictors of DFS. Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) scores of each patient were calculated based on the independent predictors of OS, and the patients were divided into 3 classes: low-risk, medium-risk, and high-risk. The OS, DFS, and local recurrence-free survival were significantly different among these three RPA classes (P < 0.001). Several factors showed an independent association with long-term postoperative survival of pN + ESCC patients after radical surgery. RPA scores can potentially be used to predict the prognosis of ESCC.

Postoperative Adjuvant Therapy for Patients with pN+ Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common pathological type of esophageal cancer in China. However, patient survival time after surgery remains unsatisfactory, especially in those who are pN+. This retrospective study determined the value of postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients with pN+ ESCC. From Jan 2008 to Sep 2011, 453 pN+ ESCC patients who underwent R0 resection and survived for at least 1 month were retrospectively enrolled. All patients received surgery. Some patients received surgery alone (SA, n = 131), and others received postoperative chemotherapy (POCT, n = 222), radiotherapy (PORT, n = 57), or sequential chemoradiotherapy (POCRT, n = 43). The follow-up ended on 1 Dec 2019. The 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and locoregional recurrence (LR) were significantly worse in the SA group (15.2%, 13.1%, and 71.6%, all p < 0.05) than in the POCT group (28.0%, 20.8%, and 66.5%), the PORT group (27.4%, 24.4%, and 46.9%), and the POCRT group (42.8%, 35.5%, and 43.0%). Furthermore, compared with the SA group, the median OS and DFS were significantly longer in the POCT, PORT, and POCRT groups (all p < 0.05). PORT and POCRT (but not POCT) also significantly reduced the LR (p < 0.01). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that each type of postoperative therapy was independently associated with improvements in OS, DFS, and LR. Postoperative adjuvant therapy—either POCT, PORT, or POCRT—significantly improved OS and DFS in patients with pN+ ESCC after R0 surgery. PORT and PORCT significantly reduced LR in these patients.

Postoperative Radiotherapy for Thoracic Esophageal Carcinoma with Upfront R0 Esophagectomy

Multidisciplinary therapies can improve the survival of patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma. However, the determination of the optimal modality is still a controversial subject. Many randomized controlled trials in the late 20th century showed that there was no survival benefit when postoperative radiotherapy was added to surgery for esophageal carcinoma. As a result, the treatment modality shifted thereafter to neoadjuvant therapies. Even so, these trials are criticized for many limitations and an increasing number of studies (mainly nonrandomized controlled trials) has indicated that postoperative radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy can improve the survival of patients with a poor prognosis after R0 esophagectomy. Additionally, a large number of patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma still choose upfront surgery in the clinical practice due to many reasons. Therefore, postoperative radiotherapy seems to be a feasible treatment for these patients with a poor prognosis, particularly in the new era of conformal radiotherapy. Here, we review published studies on postoperative radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy, and we discuss the clinical issues related to postoperative radiotherapy, such as the indication, target volume, total radiation dosage, time interval and complications of postoperative radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy, to make recommendations of postoperative radiotherapy for both current practice and future research in esophageal carcinoma.