Background: Few studies reported the outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) in treating patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).The aim of the study was to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of nCRT plus MIE (RM) strategy in treating locally advanced resectable ESCC.Methods: This retrospective study included 175 patients with ESCC undergoing surgical resection after neoadjuvant therapy in our institution from 2010 to 2016. Patients were stratified into three groups: RM,
[neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT) plus MIE] (CM) and [nCT plus open esophagectomy (OE)] (CO).Results: Seventy-six (43.4%), 42 (24%) and 57 (32.6%) patients received RM, CM and CO approach, There were no differences in 30-and 90-day mortality among all groups. RM approach was more likely to achieve pathological complete regression (27.6% vs. 4.8%, 1.8%, P=0.001, P=0.001) and fewer lymph node metastasis (25.0% vs. 57.1%, 61.4%, P=0.001, P=0.001) than CM or CO approach. Survival analysis revealed a potential trend towards improved overall survival in RM approach compared with CM or CO approach (P=0.098, P=0.166).Conclusions: RM approach was a safe and efficient strategy in treating locally advanced resectable ESCC. Thereafter, nCT, a safe approach (3)(4)(5)(6) showing improved survival compared with surgery alone, is being applied as the standard approach for ESCC in the east.As is known to all, minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) had great advantages in improving short-term outcomes without compromised long-term survival (7)(8)(9). Recently, it is also demonstrated MIE is an acceptable surgical therapy for advanced-stage esophageal malignancies after nCRT (10-13). Nevertheless, the studies available included majorities of patients with adenocarcinoma located in the distal esophagus, which might be more favourable for MIE. As for locally advanced bulky ESCC, it is dangerous to resect as is mainly located in upper or middle-third of esophagus and closely adjacent to the tracheobronchial tree. The safety of MIE after neoadjuvant therapy in treating such patients has never been evaluated in a relative large sample size. Moreover, as patients with ESCC suffered from high incidence of postoperative mortality after nCRT, it is worthwhile to investigate whether MIE could lower the risk of mortality after neoadjuvant therapy, whether nCRT plus MIE (RM) approach could be rendered as a safe and efficient approach for locally advanced ESCC.This retrospective study was performed to compare outcomes in patients with locally advanced resectable ESCC undergoing RM, nCT plus MIE (CM) or [nCT plus open esophagectomy (OE)] (CO) approach and aims to illustrate the value of RM approach in treatment of locally advanced resectable ESCC.
Methods
PatientsBetween January 2010 to December 2016, patients completing neoadjuvant therapy followed by esophagectomy (n=194) were selected and their medical records were reviewed. The inclusion criteria were (I) thoracic ESCC; (II) McKeown or (III) Ivor-Lewi...