title: Clinical Significance of the Pre-therapeutic Nodal Size in Patients Undergoing Neo-Adjuvant Treatment Followed by Esophagectomy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
abstract: The clinical significance of pre-therapeutic nodal size in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is not clear. We investigated whether nodal size was correlated with survival in patients undergoing neo-adjuvant treatment followed by esophagectomy for ESCC.
  
  
  
  In 2009-2013, 222 patients who underwent neo-adjuvant treatment followed by esophagectomy for ESCC were enrolled in this retrospective study. Nodal size was measured along the short axis of the largest node using pre-therapeutic CT images. Patients were then stratified based on this short axis, and nodal size was correlated with clinicopathological factors and survival.
  
  
  
  Patients with larger nodes were likely to have deeper cT, higher cN status, and poorer survival. Among the clinical factors cT, cN, cM, and nodal size, only cT and nodal size were independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis [hazard ratio (HR) 2.0, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.1-3.5, p = 0.025 and HR 1.5, 95 % CI 1-2.3, p = 0.036, respectively]. In addition, nodal size was significantly associated with hematological recurrence (p = 0.007), but not lymphatic relapse (p = 0.272).
  
  
  
  The short axis of the largest node before neo-adjuvant treatment in patients with ESCC is a prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan. shinji.mine@jfcr.or.jp.|Department of Esophageal and Gastroenterological Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan. shinji.mine@jfcr.or.jp.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mine
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Takanori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurogochi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies