The Prognostic Impact of Extracapsular Lymph Node Involvement in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

A Surrogate Endpoint for Overall Survival in Locally Advanced and Resectable Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Reanalysis of Data From the NEOCRTEC5010 Trial

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate disease-free survival (DFS) as a surrogate endpoint for overall survival (OS) in patients with locally advanced and resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We re-analyzed patient data from the NEOCRTEC5010 randomized controlled trial (N = 451 patients) to compare their OS with that of an age- and sex-matched cohort from the general population of China. We used expected survival and the standardized mortality ratio, respectively, in our analysis of data collected from a neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NCRT) plus surgery group and a surgery-only group. Published data from 6 randomized controlled trials and 20 retrospective studies were used to examine the correlation between DFS and OS at the trial level.

RESULTS

The annual hazard rate of disease progression decreased to 4.9% and 8.1% within 3 years in the NCRT and surgery groups, respectively. Patients who were disease-free at 36 months had a 5-year OS of 93.9% (95% CI, 89.7%-98.4%) in the NCRT group with a standardized mortality ratio of 1.1 (95% CI, 0.7-1.8; P = .5639). In contrast, the 5-year OS was only 12.9% (95% CI, 7.3%-22.6%) for patients in the NCRT group who exhibited disease progression within 36 months. At the trial level, DFS and OS were correlated with treatment effect (R2 = 0.605).

CONCLUSIONS

Disease-free status at 36 months is a valid surrogate endpoint for 5-year OS in patients with locally advanced and resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Patients who were disease-free at 36 months showed a favorable OS, which was indistinguishable from that of the age- and sex-matched comparison group from the general population; otherwise, their 5-year OS was extremely poor.

Radiologic Extranodal Extension of Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Prognostic Utility and Diagnostic Performance

BACKGROUND. Pathologic extranodal extension (ENE) in metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) has been associated with unfavorable prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article was to evaluate the prognostic utility of radiologic ENE and its diagnostic performance in predicting pathologic ENE in patients with NSCLC. METHODS. This retrospective study included 382 patients (mean age, 67 ± 10 [SD] years; 297 men, 85 women) diagnosed with NSCLC and clinical N1 or N2 disease between January 2010 and December 2016. Two thoracic radiologists reviewed staging chest CT examinations to record subjective overall impression for radiologic ENE (no ENE, possible/probable ENE, or unambiguous ENE), reviewing 30 examinations in consensus and the remaining examinations independently. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate the utility of radiologic ENE in predicting overall survival (OS). Prognostic utility of radiologic ENE was also assessed in patients with clinical N2a disease. In patients who underwent surgery, sensitivity and specificity were determined of radiologic unambiguous ENE in predicting pathologic ENE. RESULTS. The 5-year OS rates for no ENE, possible/probable ENE, and unambiguous ENE were 44.4%, 39.1%, and 20.9% for reader 1 and 45.7%, 36.6%, and 25.6% for reader 2, respectively. Unambiguous ENE was an independent prognostic factor for worse OS (reader 1: adjusted HR, 1.72, p = .008; reader 2: adjusted HR, 1.56, p = .03), whereas possible/probable ENE was not (reader 1: adjusted HR, 1.18, p = .33; reader 2: adjusted HR, 1.21, p = .25). In patients with clinical N2a disease, 5-year OS rate in patients with versus without unambiguous ENE for reader 1 was 22.2% versus 40.6% (p = .59) and for reader 2 was 27.6% versus 41.0% (p = .49). In 203 patients who underwent surgery (66 with pathologic ENE), sensitivity and specificity of radiologic unambiguous ENE for predicting pathologic ENE were 11% and 93% for reader 1 and 23% and 87% for reader 2. CONCLUSION. Radiologic unambiguous ENE was an independent predictor of worse OS in patients with NSCLC. The finding had low sensitivity but high specificity for pathologic ENE. CLINICAL IMPACT. Radiologic ENE may have a role in NSCLC staging workup and treatment selection.

Effect of circumferential resection margin status on survival and recurrence in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate whether circumferential resection margin (CRM) status has an impact on survival and recurrence in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Methods

We screened patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent esophagectomy from January 2017 to December 2019. The CRM was reassessed. Patients were grouped into a CRM of 1 mm or less (0 < CRM ≤ 1 mm) and a CRM greater than 1 mm (CRM>1 mm). The impact of CRM on survival was investigated using Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox regression modeling. The optimal CRM cut point was evaluated using restricted cubic spline curve.

Results

A total of 89 patients were enrolled in this study. The CRM status was an independent risk factor for the prognosis (HR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16-0.73). Compared with a CRM of 1 mm or less, a CRM greater than 1 mm had better overall survival (HR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.16-0.73, log-rank P = 0.011), longer disease-free survival (HR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27-0.95, log-rank P = 0.040), and less recurrence (HR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.23-0.85, log–rank P = 0.015). We visualized the association between CRM and the hazard ratio of survival and identified the optimal cut point at 1 mm.

Conclusions

A CRM greater than 1 mm had better survival and less recurrence compared to a CRM of 1 mm or less. A more radical resection with adequate CRM could benefit survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant therapy.

Clinical outcome of patients after recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

 

OBJECTIVES

Recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection (LND) has been incorporated into oesophagectomy for patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but with uncertain oncological efficacy.

METHODS

The data of patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, including who underwent upfront surgery (surgery group) and those who received neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery (neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy group), were retrospectively examined. The overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between patients with and without recurrent laryngeal nerve LND.

RESULTS

Among the 312 patients, no significant differences were found in 3-year OS and DFS between patients with and without recurrent laryngeal nerve LND in the entire cohort (OS: 57% vs 52%, P = 0.33; DFS: 47% vs 41%, P = 0.186), or the surgery group (n = 173, OS: 69% vs 58%, P = 0.43; DFS: 52% vs. 48%, P = 0.30) and the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy group (n = 139, OS: 44% vs 43%, P = 0.44; DFS: 39% vs 32%, P = 0.27). However, among patients with clinical positive recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node involvement before treatment, there was significant OS and DFS differences between patients with and without recurrent laryngeal nerve LND (OS: 62% vs 33%, P = 0.029; DFS: 49% vs 26%, P = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

Recurrent laryngeal nerve LND is not a significant prognostic factor in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma; however, it is associated with better outcomes in patients with pre-treatment radiological evidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node involvement.

Characterization of Extracapsular Lymph Node Involvement and Its Clinicopathological Characteristics in Stage II-IIIA Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The prognostic impact and clinicopathological characteristics of extracapsular lymph node involvement (ECLNI) in patients with surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unknown in the context of the eighth edition N classification.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 279 patients with stage II-IIIA LUAD who underwent lobectomy and lymphadenectomy. The correlations of ECLNI presence and clinicopathological profiles were analyzed. We also assessed the impact of ECLNI on the postoperative survival of pN1 and pN2 LUAD patients.

RESULTS

ECLNI-positive status was more common in patients with high lymph node yield and in patients with multiple stations involved. The logistic regression model identified tumor spread through air spaces, micropapillary component, cribriform component, and nodal stage as predictive factors for ECLNI presence. LUAD patients with ECLNI presence had an increased risk of locoregional recurrence compared with those without (p < 0.001). Presence of ECLNI was confirmed as an independent risk factor for worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001) in the entire cohort. Among the 61 patients with ECLNI(+)pN2 disease, our analysis revealed that adjuvant radiation was a significant predictor of improved RFS and OS. In addition, ECLNI status provides additional precision in stratifying pN1 and pN2 patients with significantly different RFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that ECLNI remains a strong prognosticator of unfavorable OS and RFS for LUADs in the context of the eighth edition N classification. Adjuvant radiation should be actively considered for pN1b and pN2 LUAD patients with ECLNI presence.