Survival After Induction Chemotherapy and Esophagectomy Is Not Improved by Adjuvant Chemotherapy

Background: It remains unclear whether postoperative chemotherapy improves survival among patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who have undergone preoperative chemotherapy and radical resection.

Methods: Patients treated between January 2000 and December 2016 were reviewed. Eligible patients were divided into two groups: perioperative chemotherapy (preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy only. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival; the secondary endpoints were overall survival and toxicities attributable to postoperative chemotherapy. To minimize the effect of patient heterogeneity between the two groups, we used propensity score matching. The survival analysis was performed using univariate analysis and a multivariable Cox regression model.

Results: In total, 252 patients were included in the study. Most were men (208 of 252; 82.5%); median age was 59 years. The follow-up rate was 93.3%. Age, performance status, minimally invasive surgery, and Clavien-Dindo classification were statistically different between the groups (P <.05). After propensity score matching, each group had 59 patients. Five-year disease-free survival (52.4% vs 43.6%, P = .372) and overall survival (68.6% vs 62.4%, P = .359) were not statistically different between the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and the perioperative chemotherapy group. Cox regression identified both pathologic nodal stage and tumor regression grade are independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival and overall survival (P < .05); adjuvant chemotherapy did not influence disease-free survival (hazard ratio 1.049, 95% confidence interval, 0.587 to 1.876, P = .872) or overall survival (hazard ratio 1.297; 95% confidence interval, 0.606 to 2.775, P = .504). In the perioperative chemotherapy group, 8.5% of patients (5 of 59) had grade 3 or greater toxicity.

Conclusions: Adjuvant chemotherapy is not indicated for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy and surgery.