Meta-analysis of survival benefit with postoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients of lymph node positive esophageal carcinoma

Abstract

Background

The effect of postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for esophageal carcinoma (EC) was investigated. Patients who can obtain benefit from this treatment modality have not yet been well identified.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies published from January 1993 to July 2016. Research comparing surgery alone (SA) with postoperative CRT in patients with resectable EC was procured; collected articles were written in English.

Results

Nine studies comparing of postoperative CRT versus SA (n = 1650) in patients with resectable EC met the inclusion criteria. No survival benefit was achieved for postoperative CRT compared with SA. Subgroup analysis was conducted for patients under resection with positive lymph node carcinoma; there was a significant survival benefit at 1 year [risk ratio (RR) = 0.55 95% CI: 0.37–0.82; P = 0.003], 3 years (RR = 0.71 95% CI: 0.61–0.83; P<0.0001), as well as 5 years (RR = 0.86 95% CI: 0.78–0.94; P = 0.0007). Subgroup analysis by tumor histology of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was also performed, but there was no significant survival benefit when postoperative CRT was compared with SA. Fail models after surgery were performed; the RR for local control rate and distant metastasis rate were 0.64 (95% CI 0.49–0.85; P = 0.002) and 0.87 (95% CI 0.67–1.15; P = 0.34), which indicates lower local recurrence rates of post-CRT than that of SA.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis demonstrated a survival benefit of postoperative CRT over SA in resectable EC patients with positive lymph nodes. Improvements of local control rates with postoperative CRT were also detected.

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