Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the prognosis and its related factors for the patients with pT3N0M0 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).
Methods Two hundred and forty-nine patients with thoracic ESCC were treated with radical resection and the pathological stage was UICC stage T3N0M0. The median age was 60 years old (range 33-78years). There were 39 cases in the upper-, 166 cases in the middle-, and 44 cases in the lower-thoracic esophagus; the median length of lesion was 5cm (range 2-12cm); as per surgery records, 35, 90 and 124 cases were with none, mild and severe adhesion of surgery, respectively; the median number of removed lymph nodes was 9 (range 1-27) . There were 98 cases with surgery alone and 151 cases with postoperative adjuvant treatment. The statistical analysis used SPSS13.0 statistical software.
Results The 1-, 3-, 5-year overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival(PFS) were 90.0%, 68.7%, 55.2% and 82.1%, 61.7%, 53.9%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that gender, tumor site, pathological differentiated degree and hemoglobin level before surgery were associated with OS(P<0.05) ; the age, tumor site and adhesion degree during surgery were associated with PFS(P<0.05) . Multivariate analysis showed tumor site, preoperative hemoglobin levels and small mediastinal lymph node(<1cm) in CT before surgery, the number of removed lymph nodes were the independent prognostic factors for OS; tumor site was the only independent factor for PFS. Postoperative adjuvant therapy had not effect on OS or PFS; for patients with small mediastinal lymph node(<1cm) in CT before surgery, the postoperative adjuvant therapy could improve OS and PFS (P<0.05) .
Conclusion For the patients with stage pT3N0M0 thoracic ESCC treated with radical resection, tumor site is the independent factor for OS and PFS; the prognosis is superior in the upper-, and poor in the lower-ESCC; the prognosis is favorable in the patients who are dissected more lymph nodes at surgery or with out mediastinal lymph node in CT before surgery, and vice verse. The OS is inferior in the patients with high level of hemoglobin before surgery. The value of postoperative adjuvant therapy is needed be proved.