title: Results of neoadjuvant therapy followed by esophagectomy for patients with locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For patients diagnosed with locally advanced esophageal cancer, neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery is the most common approach. However, randomized trials resulted in inconsistent conclusions. We conducted this retrospective study to evaluate the influence of neoadjuvant therapy on postoperative events and the influence on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed all of the patients underwent surgery following neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) during January 1st, 2013 and December 31st, 2015 in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). Prognostic factors for DFS and OS were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of fifty patients were included. Regarding postoperative morbidities, pneumonia and leakage occurred in 9 (18.0%) and 6 (12.0%) patients, respectively. For the whole patients, the 1-, 2-, 3-year DFS and OS rates were 57.0%, 48.0%, 42.0% and 86.0%, 73.0%, 62.0%, respectively. Lung metastasis and mediastinal node involvement were the most common relapse patterns. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed ypTNM stage as an independent prognostic factor for both DFS and OS; while leakage was an independent prognostic factor for DFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neoadjuvant therapy did not increase postoperative morbidities but did achieve favorable survival. The ypTNM stage was an independent prognostic factor for both DFS and OS. Long-term survival needs further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Longfei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Yunjian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Longlong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Zuodong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Shujun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Haiquan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai 200032, China;; Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Jiaqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiang
keywords: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); neoadjuvant therapy; survival