Kundan Singh Chufal, Irfan Ahmad, Ram Bajpai, Alexis Andrew Miller, Rahul Lal Chowdhary, Jasbir Makker, Ullas Batra, Shrinidhi Nathany, Muhammed Ismail Sharief, Preetha Umesh, Mansi Sharma, Patel Amrith, Anjali Kakria Pahuja, Jaskaran Sethi, Varghese Antony, and Munish Gairola
Objective: To evaluate treatment outcomes in patients from a low-middle income country (LMIC) with esophageal carcinoma who underwent esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NACRT/S). Methods: Between 2010 and 2020, 254 patients (median follow-up: 53 months) met our inclusion criteria. Out-of-field nodal regions were determined by reviewing individual radiotherapy plans. Cox regression modelling was performed to analyze overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), while pathological complete response (pCR) prediction utilized Poisson regression. Results: The median OS was 71.4 months (interquartile range: 19.6–∞), RFS did not reach the median and pCR rate was 46%. On multivariable Cox regression, BMI [0.93 (0.89–0.98); 0.94 (0.89–0.99)] and absence of out-of-field node with extranodal extension (ENE)[0.22 (0.09–0.53); 0.30 (0.12–0.75)] influenced OS and RFS, respectively. Age [1.03 (1.01–1.06)], nodal stage [cN2-3 vs cN0: 2.67 (1.08–6.57)] and adventitial involvement [2.54 (1.36–4.72)] also influenced OS, while involved margins [3.12 (1.24–7.81)] influenced RFS. On multivariable Poisson regression, non-CROSS-chemotherapy regimens [0.65 (0.44–0.95)] and residual primary disease on pre-surgical imaging [0.73 (0.57–0.93)] were significantly associated with pCR. The most frequently involved in-field and out-of-field nodal regions were the periesophageal and perigastric (greater and lesser curvature) regions, respectively. Conclusion: NACRT/S is feasible and effective in patients from LMIC. Out-of-field ENE merits further investigation as a prognostic factor since it significantly influenced both OS and RFS. Advances in knowledge: The results of clinical trials are replicable in LMICs. Out-of-field ENE is an independent prognostic factor for OS and RFS.