Background: Pretreatment metastatic lymph node (LN) size has been reported to be associated with prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, its relationship with response to preoperative chemotherapy or prognosis has not been clarified. We investigated the relationship between metastatic LN size and response to preoperative treatment, and prognosis in patients with metastatic esophageal cancer who underwent surgery.
Patients and methods: A total of 212 clinically node-positive patients who underwent preoperative chemotherapy followed by esophagectomy for ESCC were enrolled. Patients were stratified into three groups on the basis of the length of the short axis of the largest LN in pretreatment computed tomography images: < 10 mm (group A), 10-19 mm (group B), and ≥ 20 mm (group C).
Results: Group A had 90 patients (42%), group B had 103 patients (49%), and group C had 19 patients (9%). Group C had significantly lower percent reduction in total metastatic LN size than groups A and B (22.5% versus 35.7%, P = 0.037). Group C had significantly more metastatic LNs based on histological examination than groups A and B (10.1 versus 2.4, P < 0.001). Group C patients whose LNs responded had significantly fewer metastatic LNs than nonresponders (5.1 versus 11.9, P = 0.042). Group C had significantly poorer overall survival than groups A and B (3-year survival, 25.4% versus 67.3%, P < 0.001). However, group C patients whose LNs responded had better survival than nonresponders (3-year survival, 57.1% versus 0%, P = 0.008).
Conclusions: Patients with large metastatic LNs have poor response and poor prognosis. However, if a response is obtained, long-term survival can be expected.
© 2023. Society of Surgical Oncology.